Here it works really well Donghae makes the character Mark Wang feel alive and embodies the "I feel in love with you ages ago, and I can't let go of my feelings for you" so great. He made the drama feel like the misunderstandings between the ML and FL would all be solved rather quickly rather than drawn out for forever. Its pacing is also nice it's a breather for what I have been watching lately.
I know this won't be for everyone, it's a cliche romcom with maybe not the best plotpoints but I really enjoyed it.
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What's Shining?
Such a tiring script.ML should just move on and give that other girl a chance who's been crushing on him since high school.
Putting a name tag of her name in his backpack for support was really sweet. Letting him know she's there thinking of him. It's not a big deal, but if she can do that little thing without even dating ML.... what about FL who got with him two times?
FL is impossible. Dates ML, but then later drops him because she wants to work far away.
She likes her job. Nice!
But not trying anymore with her boyfriend because their schedules doesn't match so lets break up.
Gets back with him years later because she wasn't happy with the new life she left him for was dumb.
Also irritated with ML behavior for taking the time to take care of her feelings again when she doesn't have the time for his.
& why is she still being around her ex?
He's there always telling her what to do and she just let him.
ML had a girlfriend his friend said so, but where is she?
He doesn't keep talking and drinking with her does he?
When can they write a ML forgetting his first love and moving on? He will be 70 and still waiting for FL to return.
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Favorite trope: enemies to lovers
One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers, and this series was able to do this really well. I enjoyed this series a lot. It provided great chemistry with the leads, beautiful visuals, fast-paced storytelling, and good action scenes. There was no boring or unnecessary arcs, plot and subplots were all fleshed out and told in an exciting and interesting manner. Character arcs were also delivered well, kudos to the cast! It is an easy watch as it is engaging and makes you invested in the characters and their stories. Highly recommend!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
cute... but not thrilling.
plot: our FL is real life Pikachu. when her heartbeat reaches its peak she is able to "electrocute" people which then fall in love with the first person they see .her best friend has her eyes on the school hunk and asks Pikachu to electrocute this guy for her but things turn out quite differently..
the dramašÆļøšÆļø
this is a classic school drama. we have cute and bubbly characters, school related activities and of course love entanglements.
I cannot say this is a bad drama but its not stellar. there is nothing particular about it except the FL superpower which sets everything in motion but is quite influencial when it comes to to plot. it s just a plot device to initially get closer the main leads.
characters are likable and behave realistically even though the resemble more high schoolers than college students.
I didn't dislike this drama but at episode 11 I realized there wasn't anything keeping me engaged especially thinking about the fact that I wasn't even half way through. 24 episodes look a bit much for such a simple drama and I personally don't feel that invested to keep watching for so long.
it's a light hearted drama good for times when you don't want to think too much and just watch cute predictable stuff.
characters: nothing much too say about them. considering the fact that this is a "simple " drama they are not characterised that much. just enough to get a jist of their personality.
FL is fine. her personality is a bit bland but that's always the case with "self inserted " dramas.
the only real complaint I have is for her hair and dresses. they did her dirty. she is dressed like a nun and her hair are a mess. why.. why do chinese dramas always mess their FL hair?
ml: he is cute. I remember him from "love between demon and fairy" and it was fun to see him as a young puppy.
his character is fine but I have to complain when it comes to certain behaviors. I hate when ml shovel the FL around like a doll even hurting them because "they are jealous". there is nothing romantic about a guy sticking you to a wall against your will. let's stop that ok?
conclusions:šÆļøšÆļø
if you are looking for something exciting that makes your heart race definitely skip this.
If you like cute, predictable dramas in a school setting this might be in your alley.
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This review may contain spoilers
Can I join the whatplu gang?
OMG!This show has been on my watchlist for so many years now, maybe even when it got released, and I just finished it.
The storyline is one of those that I usually do not really like. I am not a fan of gangs/bully to lover type of storyline but the way this plot was navigated was actually very smart. It didnāt feel like they were horrible people (even through they kind of were tbh) and the frivolousness of it all made it much easier to digest and like the characters.
My complaint is that Thi should learn to stand up for himself omfgā¦
BUT THAT ENDING WAS EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEEDED. The cheesiness was set to the max and god did I enjoy it. Thi having Noeys heart this whole time was adorable. This will definitely end up being one of my comfort bls.
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I volunteer for the next season!!!!
EarthMix give me butterflies like nobody else! Even when their characters are super toxic, it just adds an extra pinch of excitement. Honestly, kill me now! Iāve been so deeply attached to them since 2022 that Iām convinced Iād watch them even if they were cast as dogs, Iām that loyal.Iām obsessed with the fact that they are finally getting more explicit roles. (Donāt worry, I still miss PhuphaTian, they will always be iconic and my favorites!) To be honest, after Only Friends, I wasnāt entirely sure about starting Only Friends: Dream On but you simply cannot escape EarthMix
Iām also impatiently waiting for Raffy to calm down because I need to see AouBoom passion on my screen immediately!
To finish this is my first series with JossGawin, and I have to say, they are such a cute and sexy pairing infact Another reason I hesitated to start this was because I knew Iād get attached to them too and now I'm terrified! If the curse of LOL ends up being real again this year, I might actually die. They were the only pair I hadn't formed an emotional bond with yet, and now I'm fully invested. š
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A hot mess
Less is more and this series failed to understand this . The first few episodes were great but then it went downhill. Too many storylines going on with little time and so poor execution. The writer wanted to do so much that they ended up doing nothing right .The last episode was painful to watch . It was as if the writer wanted to add every single cliche known to man .
This series had such great potential but ended up falling flat .
I donāt want to go into details to avoid dropping spoilers but Iāll unfortunately have to rate it a 4/10 .
Itās okay to simplify storylines and if you want something to be complicated, you either pace it better or increase the episodes.
Would I recommend this series to someone else ? No I wonāt .
Do I hate it ? No I donāt .
Iām just disappointed
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It's decent but could be great. The angst feels shifted from mains to 2nd leads
I've put off watching this because I watched the promotional film for the novel first when it aired. It starred Benjamin Tsang and Stan Huan. Maybe because of the budget with the diff media types, but the script, directing, production, cinematography, music scoring were superior than this drama. Although it was 5 mins, it captured strong chemistry, tension, and angst between the leads even with just their gazes and little script.With the drama, it fell flat. The angst with the mains fared weaker than the 2nd leads. Also, with an angsty storyline, everything was glaringly bright and flat to convey such depth. The promotional film did well in utilizing lighting and optics to depict emotions.
Now that I've finally completed it, it was decent. I'd rate it higher if I hadn't watched the promo film. Also I've liked the 2nd leads better towards the end. It's a rewatchable drama for me
Promo film link: https://youtu.be/SfAavpwtTJw?si=8-gEVESmeglVtt8J
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The growth of the mfl is tremendous! At the beginning, you can feel her awkwardness and embarrassment, but by the end, she has managed to break free from this cage, stats to know what she wants, sets boundaries with her mother, and confesses her feelings to a boy first . These steps were difficult for her, but she was able to overcome herself.
However, I didnāt notice any growth in the mml. He occasionally displayed courage, but most of the time, he was sullen and timid.
The drama is simple and fast-paced. Towards the end, it became a bit boring. For me, there werenāt enough main couple .
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Not My Taste, But Still Worth Noting
This drama is likely best suited for viewers who enjoy wholesome relationships. Thatās not really my preference. I tend to gravitate toward more complex dynamicsādysfunctional couples who struggle with their flaws but ultimately carve out a hard-earned, imperfect happiness together. That said, I did enjoy a few subplots.The Butcher Gang was particularly engaging. I was also drawn to the portrayal of the Sui brothers. Unfortunately, they weren't enough. Overall, this wasnāt really my kind of drama, and I wish I had watched it in clips instead of all the way through, as I regret the time I spent on it.
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Pursuit of The FL Whom The Screenwriter For No Reason Suddenly Turned Into An Background Wallpaper
This drama started brilliantly. The entire 1st half and world buildup in Lin'an was done perfectly to the T. I was really invested in the story, and Changyu was brilliantly portrayed and written. She had nice fighting scenes and her character progressed nicely. The cinematography was just breathtaking. The main leads had natural chemistry and companionship. Later as the story progressed and Changyu found out about the real identity of the male lead, the writing became rushed and Fan Changyu's character was compromised. The screenwriter spoiled the consistency and character progression in FL's character for the comedic relief and that is something I am utterly disappointed with. Furthermore, her own journey towards becoming a female general was absolutely butchered. Her character regressed and as a viewer, I could not relate to her becoming a general at all. It did not feel natural to me due to the writing. The writing and character progression of her character was sidelined and towards the end, I felt like she was just a general in name only and was reduced to an wallpaper who is the love interest of the ML. The screenwriter gave too much time in the first half and later rushed to compress everything together. The casting though was brilliant and everyone performed brilliantly. Overall, the first half was a beautiful watch and the 2nd half was a decent watch only due to the mindblowing cinematography of the director.Was this review helpful to you?
Trauma, Desire, and the Search for Redemption
Love Exposure is the kind of film that sounds completely unhinged on paper: four hours long, packed with perversion, religion, cults, and trauma ~ and yet somehow feels effortless to watch. What starts as a goofy, almost absurd comedy slowly reveals itself as something much darker and more emotionally loaded.At first, the film leans hard into exaggerated humor, using absurd situations to poke at fundamental issues in Japanese society ~ especially repression, shame, and the strange ways morality is enforced. But beneath that chaotic surface, thereās a deeply unsettling core: abuse within families, sexual trauma, and the quiet devastation of being emotionally neglected by the people who are supposed to love you most.
One of the filmās most striking ideas is how trauma reshapes people. Characters donāt just suffer, they transform. Pain turns them into something else, sometimes even into executioners of their own twisted sense of justice. Itās uncomfortable, but also very human in the way it shows how damage gets recycled rather than healed.
And then thereās love ~ messy, obsessive, irrational love. The film seems to ask whether love can actually redeem people or if it just gives them another excuse to spiral. Sex, throughout the film, isnāt liberating ~ itās destabilizing. It pushes characters into choices they donāt fully understand, blurring the line between devotion, obsession, and self-destruction.
The cult element is another major pillar. Itās not just there for shock value ~ it reflects how fragile people, especially those carrying deep emotional wounds, are drawn to systems that promise healing and belonging. The film portrays this with surprising empathy: these arenāt just ābrainwashed victims,ā but people desperately trying to make sense of their pain.
Despite its length, Love Exposure never feels pretentious. In fact, the four hours fly by. The pacing is deceptively sharp, constantly shifting tones and escalating stakes so that youāre never stuck in one emotional register for too long. Just when things feel too ridiculous, it hits you with something painfully sincere ~ and vice versa.
Visually and thematically, itās also highly symbolic. Characters and situations often operate on a larger metaphorical level, but the film never gets lost in its own ideas. It stays grounded in raw emotion, which keeps it from feeling overly intellectual or detached.
In the end, Love Exposure is chaotic, uncomfortable, funny, and strangely moving. Itās a film about damage, desire, and the fragile hope that love ~ however distorted ~ might still mean something.
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More a feeling than a story
Soft, slow, and very much a āvibe over plotā kind of film. I could see why people describe it as more of a feeling than a story, because it really lives in silences, glances, and moments that arenāt fully explained. At times I felt like I was just sitting with the characters rather than following a clear narrative. I did appreciate the atmosphere, itās delicate and almost hypnotic, but I also understand why some people find it distant. I kept wanting to feel more, to be pulled in emotionally, but it stayed just out of reach.Itās one of those films I admire more than I actually connect with. Beautiful, thoughtful, but more āartisticā than truly engaging for me.
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This review may contain spoilers
Slowburn Romance of a Happy Ending
Truth to be told, I'm still at the 9th ep of the drama, and so farāI'm obsessed with it!I'm not saying this out of my admiration for Reba or anything ābut solely, as a casual viewer and a beginner chiness drama enthusiast. Seriously, the production have surely hefty amount of budget filming throughout the whole series. The cinematography alone is topnotch. Not to add, the amount of visually striking outfits of the female lead. She looked undeniably magnetic through the screen.
As for the acting dept, I can see that there's countless room of improvement. However, that doesn't equate to bad performance at all. It's just that based on my observation (while reading the book and watching the live action adaptation), I feel like the characters in the drama got a some restraints. You see, in the original novel, each characters were described so vividly that it felt like they're right in front of your face doing the act. Yet the drama only managed to cover a little bit of expression.
To sum it up, Reba did a great job in her portrayal as He Simu.
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