Reviews

Immersive and toxic black flag fest

This drama deserves a 10/10 rating, but I refuse to give it. Because there is 1 HUGE flaw and I will adress it at the start. Lu Feng rapes Yi Chen multiple times. Once in the first few episodes and more than once when Lu Feng imprisons Yi Chen. The rapes are not explicit, only suggested but it's clear it happened. And because I don't believe it's in any way enhancing the story I will not rate it 10/10.

The story is not even what makes this drama so good. It's the acting and the chemistry between the actors. But about that later. Let's talk about the story first. It's a classic "big strong popular guy falls for nerdy weak boy" Both of them are from important rich families and have a reputation to protect. In china this means not being gay, get married to a good match and have children to please your parents. Despite the Big Love these guys have, they are not able to fight the parental expectations. Lu Feng suffers physical abuse from his father and Yi Chen is being pushed and manipulated into denying his true feelings and not hurting his mother and brother. But as things go with Big Love, it can't be denied for long and things progress between them regardless.

We can see Lu Feng being manipulative while doing whatever he wants from the start. He doesn't really seem to care abour Yi Chens feelings and shows up or stays away whenever he pleases. Never explaining, never apologizing. Whenever Yi Cheng dares to protest, he either physically or mentally pushes him into submission. The way I have screamed at him through the screen...

All this uglyness is always forgiven by Yi Chen, who is the sweetest innocent boy that keeps forgiving and is just too much in love to care about the abuse and toxicity.

Until....

Everything culminates when Yi Chens mother dies after talking to Lu Feng, and at that same day Lu Feng (kind of accidentally) throws Yi Chengs brother from the stairs breaking so many bones he could be crippled for life. This is when they finally break up. But not for good of course, because this is Big And Obsessive Love. From both sides. So they eventually meet again and the toxicity chemistry and love all continue at the same time. As a viewer it was frustrating, confusing and blissful all at once. Lu Feng goes as far as to lock Yi Chen up, because Yi Chen has grown up and won't be manipulated as easily anymore. Even after he releases him, it takes several more outburst of (near) violence before we eventually find out what caused all this lunacy and Lu Feng finally deals with himself in the way that he should and the toxicity ends so that they can have a healthy love.

I could write a million words to describe the feelings this series gave me. I guess it's kind of like base jumping or shark diving. You know you could die, but you do it anyway for the adrenaline. Never in my real life would I accept a relationship like this. I mean, run like the wind in the other direction. But in a romance drama? With this acting and chemistry? Yes please.

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Well...It was confusing.........................AND 100% NOT WHAT I EXPECTED!

Okay, so I watched this drama because of FortPeat and I think I was expecting something else. There were many things I didn't like:
The timeline was very messy and did NOT make sense at all.
Kelvin's idea of revenge and betraying Vier made me throw my ipad across the room.
Kelvin being the cause of Lalit's death made me hate Kelvin even more.
And the fact that Kelvin never loved Vier led me onto the verge of tears.
And was there the need for a GL couple? No.
And that therapist doctor guy who was Lalyn's brother, uh YES 100% a jerk for helping Ken.
So overall, the whole drama 100% did NOT make me impressed and was a big flop. Completely didn't expect this from FortPeat and let me be the first to say that it was the worst FortPeat drama I've watched.

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Decent feel-good watch but fell short of expectations

If you are looking for a completely breezy and fluff drama, this is a nice overall pick. But honestly, I expected way too much from it and it failed to deliver. Compared to other youth romances it felt pretty mid and lacked the emotional pull to keep me fully engaged, making it feel boring at times.

Also a huge missed opportunity: Gu Ran and Jiang Jia. I really wanted to see their relationship fleshed out, but we were given way too little of their story. It is perfectly fine if you just want pure sunshine vibes but if you want something with a bit more depth and satisfying side-character arcs, this one misses the target.

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Dazzling Isn't Just a Love Story—It's About Finding Home, Family, and the Courage to Dream Again.

Honestly, I started Dazzling because of Li Yunrui. Having watched his previous works, I already knew he was a talented actor, and I was excited to see him return to a modern drama. My expectations were high, but somehow he still exceeded them. As Xing Wu, he completely disappeared into the character. Whether it was the blond hair, black hair, or glasses look, I never felt like I was watching Li Yunrui playing a role—I was watching Xing Wu.

One thing I loved about this drama was how subtle the characters were. They were not overly dramatic or loud with their emotions. I know some viewers felt that Guan Xiaotong's Qing Ye was expressionless at times, but that actually worked for me. Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve. Her reactions felt natural and grounded.

At the beginning, Qing Ye could be frustrating. However, I completely understood where she was coming from. She grew up in a very different environment, and suddenly fate placed her in Zhazhating, where everything—from the people to the standard of living—was unfamiliar. Her struggles to adapt felt realistic rather than annoying. What made her journey beautiful was watching her slowly embrace the place she once wanted to escape. Over time, Zhazhating became more than a temporary stop; it became home. More importantly, it gave her something she had been missing all her life: a sense of family and belonging.

Xing Wu's growth was equally compelling. Initially, he saw Qing Ye as a spoiled princess, judging her based on her behavior. But as he got to know her, he became more understanding and patient. He recognized how difficult her adjustment was and quietly did everything he could to make her feel comfortable. Xing Wu was refreshingly kind and dependable (a green forest). He carried the burdens of his family in silence, sacrificing his own dreams to support the people around him. Watching him constantly put himself last was heartbreaking. Qing Ye became the person who reminded him that his dreams mattered too and encouraged him to pursue them.

The relationship between Xing Wu and Qing Ye was really special. Their bond felt genuine because it was built on understanding, support, and growth rather than grand gestures. They helped each other become better versions of themselves.

An interesting character was Xing Wu's mother. She was both fascinating and frustrating. It was clear that she loved her son, yet many of her decisions were immature and irresponsible. Time and time again, Xing Wu was forced to bear the consequences of her mistakes. There were moments when it felt as though he was the parent and she was the child. Despite how irritating she could be, she remained one of the drama's most memorable characters.

My favorite line in the entire drama was when Xing Wu told Qing Ye, "You move forward and I'll catch up to you." To me, this line perfectly captures who Xing Wu is. He knew how difficult their circumstances were. Qing Ye already belonged to a dazzling world, while he was burdened by responsibilities that made reaching her seem almost impossible. Yet he never gave up. He kept moving forward, working harder, and fighting to close the distance between them. It was not just a romantic line—it was a promise, and Xing Wu meant every word of it.

Overall, Dazzling is a drama that touched me deeply. It tells a story about finding family, chasing dreams, understanding people beyond first impressions, and supporting the ones you love. Combined with strong performances—especially from Li Yunrui—and beautifully written character development, it became one of my favorite dramas. For me, it is an easy 10/10.

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Rather slow-paced - started out strong

The strong start really got me hooked for the first few episodes but after that became repetitive.

The “second life” trope isn’t new with c-dramas and there are many good ones out there like the double, blossom etc. But I felt the pacing for ashes to crown is pretty bad.

While it is a journey to revenge by FL, I felt it had a lot of back-and-forth. There was a lot of plotting and backfiring and after a while it just felt repetitive. Maybe the director was trying to add depth with the multilayered persona and “talking to self” but instead of adding depth it also added confusion?

And some actions of FL doesn’t feel “logical”. It felt childish and wilful for no reason. For someone plotting for revenge, she seems to be “revealing” herself upfront too much, so much so that the enemy has the chance to plot back against her. I.e the scene of her second chance in life, despite knowing she has went back in time after checking out the current time, she still decided to act out against her fiance and said she’s gonna unalive him. Isn’t this revealing her cards early?? It allowed him to be wary of her already. Maybe this was intentional. Maybe this just wasn’t for me.

Unfortunately I got bored and dropped it. Might pick it up again.

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Were was the attraction, exactly?

I watched this 2016 drama in June 2026. In many ways, it felt like two separate seasons rather than one continuous story. With that in mind, I don’t necessarily agree with reviewers who felt the first half was significantly better than the second. Instead, I saw it as two fairly distinct stories connected by the ADT/GS/SJS love triangle.

We meet Gong Shim at around age twenty-five, and I have to admit that I wasn’t immediately drawn to her character. At the beginning, nothing about her projects confidence. From her wig, which covers a temporary bald spot, to her wardrobe, which feels stuck in her high school years, to her overall physical posture, she comes across as someone who has never truly found her footing. These traits are supposedly the result of a stifling upbringing: parents who failed to nurture either her life skills or her genuine artistic talent. On top of that, she has an older sister who is outwardly beautiful but inwardly insecure, and who dominates and gaslights Gong Shim at every turn. Although Gong Shim wants to become independent, she lacks the guidance and confidence needed to navigate adulthood. She dreams of learning Italian and moving to Italy to pursue art, but as we see, that goal is easily derailed by life’s circumstances.

What disappointed me most was that I saw very little growth in Bong Shim's character throughout the drama. Her arc should have become more noticeable from around Episode 8 onward. Incremental changes to her wardrobe alone could have visually reflected growing confidence and maturity. Even if the wig remained, a different style could have symbolized development. Neither An Dan Tae nor Jun Su contributed much to her personal growth, which made her journey feel frustratingly static.

An Dan Tae, in his early thirties, is a happy-go-lucky, street-smart lawyer by day and driver-for-hire by night. Despite enduring his share of hardship, he has risen above it and dedicated himself to helping marginalized people, often for little or no compensation. He isn’t concerned with what others think of him—at least not until later in the story. He possesses a unique gift that allows him to perceive certain events in slow motion, enabling him to react to threats with remarkable precision. Regardless of his difficult past, he has made a conscious decision to embrace life and treat people with kindness—unless circumstances force his hand otherwise. I truly loved this character. This was my first time watching Namkoong Min, and I immediately found myself looking for more of his dramas and films.

Jun Su, twenty-seven, is the presumptive heir to Star Group, a large conglomerate chaired by his aging grandmother. He is a kind and introspective soul whose life path was determined for him from birth. Although he is loved by his parents, he was never given the freedom to explore his own interests or define his own future. Even though he constantly strives to earn his grandmother’s approval, he never truly receives her affection. Through no fault of his own, he recognizes the writing on the wall: he may never become Star Group’s successor. I appreciated that he sought independence by pursuing the possibility of building something of his own. I liked his character very much.

Fun fact: Ohn Joo-wan (Jun Su) and the adorable Bang Min-ah (Gong Shim) married in 2025.

As I watched the drama unfold, however, I began to view Gong Shim as something of a red flag. Comparing her to An Dan Tae, I simply didn’t see them as equals. We learn that they are only four years apart in age, yet their levels of maturity, emotional intelligence, and overall competence seem worlds apart. I honestly never understood the romantic attraction between them. Where exactly was it?

Their dynamic often felt like the classic “knight in shining armor rescues the pitiful damsel in distress” trope. They shared a wonderful friendship, but I never sensed strong romantic chemistry. Likewise, I didn’t detect much physical attraction from Jun Su toward Gong Shim either. In other words, the writer and director never convinced me why either An Dan Tae or Jun Su would become romantically interested in someone portrayed as almost juvenile in comparison. Nevertheless, if I had to choose, I actually thought Gong Shim and Jun Su were the better match.

Beyond my affection for An Dan Tae, the real reason I stayed invested in this drama was the relationship between Dan Tae and Jun Su. I loved watching their friendship develop. It felt natural and sincere. They respected one another, got along easily, and remained honest with each other until the Jun Pyo mystery took center stage. Even then, neither man truly wanted to oppose the other. Once Dan Tae’s true identity was revealed, I found it genuinely heartwarming when he expressed his desire for their relationship to return to what it had originally been. I ultimately became invested in Dan Tae’s efforts to uncover the truth behind Jun Pyo’s abduction and the revelation that he was, in fact, Seok Jun Pyo. I enjoy a good mystery, but if I’m being critical, the drama revealed too much too early to sustain genuine suspense.

The ending, unfortunately, was a major disappointment.

Sending Jun Pyo to the United States almost immediately after his identity was revealed felt abrupt and emotionally unsatisfying. If I were Grandmother, I would have wanted him nearby for quite some time. Surely there could have been a way for this highly resourceful lawyer-grandson to study business management in Seoul while reconnecting with his family.

Then came the final fifteen minutes and the “one year later” time jump. For me, it undermined much of the emotional investment I had built over the course of the series. In real life, there is simply no excuse for An Dan Tae and Gong Shim to have had absolutely no communication for an entire year. None. Likewise, there is no believable reason for Dan Tae and Jun Su to have had zero contact. Unless Dan Tae had been in a coma or had died, it made no sense.

Hiding an engagement ring inside a plant and never checking to see whether she found it—or how she felt about it—was just absurd. It’s late as I write this review, and I’ve run out of descriptors. I also couldn’t take Gong Mi’s last-minute confession to Jun Su seriously. Sorry.

The music, however, was quite good. I’ll definitely be revisiting the OST to add a few favorites to my playlist.
Overall, I don’t think I would rewatch this drama, nor would I recommend it.

Rating: 7/10

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There is nothing noteworthy.

Am I expecting too much? I’ve read so many positive reviews about this drama, but I find it quite boring because it doesn’t really live up to its title, The Prisoner of Beauty. None of the characters really stood out to me, except for Song Zuer.

After that, the plot feels pretty generic, revolving around mother-in-law drama and the one-sided crushes of the cousin and the would-be sister-in-law.

The male lead is also inexperienced when it comes to relationships, so he constantly jumps to the wrong conclusions. Most of the time, the female lead has to be the proactive one and sort everything out.

I made it to Episode 28, but I still couldn’t find any truly memorable scenes, so I decided to drop the drama.

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Like it a lot. Definitely will watch season 2.

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. What makes this drama so satisfying is its central message that every action has consequences and, sooner or later, karma finds its way back to those who deserve it. Watching justice unfold, whether through redemption or retribution, gives each story a rewarding emotional payoff that keeps you invested.
The drama starts exceptionally strong with its first story arc, which is easily the most impactful and emotionally gripping. The writing is sharp, the conflicts feel personal, and the lessons delivered leave a lasting impression. It sets a very high standard that immediately hooks the audience.
As the series progresses, the pacing slows somewhat with the later stories. They aren't quite as intense or memorable as the opening arc, and some episodes take more time to build their themes. While this slight dip in momentum is noticeable, it never takes away from the overall enjoyment of the series. The stories still carry meaningful messages and continue exploring the idea that people eventually face the consequences of their choices.
What I appreciate most is that the show doesn't rely solely on dramatic actions, twists. Instead, it focuses on human nature, personal growth, accountability, and the quiet satisfaction of seeing balance restored and yeah, those flying and slapping scenes are perfection. There's something deeply gratifying about watching characters learn difficult lessons and seeing justice served especially with those who feel entitled as if everyone in this world owes them something.
Overall, Teach You a Lesson (2026) is a satisfying watch from beginning to end. Although the latter half doesn't quite match the incredible strength of its opening story, the drama remains engaging, thoughtful, and emotionally rewarding. If you enjoy anthology-style stories centered on morality, consequences, this series is definitely worth watching.

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such unfortunate...

Watch this for Alphabet Challenge…

This is one of the most difficult reviews I've ever written… Mostly because I don’t understand the story too much…But from what I read MDL this time put the synopsis quite right out of the bag… So let me cut down the chase to what I think…

This short drama actually quite has the potential to be good. The acting isn’t bad, the costume is quite good, no annoying BGM or disappearing sound… It’s such a shame that this ends up being a very unclear story in the end…

If only they put more stories into the vampire’s background story it’s gonna be much better… Adding a few more episodes is gonna solve the problem.

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