Reviews

Chaotic plot with an enjoyable love story

The premise of this story is what lured me in, along with one of the main cast members being Liu Runming. I entered with some expectations, but not many, since I had never actually watched a standard short-length drama. And I am quite relieved about that, as otherwise I would have been disappointed.

I think this show was more about the romance than the other parts, because it focused on the relationship of our leads the most. But the rest was so left in the background that at the moments anything else took over, it was chaotic, often lacking any logic or plausibility—and not just for the plot, but also the characters. Very often it felt like a lot was resolved or changed off-screen, leaving me guessing what was what. But either way, I still kept watching right until the end, and overall, I even kind of enjoyed this drama.

However, when it comes to a recommendation, I would rather abstain, because this heavily depends on the viewer, their preferences, and their standards for what they think is enjoyable and entertaining. I watched this, I liked it, and I hope if someone chooses to watch it, they won't be disappointed and will have fun with this chaos, the same as I did! ❤️

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If you're watching the scarecrow be prepared for the stress

This is my first time writing a review cause what the hell is this drama...I mean this drama is crazy and now I'm also losing my mind...and people on TikTok making edits of Cha Siyoung then cursing him on the caption then thirsting over him again cursing him on the next video 🤣🤣 it's funny also I've to mention Siyoung's actor cause the way he managed to piss us all off...his acting was really good here ....and Taejoo oh god my heart breaks for Taejoo why he has to suffer so much ...but I hate it how keeps blaming his mother for everything...also Taejoo and Siyoung have messy relationship in the drama but the actors are bestie irl so if you also love their chemistry like me you can watch their other dramas or interaction like I'm watching Chimera right now alright good bye

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A Slow Burn With Detours

A Splendid Match is one of those dramas that made me feel more than I expected while also frustrating me more than I wanted.

The opening episodes set an interesting premise. Gu Jinzhao’s return to the family that abandoned her immediately gives the story strong emotional stakes, and scenes like her calmly burning the expensive gifts sent by the father who discarded her establish a protagonist carrying years of hurt beneath carefully controlled composure. Ren Min handles these moments particularly well. She understands restraint, which makes Gu Jinzhao’s resentment feel accumulated rather than melodramatic.

One thing I consistently appreciated is that the drama generally respects its own characters. Most people behave in ways that feel consistent with who they are, and conflicts don`t rely on exaggerated stupidity or forced malice simply to manufacture tension. Jin Zhao’s characterization occasionally softens and wavers in the latter half more than the earlier episodes seem to promise, yet even in those moments I rarely lost sight of the emotional wounds and pressures shaping her decisions. In a genre where emotional chaos is often mistaken for storytelling, this still felt refreshing.

The drama works best when it focuses on emotional relationships rather than plot mechanics. The romance between Gu Jinzhao and Chen Yanyun develops gradually and, thankfully, avoids becoming overly exaggerated. Ci Sha brings enough quiet warmth and restraint to make the relationship believable, particularly in smaller moments where concern replaces grand romantic gestures. Some of the stronger scenes come not from dramatic declarations, but from trust slowly accumulating through shared difficulties, quiet support, and emotional consistency. Moments where Chen Yanyun quietly supports Gu Jinzhao without overtaking her agency worked better for me than the drama’s larger romantic beats.

Ye Xian also deserves mention, particularly because the drama clearly positions him as emotionally important to Gu Jinzhao’s journey. Without saying too much, parts of the emotional triangle worked better for me emotionally than structurally. The character is well performed, adding emotional tension and, at times, quiet sadness, though some later developments feel more compressed than fully explored.

I also appreciated the supporting cast. Family disappointment, obligation, resentment, guilt — several actors manage to give emotional credibility to scenes that could have easily collapsed into repetitive melodrama. Even when the writing circles familiar emotional territory, the performances often help keep the emotional stakes grounded.

Visually, the drama deserves some credit too. The softer coloring, rainy atmosphere, and more natural texture felt refreshingly restrained compared to many recent idol costume dramas where everyone seems polished into emotional porcelain. Nothing here felt distractingly artificial, which wordlessly helped several emotional scenes feel more convincing.

At times, the rather generic music choices pulled me out of scenes that might have impacted more strongly otherwise, even when the performances were already doing much of the emotional work.

My frustrations ultimately came from the structure.

After a promising beginning, the plot gradually begins revisiting similar emotional conflicts without deepening them. Certain romantic complications feel more delaying than necessary, the pacing slows considerably in the middle, and just when the story finally seems ready to emotionally expand, the ending rushes through developments that arguably needed more room to breathe. Ironically, this became another drama that felt too slow in the middle and too hurried at the finish line. This feels like one of those dramas that would have benefited from another 8–10 episodes, allowing several emotional payoffs more room to resonate.

It never fully became as strong as its best moments suggested it could be. But despite its frustrations, I found myself caring more than the drama’s uneven writing perhaps deserved.

And that is also what makes it a difficult one to rate. Structurally, I would probably place it closer to a 7. Subjectively, however, the experience landed somewhere closer to a 7.5–8, so 7.5 ultimately felt like the fairest middle ground.

Those looking for faster pacing, bigger twists, or emotional intensity driven primarily by spectacle may find it harder to connect. But viewers willing to meet the drama where it succeeds — in quieter emotional moments, gradual relationship-building, and characters whose emotional choices internally feel understandable — may find quite a bit to appreciate here.

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Heartfelt ???

One of the best modern romance drama, not romance but also healing, understanding and life itself.💚💚💚💚😭❤️

1. Realistic relationship problems
Everything felt so natural and relatable — never overly dramatic or forced. The misunderstandings, emotions, and conversations felt like things that could happen in real life.

2. Top-tier green flag ML 💚
If the perfect boyfriend doesn’t exist, then He Suye definitely does. Someone who truly listens to you, says “Take your time, I’ll wait for you,” and reassures you with “It’s not your fault.” 😭💚
That level of patience, understanding, and emotional maturity is just unmatched.

3. A healing and heartwarming drama
This drama feels like comfort in human form. It makes you happy, emotional, and deeply attached to every character. By the end, it genuinely feels like saying goodbye to people you care about.

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Putting Yourself In Someone Else's Place

There are so many dramas where the character's souls switch bodies. This one drama added a different twist to it, sort of. The emperor male lead (Dai Gao Zheng played Xiao Jin Yu) and the empress female lead (He Xuan Lin played Xu Yu) switched bodies to to evil sorcery. The emperor was switched into the empresses body. He found out how bad he had treated her, how bad his mother (the Empress Dowager) treated her, how badly the concubines / consorts treated her and how badly some of the maid servants treated her. The empress in the emperor's body found out how hard it was to deal with the evil court, how difficult it was to run a country, how hard it was for the emperor to deal with his mother and the concubines / consorts. The two of them had to navigate through the inter palace treachery and deceit. The good thing was that they both had the emporer's younger brother, a good sorcerer and a imperial physician that where loyal to them. When the empress went out to the battlefield, in the emperor's body), she did well and even was befriended by the queen , (Ma Han Yi played queen Hu Na), of the enemy country; she fought along side the empress who was in the emperor's body. They became great friends. The emperor and empress found out that there where many misunderstandings and worked to find their way back to where they were when they first met and later married. They were finally switched back to their right bodies, right before the banquet. The good enemy queen was invited to the banquet. She realized that the empress seemed more familiar than the emperor. The empress and queen had a n entertaining sparring match with swords. They became such great friends, more like sisters with kindred souls. This was one of my favorite parts of the drama. The queen gave the empress her falcon and the empress practiced with the queen (enemy country ) with the bow and spear. They were inseparable and the her husband the emperor hated it; he wanted the empress' attention. The good enemy queen was getting ready to go back to her country, but the empress was not there to see her off; she looked around and was so sad. Finally the empress came and the two of them hugged. The emperor, empress, the emperors youngest brother and the others stopped a coup, taking down the evil marquise and his evil son. The concubines mellowed out and were made princesses. By the way, the emperor never messed around with any of his concubines / consorts; he only messed around and had affection for his empress. The drama had a very happy ending.

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THE SILLIEST script maybe, but the actors make it worth it

AN INCREDIBLY stupid script in nearly every of its plot moves.

But the actors save it, as well as overall production values besides the scriptwriting. Also, it is not boring, which is a major plus. it is much better to have silly stuff happening than nothing happening at all as in many other series.

So all in all it is worth to watch because the BL genre is not about scripts that make sense, it is about the lads, and those are great here. And Pond has played well after being wooden in his first due with Phu (Fish Upon The Sky, 2021).

But I do wish the series would not contain any tragic events at all. Because it all is so silly that the series would look much better as a self aware farce.

Lots of details are covered in a comment with spoilers tags below.

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3 different stories

Story 1: My hero
This story was good, though the execution had some flaws.
It had a very weird moment when immortal messenger Bai Chang Chang realized he had the wrong person.
The music and visuals were ok.

The acting was ok, but not great, the only actor who did great was Aaron Lai.
There was little chemistry, but both kisses were great.

Story 2: Stay away from me
Good story, what to do when you have feelings for your stephbrother.
I had a few good laughs about the BL loving girlfriend.
The visuals were great and the music good.
The leads haad amazing chemistry.

Story 3: Obsessed
Good story, with a great twist.
Visuals and music were good.
The acting was ok, and the mains had great chemistry and good kisses.

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Strong Start, Disappointing Finish: What Happened in the Last 4 Episodes?

This is another series I was really looking forward to. The casting looked promising, the plot seemed interesting, and I had high expectations for the script and storyline. Unfortunately, the ending was very predictable and felt extremely rushed.

The series started off really well and was highly engaging. Hui Ju and Yi An were clever and full of schemes in the beginning, but in the later episodes, they became noticeably less intelligent and made poor decisions. Prime minister Min and I Rang were characters with a lot of potential, but they were severely underused. I felt that Prime minister Min was unnecessarily forced into the villain role. I Rang’s redemption arc was almost nonexistent — she barely had any screen time in the latter half. The female lead’s family was set up as having a bad relationship, but suddenly her brother and father started loving and praising her out of nowhere. The last 4 episodes were hugely disappointing. The show introduced so many new plot threads but then completely abandoned them, leaving tons of loose ends. It felt very rushed toward the finale.

I really like iu’s acting in melodramas, but in this romcom, her performance felt a bit off — although she looked stunning throughout the series. Byeon Woo-seok’s acting felt quite stiff. The chemistry between him and IU was just average, but I actually thought his chemistry with Gong Seung-yeon was better. The costumes were beautiful, and the locations were well-chosen and visually pleasing. Overall Perfect Crown is a series that started strong but gradually became boring and lost its momentum. It’s not bad, but it’s not good either.

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at first it was bad, then less bad (but still bad), then really bad.

Pretty early on it because clear that the writers were writing themselves into a corner. Instead of getting out of the corner while they still had a clean way out, they decided to go as far into the corner as they could and then start digging at the wall because they apparently weren't cornered enough.
I understand that they did it on purpose, but it made the story so rigid and stiff. They could barely do anything with the story so far into the corner they had written themselves, which make the story boring and stale and like it was just going in circles.

The story felt so dragged out. It could've easily been half the length (maybe even a third of the length) and still not lose any plot.
Finishing this show felt like running a marathon, just without the adrenaline and endorphins that makes is actually enjoyable.

There were a lot of scenes that felt like thay came out of the blue. Like how did we even get here, and why do we even need to be here in the first place.
Some of the scenes started out feeling like they were flashbacks, but then they weren't. And when there where flashbacks, it wasn't always easy to find out where on the timeline it is.

There were a lot of characters and dynamics/history to keep track of with each character. I personally had a difficult time to keep track of who is who, and why they did what.
I admit that it might just be a me problem, but I'm usually not that bad of keeping track of characters. So if you know that you aren't good at keeping track of characters, then good luck lol.

When I went to write this review, I was genuinely so surprised to see how high others have rated it.
I usually really enjoy this type of show, and I normally like manipulative/scheming characters even when they aren't that well written, but I just couldn't get myself to enjoy this show.

I did actually like how complex the characters were written, and how they actually felt like three-dimensional characters. I just don't like the story they decided to make with those three-dimensional characters.

I genuinely enjoyed the acting and thought that the acters were good at their job.
I feel like in a lot of bl, they have a tendency to cast acters because they are hot, and not because they can actually act. Luckily it didn't feel like they did that here.
It felt like there were genuine emotions in each scene, and both the tears and the smiles of the characters felt real. There where also actually some chemistry between the main couple.

Final verdict:
I personally really didn't enjoy this show, but I can see some positive aspects to it.
If you think you'll like it, then go ahead and give it a try. But I'm warning you: it doesn't get better.

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The Battle of Antagonists

This is one of the specials that accompany the 2012 movie. (Watch this before Alice in Liar Game).

It's a battle between the opportunistic ally, Fukunaga, and the manga's antagonist, Yokoya.

Fukunaga carries this episode, and his flamboyance keeps it entertaining, but Akiyama's charisma is sorely missed. Due to how the actor, as well as the earlier writing of jdorama's Yokoya, he doesn't reach the exciting antagonistic vibe of Katsuragi Ryou. His behaviour here is better, but it feels inconsistent with the earlier series.

As far as the Taboo Game is concerned, it's good enough as far as the battle of intelligence is concerned. If I have to describe it, it's like having you transfixed on the given options and their respective probabilities and not noticing the hidden option.

With the absence of Nao and other players, it lacks the dramatick tension made by 1) winning then losing or vice versa, and 2) the frustrations expressed by other people.

If you're unable to tolerate Nao, you might like this one better.

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Great until it isn't

This has absolutely amazing acting and it's a shame that the story is only brilliant for around half of it. It then feels less and less immersive. Where are the other people of Pei? We don't know. We only see the villain of the family and that's pretty much it. Around 2/3 of the way through we start to see the other families and they plan but it feels disconnected. I don't feel the big network I just see a stupid villain who is filled with hate.

The love story.
I've got to admit, I was hooked with these two. They were brilliant... but then I stopped shipping them when the trust disintegrated. They became restrained. They didn't seem happy. There wasn't even a glimmer of friendship that could have rekindled the love. And this is when I just didn't want to continue to watch. The plot wasn't giving as much as it promised and it felt like the poor ML was in unrequited love, unhappy and restricting his own actions.

I also hate the ML's aunt. She's terrible!

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This is not a law show

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good dram, it’s funny and entertaining, tearjerking even. I cried like once while watching it but i cannot for the life of me, get over the plot holes and the fact that this Shaw has almost nothing to do with him being a lawyer. The lawyer arc is just used as a plot device to pit him against the firm the rejected him before he went independent. I get that they are trying to create tension but seriously every case??? Every ghost he meets, the perpetrators are being defended by that exact law firm and the same person who rejected his resume to his face each time.

I think that he is less of an attorney and more of detective. He can’t even be called a prosecutor since half the time he never makes it to court. Which takes me the question of how does he make his money? And since he cannot actually explain how he got his evidence without sounding like a nutjob or making himself out to be criminal because half of the evidence is collected by breaking and entering. I have sooo many questions and i feel like if i continue watching i will have even more than i have now. I tried to toss my brain cells aside to make it work but it seems like my brain is working overtime and the comedic relief just isn’t enough.

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Wonderfully Wonderfool Wonder

This drama has everything from comedy, action, fiction, great camera work, brilliant CGI (although not a very heavy dose of it as most of the action is shot with props 👌) and bit of romance.

It's the best work of Eun Woo I have seen. He's looking like a million bucks & was wonderful. Eun bin, Choi Dae hoon & ImSungJae fits there characters like a glove. Comic timing was insanely brilliant. It's not cringe. Situational comedy at its best.


They have put something so addictive in this production that you'll keep rewatching it again and again.

TMI - This is based on Stan Lee's comic B-team BTW.

I would have rated it a perfect 10 if Chaeni would have been dropped from the sky & Unseong catches her as the ending. For my sanity that would have been 💯

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A Fairly Good Script With Several Twists Different From The Novel

It was refreshing to see Ci Sha as the lead actor, carrying the role well as both an older statesman and a middle-aged man. The director seemed overly generous with the number of kissing scenes for the lead couples, perhaps getting carried away. Over many episodes, I was puzzled by how the Chancellor, once deeply motivated to reform the country, turned into a greedy and corrupt man willing to collude with Northern Barbarians against his own people. Even until the final episode, I believed this brilliant man blindly trusted his wife simply to please her. I was unexpectedly moved to tears when Ye Xian died in episode 39; his speech rallying his troops was truly inspiring. For years, he bore the shame of being unable to assume his father’s marquis title due to heart illness, and I never expected him to die in battle. Chen Xuan Qing’s transformation from a bright, mature, sensible kid into someone consumed by jealousy toward his father and uncle was a ridiculous twist. At his final hour of death, he returned to that sensible child felt deeply ironic.

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