Reviews

I've never been happier that I was wrong about a series

Needless to say, if you choose to approach this series with a lens focused on 'what-you-see-is-what-you-get' characters with a plot-driven narrative, take a step back and adjust before continuing on. This series isn't intense, overdramatic, or overly romanticized. It's an extremely 'human' story with flawed characters learning to navigate life together.

Before I get into more detail, I'm going to be honest - this one was actually pretty difficult for me to get into at first. I'm not the biggest fan of the trope where one character, seemingly childish by nature, is obsessed or a fan of the stoic unemotional one. Admittedly, I assumed that these characters were ONLY that - 2-dimensional and used as devices to play up the comedy and nothing more. However, with everyone raving about it, I decided to rewatch the first few episodes along with a few reactors I adore to get additional perspectives. As more episodes came out, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the characters' natural growth towards each other within their relationship. And as we learned more about the characters, I began to see that the "hollow" personalities I judged them for were, in fact, deep reflections of their inner wounds and anxieties. What I thought was going to be mindless slop ended up be subject to one of my favorite character studies this year.

QIN'S TRAUMA --

Okay, here's where my headspace was at the start - I have become so desensitized to the BL-series trope where they make it known Episode 1 that the main character, typically the 'sunshine' character has trauma, and that inadvertently leads the emotionally-stoic character to begin to have feelings for them. So I just assumed that Duang was going to be the character with the trauma. However, the writers and Por did such a great job at naturally sprinkling in little hints of Qin's trauma affecting his everyday life, that I almost didn't even notice. Once we witnessed his first 'flashback', I paused the episode and found myself rethinking everything I thought I knew about his character. I remember saying out loud "Ohhhhh. Wait. This makes sense. I was so wrong."

I'm not sure if other people also felt this way, but I feel like the writers intentionally had us learn about Qin's traumas and fears whenever Duang learned about them: naturally and honestly. Childhood trauma seeps into our everyday life, subconsciously controlling every decision, confrontation, and defense mechanism we have. Even though we didn't know exactly what Qin experienced until later in the series, it allowed us into his mind for a split second as he experienced a trigger. This completely changed how I looked at Qin's character in the following episodes. I analyzed everything he did through the lens of someone deeply wounded and deeply guarded. Por did such a great job portraying the layers of a character that cannot express how he feels to those around him - you can even see Qin's physical response to wanting to tell Duang how he feels but is too deeply afraid to feel anything at all to tell him. It was such a phenomenal and accurate depiction of trauma in the everyday life. Well done writers and well done Por.

DUANG --

I also assumed this character was 2-dimensional going into the series. I'm so happy I was wrong. Duang is one of the best examples of trope-diversion where the 'sunshine' character is NOT a naive/innocent damsel in distress needing protection, but instead is so emotionally grounded that he provides the security needed for Qin to open up. Yes, Duang may feel everything 10x more than everyone else and may come across immature (which, I admit, I judged him unfairly to be early on), when, in fact, he's the most emotionally intelligent character on the show. While his crush on Qin started out semi-obsessive, it turned into care and the desire to take care of him. Duang, while often over-the-top around Qin, understood the importance of restraint and when to hold back to allow Qin room to express himself as well. Some of my favorite moments were when Duang could tell when Qin needed someone soft spoken and calm to listen to him and create a safe space for him to feel emotions he wasn't comfortable with expressing yet. He anticipates Qin's needs and meets him where he's at rather than expecting him to fulfill some idea of what a perfect boyfriend should be.

Watching the last few episodes, I found myself tearing up at the sheer care and patience they have for each other, and I'm honestly in awe at how much Duang helped Qin become a better version of himself. It's incredibly heartwarming and makes their relationship 100% believable.

And I need to applaud TeeTee for a sec (since a lot of this review is focused on Por); he did an AMAZING job at showing these two sides of Duang while still making it feel like both are Duang, which is hard to do. I think the trick that he really leaned into was to make Duang so unbelievably earnest that it makes EVERY aspect of his personality that much more believable. I don't think many actors could pull off a character with equal parts stimming chaos and equal parts emotionally calming.

QIN'S PARENTS --

Okay, touchy subject here that many may not agree with, but I think these are some of the most realistic parents portrayed in a BL so far. Let me explain. I feel like in BL's parents are either amazing, perfect, and kind parents OR unsupportive or emotionally/physically abusive. Here, they're loving, but human. We can tell they love Qin, but they also have deep-rooted guilt and a LOT of shame surrounding what happened to Qin as a child, ultimately leading to Qin's emotional neglect. While I don’t agree with their choices, I get it. Sometimes, out of fear and shame, we hide traumatic memories in an effort to not feel them again or hurt the ones we love. HOWEVER, this only strengthens whatever pain the affected parties feel. Even the scene where Qin finally confronts his parents felt so accurate. They didn't get it at first, and you could see the instinctive push-back they had towards Qin calling them out. Their deflection was out of a place of deep shame. But it wasn't until he broke down in front of them that they finally allowed themselves to see how they affected him. I both hated and absolutely loved that scene. So while I hate that they took this route to protect themselves first, I get it. They're human and flawed.

I was lucky enough to have parents that emphasized communication above everything else. But even though I never doubted their love for me, they also made mistakes that I still see the side effects of in my everyday life. Parents are living for the first time, too. They're going to do things wrong and hopefully, when confronted, they'll see how they need to improve to better the lives of those around them. I really appreciate how the writers took their time for us to see both the love and the neglect the parents displayed and how that affected Qin.

It was heartbreaking and refreshing and raw; utterly human.

CLOSING THOUGHTS --

Needless to say, I went on a journey with this one. I went into it with previous pre-conceived understandings of what I judged as a typical BL show, and I came out with a gentle appreciation for humanity, flaws and all. I'm so glad I was wrong. Was it an out-of-this-world, astounding series? Probably not. Was the plot a thrilling adventure with plot twists around every corner? Not at all. It was simply a story of a group of people navigating life together while learning about each other and themselves along the way. Like the director himself stated, this series, much like humanity, is "not the best, but still good." We aren't perfect, but we try. And that's good enough for me.

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Lesson: Nobody is truly known until their mask comes off

I just completed If Wishes Were Killed and honestly… this drama frustrated me, stressed me out, shocked me, and still managed to keep me hooked till the end. Overall, it was actually a really good show, especially because of the acting. Every actor did their role so well that even when I hated certain characters, I knew the actors were doing exactly what they were supposed to do.

One thing I realized while watching this drama is that you should never think you truly know someone, even if they are your closest person. The real side of people only comes out during the worst situations. When fear, greed, desperation, anger, or survival kicks in, people completely change. That was one of the strongest lessons this drama gave me. Trust can disappear so quickly, and sometimes the people you least expect become the ones who hurt you the most.

Nari especially irritated me so much. She acted so immature most of the time and honestly sounded like a teenage girl obsessed with arrogance and her own emotions. She kept talking about betrayal, loyalty, and honesty, but then what she did to Hyeon should also be called betrayal, right? People like her always pretend they are the loyal and truthful ones, but behind everything they lie, hurt others, and then somehow end up acting like the victim in the end. That personality annoyed me throughout the drama. But at the same time, I have to praise the actress because she played the role SO well that I genuinely hated the character. That means she did an amazing job.

And Kwon Si Won… dude, what was actually wrong with her? Just because she believed rumors and hated her own mother, she decided her mother deserved to rot in hell? That honestly made me so angry. If she truly loved her mother even a little, she should have at least talked to her and asked for the truth instead of blindly believing what others said. This is literally what happens when anger blinds your common sense. Once people become consumed by hatred, they stop thinking logically and start destroying everything around them, including themselves.

And Kwon Si Won being jealous of Do Hye Reong just because she kept visiting her mom’s house was honestly so weird to me 😭. Dude, wake up — that is not friendship, that is controlling behavior. You cannot claim to care about someone while trying to control who they meet, where they go, and how they live. That jealousy showed how possessive and emotionally unstable she really was.

The drama itself kept making me anxious because the plans to take down Kwon felt so unplanned and rushed 😭. I understand that things were happening quickly in the story, but while watching, I kept thinking, “PLEASE think properly before doing something.” Their decisions felt so hasty sometimes that it stressed me out while watching. That tension honestly made the drama more intense because I never felt relaxed while watching the plot unfold.

Also, the scenes where characters die 24 hours after their wishes come true were HORRIBLE to watch. Especially the throat-cutting scenes with the knife… absolutely not. I genuinely had to look away because those scenes made me uncomfortable. Beside those moments, though, the drama is not overly intense in terms of gore. The psychological tension and emotional frustration were honestly stronger than the violence itself.

I will say this though: if anyone plans to watch this drama, be patient and stay VERY focused on the plot because if you miss small details, you might get confused or frustrated. This is not the kind of drama you can casually watch while scrolling on your phone. You actually need to pay attention to understand everybody’s motives, lies, and actions.

And honestly, I don’t think this drama needs a Season 2. I feel like if they’re not going to bring better strategies and proper planning to defend Kim Na Ri ( I guess), then they should just leave it as it is. I was honestly tired of all the unplanned, rushed actions. I prefer when things are done with tactics and smart thinking rather than emotional, hasty decisions. And I cried so bad when the brother-in-law got injured—I genuinely thought he died for a moment. That scene hit me hard and stressed me out a lot.

What I liked most about If Wishes Were Killed is that it constantly shows how dangerous human desires can become. Once people are given the chance to get what they desperately want, morality slowly disappears. Greed, revenge, jealousy, guilt, fear — all of it starts controlling people’s decisions. Nobody in this drama felt completely innocent because every character was fighting with their own darkness in some way.

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Unsatisfied

Fake, kitsch, no chemistry, plastic faces,. ML portrays his character with depth and nuance. His emotional growth is also well portrayed. It’s a shame that not a shred of emotion is visible on his plastic enhanced face (why? He was already super hot) FL is a strong girl. So strong that has only basic emotion: happy, neutral, pissed, angry. There is no chemistry between the two. ML is full of chemistry by himself and shower FL with it. Such a big aura. Stop messing with your face you fool. The plot is engaging, but it’s full of filler—like endless walks, scenes dragged out to the point of tedium, useless slow motion and random epic music playing at every turn. The series is well-shot, but the post-production is amateurish. Nope. Dropped.

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Even After 10 Years, It Still Stood Out!

Watching Doctors after almost 10 years made me finally understand why people call 2016 the golden era of K-dramas. This drama was honestly so good in the most comforting way possible. The storyline never felt overly complicated just for the sake of drama, but it also never became boring. It perfectly balanced romance, pain, healing, friendship, and personal growth. Everything flowed so naturally that I became emotionally attached without even realizing it.

What I loved the most was the relationship between Yoo Hye Jeong and Hong Ji Hong. Even though there is a 9-year age gap between them, I never once felt their chemistry was off. In fact, their relationship felt more mature and genuine than many dramas I have watched recently. Hong Ji Hong was such a refreshing male lead because he never tried to control Hye Jeong or “fix” her. He understood her pain, respected her personality, and stayed beside her patiently. Their love story was not loud or overly dramatic, but it felt warm, comforting, and real.

Yoo Hye Jeong honestly became one of my favorite female leads ever. She went through so much pain from such a young age that she built walls around herself and acted tough toward everyone. But deep inside, she was someone who loved sincerely and cared deeply. All she wanted was a peaceful and happy life with her grandmother, but I guess life already had a different path written for her. In a painful way, it felt like her grandmother’s passing was what pushed her toward becoming the doctor she was destined to be. Not in a bad meaning, but it showed how life can completely change because of one heartbreaking moment.

After watching this drama, I honestly wanted to be like Yoo Hye Jeong. I loved how she stood up for herself no matter what, never let people walk over her, and always put patients first. The past she had with her dad also taught me something very personal — no matter how blood-related people are, even as daughter and father, sometimes you cannot forgive certain people. And that is okay. Some wounds stay deep. I related to that part in my own way, which made her character feel even more real to me.

If I ever become a doctor, I want to walk with the same confidence Yoo Hye Jeong had. I want to answer with confidence, trust my own skills, and believe in myself before expecting patients to believe in me. The way she carried herself as a doctor was so inspiring because she was strong without losing her kindness.

I also really hated Jin Seo U’s dad. The fact that he made such a huge mistake and never truly admitted it or apologized frustrated me so much. That kind of pride and selfishness made me angry throughout the drama. But I honestly loved how Jin Seo U’s mom and dad, especially her mom, were so shocked when they saw that the same child they once thought acted like a gangster with no respect for anyone had returned as a doctor, and not just any doctor, but an excellent one. That moment felt so satisfying to watch because Yoo Hye Jeong proved herself through her actions and hard work, not through words.

And honestly, I cannot fully hate Jin Seo U either because Lee Sung-kyung played her role too well. I watched her in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, Shooting Stars, and Call It Love, so I naturally like her. But as Seo U, she perfectly showed insecurity, jealousy, and the pain of constantly comparing yourself to someone else. Yoo Hye Jeong naturally had this charm that attracted people because she was genuine and honest, and Seo U became insecure because of that. But that was never Hye Jeong’s fault. Sometimes people shine naturally, and others feel threatened by it.

I really wished we got more of Cheon Soon Hui’s love story too. He was such an innocent and genuine best friend. His friendship with Hye Jeong felt so pure, loyal, and comforting throughout the drama. Characters like him make stories feel emotionally richer because they remind us how important sincere friendship is.

And Jung Yoon Do honestly deserved someone who would love him wholeheartedly. Beneath his playful and confident personality, he felt lonely. I wanted someone to truly take care of him emotionally and give him the same warmth he gave others.

By the end of the drama, I felt strangely comforted. Doctors is not just about doctors or romance. It is about healing from your past, learning how to trust people again, carrying pain while still moving forward, and finding people who stay beside you even during your worst moments. This drama made me laugh, feel angry, emotional, soft, and attached to the characters in such a natural way. Watching it years later somehow made it even more special because it reminded me how sincere and heartfelt older K-dramas used to feel.

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It was a very good series. I watched it with enjoyment and curiosity. I didn't usually like fantasy series this much because they're so far removed from reality. But this series captivated me. It kept me watching.

Starting from the end, it was a beautiful ending. I liked the scenes. It was great that guest actors like Liu Xie Yi and Zheng Ye Cheng appeared in the final episode, even briefly; they made their presence felt even in those short scenes. They are such good actors. Thank you.
Ren Jia Lun single-handedly carried the series. I think he was the most important figure. He didn't have a popular actor opposite him. The actors accompanying him weren't as popular or good as him either. But I got used to it as I watched the series. I liked all the actors. Especially Zhang Kai Ying, Riley Wang, Huang Yi, Fu Wei Lun, Sun Ze Yuan, Zhang Yi Ge, Xiao Shun Yao, Song Weng Zuo, Gao Shu Guang, Cheng Tai Shen, and Li Yu stood out.

Of course, there were flaws. The long dialogues were sometimes tedious. Long sentences and long scenes were filmed to explain the events. It was boring. Some of the fantasy elements were overused, making it feel like they'd gone overboard with fantasy. There were also noticeable flaws in some of the action scenes. Despite these shortcomings, overall I watched a well-structured series built around a good theme. I recommend it to anyone interested.

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reality check

this is different from other kdramas. usually in kdramas it is all about people fall in love and loving eachother especially historical dramas most of the time doesn't like a new concept because of the insult to the history. but in here it is a new concept and a theme.this is not not about love or that. this is about how much hardships a women go thorough in her life in a historcal pov. feminism rights, stuck in a loveless marriage affairs are shown in a really different way. at the end It shows that women should be there for women. i really like how main leads are portrait. true love, first love, one sided and love of the life. in a way to me This is the crown princess's story. nice drama to watch. not your usual poor girl go to a palace and everyone is mean to her story. everyone has their story and just surviving life just like us 🧡

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Watch all 3 Seasons! Yumi is the Green Flag

Yes, you should watch all 3 seasons of Yumi's Cells! While Season 3 is a standalone delight, the previous two seasons provide the essential context that makes the final season hit so hard. You won’t just watch Yumi; you will live alongside her. You’ll find yourself clapping for her Reason Cell and literally kicking your feet when she makes healthy choices and advocates for her needs. I'm not saying that Yumi is perfect, but her arc is so satisfying to be a part of.

The Internal Village & The OST
The animated cells are so cute and are the heartbeat of the story, illustrating the emotional labor of their inner village. Watching the internal negotiations between Reason, Anxiety, Love, and Hunger provides a framework for our own behaviors. Plus we can't forget the iconic Naughty cell! This is all underscored by a whimsical, iconic soundtrack that captures every high-stakes emotional beat.

No Villains, Only Lessons (Spoilers)
None of the leading men are "bad" in this series-- they are flawed individuals who served as necessary data points for Yumi’s growth:

The Pride Lesson (Woong): My personal bias remains with Woong. He wasn't a villain, but a man trapped by his own pride. I often wonder if Woong 2.0 matched with Yumi 3.0 could have been a great outcome, but love requires more than compatibility; it requires timing. Woong was the man who opened her heart.

The Integrity Lesson (Babi): He showed that even the most "perfect" kindness is a fragile foundation if it lacks transparency. Babi's emotional intelligence and way with words was very attractive in addition to the way he supported Yumi through her career change. But the wavering was ultimately a relationship deal breaker. I wonder if Babi had never moved to Jeju, could he have been the one? Babi just seemed to be the type who needed to be needed.

The "Teachable" Partner (Sun-rok): Confession, I had my doubts until Episode 8. Sun-rok is the right guy because he is ready to learn and be her partner in real time. Yumi was active to set her boundaries and voice her needs, and he was not only receptive but actively tore down and rebuilt his tower with his love for her guiding him. I'd even argue that his structure was perhaps even more rigid than Woong's cells! But he realized that rules are only good if they serve you well, and once he realized his love for Yumi his tower of rules got updated rather quickly. That made all the difference--Woong buffered while Sun-Rook updated his system. Plus Sun-Rook's pretty cute on the bike and the man is smooth behind the wheel! Note to self: Don't give up too quickly on introverts! You might just be rewarded with loyalty and the best imaginative partner ever.

The Satisfaction of Growth
Seeing the Season 3 version of Yumi—mature in both her career and her love life—is incredibly satisfying. She still makes mistakes and can be sensitive and awkward, but after watching her in the previous seasons I better appreciated her growth this season. She isn't a passenger in her life; she is the architect leading the narrative. She is reflective and more forthcoming, not wanting to repeat the same mistakes of the past.

The Final Critique: A Rushed Goodbye
If there is one critique, it’s that Season 3 felt too short and the ending felt rushed. I would have loved to see more of their "happily ever after," perhaps even seeing Yumi invite the people from her past—like a nod to Woong (to honor season 2)—to show how far she's come. However, the cells at the wedding scene made me cry!! Seeing her internal world celebrate that final integration was the emotional payoff the series deserved.

Final Verdict: This series proves that being the "Best Version of Yourself" is the only way to find your best match. Yumi became the "Green Flag" she was looking for, and it made all the difference. So yes, go watch all three seasons!

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No Build-Up Generation

Had lots of hope for this one because I really liked the edits for this drama even before it was released. But as they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. Anyways, let’s dive in!

✨️ Things that worked well for me:
• The chemistry between the leads
• Some of the romance scenes (at least the ones that weren’t questionable, like the ML forcing himself onto the FL)
• The ML being an interesting, sexy, gray flag character, easily the most compelling part of the show if you ask me
• Zhou Yiran’s performance as the ML, he basically carried the whole drama on his back
• The side characters were decent. Yu Jia Cheng as Song Yuzhi was lovely to watch (I have a weakness for the quiet, scholarly types), and honourable mention to Li Yun Rui as Mu Zheng Yang, whose visuals were absolutely stunning. I genuinely couldn’t take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen 🤭
• The OSTs were beautiful, with several tracks I’d still listen to after finishing the show
• The cinematography was also stunning, with some genuinely gorgeous scenes throughout

✖️ What did not work for me:
Characters:
• The FL felt weak, even though she is literally the protagonist of the show
• The actress playing the FL had almost no range in facial expressions, a different actress might have elevated the role
• The villain had almost no proper build-up and ended up feeling underdeveloped and his death felt unrealistic
Story:
• The concept sounded interesting on paper,  learning from the previous generation, but it didn’t work because their struggles didn’t really mirror the protagonists’ issues in my opinion
• There was almost no real character development, aside from the ML becoming slightly more tame???
• The dialogue was mostly dull and didn’t add much depth to either the characters or the story
• The most pivotal moments, like the reveals, had no proper build-up, which is why the whole series felt flat and monotonous throughout, even major reveals couldn’t lift it out of its constant boredom
• The ending was sloppy and relied on shock value with the ML’s "death" which I doubt anyone actually believed
• The villain killing himself also came out of nowhere, again with no proper build-up
• The last two episodes had people dying left and right, but it had no emotional impact because there was barely any connection to those characters. Even the main cast’s deaths didn’t move me because the groundwork simply wasn’t there

📍Final thoughts:
In the end, Zhou Yiran’s acting was the main reason I kept watching. Like someone else said, he felt completely overpowered for this show and had to carry it on his back.

I know I might not be the right person to say this because I’m such a sucker for Li Yun Rui, so naturally his scenes were another highlight for me, but even a visually beautiful drama cannot carry a weak story ☝🏻🧐

If I had to give this drama a different name, I’d probably call it "No Build-Up Generation" or something like that because there was almost no build-up for anything really 😅

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They survived but....

Despite everything, I'm really satisfied with the ending. There's hope for them reuniting and resuming there relationship. I'm so happy for Zuo Yingying for finally settling in her homeland and finding potential love ❤️. Happy Lord of Rust-sword for not dying and finding a path for cultivation;as well as the Inn owner helping to save the day and her business is flourishing with the little rabbit demon working there. Lin Muhan survived as well but with the loss of his father and Junior sister😢. I was so happy at Chu Ying's appear near the end. And shout out to Bai Zhongying , his sacrifice will not be forgotten also RIP to Xin Xiong he was the best of all the sect leaders😢. I still feel bad for Jin Lun, ASheng should not have became a God, there I said it. I liked her but damn. Anyway I would rate this 9/10

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Hou Ming Hao did a great job in this series as well, so it’s hard to feel disappointed. 😊

There’s just something about Chinese historical dramas that always draws me in. And the fact that it leans into bromance is definitely an extra plus for me.

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SCREENPLAY, ACTING and DIRECTION DISASTER

For starters, Dunk can't act. He sucks.

Now onto the show, the direction and screenplay was lacking so much, not even Joong or Chimon's acting could compensate for it. Like, why were they romancing right beside a dead body? Why did they as police officers not act up when they knew the victims were getting killed one by one and they literally had the list of all the possible victims? AHHHH.. it gave me a headache. The plotholes are HORRIBLE.

Sing over exaggerated his finale scene. The only good chemistry was weirdly between Ohm and Dunk and Ohm and Joong, but that's it.

I must APPLAUD all the negative actors though. Did so much better job than the leads for sure. All of them looked PURE EVIL and I loved their performances cause I literally couldn't stand ANY of them.

Aou Boom's cameo was cool. Boom didn't have the girth of a police officer. But since it's only a cameo it doesn't impact the storyline that much.

The fans of the main couple are soo deluded at this point that they are enabling a shit show instead of calling GMM out. Even Joong seems to have acknowledged the disaster it was.

Joong and Dunk's chemistry in the previous shows atleast saved them but this was BEYOND SAVING. I hope Dunk seriously starts working on his acting chops and gets better with his next show.

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Temu ver of Princess Royal

Honestly, it’s a mini drama that spoke way more of a message in just 24 episodes (all 10 min), than your regular drama. Plot is pretty solid, cliche and overused, but not horrible. Pacing is rather quick, almost all misunderstandings are resolved after the first 15 episodes.

But imo, the female lead saves the story, my heart goes out to her, poor baby suffered so so much. she is what makes this drama stand out. She is beautifully written, resilient and oh so extremely brave. The way the actor depicted the fl’s trauma was simply perfection. She is such a badass, and I love the subtle mentions of feminism.

She is so patient and forgiving, which leads me to feel extreme disappointment for the male lead. He’s short sighted, and failed to understand the female lead’s pov. He was a plain bitch during the first half of the drama, and safe to say, he did have a redemption arc. Ngl thou, he’s mad smart.

That aside, the actor did such a great job playing the character, he’s got that pathetic pretty boy gaze. I love the actress as well!

Overall, I don’t really recommend, but it gets over quickly. Almost like watching a movie. But there are better dramas to watch other than this one. “The princess decree”, is nothing special… Good ending.

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"For what purpose are you walking the path of the sword?"

Miyamoto Musashi was a crash course in the legendary figure starring Kimura Takuya. Despite it being twelve years old as of this writing, I thought the cinematography and quality of the drama were well done. And then there was Kimura whom I have a soft spot for, especially with a wig and sword. Battle on!

Takezo is involved on the wrong side of the Battle of Sekigahara. More brawn than brains, often operating on instinct, he has the raw skills of a swordsman but not the patience or techniques required. After being captured attempting to leave a message for his friend’s mother, the monk Takuan imprisons him in order to teach him discipline. After his release the newly named Miyamoto Musashi heads out to make a name for himself with his sword hoping to find a job with the Tokugawa shogunate. Along the way he fights, finds love, new advisors, and personal growth.

I enjoyed Kimura in this role. He brought the wildness needed for Miyamoto’s youth, the bloodthirsty determination that followed, and ultimately the calmer swordsman attempting to balance life and death on the edge of his sword. Maki Yoko had the thankless role of Otsu who could be cloying. Nakatani Miki appeared as a geisha styled quite similarly as her role in Jin. Sawamura Ikki played Miyamoto’s rival and what could have been a beautiful bromance if swordsman pride did not come into play. Honestly, I don’t understand the need to be the best when the only way to prove it is, 'one of us will be the best and one of us will be dead'.

The fights were entertaining if straining believability. At least Mifune Toshiro used the terrain to his benefit in his film while Kimura had to take on 70 samurai at one time on flat, dry ground. There was quite a bit of wuxia wire work as Miyamoto leaped great heights or dropped from heights designed to kill other men. He also had super healing abilities because this story didn’t have time for such things as sword wounds. To quote one of the Yoshioka, “How come he won’t die?!”

I burned through both episodes which were around 2 hours each as this mini-series was fast paced, never slowing down much to bother with historical exposition or character development of supporting cast. It helped that I enjoyed watching Kimura devour this role even when the pacing could stumble and the narrative could be heavy handed. For three and a half hours characters berated Miyamoto for killing people even when his life was being threatened and then at the end, his use of the sword was deigned by the cosmos to bring greater purpose and potential to all people. Uh, say what again? Overall, I enjoyed this mini-series though I’d only recommend to people who are fans of Kimura, like martial arts flicks, and have a rudimentary knowledge of Miyamoto.

11 May 2026
Trigger Warnings: Though there was a LOT of sword action, no heads, arms, or legs went flying. Sexual encounters were implied with some groping but nothing bared or overt.

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