Love Like On A Three-Wheeler
Summarily, this series intrigued me for its content and subject matter. There were several dynamic and powerful relevances going on all at once. Thus, this series tackled way too much with way too many for it to be efficacious. Its major significancy was deeply scarring and wounding. My issue with series that tackle such emotionally charged and psychologically damaging or traumatizing issues is that they never go far enough. Simply ‘glossing’ over the issues or only gingerly handling the sensitivity of the subject matter is really not doing it justice. And it tried too hard to take a cavalier and too lighthearted approach to three themes that are quite serious and daunting. So, I was not sure what it was trying to actually be. Each of these love sonnets could be a series and was a premise for a stand-alone story. For me as well, it was the secondary couple, in this case two others, that outshined the primary couple, yet again.Was this review helpful to you?
Fast-Paced Horror That Grips, But Doesn’t Fully Stay With You
if Wishes Could Kill delivers a tense and engaging watch, especially for viewers who enjoy light horror without being overwhelmed. Despite an initially intimidating atmosphere (especially when watched at night)the series settles into a more manageable tone. It relies on familiar elements like jump scares and graphic moments, with certain scenes involving physical harm (like eye injuries) being more uncomfortable than genuinely terrifying.The drama benefits from a quick pace and a short episode format, keeping the story moving and maintaining attention throughout. Its central premise is intriguing, and while the narrative occasionally becomes confusing, it remains compelling enough to hold interest. The open ending hints at the possibility of a continuation, though it doesn’t leave a particularly strong anticipation for another season.
Where the series falls short is in its characters. Many of them feel frustrating or underdeveloped, with decisions that often seem illogical, a common trope in the genre. Emotional connection is lacking, and even key characters fail to leave a lasting impression. However, the origin story elements involving earlier events add a layer of intrigue.
Overall, If Wishes Could Kill is an entertaining, easy watch imperfect but engaging enough to keep you from losing interest, even if it doesn’t leave a strong impact afterward
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This review may contain spoilers
So Close to Perfection
I remember binge-watching the first 4 episodes and thinking to myself that this drama would be one for the books. Up there with the Japanese BL drama "My Beautiful Man" — which is the only drama (BL or otherwise) that I re-watch once a year. It had all the elements to make it perfect.a. Opposites attract
b. Two damaged souls unexpectedly coming together to heal each other
c. Incredible chemistry between the main actors (that sick X icecream scene in episode 4 should be a study in chemistry and tension)
d. Incredible cinematography
e. A catchy opening OST
These are all things I loved and appreciated in the drama. I also love how we are shown that Hirukawa liked Minase 1st. While they don't outright tell you when it happened or why, if you pay attention to the ongoing events of episode 1, you can see how Hirukawa looked at Minase at the taps. Additionally, he noticed Minase in the corridors during their first year (2018), when Minase didn't seem to care about his existence. Perhaps he'd always had a crush, and the universe hadn't brought them together b4 their sophomore year in 2019.
Unfortunately, once we get three-quarters of the way through episode 6, things start to get shaky and eventually crumble. I'd rated the 1st 5 and three-quarter episodes a 10/10 and the last 4 episodes a 5/10. I'm not counting the special episode, ep 11, in this.
Lemme explain why
🪞The Noble Idiot
I'm taking this 'moniker' from someone else's review because I agree with them on this. Hirukawa sacrifices himself for his terrible friend. This is where things started going downhill for me. I understand he was dealing with feelings of self-loathing and low self-worth, which led him to believe that his influence was what led his friend down the delinquent, shoplifting path. That he was his father's son, so clearly everything bad is all because of him.
But hadn't we seen him all along trying to work on being a better person? Start to believe in Minase's view of him and get serious with school? It felt like he had taken 5 steps forward, and that incident made him walk 10 steps backwards. They ruined his character development.
🪞His Father's Death
Perhaps some will call me unempathetic for this one. So, when he broke down in Minase's arms that night, I expected that he would have been crying at the immense relief he felt that this monster, this shadow that had been looming over his life and making it hell, was finally gone. That he was conflicted over the fact that he was happy, horrified that he was happy, and sad that his father, who was also his abuser, died.
Now imagine my surprise at finding out that he was this broken up and ridden with guilt over the fact that he thought he was at fault coz he hadn't taken good enough care of his father, and that supposedly led to his death. I..... uuuum... I had a hard time with that line of reasoning. Rather than it impacting me how they'd hoped it would, I just got annoyed.
🪞The Break-up & the Reunion
Personally, had I been the writer, I wouldn't have had them break up. And if they really had to, it at least would not have happened in the way it did. Or maybe not for as long as it lasted. I reason this way because:
In a way, the break-up was good for Hirukawa. He was able to start a new life and get himself together. His reasoning, I believe, was based on the movie that was directed by Minase's father, and that one line they kept quoting. About how one character left to prevent the other from being swallowed up by their problems. He also wanted to become a person worthy of Minase. That worked fine for Hirukawa. He did what he set out to do.
But... what about Minase? His wound was one of neglect. His father was a big name out there, but he only remembered him sometimes. His mother remembered him a lot, but she, too, always left him behind because of her career. Plus everytime they spoke, it was never about him. It was all about his grades and this unseen future, or to complain about the incompetence of his dad.
Minase had never had anyone in his corner. Even his friends never truly knew him. Yet, finally, when he has someone who knows him, sees him, and goes out of their way to spend time with him, they, too, leave. And Minase lets him go coz that's what his life is, and as we see all along, Minase, while a little closed off, is actually a good person.
When they finally reunite, we do not get a conversation that delves into Minase's feelings of abandonment. It's all explained away by a simple 'I lost my phone while in America.' Bruh... IT'S BEEN 5 YEARS!!!! I should've gotten more than that.
I feel like while it started with them finding and healing each other, by the end, it eventually felt like Minase helped heal Hirukawa, while Hirukawa left Minase more broken and empty than he'd been before. Minase had been going through life with an empty hole inside him. Hirukawa came in and filled it, then emptied it after he left for a whole 5 years.
Their happy ending is deserved. I love that they found each other after so many years apart and that they'd never stopped loving each other. However, I cannot rate this higher because
a. I find the breakup period to have been too long and abit unneccessary,
b. the lack of a proper conversation about Minase's feelings regarding his abandonment and,
c. the bad kissing (this is an issue across 99% of JBLs)
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s like a teen movie, just set in ancient costumes.
In this world, there are no sports or cheerleading teams; instead, martial arts sects serve as the sports teams, which is quite fun. There’s a sweet, youthful romance building in the background, and both the male and female leads are beautiful and lovely. It’s a bit of a shame that there are so many characters it gets a little dizzying. After looking into and trying all three series in the same universe, I found that Dashing Youth is the most enjoyable. The overall tone is bright, and the storytelling is well-paced.Spoiler alert!
The storytelling isn't very concise. Given the 40-episode length, they could have covered much more content, especially since there are still many unresolved plotlines—such as the story of Baili Dongjun and Yue Yao, who ultimately didn't end up getting married. I guess they didn't know how to wrap everything up, so they just ended it like this for now.
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I RECOMMEND THIS 10/10
ONE OF THE BEST DRAMAS THIS YEAR! its slow burn.. but the chemsitry CARRIES!! 40 mins feel like 10 mins- and i NEED MORE OF THISS- the actors did very good job portraying their characters soo well.. the duality... then tension..the experssions.. everything is perfect- its been a while since i watched a drama that got me hooked like this after kinnporsche..Was this review helpful to you?
This series is a masterpiece
The time you spend watching this series is truly worth it, as every moment feels engaging and meaningful. The actors’ performances are outstanding, bringing each character to life in such a believable way, and they convey the emotions so perfectly that you can genuinely feel every scene . I feel really lucky to have discovered perthsanta and to be able to watch their series.Was this review helpful to you?
Legacy!!
I have been watching C dramas for 5 years now. Started with Nirvana in fire which obviously is the OG drama. I have never done a review before. But for POJ I had to.The characters and cast as so beautiful written and chosen. The chemistry is so flawless. Every micro expression is so beautiful shot. I do not think there will be another drama like POJ again.
Although the drama was hyped because of ZL, but I think this drama is Tian Xiwei's drama. She was absolutely phenomenal. Her casting for Changyus was just perfect. I do not think anyone else would have done a better role than her. Like it already has, this drama is going to do wonders to her career.
What can I say about ZL other than he looks flawless. That face card is insane. The pheasant feather scene crushes all the entrances in Cdrama history.
Although the ending and the politics seemed a little rushed, but can't help but rate the drama the GOAT because of the sheer butterflies you feel when Changyus and Xie Zheng interact. Best thing is Changyu doesn't need any help, she is her own boss. Not like other drama where they show a helpless FL.
All in all I think, I will probably never go through the brilliance I have seen in POJ again. It would take something out of this world to match POJ
PS. Ofcourse this is my personal opinion.
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Sigh
You will wonder why this was made:1. Ambitious project for the short form genre
2. Unique for the format
3. Actors with fair skills
4. Ep 1 and 8.
Then there are the reasons why it should have cooked a little longer before being served:
1. Limited budget showed.
2. Sang Min/Minu's only two facial expressions. He did much better in Why R U, Please Teach Me and Love In Protocol.
3. Whatever the 'kissing' was.
4. Minu and Lucifer romance felt contrived.
5. Never felt the gravity of the situation. Came across as something to be viewed for the unintentional humor, cringe, audacity.
6. The knife in ep 8. This one is personal: felt out of place for a urban killing. Probably in the woods with a bear somewhere but for a vampire, hmmm.
7. The script wasn’t bad per se but very very generic.
8. The fight scene.... double sigh
I do think that for the moments it worked, it should be watched.
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Another ruined drama with great potential.
Pursuit of Jade had the potential to be a masterpiece, boasting amazing pacing, gripping storytelling, and a strong cast. Unfortunately, this is derailed by the female lead, Changyu, whose exaggerated, overpowered persona ruins the show.The breaking point is the absurdity of Changyu knocking out the Marquis mid-battle. After mere weeks of training with an Old Taoist and some generals, she expects to be a de facto commander. Why would an army blindly follow a newcomer who just assaulted their leader? Despite the Marquis’s built-up reputation as a formidable, city-capturing general, he’s constantly reduced to a stumbling, heavily wounded mess. Meanwhile, Changyu, a former butcher, walks away with barely a scratch.
This highlights a glaring lack of creativity in Eastern fantasy. Writers seem trapped between helpless damsels and flawless badasses who need no saving. Where are the nuanced characters with actual flaws? The recent "butcher girl" trope feels like a lazy shortcut to assert female independence. Worse, the casting and choreography clash terribly. Giving a delicate, doe-eyed actress a brute-force fighting style is visually jarring; modifying her combat to fit her physique would have been far more believable.
This unnatural empowerment also exposes the stale male lead. Like many current Asian dramas, the ML is a stoic plank of wood. While the supporting cast has actual personality, you could swap this ML into a dozen other shows and no one would notice.
Dropped at episode 30! Creators must learn to weave in female empowerment with subtlety and prioritize believable characters over logic-defying tropes.
(Written with the help of GenAI)
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spoiler
overhyped , the story is boring . not enough curious for me to binge watch. is the fl tries to build relationships with the ml ? I’m still mad she can’t help her mom even though she already knows it will happen . she doesn’t try to help like where is she that moment? the fl helps the ml , I understand she wants to help the right person but she makes it obvious and that lead to build their relationship which he doesn’t know it but it seems like it’s her plan for them to be together or she already falls for him in her dream ( previous life )Was this review helpful to you?
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intense emotional journey with unique mature plot
you should try watching this drama . don't judge by their poster . in drama its so different . the story goes much deeper than romance. It explores mental health and how it affects a person’s ability to love, trust, and maintain a relationship. The characters are not just trying to be together, they are also dealing with internal struggles that make love more complicated and fragile. The series beautifully navigates the trauma, responsibilities, and enduring love within this challenging, long-term relationship. AND PLUS PERTHSANTA HAS DONE FANSTASTIC ACTING ...Was this review helpful to you?
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Extremely engaging...until it's not?
I got into this one with higher expectations because well, everyone was hyping it up. And yeah, I did get the hype for the first few episodes until the 20-30 episode mark hit. There's chemistry between the FL and ML sure, and it is quite an original enemies-to-lovers. However, the story eventually bled dry and had to rely on the cousin's unrequited feelings for the FL.I started watching this is 2025, tried to go past episode 27 in 2026 and finally admitted to myself yes, I love the actors and possibly the story, but its flaws were made too clear for me to continue. However, I am willing to give this a second chance someday because it entertained me up to this point, didn't it? Or maybe I'll just forget about this drama. But seeing the good reviews, I'm disappointed partly in myself that I didn't get to see the value they saw in The Prisoner Of Beauty.
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Unforgettable from Start to Finish
Watching Pursuit of Jade as my first historical C-drama was something I never expected to affect me this much. I started it out of curiosity, but I ended it with a full heart.What I love most is how detailed every scene feels. Nothing is wasted. Every look, every silence, every line carries meaning. It doesn't just show what the characters feel...you actually feel it with them. Their struggles, their emotions, their relationships… everything feels so real and immersive.
And Changyu… I love her so much. Her bravery is on another level. The way she stands strong no matter what happens makes her feel powerful and unforgettable. Truly iconic.
Even with all the emotions, the drama never feels too heavy. It knows when to slow down and let you breathe, which makes it such an enjoyable watch. The chemistry between Zhang Linghe and Tian Xiwei is incredible! So natural and effortless that it pulls you deeper into their story. The soundtrack also fits beautifully and enhances every moment.
This drama is more than just enjoyable for me, it's unforgettable. I know it will be hard to move on from Pursuit of Jade, but it also makes me excited to explore more historical C-dramas.
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