Reviews

Underrated charm

Some series with over-the-top humor fail easily because of a lack of balance. This particular one is not a slapstick funny but a thoughtful kind of funny that also succeeds in being unpredictable. The majority of the humor hits you right at the first few episodes before it evolves into a more serious tone with an underlying main story - the kind of mix I really enjoy.

The ML and FL really did a great job in their roles and the chemistry was easily felt between the two. The other casts also did an amazing job in bring their characters to life. What's interesting is that the blunt silliness actually brings out much more realism than other series in this genre, such as the bickering between the couples and the "humorous" but confrontational conversations. I initially was about to write the main FL off because her spoiled character was just on the brink of becoming irritating but surprisingly, she had one of the more in-depth character growths I've come across even when compared to other melodramas. In addition, there are many complex characters that I really appreciate that aren't the usual die-hard loyalty kind. They highlight the thin lines of friendship, betrayal, and self-reflection as well as who we become when we live by how others deem our worth.

This series deserves a higher score and the only reason I've personally deducted some points is that there was some slight drag across some of the episodes. I also wished the FL nodded a bit more to how fortunate she was to have the family she did and that she put some more effort into her martial arts skills instead of just on that extreme boost from her curse/gift. It was also disappointing to not have seen more of our ML's skills as well despite his reputation. I think this could have been amazing if they included a bit more history/flashbacks and delved just a bit deeper. But overall, it is easily one of the better historical dramas I've seen that has this level of comedy incorporated into it.

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Good but a little dragged out

Overall, the plot and the characters were really good. I liked the drama quite a bit, but the last few episode dragged on a little too much. There is an upper limit, to how many times I need the leads to get a full flashback of all the times they have looked romantically into each others eyes. Especially when we are at climax of the plot. Let the plot unfold. This was however, a minor issue, thst only started in the last episodes. Overall the show was enjoyable, just a little too long IMO.

The acting was great and the casting was amazing. Every character felt fully compatible with the actor behind.

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It was disgusting.

So, I stumbled upon this "masterpiece of cinema" by accident. I've been watching it ongoing since the first episode. At first, it was very cringe-worthy and absurd, which made me laugh awkwardly but by the third episode it started to "melt" me. Everything was repetitive and boring and all the dialogues were just there to ensure that the main characters would end up "fucking" mindlessly. Until the ninth episode there was absolutely no drama, which is why it was unbearably boring to watch. Every time I opened a new episode I would scream, shout, and curse at everything that was happening in this stupid series but I kept watching to see where it would go. The last episode I watched now had absolutely no meaning and it was a copy of all the previous episodes (except for the ninth episode, which had a little bit of a plot). There was no original music (which was a good thing because I would have been annoyed by it appearing in every sex scene) but the tracks were generally well-chosen. That's the only positive aspect. Now, let's talk about the more specific negatives. I didn't like the acting. I won't say anything bad about the actors themselves but it's entirely the fault of the script, which I don't know how people could write. Their acting was solely focused on creating a "sexy" look and then having sex. That's all. It was unpleasant to watch. Another negative aspect is the second love story. It was completely unexplored and in the last episode the characters were only shown for half a minute. While the main characters didn't have any significant events, the secondary characters were stuck in a loop: In comes - flirting - kissing - sex - In comes... (where’s In in cast???) There was also almost no change of location, which made everything seem forced, plastic, and wrong. It was fake and boring. The disgusting sexualization of food (the peach in the opening sequence dripping with "something white") was particularly off-putting. In every episode there was a story about the peach accompanied by AI images with a sexual or romantic undertone. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT??? And most importantly there was the scene with the fried eggs. Writers, THIS is the highest degree of disgust. I can't imagine how it was possible to write and film this. In conclusion, everything is disgusting. I didn't like anything and I watched every episode without pleasure with a miserable expression on my face. Draw your own conclusions based on my review but I wouldn't recommend anyone to watch this.

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Goddammit! They made me (sit through &) enjoy fluff

I go into every fluffy drama with a dramatic side eye. IDK what it is about them, but more often than not, the acting is usually average at best, the comedy is overdone (or doesn't land), the pacing is horrendous, or the story is overly simplistic or nonsensical. And if I'm particularly unlucky, I am assaulted with the deadly combination of 3 or all the above factors.

If you cannot tell, I do not generally enjoy fluff shows - I mean, my favourite BL stories include "My Beautiful Man", "Love Mechanics", "My Stand-In", "The End of the World with You", "KinnPorsche", "Moonlight Chicken", and most recently "Revenged Love". Clearly, I have a flair for the dramatic. I like a complicated story with characters who live in the grey areas of life, rather than in clear-cut blacks and whites. Fluff doesn't cut it in my house. Which is why my enjoyment of this drama comes as such a surprise to me.

Despite liking FirstKhao's acting chops, I was convinced I'd hate it. But week after week, I found myself coming back. The plot is simple but not nonsensical. It has heart, specifically in regards to Khaotung's character dealing with his mom's death (the guilt and regrets surrounding that), the aftermath and picking up the pieces, as well as learning to open himself up to love. The comedy also wasn't overdone. All in all, it was a good, low-stress way to pass the time on a Tuesday night.

Now, would I rewatch this? Honestly, no. Just because I like FirstKhao as an acting ship doesn't suddenly make me a changed woman. I am set in my ways. I am more likely to rewatch their scenes in Only Friends or The Heart Killers than I am this. I think I was able to enjoy this as much as I did because I only had to watch one episode a week. Everything was spaced out. If I had to binge it, I'd have likely dropped it. Or it'd have taken me a lot longer to complete it. But for those who love fluffy shows and like this ship, yeah, I believe your rewatch value/likelihood will be much higher than mine

PS. High school BLs (with age-appropriate actors) are the only exception to my dramatic side eye. They are 1000% allowed to be fluffy and cute. I will eat the shit up every time.

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OMG! this was a so nice drama

I actually saw this drama on Netflix coincidently, I was first like didn't wanted to watch it cause I didn't know the drama and I had no hopes. But after just watching the first episode I knew this is gonna be a nice drama. I can't understand why it's so underrated. This drama is such a hidden gem. The casting was good, the story line was soo good. I finished the drama in 2 days. The slow romance burn between Xue Li and Xiao Heng is uufff!!!!,tbh the ending kinda had me a little doubtful but it's not a major one. I would recommend this drama to anyone and I'm so glad that I watched this. Nice drama you must watch

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A beautiful disappointment

I went into *In Your Radiant Season* with high expectations — it has a strong cast, and the first episode is genuinely beautiful. The cinematography is soft and atmospheric, and there’s a quiet sense of mystery that made me feel like I was settling into something gentle and absorbing.

But by episode two, that mystery is resolved far too quickly, and the story shifts into much more familiar, predictable territory. It feels as though the drama loses its nerve — instead of allowing the story to unfold slowly and build emotional depth, it leans heavily into well-worn tropes (and an astonishing number of car accidents).

Visually, it remains a pleasure throughout. The styling is particularly striking — textured layers, elegant silhouettes, and thoughtful details that make the wardrobe one of the show’s real strengths.

There is also a warmth in the storytelling, and I can see what it’s trying to offer. But for me, the lack of sustained tension or emotional investment made it difficult to stay engaged. I wanted to feel more — to be drawn in gradually — but instead found myself losing interest as it went on.

A beautiful beginning, but ultimately a disappointing follow-through.

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A Brilliant Idea Lost in Its Own Mechanics

This is quite an interesting drama, and I watched it with pleasure. Although one may find it messy and inconsistent, it doesn’t actually have that many plot holes and is, in fact, more logical than many short dramas. Once you finish it and try to unravel the story, you should be able to understand it, and then you may appreciate its uniqueness.
First of all, contrary to appearances, this is NOT a transmigration drama!
In fact, all the characters are insiders; no one has transmigrated there from an outside world. However, an outside world (or a meta level) does exist, because an author is mentioned. So the whole story takes place inside a fictional world, and the central point of the plot is the fact that the characters become aware of their identity: they discover that they are merely characters in a script and are not masters of their own fate.
The story keeps repeating endlessly, and in this aspect the drama differs from many other dramas featuring a “world inside a script.” A similar detail appeared in Prisoner of Beauty at the beginning, when Li Yitong kept trying to change the script, only to die and return to the starting point. Here, however, the characters are not transmigrators, and even when they follow the script, the story continues in an infinite loop.
Thus, the drama is not about transmigration, but rather about awakening. And here we encounter a plot hole: how does this awakening actually happen? For the female lead, it occurs when she starts to see writing in the sky and realizes that this writing tells the story she is part of. But how and why does this writing appear? There is one line of dialogue in which the FL supposes that this is done by the author (a great absentee of the drama), who is, in fact, not opposed to his characters gaining awareness. While this is quite an interesting idea, it is not sufficiently developed, and the line may easily go unnoticed by the audience.
As mentioned, the author is absent, but there is another entity present and working against our heroes: the Author’s Consciousness. This is the main point of the plot. While the main characters are able to awaken and may then try to break free from the script, this entity is the ultimate antagonist. It is the embodiment of the Author’s Consciousness, which has apparently taken on its own personality and may even act against the author’s will (assuming it really is the author who communicates with the characters through the writing in the sky). It exists inside the story but also on a kind of meta level, and its powers enable it to control the characters and even delete them. When the heroes discover this mechanism, they realize that they must defeat the Consciousness without being annihilated by it. However, the Consciousness has yet another ability that makes it difficult to deal with: it can hide inside a character, meaning that killing it would require killing the character as well.
Up to this point, the pieces of the puzzle seem to fit together. But then another plot hole appears: the characters are able to create some kind of pocket worlds, built according to their ideas and wishes. Once they discover this possibility, why don’t they explore it further? Why don’t they try to use it against the Consciousness? In fact, at the end, that is exactly what they do: the male lead creates a trap inside their pocket world and imprisons the Consciousness within it. He also uses the “blueprints” of the pocket world to make his own return possible. Again, the idea is interesting and innovative for C-dramas, but it is not presented or explored in a sufficiently clear way. As a result, the audience becomes even more confused.
Most of the plot holes are linked to this concept of the pocket world. While we see how one can enter it (by jumping over the city walls), we don’t know how the characters get back. The pocket world seems to exist outside the main story world, so this is a crucial issue. It becomes even more critical at the end of the drama: the male lead is annihilated in the pocket world, and five years later he reappears in the same spot. Why the five-year gap? He should have reappeared just moments after his disappearance, since he created his way back by drawing his silhouette in the “blueprint.” How does the female lead return to the city from the pocket world if she starts to lose her memories while still inside it? How does the doctor—a pocket-world character—travel between the two bubbles? He clearly doesn’t need to jump from the city walls. This is the major inconsistency of the drama: the channel between the two bubbles (the main world and the pocket world) is not sufficiently worked out.
To sum up, the plot contains many interesting and innovative ideas, but there are undeniably holes in it. The mechanics of the world are not explained clearly enough and end up confusing the audience.
This is not necessarily a bad thing: at the beginning, the audience is as confused as the characters themselves. We think this is a transmigration drama, when it is not. We think the plot is linear, when it is actually circular. We think the author controls the script, when in fact it is his emancipated Consciousness. Step by step, the mechanics are revealed to us—but not in a sufficiently clear manner.
Paradoxically, this may render the drama more rewatchable.
All the plot holes seem to have been left in place because the creators believed they could be covered by the thick layer of emotional impact and chemistry.
They were not entirely wrong. Despite the inconsistencies, one can still enjoy the show, largely thanks to Yan Zixian, who truly delivers. He is an extremely dependable actor, especially when it comes to generating intense emotions and strong chemistry. Throughout the viewing, I constantly found myself comparing this drama to The Fortune Writer.
While The Fortune Writer is definitely more consistent and features more interesting characters, Fate Beyond the Script offers many innovative ideas and—above all—Yan Zixian, who is far superior at conveying emotions.

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Golden Scenery of Tomorrow - so far, the best Filipino Wattpad adaptation

GSOT is the 4th installation of the University series. (First being The Rain in España, 2nd is Safe Sky Archer, 3rd is Chasing in the wild). It follows the story of Larkin Sanchez and Avianna Diaz who are childhood best friends and how they grow together and realized their feelings for each other. Yet at the same time holding back themselves out of fear of losing their friendship .

This is so far one of my most favorite Wattpad Adaptation and I would like to divide this review into parts.

CASTING (9.5/10)
Bea Binene as VIA- (9/10) when I first saw her as the one acting as Via in The Rain in España I was quite hesitant about her character. I can really barely feel her in the first 2 series. Also I've seen more of bubbly Bea Binene in her previous projects. But in the series, she managed to stick with the character from the book. I just felt that the scenes or her hatred towards her mother is a bit over the top. I just wish she can be more expressive of her feelings.

Wilbert Ross as LARKIN / KINO- (100/10) Perfect for the role. I swear he is the Larkin coming straight from the book.. everything about what I've imagined Kino.to be in the book is Wilbert Ross .. Larkin comes to life. Wilbert has able to give justice to his role . I can't imagine a different actor portraying Larkin.
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***Minor character but. I don't think ERIC FRUCTUOSO is the best choice for VIA'as father.. his acting seems off and not the type of father who loses a wife and had to support 4 children. I don't know but whenever it's his scene. It's becoming cringey, especially the scene of him crying with the parents of Larkin . I don't know but . They could have chosen someone else for it**

STORY LINE (9/10)
Out of all the Filipino Wattpad adaptation, I must say this one is one of the very few which stick with the book and didn't put a lot of changes or twist . It makes you familiar with the story without being disappointed or surprised with twist and others. The scenes on the book are clearly depicted and brought to life.

It makes you feel grateful for the gift of true friendship. Among all the other university series. This one provided a clear start and explanation of how the friend group started which is very important if you want to understand all the other series in this universe.

MUSIC (.8.5/10)
I was used to watching Kdrama sort where there is an OST for each episode. But in this adaptation . Songs like Ginintuang Tanawin and Ngiti are used very repetitive. I understand that it's the soundtrack but there can be more creative twist to it., like using the songs as background music, only with piano instrumentals. or guitars. And not the characters having to sing them over and over . But the songs were great and a testament of Via and Kino's love story.

CINEMATOGRAPHY (9/10)
I understand that due to the title, the colors RED, ORANGE YELLOW and GOLD are the most used in this series but as much as it is relevant to the series, it also gives a melancholic vibes even if the scene is funny or sweet. It somehow is contrasting . It can be made better. But still acceptable.

REWATCH VALUE (100/10)
I just finished watching it and I want to start watching it all over again . Merely for the via and kino scenes especially when they're still in high school.. I laughed so much and cried so much with this series. I would definitely watch it again whenever I wanted a good laugh or to cry.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED especially for those who are suckers of ROMCOM.

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