Reviews

When it comes to you, I want to try.

Sorry this is a 10, nothing can top this as the rom-com gl of 2026. It is one of the most grounded and beautiful series that has come out of gmmtv and it has been delivered by their two powerhouses, Jan and Jingjing.

Let me explain. Have you felt the need for a gl series which showcases intimacy along with nc, where the story makers get that a relationship isn't just a hot makeout on the couch but also involves hot makeout on the couch (and pulling her close by the time). Did you then wish that it had a plot but not too heavy for a romcom, we don't want a thriller. But we want it realistic, atleast slightly so to balance out the fluff. But if it has brought in issues were you unsatisfied with the resolution? And did you also want the side characters to provide comedic relief but also be their own person. And and that the second couple also got their share of the stage.

Did you wish it was delivered with conviction at a great pacing. Not entirely predictable but no cliffhangers (it's not good for the blood pressure) but with delightful surprises.

Well you have it, the perfect shake: Enemies with Benefits.

EWB will deliver all that and more. It will make you believe in love again. It truly shows how love can be empowering, how it makes us strive to be the better version of ourselves but also that we don't always have to be because it is okay to let go. Your other half is there for you.

My only qualm is perhaps that they lied to us, this isn't enemies with benefits. There are benefits of course. In every episode even. Rather this is a story of i fell a little in love with you the first time I saw you, and then a little more when we spoke, and we've been comfortable with each other for sometime now but forgive me, I didn't even realise when I fell in love with you.

And the gl pairing of JanJingjing and KapookCiize have been wrought by the sapphic gods themselves. I hope they are successful in their future endeavours, be it gl or otherwise, but this chemistry has been blessed by some sapphic power unknown to us. They had us enthralled didn't they, I had little idea about Jan and Jingjing, having previously seen few shows with them. I knew about KapookCiize's fire, and they really came in clutch yet again.

This is obviously a product of love and care from a huge team. A lot of work has been put into crafting the perfect scenes and outfits, the multitude of OSTs have been a gift, the script the direction. Everything deserves so much praise. And the finally tie in to Bake Love Feeling? Take my 10 already.

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Such a good series tbh

The special episode really tied everything together in the best way.
10/10 overall from me.
I know there are complaints in the community about series having too many couples--me personally I love it but I get the dislike some may have--but I think Fourever You part 1 and 2 has done it the best.

I've read all the novels (and lemme just say Arthit and Tonfah are the FREAKIEST OF THEM ALL TBH) and think they did a really good job staying true to them given the amount of story in each novel AND only having so many episodes per couple. They *definitely* could have made a series for each story imo, but I love how they did it this way instead.

The treat of recognizing that North really is the glue that brings them all together got me teary eyed.
North him starting to cry when the finally all got together and he was grilling with Ter like stopppp it, my heart.
I can't praise this series enough, my *only* complaint was I wished it was longer, especially for Tiger and Nao because I feel like we got less of their romance due to all the context that was needed before they actually get together.

I love this series, I love these actors and I can't wait to see them all in future projects (oat and ngern and im looking at you two SPECIFICALLY, the chemistry is so good and I wanna see Oat portray more personalities, it felt like night and day seeing how he acts in real life vs. how he played Dao and if you follow any of the reviews I post you knooooow I love an actor with versatility.)

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a victim of a bad script

Like so many Chinese drama recently it has a very strong start. a strong storyline and a selection of protagonists and antagonists. It had a strong side story as well. Yet the story felt in cohesive and the flow disrupted. Where’s Bailu had the lead all throught, Ryan Cheng played the support role with leas screen time. It made his acting seem suppressed as well. I actually the some of the supporting roles that created depth to the story but no matter how great they were the series fell very flat in the end. This is one of those where they could have shortened the series to 24 and with concise storytelling, it may have flowed more smoothly.

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Agent Kim Reactivated is one of the more enjoyable Korean action-comedy dramas of 2026. The series balances family moments, humor, and espionage surprisingly well, and much of that success comes from So Ji-sub's performance.

One reason So Ji-sub feels perfectly cast is that he has played undercover and secret-agent-type roles before. He has the calm presence, experience, and natural charisma needed to make a veteran operative believable. He doesn't have to force the tough-guy image; it comes across effortlessly. At the same time, he gives Agent Kim enough warmth to make the family scenes work just as well as the action sequences.

My favorite part of the show was the relationship between Agent Kim and his daughter. Their interactions added emotional weight and prevented the series from becoming just another spy drama filled with gadgets and fights. The daughter was a genuinely likable character, and the family dynamic gave viewers something to care about beyond the missions.

I also enjoyed Agent Kim's friends and teammates. They brought a lot of personality and humor to the show, creating a sense of camaraderie that made the team feel believable. Their chemistry with So Ji-sub was one of the highlights throughout the series.

The only major issue I had was the portrayal of the spy agency chief. This is where I think the show lost about 1.5 points from what could have been a near-perfect score. Instead of feeling like the head of a modern intelligence organization, he looked and behaved like a cartoon character from an old American comic book. The long outdated coat, the decades-old cap, and the exaggerated mannerisms made him feel completely out of place compared to the otherwise grounded tone of the series. Every time he appeared, it felt like he had wandered in from a different genre.

Despite that flaw, Agent Kim Reactivated remains a highly entertaining watch. Strong performances, a likable cast, solid action, and heartfelt family moments make it easy to recommend. So Ji-sub once again proves why he is one of the best actors for these undercover-agent roles, carrying the show with confidence and charm.

Final Rating: 8.5/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½

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A fun rom-com that misses a few beats

Enemies with benefits is your ultimate rom-com by the way. Maybe the series itself lol, but not what I mean here. Enemies to benefits in a workplace is the ultimate rom-com, it just hits different every time. You have enemies to lovers (arguably one of the best tropes out there), a FWB setup to add tons of tension and forbidden romance thanks to workplace proximity to give the audience the perfect balance of angst. It just works.

I wish Enemies with Benefits was actually that perfect. It was close, just did not live up to the expectations I had set for it. But to be fair, I had sky high expectations, so it is a bit on me. For the most part, it lived up to them - especially in terms of chemistry. It was absolutely incredible. Jan and Jingjing have always had incredible chemistry and nothing can take away from that.

Even the plot was pretty much airtight, we get their enemies to lovers arc, tons of angst and misunderstandings that come with dating in the workplace, great side characters who actually play a role in the story, and a proper story itself that was set in the workplace and concentrated on the love story without compromising on their relationship as coworkers.

I only really have two things I wish they'd done better. First, is buildup.
I love a good buildup to any relationship. Those yearning glares, the speeches that say "I would hate her face if it weren't so pretty", those unruly smirks thrown around just to see if it catches their eye. I love buildup. And we got? ONE episode. I needed more!! Genuinely, it would have been that much more amazing to watch them fall in love if we'd actually seen them be enemies. One disagreement in a boardroom meeting, unfortunately does not make for enemies I believe.
The second thing I wish they'd done better - the balance in the relationship. It's always a give and take, and most of the time it was Lal giving it her all, and taking responsibility for any conflict. Maybe it's just me (in fact, in both cases here) but it felt like I blinked and then Wine was suddenly in love? The lack of buildup and the disbalance in their relationship - because even being FWBs is a kind of relationship - really took away from the amazing chemistry that Jan and Jingjing (and to that extent, Lal and Wine) share.

That's all there is to it really, just those two facets I didn't enjoy. Sure, their relationship wasn't completely healthy, but what relationship is without fights and flaws? Lal was an entire green forest, Wine had some serious character growth and that's all I really want from my rom-coms, one or more characters who grow and change with their relationship.

Was this a brilliant series? Not so much. Was this enjoyable and fun, and just incredibly romantic? Yes, definitely yes. It was a fun watch and I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a good rom-com, with some slightly questionable behaviour from the leads, but mostly Good though haha.

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Promising Plot and Cast, but Disappointingly Lazy Storytelling and Development

The series begins with a genuinely promising premise, an interesting cast, and enough action, romance, and political intrigue to suggest that it could become an entertaining and emotionally engaging story. Unfortunately, most of that potential is gradually wasted by increasingly lazy writing, forced romantic development, one-dimensional villains, and a plot that relies far too heavily on clichés, coincidences, and convenient character decisions.

The central relationship between Lom and Blew should have been the emotional heart of the series. The two actresses have enjoyable chemistry and are capable of creating charming moments together, but the writing rarely gives their relationship enough space to develop naturally. Lom’s feelings are obvious almost immediately, and nearly every supporting character simply assumes that Lom and Blew are already in love. The cousins and other family members constantly comment on their supposed feelings without the series first establishing enough believable emotional progress between the leads.

Instead of allowing the characters to understand their feelings through meaningful conversations and shared experiences, the story repeatedly tells the audience what they supposedly feel. Their relationship is pushed forward by other characters, accidental physical contact, jealousy, misunderstandings, and conveniently romantic situations.

The romantic development becomes especially unnatural during the island storyline. This should have been an opportunity to deepen the connection between the leads through vulnerability, trust, and honest communication. Instead, much of the progress relies on jealousy involving a side character whose motivations are barely developed. Bua initially appears to want Lom for herself, asks Blew for help, and then suddenly even pushes the leads toward a confession and simply gives up. The storyline has no real emotional depth or lasting purpose beyond forcing the romance forward.

The series also struggles to make the personalities of its main characters consistent with their established backgrounds. Both Lom and Blew are frequently portrayed as extremely innocent and emotionally inexperienced. This can be charming in certain scenes, but it often feels misplaced. Lom is introduced as a confident player with several ex-girlfriends, as well as an intelligent and experienced police officer accustomed to dangerous operations. However, when interacting romantically with Blew, she sometimes behaves like someone experiencing her first crush. Blew’s lack of relationship experience explains some of her awkwardness, but her position, responsibilities, and general maturity should still result in more emotionally grounded behavior.

Whenever the terrorists discover the princess’s location, they do so through simple methods such as mobile-phone tracking or photographs posted online. These are not sophisticated discoveries.

The entire fake-princess strategy is also poorly constructed. The series never convincingly explains why the deception would be difficult to uncover. There appear to be many easy ways to determine that the princess is a fake.

Many of the action scenes are visibly choreographed, unrealistic, or designed entirely around the needs of the plot. Enemies are often defeated one at a time, characters fail to react to obvious danger, and people repeatedly ignore clear opportunities to stop or kill their opponents. The confrontation in which Henry kidnaps Blew is particularly frustrating. The villains had supposedly intended to kill her from the beginning, yet they suddenly keep her alive because the finale requires a kidnapping scenario.

The antagonists are among the weakest parts of the series. They are rarely given enough depth, complexity, or understandable motivation. Grace’s backstory provides some context for her anger, but it does not convincingly explain her actions toward Blew, who had little or nothing to do with the source of her suffering. Instead of becoming a tragic or morally complicated character, Grace is reduced to a stereotypical villain who wants to watch the protagonist suffer. Even her exaggerated villainous behavior and laughter make her feel more like a caricature than a real person.

Helena represents another major example of wasted potential. She is arguably the least one-dimensional character among the antagonists and eventually helps the protagonists. Her position could have been used to explore fear, loyalty, guilt, and the consequences of being trapped between opposing sides. Instead, she remains a minor plot device.

Blew even promises to help Helena survive, but Helena dies after switching places with her. The failure of that promise is barely acknowledged. Her death has almost no emotional consequence and is quickly forgotten once the main conflict is over. A character who could have added genuine complexity to the story is ultimately used only to complete an obvious identity-switch twist.

The series frequently avoids dealing with the consequences of major events. Characters make life-changing decisions, people die, identities are exchanged, and royal responsibilities are abandoned, yet the emotional and political aftermath is often ignored.

Blew and Lom have not spent enough time developing an honest and stable relationship. They have barely progressed beyond their initial attraction and a kiss, yet Blew is already prepared to sacrifice her title, responsibilities, and previous life for Lom. The series portrays the gesture as romantic, but it does not build the relationship strongly enough to make that sacrifice fully believable.

Once the action plot is resolved, the finale abandons meaningful conflict almost completely. It fills the remaining time with weddings, family interactions, children who appear without explanation, and extended wholesome scenes that add very little to the story. Even the bouquet scene is an obvious setup for the next GL pairing in the shared universe rather than a meaningful conclusion for the characters of this series.

There are still some positive elements. Lom and Blew have natural chemistry when they are given quieter and more sincere scenes. The opening episodes also create genuine curiosity, and the energetic intro song gives the series a memorable identity.

However, those strengths cannot compensate for the increasingly contrived storytelling. The series constantly chooses the easiest possible narrative solution: jealousy instead of emotional development, kidnapping instead of intelligent conflict, accidental intimacy instead of meaningful conversations, and exaggerated villains instead of layered antagonists.

What makes the result especially disappointing is that the cast and premise deserved much better. The actresses have enough chemistry to carry a compelling romance, and the combination of a princess, an experienced police officer, terrorism, political responsibility, and a shared fictional universe offers plenty of material for a strong story.

Instead, the series becomes a collection of clichés, plot holes, forced emotions, obvious twists, and convenient situations. It begins with real promise but ultimately delivers a romance that is repeatedly declared rather than properly developed and an action plot that becomes less convincing with every episode.

The two leads deserved a much stronger story than this.

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INSANE ACTING AND CHEMISTRY!!!

I have No words at all!! Song weilong and Zhang jingyi ate this role up. This drama felt like a breath of Fresh air just four episodes in,Song weilong character as Chenyi is probably his best character ever after Ling xiao,Luo Ren and Cheng Nuo. The acting of the FL Zhang jingyi compliments his own so well like they look sooo good. I want to comment specially on the Acting cause Song weilong impressed me here more than TEF(Although he is really good there). He is a very good actor and deserves his flowers. The drama is dark,Aesthetic,Beautiful! The type I'll remember for a Long time!!! I hope this drama blows up. It deserves More than just a Success! it deserves to be phenomenal throughout the world. Thank you Love for you for taking me out of my cdrama slump!! Perfection indeed!!❤❤❤❤
Acting>>>>
Cinematography>>>>
Vibez>>>
Now This is the Type of scripts I expect Song weilong to pick from Now on!!!

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A Masterpiece on Reframing Queerness Within Religion

What a gorgeous series. From the themes, to the symbolism, to the OST, to the photography and the wardrobe, to the character arcs and the acting and, above all, the message it leaves behind.
We're so used to stories where religion comes between love and is portrayed as an adversity and so many of us have lived that experience as well, that a story like this, where God coexists with queerness, is both refreshing and healing. I know many might not relate to christianity particularly but to me this means a lot and, actually, I think the message can be broadened to other faiths and beliefs. It's simply a masterpiece.
My only regret is that they didn't hire older actors to play the characters in their 40s and that was a bit uncanny because the makeup is frankly unconvincing but oh well... In a series so beautiful it does stand out but it's far from killing it. It's just too gorgeous a story to be undone by that kind of thing.
Marvelous from beginning to end, GeminiFourth showed everyone in the industry what acting means and I couldn't be happier about it.

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A dark Cinderella story

I stopped at episode 3 as it crossed the line from dark drama into exploitation.

The rape and prolonged humiliation weren’t simply uncomfortable, they felt gratuitous. What puzzles me is how Chinese censors continue to allow this kind of content in same-sex stories when Addicted was effectively shut down years ago for portraying a consensual gay relationship. The inconsistency is hard to ignore.

At this point, the series feels less like a romance and more like an omegaverse fantasy wrapped in a prestige drama. Attraction may exist between the leads, but attraction does not justify abuse. There is nothing romantic about coercion, humiliation, or sexual violence.

Whether the relationship is heterosexual or homosexual makes no difference. A relationship built on domination and abuse should never be romanticized.

Unfortunately, BL dramas have a recurring habit of equating passion with violence, reinforcing the stereotype that gay relationships are inherently toxic, masochistic, or defined by power imbalances. Those dynamics may exist for some people, but they are far from the reality for most.

Unlike Double Helix, where two damaged people slowly destroyed each other through their choices, Bittersweet begins with a master-and-slave dynamic that demands sympathy for the victim while simultaneously packaging the abuse as the catalyst for romance. That’s a premise I struggle to accept.

The one thing the director unquestionably gets right is making us empathize with the protagonist. Every indignity he suffers makes me want to see him reclaim his agency. But if the series is trying to present this as meaningful social commentary about China, it misses the mark. The supporting characters are so relentlessly cruel that they feel more like caricatures than people.

I’m sure the story is building toward the protagonist finally standing up to his controlling brother, his manipulative wife, and ultimately his abuser. I only hope that when it gets there, it earns that redemption instead of asking viewers to mistake trauma for love.

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A questionable choice to watch, but still enjoyable

Choosing to watch this drama was one of my questionable choices in June. Before starting, thanks to the generosity of the internet and its unwelcome spoilers, I already knew there was poor editing and that one of the characters had an AI-generated face. Those aspects made me hesitant, yet I decided to give it a try just to check out Tan Jianci, whom I liked a lot in "Love Me, Love My Voice".

The first episode already proved all the buzz about the said issues to be true, but the story itself looked promising if I overlooked those flaws. It's basically about the business world, with our leads always ending up in the epicentre of many corporate schemes. They start off as business enemies of sorts, but eventually, working side by side on the same project and due to some circumstances even living together, they learn to understand and even care for each other.

Their personalities are completely opposite, leading to many comedic, chaotic, and sometimes even frustrating situations, and their banter is one of the best things this drama has. The other is the FL's best friend, Jingjing. But I must warn you, if someone wants to watch this for a lot of romance, you'd better not, because there's very little.

Overall, this is not a drama I would recommend, but it's an OK watch if you're there for any of the actors. Now I can close this chapter and move on to the next ones.

P.S. The intro song will be stuck in my head for quite some time.

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Started out strong then got flat quick

Ok so 100% honest, overall it was good but not the great epic love story and political drama I was expecting to see. The best part was Li’s emotional journey dealing with the tragic loss of her family and how she moves through that at heals from it. They did a good job building a solid loving relationship between them. They go from strangers to a wonderful healthy supporting couple. But if you’re waiting for an epic, romantic love to develop, this ain’t it. There were absolutely no romance scenes between them other than maybe one or two very low key kisses. I’d call their relationship more platonic than a newly wed 100% in love couple discovering their relationship.
On to the action. Meh. Very few battle scenes. I was disappointed here too. I am a big fan of Cheng Lei and his ability to do some epic general butt kicking. But this show literally skipped all chances to show off those skills. They send his character off to fight the rebellion and we don’t get a single scene of him beating the crap out of the rebellious prince Li?? The whole show was literally leading to that situation and they just skipped over it. We get reports that he’s kicking ass but no action? It’s just done. Like what? Then they get to the point where he’s basically defeated yet they don’t actually capture him. They just celebrate and walk away. He easily storms the capital while Prince Ding is like oh they’re throwing me a party. Cool. Like what?

Secondary characters also could have been way better developed. They had such potential but felt like they were just thrown in because they felt like they had to have them. Like Han Ming Xi. I really don’t know what the point of his character was. He didn’t really do anything but be there once in a while. His brother and him weren’t really influential in Prince Li’s rebellion or in stopping it. They could have done so much more with his character. Then there was Prince Li, who instead of the villain they portrayed him as, actually had a valid reason to rebel. The Empress Dowager killed his family and stole the throne from him. In other dramas that person is the hero. So I actually felt bad for him the whole show. He was just fighting for just revenge. And in the end the empress even admits she was wrong for it all.

So overall, it was worth watching,started out with a strong idea and intention, then fell really flat for me. Bai Lu was great in her acting skills and really brought the emotion to the character. I don’t think they gave a chance for Cheng Lei to shine in this one. The last 5-6 episodes he is barely in and more like a side character. In the beginning I felt like I was waiting for his time to shine and it never happened.
So take this for what it’s worth but I felt like it had a lot of potential and then fell really flat.

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