Reviews

points for trying

i'll be honest, i wasn't completely sold on the series at first. for the first few episodes, copaganda completely aside because i already knew what the series was about going on so i won't be mentioning that in my review, i still found myself actively trying to push through because i kept waiting for the moment where it would get really good. it wasn't until around the second half of episode 5 through the first half of episode 7 that my rating for the series really started to climb, and i'm glad i stuck with it because those episodes ended up being the strongest part of the show for me.

what i appreciated most was the central story it was trying to tell. the series played things relatively safe and never really went for any major twists or shocking reveals, but i guess it didn't necessarily need to. at its core, i viewed it as a story about someone who was repeatedly failed by the people and institutions that were supposed to protect her, and the lasting impact that a corrupt system can have on a person's life. i found that aspect of the narrative far more compelling than any attempt at shock value would have been, it's a quieter story with themes that feel grounded and relevant, but w that said, i do wish the series had dug a little bit deeper into those ideas. it touches on systemic failures and institutional corruption, but often stops short of fully examining them as larger structural issues, which made some of its commentary feel a BIT surface level at times. but! even so.. i appreciated that it raised those questions in the first place and encouraged viewers to think about them (hopefully..)

one other aspect i found really interesting, and something i wish the series had also explored more, was what seemed to be a subtle class divide between the protagonists. whether this was intentional or not, there were moments where the difference in their social positions became apparent. tarn (whose father was a working class anti capitalist) works a dangerous and demanding job as a police officer because she needs to. meanwhile, vicky, coming from a far more privileged background, casually suggests that tarn could simply ask her father for time off so they can spend more time together, while also mentioning that the job is 'dangerous for a woman'. from vicky's perspective, it's presented as a reasonable solution, something she's used to all the time, but tarn's reaction highlights how disconnected that suggestion is from her reality. i found that dynamic genuinely compelling because it briefly touches on how privilege can shape a person's understanding of the world and the options they believe are available to others. it's one of the few moments where the series hints at larger structural issues beyond its central plot, and i honestly wish it had leaned into that more, unfortunately tarn immediately apologies to vicky right after that so LOL

anyway, i do think my experience was affected by my expectations going in. the series had been praised so heavily by almost everyone i talked to, the reviews were so crazy that my expectations were probably unrealistically high. i spent a lot of the show waiting for the moment where it would just get insanely good, and that moment never really came. but this is obviously less of a criticism of the series itself, and more so a result of how much hype i personally had built up in my head beforehand. it’s a good series, but i think i would have enjoyed it more if i had gone in with fewer expectations and let everything happen naturally

my biggest criticism would probably be the pacing of the romance. i'm PERSONALLY not a huge fan of relationships that develop very quickly, and that's something i find myself struggling with in a lot of gls because most series only have around 8 episodes, and in this case, only 7, there's often pressure to establish the characters, build the plot, and get the leads together in a very short amount of time. as a result, the romantic progression between the main characters felt rushed to me at first and on the other hand, i don't think the plot itself suffered from the limited runtime as much as the romance did
and so because of that, the chemistry felt a little forced in the earlier episodes. however, as the series continued and the characters spent more time together, those interactions started to feel much more natural. by episode 6, i had completely warmed up to them as a couple and thought they were really cute and so by the end i found myself really invested really in their relationship

another issue i had was a scene in which tarn engages in sex while under the influence of drugs. regardless of the writers' intentions, i found that scene deeply uncomfortable and unnecessary. unfortunately, it's become a recurring trope across a lot of thai gls and one that i rarely think adds anything meaningful to the story

overall, i don't think the series completely lived up to the enormous expectations i had going into it, but im also not saying it disappointed me. it's a thoughtful, well acted series with a compelling central message, and while there are definitely areas where i think it could have pushed itself further, i'm glad i watched it and can absolutely understand why it resonated with so many people, and im glad it tried doing something new and tried tackling issues that deserve to be portrayed^^

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such a breath of fresh air!!!! and easily one of the most compelling storylines i’ve seen in a gl in a long time.

with such limited time, especially since the romance wasn’t always the central focus, the fact that you could actually feel the attraction naturally building between the leads is a testament to just how well done it was in my opinion, i found myself rooting for the main characters while being just as interested in the larger story surrounding them.

i also went in with very few expectations beyond knowing that people generally just said it was good, but by the end of the second episode, i was completely hooked. as the story continued, it started touching on heavier topics like self-harm, abuse, sexual violence, trauma, obsession, codependency, ect.., i appreciated how much darker and more ambitious it was willing to be compared to a lot of gls and that completely hooked me.

the character writing was easily one of the strongest parts of the series. one of my favorite things about consuming media is morally gray complex characters, being able to study characters and ponder on their actions is one of my favorite things to do.

even with the limited runtime, the characters felt real, coherent, three-dimensional and complex. i loved that the show didn’t flatten them into easy categories of “good” and “bad,”. there isn’t really a clear innocent party or perfect victim in the past timeline, and i liked that the writers challenged the viewer to sit with that discomfort. we're shown that kwan and korn’s relationship was deeply strained and explosive from the start, with kwan constantly overstepping boundaries (ex. the love spell which you could view as a form of r*pe), using self-harm threats when she felt moments of abandonment arise, and engaging in behavior that could be read as emotionally abusive and violating. at the same time, there are also hints that korn may have been physically violent before, leading to kwan’s eventual murder, while thamon’s role as an enabler adds another layer of moral complication (even though one could also argue it was probably done due to pressure from korn).

i also feel the need to mention the acting because all three main actresses were brilliant, but muisic as win was on another level for me. she gave such a layered, emotionally raw performance that i could feel everything win was going through, and i completely fell in love with the character. like by far she’s my favorite in the series, and i think she might have became one of my fave gl characters oat.

boon’s character was also really refreshing because she isn’t the kind of character you typically get to see in a central role in a gl, and as a queer person with a slightly similar personality, i felt really connected to her.

visually, the series was also really strong. the cinematography was beautiful, and i liked how the color grading seemed to sometimes shift depending on the emotional state of the characters.

my main gripes w the series are the cgi, the pacing, some of the logic behind the plot, and the ending.
the cgi/vfx were definitely distracting at times, and some moments that were probably meant to be scary came off unintentionally goofy instead. but i also do realize this might have been a lower-budget project, so i’m not holding it against the series too harshly.

the pacing was messy in places, though tbf this kind of story is probably impossible to execute perfectly in only eight episodes. that’s why im giving them grace. SOME scenes throughout the entire series moved too quickly without enough connectivity/ and no proper blending, but episode 8 especially felt like certain clips were stitched together without enough breathing room. a few lines of dialogue also felt clunky or confusing, but idk whether that was because of the writing or the translation itself.

and finally, the ending.
i’m still not fully sure how i feel about it. i’m not against doomed romance at all when it makes sense thematically, i usually love it actually.
but here, part of me felt like the ending leaned a little too much into shock value, or at least didn’t give me enough emotional or narrative closure to fully accept it. maybe the novel gives more context?, but based on the series alone, i was left conflicted at the end.

overall, even with the issues i had.. i completely think it's worth people’s time. it’s dark, ambitious, emotionally engaging, filled with amazing world building, and the kind of complicated characters i wish more gls were brave enough to write. this is the kind of character work i really want to see more of in gls.

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really well written character

i usually hate open endings but it felt really fitting here, i don't even think whether na ends up with nine or leemhai is the point of the story (even though i will absolutely be pretending they get together anyway :D)

beneath the romance, i think this is a story about na herself. for most of the four episodes you're so caught up in the love triangle that it's easy to overlook the fact that the conflict is just internal. na isn't written as the stereotypically kind or "safe" protagonist you're immediately supposed to root for. she is messy, avoidant, contradictory, sometimes rude and selfish.

her approach to her problems is very relatable and felt very human, we are very nuanced beings with very nuanced feelings. when someone experiences misfortune over and over again, regardless of the reason, it's easy to start blaming outside forces, especially when those misfortunes happen so often, but deep down, na obviously blames herself too,
which is why i think she's someone who's spent her entire life chasing happiness and external validation, she would rather change her number for a change of luck, do all these extremely ridiculous rituals in front of people and risk getting fired, or embarrassing herself, tricking others, and literally blow up her life than look at that part of herself, as confronting the possibility that the problem might come from within is too much.

the series understands that self-discovery isn't linear, and is sometimes messy. na is someone who desperately wants to be loved, is terrified of being alone, and i think that is evident in her inability to choose between nine and leemhai (also probably mixed with comphet). she spends so much of the story suppressing her emotions and struggling to process them (and probably most of her life), when everything she's been suppressing finally comes crashing down, it's the first time we see her cry as, up until then, she’s been unable to even when she really wants to and that made the moment hit so much harder.

in the end, she chooses neither of them, a decision that is the most important decision she makes in the entire series and the most important to her character.

i personally interpreted the story much more as a comphet narrative than "a bisexual woman realizes she's bisexual", but i think i've seen other people interpret it differently, and that's okay too. i personally think it’s about someone caught between the life she always believed she was supposed to want and the one she never imagined for herself but came to find out she really, really wants. self discovery can sometimes be messy and that's okay, humans experience very nuanced feelings all the time and that's something i always look for and hope to find in characters

i do wish we'd gotten a little more time with the post-timeskip version of na because i would've loved to actually watch that growth happen, but considering this is only a four-episode miniseries, i think it does an incredible job of telling a cohesive story with a clear message and emotional core.

jan and jingjing were both phenomenal, their chemistry is just so incredible to watch. jan's portrayal of na was really beautiful, idk how to explain but i think the story works so much more because its jan, i found the panic attack scenes and the final breakdown scene so so so incredibly well-acted.

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I just don't know who this is for

Jesse Ren, right.

But no. I'm here to tell you, this is not the drama you're looking for.

The first kiss scene is at about the 3/5ths mark, and it comes with no lead-up at all. Like none. I wondered if the part of the scene where they got to that point just got left on the cutting room floor. I actually re-watched the episode thinking I must've missed something. I didn't. The kiss itself is mundane. There's like one or two other kiss scenes besides that one, and they're really flat-feeling. Like the kissing scenes only serve the plot and that's it. It's weird. They feel lackluster and badly timed.

They do this thing where they leave off an episode on a tense, climactic moment. And the beginning of the next episode is a totally different scene. So you don't ever know what HAPPENED between the two episodes. This makes it feel really REEALLY chopped up and confusing. There is NO flow here. It's horribly horribly disjointed.

The love between the characters feels unearned. Relationships are not fleshed out. There's not a lot of emotional investment for the viewer to get behind, so you watch the whole show not totally caring what happens.

The plot is the intriguing part. But the way the story is told has no natural feel to it at all, and the eps are 10 mins long.... with many eps where there's no forward progress, just more stringing you along. So the price you pay to watch this plot idea is kind of higher than the show is actually worth.

Who was this show written for? A romance watcher? But there's no romance written into it. A kilig lover? There is ZERO kilig. A suspense or mystery lover? Why would they watch this when there's tons of GOOD mystery productions to watch? No one is going to actually have a good time here.

If you must watch "literally everything Jesse Ren has ever been in", then go ahead, it's not THAT bad. And thankfully not that long. But no one else is missing anything by skipping this one. It was lowkey terrible.

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Solving the Mystery of the King’s Treasure

A botched mission forced Jeong Haesong and his team to accept an undercover mission to make up for the mishap. The objective is to retrieve a lost stash of goldbars from King Gojeong era that is believed to be hidden at Byeongmun High School by the school’s founder. Going undercover as a student in his foster sister’s class, Jeong Haesong finds himself caught in between saving his new classmate from bullies and suspicion from his homeroom temp teacher Oh Su A that could really blow his cover. Burdened by the weight of his father who went missing on a mission quite like his, Jeong found that there is much bigger scandal in Byeongmun High School that he could ever anticipated and he absolutely needed all hands on deck to stay in school.

I think Seo Kangjun did a well done job portraying Jeong Haesong, a somewhat efficient agent who is also rather hotheaded had not for his foster father An Seokho who is also Team 4 team leader reigning him in. Despite the general air of the show being somewhat comedic, Seo still managed to carry out the grief-stricken scenes when needed, complete with reddened, teary eyes and convincing sobs. I especially love the Team 4 members, the team leader Oh Seokho, the tech support Park Mijeong and clownish member Ko Yeonghun, all seemingly rely a lot on Jeong Haesong’s capability as an NIS agent.

A special shoutout for Kim Shinrock for the successful portrayal of the psychopathic chairwoman of Byeongmun High School director board. She is such a crack in the head that you can’t really expect how far she could go for survival. Her laughs really remind me of a demented serial killer.

I can never understand Korean working culture of groveling to the higher ups even when youre already at retirement age. The kind of groveling they show onscreen isnt for the faint hearted too as one is expected to wait for your boss 24/7 rain or shine night or day as if they don’t have a life, constantly bowing and sucking up to him to the point of putting your pride under their soles, a literal modern slave. It’s utterly mindblowing.

There wasnt as much action as I anticipated from a spy show though. Lots of sleuthing around, and riddle-solving, definitely not enough punches, kicks or bullets flying around. The action choreography isnt much of a wowsie too. I fastforwarded many of the romance scenes. Just not feeling it with the main cast. I loved the interaction between Park Mijeong and Ko Yeonghun though, never skipped a scene. 🤣 their scenes definitely exudes more chemistry that the main couple.

All in all is okay. The plot is really straightforward although not without plotholes. Some scenes did left me dumbfounded, but I treat this like a common entertainment show that doesnt need any logic. Don’t take them seriously and you may enjoy the show.

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a MUST-TO-IMPLEMENT drama

This drama isn't just entertainment—it's a straight-up callout to the education system in South Korea and honestly the rest of the world too. Every case shown feels real because stuff like this actually happens. The only fantasy here is ERPB itself. An organization that actually steps in, takes action, and gets results? Yeah, that's basically wish fulfillment at this point. Still, I really hope something like that exists someday. The cast absolutely killed it. Everyone fit their roles perfectly and kept me invested the whole time. I also love how each episode focuses on a different case, so the story never feels stretched out for no reason. And Na Hwa-jin? What a character. Dude is the definition of professionalism. Not only is he calm and patient with his team, but he somehow keeps that same composure even when confronting his fiancée's killer. That's insane character work right there.

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Great Chemistry and Beautiful Visuals

This show is perfect for you if you want a more mature vibe from a romance couple where the female lead doesn't act like a baby all the time or have a baby voice.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story and the romance. I like how its not too quick and how we could see Mo Xiu Yao gradually warm up to her rather than just randomly have him flip and start loving her.

I also love how the story unravels from an unreliable perspective and how it gives hints as to how unreliable she is. We basically get to see the story unfold as he is discovering who she is on a deeper level.

One thing I think this show does well is the cinematography. The shots of the backgrounds and buildings are so pretty. The colouring is very nice and I LOVE how we can actually see the actors skin textures. I'm glad they opted out of filtering the actors and actresses heavily however their makeup is still typically very white. It's also very nice that they're allowing the actors to use their own voices because I feel like Cheng Lei rarely does in his projects and this just shows how much his voice can bring to his characters.

Both actors are well casted because they both have a face that looks suspicious in my eyes. They both look like they're hiding something when their face is neutral which is perfect for this show as it leaves a bit of mystery and suspicion for me. I also think they visually complement each other well as they both have this mature vibe to them. It shows especially in the later half of the show but they are wonderful actors and are able to portray such great emotions with their eyes.

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let me catch my breath girl, slow down.

i've been waiting for this drama religiously because it stars zhou yiran and chen duling, and honestly, the first episode was so damn good. the drama wasted absolutely no time throwing us into tragedy. in just one episode, we saw chu zhao fall deeply in love with xiao xun, become his queen, watch her clan get wiped out, lose her father because of political schemes, and ultimately get strangled by the very man she loved. that's a crazy amount of plot to fit into one episode, yet somehow it worked. it was heartbreaking, intense, and easy enough to follow despite the speed. what made it even more painful was how flawed chu zhao was in her first life. she wasn't introduced as some hidden genius or future political mastermind. she was emotional, stubborn, romantic, and honestly quite naive. she resented her father for keeping her in the frontier and dreamed of the elegant, glamorous life in the capital. she didn't want to remain a frontier general's daughter surrounded by soldiers and deserts. she wanted the refined life of the capital, and when xiao xun appeared, she fell for him with her whole heart. foolishly, completely, and tragically. one thing that frustrated me throughout those flashbacks was how she never really tried to understand her father. girl, please. sit down and have one proper conversation with that man. ask him why he opposes your relationship so strongly. ask him what he sees that you don't. instead, she kept pushing against him without truly trying to understand him. and that's what makes the tragedy hurt even more, because in the end her father was right. every scene between them just made me want to hug that poor man. he spent years protecting the border, trying to protect his daughter, warning her about danger, only to watch everything he feared come true. poor father was fighting enemies at the frontier, court politics in the capital, and his daughter's terrible taste in men all at the same time.

that's why my relationship with the reborn chu zhao becomes a little complicated. i completely understand why she changes after her rebirth. if i got betrayed, watched my family die, lost my father, and got murdered by the man i loved, i would change too. emotionally and psychologically, i can absolutely buy it. what i struggle with is how immediate and complete the transformation feels. the drama actually did something i really liked when chu zhao tried to outmaneuver xiao xun and failed. that failure reminded us that having memories from a previous life doesn't automatically make someone a political mastermind. she knew what would happen, but she still lacked the experience to navigate power struggles perfectly. that was interesting. that felt human. but after that, it sometimes feels like one night of dying unlocked every skill tree available. suddenly chu zhao is predicting everything, directing discussions, and offering military strategies while experienced generals and veteran warriors are standing right there in the same room. her uncle is literally an experienced warrior, yet there are moments when it feels like everyone is waiting for chu zhao to tell them what to do. the issue isn't that she's intelligent. the issue is that everyone around her seems to become less intelligent whenever the plot wants to remind us how intelligent she is. if her rebirth gives her knowledge of future events, hidden relationships, and who will betray whom, i'm completely on board. but military expertise? battlefield command? strategic warfare knowledge? that's where i start struggling. ironically, i think chu zhao becomes much more compelling when she fails than when she succeeds. and honestly, if i were xiao xun, i would be a little suspicious too. the woman you knew yesterday was a lovestruck noble lady, and suddenly today she's reading people, predicting events, and strategizing like she's been preparing for the throne her entire life.

another thing i can't stop thinking about is the palace intrigue. maybe i've watched too many historical dramas, but where are my old men? seriously. why is every grand tutor, prime minister, strategist, and important court official around twenty or thirty years old? visually, i'm absolutely not complaining because everyone is beautiful, but politically it makes the court feel a little hollow. i'm used to watching old ministers who survived multiple emperors, accumulated decades of influence, and can destroy their enemies with a few carefully chosen words. those men are terrifying. those men make palace dramas fun. here, the political arena is filled with attractive young men scheming against each other, which looks great but doesn't always feel as dangerous or layered as it should. thankfully, the production side is carrying a lot of my enjoyment. this drama is gorgeous. and red. so unbelievably red. for several episodes it felt like every costume, curtain, lantern, and decoration was competing to become the reddest object in the kingdom. thankfully, the cinematography is beautiful enough to make it work. the camera movements are elegant, the palace feels grand, and every frame looks expensive. the music is also fantastic, and having liu yuning on the ost is always a blessing. and of course, there's zhou yiran. historical costume zhou yiran should honestly become a permanent genre. that ear piercing has no business looking that good. every time fu jiu appears on screen, i suddenly remember why i'm still watching this drama.

at episode 11, i'm in a very weird position. i don't dislike this drama at all. in fact, i can clearly see why so many people are enjoying it. the acting is solid, the production quality is high, the revenge premise is compelling, and the opening episodes were incredibly strong. but i also feel like the drama keeps rushing through character development that should have taken more time to earn. before i can process one emotional moment, we're already moving on to the next plot point. before i can become attached to someone, the story is introducing another conflict. i understand what's happening, but i'm not always feeling it as deeply as i want to. i want to spend more time with these people. i want to understand them better. i want the story to breathe. because right now, ashes to crown feels like it's constantly sprinting ahead while i'm still trying to catch up. for now, i'll keep watching because i'm curious where chu zhao's revenge journey leads, but also because zhou yiran keeps appearing on my screen.

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Wheeee!!!! ??‍♂️

Perfect 10? HELL no. Why? BECAUSE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EPISODES!!!! 😭
There was not one single episode that didn't have my attention. It was pure comedy. Lots of creative meals gotcha lots of skills with great reactions from those that got to partake. It was pretty much a live action anime SKs do NOT make with the kind of elements featured on it. The game system I mean~
It was really good ppl, it's definitely worth a watch deserves a second run. It was the supporting cast that I think deserves the praise for making this a success~
Absolutely Wonderful~ 😃

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Overhated, but definitely not perfect—still solid and worth checking out

Ashes to Crown is fast paced and has a strong cast therefore making it entertaining. Ultimately, I enjoyed it a lot, but it is important to note that I am sucker for revenge plots and dark aesthetics/ characters, especially Yan Fang. I hope his actor is the main ML in future dramas because he is a very talented actor and I feel like he has been slept on by the industry.

However, the reviews critiquing the plot are justified. Like I said before, it is fast paced and really needed more episodes to fully flush out the characters and plot. There are some plot holes and non-sensical plot decisions as well as half baked characterization/character arcs. Personally, I was able to overlook these things, but it depends on how much you are willing to “go along” with the plot and world/character building.

I enjoyed the reverse harem vibes, but I almost wish there was more romance. The main leads had great tension on the beginning but I think it kinda fizzled. IMO Chu Zhao ended up having better tension with yan fang and lowkey deng yi. I would love to watch more dramas with a reverse harem like this, so if anyone has any recommendations pls lmk!

Overall, it’s definitely worth checking out! I wouldn’t let the super negative reviews scare you off. You’ll know from the beginning whether you like it or not because the show is very consistent throughout, so I would give the first episode a chance.

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Dropped....

Couldn't believe that I reached ep 15 before deciding to drop this.

I wanted to like this drama but for the life of me, I couldn't understand anymore the intricacies of the political rivalries.
Added to this, is that I do not like the FL's character.

Like what other reviewers' have noted, I find it extremely unlikely that a once naive girl suddenly turns into a tactician followed by the whole military army. And requesting the late emperor that she be bestowed the title of Grand Princess????? on the pretext of protecting the child emperor???? It is obvious that she just used it as a stepping stone for her revenge against her ex....

The fight scene in the gorge? It is more believable for the FL in Pursuit of Jade and Legend of the Female General to do fight scenes because they are dressed for the part. But here??? She is still in her red dress and awkwardly fights along her army.

So many flaws for a drama which started off strong.....

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Boring/Low-budget film

This is a movie about making the perfect AI that has human emotional intelligence, where, during that time we still didn't have that much understanding of it, and the way it was told here is very fictional, since again, this is a decade ago. It's very boring, some theories are unbelievable, so don't take this movie too seriously. The one who wrote this is probably an AI bro who wants a Virtual Girlfriend, and this is what he came up with, because you could summarize the entire movie with that sentence. It's very low budget, and it really shows in the production. I guess that's the reason why some side actors look like they don't care at all, and they are just here for the pay.

And for a movie which is already relatively short with an hour and 16 minutes of runtime, i can't believe they have the balls to even insert a filler scene. Spoilers by the way, in the 2nd half of the movie, there's this scene where ML is contemplating his life decision, then meets a grandpa who tries to give him a premonition, and then goes on blabbering about his life. That part doesn't add weight to the film. It's a waste of time.

Apart from the core Characters, the rest of the side characters are unnecessary, and aside from 2 ML, the rest of the actors are very boring. It's like they are operating in their own world. Cathy, played by Jiang Pei Yao, who is the reason why i'm watching this in the first place, her acting here is still amateur, and it doesn't level when she's on screen with ML, which is understandable for an early work. Coming from watching her recent works, the improvement is immeasurable.

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It's BEAUTIFUL.

As a person who isnt a big fan of horror, this series is just top notch.

The acting, story, portrayal of Thai culture, acting, visuals (cinematically or even the casts face cards lol) and down to OST is just, 10/10.

Please please please watch the uncut version because the attention to detail is just!

Totally recommend to watch their reaction video also to hear the boys share more about the production and story, and them letting their intrusive thoughts win like how we as viewers would LOL.

I've been looping their soundtrack for weeks too. Beautiful scores and OST.

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