Reviews

Surprised

I didn't like it much until ep 6 or 7, after that this series became better. You gradually saw Akihiro change from a shallow a**hole in a thoughfull person with feelings.
Before that, the series was about sex and while it was about sex, it's not sexy at all.... When they are doing it, it didn't look like they are actually doing it in the first few episodes. Most of the time they are too far apart from each other. And the emotions are way to shallow to make it sexy... When they kiss, it's not a real kiss, but just lips touching "dead kiss". I don't understand the actors, they want to play in a BL, a BL mainly about sex, but they refuse to do decent kissing scenes... And i didn't see much chemistry between the leads.
The visuals and music were good.

I wasn't fond of Kashio Atsuki, there is something in his acting i don't like. Nanox did a very good job.

It's not a bad watch, but don't expect a very sexy drama..

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An Easy Watch, but Not a Standout

My feelings about this series were a bit of a roller coaster. For most of the show, I actually preferred the second couple. In my opinion, they had better chemistry and some of the most memorable scenes, like the pottery scene, even though their storyline wasn’t particularly deep. By the end, they weren’t very important to the plot anymore, but since they weren’t the main couple, that’s understandable.

The finale, however, didn’t feel completely satisfying to me. It felt rather abrupt and left enough room for a special episode with some cozy moments for both couples, free from additional drama or plot complications. That said, I did enjoy the redemption arc.

Overall, the series was enjoyable, but compared to the other BLs airing on Fridays, it was never a priority watch for me. I also would have liked to see more of Li You En in his role as a team doctor, especially in the earlier episodes, since that aspect seemed interesting but wasn’t explored much.

Another point is Li You En’s brother. For most of the series, I found him more frustrating than likable, although ep 10 finally made me warm up to him a bit.

In the end, I wouldn’t discourage anyone from watching it. However, if you’re not very familiar with Chinese BLs, I don’t think this is the best introduction to the genre, because it doesn’t really showcase the full potential of the industry. For me, it was the kind of series that was pleasant enough to watch and easy to relax with, but I never became deeply emotionally invested in it. In fact, I was more attached to it in the first half than in the second. Still, it remained an enjoyable watch that never made me feel too frustrated.

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09/10 Light, Funny, Romantic

09/10 Light, Funny, Romantic😻🥰😻🥰😻🥰😻🥰😻🥰
I like the light story about having crush on a senior in school.
A lot of funny dialogue in which could make you smile or laugh without realizing. The actors are all quite young and new on acting, so don't compare it to those who got oscars.
But having cast of Handsome as the senior and the very cute one as the junior are great choice. Great soundtrack. Just search for the lyrics and meaning. It suits the series quite much.
Hopefully they are gonna get another few seasons.
I Can’t Wait!!

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8/10 Sweet But Not Sugar-Coated

I honestly didn't expect much at first, but I ended up really enjoying it - glad I gave it a shot because the episodes just keep getting better. I originally watched this for Guide, but I ended up staying for the whole squad.
Bake Me Please can be a bit cliché - the classic sunshine guy falls for the cold and grumpy one - but somehow, it still kept me entertained. As painful as some parts are, the series gives off this warm, comforting vibe.
It also touches on how complicated relationships can get, and the emotional struggles that come with being in one.
Plus, it dives into the reality of unrequited love - loving someone who just doesn't love you back.
---
What I liked:
There are only a few characters, so the story's easy
to follow.
The production value is pretty solid.
The cinematography is beautiful, and the OST hits
just right.
Peach and Chin have decent chemistry - it's not fiery,
but it works.
Everyone did a great job, especially Ohm and Poom, but I
have to give a special shoutout to Guide - I just love his accent.
It would've been even better if Poom had more screen
time or was one of the main leads.
The love square actually added a little spice without
making things toxic.
Supportive grandma
What didn'twork for me:
Chin's character is honestly hard to root for-he's too unreasonable, self-centered, and barely grows throughout the series.
The lack of clear communication (especially on Chin's
end) gets frustrating.
I lowkey wished Peach and Guy were the endgame, but
of course that's not happening - Ohm (Chin) is clearly one of the main leads.
Overall, Bake Me Please is a cooking-themed BL with a simple, easy-to-digest plot and easy on the eyes cast. It's not a masterpiece, but it feels grounded and the casting was on point.
If you're looking for a BL series you can binge in one sitting without getting emotionallywrecked, give Bake Me Please a
shot.

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9/10 Shallow Night

9/10 Shallow Night………………………………………
It's another Thai BL series about host club. Although it's not as lame and stupid as "Time",
", it still not as good as
"Playboyy" in my opinion. I feel like the conflicts in this series are not as serious and deep as "Playboyy"
". Even
though this is the first Thai BL that boldly featured polyamory (at least as far as I know). Sounds ironic when compared to it's title. The plot was stretched too thin. I think that if some useless scenes being cut out, this series can be completed in 6 episodes. There were too many scenes which being dragged unnecessarily, that it felt kinda boring from time to time. The visuals were great though, so that's a plus. The acrobatic shows were amazing.

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EXECPTONELLE CHEF D'OEUVRE

Que dire... Ce drama est parmi les 1er que j'ai regardé et sa restera le meilleur que j'ai jamais vu THE BEST OF MY LIFE cest un vrai Chef-d'œuvre du debut a la fin l'histoire est manifique tellement bien amené c'est tellement doux subtile sa vous prend dans le ventre vous rentrez avec elle l'émotion la haine les pleures sont tous exceptionnellement bien ecrit. Les acteurs alors là une performance incroyable l'actrice principale Xiao Qaio(Song Zu Er) incarne a la perfection cette femme forte intelligente patiente avec cette pudeur juste ce qu'il faut pour être irrésistiblement attirante et d'une beauté a faire succomber ... Elle l'a fait tomber Wei Shao(Liu Yu Ning) a vaincu sa haine par l'amour et la douceur il est incroyable aussi dans ce rôle d'homme très autoritaire dur rempli de haine avec un charisme incroyable qui succombe tombe amoureux petit a petit sans meme sans rendre compte un Homme un vrai qui la traite avec tellement de respect et de douceur on rêve toutes de cela c'est manifique cette romance est parfaite les moindre détails sont exceptionnelle ainsi que les acteurs secondaires sont parfait on s'attache tellement a eux on dirait des acteurs principaux vraiment j'aime tous dans cette série tout est là vraiment d'habitude il y a toujours au moins un petit truc qui manque dans une série que on aurait préféré mais la nan vraiment rien a rajouter. La grand Mère celle qui incarne l'essence même d'une vrai femme avec une personnalité une force d'esprit grâce a elle ils ont réussi a dépasser cette haine... Le cousin tellement attachant notre coeur bat au rythme de l'histoire qui se termine avec une vrai fin heureuse et non bâclé qui est souvent le cas dans les drama malheureusement là vous pouvez être rassuré la fin est manifique c'est la 3ème foid que je regarde et sa ne sera sûrement pas la dernière et pourtant je suis toujours autant prise par l'émotion incroyable de ce drama ....
Bravo a toute l'équipe d'acteur qui sont exceptionnel et au traducteur 🔥🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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After reading so many rave reviews, I was convinced that I would love this drama, unfortunately that wasn't the case!
It started off really well, with a rural setting that I liked, and I followed it with interest until episode 8 (I was surprised by the revelation so early on), but after that it was so irritating and downhill.

The cast was excellent, I don't doubt that, but I found the actors really too "relegated" to their roles:
Lee Dong Shik has all these ambiguous expressions to make us believe something we ultimately know he didn't do, I found his sinister laugh and grins, repeated to the point of exasperation, forced and theatrical;
Han Joo Won is also a character who is very difficult to empathize with, he comes across as so unlikeable! I read that there was a bromance between the ML and I wonder if I saw the same thing as the others...I found their relationship, with its repetitive hostility and distrust, unnatural and tiring. Obviously I blame the direction and the script, not the actors.

As I said, after episode 8 there was almost a change in style that confused and bored me. The long scenes of the table conversations between the congresswoman and the slimy CEO were soporific for me, who detests these political and bureaucratic power games.

Some scenes seem cut off halfway, I imagine intentionally to create suspense and show them "complete" later, to surprise the audience, but I simply found them poorly edited.
After giving up at 12, I read the ending and am glad I didn't waste any more time.
Not even a particularly brilliant story; it was deliberately convoluted and difficult to follow (due to the flawed script), soporific, and failed to intrigue me or connect with the characters. In the end, I didn't care what happened next, and that's the worst thing for a thriller.

I don't even remember the music, so nothing memorable in my opinion.

I apologize for any grammatical errors, english is not my native language.

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Underrated gem - had potential to be a 10/10 if for some adjustments

Beautiful revenge story, good acting, decent cinematography for its budget, nice soundtrack. The luck or romantic subplot does not truly diminish its quality, but it does leave with a taste of wanting more. Enjoyable sismance that could have been more expanded, very good sociopolitical commentary! The makeup team did a great job of ditching the overly pale foundation (minus Ni Chang, but understandable).

Ye Pingan and Yuan Saocheng are an excellent duo* and very enjoyable to watch as they work alongside each other. Although verbally stated otherwise, there are heavy implications (including remarks by the supporting characters) of the romantic nature of their relationship, evident by the obvious (well, to my eyes, at least) tension between them, especially during the early episodes. I won't pretend that I wasn't disappointed we never got to see an actual romance subplot, nothing huge enough to overshadow the main and side plots, but enough so the tension would have an outlet. I believe it would elevate their dynamic and make the dilemmas Saocheng was facing more difficult and enjoyable for the viewer to see. However, the lack of it didn't negatively impact my enjoyment that much.
Lots of heavy topics are covered in the plot, which truly adds an extra flavor. The political intrigues were nice to watch, and I didn't find them confusing or complicated at all. Li Zongxu's death was a highlight of the show for me. There were some romantic undertones that I caught from Lu Daxin towards Pingan in some scenes, and ideally we would have seen that too, but I'm asking for too much. The dynamic between the women was beautiful and I wish we got more scenes of them together. Hai Yiping and, especially, Wu Xianer were interesting antagonists although something was a bit lacking in Xianer's development? Can't quite pinpoint it as I'm writing this. I'm all for female villains who leave their male relatives (or lovers) behind for their own personal gain, though, and I'm very pleased with the absence of a love interest for her.
Individually, Pingan is a great character and one I enjoyed deeply. I would have liked to see her in more morally ambiguous situations where she'd have to make difficult decisions.

On the negative side, Pingan's abilities were never properly explained. She inherited some form of supernatural abilities from her aunt who is supposedly practicing something akin to witchcraft? From one point and onwards, the "this has been their plan all along" plot style keeps happening way too much, it borders on cliche. The viewer already knows Pingan has been one step ahead and isn't worried about her wellbeing or her mission's conclusion. There was a moment where I indeed questioned if Saocheng had switched sides but he had been proven to be too smart for such a reckless move, and the too on the nose "dislike" towards Pingan made it obvious they were working together again. Would have liked it if there was more angst in that department. The budget was also not as high as the story deserved. Finally, the plot was a bit rushed towards the end and there should be more episodes in order to build the viewer's relationship with the characters better - more screen time for the ladies and for the main leads to actually transition from rivals to cautionary allies to "friends" without the need for grandiose testaments of soulmates that seemed to have been expressed way too early. The final interaction we see between them being just a "Pingan" and a smile, with a gorgeous scenery in the background, was perfection.

*if I didn't consider them a very obvious romantic pair, but actually believed they were friends, I wouldn't be complaining. The female and male leads being just friends would be refreshing, but it just doesn't work with those two in my eyes.

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5/10 Boring Milk

5/10 Boring Milk………………………………………….
This Thai BL series tells a story of Nomjuet, a naive junior at a college. As you can see how problematic that plot is. Is there such a thing as a naive junior college student?! At that age he should've been matured quite a bit. But this story made him look like an overgrown kindergarten boy. If that's not bad enough, the story itself is boring as hell. The most interesting part about it is about the love rivalry. And even that part is still boring, cause the love rivals are very tame.
There's no real antagonists in this series. Hence there are zero meaningful conflicts. I fell asleep a lot when I was watching it.A waste of time.

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10/10 This was a Big Girl Series

10/10 This was a Big Girl Series
Can I say that the people were all beautiful... but my lead couple was on point. The cinematography was so beautiful that I caught myself replaying some of the scenes... Salin's waistline was insane... make me want to workout, lol. I thought I would've like the story line but it was good. The clothing attires were sharp. But Salin'a runway outfit was stunning. He looked so beautiful. The visualization of the outside shots were beautiful. So beautiful that it crossed my mind to want to visit the locations. I have watched it once but headed out to grab a nice bottle of wine and binge watch it again. Because I know I missed keep points as I have to read the caption. I would put this in my library to pull out on the weekend.

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10/10 This was a Big Girl Series

10/10 This was a Big Girl Series
Can I say that the people were all beautiful... but my lead couple was on point. The cinematography was so beautiful that I caught myself replaying some of the scenes... Salin's waistline was insane... make me want to workout, lol. I thought I would've like the story line but it was good. The clothing attires were sharp. But Salin'a runway outfit was stunning. He looked so beautiful. The visualization of the outside shots were beautiful. So beautiful that it crossed my mind to want to visit the locations. I have watched it once but headed out to grab a nice bottle of wine and binge watch it again. Because I know I missed keep points as I have to read the caption. I would put this in my library to pull out on the weekend.

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This series does not work...

I have hopes for all JBLs, but this one was a big disappointment. I don't care if the actors are straight, bi, gay, pan or whatever, but if you have intense material, you have to make sure they deliver. They did not. There are only dead-fish kisses, the nc-scenes are between akward and ridiculous. I doubt there was one queer person on the set. And of course they did have neither a workshop nor an intimacy coordinator.

We are lucky to have a direct comparision with "Fake Fact Lips". When actors really get into their roles, they can deliver even without any workshop. For sure "Fake Fact Lips" has the better script, the bigger budget but for sure also the much better actors. It does not mean that the actors in Fukami are bad, it's just they can't handle the intimacy this script and their roles require and so this series is a fail.

All good intensions, all good acting inbetween can't make up for the lack of intimacy and emotions. The story itself is not bad per se, everyone will easily understand it, but it should be a BL and there is no vibe of it at all. Of course 13 minute episodes do not help either to form a emotional connection, but this productions lacks even that. So for a japanese production this was utterly disappointing and you should not waste your time with it.

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The premise is as chaotic as it is fascinating: a meteorite will impact Earth in 10 days, wiping out humanity. Amidst the global panic, Masumi, a depressed and unmotivated young man, decides to spend his remaining days in his old university library, reading in peace. However, his plan crumbles when he bumps into Ritsu, the man who broke his heart in the worst possible way in the past. Forced to deal with their unfinished business while the world falls apart, they end up making a pact to spend the end of times together.

Forget about innocent school romances. This series dives deep into passion, resentment, and raw desire. The tension between Toshiki Seto (Masumi) and Keisuke Nakata (Ritsu) is palpable from the very first second. The intimate scenes are not mere fan service; they reflect the desperation of two people who know they have no tomorrow.

Neither of the two protagonists is a saint. Ritsu is manipulative and selfish, while Masumi is full of insecurities and justified resentment. The drama slow-burns through flashbacks that explain why their past relationship was so toxic and how the end of the world forces them to grow up at breakneck speed.

Unlike big Hollywood productions, the apocalypse here is experienced intimately. Empty streets, looted stores, and a constant sunset light create an atmosphere of calm before the storm.

With only 8 short episodes, the introduction of secondary characters (like the high school student and the TV idol) halfway through the plot sometimes feels like a distraction from the main conflict between Masumi and Ritsu.

The special effects of the meteorite or the television news look a bit simple. If you are looking for a visual spectacle of mass destruction, this is not the place; the focus is purely emotional.

The End of the World with You is a dark, mature, and emotionally devastating BL. It stands out because it is not afraid to show the ugly side of love and emotional dependency, using the end of the world as the perfect catalyst for forgiveness. If you are looking for a short story with excellent acting, lots of tension, and a romance that feels real and desperate, this series is a must-watch.

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best series I have ever watched

I think this is the best series I have ever watched. It tells such a beautiful and deeply moving story, while also balancing humor and stunning cinematography. The use of flashbacks is absolutely brilliant. The director truly deserves an award for this work.
The chemistry between the two main characters feels completely natural and incredibly convincing, as if they were genuinely in love with each other. They must have had so much fun during filming, and you can see that in the behind-the-scenes videos on YouTube. For example, the filming of the bar scene on the evening after Johan arrives in Tokyo is absolutely hilarious.
I have never rewatched a series as many times as this one. Seriously, I have watched it eight times in the past three weeks alone, and some scenes even more often. I have also never cried so much because of a series. The story affects me very deeply. The filming locations are beautiful as well. The bridge in Berlin, the Friedrichsbrücke, serves as a symbol of their connection—a bridge between two cultures, crossing a bridge toward a major life change, or standing at a crossroads, which Johan literally does. The series is filled with symbolism that becomes even more meaningful and impressive with every rewatch. There are so many small details that you simply do not notice the first time. It is absolutely worth watching again. Though I must admit, I tend to skip the second half of Episode 7—it is just too heartbreaking.
At times, the drama hits you like a bulldozer, yet the performances of the two leads remain remarkably subtle. They can express more with a single facial expression than most actors can with pages of dialogue. It is astonishing. Perhaps because there are so few explicit scenes, the series relies heavily on their acting talent—and they showcase that talent magnificently. And honestly, would we ever have had these two outstanding actors in the series if they had been required to perform explicit scenes?
One of the things I find most beautiful and appealing about the series is precisely the absence of explicit scenes. It leaves plenty of room for the viewer’s imagination. At the same time, many things are hinted at in very subtle ways. You know their relationship goes much deeper and that there is more happening beneath the surface. I find that subtlety—and sometimes ambiguity—absolutely masterful. Sadly, many gay people in this world still have to communicate in subtle ways and express themselves indirectly because they cannot always be completely open about who they are, at least not in the way people often can in countries such as the Netherlands.
It is the little details that make the series so special: the Korean language book for beginners, the drawing Johan made of Ryu, the way they talk to each other on the phone, and the way Ryu smiles and says, “You must be very muscular by now,” when Johan has just completed his military service. The way Ryu looks at Johan while he is sleeping during his first visit. Or the way Johan jokingly asks Ryu whether two years of military service feels long or short. It is similar to Johan teasing Ryu by saying he is only staying in Japan for two nights during his first visit and asking whether Ryu is sad about it. In the bathhouse, Johan says he is grateful—grateful for everything that happened that day—and Ryu, sounding slightly nervous, asks, “What are you talking about?” Moments like these are wonderfully subtle. Of course they are gay. Johan is a regular visitor to a gay café, and Ryu certainly does not simply enter a relationship and move in with him for no reason. Ryu expresses it perfectly in the church, the Trinitatiskirche, when he says, “I am afraid when someone likes me.” Running away after Arata’s confession was his problem, and throughout the series he learns to overcome it. At the station, Berlin-Lichtenberg station, Johan tells Ryu, “I am just like you.” It is a beautiful line because it carries multiple meanings, touching on both the soul and the theme of running away.
And of course, the most beautiful moment of all comes at the end, when they say to each other, “Saranghae” and “Aishiteru” — “I love you.”
An absolutely wonderful series. I highly recommend watching it more than once

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Rage healing and glorious slaps.

Let’s start with the fact this drama is borderline fantasy. This is not a show you watch for realism. This is a show you watch for rage healing. Half of these teens would be dead or in coma after even one of these slaps delivered by one and only Na Hwa Jin. With that in mind, you just cannot take the delivery seriously, but at the same time, you can appreciate the serious and realistic themes presented.

Teach You a Lesson is the purest form of entertainment. Gripping stories presenting many social issues that we all struggle with one way or another. Great heroes with fun and distinctive personalities. Complex dynamics between being victim and perpetrator and the moral dilemmas of rightful punishment and empathic help. Villains that are rage inducing enough it’s worth paying attention to their schemes, but not powerful enough to feel like the stakes are greater than life. Amazing fighting choreographies, great styling, soundtrack that makes your heart race and slaps that make your head spin. What more can anyone wish for?

This is by all means an easy binge watch type of a drama. While the bullies and abusers are awful, the way the stories are structured makes it easily digestible. No matter what, you know Na Hwa Jin will deliver his lessons and justice will be served. And the way he serves it is just magnificent. I have never seen better slaps in any drama ever. I am a strong believer that a good slap is better than a punch.

What’s more, I really like how balanced the characters were - cool Na Hwa Jin, professional Choi Gang Seok, crazy Im Han Rim and adorable Bong Geun Dae. Their personalities mixed and matched in all the right ways creating this unique and energetic synergy. While we had a rather meaningful and clear set up for Hwa Jin, Gong Seok and Han Rim and their involvement with ERPB, I wish we got the same clear answers for Bong Geun Dae. They hint what his background is, but it’s never as well stated as the others.

As a team they had their small conflicts and hiccups, certain disagreements on how to deal with presented situations and problems, but at the end of the day they always knew how to unite and work together.

For the cases, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like they were well explored analysis of complex social issues, but I do appreciate how even with the simplicity they were able to highlight, even if just one the suffice, how complex these environments and dynamics between people are. Things like why do bullies bully? How much of them being prior victims should be considered when delivering punishment? Is resocialization always an option? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Do parents always want the best for their kids? Do kids bear sole responsibility for their actions? How much should the system be blamed for failing these kids? These are just a few examples of the themes tackled in the plot.

While Teach You a Lesson for sure highlights the bad deeds done by kids/teens and the lack of protection and authority teachers have, I do appreciate how we still got few examples of kids being the victims, teachers and parents being the abusers, and the system not protecting anyone - if the system does not protect the teachers, it does not protect the children either. If people who are supposed to educate and help raise these kids cannot do their job, at the end of the day it will mostly fail the students who will grow up into awful adults. Nothing was truly black and white (well, maybe some characters were closer to one or the other end of the spectrum), it was not all kids are evil and all teachers are poor victims. Everyone took part in upholding that failed system.

What I liked others can see as a flaw, so it’s worth pointing out. They don’t stay in one school for more than one episode. They are all one time close cases, there is not that much time for deeper exploration. This is not a character driven drama. The structure is simple, the set up is simple, the solutions are straightforward. But all that simplicity is just well crafted and delivered and that’s why it works.

On the actual flaws (though this is gonna sound bad), I hate how the female perpetrators did not get the same treatment as male. Ain’t no equality here - not one slap was delivered even if the girls were just as vicious as the guys. Especially since I heard it’s not the case in webtoon and there Im Han Rim does not hold back. It was especially evident with the set order of the episodes and the cases presented - one episode teen boys get their fingers broken, the other episode the girls get their collars grabbed and shoved a little bit.

For the more technical aspects - the performances were phenomenal. Shallow of me, I know, but Na Hwa Jin was extremely hot in this role. After every episode I kept thinking how attractive Kim Mu Yeol is in this role. Add actually amazing acting skills - that’s a whole package. Whenever empathy, ruthlessness, sadness, excitement, annoyance - no matter the emotions needed, he delivered. I don’t think I need to convince anyone that Lee Sung Min aced the role. I’m here just stating the obvious. Jin Ki Joo and P.O also shined in their own way - the roles they were playing were a bit less rooted in reality and extreme - nice contrast that worked well on screen. And then we have Lee Bong Joon - I am sorry, but I am going to question the goodness of any character he ever plays, this role had quite an impact.

Then we have production - I don’t think I have any complaints. The fighting scenes were perfect. That one cinematic experience in rain? I rewatched it a number of times. Not only was it exciting to watch, it was also shot in a truly aesthetic way. I also really like when dramas use light as a framing tool. The soundtrack? Perfectly matched to the scenes and emotional impact it’s supposed to have - “First And Last” being my favorite song for sure.

Overall, eye for an eye does not work in real life but damn it's healing to watch it in fiction. Na Hwa Jin literally treating the bullies and abusers 1:1 how they treated their victims was such a blast to witness. I was honestly having a huge grin on my face watching the episodes.

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