Reviews

A Rich Brat, A Detective Badge, and a Deadly Mystery

Jin Yi Su is the second son of Jin Myeong Cheol, chairman of a powerful conglomerate. Unlike every other chaebol heir in K-drama history who is busy plotting corporate takeovers, Yi Su has zero interest in the family business. He happily leaves that burden to his elder half-brother and instead indulges his obsession with detective novels, crime dramas, and elaborate role-playing police raids that cost more money than most people earn in a year.

Then fate intervenes.

While chasing a criminal, Yi Su ends up tackling and subduing the suspect. Unfortunately, Detective Lee Gang Hyeon arrives just late enough to draw the wrong conclusion and arrests the wrong man. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, the police somehow decide that the best way to apologise is to recruit the billionaire playboy into the homicide division.

A bit far-fetched, that is how police hiring works in this drama. The result is comedy gold.

Gang Hyeon spends much of the early episodes trying to keep Yi Su away from investigations, but pushing aside a chaebol heir with unlimited money, unlimited free time, and unlimited curiosity proves impossible. Soon, the reluctant team finds itself solving murder of a famous artist, suspicious accidents of an old man, mysterious deaths of a CEO, and crimes involving a terrifying cult organisation.

What makes the drama work is that Yi Su is not merely comic relief. Beneath the flashy clothes, endless confidence, and attention-seeking antics lies a genuinely intelligent investigator. Gradually, the team begins to realise that the spoiled rich brat they initially despised actually has useful instincts and impressive investigative skills.

Ahn Bo Hyun absolutely shines as Jin Yi Su. He perfectly captures a character who is equal parts peacock, man-child, genius, and wounded son. Yi Su loves showing off and being the centre of attention - the absolute flex, but beneath that charming playful facade is a lonely boy who lost his mother at a young age and harbours deep resentment toward his father.

The drama cleverly blends comedy, detective mystery, thriller, corruption, politics, and friendship into one surprisingly addictive package. One moment you are laughing at Yi Su spending absurd amounts of money and resources to solve a problem. The next, you are watching a tense murder investigation.

And of course, every good detective story needs a central mystery.

For Yi Su, it is the death of his mother. He has always believed she died in a tragic accident that unfolded before his eyes. But as the story progresses, cracks begin to appear in that version of events. When his father later suffers a similar fate, it becomes increasingly clear that there is more to these deaths than simple bad luck.

Who was really responsible?

Was his mother's death an accident at all? Was Yi-Su's childhood memory reliable?

And if someone has been eliminating members of his family, is Yi Su next?

While the drama is enormous fun, there are moments where reality quietly packs its bags and leaves the building. For example, can a police superintendent really assign a civilian billionaire to active homicide investigations with so little paperwork? Probably not. Still, this is hardly the kind of drama you watch for procedural accuracy.

One interesting point that caught my attention was the discussion around the statute of limitations. A quick Google search confirmed that in South Korea, murders committed before 1 August 2000 were indeed subject to a 25-year limitation period, adding an extra layer of realism to part of the mystery.

Overall, Flex X Cop is not a drama that takes itself too seriously, and that is precisely its charm. It is funny, fast-paced, packed with memorable characters, and manages to balance comedy and suspense surprisingly well. If you enjoy detective stories but would like your murders solved by a rich show-off who treats police work like the world's most expensive hobby, this drama is well worth your time.

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Imagine waiting 2 years to end up with this

First of all, editing is horrible. The sound quality does not exist. OST is unlistenable - intro was probably made by a child instead of grown-up producers. Story doesn’t make sense. It was interesting at first but all those fights over nothing became so boring. Characters are impossible to like maybe except for Gorya. I also didnt couples’ storyline. Actresses who played amazingly in Pluto had to become a couple in this show out of nowhere. Useless drama doesnt make it better though. Wasted lot of time watching it, I could’ve spent it on GL dramas like Clairebell or Hometown romance. I’m so disappointed. I was excited about the cast but the whole drama was probably made by some wattpad writters in their 10s

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30 minutes is too short for an enjoyable mermaid story. Yang Mie Mie fits mermaid aesthetics

I was in the mood for mermaid short drama so I chose to watch this drama. Gosh I guess this must be the pre-Yu Long era. Anyway I wish this drama was longer.

What I liked:
1. Styling - Yang Mie Mie fits the mermaid aesthetics with her doll-like features. Her mermaid outfit was adorable too.
2. Fantasy - The Eye of the Sea is common tool in mermaid storytelling and it's done well.
3. FL characterisation - She was likeable. Her attempts to retrieve her item were amusing.

What I disliked:
1. Plot - With running time slightly longer than 30 minutes, the storyline was severely underdeveloped. The ending was rushed.
2. Romance - Underdeveloped. Just as the romance was about to blossom, the story had reached an end.
3. Acting - Both did the best they could with the goven script. There was lack of chemistry between Yang Mie Mie and Xi Er Li.

Favourite scene
When she tried to retrieve the Eye of the Sea

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Non ci hanno creduto fino in fondo

Bel drama storico, ma ci sono state cose che meritano meno del mio voto. Quindi ho deciso di fare una recensione per categoria, così da esprimere le mie considerazioni per un drama da moltissimi considerato come capovolavoro.
Vi prego di considerare che a seguire ci sarà solo ed esclusivamente un parere soggettivo.

Scene di guerra → 10

Le scene di guerra (degli ultimi episodi) mi sono piaciute molto, perché più vicine alla realtà rispetto al solito. Il combattimento corpo a corpo è di una brutalità inaudita, e qui credo sia stato rappresentato davvero bene.

La storia → 7

Intrighi, gelosie, giochi di potere, sono quasi sempre alla base di questi drama e sono quelli che mi tengono incollata fino alla fine, quando sono ben bilanciati e mai troppo teatrali.

Non ho trovato grandi colpi di scena o “plot twist” sconvolgenti, ho però apprezzato le reazioni dei due pretendenti che non sono riusciti a conquistare il cuore della protagonista: sono state molto più realistiche del solito, mostrando non solo il dolore ma anche quell'ossessione di chi non accetta il rifiuto.

La storia, che narra le vicende dei due protagonisti Chen Yan Yun e Gu Jin Zhao, è ben articolata e sviluppata, ma fino ad un certo punto.
Il drama aveva un grandissimo potenziale, ma ciò di cui mi sono accorta verso la metà è che la storia mancava di intenzioni potenti e solide tali da sorreggere 40 episodi.
Persino il salto temporale di 3 anni (durante i quali Gu Jin Zhao trascorre il periodo di lutto a casa della nonna materna, con la quale è cresciuta), mostra che tutto è rimasto sospeso, in particolare il rapporto con Chen Yan Yune e il giovane marchese Ye Xian (entrambi innamorati di lei), e il giovane re, che in 3 anni non cresce fisicamente “ma è maturato rapidamente”. Personalmente l’ho trovato assurdo.
Ci sono personaggi che spariscono, che muoiono e, salvo per il giovane marchese, tutto sembra scorrere in modo quasi indifferente, come se non scalfisse nel profondo i due protagonisti, che dal canto loro sono presi del tutto da un unico obiettivo: sconfiggere definitivamente il maestro di Chen Yan Yun. Raggiunto questo obiettivo, tutto finisce, nel vero senso della parola.

Finale → 4

Dire che sono rimasta delusa del finale è riduttivo. Sono rimasta letteralmente a bocca aperta, smarrita perché non capivo. Non so cosa pensasse il regista, ma ha mandato in fumo (insieme alla casa del maestro) l’occasione di mostrarci un po’ di vita tranquilla dei due protagonisti, insieme ai loro figli.
Invece niente. Il nulla.
Ci viene mostrata la fine del maestro e di sua moglie nella loro casa che va a fuoco. Ma ciò che mi ha lasciata basita è la scelta di come costruire il finale.
Chen Yan Yun si trova al confine e rischia di morire se gli aiuti non arriveranno dalla capitale. Il maestro fa di tutto per ritardare gli aiuti, perché lo vuole morto. Gu Jin Zhao, quindi, decide di sfoderare una spada e andare a casa del maestro per costringerlo a dare il via libera.
E qui ho pensato “wow, qui sì che viene fuori tutto l’orgoglio e la forza di questo personaggio”.
Ed invece no. Di fronte al maestro, lascia cadere la spada e inginocchiandosi lo implora di mandare gli aiuti al marito, dicendo che in cambio lei si sarebbe avvelanata. E qui ho capito che il finale era andato a farsi benedire.
Ciò che è successo dopo ha dell’assurdo:
- lei resta in ostaggio in casa del maestro per almeno 10 giorni (in precedenza si era detto che ci volevano cinque giorni per arrivare dalla capitale);
- Chen Yan Yun, ferito e moribondo per l’ennesima volta, torna nella capitale e va a casa del maestro a salvare Gu Jin Zhao;
- il maestro mostra a Chen Yan Yun un tomo nel quale sono raccolte tutte le sue idee politiche a favore del popolo;
- la moglie del maestro minaccia Jin Zhao con una spada alla gola, e muore quasi subito;
- la casa va a fuoco, Yan Yun prende in braccio Jin Zhao, che intanto ha il tomo, e la porta via… in braccio… anche se lei sta bene.
- FINE.

Coinvolgimento → 7

Devo essere sincera... Non farei un re-watch.
Non mi ha coinvolta emotivamente. Non ho sentito quella fitta allo stomaco quando i protagonisti soffrivano. Non ho versato una sola lacrima (ed io sono una dalla lacrima facile).
Ciò che più mi ha lasciata perplessa è stato il non riuscire a vedere quella chimica tra i protagonisti che tutti dicono di vedere.
Ci sono attori che riescono a stabilire un'intesa con i co-protagonisti, tale da farti arrivare ogni tipo di emozione. Qui non ho avvertito questa sensazione, e mi dispiace proprio tanto doverlo dire, perché i due personaggi (soprattutto lui) agiscono con un forte senso di protezione e amore reciproco.
Purtroppo però i due attori non mi hanno fatto “sentire” nemmeno le farfalle nello stomaco.
Abbracci, baci… Tutto talmente casto e controllato da risultare forzato.
Ciò non significa che gli attori non siano stati bravi, anzi. Solo che per me non si sono lasciati coinvolgere dalla storia dei personaggi (ma forse il mio errore è stato guardare questo drama dopo aver fatto il re-watch di Love Like the Galaxy... e chi lo ama sa a cosa voglio dire).

Insomma, se dovessi riassumere con una frase direi che l’intenzione c‘era, ma forse non ci hanno creduto fino in fondo.

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Realism at its finest, with some minor discrepancies on some characters

This is good, story wise, if you like an ordinary working environment and realism, this is the one, ignore the harsh review or trashing about this, try it at least 3 episode, why? because the first one most of people are not gonna like it, but after that, its pretty enjoyable and keep us hooked with the story.

The bad ones are some bad character or as we can label it as (villain) here is not really getting what they deserved, it got the sudden change of character without any impactful story or explanation whatsoever, and it feels like the writer is trying too hard to justified the SML and SFL affair which is left a bad taste in my mouth, other than that, pretty enjoyable.

The acting was good it makes me feels like hearing some of my collague at works some of their life stories, relatable and each and every one of them here doin a really good job at it. And yeah, the chemistry of the main feels like just enough, almost lacking.

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Ammetto che dopo i primi 2 episodi volevo dropparlo ma per fortuna che ho continuato la visione, perchè nonostante alcune pecche evidenti, l'ho terminato con un sorriso stampato in faccia.

Non sono una grande fan di tutto ciò che riguarda il mondo virtuale, contenuti AI ecc... Alcune location oggettivamente belle dai colori vibranti e luminosi ma "troppo finte" per i miei gusti, così come trovavo noiose le continue sfilate di moda e i primi piani della FL che sembrava puro fan service. Inoltre non sapevo chi fosse Ji Soo ma mi stava un pò antipatica la sua voce, però andando avanti ho superato la mia avversione e non ho alcun pregiudizio verso gli idol che provano a recitare.

Diciamo che tutta la dinamica degli appuntamenti virtuali con i vari cameo, mi ha un pò deluso. L'unico "fidanzato" degno di nota è stato Seo Eun Ho interpretato da Seo Kang Jun che ho trovato veramente perfetto nel ruolo, grazie anche al fatto che ha avuto un arco maggiore; gli altri hanno avuto così poco screen time che li ho trovato sprecati, erano solo delle comparse che passavano troppo velocemente per lasciare una qualche impressione al pubblico.
In ogni caso meglio per me, perchè le cose hanno iniziato ad interessarmi veramente, solo quando il drama si è spostato sulla vita reale della protagonista e finalmente vediamo il ML prendere vita (è praticamente inesistente nei primi 4 episodi).

Ecco, forse il problema è che ho percepito il drama frammentato, come se ad un certo punto stessi vedendo una serie diversa. Ho trovato scollegate la prima parte con la seconda, perchè in effetti non c'è nessuna costruzione della dinamica relazionale tra la FL e il ML prima della confessione.
Comunque ho pensato che gli autori abbiano voluto appositamente farci questa "sorpresa" come se lo stessimo vedendo dal punto di vista di Seo Mi Rae, che era completamente ignara di ciò che provava il suo collega.

Ho adorato quando ci hanno mostrato le cose dal punto di vista di Park Gyeong Nam e mi è piaciuta abbastanza la fase dell'innamoramento tra i due, anche se era un pò frustrante vedere la protagonista scappare via continuamente in modo infantile e senza parlarne. Per i miei gusti questa era la parte migliore ed avrei desiderato viverla più lentamente, soprattutto perchè la protagonista era impaurita da una nuova relazione, invece c'è stata un'impennata di velocità e hanno scelto di mostrarci i vari spezzoni delle loro scene romantiche che sembrano arrivare troppo presto e smorzano l'emozione dello "slow burn". In ogni caso erano carini da vedere insieme ed il finale è soddisfacente per una rom-com leggera e spensierata.

Il cast è stato decente, come scritto prima è la prima volta che vedo la FL e mi è piaciuta maggiormente nelle scene iniziali che sono più "divertenti", nella seconda metà dello show in cui era richiesta profondità emotiva, l'ho trovata un pò forzata e con un'intonazione vocale strana (specialmente in due scene di pianto era troppo caricaturale), comunque penso che abbia dei margini di miglioramento e non è stata così orribile come ho letto in altre recensioni.
Seo In Guk mi ha un pò spiazzata, so che è bravo da altri suoi drama, eppure a volte l'ho trovato un pò sottotono e poco calato nel suo ruolo ma capisco pure che in termini di sceneggiatura non abbia avuto molto su cui lavorare dato che il background del ML è praticamente inesistente, è solo funzionale alla storia d'amore. L'ho trovato più credibile come Koo Yeong Il.
Tutti gli altri personaggi per me erano poco interessanti ed abbastanza piatti.

OST a mio gusto pessima, non ricordo nemmeno una canzone degna di nota, se non che alcune erano imbarazzanti e fastidiose.

Il mio parere complessivo è 7.5, era buona l'idea di partenza anche non proprio il mio genere, ma poteva essere interessante se sviluppata più a fondo con maggiore psicologia dei personaggi, invece sembra che gli stessi autori abbiano avuto paura e si siano rifugiati in un territorio più familiare e prevedibile. Un prodotto all'esterno ben confezionato, che vuole attirare facilmente il pubblico femminile grazie alle varie guest star, ma carente di sostanza.
Comunque è una visione breve e poco impegnativa che si presta molto bene per un bel binge watch in cui si vuole staccare il cervello!

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I started watching this mainly because of Fuaiz.

At first, Sun believes that his mother's death and his younger brother's murder were the consequences of his own actions as a debt collector. For five years, he lives with guilt, working himself to exhaustion and simply surviving day by day.

Then he discovers a shocking truth: someone deliberately manipulated the tragedy that destroyed his family.

That moment completely changes the direction of the story. What began as a tale of guilt becomes a revenge drama.

The entertainment industry setting is interesting, but what caught my attention most was Sun himself. He is not a typical heroic protagonist. He is broken, exhausted, and burdened by years of self-hatred, which makes him compelling to watch.

Fuaiz once again plays a character with a darker edge, something he seems particularly good at. Ever since 4Minutes, I've enjoyed seeing him portray morally complicated people.

The first episode is heavy and tragic, but it successfully sets up the revenge plot and leaves me curious about what will happen next.

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Cute, slowburn bl for foodies

Although I'm not typically a big fan of Korean Bl, I really enjoyed this one. To be honest I just randomly picked this series to watch since it had been on my watchlist for a long time. I always feel like romance and representation lacks when it comes to K-BL. What I do like about K bl is that it's always short. This series is 8 episodes and around 25 minutes long per episode. The bl did have some of the typical 'Korean drama moments', which were actually really cute.

The whole aesthetic is adorable and well dressed. It's a Kdrama so this might be a bit expected but the acting felt real and not uncomfortable. I love how it's super slow burn, but if you don't like slow burn I obviously don't recommend this series.

I normally don't like series with 'reunion' because it feels very unoriginal and repetitive. But this one is really different than others that use it. The old classmate becoming neighbour is actually quite nice to the plot. However, It also didn't take ages for Do Hoon to figure it all out, which is normally the problem I have with that type of plot. I do not like the flashbacks though, they felt really unreal and fake, probably because they looked older than high school students.

I LOVE the food plot. My mother has a food business and bl's with a restaurant always have a special place in my heart. The love through food reviewing feels really original. It felt like a super cute cozy bl and kinda felt like they already lived together. I love their relationship trope so much.

The whole love triangle was just perfect, I did feel like super bad for Do Hoon, even if it wasn't the fault of Yoon soo. The whole misunderstanding added a super well done plot. I LOVE angst so if you like angst this is definitely your series but don't expect the best angst ever. I really recommend this series especially for people who like slow burn, food and K-BL. Also for new Bl watchers since it's simple and just cute, not a huge plot or plot twist. I love it super much!!

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The Heavy Cost of Saving Each Other

Had I Not Seen the Sun is a mystery romance drama centered around a young serial killer Li Jen Yao, known as the Rainstorm Killer. At twenty-five, after murdering ten people, including his own father, he turns himself in, cooperates with the police, and accepts the death penalty. The one thing he never reveals is why. Years later, two journalists decide to make a documentary about him, hoping to uncover the truth behind the murders. As they begin investigating, strange visions and dreams start haunting one of them, and little by little the past begins to surface.

Most of the drama unfolds through extended flashbacks, telling the story of Li Jen Yao’s life, first during high school in part one, then in early adulthood in part two. His life is bleak from the beginning. He is abused by his father, repeatedly let down by his mother, chased by debt collectors, and constantly targeted by bullies at school. There’s very little warmth in his world.

The only real light in his life is Chiang Hsiao Tung, a girl he meets at school. She takes an interest in him and decides they should become friends. She’s everything he isn’t: bright, talented, surrounded by loving family and supportive friends, with a future ahead of her as a ballet dancer. For a while, she becomes the one beautiful thing in his otherwise miserable existence. But once she gets pulled into his world, everything slowly starts falling apart. The love that grows between them feels like it should save Li Jen Yao, but instead it turns painful and destructive, and in the end it leaves both of them broken.

The drama explores a lot of heavy themes: family abuse, sexual assault, corruption, the way powerful people use their influence to bury their crimes, and the issues surrounding the death penalty. It mixes mystery with romance extremely well, and there are even a few scenes with a horror-like atmosphere that genuinely unsettle you. It’s intense, at times graphic, and emotionally exhausting in the best way possible. The story keeps hitting both the characters and the viewer with tragedy after tragedy, with only a few tender moments between the leads offering any relief.

It’s a very bleak and heartbreaking watch, but if you love angst and emotionally painful stories, it delivers beautifully. What makes it work so well is that it handles all of those difficult themes with real care and depth. Even when it gets heavy, it never feels empty or overly dramatic. You just can’t stop watching.

The acting is phenomenal (especially Tseng Jing Hua as Li Jen Yao, and Moon Lee as Chiang Hsiao Tung) the casting feels perfect, the cinematography is beautiful, and the soundtrack is chosen incredibly well. And by the end of part two, when the mystery from the opening finally unravels and every piece falls into place, you’re left with this overwhelming heaviness and deep pity for the characters.

It hurts from beginning to end, and somehow that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.

In the end, the famous line, "Had I not seen the sun, I could have borne the shade," rings hauntingly true. Had Li Jen Yao never seen the sun in the form of Chiang Hsiao Tung, he might have endured the bleakness of his own miserable life. But once he glimpsed that light, returning to the shadows became impossible, and ultimately, it was that glimpse of the sun that ruined him.

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Fast paced story of business and family

Currently watching ep 3/10
I wasn’t going to write review, I mean it’s not finished yet, but some people hating this for bo reason makes me mad.
✅ no romance
This drama has really fast paced narrative. And the directing never really drag things out. So from writing and directing, I’m satisfied.
In ep 1, they quickly established the relationship between all major characters and what happens in the synopsis all shown. I like this since I don’t wanna watch things I already know what will happen.
In ep 2, things heightened with some unexpected plot points which I think is great. I’m still feeling the surprise from what he wrote on that cheque.
For a drama about business this keeps surprising me with the character action. And this drama has strong actor lineup which I really appreciate.
In ep3, we finally see chairman prowess in hwang body! I love how he could control everyone and maneuver office politics with ease. So excited to see what happens tonight!

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Half a life left and what if it is the most interesting?

Fifties profetionnal is the type of drama you start without expectations and yet an hour later you find yourself playing the next episode right away.

The plot, imho, sounded very interesting and fun on paper and the drama actually delivered just that. It is very interesting, fun and full of action. The ensemble of actors is great, properly delivering their lines and bringing the perfect amount of comedic relief needed. I've got to mention LEe Hakjoo characater that has stole the spotlight for me during the 3 first eps! The storyline is enticing and the balance between past / recent events but also between the three leads/police investigation is quite intelligent, it allows the scene to breathe and for us, as viewers, to pick on clues and make our own investigation.

Very nice up to now, let's wait and see how the rest goes.

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