Reviews

Duang With You is one of those shows that instantly lifts your mood. From the very first episode, it has this playful, feel-good energy that just pulls you in. The tone stays light without ever feeling shallow—it strikes a really nice balance between humor, warmth, and those small, relatable moments that make you smile.

What really makes the series stand out is its characters. They feel lively and genuine, and their interactions are often funny, a little chaotic at times, but always charming. You can tell a lot of care went into building their dynamics, which makes it easy to get attached to them.

Visually, it’s also a treat: fresh colors, a pleasant style, and a pacing that never drags. Everything feels smooth and easy to watch, making it perfect for binge-watching or just unwinding after a long day.

In short, Duang With You is feel-good entertainment at its best—light, cozy, and genuinely fun to watch. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the mood for something that will leave you smiling. 😊

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Wasted potential

GJM has proven me again and again that he will f it up with his bad habit and favoritism to the point where he ruined the story and other characters. The very reason of my love and hate relationship with his tv shows. Anyways, it's nice to see Ju Jingyi with her improved acting (dare i say that this most likely her best role and acting so far in my opinion) + her being paired with Tian Jiarui. Love to see Chen Duling and Zeng Shunxi reunion as a cp again here, my personal favorite pairing.

This would've been one of his best work if GJM didn't f it up but it is what it is. On the bright side, I at least was happy because GJM gave us Chen Duling, Ju Jingyi, Zeng Shunxi and Tian Jiarui in the same project despite the favoritism & outcome. Other than that, there's almost nothing i can say plotwise cause he f it up halfway through 🙃 He really wasted the potential of this drama. And talking about favoritism, Chen Duling and Zeng Shunxi didn't deserve this treatment. So disappointed halfway through the drama until the end. Wu Wangyan and Wu Shiguang arc is a complete sh*t. They're pretty much just a figure and accessories of VoS that is almost useless cause they're only used for certain moments only and disappear from the face of the earth. Where tf is their power?? They are so nerfed by GJM and they're so weak for what they're supposed to be capable of.

This is why i have love and hate relationship with GJM projects. He's bad at long term execution and his favoritism is sickening and yet, i stupidly still look forward for his projects because his plot story and synopsis is always interesting to me and him casting someone i like is just a bonus, i'm always interested beacuse his work are pretty good and interesting at least at first before going downhill (mostly his drama series). The Yin Yang Master is my fav movie from him.

I've never felt this huge disappointment cause Veil of Shadows have such a good potential to be one of his best work if he didn't f it up, but he proved me again and again that he will always have this terrible habit of him to f it all up especially with his favoritism in his drama series that ruined the plot. GJM's favoritism is gonna backfire Tian Jiarui and i'm concerned about him. I like Tian Jiarui but GJM is ruining him with his way of favoritism. I too would boost my kid under my agency if they're capable and got what it takes, but what GJM is doing is so wrong and damaging because he ruined the overall story. He really ruined other characters just to make Ji Ling become the center and shine when there are 2 other characters that's also important for the plot. Thank goodness that Lu Wuyi character got the same amount of love and devotion from GJM unlike Wu Wangyan and Wu Shiguang based on how he wrote their arcs.

Wu Shiguang character is important to the plot (he's literally the 10th dragon son, the one that they all been waiting for to save the world from Jiuying) but Wu Shiguang character arc is just SO sh*tty, all that '10th dragon son' build up in beginning for nothing, no development at all. Wtf is GJM thinking? Should've not cast Zeng Shunxi and Chen Duling as the so called main leads if he's gonna do them dirty like this. I like all 4 main leads, and i'm disappointed with the heavy favoritism that is so obvious to the point he's ruining the whole story. I am not annoyed by Jiling or Wuyi, i like them too. I'm annoyed by GJM for his shitty writing for other characters. He gave his best on Jiling and Wuyi but clearly not for Wu Wangyan and Wu Shiguang.

Surprisingly the ending isn't blatant sad ending but a hopeful open ending, but sad to see that Wangyan and Wuyi will never know or remember each other. They truly lost each other ): Also GJM could 've at least add an extra episode to show their respective wedding and just a bit of their new life after all this nonsense but what do you expect from GJM lol 😒

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Lighthearted and still so beautiful!

It's just so cute… and simple. And probably what makes this so amazing.

The simplicity of human relationships and our need to connect is actually so beautiful. At the end of the day, the whole functioning of the world is about having a friend, having someone to share things with.

I was watching, and I didn't even need to see the Parbdee logo to know that it was filmed by them, the excellent filming could only be a work of theirs. Beautiful lighting and photography, which I think were the cherry on top to give the scenes such delicacy. As they should! Because in this age, on the verge of going through college applications, being a teenager... everything is so intense and emotional.

And this show... displayed this beautifully, with such care!

4 episodes that feel a lot better than a longer series bcs it was so beautifully made. SeaKeen delivered, as always! Especially Keen, he's so talented. This boy is sooo brilliant!

It's really so delightful to watch! Also it's an easy-watch, it's very light and still so touching!

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Not the best, but still good

You know that thing that kinda annoys you at first, but you find yourself going back? Like it just grates at you, but for whatever reason, you keep going back coz something about it calls to you? That was this show to me. Maybe I'm subconsiously a masochist.

☀️What I Liked🌑
1. The acting - There are parts that I for sure did not like. However, when the gimmicky parts of the plots are drawn back, you get to see just how well these guys act. Especially TeeTee, who plays Duang. When they stop making him play a literal dog, you can see the immediate change in his face and aura.

That man can act. A good example is in the finale, after their conversation with Jamie on the phone, and Qin tells Duang that they can sleep together. You can see the immediate switch on this face. I wish we saw more of that serious/toned-down side of him

Por, his smile is absolutely beautiful. In terms of acting, I think he was OK. I didn't cringe at it. However, it is harder to critique him as his character, Qin, doesn't have that much of an emotional range, meaning Por doesn't use his facial muscles much. Likely since Qin's supposed to be more reserved.

He could do better with his crying scenes, but overall, based on the little we got from what he had to work with, I think it was OK. Hopefully, we get to see him as a more expressive character in the future. I think I'd like that.

As for the wider cast, some were cringe, most were average. No one quite stood out for me.

2. The Production Value - Based on my experiences with Dumondi through 'Khemjira', 'Love Upon a Time', 'Zomvivor', and now 'Duang with You', the company has some incredible people behind their cameras. Their cinematography is top-notch. Up there with (dare I say) a company like BOC. They know what works and what to do with the camera and the lighting.

Lemme gush about lighting for a second, the blue light on Qin in episode 6. Holy shit. I know that scene was supposed to be hot, but that light on him. Oh, it framed him beautifully. The NC scenes in episodes 9 and 12 are also filmed so beautifully. I know the actors have to do their job to sell these scenes to the audience, but the people on the lights and cameras have to be recognized for how well they highlight the actors and their actions in said scenes

3. The chemistry - What I keep thinking is, 'if these characters can give us this much chemistry in a fluffy, college show, what do you think they can do with a more mature, perhaps even darker show?' I think I would spontaneously combust.
PS. I know most people loved their 1st kiss in episode 4. I didn't like it. It wasn't reciprocal enough for me. But the kisses in episodes 9 and 12... That's where it's at. That's where they actually and equally shine

4. The communication - They are surprisingly mature in how they communicate and refuse to let things fester. This show isn't driven by miscommunication, and I love that. And this isn't just with the main characters, even within the wider friend groups. They argue, yes, but take the time to talk things over and fix them.

🚨What I Didn't Like/Could've Been Better🚨

1. It can be overly comedic - This is an ongoing issue for me. Oftentimes, Thai BLs do this kind of humor that doesn't quite land for me. It's over the top, a bit forced, and just so confusing. I remember being thoroughly annoyed by the comedy that I had to note down my feelings after episode 4. Good thing they toned it down as the show proceeded. Or maybe I tuned it out...? IDK. But I think it's the former.

2. Duang's characterization - He is very childish, especially in the 1st half. I think it's meant to be cute, but it comes off as immature, taking you out of the headspace where you're supposed to view him as a potential love interest. And for the love of Christ, why did he have to act like an actual dog for most, if not all, of the 1st half of this?

I think the makers of this show wanted to portray him as this sunshine golden retriever, which, cool, no problem. But why make him mimic an actual dog? Why was he panting on my screen? You can 100% do a golden retriever character without the dog traits. It's been done before. I'm still unsure why they insisted on it.

3. The 2nd couple - With how the streets were excited about the introduction of Marvis, I thought the 2nd couple would have a bigger role to play in the overall story. Only, no, that wasn't to be the case. So much could have been done with a story about 2 playboys falling for each other, but they just let that drown. Then, they only let the combined friend group meet Marvis for 2.5 seconds in the finale. Tsk, tsk.

4. The performances - I mean all the singing and dancing. So during the course of watching this drama, I learnt that the 2 main characters are part of a Tpop band under Domondi. Which could explain why I had to spend about 20+ minutes or so (divided btwn 2 episodes) watching them perform full songs and dance routines.
However, I shouldn't have had to sit through all that. Christina Aguilera and Cher singing and dancing in the 2010 movie 'Burlesque' makes sense coz that is a musical film. Duang with You isn't a musical, so none of that extended singing and dancing made sense to me

5. The situation with Qin's parents - It should've been handled better. The resolution was too quick and too shallow, especially after that long flashback to Qin's childhood. The child actor and the woman who played the nanny should be commended for their acting, though. I was simultaneously heartbroken and pissed off to the high heavens

Would I rewatch this? Absolutely not. I cannot handle a 2nd round of Duang

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Dark, Messy, Watchable

I went into Girl from Nowhere without having seen the original, so I’m judging it purely on its own—and overall, it lands somewhere in the middle. It’s not bad, but it’s not particularly good either.

The show doesn’t feel like it has a firm sense of direction beyond its central idea: exposing social issues and the darker sides of human nature. That part is clear, and to its credit, each episode does carry a weighty theme. Some of those messages are thought-provoking, and I did find myself engaged by the moral questions it raises.

Nanno, the female lead, is the most interesting element. She starts off almost like a devil figure—avenging victims by punishing those who wrong them. As the series progresses, she shifts into more of a catalyst, someone who tempts and nudges people until they reveal their worst selves. It’s an intriguing evolution in concept, but the show doesn’t always execute it cleanly, which makes her role feel inconsistent at times.

Where the drama struggles most is in execution. The storytelling can feel messy and uneven, with episodes that don’t always fully land despite strong ideas. The acting is decent across the board, though the roles themselves don’t demand much range, so it’s hard to fully assess the cast. Becky as Nanno is ok, nothing impressive but I don't have much to criticize either. There’s potential there, but it feels like she and the others are still building experience.

One aspect that didn’t quite work for me was the character Sky. He starts off as a victim and then reappears sporadically without much clear purpose, only to have a more impactful role in the final episode. He leaves me confused because the buildup about him is too scattered.

At just six episodes, it’s an easy watch and works well as a filler series. If you’re interested in darker, morality-driven stories, it might appeal to you. Just don’t expect a tightly written or fully polished experience.

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I LOVEEEEE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DRAMA SO MUCH ?❤️

Completed 29/29 ; my personal rating (100/10)

no regrets watching it while it was ongoing! It’s so goooooooddd!!! There’s a plot twist in almost every episode, which keeps it exciting, fast-paced, and never boring. It’s a total emotional rollercoaster, and you honestly won’t be able to guess the plot unless you watch it all the way to the end.
The plot can be confusing at first, and you really have to think it through, but just keep watching and it’ll start to make sense. Stressful, but in the best way possible and seriously addictive!

I was bawling my eyes out from episode 22 all the way to 29 😭 The cinematography, CGI, OSTs, chemistry and visuals were all so good too. The CGI was beautifully done, the OST hits so hard, and the visuals are just stunning!!

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WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT LOVE!

At first blush, looking at the title, I almost passed, thinking it was just another cooking themed story. I couldn't have been more worng and I'm glad I didn't pass this gem up. Such a heatwarming drama. Warms a cold heart. Emotionall touching, wonderfully filmed and acted and just an all around must view if you're into character evolution and metamorphosis. One of the best, warmest, and spiritully lifting "works of fiction" I have seen. Just what the doctor ordered! The musical score was perfect. The cinematography was exceptional, and both the main actors and support cast was very welcome in my heart. This one will stay with me for a while and I know I'll rewatch many times.

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BITTERSWEET HAPPY ENDING!!!!

This is one of those Chinese dramas that leans heavily into atmosphere, mystery, and emotional tension rather than fast-paced action. If you like slow-burn storytelling with layered characters, it delivers—but it won’t work for everyone.

😍What works well:
☑️Atmosphere & Cinematography
The biggest strength is its visual style. The cinematography is moody and polished, with a lot of attention to lighting and symbolism. Scenes often feel almost cinematic rather than typical TV drama, which helps build a constant sense of unease.
☑️Layered Storytelling
The story unfolds gradually, revealing secrets piece by piece. It mixes elements of suspense, psychological drama, and a bit of romance. The plot isn’t always straightforward, but that’s intentional—it wants you to question what’s real and what isn’t.
☑️Strong Character Focus
Characters aren’t one-dimensional. The leads—and even some side characters—have complex motivations and emotional depth. Their relationships evolve in subtle ways rather than through dramatic, obvious twists.
☑️Subtle Acting Performances
The acting leans toward understatement rather than exaggeration Small expressions, pauses, and tone shifts carry a lot of emotional weight, which fits the show’s psychological tone.
☑️Thematic Depth
It explores themes like identity, trust, betrayal, and perception of reality. These aren’t just background ideas—they’re woven into the plot and character arcs in a meaningful way.
☑️Sound Design & Music
The soundtrack is used sparingly but effectively. When music does come in, it amplifies tension or emotion instead of overwhelming the scene.
If you’re into dramas that prioritize mood and character psychology over constant action, these strengths really stand out.

Now let’s move on to the performances of the full cast--- The cast of *Veil of Shadow* delivers performances that are quietly compelling rather than overtly dramatic, which fits the show’s psychological tone. Instead of relying on big emotional outbursts, the actors communicate tension and inner conflict through subtle expressions, controlled dialogue, and body language. The leads in particular manage to convey layered emotions—uncertainty, suspicion, vulnerability—often within the same scene, making their characters feel complex and believable. Supporting actors also hold their own, adding nuance to the story without overshadowing the central narrative. Overall, the performances elevate the drama by grounding its more abstract themes in authentic, human emotion. I originally started this for Ju Jingyi—I really enjoyed her performances in *Love Under the Full Moon* and *Rebirth for You*, but after that, her other dramas just didn’t hold my attention. It always felt like something was missing. This drama confirmed it for me: what she needed was a strong script and a capable director. Seeing her here has made me a big fan all over again. I’d genuinely love to see her paired with Tian Jia Rui in a historical drama—they have great chemistry together.

❎What bothered me most was that, even though both couples got a happy ending, Li Jie’s situation felt unresolved. He lost his brother(JL) again and also ended up forgetting who he was. I also didn’t like how the story separated the Jiejie-Meimei duo—Lu Wu Yi and Wu Wang Yan and Gege-Didi duo --- Ji Ling and Li Jie. In the end, all four of them don’t even remember each other anymore, which felt really painful. The only thing left is that Li Jie still seems to feel like someone is calling out to him, which makes the ending even more bittersweet.

🗣️Verdict:A visually striking, slow-burn drama with strong performances, but uneven pacing. Worth watching if you’re patient and enjoy unraveling mysteries.

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Hated every second of watching it - would highly recommend.

And this is how you present a dark romance in a realistic manner. Perfect timing with the growing popularity of the “alpha male losers” type of behavior in society. Destigmatizing being manipulated and hurt like that no matter what someone’s gender/background or social status is was a good move on the writers and production.

I don’t think I have ever seen a better presentation of this type of psychological abuse. The way it was not exaggerated, and yet so horrifying without crossing into the telenovela idiocy territory. It was real, awful and frustrating to watch. Here I was watching every episode, knowing it would make me feel extremely angry and frustrated, feeling the cortisol's level rising with every passing minute... being abused and taken hostage by this drama... oh, look at me, compared to the female lead, I actually became a victim of my own making.

Here’s the thing though - Yan Ling was a victim, more than once. With the guilt placed on her for her father’s passing, being groomed by the family friend who was like an uncle and father figure for her, to then accidentally getting pregnant and becoming a single mother. To end with the king of the pathetic losers Luo Liang in her life. This woman could not catch a break. More than once I caught myself feeling more negative feelings towards her than Luo Liang, which only added to the already existing uneasiness I was feeling. I knew and understood that all that is happening is not her fault and he shouldn't be blamed, and yet emotionally I felt the growing frustration with how she kept blaming herself, overexplaning every action, becoming so submissive.

At the same time it was fascinating (for the lack of better word) to watch how slowly, but steadily Luo Liang dismantled her personality, confidence and life. Starting with just kindness and evoking some curiosity, to making himself a safe space, someone who would always be on her side, defend her no matter what, tell her exactly what she needs to hear. And when she was emotionally attached, slowly getting her distance herself from other people, making her doubt her every action, turning his own faults into her mistakes. And when there was no one around her, and she saw him as the only constant and familiar element in her life, that’s when he started to go back on his words, saying how she should be blamed for everything bad that happened in her life, making her feel like she is not worth of anything. Making her believe that even though it’s not easy to be with him, there is no one else, and there will never be anyone else who accept her with all her flaws. Truly tragic.

On the other side, hilarious how Luo Liang kept calling Yan Ling out on her “victim mentality” when he was the biggest pathetic constant victim of them all. I think that’s what made the show so realistic. He was not this smart, hot, competent and confident toxic gege - he was a loser. Notice how in these “teaching” scenes they always claim you will learn how to get and control any woman you want, and yet the first thing they actually teach you is how to pick the vulnerable target. Why? Because deep down they know they are just small boys with no confidence and maturity. They know they cannot get any woman, that’s why they spend so much time learning how to pick ones that are easier to manipulate. All the baby boy needed was a fucking therapy, but nah - rather be led by his trauma and bad experiences, have low self esteem for the rest of his life and target people who are vulnerable since he cannot "handle" anyone else.

And the worst thing is, you cannot win against people like that. The only way to “win” is to cut them off from your life completely. You CANNOT reason with them, you cannot make them understand your point of you. They know, they understand and they act against it to make you be in the defense position, always justifying yourself so you do not have time to question their actions. They will never respect you or view you as equal, there is no kind way to move away from a relationship like that. You cut them off without an explanation, you never look back, you do not care what they think about you.

On the bright side, big props for making sure this drama does not become too preachy “women good, men bad”. We had male victims and female perpetrators. We had psycho dudes ruining lives for fun and to feel better about themselves, and courageous and hard working men trying to stop them. Shout out to Lu Yi Feng and Paw Patrol.

Lu Yi Feng was for sure not flawless. I am still annoyed how the one night stand even happened and how it should not happen. Yan Ling was drunk, and thought he was someone else. He was not drunk. No way he would actually physically struggle with trying to control her and not sleep with her. This is this gray area that makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. I know he is a good man, he does his best to help her any way he can, he risks it all in the present timeline. He is a good father and boyfriend. But that past action will taint him forever in my eyes. And that's great. It's makes his character more interesting, it makes the show less black and white. It does not make it easy for you to decide how you feel about certain characters.

Then we had Li Zhi Heng. No, he is not this amazing badass detective, but he is what we never get in dramas - just a normal good cop who wants to do his job well and help victims get justice. Honestly amazing. Similarly, in any other drama Wang Hao Ying would be this semi-annoying girlboss who knows it all, but here she was not. She knew how to value people around her, how to work as a team. She didn’t need to be in a spotlight all the time.

As for the performances, they are ridiculously good. Not gonna lie, I did start the show for Wu Kang Ren. Was I expecting this type of role here? No. Was I disappointed? Hell nah. On one hand I totally see how he could charm all these women, on the other hand it was clear how pathetic he actually was. To deliver these contradictions was perfect. To make me feel disgusted despite his hotness? Deserves applause. We all love our hot toxic oppas/geges and we often go crazy for even serial killers in them dramas, so to give a performance so realistic and repulsive the good looks stop working? Give him an oscar.

Susan Sun was probably the one that made me feel the biggest range of emotions. Yes, mostly frustration, but at the end, when she finally saw and understood the truth and confronted Luo Liang I was full of excitement and happiness. And again - the gradual progression from hiding her pain, to having her pain being used and exploited, to accepting her pain and becoming stronger because of it - all well paced and delivered perfectly.

I think overall, the drama plays well on expectations versus reality. Luo Liang looks like a confident man, but is in fact a pathetic loser. Yan Ling looks like a confident and competent woman, but is in fact someone with many scars and vulnerabilities. Both Li Zhi Heng and Lu Yi Feng look like puppies and cinnamon rolls that need to be protected, when in fact they are really driven and brave. Wang Hao Ying looks a little bit like a snob that cannot be wrong, but is in fact a real team player and knows her limits. That’s something that can only be achieved with amazing acting and solid directing.

For the directing - masterclass. One of the examples of how they just knew how to convey the changing dynamics without literally spelling them out with dialogues: during one scene Luo Liang placed his hand on Yan Ling’s cheek, but she herself moved it to her neck... which is a far more vulnerable place and shows how submissive she became. Or how so many times she physically lowers herself in his presence - sitting somewhere lower than he is, kneeling in front of him.

What’s most important - none of that came out of ass. From the start it was clear she is not as confident and sure of herself as she presents, and he is not as kind and sane as he fakes to be. Certain reactions, behaviors, words spoken slowly build the full picture of how they are both pretending to be something they are not. So when their dynamic solidified, it did not feel weird, it was not a jarring difference from how they were at first. We just stripped the layers of lies.

Putting aside the structure of the story and its visual presentation, this drama is just pretty. Sure they overused some scenery transition scenes, but I rather they do that and use the money to make the scenes that actually matter look good, and not waste money on filming more shots of the city that bring nothing to the story.

Soundtrack wise, I don’t remember any song. That tells you nothing about their quality since usually I do not pay that much attention to OST as long as it’s not awful.

Overall, I hated the experience, and would highly recommend it to everyone. I was also surprised by how well they balance the ending. We've got the positive ending on the micro scale - the characters we grew to know got their justice, the villains got punished. But on macro scale we kept the realism - Luo Liang being punished does not mean much, because there will always be men like that, ready to take his place.

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New Customs in the Old Village

This is the first time I've watched a short drama under 30 minutes. I finished it. I enjoyed it very much. It's well-made. You can watch it without getting bored at all. Especially Pan Yi Hong, who single-handedly carried the series, gave a successful performance from beginning to end. I liked it very much. As for the plot, we can say it's the success story of a lower-class man who combines his talent with his work ethic. He does things that even make the princess fall in love with him. He makes the king submit to his wishes. It's structured in this way, and I think it's a successful narrative. However, it's not like there were any flaws. There were, but they were the kind that are forgiven and don't affect the whole series, so they're not dwelled upon. This suits the series. Because it's not an ambitious series. It's a mini-series. The flaws are either not noticeable or not given that much importance in the plot. Apart from that, I also found Zhu Rong Jun to be successful. Fan Meng was very, very good. She suited her role very well. She also acted beautifully. Mou Hai Yan ki Sun played the mother. I want to express that I liked her portrayal of a pure old woman very well. The masterful artist has captured that innocence, greed, condescension, oppression, and reckless courage perfectly. Congratulations. I recommend it to those who haven't seen it. It's a good, entertaining series.

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