Reviews

Acting battle between Sul Kyung-gu and Kim Hee-ae

"The Whirlwind" is a gripping political thriller that masterfully intertwines complex characters and relentless plot twists. It follows the intense power struggle between Prime Minister Park Dong-ho and Deputy Prime Minister Jeong Su-jin, each maneuvering through corruption, manipulation, and vendettas.

The series excels in character development, portraying grey figures whose motivations blur the lines between good and evil. The pacing keeps viewers on edge, with each episode delivering new surprises and strategic battles. The show's strength lies in its ability to maintain suspense while exploring themes of ambition, morality, and the consequences of power.

With a dramatic and satisfying conclusion, "The Whirlwind" leaves a lasting impression.

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I've been waiting forever for this beautiful story

Finally-- an adaptation of one of the absolute sweetest BL manga I've ever read, and so far it's just perfect.

The story follows Taichi-- a naturally loud and honest guy who often gets himself into fights with his blunt words and tendency to talk with his fists. He quite literally slides into Kouheis world one day, an anti-confrontational loner who is hard of hearing, and seemingly hard to approach. Taichi however has no such difficulty, and they become fond of eachother almost immediately.

The chemistry between them is so well done, though we aren't deep enough into the story to see real romance brewing yet, the bond between them is already strong and the flow of their relationship has such a natural feel. It's impressive to have such deep development in one episode, and I'm completely hooked.

The actors are adorable, they both do an amazing job with their characters, and I can already feel the attraction kindling under the surface.

Production is good too, unlike a lot of manga adaptations, this drama doesn't have corny transition sounds or effects, yet they still stay incredibly cannon to the manga.

Looking forward to new episodes, this review is based on episode one only, but I'm really betting this one will be a gem. I'll update the review as more episodes are released!

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Feeling conflicted

It was very much a wholesome slice of life/coming of age show driven by characters and not plot. It was a bit slow and dragging at times. The way they handled the age gap thing made me uncomfortable for 90% of it. I thought her being in high school went on for way too long and they got too close for my liking. I would have been much more comfortable with their relationship had he simply been her tutor, not paying much attention to her outside of that and her having a very simple one sided crush on him instead of this brother sister relationship they developed. And also if the timeskip was longer than just 2 years and they had pretty much forgotten about each other until they meet again by coincidence and then fall in love. There‘s just not enough of a difference in maturity between 16 and 18. Everything was the same as it was before and adding to that, she was not a very mature 16-18 year old either.
I also don’t like how quickly DJ accepted not only that he is in love with her but also made the choice to pursue her. I was hoping he‘d be more conflicted and ponder it for longer. I was totally with the brother and thought his initial reaction was very much warranted, but was then disappointed to see him pretty much accept it right away after punching DJ a few times.
It‘s unfortunate bc I liked both actors and characters individually, their chemistry was actually very good too and they had some really sweet moments towards the end. But I was on the fence about them throughout the whole drama.
Overall, it was enjoyable but too many major issues to rate it too highly.

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Strong performance from Crystal Liu in a richly nuanced study of love & relationships

The Tale of Rose is a show that grabs you visually, immediately. Crystal Liu is Huang YiMei, & her story starts when she's a 22 year old art graduate in Beijing, catapulting in the art industry to the position of exhibition curator through sheer spunk. A walking work of art herself, she's stunningly beautiful & she knows it. She also knows her beauty makes her a target for others to blame for their own misfortunes, but she refuses to accept that responsibiity. Liu bursts through every scene like a tornado, sweeping up everything around her, and I don't know why but I can't stop staring at the clothes, the hair & makeup, the bouncy non-chalance. But it's an immature soul inside that huge cloud of powder, and tornados are destructive.

The story follows YiMei and her older brother ZhenHua as they both pursue love in whatever form it may present to them. ZhenHua's gentle nature is in stark contrast to YiMei's firey liveliness. In fact, YiMei's initial relationship with a work colleague was such a rollercoaster I wasn't sure I could stomach it for an entire show as I realize I'm only on Ep12 at this point. But those clothes, that hair. I think this is the 1st show where it's not just an actor simply wearing a designer outfit; Liu lives & breathes that fashion, completely embodying a character who wears a ball gown as easily as pyjamas.

Live & learn, as they say, & as time goes on, YiMei decides to go back to school in a much subdued state, leaving her family in Beijing to go to Shanghai where she meets her 2nd love. At this stage she has changed so drastically that the question is can she find true happiness if she is not her true self? And are men really different from one another? Whether they are lone wolves or mama's boys, they all seek to control when they are unable to grow. Empowering oneself without disempowering the other takes a lot of maturing.

And fact check needed: can a husband resign his wife from her workplace without her consent, or her employer even confirming with her since the spouse is basically an unvetted stranger? This can't be legal, even in China, so this is quite a stretch in the story. If YiMei has the guts to sue for a divorce, why wouldn't she also sue for her job? This question is more or less answered at the end when she realizes she'd rather let go than fight to keep things, including love.

Legalities aside, this show becomes a fascinating look at the push & pull, the hanging on & letting go, overcoming & being overwhelmed at any & all stages of relationships, spanning almost 20 years of the lives of YiMei & those around her. Not to mention differing attitudes toward success & family, particularly from money grubbing mothers-in-law. The story even includes a character who becomes a single parent by choice, further commentary on the role of men as partners in modern women's lives. YiMei never loses herself no matter what she goes through and her fearlessness in pursuing the paths she chooses never wanes, especially when she finally meets her true soulmate, another free-spirited artist. She's like an immortal who's banished to the human realm to endure all aspects of human suffering. The 3rd relationship felt underdeveloped & overdrawn within the story as it passes very quickly, & was harder to sympathize with. However, the show draws to an end with YiMei coming to a reconciliation with all the people in her past, while recognizing that she can never be settled with anyone other than herself. This might make her selfish, but at least she's honest & unapologetic about it.

Another detail that was too distracting: if you're caught in a rain storm on a mountain hike & you are wearing an appropriate outdoor jacket that comes standard with a rain hood, why wouldn't you put that hood on? Yes, it's more visually dramatic to to be soaking wet with water running down your face, but if you don't want to die of hypothermia you need to Put. That. Freaking. Hood. On.

Anyway, aside from a few annoying details, I think this is the strongest performance from Crystal Liu I have seen. She doesn't overact the character at 22 years of age, unlike other celebrities (I'm thinking Yang Zi). Tong Da Wei as ZhenHua gives a steady performance & makes his character an anchor against YiMei's tumultuous life. Overall, I found this show very richly nuanced & quite enjoyable.

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Sweetest Chinese costume Romcom

I wasn't expecting much from this drama. However, the first episode already hook me up with the beautiful film set up. I'm now at episode 20 and I must this drama is an all rounder. It doesn't have over the top story line with superhero etc but it is hilarious and the story is interesting. The lead actors are both great in their actings, very natural and you could really feel the sweet love in their eyes for each other, even without them proclaiming their love for each other. I was in for the comedy but surprisingly, the fighting scenes are amazing. It was quick paced without slow motion which reminds me of Hong Kong drama's fighting scenes in the past. The whole drama gives a nostalgic and calming feeling. Every characters are believeable, the settings are believeable, the passerby on the street are believeable, like they really live in that universe. I'm glad I foubd this gem. This is one drama which I would safe keep and watch over and over again whenever I feel down. Kudos to the whole team.

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another season of His Man, let's goooo (reality m/m dating series)

Overall: this feels very similar to the first 2 seasons. MDL says 6 episodes but last season was 14 and we're only on episode 4 so I definitely think it's more than 6. Here is my review of season 2 https://mydramalist.com/743089-his-man-season-2/reviews

Reality Dating Series Note: When watching "reality" series, I always keep in mind that producers might tell the guys what to do/say and that editing can be extremely misleading (not showing things, change the order, etc). My goals are that the guys have some fun (maybe make a friend) and being on the show helps (or at least doesn't hurt them) in their personal and professional lives.

What I Liked
- I like how they started with a date and the twist gave a bit more drama
- the 30 second phone call thing was good (I personally think it's best if the guys say who they are and call someone they are romantically interested in to avoid mixed signals/increase the odds of a mutual match)
- production value such as nice music, set design, editing, etc

Room For Improvement
- too many phone calls, would like to see some larger group games/intro games
- I was going to say it was a good decision to not let them say their age or occupation right away because I think people get fixated on those things when in reality personality, values and goals are much more important compatibility-wise; however, some of the guys seemed extremely fixated on this and I think some guys are going to get hurt after their ages are known so maybe it would be best if ages were known from the beginning or to have all the contestants be within 5 years of each other
- I don't like that the producers did something (they must ask the dating histories of the guys, I can't think this was accidental), felt like the producers just wanted to create drama
- needed nametags or nametag necklaces at least for the first few episodes to get familiar with all of their names


Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. Sparks Camp (Philippines) on YouTube, currently on season 2. Anyone can date anyone. Great diversity with the guys. 
2. Boys Like Boys (Taiwan) on GagaOOLala, had a very similar aesthetic/vibe to His Man
3. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
4. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.

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The narration, the acting, the plot, everything is very enjoyable and worth watching.

Fast paced exciting and honest series. Definite watch !!

What I liked about this series is that it is using cliche topic in a new , honest and fresh manner. I just loved this concept.

Plot is nice. Both leads are good.

And what I like about the ML's character is that is has showcased in new light. For example typical South Korean series has a rich and cold male lead but he is different he is not that cold. He feels relatable.

About FL's character - I love that she is honest, she is completely aware of what she wants and doesn't feel guilt about her goal. Whatever the goal is.

Yeah, these are all the reasons why I am loving this Rom com.

Just go for it already.

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First Impression: Sparks Camp season 2 (reality m/m dating series)

Overall: I liked episode 1 better this season than last year so hopefully they improved things even more. 10 episodes 45 minutes each. Airing on Black Sheep YouTube channel. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL87uyU6xM7Lft-Lpwbv5G3ZQJZDvxC9_p&si=gVVHvglgds-tTvix Here is my review of season 1 https://mydramalist.com/profile/blcompilations/review/278749

Reality Series Note: with any "reality" series I keep in mind that what the audience sees doesn't necessarily reflect what actually happened. There can be guidelines the audience doesn't know about, parts are edited out or ordered in different ways to show a certain narrative. I read in the YouTube comments of season 1 that the director said it wasn't scripted, but I always take that with a grain of salt. My goal for reality dating series is for people to have a good time and maybe make a new friend. Any actual pairings at the end of the show are icing on the cake.

What I Liked
- really good diversity with the cast, it wasn't all actors/models/influencers
- that the guys have name tags on which is helpful to remember who is who
- the initial game of guessing who the items belonged to was much better than the oil game from season 1, they made items easy enough they were guaranteed to get a few correct but not super easy so there was a bit of a challenge
- the deepest darkest secret game was fine, I'm assuming the guys knew it would be recorded/aired publicly
- Mother Mela is a fantastic emcee

Room For Improvement
- I really hope the show doesn't continually show publicly if they get any stars, it's really sad for those who don't get some, I like it when the production crew sees if there are mutual matches and then sends those people on 1 on 1 dates
- the platinum gay thing was cringey

Comparison to other m/m dating shows
1. His Man (South Korea) on iQIYI, currently on season 3. Anyone can date anyone. Beautiful production and conventionally attractive guys.
2. Boys Like Boys (Taiwan) on GagaOOLala, had a very similar aesthetic/vibe to His Man
3. Love House seasons 1 & 2 (Vietnam) on YouTube (most have English subs, this is ep 1 of season 2 no subs though https://youtu.be/TKzT_nHfVTA ). I liked this set up more than Bromance because the guys could all pursue one another. I didn't like the "secret couple" aspect and dividing them up based on sexual position seemed odd (can't they discuss that in private???) Season 1 was also the most brutal "rose ceremony" I've ever seen in any dating reality show. Season 2 was better.
4. Bromance (Thailand) is also on Gagaoolala. This is the typical Bachelor/Bachelorette set up with a bunch of people competing against one another to be with the 1 bachelor. I didn't like this because they could have all been hitting on each other and we have multiple couples! I got kind of bored and skipped a bunch.

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More Than a Romance

Netflix gives the genre as “romance” and it does center around one, but it’s about a lot more than that. It’s about how the pressures of life mess people up. It’s about family and found family and the terrible (and good) things they do to each other. It’s about the helplessness of feeling like one can’t change the past or the future.

Some of the most moving moments in the show don’t even involve the main couple - though I did find them charming, especially Jang Ki Yong who seems to be a very versatile actor.

I also liked that it was something different. They had superpowers that had stopped working, and even back when they did work they were never superheroes. The FL was not insipid and sweet but a schemer.

It’s not a flawless show, and I was especially unimpressed by the use of the “self hating fat girl” stereotype. However even that is mitigated somewhat by the end.

This is one of my favorite shows of 2024 and I strongly recommend it.

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It was consistent

I placed spoilers at the end of this review.

Overall, this was not a bad continuation of the main series. Unfortunately, it did mirror some of the positive and negative aspects with it. The script quality was not consistent, but successfully connected the storylines and characters from the main series.

The positive: Once again, they did a great job with the supernatural and suspense thriller elements. All of the actors were incredible, especially the child actor. They all did a great job with their characters. The cinematography was stunning and had incredible special effects.

The negative: Although it was toned down a lot, the comedy element was still off. There were also some odd background music choices and annoying sound effects that didn’t fit the mood of certain scenes.

The in-between: The romance element between the main couple was still a hit or miss for me.

Random Note:

Don’t stop watching after the ending credits because there is a bonus scene after it.

I liked how they incorporated the last bonus scene into this special episode.




*****Spoiler Alert******

The ending was a lot better. There is defiantly a hint another series is in the works set in the same universe.

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Between TeamWin & DeanPharm

Listen, it goes without saying that the storyline of DeanPharm had so much appeal that could have been further tapped into during this series. Dean was such an alluring character. Very attractive. Reserved, intelligent, respected on campus. Pharm was an absolute sweetheart. I would've enjoyed exploring the story of these two.

That said, TeamWin was also quite interesting. I enjoyed their characters separately, however something about them just didn't mesh well together on the screen for me. When writing these interviews, I try to keep in mind that just because something does not mesh for me, does not mean that's truly how it was. It's my opinion and I try not to judge a series/movie based on a clear opinion. Others may have found the chemistry between TeamWin quite powerful. Towards the end I enjoyed the very emotional scenes with Team & his past. It was quite emotional and brought tears to my eyes. Very well executed.

Also, I wanted to mention PrinceBee. They had a very cute relationship. I cannot express how attractive Bumblebee is and his smile is beyond adorable. Another relationship that had legs and could've been explored more.

Taking everything into account, this was a great series (in my opinion) acting, plot, value, execution, on topic, emotional response...ect ect. It's worth a watch for every BL fan.

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