Reviews

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!" *

The Hill of Secrets was another tender coming of age story by a female director. This time Lee Ji Eun took us back to 1996 as Lee Myeong Eun struggled to understand what family meant and how to traverse class distinctions. Her chosen route of lying led her down a path that became filled with quicksand.

With the new school year starting, everyone in Eun’s class is required to divulge what their parents do for a living . Eun is too embarrassed to say that her parents run a salted fish stall. She thinks up a lie on the spot and declares that her father is a salaryman and her mother is a housewife. Looking for more validation, she ingratiates herself to her teacher and runs for class president which she wins. Her mother tells her to quit as she has neither the time nor money to help her. Eun doggedly keeps the position, creating a secret box where students can write their concerns or suggestions. As the school year progresses, keeping her secret, becomes more daunting. Especially, when a new student, Hye Jin arrives and creates competition for her.

Being twelve-years old as puberty hits is difficult enough. Most kids are embarrassed by their parents but in a class sensitive society, being the child of salted fish dealers took confidence to accept. Something Eun did not possess. Eun’s journey of self-discovery began as she entered several writing contests and had success. She researched her topics rigorously, still navigating the lies she had told. In order to maintain the façade of the “acceptable” middle class family she yearned for, Eun had to go to extreme lengths with the stress building minute by minute. Eun was not alone in the fibbing department. “Everybody lies,” the saying goes. Eun’s uncle lied when he donned a suit to pick her up from school. Her teacher and principal also lied. There were times lies protected others but more often the lies were self-serving.

Writing brought Eun more popularity and more problems. When Hye Jin bested her, she became jealous, lashing out in passive-aggressive ways. Hye Jin’s mother ran a brothel which she didn’t even attempt to hide. Hye Jin and her “sister” did almost no research for their essays, only writing their truth which the judges appreciated. Through Eun's writing and developing friendship with her rival, she began to recognize the costly lies around her and within her. Some of her classroom behaviors driven by jealousy were deceptive and unkind. Her mother’s drive to earn money held secrets Eun had not been privy to. When Eun finally wrote her truth, she discovered it was based on hidden lies, leaving her in a lurch with her family. Regardless of how she felt about them, she wasn’t prepared to unleash public pain and humiliation on them.

While Eun's mother was not the cuddly type, she worked hard to provide for her family and extended family. Her motto to “Take nothing, give nothing,” was born out of too many wounds and losses. One of the saddest moments for me was when the mom was working in her vision journal, posting pictures of the dream house she greatly desired and would likely never afford due to all the hands outstretched to her. As much as I wanted her to hug Eun and praise her successes and hard work, she likely could not give something she’d never been given.

Overall, this slow film was entertaining. My biggest criticism is that it was too long. Grade school coming of age films like kung fu films, should not run longer than 90 minutes. The Hill of Secrets rested firmly on Moon Seung A’s slender shoulders and for the most part she carried the film well. There are times when lies are gentler than the truth. And there are times when a person has to accept who they are and where they are from and own those things. Lee Myeong Eun was not perfect, she was a pre-teen desperately looking for acceptance and belonging with no roadmap of how to achieve either. She lied, she was overly competitive, and increasingly arrogant. Yet she was also sensitive, intelligent, creative, and hard-working. Eun wanted what most people want--to be loved and appreciated. Watching her grow and evolve and gain confidence in who she was, was rewarding.

31 July 2026

* Quote Note: Sir Walter Scott ("Marmion")

School Note: Why would the teachers have the students talk about their parents’ jobs? It was a sure way to set up a pecking order, especially when according to Kdramas and Kfilms, schools are rife with bullying. I was delighted to find that there was no overt bullying in this drama. There was some typical grade school gossiping, but nothing awful. Hye Jin may have had a pessimistic world view, yet by being honest about her life, the students came to accept her which was refreshing. Eun’s jealous overreactions were the closest thing to villainous behavior.

Director Note: I would love to see more women directing in SKorea and in a wider variety of subjects. So many times they are relegated to coming-of-age stories. Same type of problem in my country. : /

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Um drama sobre Idas e Vindas, Erros e Acertos.

Um dos dramas mais "estranhos" que já assisti.

ENREDO:

Começa como uma comédia romântica e depois se torna um melodrama.
Divertido no começo e com um sabor agridoce no final. Vale a pena mas não espere ver personagens "perfeitos" que nunca erram.
Existe humanidade nos personagens e essa humanidade é muito baseada em errar e tentar seguir adiante.

ATUAÇÃO:

Nenhum ator está fazendo um trabalho ruim, porém, nenhum se destacou a ponto de ser digno de nota.

MÚSICA:

Gostei da música tema mas é uma trilha sonora esquecível. pelo menos não prejudica a trama de maneira geral.

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I had a really fun time watching it. I went in completely blind without reading the synopsis, so I had no idea what to expect. I think one of the biggest reasons I enjoyed it as much as I did is because I binged it rather than watch it while it aired. I don’t think the mystery was strong enough to keep me hooked week after week (it was fairly easy to predict where things were headed early on).

One thing the drama deserves its flowers for was the cast. Really good acting across the board. No notes. I’m very impressed and happy to see a consistently strong performance. Besides the main leads, notably, the performance by the actress playing Jahyeon is to be lauded.

The script was decent overall, even if I had some issues with the execution here and there. There was decent dialogue and banter between the main leads as well. The drama’s biggest drawback is that it was overly ambitious without having enough time to fully explore and flesh out both the plot and the characters. Twenty-minute episodes simply weren’t enough to peel back the layers of the characters’ trauma as well as the complex mystery they were trying to weave. I believe this constraint led to some sloppy scene execution in order to keep the plot moving.

I loved the characterization for the most part sans Lee Chaeha and the severely underdeveloped background about his stint as a police officer. Giving such a background to a character and not having any of the qualities of that profession that come with it translate into present time was a great disservice to the character.
I think the strongest selling point for me was Ju Taeseon. He is snarky, witty, and petty. He opens his mouth and you cannot predicts what’s going to come out of it. And the actor did his part very well too. He entertained me from start to end.

The actors’ chemistry also deserves praise. It felt effortless and charming. I really liked the romance, though I would’ve preferred a little more tension. A bit more push and pull, with a slower build-up at the beginning. Again, I think that’s more a consequence of the limited runtime than any lack of chemistry between the actors.

Overall, I was highly entertained so i’ll bump my original rating by 0.5 and give it an 8.

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Story is dragged and questionable chemistry

The plot initially seemed interesting and had enough potential to keep me invested, but the execution was disappointing. The biggest issue is the lack of chemistry between the main leads. Their interactions often feel forced and awkward rather than natural, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in their relationship. At times, both actors come across as stiff, and their performances fail to bring the characters to life.

One of the lead actresses, in particular, delivers a weak performance. Her expressions and emotional scenes rarely feel convincing, which makes many important moments lose their impact. Instead of enhancing the story, her acting often pulls you out of it.

Another major problem is the repetitive writing. Almost every episode revolves around the same conflicts with the mother-in-law, and after a few episodes, it becomes predictable and exhausting. Rather than developing the characters or introducing fresh storylines, the series keeps recycling the same arguments and misunderstandings.

Overall, the writing feels quite shallow, with underdeveloped characters, repetitive conflicts, and an unacceptable lack of chemistry between the leads. While the premise had promise, the poor execution and uninspiring performances make it difficult to stay engaged.

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Nota 10???????

História que prende início ao fim, a mistura da vida real com o filme que eles estavam atuando te faz parar pra pensar oque é realidade e ficção entre eles. E oque falar da atuação desses meninos tão jovens e promissor 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽, eles se jogam em casa cena com uma química de milhões o beijo lindo, tem ships ai que já atua faz tempo e não entrega a metade do que eles entregaram. Desejo que venha muitos trabalhos deles juntos😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽.

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TayNew's Unmatched Chemistry and Chaotic Comedy Carry an Okay Script

A Dog and a Plane relies heavily on the timeless charm of Tay and New, delivering electric chemistry and endless comedy even when the overarching plot feels a bit disjointed. Tay Tawan and New Thitipoom’s off-the-charts dynamic shines through the classic "opposites attract" trope, flawlessly balancing Khanit’s pristine, put-together demeanor with Toto’s delightfully cringey, loud, and quirky energy. The series starts on a high note with an engaging setup centered around Khanit’s cheating ex-boyfriend, the secret debt, and the fun revelation that Toto had been harboring feelings for Khanit all along while acting as his spy. The acting and romantic payoff throughout these early stages are top-tier, making for an immensely enjoyable watch. However, the narrative loses steam when it transitions into the second half. Khanit’s deep, intense love for his ex was portrayed so heavily in the beginning that his sudden shift toward dating Toto felt a bit too fast and unearned. Furthermore, once the initial drama settled, the sudden turn into a standard "pleasing the strict parents who look down on Toto's job" plotline felt like a strange shift in pacing. While the storyline could have definitely been tighter and more cohesive, the sheer charisma of TayNew, paired with fantastic romance scenes and great comedic beats, makes it a fun ride overall.

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a story about losing yourself for people who won’t choose you.

oh my!!!!!! this drama is absolutely one of my top 3 bl dramas of all time. i have so much to say about it, so let’s start this review because i already know it won’t be short!

'love in the big city' is not a perfect love story. it's messy, bittersweet, and sometimes uncomfortable, but that's exactly why it feels so close to real life.

what i loved the most about Go-young is how painfully human he is. he is not a perfect character, and that's exactly why he feels so real. he makes mistakes, he holds on to people who are NOT always good for him, and sometimes he loses pieces of himself while trying to find love and acceptance. but instead of judging him, i actually found myself understanding him so much, and now he's definitely my comfort character.

his relationship with his last boyfriend (Sim Gyu-ho) especially stayed with me.
it was heartbreaking because it felt SO real.. that feeling of loving someone deeply while slowly realizing that maybe you are the only one still fighting for the relationship :( the pain wasn't just about losing someone, but about realizing how much time and energy you can give to a person who might not even look back at you in the future.

Go-young is someone who wants to be loved, understood, and chosen, but sometimes he searches for those things in people who cannot give them to him. and honestly, i think many people can see a part of themselves in that.

this drama made me think about all the moments when we hold on to someone because we are attached to the version of them we created in our heads... not necessarily who they really are. it's painful, but also incredibly honest.

i finished this drama feeling sad (i cried my eyes out), but also grateful. some stories don't need a perfect "happy" ending to be meaningful. <3

at the end, i want to add:
this drama is incredibly important for young queer people, especially gay men who are struggling with their identity, feeling lost, or trying to find themselves.

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Plot triumps over promotion Acting over Hype

Im lovin Royal Betrothal so far it strays away from the popular trope flooding the C world at the moment. Its refresing to see a Young emperor Ying Gua played by Chen Zhe Yuan trying to burst out the grips of the throne. Not being a puppet of the old seers of the old ways. It nice to see an emperor not just handing out Edicts and reform in the comforts of his throne.
This is my first Wu jin Yan drama and i only hear good things from her acting and drama selection and ao far i am very satisfied. She played Meng Ting Hui an abused orphan trying to defeat oppression she experience early in life by studying and trying to be a good politician.

i am soo inlove with friendships being shown in this drama Meng Ting Hui and Fu zhi friendship is just lovely. Same goes with Yingua and Zhi zu.

This series just air dropped all of a sudden even actors in it were caught off guard . Absolutely no promotion which is just sad given the effort made by the people involve. Its just a relief that with the actors skills Yingua and Meng ting hui was given life beautifully.

Given the brouhaha this drama had in the onset of filming im just glad the drama is doing well.

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Deep In "Deep In"

Note: This is a review, but also not because I really can't seem to put into words the qualities that made this drama so great when I have praised it at length week after week. I could try, but it would almost feel insincere to go on about the cinematography, soundtrack, dialogue, set design, and quality of acting when it is the overall feeling of this drama that sticks with me the most. And so all I can and really want to do is try to describe that feeling to you.

I can hardly recall the last time I stayed to watch the credits roll for a film.

When even with the now harsh lights of the theatre pulling me out of the trance I was stuck in and beckoning me toward the door—the real, outside world—like a spotlight—I waited with bated breath, hands clasped together in almost a prayer, as the names of those who created the work I was so enchanted by passed by, my eyes full of tears yet shining, smiling, heart pounding, my feet firmly planted to the floor, wondering when—if ever—I will feel so enraptured, so touched. Hoping for something, anything, at the end, yet expecting and gladly accepting nothing should it be so.

I stayed for this drama.

Deep In is unlike anything I will likely ever see. And that is a wonder yet also heartbreaking.

To be so pulled into the fiction, the fiction within the fiction, that I become as caught up as the actors did in their characters and the characters with their actors.

I only wish I had really seen it on the big screen. If only so I might turn to my right and maybe, just maybe, see someone else in the same state as me.

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