Reviews

the audacity of this man is beyond me

that pedo dared to appear on any screen again (I usually never do this but his audacity is just frustrating)
never forget Kim Sae-ron🕊️❤️
……………………………………,……………………………………………………………………………
And his acting irritates me
………………………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….




.

Leer más

Turn your brain off and enjoy a cliche but sometimes creative rom-com

This show is great in a lot ways with the first and foremost being that once the main leads get together they don’t have a dramatic misunderstanding and breakup. It was also pretty relatable overall for two college students navigating love and their first romantic relationship. It was super cute watching Gu Wei Yi search up how to woo a girl and later researching sex so that it’s better than their fail of a first time - which again, super cute and relatable. I have watched shows with Lin Yi before and he grows on me more and more each show. His acting is kind of like Miles Wei where you don’t really consider the skill of his acting at first because the roles are lowkey and the “same” ML vibe. But when I think about it, I do enjoy his acting a lot. Xing Fei also did a great job playing the chaotic cute Si Tu Mo. I appreciated that Momo was not just this 1D character. She was made to be silly, not so serious with friends, but when she was at work even at a job she didn’t like, she was smart and thrived. I liked that Tu Jie Er didn’t end up being some kind of romance rival even though they were in the past. I appreciated their work friendship. As for Xie Yu Yin [Gu Wei Yi's senior], I’m not sure if it was the script or the acting, I just didn’t get her character. I did like that her crush was relatively harmless overall, but it just felt a bit stilted in terms of her clearly pining for a taken man. It made sense for before the relationship happened, but it was so weird to watch her be in his space as a taken man. I will say, it gets a pass more for how well they wrote Gu Wei Yi brushing her off. As I think on it, I guess she was there to play a jealousy card for Momo since Momo had a "situationship" with Fu Pei for so long. Anyways, all of that was better executed than the very unnecessary character Anna in Germany lmao. The show would have been stronger without using a red herring misunderstanding breakup.

The main drawback of this show was Fu Pei & Wang Shan. Wang Shan as a character I actually really liked. And even Fu Pei, I hated him, but by the end of the show, I didn’t mind him. However, the romance between the two felt absolutely failing. I usually feel it might be a subtitle translation issue, but I don’t think that is the case here. I think Fu Pei was truly too fickle of a character. He was literally yearning for Momo for so long but then suddenly is in love with Wang Shan? And we are supposed to just believe it because he said it? I don’t feel like he showed his romance at all. I think they thought him studying with her all the time instead of playing basketball was supposed to show his devotion, but it really didn’t. Plus, in the end, what exactly is his start up? And I just didn’t like his script. It really felt like he just likes how useful Wang Shan is in his life rather than romantic love.

Leer más

I'd rather watch this than LR? ?‍♀️

I don't think this show was for me. I feel that this type of story is also a little dated? Which is highly ironic when you consider that they are trying to make a “modern” historical costume drama.

This show just feels so tone deaf in today's climate, an ultra wealthy CEO marrying the Regent of the monarchy she occupies???

There is so much product placement everywhere, and they don't even attempt to work it in naturally. It's been like 10 years since I've seen product placement this hamfisted. All that money and the show is still a little disappointing.

I feel that if they could have held off on the wealth flaunting for a couple of scenes then more could have been done to develop the things I had the most issues with.

The FL's relationship with her father and brother.

She's an illegitimate child who “caused” the death of her fathers legal wife. He neglects and resents her for most of the show and that is what pushes our FL to see herself as always in competition with people who think she is inferior due to the circumstances of her birth.

This backstory is what fuels almost all of her actions… but it's REALLY underdeveloped. There's like one scene where her dad is all like “you were such a greedy child and I was terrified of you!” but then we see the same interactions from her pov and it's all sad cuz her daddy doesn't love her or give her attention…

That's kind of it.

I get that we've only got 12 episodes to work with but I feel that fat could have been trimmed in so many areas. When the FL and ML go to meet her father now he's being all gruff but caring out of nowhere. His change in demeanor only came about because the FL is getting married. She calls him out on it and then never really questions the change in behavior. It just seemed off to me.

The villains are dumb as hell.
I think that this show had some of the worst villains I've seen in a while. None of their plans really work and they try to assassinate people the same way multiple times. They know that the ML has something on them and has ALWAYS had it, but instead of wondering why he didn't use his advantage they just keep trying to kill him over and over in the most obviousand tracable ways. Do they just hope and pray that no one will investigate the DEATH OF THE REGENT OF THE NATION???? The ML's SIL/2nd FL pissed me off so bad, what a great actress.

The Wardrobe.
I don't usually comment on the outfit in contemporary dramas, but I think it was just such a missed opportunity to be more creative with blending traditional Korean garb with more modern influences. Going into the drama I thought I'd be getting something like Vixx's stage outfits during the Shangri La era. Most older characters/ staff are just wearing regular hanbok, and our ML occasionally wears a shirt with a flowing belt made with the most uncomfortable looking fabric, he had a fan in that one scene tho. That was cool.

The 2nd ML. omfggghh
Another victim of the lack of runtime. Dude has like two flashbacks of him helping the FL and we're supposed to assume they are like bosom buddies. He's at least known her since high school… All of the leads in this show are played by GROWN ass people in their 30's. If you assume the Characters are of a similar age, then the man had spent the last DECADE beating around the bush with a woman who has NEVER expressed any romantic interest in him. YET, he is willing to KILL people later just so he can have her. Mind you he proposes earlier in the story and the FL rejects him IMMEDIATELY! It's insane, he's so obviously sinister and dumb right up until the very end. Grown man acting like a jealous teenager with no impulse control.

I feel like someone somewhere wanted to make a point about class stratification… but they didn't understand that would be extremely difficult when our FL is a billionaire with enough money to fund the crown herself. So they talk about abolishing the crown and royal line instead at the end outta nowhere??? It's whack idk.

This can all be ignored, the romance was pretty cute, and I do think that IU had good chemistry with Byeon Woo Seok. BWS still hasn't completely convinced me that he's a generation talent like some people say.

I think I genuinely would have enjoyed this show more if someone with a similar demeanor to Seo In Guk was our ML.

It was fine, I can see the vision, it just needed to use its time a little better.

I just wasn't the target demographic.

Leer más

Surprisingly, They Stuck the Landing

Spoilers - I can't bang on freely without sharing some secrets.



Firstly, the actors were appropriately beautiful and handsome.
Im Ji Yeon has this ability to be quite disarmingly normal looking when needed and then stunning for modeling scenes. Also, her character has an amazing maniacal laugh & smile - most notable when drinking. So fun.
Heo Nam Jun initially presents as very cool and classy but has some very cute facial expressions as his character starts to let his feelings out.

Props to how menacing they made the villain Choi mun Do. I mean, he had a great smile and was handsome enough but there was just something off about him. was it make-up? Or was his teeth slightly grey? i don't know but he definitely had a sinister aura about him.

This show really started off well. It was very fun to watch. The characters have great personas and interacted so well together.
The comedy of their meeting and early interactions was on point. I enjoyed Sin Seo-Ri's attitude and how she was presented early on as this fun, larger-than-life personality - getting memed and becoming an influencer.

I like how Cha Se-Gye Was locked in and focused on perusing her quite early. Then she initially came around pretty quick too. I did have an issue with Sin Seo-Ri being hot and cold towards him, even after she knew her feelings but this is a K-Drama staple.

I would've liked to see more fighting from her as she initially pitched herself as this anti-assassination savant, Joseon baddie but then ended up being quite reactive and ultimately getting caught herself.

The scene where she was keeping him distant but then had an instant meltdown when she found him in cardiac arrest on the plane was really well done and entertaining. I laughed out loud. I must say, they really leaned into the slapping in this show and I'm here for it. It's like their love language. The fact she got electrocuted too was perfect.

I loved how the music was used in the show. The delicate lighthearted piano intro of Losing My Heart playing throughout the episodes as they slowly got to know each other was used diabolically, building to crescendo as the white truck of death plowed into the restaurant. So good. So devastating. Props to the writers for making it a white truck. Classic K Drama. Everyone knows it; everyone respects it.

The latter episodes we're a bit hard to get through when Seo-Ri was always gloomy with her anticipated departure. Having said that, when she did go back, I liked how it played out very much. Point's for Cha Se-Gye who in hindsight recognised her depressed lack of response to his enthusiasm and treated it with compassion instead of recrimination.

Also in the latter episodes, it wasn't clear to me what was happening with the 'soul shifting' and had to go to the comments section and then watch the episodes again to understand it. Ultimately it was cleared up with the scene in the water where the souls are swapped but before then, I was scratching my head.

Endings like this always feel a bit deus ex machina to me - like Alchemy of Souls where the happy ending was nothing to do with the leads agency and entirely up to Jin Seol-Ran's decision to depart etc. but in this case, even though Seo-Ri was in limbo, I could get into the idea that Cha Se Gye remembered her coming back to save him in his past life and called her back. That was a great way of handling it. Then what I always like to see - the leads working together to solve that dramatic tension - in this case, the Choi Mun Do arc. I almost feel sorry for him.

As an aside, I really enjoyed seeing Lee Se Hee again after Young Lady and Gentleman, a show in which I really enjoyed her acting & character but thought overall it wasn't great. I'm looking forward to seeking out more of her past and future works. She really nailed it here.

In summary, A++. I always judge a show by how much I am enjoying myself while watching. A happy ending isn't very satisfying if you have to grind through 8 episodes of unhappy trauma to get there. In this case, I enjoyed watching at least 90% of it.

A simple trope handled in a fun and clever manner.

Leer más

love between lines

standar seru, di eps.1 di menit 28:38 Yu Xiao / Hu Xiu di bln lalu bnyk blg pelafalan mandarin nya kurang jelas, bener sih dr episode 1 sampai epsiode 28 gw liatin mulutnya si Yu Xiao pelafalan nya kurang jelas kyk cara ngomong nya kyk mls ngomong, kurang buka mulut. liat deh seperti bailu dan zhao lusi mereka pelafalan dan mulutnya jelas dan kebuka. tapi alur cerita mudah di pahami dan mengerti. music nya enak2 semua lgsg kecantol di telinga, chemistry nya mereka berdua kuat banget. untuk di tonton = sorry, cukup 1 kli aja kecewa bgt sama Yu Xiao pelafalan nya kyk keliatan dubbing bgt, di drama lain dia pelafalan nya ga gitu bgt deh, hanya drama ini aja kyk dubbing bener2 kurang jelas pelafan nya klo males ngomong gush akting deh, apa susahnya buka mulut njir

Leer más

Heaven is a place in office where you fall in love

First two episodes opened really well, set the office atmosphere, immediately revealed character dynamics and has already set alit likeable chemistry between the main leads. Who can resist a serious and smitten Seo In Guk, hardworking and hot, and fl so talented and capable!
The story outline is reminding so much of the I need Romance vibes x Misaeng and also takes the CP's story forward from "Boyfriend on Demand"- Haters to lovers, competing to appreciating, resisting to accepting, silence to kissing , if you know what i mean!

This is also a good time to bring out realities of office work in 2026, we know some of us are literally swimming through rain because a terrible boss would rather have you ill and tired at office instead of safe and healthy working from home just to make sure the real estate investors can continue benefitting!

Only sad people would rate this drama badly. Some of us on the other hand are down for a good office romance, and this looks like a perfect retreat.

Only gripe is that yes, two dramas per week is not ok in this day and age! Intense bingers unite!

Leer más

Almost Had a Tantrum

It was a silly but fine series in the beginning: your typical university boy with a platonic crush on another. The name 'Magic Move' itself has no meaning, and the series didn't have any magical elements at all. Just some fortunetelling and tarot reading, which feels like they were just added to the script to make it different or to give it a certain vibe.
I was still happily binging it. The couple was happy and living in the moment, but the side couple literally stole the show. Their talks were meaningful, their scenes were beautiful, and they really had a thing and a 'story' unlike the supposed main couple.

I tried ,and really wanted to, keep going for the side couple, but after watching the preview for the 9th episode, I decided that it's just not worth it. When you make a mistake and the person you wronged stays silent despite knowing about it, that is called being forgiving, not playing tricks. And even if he sees it as a trick, his reaction made it hard for me to sympathize with him. I mean, what's the difference between you and him? He just gave you a taste of your own medicine by playing along with your trick. I wouldn't even call it tricking someone if it leads to what you truly wish for. You were so happy, just feeling guilty because of your own lie, but instead of appreciating his forgiveness, you chose to ruin everything.
He even ruined his relationship with his best friend by blaming him along with everyone else like a spoiled child, and they were begging for forgiveness. That was the biggest thing that pissed me off. This post was more like a 'why I dropped this series' explanation instead of a review, but I still hope that it helps you because I think this aspect is the most important thing to know before even starting it.

Leer más

A respectable remake

Hewed closely (too closely?) to the original. The acting was good and the production was professional - I especially enjoyed the comic book styling here. But a fun revisit of a fun story, and I enjoyed it.

Yes, the show is nearly a scene-by-scene re-creation, which is a tad disappointing - I love watching remakes that add their own flair (What's Wrong With Secretary Kim has two amazing remakes - one Filipino, one Thai - that bring their own touch to a beloved story and fully stand on their own). Even these sets look borrowed from the original.

But also when comparing to the original, one also must admit it too wasn't necessarily a cinematic masterpiece, but a perfectly entertaining, charming, romantic romp. This version is as well. I say give it a shot!

Leer más

Could have been but the ending

Magic move was a good idea with not bad actors. The topic, the concept of childhood misunderstandings, lies kept out of fear, it could have made so much. And I must admit, many times in the middle part I really enjoyed the acting and the story. But alas, both the frist and the last two episode were really weak, the start weak and the end outright bad. I am probably biased because the actor of Ritt is really strongly my type, lol, so I try to ignore that. ^^

The start was awkward; not really bad, but weird and with episode 3 I really began to enjoy what was going on. So episodes 3 - 8 I would have given an 7.5 out of 10. Good, even though not a breakthrough or all time hit. But then this ending. The stern mother changing without any real development, Ritt taking this lies so seriously, but the actor did not really well enough express this drama of his character as he should have in the last two episodes with way too much aimless lingering, and not strong emotions shown. Given the drama of breaking of a love the two MCs had since childhood, both really underplayed the dramatic gravitas of what was going on.

On the other hand I cannot agree with other critics saying Ritt's friend was too evil or Itthi, even though it wasn't nice, I didn't feel it was some super serious betrayal. Sure, if I had been Ritt I would be down my friends had withheld that from me. But isn't there something like trust the feeling of love? No one involved had any reasons to make a fool of Ritt, and he should have accepted that OR either making a really fall into a strong felt darkness - and the ending had neither. So we had the drama ending that felt like "oh well let's suffer for 2-3 episodes". They were not really good actors, and I hope they get some acting lessons, for I am not that nasty to wish an end for their career. Well since we will see Deam/Ritt paired with someone else in "Art Adore En", we can see what he learned or maybe was just held back by directing. Who can say.

I did not regret watching it once, it was an okay series with some serious letdowns and especially the consolation was rushed like an entire episode had been cut showing the hard getting together. Each character should have seriously shown more suffering given the situation they all had put themselves into, and we had to guess with they a bit too stoic faces.

With a good middle part but a weak start and a horrible displayed ending, I can even wishing to see the Ritt actor again give no more than a

5.5/10

Leer más

In terms of romance, I’d say this couple has one of the healthiest relationships I’ve seen in a drama. There’s no love triangle, no misunderstandings they support each other through everything. The male lead is such a green flag. he protects and stands by the female lead no matter what. They both look out for each other, and whenever there’s a problem, they solve it together. For me, their romance feels balanced and genuine. I also really like the second and third couples, especially Yanli and Yuening ( they’re so funny for me)

However, there are a few weaknesses in this drama, but honestly, they’re not that bad especially since the story focuses on mystery solving cases (which is totally my type of drama). Because the female lead is a coroner, the autopsy scenes are detailed . She explains the causes and reasons clearly. The case solving parts are also good, but one weakness is that the culprit is quite easy to identify.

Usually, when I watch dramas with mystery solving cases , it’s hard to guess who the culprit is there’s always some unexpected plot twist that makes me go, “wait, seriously? It’s that person?” But in this drama, I could already guess who the culprit was from episode 1, even though the case wasn’t solved yet. I thought maybe I was wrong, but it turned out I was right. So I figured maybe it was just for that case, but for the rest of the episodes, I still managed to guess who did it.

Maybe the writer or director intentionally made it that way so we could focus more on understanding the motives behind their actions ( I’m not sure). That’s the only weakness I can think of, and it’s still acceptable. Overall, the cases are well done.

Leer más

Une belle découverte qui se regarde sans effort.
L'histoire avance sans lenteur en nous montrant l'évolution des sentiments confrontés à la prise de maturité des personnages, le tout grâce à leur besoin et leur envie, ainsi qu’à leurs projets de vie.

Bien que la série ne révolutionne pas le genre, elle le gère parfaitement sans chercher à en faire trop et sans tomber dans les travers clichés habituels.

Il y a une belle alchimie entre les personnages, même si j'ai détesté le personnage de « Ouyang ». Le stéréotype du connard égotiste, imbu de lui‑même, qui pleurniche en refusant de comprendre qu'il crée tout seul les situations pour lesquelles il souffre.
Il devient moins pénible sur la fin, mais après les débuts, je ne pouvais plus le voir.

Pour ce qui est de l'antagoniste, ses motivations ne sont pas hyper crédibles, mais il fait le taf dans son rôle.
Au global, j'ai passé un bon moment devant cette série.

Leer más

Expected: fantasy angst. Got: handsome men losing their seriousness and making me laugh.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect from A Dream Within a Dream. The concept of a transmigrator entering a drama world and trying to survive based on a script she already knows sounded familiar, but what made this drama interesting is how it plays with the idea that once characters start having their own choices, the original story is no longer something you can fully control.

The story follows Song Yi Meng / Song Xiao Yu (Li Yi Tong), a modern woman who enters the world of a historical drama she knows by heart. Armed with the script, she believes she can predict every danger and avoid her tragic ending — especially her fear of Nan Heng (Liu Yu Ning), the powerful male lead who, according to the original plot, is someone she should stay away from. But as the story progresses, she slowly realizes that the characters are no longer following the script she knows, and the “villain” she feared may not be exactly who she thought he was.

What I enjoyed most about this drama is the chemistry between Song Yi Meng and Nan Heng. Nan Heng looks intimidating and untouchable at first — the typical cold and powerful male lead — but Liu Yu Ning really surprised me with how well he balanced that strong image with unexpected comedy. 🤣 He can look like someone who can destroy everyone in the room, then suddenly become awkward, funny, and surprisingly cute in certain scenes. That contrast made Nan Heng much more charming.

Song Yi Meng is also an interesting FL because her biggest struggle is not just surviving the drama world, but letting go of the idea that the script is always right. Sometimes her decisions are frustrating because she relies too much on what she already knows instead of seeing the changes happening in front of her. But that is also what makes her character realistic — she is someone trying to survive in a world where she thinks she already knows the ending.

One character who really tested my patience though was Chu Gui Hong. As Nan Heng’s former best friend turned rival, I understand that his actions come from his own pain and personal reasons, but there were moments when his accusations toward Nan Heng felt too driven by resentment rather than actual evidence. 😅 Sometimes I was genuinely thinking, “Can we check the facts first before blaming him?” He was frustrating, but at the same time, his character added more conflict and made the story more engaging.

Overall, I was surprised because this drama gave me more laughs than stress. Despite the fantasy setting, conflicts, and misunderstandings, the comedy balanced the heavier moments. The biggest charm of A Dream Within a Dream is not just the plot twist of changing fate, but watching characters break away from the roles they were originally written to play.

It may not be a perfect drama, but it has a unique charm. With a fun concept, entertaining characters, and Liu Yu Ning’s hilarious portrayal of Nan Heng, this became a surprisingly enjoyable watch.

Leer más