Reviews

So beautifully done!

Almost perfect! Just, wow! The feels be feeling.

This is a good story. The acting is good. The costumes are good. The sets are good. The locations are good. There was a good mix of humor, drama, suspense, romance, etc. The main couple is fire. The second couple is fire. I love the supporting cast. Chuay is my hero. I love both moms. Just so many good things happening!

My very small complaints are with production issues. A few too many zany sound effects. And the sound in the NC scenes was sometimes distracting, which is a real shame because they were beautifully done.

I was crying at the end! It really hit me in my soft spot.

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A Messy Disappointment

Let me start out by saying I heard great things about this drama and was excited to watch it. Unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations at all.

By the end of the show, I didn’t like any of the characters. I have no problem with them being morally grey, but honestly almost everyone in this drama is a terrible person.

Chi Cheng starts the show by stealing his friend’s man and then ordering a group of men to SA him. Then he meets Wu Suowei and suddenly becomes a soft boy, with the exception of personal boundaries. This man told Wu Suowei’s best friend, the Doctor,, that he would SA him if he didn’t trick Wu Suowei into giving it up! WTH?! I would dump a mofo so fast if he said that to my best friend. So their first encounter was forced by Chi Cheng. Then when poor Wu Suowei is sore the next day, Chi Cheng proceeds to laugh at him. You hurt him and that’s funny to you?! Subsequently after that, there are plenty more scenes where Chi Cheng carries him (WS) off while he’s yelling for help and resisting. Gross.

I found Wu Suowei to be annoying. Why did he never address the problems they were having? How about “hey I saw your ex boyfriend get in your car and leave with you, and then you didn’t come home all night”. Or “I caught you making out with your ex in the yard”.. He witnesses all this terrible behavior and then never addresses it! He just gets sad. And the constant fake crying was on my last nerve.

I started out liking the Doctor but then he started heavily manipulating Wu Suowei for his own selfish reasons. To be fair, Wu Suowei did pay him back for some of that.

Yue Yue, apparently the only dateable woman in their world, is a pretty but incredibly annoying gold digger with no redeemable qualities. I can understand why Wu Suowei liked her (he’s annoying as well) but Chi Cheng? I feel like he wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes dealing with her fake act. And you’re telling me he put up with her on a trip for 5 days straight? Nah homie, I don’t believe that.

Guo was the one character I somewhat liked. To me, he was a much better boyfriend than Chi Cheng. I like that he got revenge on the man that hurt the Doctor. And he bakes beautiful cakes!

I feel like the story line lost the plot. What happened to the snakes? Where did Yue Yue go? Why did so many of the characters completely change personality?

Random thoughts: I’m fully convinced there was something going on between Guo and Chi Cheng. I saw those videos. Those were not friend vibes.

Does anyone else think the couples should have been Guo & Chi Cheng and Wu Suowei & the Doctor? I get the whole “opposites attract” but I feel like those pairings would be a lot healthier for everyone involved.

I rated this a 3, because there were moments of good chemistry and acting. However, I couldn’t bring myself to root for this couple.

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HE'S 500 MILES FROM HIS HOME IF YOU EVER CARE

And just like that, Love Upon a Time is over. I can’t lie, I didn’t watch the trailer or read the description. I just wanted to come out and support some new ships, and I am glad I stayed, because this show was actually awesome. Of course, I have a few criticisms, but overall, I enjoyed this a lot, and if you are looking for something fun to watch, watch it because it’s amazing! I would give it an 8.5 (8.7) out of 10, and of course, we know the drill for my reviews. I am going to say what I liked and what I did not like, then do the episode overview, and then we will be done. Let’s hit it to the beat one final time for this great show.

Starting with what I liked was our couples. And I am NOT just saying that because "oh we have to support them", I actually mean that. So before this, Net was with James, and I had seen him and JJ in The Next Prince, but I also haven't finished that, so I don't know what I was really expecting with that. And for Latte Kim, I had only really seen them on my social media, and I thought they were cute, but other than that, for both couples, I wasn't really expecting much, but they still BLEW ME OUT OF THE WATER. I think that they both have really good chemistry, and for specifically Net JJ, it feels very natural, which I quite enjoyed. I think that is in part due to JJ's acting. He is lowkey a phenomenal actor, because it feels so natural. Like, he embodies Klao/Nakun so well that I felt like I was right there with him. Whether it be his expressions, the shy smile, or all of it, he did a great job, and I can't wait to see him in other stuff. Also, Net and JJ looked beyond sexy in this. I went into this having a fat crush on Net and not really JJ, and I came out with two brotha on my armmmm. God, JJ is like beyond sexy, especially with these wispy bangs. I AM DONE. I said on episode 8 that, "JJ has an evil smile and Net has these sad yearning eyes, and I fear we ate," and that is them in a nutshell. And then for our other couple, Latte sleeper build say what? I was not expecting all of that, my godddd. Also, Kim is to die for, ESPECIALLY THOSE LEGS, IM DONE, BE FUCKING FOR REAL RIGHT NOW. Just great job to both couples, they really rocked their shit with this one.

What I liked about the characters was that Nakun was actually gay, not just gay for Phop. I think it really seemed like that at first, but in the third episode, he was checking out the other guys in the water, and I WAS ALL THE DEADDD. I love that, that was so much fun lmao. ALSO NAKUN WILL NEVER BE KLAO EVEN IF THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON. Yeah, just gonna leave y'all with that lmao, because oh my god that made me sick thinking about that. Good job, show. AND, I made an edit to the 500 miles song and this show, and god that is such the case for him. He was in a place he didn't know for so long, and he was so far away from his home with no way to go back. I'm gonna be sick again. TUTOR YIM CAMEO AT WHAT COST, GOD THAT WAS SO SAD. They didn't even get reincarnated, oh my god, I almost SOBBEDDD. UH PHOP KILLED HIMSELF? HELLO? I am so dead (just like him) and will never be okay, my lord. I loved Net's glasses, and great sex scenes for both couples. AND AT THE END, PHOP PROPOSED WITH THE RING FOR THEIR PAST, I AM GONNA BE SICK.

Going into the show, I thought the start was actually great, and they did a fantastic job setting it up. (Also look at me spacing out with different paragraphs instead of jumping around, clap it up for your goat...or don't...freak) It was perfect in that it didn't reveal the entire show in one go, but it also left me wanting more. I also quite like the concept of this show, but I feel like the more I think about it, the more scared I get. I said this in my episode 2 review, "This is mortifying. Seeing a bunch of faces you can remember, but they’re not the people you know, is genuinely horrifying." Like fuck no, I am all the way NOT okay. Also, the thought of people in this time period and even now, not being allowed to love, makes me so sad, oh my god. More on plot, I LOVED THE REVEALS. I was gonna complain about the timeline, but it gets cleared up by the end, which is such a nice kind of full-circle moment, so they did their big one with those. I also loved everything with the dad, because it was just so well written. I also loved the bigger fish to fry with Cherd being a figurehead and Victor's character being evil, and the same with his dad, and I loved that. I also liked that it was all unfolding at the same time, and the audience didn't really get lost in the moment. That was so much fun, oh my god. And finally, PHOP LITERALLY BUILT THIS SHIT BRICK BY BRICK TO GET NAKUN TO TRAVEL BACK IN TIME AND REMEMBER HIM. IF HE WANTED TO, HE WOULD. I loved that plot point, and I was actually not expecting that at all and thought they were gonna do some That Summer, memory lost shit. YALL ROCKED YOUR SHIT ONCE MORE DOMUNDI. The reflections of their past shelves on the TV were also so well done. I loved that they did that. Regarding the ending, I felt like it was lacking, but at the same time idk what else they could have added besides seeing more of the characters from the past, so I will take it lmao.

Regarding things I don't like, the biggest thing is that this is a slow burn. And we know I don't like slow burn, but sometimes it can be done well, and well, I did enjoy this show. This was slow burn done wrong, my lord. It was too slow, and they action-packed some episodes, but not all of them, so it felt weirdly empty, which I really didn't like. I am not saying they needed to reveal everything in the first couple of episodes, but just having an even balance would have been nice. Also, some of the "action" had nothing to do with the plot, and we were just sitting in the pond like a duck.

DOMUNDI, TAKE OFF THE FUCKING FILTER BEFORE I COME TO YOUR FUCKING BUILDING AND TEAR THAT ENTIRE BITCH DOWNNN. Like, my god, it actually makes me nauseous looking at the filter. Bro, it's okay to have textured skin, fuckkk. Don't piss me off. The camera angles were making me sick, I beg, I know we have these thousand-dollar cameras that do so much, but please PLEASE KEEP THAT BITCH STILL I AM GONNA VOMIT.

Regarding the story, I don't understand why being hit by a shooting star makes you time-travel. Like, I think the show explained it vaguely, but I feel like we should have explained that more because I was actually really confused. Okay, so he came out to his parents, and they were really angry, but then that kind of faded out? I am confused on that part, like did we realize we have bigger fish to fry or what? Like, that was poor writing because it was a really big deal, and then suddenly it wasn't.

For my episode overview, I am just going to look for funny quotes I said for my episode reviews and be done, lmao. Episode 1: "Khemjira, if they all smoked weed." Episode 2: "They’re definitely fucking. Also, the servants aren’t telling him everything because they are definitely fucking too." Episode 3: "Nakun is so gay, what the hell lmaooo." "ALSO, I KNOW HE WAS LAUGHING TOO HARD IN THE WATER FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY HAVE A CUTE MOMENT LMAO. LOVE JJ LMAO." "Babe, you got the assaulters afraid lmao. Klao must have been a menace." Episode 4: "I don't know what he did to these fucking village pppl, but wtf lmao." Episode 6: "JJ and Kim, anyone? AHHHH, ALSO THE WISPY BANGGGSSSS. JJ and this flirty ass voice got me acting brand newww." Episode 7: "I would never drink WINE OR ALCOHOL EVER AGAIN IF I GOT HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A DAMN SHOOTING STARRRR, DONT PLAY WITH ME." Episode 8: "IF THE GUY WE MURDERED AND DROWNED WAS WALKING AGAIN, I WOULD GET THE FUCK OUT OF TOWN." Episode 12: "I'm literally going to shit, cry, and diarrhea everywhere, and it’s all their fault." "He’s like fuck, my man can’t remember me, only relatable issues, but shit, I’ll make him fall with me again." "Also, the fact that that net's character literally manipulated time the whole time, continuously, the entire timeline to be with him if he wanted to, that’s all I gotta say."

Overall, they did such a great job, and I would recommend this show. I hope they have more projects as a foursome (Grammarly was getting on my ass about the word quad, lmao) in the future. Okay bye!

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Good plot with merman and female CEO tropes but was destroyed by leads' subpar performances

I was in the mood for short dramas with mermaid / merman trope this week so I chose to watch this drama a few nights ago. After watching more than 10 dramas with that trope, I had low expectations. Now this drama started off good but it could not live up to its potential.

What I liked:
1. Plot - I must say that I had not seen this plot in other mermaid & merman dramas. I liked the story enough.
2. ML characterisation - I liked ML's puppy behaviour. He was clingy to FL.
3. Duration - I think this drama is just over an hour so it was an easy watch.
4. Styling - While the styling was hit and miss in this drama, there were a few points that I liked: the merman outfit & wig (it gave ML a different look compared to his human form) and the water resistant suit that ML wore.

What I disliked:
1. Antagoinst - For me, the antagonist arc was too simplify that he seemed like a caricature. No substance.
2. Acting - The acting by both leads felt amateurish. I simply couldn't connect to FL because Zhang Qing was bad at portraying an arrogant female president. There was zero chemistry between Zhang Qing and Su Yu Hang. They gave friendly acquaintance vibe rather than lovers vibe.
3. Romance - I was surprised when FL told ML that she liked him too. I didn't see any romantic buildup but then again their lack of chemistry most likely led me to miss out this part.

Favourite scene
When antagonist did something to ML to get ML's tail to appear

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Good story and acting

Honesty it was very easy to enjoy this drama and root for the characters, it had a unique plot with the ghosts that somewhat played a role in the show, it was generally used to provide a reason for the characters to get close but didn't really impact the story after the conflict was resolved, but was interesting and entertaining nonetheless, the acting was good and the romance was cute as well, overall a good watch and would recommend it. I can't say much about the music as I'm not someone who pays attention to it very often, I usually stick to the story, dialogue, and acting but from from what I could tell, the music worked with the dialogue to guide the emotions of the viewer and didn't feel out of place.

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A Raw Exploration of Identity and Connection

I really enjoyed this. It had the same tone as my favorite movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While the narrative was different, it carried similar flashback elements and emotional character connections. The male and female leads also shared similar character arcs and growth, and the way they interacted with others echoed that film as well. So, of course, I naturally gravitated toward this feature.

Even with those parallels, it delivered a raw and emotional story in its own unique way. As it explored themes of self-identity and the meaning of life, we watched two vulnerable people find each other — all while battling self-sabotaging behaviors. I really appreciated the philosophical moments and how real and honest they felt. I also loved the characters themselves; they came across as believable, approachable, and sincere. There were parts near the end that didn’t fully fit the tone of the film, but it wasn’t a big issue. I understood the metaphors those scenes were aiming for, and the remainder of the film recaptured the emotional depth I’d felt earlier. That said, I do think the ending could have been more powerful if it had ended a few minutes earlier — leaving things on a note of healing and self-growth. Then again, that kind of ending might have disappointed viewers who prefer resolutions that follow more conventional romantic expectations.

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Raw, Emotional, and Unforgettable

This was the best watch for me, but its haunting content and tone may not be for everyone. It is a story with heavy situations and personal accounts of unintentional consequences, self-reflection, and atonement. It is highly thrilling and biting—I could feel the intensity in every sequence, in the dialogue, and in the interactions. The entire time, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop as the story evolved. It was also extremely poignant, with the monologue and flashbacks revealing the protagonist's backstory and the interconnections between characters—showing how each person impacted the other. It's a true investment of pathos, and I can't recommend it enough for those who get lost in stories that are raw with feeling and humanity.

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A Fantastical Mystery that Falls Flat at the Finish

This was okay. I love Huang Xuan, so I don’t regret the time I spent finishing it. The drama is well executed, with fantastical layers that gradually peel back to reveal a series of crimes involving a demon cat—leading to the heart of a mystery that began 30 years before the events of the film. The cinematography features beautiful scenes and poetic moments, but the big reveal felt underwhelming to me. The story builds so much tension that the anticlimax and resolution didn’t quite land for me. Still, I would recommend it. It’s an entertaining and quick watch, with an excellent main and supporting cast who deliver a narrative engaging enough for the time you spend with it.

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