Reviews

Good, but Feel Off About Sang Yan's Devotion

I guess I'll just start off with some problems?
Sang Yan is just way too obsessed with Wen Yifan. I would've understood more if she actually did something incredible for him but she didn't. All they show is that Sang Yan falls in love with her at first sight which is just underwhelming. I mean seriously, you follow a girl around everywhere she goes and care about everything she does and for what? It's just desperate and borderline creepy. Even after she said all those horrible things to him, he was still willing to do everything for her. I just wish the guy had more self respect. His obsession with her ends up ruining him as a character. His entire world and personality is just her and nothing else.
As for the second leads' story, idk i don't really care.
I loved the production and thought it was very high quality. It gives the drama a nice atmosphere. I realized just how good it was when I started watching hidden love and I just didn't like how empty the drama felt. Maybe the production for the drama was cheaper? Anyway, I'd rather watch this drama than hidden love.
Even with the problematic relationship, I still liked their chemistry and I thought the story itself wasn't too bad. There were some boring moments with the second lead and Su Haoan's grandparents. But I did get frustrated with the Hong Kong arc and thought it wasn't necessary when Sang Yan, the best boyfriend in the world, was literally right there and could help her out. Did she seriously think that writing a letter "Don't look for me and don't miss me" will prevent him from becoming super depressed over her being gone? And there was one moment that sort of pissed me when Che Xingde shows up at her work. I mean, if your sexual abuser is "coincidentally" showing up at the same places your at and ends up getting a job at your work place, do you A. quit your job, B. make sure you always are around people that can keep you safe, C. go to the police to get a restraining order or D. leave for work as late as possible so that no one else could possibly be around to help you, allowing your abuser to easily confront you and threaten your safety. Such a stupid, unrealistic choice that pissed me off so bad and I think that was just a lazy writing moment honestly but it didn't turn out to be that big of a deal.
The acting is good despite a few awkward moments.
The music? I thought it was generally good. My favorite songs were Stubborn and There is You Amidst Raindrops.
I wouldn't rewatch this because of the one-sided relationship dynamic but it's definitely one of the better dramas I've watched in my life.

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Chaotic but Funny

It was nice to see different people with different professions in one show. We have singers, actors, and a DJ. What surprised me is that they are signed with different agencies/companies.
This show had me laughing every episode. All members have their own sense of humor. They have their own weaknesses and strengths. One thing for sure, all of them are not here just to play. They might be fooling around, but every one of them takes the challenges very seriously. And you know how I know? It’s because almost all of them are injured! 🤣🤣
What I like the most is that within those 10 episodes, you can see the progress of their bond. Also, you can see their individual transformation. They started off shy in the early episodes, but became more fearless and strong as the show went on.
I also like that they have different guests every episode. It helped me discover different artists (I just got to know Phuak, Oat, and Ink here).
It’s just sad when they are not complete. If I remember correctly, they were only complete in 3 out of 10 episodes. But, you know… showbiz. It’s really hard to keep schedules aligned.

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Well managed shortness and a lovely romance

Who would have thought that such a short drama could actually deliver everything you want in a drama.

- a decent story with no unanswered questions
- really good acting
- because of the shortness of the drama a clever male lead!
- sweet chemistry between the leads and a well developed romance (despite the shortness!)
- well created intimacy and passionate kisses~
- politics take up space for like 5% (which is considering the length almost nothing). I didn't mind, I didn't care. It delivered a basic background story for world building.
- decent setting
- good makeup and costume
- good music
- and even a REAL plant!

The female actress' acting was a bit lacking in the beginning but she improved throughout the drama (again despite its shortness!), while Cheng Lei was already in 2022, it seems.

Yes, it's predictable at some point and has its usual tropes, but I didn't expect anything spectacular anyway. I can live with and enjoy predictable, too, when it's well made which was the case here.

Anything to complain about? Yeah, well, the shortness again! I could have delved into that sweetness of those two far longer~ And Cheng Lei sadly never really wore his hair open... ;(

A short review for a short drama ;)

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Plot-twist after Plot-twist

I personally never liked crime dramas where the whole entire drama depends on one singular case but this one really changed my mind!! I started this drama without any expectation as it didnt have much view or recognition in YouTube, but my mind changed from episode 1!! The drama made me question every single character and even until the second last episode, I was unsure of who the mastermind is!! I honestly loved all the "criminals" as well because the people they killed were justified. I personally wish the mastermind got a bit lenient punishment but I do understand why they got what they did because after all their actions arent justified even though the reasoning is, I'm extremely happy with the punishment others got!! Also, if anyone needs the translated writing of the punishment everyone got then please do dm me or comment and ill reply with it!! Anyways, please give it a go, atleast watch upto episode 3 and see if you want to keep going!! ♡

the music is 5/10 because in YouTube the music was mute as it is copyrighted so I'm not sure what the actual music was in the drama so I gave it such low rating!! In addition, I put rewatch value as 7/10 because it is a crime drama and I personally wouldnt want to rewatch a crime / suspense drama that I know the plot, mastermind and everything of because then theres no suspense left.

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Three sisters and their grandma healing after tragedy

**Top Notes**
ADORABLE DOGGIE <3

A beautiful story about 3 sisters and their grandma navigating love and life after loss. Each has their own love story, and everything is well-paced even within 12 episodes.

This is an emotional, but feel-good drama. The plot is simple and follows the recovery of Sunwoo's memories, unraveling the events from 7 years ago. It did drag out towards the end with the repeated flashbacks, but the story does end well, and all the loose ends are tied up nicely.

**Middle Notes**
All the actors did great with portraying the deeper, complex emotions these characters were feeling. This is my first time watching Chae Jong Hyeop, and I think he did great in expressing both sides of Sunwoo's character. Lee Sung Kyung has never disappointed before, and she did great here. I feel like all the characters she takes on are quite similar, but she does it well.

The main leads and Hadam with Yugyeom had great chemistry, but I was a bit disappointed with the development between Hayeong and Taeseok. I think they dragged out his guilt for too long, which didn't allow time for him and Hayeong's relationship to develop on screen. I think they have a really cute story and would have liked to see more of them.

The story between Grandma and Manjae was really sweet. Manjae and his coffee shop played a healing role for the main leads, so it was nice to see him heal Grandma as well. They were all just one big happy family by the end.

**Base Notes**
I think more than each of their love stories, I loved seeing the relationship between the sisters. They genuinely care about each other and have the kind of relationship where they understand, even if you don't speak. They support and depend on each other, even with their different personalities.

Genius is the bestest, goodest dog I've ever seen. I'm so glad he played a central role in the story, and we got lots of scenes with him. I loved it when they all sat at the window waiting for Sunwoo. Genius did so well!!

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Left me at the edge of me seat every time!!

This is such a beautiful love story about rebirth and karma. I love how much lessons from Buddhism is being taught---and not to mention the acting is phenomenal! When I first watched Koon Chai Yai see Mun Kaew pass away on their wedding night, I didn't think much of it but after all of the amazing backstory, I cried watching the same scene. I have to say though, Ying Thae's actor did the best out of everyone else. Her emotion and complexity was amazing to witness. To watch this lakorn for the first time again..

The only issue I've seen other people agree with is that the 2nd arc / lifetime was stretched on for too long. I really don't understand why Rachawadee could just sneak out mid-arc after serving Ying Thae for a while and have a happy life with her dad before Ying Thae could poison her again. I also would've preferred if we could see more of the 3rd life. I think it only lasted 2-3 episodes? They should've made the 2nd arc/life more concise and left the 3rd arc/life with more lore and story. I wanted to see their full wedding, children, all of that cheesy love stuff. Plus, the sexism was crazy. Everyone always accused Ratchawadee for luring the 2nd ML into cheating (which didn't even happen because she never even showed signs of liking him), when it really deserved to be the other way around. That really frustrated me but that just lets me know the writers did their job.

This whole lakorn was a whole rollercoaster. I felt sad, empathetic, angry, affectionate, I felt all the feelings. To conclude, this is a must-watch :)

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Is this drama boring? YES, CHEF!

PLOT🗯️🗯️
our story opens up with our poor shin su. Our girl died 3 years ago and is about to turn into an "evil spirit". In order to leave the earth peacefully she has to let go off her grudges, in her case dying as a virgin.
To reach her goal she possesses the body of na bong, a shy cook.
The plan seems to work out until they both fall for the same guy and some inconsistencies about shin su's death arise.

Premise🗯️🗯️
Definitely interesting. Following both a human and a ghost as their "lives" merge was interesting, at first. Primarily because shin su is hilarious.
I liked her character very much.
She is funny, resilient and has a heart of gold.
We grow attached to her even though we already know she is dead and we'll have to let go of her.

On the other side there is na bong.
She is a very timid girl with only her grandma on her side. She wants to follow her dreams and become a chef even though her self esteem is on the ground.
She is connected to the spirits which she sees since forever. That influenced her upbringing and the way she interacts with others.
Even though I understand where she is coming from, I couldn't care for her. She is just so bland a nervous ball.
She looks afraid of both humans and ghosts. For a screen character she is not much Interesting.
Even her love for the chef isn't that much moving. I don't even know if she likes him or just admires him. Seeing her writing about him in her diary came out of no where to me.

The male interest in the drama is this cocky chef. He is a good guy at heart but a bit irritating.
When the love story takes off I felt bad for him, na bong and shin su. That love story doesn't feel real because when he bonds with na bong, she is actually possessed by shin su. Basically he is falling for the ghost without knowing it.
Talking about him specifically I didn't feel any type of way. He's kind of annoying and to bland to move the needle.

The love story🗯️🗯️
To be honest I find the love plot the weakest point of the drama. I wished they focused more on the mystery, the underworld etc.
As said before, the love story didn't feel authentic because the chef is dating the ghost without knowing it. Na bong is boring as hell and he only starts having feeling for her when she is possessed by shin su.
The love story itself was kind of boring. At the very beginning there is this sort of hint at a love story between the chef and his old friend. It felt quite useless to me.
When the chef and na bong get together they feel like father and daughter. They interactions Never scream "unresistable love" even though they talk about liking each other sooooo much and solo deeply.

I'm currently on episode 12 pondering if ditching this drama would be the best thing.
The only thing keeping me interested is the actual mystery around the police guy.

There is also some plot inconsistency.
The spirit lady can see shin su at every corner but doesn't realize the police guy is an evil spirit nor does shin su. She meets him multiple times but never suspects anything.

At the end of episode 12 they address the fact that the chef fell for the ghost. Good for you na bong.

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One of the most accurate archery dramas I've watched.

I watched this back in 2018 and I am usually super picky when archery is featured in a drama, especially when it's the main focus.

You'd be surprised how many people get it wrong even when archery is the character's main personality. These guys - the writers, the crew and the actors - properly did their research. I can't believe I was watching a pretty accurate representation of target panic in a drama!

To most people, technicalities with the sport are not the main focus for them. They will look at the story and the acting. For someone who does archery, I cannot stress enough how good it is for such a short series!

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Thought-provoking and cliche college romance

All the makings of a cliche Kdrama; the naive damsel-in-distress FL, cold popular ML, mean girl 2nd FL/villian, and comedic supporting friend group in a university where popularity is ranked by beauty. All the classic tropes and somehow it actually was a fun watch.

The drama touches upon one of the most controversial topics of Korean culture (unrealistic beauty standards and plastic surgery) in a such a compelling manner. Mi Rae is an loveable, naive idiot but you can't help but root for her since she tries so hard to gain back her confidence and self after her surgery.

Gyeong Seok is definitely the star of the drama. Eun Woo does an amazing job with his microexpressions, his judgmental side glances towards everyone are hilarious. I love how their relationship stems from his relentless support in Mi Rae to grow her confidence. His annoyance and unwillingness to give even an inch to the villainess is satisfying to watch as well. Though, I will admit the leads' chemistry is very low and slow-paced (not even slow-burn). Their kiss scene was so awkward.

It's such a touching storyline as we see Mi Rae grow into herself and even develop sympathy for the villainess 2nd FL as they buckle under the pressure of Korean beauty ideals. While the drama has all the classic tropes to the point you can literally predict what happens next, it is a satisfying slice-of-life drama that teaches true beauty comes from within.

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Clichés, Chaos, and a Surprisingly Fun Watch

This drama is honestly a mix of frustration and guilty pleasure, and somehow it still ends up being entertaining. The plot is very cliché, with over-the-top villains who feel like they walked straight out of a cartoon. But the one thing it does right is giving quick payback. The bad guys don’t drag on for episodes, they get punished fast, and that part is genuinely satisfying to watch.

The male lead completely carries the show. He is charming, smart, and has that effortless, slightly snarky presence that makes even the most ridiculous scenes enjoyable. On the other hand, the female lead is written as naive to the point where it becomes inconsistent. At times she feels sweet and harmless, but most of the time she comes across as overly dependent on the male lead. Her problems never seem to end, and every single situation turns into another rescue moment for him. After a while, it starts to feel repetitive and a bit frustrating.

And yet, despite all of this, the drama has a weird charm. It is so exaggerated and over-the-top that it almost becomes entertaining in its own chaotic way. The acting, styling, and overall execution can feel questionable at times, but that silliness is also what makes it fun if you don’t take it too seriously.

In the end, this feels like a vertical drama stretched into a full-length format. It is messy, unrealistic, and full of clichés, but if you go in with low expectations and just want something light and dramatic, it can still be an enjoyable watch.

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So far, Girl Rules has done a great job building a complex and emotionally layered story with multiple relationships that all feel interconnected. Even just halfway through the series, it’s already clear that the show isn’t afraid to explore messy love, past relationships, and difficult choices in a realistic way. Each character has their own storyline, and instead of rushing, the series takes time to develop their emotions and conflicts, which makes everything feel more meaningful. The chemistry across the cast is strong, and the way their stories overlap keeps things interesting every episode.

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