1This review may contain spoilers
I originally had no interest in this drama.. But after watching a few scenes I kind of went into it because it gave me a vibe similar to Love Me If You Dare.. Well this was nowhere close to LMIYD.. It felt pretty generic and a bit too overdramatic at times but still a well written psychological thriller.. And the ML’s obsessive, possessive love was another reason to watch this.. The main leads had good chemistry and intense dynamic right from the beginning..Obsession, guilt and regret are what make a psychological thriller like this thrive and this drama does that well.. The pacing can feel a bit slow at times with how much it leans into backstory and buildup but it’s clear every detail is carefully placed to connect the pieces and lead you to the finale..
I think we have to talk about the FL first.. She was at the center of a lot of criticism.. Personally, I don’t think she is completely blameless in the way she treated her husband but that just makes her human.. Her connection with her ex runs deeper than most people would imagine.. They were childhood friends.. He was part of her life for as long as she could remember and she loved him for years.. It’s not easy to just move on from something like that, right?? But she still did.. Even after he came back, even after it became clear he wasn’t the bad guy, she chose her husband.. She faltered at times and did hurt the ML, but she never crossed the line.. She made it clear that what she felt for him was in the past and now, she loves someone else.. She realised the ML was her safe place, her home, her future and she didn’t back down from that.. As for the rest of her character.. She didn't feel like a badass character no matter how hard they tried.. But the ending, she flipped the script..
“ I think you have been wrong about one thing from the start..
I didn’t come here to be your hostage..
I came here to avenge my brother..”
Yup that's when she was a badass..
And I have to say this, I keep seeing people call her character complex.. Seriously?? There was nothing complex about her.. She was just someone carrying deep regret, sadness and guilt.. Not every female character needs to be labelled complex just for the sake of it.. And let’s be honest, if the roles were reversed and the ML treated his ex like that, he would be called a creep, a red flag and worse..
The ML, well he was desperately, painfully, completely and maybe even a little foolishly in love with the FL.. I think Jing Boran did a really good job playing Jiang Hansheng.. A lot of people might not like how rigid and stiff he was.. But it fits someone who is so controlled on the surface but a mess underneath when it comes to her.. And his cat and mouse chase with the antagonist was genuinely exciting to watch..
The SML, I really didn’t find him pitiful.. Yeah, he lost a lot but that was the price of the choices he made.. He probably sacrificed the most in the entire drama.. Sure but that doesn’t mean he is entitled to a ' Welcome back, everything is just as you left it ' with a pat on the back.. His decisions affected a lot of people’s lives, especially the FL’s and not in a small way..
The twists in the middle phase weren’t all that surprising.. I had my doubts about Zhan Wei from the moment he appeared on screen but the identity of the mole, I didn't expect that..
Anyway the last two episodes really lived up to the psychological thriller tag.. The ML’s confrontation with Qi Yan, the antagonist was well done.. He stays calm and doesn’t lose his temper even with the FL’s life in danger, because he knows he has to target Qi Yan’s weakness.. The whole buildup was leading to that moment and it worked really well..
Overall this was a good watch.. The story development is neat and well written.. It builds slowly and with attention to detail which works well for a story like this.. I do think it needed a bit more psychological tension but that’s just my opinion.. I really liked how clingy the main leads were.. Even more so after they made up following the whole divorce situation.. I would have enjoyed it more if the SML wasn’t a focus in the final episode.. It felt like too much time was spent on him.. I wish we got more domestic moments with the main leads instead.. Now that they had worked through their issues and moved past all the revenge and chaos.. We deserved more of them just being at peace..
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Messed up characters in a messed up story
I've mixed feelings about this show, but I have to admit the most perplexed shows I've ever seen were Taiwanese ones, something about their storytelling makes me feel intrigued and appalled at the same time.Story: a total mess up, you can't predict anything because it doesn't end the way it started, and weirdly enough the couple who you think will end up with are just on good terms, and the other couple with the most complicated start, ends up with an even more messed up end, you don't know what is going on and you can't just focus on characters with this much happening, for example: the Second Main FL, she started as this poor unlucky woman, and ends up the second hand for the "president"... like, you can't simply expect the story to turn that way, it's explained in the show but I mean you don't see anything coming.
Characters: I don't really agree that all characters are messed up, the only character I don't understand is the ML (the psychiatrist) I mean, how did he even become one? A lot of questions surrounding him in a way that makes it harder to come up with a personality for him!! What is he like? You don't really know, you can't expect his actions because you can't even predict them, he acts in a way that is completely random and messed up.
The main FL, is a normal woman with a traumatic past, the second FL is just too unlucky, the second ML is just a dreamer with mommy issues.
All can be understood despite the weird things happening to them throughout the story.
Music is insignificant and direction was ok, the only thing that bothered me was the unexpected everything, and I end up not knowing if I actually liked it or not, I'm just glad managed to finish it and I don't even feel good after finishing it, hence a barely acceptable rating ~~
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I'm glad it wasn't among my first dramas, because I don't think I would have watched any of them and I would have missed other wonderful stories.
I really liked the connection of the second couple. their relationship is more meaningful than main leads had.
I liked the bromance and comedy between doctors/comrades.
I really liked ML, the actor and the character that he played.
But I continued with a lump in my throat because I couldn't stand the FL character. This actress, apart from being beautiful, didn't convey anything to me, she's dull, she doesn't have expressions, it's quite rigid, stiff. For me she is playing the same in any dramas. Is not at all my cup of tea. Her character is mean, she's acting like she owns and knows everything. I did not like at all how she treats ML, she disempower him, she plays with him, like she is in high school. She is emotionally immature, a bitch.
The OST is great.
I just continue watching for Song Joong Ki and the second couple. But It was my first when I fast foreword the moment with the FL. ups.
I cant feel to recommend this one. Sorry.
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Very good first half, then it kind of falls apart
I absolutely loved this initially, I really liked the dynamic between characters, and it felt like most of the main leads were all pretty smart. However, later on, TY makes a mistake and the fl and him separate, that’s where everything started to fall apart for me, the plot started to not make the most sense anymore, it wasn’t that interesting, and imo BXS falling for the fl was uncalled for and unnecessary. I do think that it’s still good I just personally wasn’t able to finish it. I also do think that TTEOTM set the bar high for dramas with similar plot.Was this review helpful to you?
Peak
First Season is the best one.I love love love the story! They did change little things from the webtoon but I would say it was SPOT ON. Before watching this I absolutely didn’t like thrillers or horror, but, after watching I’ve come to enjoy thrillers. Not so much horror because I ain’t doing all of that. Anywho, I just really like how all the main monster all had different personality’s, even the main characters in the show having their own little story time! Season two was kinda iffy for me because I lowkey thought it was boring in some way but it did have so comedic relief and I LOOOVVEEE that! season 3 has a lot happening but it honestly so cool.
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ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
When I first noticed the drama I was sure that I would not like it, but, oh boy, I truly loved it that I savored it in two days.It was absolutely stunning.
It's not a common thing to find a Chinese drama that has such a strong plotline — the themes that the show presented are deep and happens every day to a lot of girls. Sexual harrasing at work, at home, by family and friends and, yet, only a few times justice found its target. Luckily, that show did not disappoint.
The ML was such a green flag that I could not help but feel giddy throughout the show and the chemistry between these two was unbelievable. Hands up to the actress presenting the FL for showing the despair and the agony of her past.
It is absolutely worth watching, yet, I would not re-watch it a second time. That kind of drama is best when watching for the first time.
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Utopia of Love
Can love last forever, or is that just an illusion or a utopia? This beautiful movie is an ode to love, presented in an artistic and rich way, offering plenty of details that each enrich the topic of love. In our time, it has become almost a rule that marriages don’t last or don’t work as intended, and each failed relationship seems to influence others to fail as well. In that environment, is it still realistic to believe in love?I really liked the topic of the movie and how it was explored — with no definitive message, but instead open to personal reflection and conclusion. I also appreciate the style of the movie, which is a little unusual yet very artistic, while still remaining mainstream and entertaining. The filmmakers made the movie special without making it too weird. But most of all, I liked the characters. They had a special aura about them, especially the female lead, Mi-jeong. She is so naturally beautiful, without any need for makeup — something that has sadly become the standard for women today.
This movie is slow and graceful, just like a pavane (a piece of music and a dance), and it feels like a ray of light, inspiring viewers to take a leap of love — honestly and naturally. There is eternal Love above us all.
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Great Start but Fell Flat
I went into this drama not knowing what the plot was but quickly found myself binging episode after episode. However, at some point (and as with many Chinese dramas), I started to feel it drag - unfortunately, I didn't really pay attention to which episode I really started feeling this, but I mostly had it playing on in the background while I did other things.By the latter part of the drama, I was jumping around in the episodes, mostly skipping the parts related to their work. I'm certain there was a reason for all of this to be part of the plot, but it didn't catch my attention at all and I thought it could have been condensed significantly.
Aside from the main characters (+ FL extended family and coworkers), most of the side characters were pretty unlikeable and, by the end, pretty much irrelevant. Also, I do love a time-skip but it was a bit wild that they suddenly had multiple time-skips in the last episode. I thought things could have been cut out in earlier parts to perhaps spread this out a bit into two episodes. Anyway, by then, I was already watching the drama at 3x speed and just trying to complete it.
I'd be curious how the storyline compares to the book it is based off of. Song Weilong is always nice to look at on the screen, but in the end, the drama felt somewhat disappointing / lackluster.
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A Slow Pois0n You Can’t Resist
After watching Episode 8: first word- brilliant. This is the kind of drama where the research and authenticity are top-level; you can clearly feel the realism and the characters’ intellect, and it naturally grabs your attention. It’s a slow-burn poison, where things move carefully and deliberately. I’m loving the direction and performances, they’re truly fantastic.The music is also very uniquely scored; it has its own identity compared to others. It deals with a wide range of emotions. Till now, for the most part, we’ve gone through struggles, harshness, and hardships, but even within that, there’s humor that prevents the drama from tipping into depression. That’s the genius of the maker.
I love how they don’t want it to be just sad and heavy, but rather about growth and resilience. So I’m enjoying it to the fullest and really loving the dynamics that have been established. I can’t wait to see how Ji Feng begins his work, the steps he takes to make it impactful and real, and how Xi Mi Yu will play a larger role in this.
Just one complaint, why only two episodes a day? It’s killing me. Joker’s part, I’ll write my other thoughts later. Till then, happy watching.
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This review may contain spoilers
So this is my review after watching this. So many people might say, " DON'T WATCH IT, IT IS SOOOOOO BAD But it really isn't. I love the story as a whole, and I also love how Uea and King seemed like a mother and father to Jade. They also kept checking in on him when they noticed he was feeling sad and distant. At the start of the series, I thought of how loud Jade is. Then I realised that he is so loud to cover up his insecurities, it's like a perfect mask that he has made himself because he has seen how no one really loves him more than a platonic way, and also from when he got rejected and "hurt" by his EX. I also didn't really like Gus, as he really made it seem that he liked Mai, which almost ruined his relationship and Mai's. Maybe he did it to make Tong jealous. I don't really know, but overall, the story is really good; it makes you laugh, and it also makes you feel sad. It might be cringy for some, but it is a sweet kind of cringy, not one that makes you wonder what the actors are really doing, one that makes you have a warm heart if you get what I mean. Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet dreams are made of cringe
This drama has a lot to offer to the rom com lover, with a whole palette of male leads, friendships, work life blance, comics and what not. But there was just to much cringe, secound hand emberresment and bad acting/directing from the all but the male lead that I just could not rate this higher. Even though the Seos (Kang Joon and In Guk) s presence and characters could easiely be rated with a 10, they were just not enough to save this cringefest.Jisoo, Love, sorry to say this she can not cry on screen, the way they let a top singer IRL sing badly in karaoke was just mean and so were about 90% of her mimics.
Other than that it was a fun watch, just mind the bad acting, embarrassment and cringe and you will be fine.
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Manual to Greatness used as toilet paper #LameWriting (though everything else worked perfectly)
Yet again, another Korean writer who did not fail to disappoint me with painfully weak writing. The overall sketch of the story was so captivating that it could have been an easy 10/10 banger. Instead, like many promising plots before it, this one got sacrificed to the writers’ strange obsession with a two-cents-worth stalker who somehow gets treated like a national-level threat yet arrested after 10 attempts.Honestly, it was tiring to watch the characters waste hours chasing this bargain-bin villain as if he were some multiverse mastermind.
And then comes the female lead. Possibly one of the most clueless heroines to grace the screen. She keeps walking straight into this stalker again and again. At some point you start wondering whether she secretly enjoys these encounters. If she is that fascinated with the stalker, maybe the writers should have just paired them together and saved everyone the trouble. And What makes it more frustrating is that she literally possesses a manual to greatness 'the-holy-book-of-spells' , yet.. still.. ends up getting slapped around by the vamp cause apparantly love and beauty spells are useless in this situation. She didn't use a single useful spell out that book .. oh sorry she did i think the one that saved the ML ..but no he had to die to over come his curse so that one attempt also goes to bin.
Thank goodness she was never entrusted with something like a death note. She might have turned it into a gratitude journal and ll writing daily affirmations for the villain. Damn it !
Now, credit where it is due. The cast was genuinely one of the best parts of this drama. Rowoon and Bo-ah did a solid job, and their chemistry carried many scenes that the script itself struggled to support. Even with an annoying role, Bo-ah’s charm managed to shine through. The side cast also added depth and personality, making the world feel more alive than the plot deserved. So, Majority stars in my rating goes to this lovely effort put together by the great cast of this drama.
The background music and OST were absolute bangers. The kind that linger in your head long after the episode ends.
The ending was satisfying as well. Not perfect, but decent enough to close the curtain without throwing tomatoes at the screen.
So yes, it was a good drama…
if you can simply fast-forward through the endless “catch-me-if-you-can” circus starring the stalker. This one is absolutely a must-watch for you.
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It was soo good!
Because of this drama I can't watch other dramas anymore. My standards have been raised so high that I am finding other dramas boring 😭😭God I miss Chang yue and Xie zheng so much !!
I wish I can erase my memories and re-watch it again. I have watched so many dramas but pursuit of jade and love in the clouds were the best dramas I've ever watched.
So everyone please watch it or you are missing out on masterpiece.
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It aged nicely
Trust your own judgment when it comes to early 2000s Korean melodramas. I’m in love with early 2000s Korean melodramas. i just finished this drama and im very intrigued by the ending. I don’t know if I liked it or not but I feel like melodramas are supposed to leave you with a little of pain and nostalgia and mixed feelings. It was a unique ending. You have to enjoy each episode rather than rush and get impatient. Every drama leaves its own impression. The usage of nature was a great essence. I rated it a 9 because it’s unique and refreshing in its own way.Was this review helpful to you?
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AMAZING CHEMISTRY
They are by far one of my fav pairings. they have sm chemistry it's insane and they NEED another main role that isn't only 8 eps. If y'all want to see a veteran pair at work watch them because ive never seen so much chemistry from a couple EVER. I dont usually write reviews unless a show is really good. If y'all liked Johan norths story I think y'all will like them. I think the only part that's kinda cringe for me is the English from the dad because im just like why cant they cast someone who speaks English? like I get why ngernoat (arthitdao) would still be cast even if their English isn't the best because they're the main lead, but for the dad, there were a lot of parts I couldn't understand which I was very confused about. I just think it doesn't make sense to have a storyline based entirely on being able to speak English because one of the dads is American but not being able to speak it. This is not hate it's just confusing for me especially because I feel like there are a lot of actors who can speak English that can play the role of a dad.Was this review helpful to you?
