Reviews

HEALING, SLICE OF LIFE DRAMA

This drama start off with msytery, strong plots.. looking forward every Friday and Saturday to watch this series. this series has a beautiful and gentle concept and vibe, the story tells and shows us how to be happy, and how to support our beloved ones in life. its more than a romance story, this drama more about life.. you can relate it a lot. it shows us how to handle problems in life, Not all of our ways of solving problems are the right ways, perfect and good for others. sometimes we need to move quick to settle problems, but we still dont know how to solve things that we still dont know the answer, i can relate with Chan so much.. Chan has traumatic past and pityful life.. suffered alone abroad, and he only has Haran to hung onto his life that time.. no wonder he wanna protect Haran so bad.. i TOTALLY LOVE THE ENDING. BEAUTIFUL and SWEET ENDING. how i wish we have more episodes to explore our 1st Lead Couple and Hayoung couple.. such an amazing plot, am amazing cast and an amazing photography. masterpiece.. LOVE ALL OSTS AND CHARACTERS

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A TRUE Review Explained!

All these people giving low ratings underneath this review section aren't helping. This Cdrama is truly a gem to watch! The Mains: Lin Huan'er(FL) and Gao Haiming(ML) are truly made for each other and always work through their problems, even if it can't be said, they stick together and always have a great time--which is something I love seeing in Cdramas.

To acknowledge the negative comments in this section, the reason why this drama gets a 9.5 (from me) and not a 10 is because of the ending. The ending was not very satisfying to the audience, considering that they were spending time (MOST OF THE EPISODE) away from each other and longed to see each other again in the real world. I just wish the directors added an extra episode to show how their life was after they found each other in 2025.

Other than the ending, the ENTIRE story is a great watch! The system pissed me off though, it tried to ruin everything, but in the end, it redeemed itself by allowing the 1999/2000 Gao Haiming and 2025 Lin Huan'er to reunite with each other. So, I give it a pass.

The story was REALLY good! I found it to be quite comedic and engaging. (I'm the kind of person who skips certain scenes when annoying parts in a Cdrama come up and with this drama, I didn't skip ONE SECOND of it). The process was very good and the leads weren't awkward with each other. Their romance was pretty clean and light-hearted.

I know that some Cdrama fans don't want to watch this Cdrama because they heard that Chen Xingxu and Wang Yuwen are longtime friends, so they feel that them being in a romantic drama together would make the scenes awkward. To be honest, it was the COMPLETE opposite! Those 2 were so natural with each other and NOT ONCE did I feel like their kissing scenes or cheesy lines were weird. Everything fell into place and the butterflies flew quietly.

In summary, I would 100% recommend this drama to anyone! The story has a bit of a nostalgic feel to the story (My Girlfriend is an Alien). So, if you haven't thought about watching this show already, PLEASE go into your app/website and give it a GOOD WATCH. Thank you for reading this review and I hope you have an awesome day!!!!

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Polyamory Lite

It was refreshing to see a drama featuring a polyamorous relationship not end in "finally making a choice" or a sad breakup, especially as we get so few titles featuring polyamory as it is. For that, I give them credit!

However, I did find the presentation of the relationship to be rather surface-level, with very few moments of romance or real, quality time spent with Kita and each of his partners. I kept waiting and hoping to see more depth. The drama seemed more focused on side plots and outside obstacles interfering in the "33% Club," though.

I can understand already having the relationship between the three and Kita established and so not delving much into their backgrounds, but for the polyamory to play such a major role in the story and not actually illustrate/prove how strong the connections are to make them so committed . . . Made me find the drama lacking.

It's not bad by any means; it's light and fun, but, for me, it just didn't take itself seriously enough when it mattered.

Also, my lord, could Minami, Toko, and Yu be possessive of Kita!

For positive polyamory rep, I'd still recommend it! Sannin Fufu is coming in at #1, though!

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Soft and slow, but in a good way

the kind of film that doesn’t try too hard to impress you, but somehow ends up staying with you longer than you expect. It moves slowly, almost like it’s asking you to just sit with the characters and feel everything with them instead of rushing to the next big moment. At first, it might feel a bit too calm, like nothing much is happening, but the more you watch, the more you realize that the emotions are quietly building underneath.

The story itself is pretty simple, nothing overly complicated or dramatic. But that’s actually what makes it work. It focuses on small moments, little conversations, and subtle changes in the characters. Those tiny details end up feeling very real, like something you could actually experience in your own life. There’s a certain warmth in how everything is portrayed, but at the same time, there’s also this soft layer of sadness that never fully goes away.

Visually, the film is really beautiful in a very gentle way. It’s not trying to be flashy, but every scene feels thoughtfully put together. The lighting, the colors, even the way the camera lingers on certain moments all add to the overall mood. It gives off this calm, almost dreamy vibe that makes you feel a bit more relaxed while watching, even when the story gets a little emotional.

The acting is one of the strongest parts. It feels natural, not exaggerated, which makes the characters more believable. You can tell what they’re feeling even without them saying much, and that quiet kind of acting really fits the tone of the film. It doesn’t force you to feel something, it just lets the emotions come to you on their own.

What stands out the most is how the film handles its emotional side. It’s not overly dramatic or intense, but it still hits. There are moments that feel warm and comforting, and then suddenly there are moments that feel a bit empty or bittersweet. It kind of reflects real life in that way, where not everything is clearly happy or sad, but somewhere in between.

Overall, In Your Radiant Season is not the type of film you watch for excitement or plot twists. It’s more about the feeling it leaves you with. It’s quiet, a bit nostalgic, and slightly emotional without being overwhelming. The kind of film that makes you pause for a moment after it ends, just thinking about everything you just felt. Perfect for when you’re in the mood for something calm, reflective, and a little bit meaningful.

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Not groundbreaking, but still a hidden gem that is definitely my best watch so far this year~

This show only having 26 episodes is unconstitutional! It's realistic and grounded, but with very good writing and direction. People often mistake "ethereal aesthetics" as the pinnacle of good dramas, but good direction shines even more in dramas like these. Before I start with my review of the story, it's important to note that this is a slice of life show that you watch with your family on TV over dinner or while you're lounging in the living room in the evening. It's intended to be a legal education that is digestible for normal people. It's not some grand legal drama emphasizing the "glory" of the legal profession and the judiciary. It's very down to earth, and if you don't like that and expect dramatics, you probably wouldn't enjoy this one. Another downside I can see about this show that might turn people off is the weird dubbing at some scenes. But it's not even a problem of the actors. It's more of the production team changing the lines post-production to pass censorship. If you can get past some scenes where they do that, then you're good to go.

STORY:

I'm going to preface this by saying that they definitely did their research in writing the show. But then, I read that this was supervised by the Supreme Court, so it's bound to be accurate to a certain extent.

First of all, what I love about this show is that some of the cases don't end definitively or in a way that is intended to satisfy the audience. Instead, some cases are resolved in a way that is true to human nature. It's very much true to life and close to reality. Because some family matters just don't get resolved in the "perfect happy ending" that we wish them to be resolved. Like Shen Xiezhi, we go on this journey to slowly acknowledge that even when the law dictates this, even when the moral norms of society expect that—the wishes of the parties themselves are the most important, and to truly resolve the grievances in their hearts, the resolution of their cases must be tailored for them and their situation, and not mere textbook answers we find in codals and society.

On this note, I also love how they don't just focus on one case at a time, because the reality is that judges and lawyers have to deal with several cases a day. And this show simulates that pretty well without disrupting the flow of the story, since we are still able to see the linear timeline of the main characters' personal lives.

Another thing I love about this show is that the world doesn't bend to accommodate Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's love. Instead, they are the ones who have to bend to accommodate to how the world goes. That's reality. That's life. And it makes me appreciate their relationship even more, knowing that they've made a lot of efforts and thinking to make it work—all the while not sacrificing what is inherent in them as individuals. Their careers really matter to them, and they respect each other's careers and choices, too. Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui are two people with different dreams and aspirations—one wants to be a judge in the High Court, the other wants to work in a big law firm and earn a lot for herself and her Grandma—and they both know from the start that being together might hinder their career options in the future (because of the recusal rule preventing a judge and a lawyer from working within the same jurisdiction). And you know what? This is what makes the angst so good, delicious, and just *chef's kiss*~ This is what makes the wait to see how they will resolve all of this all the more thrilling. Here are two people who love each other; and they love each other too much, to the point that even if it hurts their heart—even if they miss each other all the time, they are still genuinely happy for the other for pursuing their dreams. There is no resentment in the choices that they made—just understanding (that it is what it is), longing (to be with the person even if it is impossible at the moment), and a sense of pride (that the other is reaching greater heights that they have long dreamed of achieving). I can't emphasize this enough, but they are truly just such a mature pair and a very healthy couple. And even when they started off at the wrong foot, with endless "meet uglies", their best traits still shone for the other to recognize and admire.

I also love how we saw different types of marriages in this show. We saw Judge Shu Jing and her husband's marriage, as well as Judge Yu Le and her husband's marriage. I particularly like the side story about Judge Shu Jing and her husband because I think aside from Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's relationship, they are another good contrast to Jiang Feng and Lou Yue. While Jiang Feng and Lou Yue think that it will be a sacrifice to take a step back in their careers for the sake of their marriage and may be a cause for emotional blackmail in the future, Judge Shu Jing's husband has made peace with his decision regarding his career change and doesn't necessarily see it as a sacrifice, because he's more than willing to live a much simpler life for his family. As for Judge Yu Le and her husband, they're kind of a "perfect" pair. I say this lovingly: She's such a pampered princess off work, but it's okay because her husband is more than willing to indulge her. There's also Judge Ying Danian and his wife, who are quite a lovely and chill pair, even at the face of challenges (like his wife being sick). They're braving it together and he's a constant support for her, and it's just lovely to see.

On the topic of Judge Yu Le off work, I really love her off work outfits. She's so fashionable. Also Hu Aixi.

Special Mention: Jiang Feng and Liu Lian. Jiang Feng is such a funny friend. He's just a silly comedic relief for me. Whenever he goes to Shen Xiezhi's apartment unannounced and unsolicited, I just know they're going to piss each other off. As for Liu Lian, she's such a great friend. I really love her friendship with Qin Rui. They have stuck with each other for better and for worse and I love how in the moments where Qin Rui feels down, she's there to pull her up and remind her that she's there, better days are coming, and everything will be alright.

Special Mention 2: Chen Xianghui. I really love his ending. It was such a pleasant surprise for me when I saw it. And you know what? HE DESERVES IT! He's so dedicated to his job and constantly shadows Shen Xiezhi to learn from him. He can be a little self-deprecating because he has failed the Bar Exam multiple times, but that never stopped him from doing his best. It's just so commendable.

(You can check the comments if you want to read some of my insights on Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's characters and relationship.)

ACTING/CAST:

I'm going to be honest, Gong Jun didn't really stand out to me as an actor BEFORE. I watched his shows early in his career and after that, I stopped tuning in for his shows altogether. I am quite fond of him in variety shows, though. He seems like an overall lovely guy in real life. But this show changed my perspective of him as an actor again. He's actually good if given the chance to work with good directors and writers. He really brought Shen Xiezhi to life and his acting is so natural and convincing. He can be funny with his judging looks in the courtroom (he's a judge, and he judges LOL), but he can also deliver the perfect emotions of a discerning outsider watching emotionally-driven confrontations in court. Sure, he is moved, but he also maintains the level of professionalism required for his job. I really hope he gets a chance to work in similar shows because I feel like these types of shows suit him more? (Anyway, this truly put Gong Jun back in the map for me. I might even revisit some of the shows he has done after I stopped tuning in for his shows back then. And tune in for his future ones, too.)

As for Ren Min—THE ACTRESS SHE IS. I have always liked her. She's such an effective actress that I can always count on being immersed whenever I'm watching her. There's so much depth and nuance in her acting, that I could empathize with Qin Rui and feel for her. I saw that she actually wrote a character analysis for Qin Rui before they started filming and this dedication to the craft is truly awe-inspiring. She's definitely going places and I'm so excited to see her future works.

Gong Jun and Ren Min have amazing chemistry, especially when they're bickering. I really ate up their dynamic in this show and kinda went crazy when the obvious dislike their characters had for each other became charged with something else that they're both too scared to name. I hope they work together again. I think they would work well in an investigation drama. Or maybe those infinite flow stories (I think it's the new trend in C-Dramaland right now).

I have constantly said before that an actor is good is when I'm able to enjoy the show while watching him or her. If the actor delivers what he has to deliver and make me feel for their character, then they're good in my books. For this show, everyone has done a great job in doing that. From the main characters, to the supporting characters, and most especially to the main characters in each of the cases. The acting in this show is very grounded, and I think that's what makes it more effective for me. I am truly convinced that these are real life people facing these real life problems and I'm really just wishing the best resolution for their cases all throughout the show.

MUSIC:

The OSTs in this show are quite unassuming. I didn't even realize that I've had it memorized (and that I even remembered it) until I started humming along when the songs play in some scenes. There's nothing really much to say about the music, but the sound effects and BGM are all well-placed throughout the show and they have never felt out of place.

REWATCH VALUE:

Would you believe it if I said it has so much rewatch value, I end up rewatching while I'm still watching the episode itself? I always catch myself rewinding the scenes (especially Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui's scenes) and as if that's not enough, I even go to XHS to watch edits. The rewatch value is just so high for me, I can't even explain it. It takes me hours to finish a 45-minute episode, it's quite insane.

OVERALL:

I thoroughly LOVE this show. I love this show so much, I have written a lot of thinkpieces about Shen Xiezhi and Qin Rui. I just cannot find it in me to shut up about them. At the same time, this show has also generated a lot of discussion (especially on Chinese social media) and it's quite interesting to read some of other people's takes, too. Not only is the show fun in itself, but the experience of watching it is fun, too. Call me a nerd, but I really love it when good discussions are made regarding the plot and the characters, interpreting their backgrounds and motivations and how these affect how they move along in the story.

Like I said above, it's not groundbreaking. But nevertheless, it is still a hidden gem that everyone should have the luck to come across with. It's definitely my favorite watch this year so far and I really hope everyone can give it a try~

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Depressing

I found this drama to be a major disappointment. While many coming-of-age stories find beauty in growth, this one was unnecessarily depressing. The finale was particularly frustrating; seeing the core group of friends disconnect and move on in different directions felt like a betrayal of the audience's emotional investment. Instead of a satisfying conclusion, it offered a cold dose of reality that made the hours spent watching it feel like a total waste. If you are looking for a show that celebrates friendship, I would suggest skipping this one."🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🤭🥲🤭🤭🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🤭🥲🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

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Sweet

I really loved the male and female leads. The 1st half of the drama was definitely my favorite part. I also enjoyed the two side couples, who were friends of the leads. However, the 'adopted brother' relationship with the female lead felt really creepy to me.✿♥︎♥︎♥︎♥︎❀❀❀❀❀♫♫♫♫♫◐◐◐◐◐◐✜✜✜✜✜✜✜✜✥✥❈✰✱✩✡︎✸𓃵𓃠𓃟𓃭𓃟♥︎♥︎❀𓃭𓅿❀𓆉♫✥𖠑ꪉ✈︎☔︎☔︎☔︎☔︎☽☽☽⁂⁂😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘💙💙💙💙💙💙❤️💙❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💙💙❤️❤️❤️💙❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙💙❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙💙❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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I still don't understand the title

This kdrama showed me a lot of the things I missed about the industry: real people - real skin, pores, skin texture, beard stubble, beautiful and healthy, sun kissed golden skin; people throwing liquids at the FL; a hopelessly in love ML; a healthy dose of nonsense; the nonsense ring tones and a ridiculous keyboard tapping sounds; people looking sad and depressed, saying nothing for long periods of time, looking longingly at their surroundings.

It was fun and depressing, with a little sprinkle of nonsense and hope. Even if it was annoying at times, it was nice to see real people and a story that takes its time. The state of recent kdramas has me longing for simpler times and I guess that's why I watched this one.

Even if the beauty standards aren't as strict as today, they're still equating glasses and curly hair with ugliness, but I guess that's still universal, unfortunately. In this drama we see superficial "improvement" or more topical and stylistic ones, instead of the permanent ones we're seeing in today's kdramas. Most of today's kdramas seem like an advertising to the plastic surgery and cosmetics industry. It feels like they're telling us to apply new paint to an imperfect house because what matters is what we see on the outside. Anyway, this kdrama was refreshing because it was an escape of what the kdrama world is largely becoming.

It has been puzzling me for a while how there are so many dramas that deal with cancer. It's a very specific trope to KDramas, which is probably something that is very present in Korean society. Tropes and stereotypes exist for a reason. They might be reductive but are usually indicative of at least a trend. I found out not long ago that there is a correlation between the presence of military bases and the increase in cancer diagnosis. Correlation might not be causation but the probability of causation is very high.

I'll leave a few articles here that might bring light on this:
https://gijn.org/stories/investigating-toxic-military-bases-and-their-links-to-cancer/
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/unpublished-study-finds-elevated-cancer-rates-us-military-base-2023-11-10/
https://www.civilianexposure.org/military-bases-are-full-of-cancer-causing-compounds/

Besides being the highest polluter in the planet, the US military is poisoning the people around the world. They have 800+ military bases all over the globe and these are the ones they have in South Korea, they're a lot for such a small country: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Army_installations_in_South_Korea
It doesn't matter that many of them are closed, the contamination remains in the soil. The uncountable amount of cancer patients we see in KDramas could be linked to that, since, in some way or another, kdramas reflect Korean reality. Maybe that would be something interesting to talk about in a kdrama but with such levels of pro-US propaganda I doubt anyone will ever do that.

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Came for the actress, stayed for… actually no, I left.

This isn’t a bad drama, and I can see exactly what it’s trying to do. The commentary on toxic fan culture, boundary‑crossing “supporters,” and the way the entertainment industry flips its loyalty the second an idol stops being profitable — all of that is valid, necessary, and honestly refreshing to see addressed so directly. Celebrities are humans, not emotional vending machines, and the show makes that point clearly.

But the execution doesn’t always land. The scenes meant to highlight how dangerous obsessive fandom can be feel oddly muted, and the company’s reaction — treating criminal behavior like a PR hiccup — ends up more frustrating than impactful. The message is strong; the delivery wobbles.

The mystery element doesn’t help. When I can identify the killer before the story even settles, the suspense loses its footing. Predictability isn’t fatal, but it does make the viewing experience feel flatter than it should.

I’m not angry at the drama — just quietly stepping away before mild disappointment turns into irritation. I’ll give it a respectable score for the actress and the intention behind the commentary, but this isn’t something I need to push through.

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Absolutely atrocious!!

If I could give this series zero stars I would have given it zero stars! It says it's a series featuring four distinct stories; yet there's only two that had any, well anything! And I only seen three stories as the last story was 4 of those episodes and that's where it stops; episode 8. I probably would have been interested in the last one called "Blood Fighters" but that one never showed up so couldn't watch it and then this claims to be a BL anthology series, but I just saw one that way. This was very poorly written, very poorly executed, no real plots or stories, the acting was bad, felt incomplete and all in all; it was just really stupid to me.

I have no idea what "Make A Picture Production" was doing when they produced this, but it should have never been produced. It should have been named "This Should Never Have Been Produced As a Project For BL Fans" because it's so bad and I wonder why it wasn't completed. Now, I usually don't tell people not to watch something, but I'm telling you, DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME! You'll regret it as I did and I'll never get that wasted time back.

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