Reviews

Good, but still disappointing.

I loved the trilogy (the books): it's undoubtedly one of the most innovative science fiction novels of the last twenty years (after Dan Simmons' "Ilium and Olympos").
The casting choices are quite judicious... But the screenplay is too truncated.
Of course, it's impossible to adapt a book into a film (even with thirty episodes), but here we almost have a different story (compared to the novel). Without the ending, we lose all the power of the book; because it seems obvious that there won't be a sequel.
So: a very good story, but read the books before watching the series.

***

Bien, mais quand même décevant.
J'ai adoré la trilogie (les livres) : c'est sans conteste l'un des romans de science fiction les plus novateur de ces vingt dernière années (après "Ilium et Olympos" de Dan Simmons).
Le choix des acteurs pour les personnages est plutôt judicieux... Mais le scénario est trop tronqué.
Certes, il impossible de rendre un livre en film (même avec trente éoisodes), mais là on a presque une autre histoire (par approt au roman toujours). Sans la fin, on perd toutte la puissance du livre ; car il semble évident qu'il n'y aura pas la suite.
Donc : trèèès bonne histoire, mais lisez les livres avant de regarder la série

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Unveil: Jadewind — Stunning Cases, But a Rushed and Predictable Ending

Unveil: Jadwind is character-driven drama that blemds emotional depth, political intrigue, and layered relationships with strong performances from both tha leads and have great cinematic visuals, it delivers both intensity and tenderness though have few pacing issues.

Pros:
1. Visually stunning: The cinematography is one of drama's strongest points. From costume detailing to atmospheric lighting, every frame feels carefully crafted and elegant.
2. Strong lead performances: both the lead and the supporting characters were done nicely and delivered emotions in a controlled yet powerfully manner.
3. It portrays the idea that not every solved mystery needs public exposure, showing that sometimes protecting others matters more than exposing the truth.

Cons:
1. The fl always tries to kill herself to solve the cases, there isn't single case where she don't attempt it. At first, i thought it was impactful and bold, but repetition gradually made it lose its emotional weight and feel unnecessary.
2. A few cases were written in a very complicated way, with too many details and sudden explanations. Story followed a familiar pattern, so big moments didn't feel very surprising, because of this, suspense was weaker and less exciting.
3. Many characters were under developed. Several supporting roles had potential, but they weren’t explored deeply enough, which made it harder to feel emotionally connected to them.


****Spoiler Alert****
The main plot was revealed only in the last few episodes, which made the ending feel rushed. The villain was underdeveloped, and it was confusing how they even found him. When the ML stopped the FL from killing the villain and they broke up, it felt dramatic but not fully satisfying. The truth about the FL’s parents was finally revealed, but the king gave the villain only a light punishment, which was disappointing.

Later, one of her father’s loyal army men planned to expose the villain by killing his sister, the king’s consort. The FL knew about the plan and accepted it. But in the end, the consort was not killed, and the villain was punished — not for killing her father, but for rebelling against the king to protect his sister. This made the final resolution feel less impactful and somewhat frustrating.

Atlast everything was predictable and lost my interest. I skipped through last 6 eps.

Overall, I gave it a 7.5/10 because the individual cases they included were interesting and fun to watch. Even though the main plot had flaws, the process of solving each case kept me engaged and curious. The investigative parts were the strongest aspect of the drama and made it worth watching despite its weaknesses.

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Just draw!

I'm so happy to once again be able to see a Mei Nagano work. Putting her past behind her for now, I really must recommend this movie.

The overall pacing of the movie is a little odd only because I believe they followed the manga style of exposition. Since this is based on a life story turned into a manga turned into live action, it definately has this feeling about it. When the story begins it starts out as a standard comedy movie but by the Midway point I believe it delivers a good message of self worth and trust. It just never hits that really high note to be a masterpiece.

Hayashi is performed brilliantly by Nagano. She's always so good at being an ball of anxiety with the ability to turn on the emotions at the drop of a dime. There's so many points in this story where Mei has to just abruptly cry. It's incredible. I teared up like 3 to 4 times throughout this movie. I could tell with the subject matter the was going to be a something in this story that hit hard, but I was not expecting that many moments. I always look forward to her roles where she plays the airhead that gets sense beaten in to her.

Oizumi plays that hard headed teacher well but there were times when the tone of his actions didn't seem like he was 100% all in. I think it felt like Oizumi's natural calmness was fighting hard to be that gruff teacher lol. So sometimes the emotional scenes didn't hit as hard because you didn't believe the interaction. But overall I'm happy with his performance. Just wished that during the last arc of the movie he acted more like he was actually dying.

Her parents were a little too animated for my liking. They kinda took me out of the scenes they were in. The other two supporting characters, Kitano and Ima, I felt were very under used. Ima like he went thru ass arc in the background. I'm thinking they were cut for time. But Ima has one really great scene near the end that I thought was beautiful.

The idea of growing up and making life decisions is abundant in this movie. It explores the topics of living for yourself and not being bound by others expectations while forging your own path. The message resonated with me astoundingly well. When Hayashi is fraught with decisions she tends to just let things escalate until it's too late, later regretting her decision. It makes her such a human character. We can all relate to her. I can even see that in so much that she might have been even suffering from mild depression or decision freeze. Not being able to move forward because she was just going with the flow and not allowing herself to think for herself. There were too many choices and no conviction. I also like how the movie portrayed how overly praising someone can actually hurt their self esteem later in life.

The adult in me is agreeing with her by the end but the child in me understand why she seemed like an irresponsible adult. It wasn't so much that Hayashi was irresponsible, it was the fact that she lost that spark only the teacher could bring out of her. That spark defines what drives us, our raison d'etre. When we make life choices, things always get in the way. Practicality and effort are driving forces in Hayashi's decisions and she tries and loses focus so many times. It's only by the end that she understands the real reason we keep going is not because we are forced to, it's because we have to. I think if they let a bit of those moments breathe more it could of been an A+ movie.

The cinematography of the movie is very vibrant and easy on the eyes. There's a few really nice scenic shots and some great use of color and lighting, which is expected in a movie about art. It was visually pleasing to watch with no real faults.

Music wise I don't remember anything really but the overall music suited the mood. There was some funny quirky songs, some sad piano and a mix of some variety for the everyday scenes. The theme song is cute.

A fairly enjoyable movie that probably could be watched a few times.

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Black Horse Drama

When I first saw this the poster for this, I thought it was going to be a comedy and cheesy and honestly, only started watching it because I liked the ML. However, what started as something light, quickly became nuanced, brilliant and the romance actually was very believable. The plot was way more developed and well thought through than I expected. it was multi-layered. It was fresh. I think this might be my favorite Cheng Lei drama and perhaps one of the more unique dramas I've watched in a very long time. It shows Cheng Lei's acting range. He can be funny, sad, intense, commanding, angry, sad... just such a versatile actor. Now, Wang Chu Ran was also amazing. I have not watched anything else she has been in, but this lady is not just a pretty face. She held her own in ever respect and had just as charismatic of a presence on screen. She and ML had amazing chemistry.

Honorable mention goes to the girl who play Xie Yong Er. What a beauty and I believe we will see more of her soon.

This drama absolutely deserves to be watched and is one of those that can be watched multiple times.

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The best version for that year

I watched Wang Xiao Yi version first two years ago on the same day on 2024. Both drama are watchable and still decent to watch but this drama give more point because FL character was so stunning when she reborn, less verbal sparring-more action and plot was on right track. Although Min Jie isn't particularly stunning at first glance, his acting is quite decent; the tear he shed during the kiss when they confirmed their feelings was just right. The chemistry between them was underrated. It was my secret CP back then. This is my favorite version of the story.

This version is really well done for that year. The cool and domineering FL is incredibly powerful. True revenge isn't about killing him outright, but about slowly tormenting him. It's satisfying to see her take revenge on the scumbag. The romance between ML and FL is so sweet; FL always takes the initiative.

Decent watch for the classic drama

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The "villains" against the world (the plot).

I went into "How Dare You?!" almost blind. I had not read the original novel, watched the donghua, nor seen the vertical drama. I only knew a few trigger warnings and the general direction of the ending. However, as someone who reads a lot of isekai manhwas and manhuas, I expected something trope heavy and predictable.

In some ways, it is exactly that. Modern people transmigrate into villain roles, navigate palace politics, and try to escape a written fate. But the execution surprised me. It is more emotionally aware and character driven than I anticipated.

The tone balances romance, humor, politics, and angst well. The comedy never undercuts the tension, and when it turns dark, it commits. The shifts never felt jarring to me.

Cheng Lei and Wang Churan were perfectly cast. Their chemistry and skills carry the emotional core of the story. Many scenes rely almost entirely on their expressions rather than dialogue, and they deliver. Wanyin’s wardrobe is also consistently breathtaking and deserves special praise. Dan’s long hair and styling suit him so well that it enhances his lonely presence and as emperor.



⁂ Wang Cuihua becoming Yu Wanyin

The setup is simple and effective. No dramatic accident, no truck-kun, no tragic prelude. Just two ordinary modern people suddenly thrown into a poorly written palace novel as villains meant to die. Wang Cuihua becomes Yu Wanyin, a doomed concubine of the emperor. Zhang San becomes Xiahou Dan, the tyrant puppet emperor.

What I liked immediately is that there was no long drag of them hiding from each other's identities. Immediately, we sense relief from Wanyin. But for Zhang San as Dan, it is far more overwhelming. And his reaction hints that his loneliness might have ran much deeper than hers.

As Wanyin, Cuihua is not overly dramatic about her situation. She approaches it with practicality, sometimes cynical. She does not have encyclopedic knowledge of the novel, so she cannot outmaneuver the plot with foresight alone. Instead of trying to steal the original heroine’s route, she aligns with another villain with the same tragic written fate.

Between her and Dan, she is the one constantly forming plans. Part of that comes from her having the main gist of the story. But more than knowledge, it is motivation. Where Dan feels worn down by years of surviving, Wanyin feels activated. She has urgency, and most importantly, she still has hope. She has something to fight against because she has not yet spent a decade being defeated by the system of that world.

Another key difference is that Wanyin builds alliances. She believes certain people can be convinced. Dan, having grown up in betrayal and manipulation, had long defaulted to isolation and control. Wanyin still operates with the assumption that trust, while risky, is possible.



⁂ Zhang San’s life, diary, and his life after meeting Cuihua

The biggest emotional punch for me was slowly realizing that Dan had been in that world since he was a teenager. He was not freshly transmigrated like Wanyin. He had grown up there. He has lived longer as Xiahou Dan than he ever did as Zhang San.

That reframes his cruelty. All along, the tyranny was not an act. He grew up under manipulation, poison, and constant danger. He learned to be cruel because the world around him was cruel first. In a palace where kindness is punished, he adapted. He learned to distrust and strike first. He learned that survival requires hostility and distance. Dan is not just lonely. He is resigned.

The diary entries deepen that impact. They begin almost humorous, then turn devastating. We see a lonely teenager trying to test fate and slowly realizing the world will not bend for him. The helplessness in those entries hurt when connected to Dan's current actions and attitude towards Wanyin.

When Cuihua arrives as Wanyin, the tone in his life shifts. For the first time, he has proof that his original life as Zhang San was real. That he was once loved and valued somewhere else. You can see how much that grounds him, because he can be Zhang San again. Before her, his alliances were transactional. After her, they become collaborative. He relearns trust. He allows trusted people closer. His softer expressions, smiles, and decisions not driven purely by calculation show Zhang San resurfacing within Xiahou Dan. Through their partnership and relationship, he slowly allows himself to hope again.


⁂ The villains

The drama presents two central antagonists. One who has been always the villain, the Empress Dowager, and another who became a villain, Duan. I would argue that he was made a villain because of his past, because his stubbornness and insecurity led him to refuse reality.

The Empress Dowager initially comes across as almost theatrically frustrating, even pathetic. But as we watch more of her, she is actually really despicable. Her obsession with power was not shallow ambition. Her connection to Qiang adds dimension and maybe a bit more context to her actions, but it does not redeem her. If anything, it explains why she consistently prioritizes control. She did not care about the empire and its people at all. The cruelty she inflicted, especially on Dan, reframed so much of his behavior. Growing up under someone like her would twist anyone.

Duan, on the other hand, is more complicated.

As the original protagonist of the novel, he was meant to be the righteous hero of the story. He is intelligent, observant, and politically capable. But, as trashy the novel was, he is also written to be deeply insecure and rigid in his worldview.

His mother’s suffering apparently defines him. Even knowing the Empress Dowager is truly responsible for that, he redirects his anger toward Dan. Part of it is cowardice masked under practicality. The Empress Dowager is too powerful to confront directly. Dan, as her puppet, becomes the more accessible target.

But it is also psychological. He needs Dan to embody cruelty so that his resentment feels justified. If Dan is not monstrous, then Duan’s hatred loses its moral clarity. When Dan begins acting more righteously, Duan cannot process it and interprets it as manipulation. If someone else occupies that moral ground, especially someone he has defined as the villain, it destabilizes his entire identity. And instead of reassessing his assumptions, he doubles down. His refusal to accept reality slowly pushes him into antagonism.



⁂ The allies

This drama is ruthless with allies.

Xu Yao’s early death immediately unsettled me. It came so soon after he aligned himself with the leads. And my guts were right on the impending deaths. The allies were on a countdown spree. Every time a new ally joined, I got anxious for them. The scholars, Yonger, Mr. Bei, even the late introduced ally. The drama kinda conditioned me to expect loss early on.

Yonger’s arc is one I have mixed feelings about. At first, she felt shallow and mildly irritating. But after she learned the truth and chose to align with the leads, she softened. She began to feel like a younger sister to Wanyin. That is why her death should have devastated me completely. It did hurt. But when I think about how she died, the impact becomes emotionally underwhelming. Instead of some last heroic move, she was killed suddenly, stabbed mid conversation by one of Duan’s cronies. Realistic, perhaps, but I wanted more weight given to her end.

Mr. Bei’s death, on the other hand, shattered me. He brought so much warmth into an increasingly heavy narrative. So, when the reveal surrounding his death came, I was sad. I had suspicions before the reveal of his death, but I still was not prepared. In a narrative point of view, it made sense that his abilities would circle back in a tragic way. But predictability did not make it hurt less.

The repeated loss of allies made the victories feel heavier, and that is why I understand Wanyin’s guilt so well. Many of her plans succeeded strategically, but they left a sad and bitter taste behind.



⁂ The ending

The final stretch felt dense and slightly exhausting, in a way that makes sense for a story that has been stacking consequences for so long. A lot is still happening, and they need resolution. Between Dan waking from his coma, Duan’s downfall, and the political aftermath that follows, the narrative is clearly closing in on its conclusion. Yet emotionally, it does not feel entirely settled. All of it was compressed into a short span of 2 episodes. Some questions were resolved emotionally, while others were left hanging.

Dan’s poisoning is one of the concerns that still linger for me. We know most of the poison was expelled and that he wakes up, but we never receive full reassurance that it is completely cleared. After investing so much in his survival, I wanted stronger confirmation.

Tiancai's situation also left an ache. He never learns the truth about Yonger. He just learns she went home. I understand Wanyin’s choice not to tell him, but it denied him closure. He cannot properly grieve because he still believes she is alive somewhere.

On the positive side, Dan proposing as Zhang San to Wanyin as Wang Cuihua meant a lot. He did not need to propose anymore. Wanyin was already empress and the harem was dismantled. But this was not about Dan and Wanyin anymore. It was Zhang San and Wang Cuihua. It acknowledged both identities and promised that they would choose each other beyond the novel world.

The return to the real world and the brief reunion on the train left me conflicted. It wasn't clear if they lived the rest of their lives in the novel after the proposal, before they returned. I also usually dislike short reunions that is alike quick epilogue or a fan service. Here, however, it worked just enough because their happy ending had already happened in the novel world and they have promised to choose each other in the real world. Still, I cannot deny that it felt slightly incomplete because of some details that are left unanswered, probably because of censorship.

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Cute, typical coming of age Cdrama

You can never really go wrong with a coming of age cdrama-- they're all so good! This is no exception.
I LOVE LOVE the two leads, literally obsessed with Return of the Queen and Love Between Lines so seeing both leads in a drama together was such a surprise.
The high school part had the best plot, and cute moments here and there, but really focused on overall friendship and growing of relationships.
The college part fell on the plot, but the romance was made more solid and thus very very cute.
I'd give this a 8/10, I did hear this was before the leads were big in China and so the drama was low budget, but honestly you couldn't really tell. Very easy watch, though I did skip some filler plot in the last few episodes. Hope we can see them together again!

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IT MADE ME CRY A LOT BUT I SHOULD MOVE ON

it was so fucking good until the last episode. i do not have any problem with sad endings but thing that i do not understand it, who the hell was that guy? he was the exact xi gu. i don't like it because they did with voice actor and i think it was unnecessary. i understand why he's looking for him in someone who looks like him. that joke he played on him was actually very heartbreaking. if there was a feeling i did't even feel that. the acting was fucking amazing. there were a lot of gaps in the script, and i would have liked them to develop the main couple more. i am an anti for an age gap couple and i just skipped their part. however i should say that sun bao and hao's friendship was irreplaceable. yeah, xi gu always will be eighteen and we will get older unfortunately.

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"You are merchandise"

Mizoguchi Kenji’s Street of Shame was a chaotic stream of emotions. Women who worked as prostitutes for different reasons were faced with the loss of their profession when the government threatened to make it illegal.

The Yoshiwara “shop” has been open for 300 years and is facing the end if the government makes prostitution illegal. The owners have loans to pay off and the women who work there are either living in poverty, providing money for family members, or are deeply in debt. With few good paying jobs for women available and sullied reputations, they are truly between a rock and a hard place. Yume is aging and wants to live with the son she has provided for since the death of her husband. Yorie has a boyfriend who makes clogs, but doesn’t know what she does for a living. Hanae has an infant son and ailing husband. Before her new job they had discussed family suicide as they couldn’t provide for their baby. Yasumi is the #1 Girl and uses her wiles to receive extra money from men. She ended up in the trade arranging bail for her father who went to jail for embezzlement. New girl Mickey, was a delinquent who acted out against her father and can’t stop herself from going into debt buying nice things. Shizuko’s family sent her to the house in order for her to send them money. The terrified girl has nowhere else to turn. No one really wants to be there but none of them have viable options.

The scaffolding of this film was the threat of making prostitution illegal thereby shutting down the “shops” and leaving the prostitutes debt ridden, homeless, and unemployed. The owner said he was running a social service by providing them with jobs. How magnanimous, especially with him taking the lion’s share of the women’s cut. The film briefly touched on the lack of employment opportunities for women and the dearth of social safety nets. As one prostitute found out, marriage wasn’t exactly a step up in some aspects.

The women were discussed as merchandise by others and themselves. When society offers women few alternatives, they can’t then demonize them for selling the only thing they have of value, even if it chips away at the fabric of their being. Mizoguchi didn’t shame the prostitutes, but that didn’t mean they didn’t suffer from it. “If I’m a whore, what does that make you?” When a woman is desperate enough to sell her only asset, the situation is usually dire. The shame is not on her, but on the society that created the untenable situation in most respects. The “shops” only increased the personal debt for most of the women as they became trapped in a vicious cycle.

The legislation threatening the women’s profession wasn’t the real problem, the real problem was far more difficult to fix, an underlying social framework that doomed these women to turn tricks to keep themselves and/or their families fed and sheltered. As much as I could appreciate what Mizoguchi was attempting to do, I found myself somewhat distanced from the women and their trials. I was not emotionally reeled in until near the end of the film when the bills came due, especially the final scene which was devastatingly poignant. Definitely worth a try if you enjoy old films or Mizoguchi in particular.

24 February 2026
Trigger warnings: Alludes to sexual encounters but nothing shown and no nudity. Attempted suicide and suicide alluded to.

Musical note: The music was odd to say the least. It sounded like music from an old UFO or sci fi film.

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historical series with a heart (watch suggestions)

Overall: a character's conversation with her dad put this into an 8.5 rating. 8 episodes about 24 minutes each. Aired on Final Draft Creation YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKKpOS7I2FuuT-WpSyl4LwS9KS2SmTO6A (the playlist was missing 2 episodes but they were available on their channel)

Content Warnings: violence, death, grief, homophobia, sexism, coercion

Watch Suggestions (to cut out content warnings and love rivals)
- watch episode 1
- skip episode 2 parts 2 and 3
- start ep 3 part 1 at 5 min, watch parts 2 and 3
- skip episode 4
- skip episode 5 part 1, watch episode 5 part 2, stop part 3 at 5:45
- watch episode 6 part 1 1:05 to 2:05, skip part 2, watch part 3 beginning to 2:05 and 5:05-end
- watch episode 7 part 1, stop part 2 at 2:40, skip part 3
- skip episode 8 parts 1 and 2, watch part 3

What I Liked
- antagonists had their reasons and a woman's conversation with her dad that it was his and society's fault was stellar
- costumes
- historical setting
- learned about Khon
- realistic ending in the past (see the spoiler comment)

Room For Improvement
- no clear distinction between present and past (think it happened at 3:45 in part 1), it was more clear to me with later time jumps
- love rivals (though I appreciated how they weren't cookie cutter and had reasons for their actions)
- wish the present day was less of an open ending

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This one tops it all

I’ve seen many absurdly stupid K-dramas over the years. In fact, I stopped reviewing shows here because I felt like I was saying the same thing over and over.. This show was so stupid, I actually came out of retirement so I can say something about it.

Here’s the list. I’ve only watched 9 episodes but I feel like it’s been 100.

1. The characters are supposed to be elite athletes but they’re only selectively athletic. The boxer is the only one that does anything.

2. The boxer is also the main plot device because he’s hot tempered and moves the plot forward by doing stupid things.

3, Another show that doesn’t know what it wants to be. People get brutally stabbed and shot. Then, the next minute, you see the captain doing stupid dance. Crap like this keeps happening which breaks the flow completely.

4. The female character has no personality. She normally has blank face as she walks around. Occasionally, she will give disapproving looks here and there.

5. Main characters get hit by bats and metal pipes multiple times but still get up to fight. They heal remarkably fast.

6. No matter what happens, it’s only the four main characters who show up. No other back ups. Call the coast guard! Call the SWAT team! It doesn’t matter if there are 50 bad guys. It’s them 4. All the time.

7. How many times can the main villain get away without any evidence? Take out your cell phone and take some pictures!

8. I like the actor playing the captain normally but I really can’t stand this character. He’s an idiot (I keep using this word to describe characters here) and I can’t stand his weird dancing.

9. I think the script may have sounded cool on paper but none of it works because the ideas are so juvenile and stupid.

I could go on but I’ll stop.

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Even Zhang Jinyi couldn't save this drama

I watched this because of Zhang Jinyi sake only and the cast point solely for her but her voice actor has soul and i prefer her original voice. I will make statement: Xie Hongxin can't act despite his longer experience than most of short drama actor i know, he needs biggest improvement since most of all his show with many different kind of FL was always carried by actress; he appears wooden and dull in this drama, although the kissing scenes are technically skillful and intense. The chemistry in this drama was completely off.

The plot cannot aim lofty theme, simple rebirth premise is sufficient.. Even after the ML and FL clear up their misunderstandings and unite in their resistance, they are clearly outmatched, with the SML and SFLs constantly causing trouble. ML and FL know the plot's development but lack strategy and fail to prepare defenses beforehand; if it weren't for the SFL's betrayal, they would likely have died at the Crown Prince's hands. Therefore, the drama's satisfying moments of punishing the villains are lacking; watching the ML and FL always feels powerless, fearing defeat. The part where they confessed their feelings and then each tried to call off the engagement was really unnecessary and felt so weak.

The only good thing is Zhang Jinyi carried the entire drama even though its not enough. Avoid at cost.

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In my opinion, this was an excellent drama. I got completely hooked and never once felt like it was dragging. A huge plus for me was that it portrayed the real problems Asian idols face — the ones that are often kept silent. Staying quiet about your struggles, being forced to smile when fans cross boundaries because otherwise a scandal breaks out. While watching, I didn’t feel like anything was particularly forced, although after cooling down and thinking about it a few hours later, a few issues did come to mind.

I’ll start with the murder case. Personally, I was deeply invested in it and watched each episode with genuine curiosity. I think it was mainly this storyline and everything connected to it that made me like the series so much. I’ll admit — I correctly guessed who the culprit was, although I was convinced that this person wasn’t acting alone, so that part surprised me. I also have to confess that at the very beginning I had Kang U Seong written down as a suspect (laughing through tears). And I’m still not over the fact that he died, because the flashbacks made him one of my favorite characters, and I wanted him to have a happy ending. However, I do have to nitpick something here. I’m not knowledgeable about law, yet even I was struck by this detail — though only after thinking about it later. How on earth did Se Na, supposedly one of the best lawyers, not check the evidence found at the crime scene from the very beginning and show it to Ra Ik? This is a crime drama. I understand that it would have solved the case immediately, but it just makes no sense. The iCloud issue is less glaring, though I still feel that the prosecution should have accessed it early in the investigation. So, in summary, there were at least two noticeable plot conveniences that could affect the overall perception of the drama — personally, they didn’t bother me too much, but I tend to overlook such things.

Now onto the main couple — Maeng Se Na and Do Ra Ik. For most of the time, I genuinely enjoyed watching their relationship. Almost every time (with a small exception when he found out she had been his fan), they stood firmly by each other’s side and were a huge support during difficult moments, protecting one another. It was also clear that they became better — and happier — people because of each other. He learned to show his true emotions, his real self, and that he too deserved love. She learned to slow down, to enjoy her life, and to stop running from her past. I also loved them individually as characters. They were different yet similar, and they complemented each other well. However, toward the end I had one reservation. With Ra Ik, we clearly saw that he fell in love with the real her. But with Se Na, I have mixed feelings. I think the core issue was that she was still his obsessive fan even when they were already in a relationship. Instead of supporting him more as a partner, it still felt like she was supporting him as a fan (his merch, the concert ticket). On one hand, it was funny; on the other, slightly uncomfortable, and those final scenes somewhat disturbed my perception of their relationship (though I’ll pretend that didn’t happen :D).

I’m also glad that in the end the boys reunited as a group, reconciled, and created an album with their late friend — that really moved me. I’m also grateful that none of them turned out to be guilty, because for a moment I was worried about Lee Yeong Bin — he was a bit too calm :D. I did miss further development of Do Ra Ik’s storyline with his mother, especially an apology from her. Although, judging by her behavior, I had the impression that she didn’t fully understand her mistakes, so maybe that’s why we didn’t get one.

Returning to the legal side of things, I’m glad it was shown that Se Na started fighting to restore her father’s name after he had been “wrongfully” convicted. It would have been even better if we had seen her actually win the case. I hope Kwak Jong Cheol rotted in prison :D. As for Kwak Byeong Gyun, I’m glad he cut ties with his father and started fighting for the truth. Despite his mistakes as a child, you could see from the beginning that there was goodness in him, worn down by his father’s manipulation, which made me feel a bit of sympathy for him. Though I did hope he would wise up sooner and work with Se Na to find the murderer. Cheon Gwang Su was also a truly wonderful character — like a second father to Se Na — and it was heartwarming to watch how he supported her in everything.

Lastly, I’ll briefly mention Hong Hye Ju, because I simply couldn’t stand her. She hurt Do Ra Ik, constantly shifted all the blame for her behavior onto him — even when she cheated on him. And later she had the audacity to come back and hide behind the excuse of love. Even at the very end, after everything, she tried again, as if she were the only one who had suffered in that situation. A toxic creature. I had to get that off my chest — because I also became his fan :D

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Light romance between CEO ML X Pilot FL

I watched this because of Ione of Liu Xiaoxu's rare sweet dramas, and the overall atmosphere is very relaxed and comfortable. ML and FL are strong; FL is confident and generous, and ML is lively and cute. Not familiar with Tang Lijun but, she successfully bring the strong character without being pretentious.

The main role of the SML and SFL is to create trouble, but their methods are not clever, and their characters are somewhat stereotypical (stupid and annoying). Although the plot is formulaic and the villains are obviously just tools, its strength lies in the pure and sweet romance between the male and female leads, with no angst and natural, endearing interactions.

It's suitable for those who enjoy lighthearted, sweet romances, are interested in pilot/captain themes, and can accept familiar tropes.

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