Reviews

Best Friendship relationship

This series is basically best friends relationship, like ML being gay and he think he is wierd and FL being supportive. I almost hated it when they when separated but I happy when they met. This is worth of watch

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Not so great series

I fail to see how this series garnered so much support, other than the pre-launch marketing hype that comes with these dramas. For this particular series, while some of the acting was good it wasn't exceptional as I have seen in some of the cdrama - genre of wuxia, xanxia and palatial series types. Thje story of the fl/ml is convoluted and doesnt establish a solid rapport to carry the other plots past and present that arise in the drama. There are too many subplots that detract from the former comment AND, while it had great potential to be a great drama it let itself down in too many plots. subplots dictating and overtaking the mainthrust for the FL/ML in addition to both of them taking too long to see each others true identities especially for ML to fl. I have seen better than this to be honest its marketing hype is doing a great job of promoting it but there's disappointment at the watching side of all that marketing

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A surprising enjoyable find in 2026

Obviously this is an older drama so there wasn’t a ton of expectation. However, I truly enjoyed it.

First thing, lots to adjust to in the production, the acting of actors, and overdramatizing. However as i progressed, it grew on me.

What I liked the most was the value of learning points from the lives of the people in the story. Therefore, I feel that writing was strong, making valid points and connections that applies to everyday life. Those kind of things appeals to me a lot so I highly value that in this. Female lead and her characterization of someone who is extremely kind, humble, and thoughtful is ideally a great person in these troubling times. I just really enjoyed her and her relationships with everyone in her life. Her budding bonding with male lead was cute. He, male lead on the other hand was a character to adjust to. Saw another review who felt lead was a dud. I on the other hand related to him, and found him adorable. Yes, everything about him was slow moving mannerisms so he can feel like a boring character. I though felt his opposite mannerisms from female lead made them a formidable pair, who is one of my favorite pairings and by now I’ve watched a LOT of kdramas.

It’s a story of families and their life happenings. Familiar in many of these family dramas, there’s hits and misses in portrayal. Lots of hits, and frustrations with repeated misunderstandings. Otherwise, it’s a meaningful story that by end tied well with a happy ending. I definitely enjoyed it and felt it was a great find.

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A wholesome, uplifting story with just enough bite

Edit: Mea culpa. I had a brain fade while writing review 1.0 and posted it. It was not good. My bad. This is version 2.0. 🙏

On the surface, this is a sports centric youth drama. We are talking about junior soccer packed with senior high school boys. So much testosterone! ;)

I'm thankful they are a bunch of good kids. I mean that literally. Sure, there are friendship issues and bullying, but they are minor compared to the usual idol dramas. When you have a band of soccer bros, you know who have your back.

I have my doubts about the FL's role in this setting. She is a square block in a round hole. She has no teaching qualifications nor sporting prowess. She went back to her grandparents’ hometown after a nasty experience at university where she is doing her doctoral thesis. Ditto, our ML who was a star junior soccer coach came back from the UK as a dejected man. Both are ready to execute their version of lie flat.

This drama basically has 3 themes, soccer, soccer and soccer. Oops! I mean our OTP's romance, multiple healing journeys and the beautiful game. ;)

The pairing of our leads is nicely done. Their meet-cute is tropey but very effective. Thankfully, there are no second leads to muddy the water. Even then, it wasn't all smooth sailing as the ML has an ulterior motive to get close to the FL. Once they sort out their misunderstanding, we are rewarded with some nice skinship.

On the other hand, there are enough angsts in our OTP's backstory to allow the writer to inject some real-world issues like cyber bullying, mental illness, identity thief into the plot. Some might find the resolution superficial. I won't judge.

Let's be honest, this is a feel-good drama at its core, good will triumph over evil, eventually. Communication will resolve any misunderstandings, eventually. Our soccer bros will bring their A-game . . eventually. Hwaiting!

With the excitement of the recent FIFA World Cup, the timing of its release is perfect. The show doesn't try to be too technical. There is just enough talk about tactics and game play to give it some credibility. Everything is grounded. Not a hint of Shaolin Soccer anywhere. ;)

The young actors played their roles well. Their interactions give us real Band of Brothers vibe. It is uplifting and heartwarming. They made the soccer segments fun to watch.

You will cheer on the underdogs. You will appreciate the long game played by the elders. It touches on some societal issues, but only lightly. It is a relatively small world they live in. For this type of drama, that is enough.

Is it any good? It is good. Solid rather than inspired. Entertaining and brimming with empowering, feel-good messages. This series has hearts and an easy watch. There are evil in the world, but in this little corner, there is only soccer and romance. That will do.

Ultimately, this is not a big budget production. It is not perfect. We could nitpick until the referees come home, but what’s the point? We should be thankful for a few hours of uncomplicated entertainment in these times. Peace.

P.S. I noticed Ms. Yu toned down her acting and even modulated her voice in this drama. Is this part of her long term plan to transform her image? Intriguing.

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A great romcom

I watched this sometime after Full House, which was also a romcom. I must say this is both acted and written better than Full House. Entire cast is likable with likable characters.

This show is mainly about a female protagonist who is a tomboy who has never worn high heels. Gender bender confusion is done very well in this show. The other, a favorite, gender bender show, where true gender is hidden, I had seen was You Are Beautiful. Here the deception goes on much longer than that show.

The romance in this show is more mature than either Full House or You Are Beautiful.

I didn't know what a Barista was before this show. I had seen coffee restaurants use that name but didn't know the meaning. I also dint know it takes real skill to make good coffee , to be a good barista. Here characters get trained years to become a barista. I was surprised. I mean how hard can coffee making be?

My minor negative comment on the show is I felt early on it was drawn out and slow at times.

Finally I think the ending was good.

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"Inseparable in heaven, and intertwined on earth. My heart is yours, for all eternity."

I genuinely cannot believe it took me this long to watch this drama. It was a complete masterpiece from start to finish. I have honestly never watched a 40 episode drama this quickly! This drama made me laugh and cry and feel all the emotions, and I honestly wish I could wipe my memory of this and watch it all over again <3

This drama was one that was on my watchlist for a while, and I have honestly heard nothing but good things about it. (I can confirm that no one was in fact lying when they said this was absolutely amazing!) I honestly have so much to say, but I will try to not ramble too much. (No promises, though). Ao Ruipeng and Bai Lu were phenomenal in this drama, and I absolutely adored their chemistry! Their characters, Fan Yue and Bai Shuo, went from being two people who were just using each other to being completely devoted to one another.

The romance was definitely more of a slow burn, but I honestly loved that! I think that it made sense for their characters, and also I do love when the romance between the male and female leads of a drama is a bit more drawn out and slow to start. That just makes the moment when they get together all the more satisfying! I hope that Ao Ruipeng and Bai Lu have more projects together in the future, and I would absolutely love to see them in another historical drama together, or even a modern one! This drama honestly made me fall in love with Ao Ruipeng. His acting was honestly fantastic, and I definitely need to watch more of his other dramas.

Bai Lu is an actress that never fails to disappoint me when it comes to her roles, and Bai Shuo was no exception! I absolutely loved her character growth throughout the drama, and how she goes from being a slightly naive girl to one who is courageous and doesn't give up, even when things seems utterly hopeless.

Fan Yue has easily become one of my favorite historical/wuxia drama male leads. At first, he seems like a typical "cold" ruler of the Bright Moon Palace, ruthless and cruel. He is also seen by the other sects as arrogant and selfish. However, as the show progresses, those labels and assumptions aren't necessarily true.

While he can be ruthless and cruel when he needs to be, Fan Yue secretly is harboring a lot of pain, especially after being the sole survivor of the Baize clan, in which everyone was slaughtered and his brother was kidnapped. He also shoulders a lot of burdens for his people and for other demons. He does everything in his power to ensure their safety and peace. His trusted confidants, Tian Huo and Cang Shan, have been beside him for years, and they also devote and dedicate their lives to him. Fan Yue is not the cruel demon king that everyone thinks he is. He is utterly selfless and protects those he cares about with unrelenting determination.

When he first meets Bai Shuo, he at first is just using her to absorb all the Five Contemplations so that he can use the Contemplation Stone to remove the Seven Star Soul Burning Seals on him. He is at first distrustful and suspicious of Bai Shuo, as he isn't entirely sure why she, a normal human being, is able to activate the Contemplation Stone.

Eventually, though, Fan Yue does eventually come to care for Bai Shuo, although he doesn't realize it at first. I honestly love that they fall for each other gradually. Slow burn can be excruciating, but I think that it's even more rewarding once the couple actually get together. Fan Yue's eventual devotion to Bai Shuo is so swoonworthy, and I also love that he's willing to risk his life for her. He will do anything and everything to protect her.

He is also definitely the "touch her and you die" type of male lead. If anyone (or anything, because this man literally went to go and destroy some carnivorous flowers after they attempted to hurt Bai Shuo when she was gathering herbs in the mountain) harms Bai Shuo, this man will exact revenge pretty much immediately. He also becomes utterly soft with Bai Shuo, and I honestly think that they have one of the healthiest relationships in a wuxia drama that I have ever seen.

I mean, yes, their relationship didn't exactly start out great, considering the fact that they were both using each other for their own personal gain, but eventually, it blossoms into something that is genuine and steadfast. Even when Lan Zhu tried to take over Bai Shuo's body and take Fan Yue away from her, their love for one another never faltered.

Fan Yue saw right through Lan Zhu, and took action, along with Chong Zhao, and they were able to help free Bai Shuo from the sea of consciousness that she was trapped in. He also continued to reaffirm that the only person that he would ever love and the only person in his heart was Bai Shuo.

Fan Yue cares deeply not just for Bai Shuo, but for his kingdom and its inhabitants. He will do anything to protect the Bright Moon Palace and everyone he cares about, including Tian Huo and Cang Shan. Can I also just say that I absolutely adored these two?

Tian Huo is honestly such a badass and I love how fierce she is, but we also eventually get to see the softer side of her, the side that will do anything for people that she cares about, even if she doesn't outwardly express it. Her story was incredibly sad, and I had hated her father at first, for supposedly sending her mother to her deathbed, but in reality, he was just trying to protect her by sending her away. Her younger brother is also so sweet:(( Even when he was turned into a monster, he still continued to protect her:((

I'm really glad he ended up surviving in the end! I absolutely bawled my eyes out when Tian Huo used all her spirit power to repair the broken Outlander's sword. That scene where she's dying in Fang Yue's arms is genuinely so heartbreaking. Fang Yue lost one of his closest friends:((

And also, Cang Shan's death was also super heartbreaking to me as well:(( I hated how he and his father never got a chance to repair their relationship after Cang Shan left the Stone Clan. His sacrifice was devastating, but I of course understand why he did so. I honestly felt so bad for him that Tian Huo never reciprocated his feelings for her:(( I honestly had a feeling that he liked Tian Huo, but I wasn't too sure until he got jealous and annoyed how relentlessly Ming Jiu was pursuing Tian Huo.

I hate that Fang Yue lost his closest friends and confidants:(( (also a small side note for Chong Zhao and Fu Ling: I honestly really loved them together! I remember I didn't like Fu Ling at first, but she slowly grew on me! And for Chong Zhao, I am glad that he didn't end up becoming evil or continue to chase after Bai Shuo. It seemed like that at first, but eventually, he was able to move on with someone else. I truly felt for him, and I was so incredibly sad when he died. I also HATED that Fu Ling died, especially when Bai Shuo realized that she was her sister, Bai Xi. THAT SCENE WHERE SHE DIES ABSOLUTELY BROKE ME)

Bai Shuo's character really grew on me. It wasn't that I necessarily disliked her at first, "i guess it was just that I was confused of her origins, considering the fact that she could absorb the Contemplation Stone and also activate. She at first seems quite naive, but she slowly becomes more mature.

Bai Shuo has been seeking immortality all her life in order to repay the person who saved her and her older sister's life when they were little. At first, this is her goal, but as she continues to experience more tragedies and hardships, it shifts. I loved seeing her maturity and growth develop throughout the drama, and I also loved how incredibly brave she became, even when things seemed so incredibly desperate. She also showed that she truly cared and loved Fan Yue, even when there was some doubt from others.

Ultimately, their love defied fate time and time again, and I absolutely sobbed during episode 34 when Bai Shuo proposes to Fan Yue and then later on, he dies in her arms. This episode was so incredibly heartbreaking and devastating, but it also proved that Bai Shuo and Fan Yue loved each other so deeply. I adore these two, and I do wish we got to see the wedding in the actual drama, but I am glad we got a bonus episode! It was a little bittersweet, though, as there was no one around to witness it:((((

There is honestly so much more that I could say, but this review is already WAY too long. If you haven't started this drama, I highly recommend! It's a must watch and one of my absolute favorite dramas that I have watched this year!

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This was very whimsical

I know this was 15 minutes long, but it will still get a review from me because I love writing lmao. I will give it a 9 (8.9) out of 10, and truthfully, there is no plan for this review; I am just going to rant.

For starters, this was really cute, and Dee Hup needs to lock in and make this a full series; I will help fund it, I swear to god. I have grown to love Tee and Heng so much, so I actually don't play about them.

If you are looking for a well-thought-out show, this is not for you, like at all. But if you want whimsicalness and joy because you are currently watching don't be too emotional and getting your heart dragged through the mud, ESPECIALLY with the most recent episode; this is so for you. I loved this so much, and it would have been perfect if we got a kiss, but you know what a girl can dream.

I loved how cute they looked in this, especially with Heng in the glasses; I love him with glasses, my lord. Also, Tee with his hair down and actually not evil I love to fucking see it; so cute. I would give my life for these fools.

Regarding the plot, they also had a love-at-first-sight kind of vibe, which was really cute. And then that kind of gave way to this repetition that also felt really cute, so good for y'all, because we actually did our big one with this shit. The whole thing where he falls onto his lap was adorable; I am a fool for that shit, I can't lie. And yeah.

Here is my final quote from the final episode: "Maybe get off the Gemini dupe and go talk to him bruh. They are adorable lmao. AWEEEEE THEY ARE SO CUTE. DUMB ASS SHOW. THIS WAS VERY CUTE."

Loved this; it was cute, so just go check it out because it is 15 minutes in total, bruh. Okay bye!

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A Surprising Gem That Completely Won Me Over

I went into this with absolutely no idea what to expect, and somehow it ended up giving me way more than I ever bargained for.

At its heart, it's a sweet, simple story about a genuinely relatable lead finding his place in life, growing one meal, and one challenge, at a time in the kitchen. Set against the backdrop of a military outpost, it blends heartfelt moments, lovable supporting characters, and nonstop comedy into something that just works. Seriously, it works so well.

And can we talk about how funny this show is? I laughed in every single episode. The cast absolutely nailed their roles, making every character feel memorable and easy to root for.

Bonus points for the soundtrack, too. That pop-punk/rock anthem had me instantly hooked, bringing back memories of carefree, youthful summers blasting punk music.

This series completely caught me by surprise, and I loved every minute of it. Season 2 can't come soon enough.

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The ending kinda ruins an otherwise wonderful series.

Overall, a fantastic, classic wuxia ... until the final episodes. More on that later. First I just ant to laud a few key points that I liked. This show has so many strong elements starting with a script that create very real, very complex characters who, with the possible exception of the villainous She Wan Chen, were not 2-dimensional cartoon cutouts. Most of the characters in this drama were multi-layered, often involving sides of white right along with sides of black and of course, lots of grey. In particular, the 'love triangle' dynamic involving Miao Renfeng, Nan Lan and Tian Guinong was both angsty and heartbreaking to watch unfold, but also brilliant drama as all three characters show both good and bad sides. Renfeng may be pure heroic of purpose, but he was a negligent fool of a husband who broke his promises to his wife in favor of promises to dead people long gone. That was the first betrayal of their relationship. His essential abandonment and refusal to prioritize his wife and child pushed the insecure Nan Lan right towards his 'best friend' / hidden enemy, Tian Guinong. Who psychotically, obsessively coveted anything and everything that Miao possessed. Some viewers hated Nan Lan for 'cheating' on Miao. But in prioritizing his quest for the truth about the deaths of Hu Fei's parents over his promises to his wife, Miao was actually the first to, "cheat". He abandoned her again and again for months at a time, leaving her alone, vulnerable and scared. And while it was one thing to do in their first years together, once she had a child to care for, it became a ridiculously dangerous and awful thing to keep doing to Lan and Roulan. So she, like any mother, was attracted to the idea of the stable, secure home that Tian promised her. And Tian didn't just woo her with promises. He legitimately acted so sincerely nice and caring to both Lan and her child that she had zero reason to think he was anything but sincere towards her. Literally until late, near the end of the series when she finally sees the truth of the evil deeds that Tian has done, she had no reason to think he was anything but a good man. And I think he DID really love Lan and even, for a time, Roulan. But his love was less than his evil psychosis. On the other story arc, Hu Fei is a bit of a strange character. He starts off as a street smart clever child able to survive alone even after his "uncle" is killed ... but when they time-skip to the 'present day' storyline he immediately acts like a naive, overly-trusting idiot who keeps stumbling blindly into trouble. He only very, very slowly grows more smart and cautious and is a bit irritating to watch make the same dumb mistakes again and again. But he's wonderfully nice and pure of heart and a fantastic fighter and so easy to root for. The two women in his life are both complex, loving him dearly but both chained by the script writers with their own 'noble idiocy' drama tropes that unfortunately, get carried out all the way to the end of the show and never released. Ziyi hid her relationship with her father and her commitment to the agenda of her nutcase 'master' all the way to the end until it was too late. And Ling Su hid her poisonous fate until it, too, was too late.

And this brings me to my biggest complaint about the show. Yes, I understand that the source material is a very old story that purposely ended ambiguously with only two likely outcomes, both being unhappy for one reason or another. So sure, the original source material ("The Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain") did not have a 'happy ending'. So I guess that meant the writers of this show felt compelled to also not have a 'happy ending'. Fine. But the problem with the final couple of episodes isn't just that the show ended with so many unhappy fates for so many characters. The problem was that almost every single one of the 'bad fates' was pointless. There was nothing gained plot-wise or thematically by the deaths of Ma Chun Hua, Miao Renfeng, or Cheng Ling Su. And there was absolutely no point to having Yuan Ziyi tonsured to the life of a nun. Each of these fates was awkwardly contrived and forced upon the story almost as if to purposely trigger the viewers. Yes, the show teased some of these fates from early on so they weren't pulled out of nowhere at the last second. But to tease these dumb fates doesn't validate that they made sense story-wise. Ziyi becoming a nun was based on classic drama trope false-guilt and false commitment to crazy teachings pounded into her head by that nutcase "All-Knowing Nun" that were abslutely logically stupid and made no sense to anyone with half an ounce of rational thinking. It just made no sense. Renfeng staying outside the doors just to get shot to pieces made no sense. He wasn't saving anyone by doing so. And so on. So the whole thing felt at the end like the writers forced all these 'bad fates' purely for the sake of doing so.

And jeez I didn't even get into wondering WTF happened to the twins and Xiaomei at the end of the show? The fates of those three were completely glossed over by the writers. Just ridiculous.

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Much Ado About Power

Ashes to Crown began with all the ingredients of a gripping political revenge drama, but unfortunately it struggled to maintain the momentum.

The story opens with Chu Zhao, the headstrong daughter of a powerful general, determined to marry Prince Xiao Xun despite her father's objections. Against all expectations, she gets her wish and eventually becomes Empress when Xiao Xun ascends the throne. It initially looks like the familiar tale of lovers overcoming parental opposition—but that happiness is brutally short-lived. Xiao Xun murders her father's trusted deputy, has her father killed to seize control of the army, and finally strangles Chu Zhao.

She awakens in the past, standing before the tolling bell of a temple, with every memory of her previous life intact.

This time, she resists the marriage. Armed with knowledge of the future, she takes a completely different path. During the rebellion that claims the Crown Prince's life, she allies herself with Xie Yan Lai and fights her way to becoming the guardian of the young emperor, the Crown Prince's son, and the Grand Princess.

From there, the court becomes a battlefield of political intrigue, with four major players vying for power: Xiao Xun, Chu Zhao, Xie Yanfang (the young emperor's uncle), and Deng Yi, the emperor's mentor. Later, after Xiao Xun escapes the capital to his father's feudal territory, the struggle narrows to a three-way contest.

The strongest aspect of the drama is undoubtedly the verbal sparring. Court debates and private confrontations are packed with clever arguments, half-truths, distortions and outright lies. Watching each faction justify its actions while tearing down its rivals was often more engaging than the political schemes themselves.

Unfortunately, the actual political manoeuvring never felt particularly convincing. The strategies employed by the various factions seemed surprisingly shallow, and despite all the plotting, it often felt as though very little was actually happening. Ironically, that sometimes resembles real-world politics—plenty of scheming and endless arguments, but very little progress.

Beyond the political debates, there are the obligatory fight scenes, a few battles and the expected romantic moments, but none are especially memorable. Familiar tropes also make regular appearances—the "only one bed" situation, characters hanging perilously over cliffs, and other scenes we've seen countless times before. Contrary to some reviews, I also found the pacing rather slow.

There are, however, several positives.

Chen Duling delivers an excellent performance, effortlessly balancing kindness with a hint of darkness that keeps you wondering whether Chu Zhao herself might eventually cross the line. The rest of the cast also perform well.

One unexpected strength is that even some of the villains evoke sympathy. Several are intelligent and capable people who could have achieved great things had they not become consumed by ambition, greed or their own twisted beliefs. Their downfalls are surprisingly moving, while the eventual triumph of justice is genuinely satisfying.

The overall premise is intriguing, but as the story branches into its numerous subplots, much of the intrigue dissipates. By the end, it feels like a great deal of plotting with relatively little payoff.

One final mystery remains: I still have no idea how the English title Ashes to Crown relates to the story.

Overall, this is a decent political drama with strong performances and an interesting premise, but one that does not quite lives up to its potential. If you have a quiet weekend and have run out of dramas to watch, it is worth a look—but I would not put it near the top of my recommendation list.

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Taking Palace Intrigue to the Extreme

So many historical Kdramas focus on the control of power by way of controlling the throne. I've seen many historical Kdramas where there was a plot or subplot of someone (usually a high ranking official) who wanted to assume control of the throne, so they plotted and schemed to get the present king dethroned or killed, or the Crown Prince was killed so someone else's pick for heir would move up in line. This specific drama revolved around the consequences of such scheming for power.

For 30 years, the bloodline and heirs of the king, were mysteriously killed off one by one. Deemed a curse by the pond spirit, the king engaged a young man gifted with the ability to cross over into the spirit world to do battle with this resentful, angry spirt who cursed the royal family seed because she was unfairly and tragically murdered. But once the pond spirit was gone, the deaths still happened. The plot thickens as the main characters discover that the evil doesn't reside with the spirits, it resides with the living. Spoiler alert---Those in power who have committed such atrocities, have to continue to kill anyone who finds out about their secrets. This is the story of murder after murder all for the desire for more power and control of the throne, and to silence anyone who finds out about the secret killings.

This made for a thrilling drama with all sorts of twists and turns. Acting, sets, costumes, fight scenes, and the ghoulish-side of it all were executed extremely well. My only criticism is the confusion of trying to keep straight who did what to whom and why. Plot twists are great in mysteries. Just when you have things figured out a twist is thrown in. I love these. This drama had that, but there were twists upon twists that, in my opinion, made the storyline a tad too complicated.

The two main leads, played by Nam Joo Hyuk and Roh Yoon Seo, were outstanding in their roles and really carried the drama. The visuals and special effects were also outstanding especially of the spirit world. And this drama gave birth to a mischievous little side character/spirit, Kkeomeoksali, who has taken the internet by storm. I predict this cute but evil little creature will be the next trending Labubu.

All in all an enjoyable and thrilling Kdrama, and at 8 episodes, it was just right.

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Tainted

Zongyi, a top student, finds Zerui, a gang member, bleeding on the street and is forced into bringing him into his home.

What I Love
On one hand its a sweet story, it has elements of healing, creating your own family and waiting for your soulmate. On the other hand, it’s a tragic story with elements of loss, betrayal, rejection, separation. And it’s all tied up in a mafia trope with action sequences too. The plot twists are amazing and I didn’t see any of them. The side couple also pairs really nicely with the main couple. The rest of the characters are brilliant, especially Zongyi’s family. This show was so addictive it was amazing.

What I Hate
I was confused if Zongyi was in college or not…. then it became clear that he was a high school student, so I assumed he was 18. No, Zongyi is 17 and Zerui is 25, that’s nasty pedophilia. There’s no reason for him not to be 18 and it negatively effects the story. The show also never acknowledges that Zongyi was essentially assaulted.

Nitpick
I wish the series was more developed, especially after the time skip. There’s so many things I wanted them to explore and circle back to.

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Watch for sweet but psycho Ju Tae Seon

Note: The drama's intro theme has been created using AI.

To start with, I would suggest not reading the plot summary. Part of it ruined my watching experience. Unless you prefer to have all your facts in advance then go ahead.

Lee Chae Ha decides to become a police officer after struggling being labelled as a son of a murderer. He gets called to work in the prosecutor's office under Ju Tae Seon who detests murderers and bizarrely Chae Ha as well. So it doesn't make sense why he wants to work with him. Even more bizarre is when he angrily kisses him. The show definitely wanted to give us a wild start! It was quite intriguing as to why he was behaving this way so I enjoyed the journey of his evolution.

Chae Ha seemed to have some level of guilt so even when his senior was clearly abusing him, he refused to walk away. Professionally, they seemed to do well together despite the bickering and the disgust Tae Seon felt for him.

There are 2 cases that are the focus of this show - one is a murder in the present and second is the murder of the past committed by Chae Ha's father. In my opinion, the mystery wasn't great. The presentation of the murder case they were working on was confusing and I lost interest in it. I just barely followed along . Similarly the case of the past, I couldn't fully grasp the significance of the murder. Some clues are in the intro. If it wasn't for the two leads and their relationship, I wouldn't have cared about this drama even though I love crime thrillers. I felt like this was the weakest aspect of the show. Also, it was pretty obvious where the show was headed.

The final episode was nice and everything was wrapped up pretty quickly.

I still applaud Korea for trying something new even if it wasn't perfect. At least I enjoyed the journey and that's what I mainly gave it points for. I especially loved Kim Yoon Sik's acting and portrayal as Ju Tae Seon. He's definitely eye candy!

The OST is pretty good too. I just wish they didn't use AI so I had to deduct points for that.

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