Reviews

One of the Best K-BLs Ever! Insane Chemistry, Just Wish It Had More Episodes

The Prosecutor's Proposal easily solidifies itself as one of the standout K-BLs of the year and a top-tier entry in the entire genre. The director’s execution is stellar, and the actors are flawlessly cast with an off-the-charts onscreen chemistry that leaves you wanting more.

However, my personal grievance is that the 10-episode format forced a somewhat rushed pacing toward the end. It left things feeling slightly lacking for me, which was a minor disappointment for a story with this much depth. That being said, this flaw doesn’t take away from how fantastic the drama is as a whole. It’s an absolute must-watch, and I'm highly anticipating the leads reuniting for a second project in the future.

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Seeing some of the Reviews of this Drama, I wanted to say some things...

I think this drama was actually quite interesting. It was a bit overdramatic.
People were complaining a bit abt the character's seemingly not having a much of a personality outside of their relationship. I think this drama is only 12 episodes and is primarily focused on their relationship over the years. I like that it doesn't get too distracted from this and that the main storyline is them and their relationship, which I think provides enough material for this show because its quite complex.
People were bit shocked by the toxic ML - I'll get to this later.
I like that this drama carries themes of homosexual relationships, which are relevant to millions of people like homophobia within families. I like that we're shown the perspective of Cheng Yi Chen who tries to maintain a relationship through just avoiding the topic or lying because he loves his Mother regardless and just tries to make her happy, the perspective of his Brother who also just pretends and avoids the topic, the perspective of Qin Lang who tries to stall and also avoid and then the perspective of Lu Feng who wants to be out and proud and is so combative in his life.
So we already arrived at a toxic trait of Lu Feng's - his combatitiveness and lack of impulse control. He gets emotional so quickly and then blows everything out of proportion when things seem to be not going the way he wants them to. I think part of this also comes from the way he was brought up - his Father always beating him means he was taught he can achieve anything through a fight as long as he is the stronger one, rather than seeing the Value in Discussion. It also made him think that physical aggression between family members is acceptable behaviour. Obviously his lack of impulse control made his Father beat him more often, so it's not just physical abuse in itself, but also the amount of times he was experiencing it.

However, I don't think this drama is necessarily a story of a "victim falling in love with his abuser" as one review put it. I don't want to come accross as excusing any of Lu Feng's action's, obviously a lot of them are not ok. But I think this is a story of two character's who are deeply flawed constantly clashing. On top of that in a world which isn't the most gay-friendly which puts several external pressures onto their relationship. I think almost all of their issues throughout the drama could have been avoided with communication - and Lu Feng calming down lol, but maybe he would have if they would have communicated more.
- I mean their relationship also started when they were teenagers, so I understand why they were not perfectly communicating then and then a lot of extreme things happen, which make it more awkward.

But I think Cheng Yi Chen has issues as well. His issues are that he bottles things up, has low self-esteem, a people-pleaser and conflict avoidant. I think this is the reason he failed to communicate with Lu Feng properly, which is what increasingly burdened Lu Feng to the point where he felt that he couldn't believe anything Cheng Yichen said. At which point their communication completely failed and the worst things between them happened.
As for those things - I mean it was very intrusive (I think in general Lu Feng was very intrusive, which for me comes from his lack of impulse control - like in that scene in his office when he sleeps with Cheng Yi Chen and Yi Chen tries to stop him at first because its inappropriate in the office - because of his lack of impulse control Lu Feng doesn't care whether it is appropriate at the office), but for nothing I saw I am sure I would classify it as rape, because before sex you could always see Cheng Yi Chen initiating as well. Sexual Abuse was there for sure.
I am not trying to shift the blame for Cheng Yi Chen being sexually abused or "held hostage" - again, about this I am not a hundred percent sure, but from what Lu Feng said he could have called the police at any point, meaning he had access to a home line or something... but he didn't, because he actually did wan't to stay with Lu Feng, he just assumed Lu Feng couldn't forgive him, so he bottled it up and accepted what was happening, with this it's like yes, Lu Feng was psychologically terrorising Cheng Yi Chen, but idk if he was legally "kidnapping" him -, I'm just saying they both triggered the worst aspects of their personalities, which resulted in these situations.
Because the story takes place over years, they grow to understand their personalities - somewhat. At least they came to grow more patience for each other.
Lu Feng's overbearing and abusive actions also - somewhat understandably - drive Cheng Yi Chen to bottle more things up and basically become a shell of himself. As a conflict-avoidant person myself I understand that if I am in a situation which is very upsetting to me, rather than standing my ground I try to either run away (as Cheng Yi Chen does frequently, which deeply hurts Lu Feng because he is obsessed with Yi Chen - I'll get to that later), or I shut down (as Cheng Yi Chen does when he is kept by Lu Feng).

Another toxic trait of Lu Feng's is his lack of empathy. He really struggles to understand other's. Here I want to circle back to the families. When Lu Feng's (abusive) Father died, he seemed almost relieved. Contrast that with Cheng Yi Chen, who genuinely loved his parents and was destroyed when his parents died. Lu Feng could not understand this at all and therefore wasn't a very good support. This happened throughout the drama. I mean his lack of empathy also brought him to say those things to the Mum, I mean he couldn't understand how she might be upset by the things he is saying.

The lack of empathy and the lack of a proper family also brought about another toxic trait of Lu Feng's: His possessiveness of Cheng Yi Chen. For him, Cheng Yi Chen was the only person who mattered in his life. Yi Chen had more people he cared about. Because of his own lack of a caring family, Lu Feng's feels almost threatened by those people. Which he expresses through his combativeness with the little Brother.
This is connected to Lu Feng's central fear (which intensifies as years go on because it keeps happening, also because of Cheng Yi Chen's conflict avoidance): Losing Cheng Yi Chen.

I don't want to call the Bipolar Disorder a toxic trait of Lu Feng's - because its an disorder. All I am going to say is that I actually know quite a few people struggling with this. When you go through Manic episodes, you're behavior can sometimes scare other people/drive them away. I'm not saying this always leads to criminal actions, but I am saying that people who do commit criminal actions, cannot be seen as fully in charge of those actions. Sometimes they don't even remember they're actions in these episodes. Anyways its good he got medicated. And I like how Cheng Yi Chen helped him to make that decision.
The feeling of "I can't be crazy" and therefore refusing treatment is also something I have often come across.
And yeah, the Disorder properly worked together with the toxic traits of Lu Feng and the general issues in their relationship to make everything a lot more intense and therefore worse.

Anyways, besides the deep clashes in their personalities which led to bad conflicts, I did see their chemistry and obsession and understood why they always went back to each other.
Cheng Yi Chen was always obsessed with Lu Feng while they were apart. After his divorce, he initially wen't to seek Lu Feng out, but got cold feet. I felt this dynamic so often. He wanted to get with Lu Feng, but then held himself back because he was scared of something, which made Lu Feng angry and act extreme (lack of impulse control + empathy), which would scare Cheng Yi Chen more. Being conflict avoidant he then shut down and/or try to leave but then still only think about Lu Feng.
But it got better when they spent more together and gained patience for each other (like the second time they properly dated and the end - the first time was just a simpler time in general and they were teenagers).

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Hidden Gem!

If you like slice of life with strong female character, you have to watch A Better Life. I had low expectation for this drama, but I saw this was on Netflix, so it's at least a popular drama if Netflix picked it up. But through all of the episodes, there is no fast forward, increased speed or have this drama in the background. For me, this is an excellent drama. The story maybe cliche, some girl's life turned upside down after the husband had an affair, but the acting is superb. I really like the chemistry between FL and ML. And this is an inspiring story of the struggle that Hu Man Li experienced in her life and how she continue being a kind person despite experiencing and being treated badly by people in her life. A really good drama, I really enjoyed watching this.

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Another Zombie Thriller - Nothing New, Nothing Bad

Colony is a standard zombie thriller, with the twist of a bio-weapon outbreak. The familiar character types are all present: the brave-ones who lead the group, the scared ones who you know will make a mistake and harm others, another pair related as family and bringing in the emotional angle, the selfish ones who will do anything to survive

The main draw is the cast. Gianna Jun provides presence, Ji Chang Wook leans into his action persona, and Koo Kyo-hwan delivers a strong antagonist performance.

Technically, the film is competent—suspenseful pacing, solid acting, effective makeup, and visual effects. However, it offers little that feels new or distinctive.

Overall, Colony is a well-made but conventional entry in the genre. It works as a one-time watch for fans of outbreak thrillers, but it is not especially memorable.

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The show refuses to punish any villain

30 episodes approximately 10 minutes each and it is not some fluffy comedy but a piece of state propaganda on how the status quo should be maintained and as a citizen you should constantly eat bitterness.
I wanted a little bit of light relief after some pretty grotesque propaganda dramas I’ve watched recently but the CCP have just decided to double down on subjugating their citizens even with supposed fluffy romcoms.
We’ve got the two male leads looking to get married to a prominent family of two women and through a (sarcastically) hilarious mixup they end up marrying the wrong bride but it turns out they were the ones they were meant to marry anyway.

Blah blah blah, the end.

The problem is all the villains never seem to get punished and when they do, it is off screen but whenever the heroes get punished, we have to see them getting beaten.

There was one particularly jarring scene where they eventually brought down the corrupt cousin and he was wheeled through town in a box and the citizens were throwing some lettuce at him. His hair was a little messy, you know the odd strand out of place and his prison clothes were immaculate and even looked ironed. In the exact next scene we see are two male leads getting held down and beaten with heavy paddles.
Why? Who knows?
Well, I know, it is the message that even in victory you still have to suffer.
Truly, this is utterly grotesque and putrid having to grow up in this kind of regime that pumps out this consent to continually condition you into having your neck stood on. Sheesh!

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Worth your time on all levels!

If you’re into this genre like me, it would be hard to not love this drama!

It has a slightly different vibe - I think this comes directly from the ML character, who is extremely other-worldly and that never really shifts too much. He doesn’t turn into a relatable, warm n’ gooey human type no matter what the situation. Which is pretty great in terms of giving this a really cool angle. The guy is different than any other being on the planet, and they went with it.

Shen Li herself is a fantastic character. Strong, funny, stubborn, talented, she’s easy to like and cheer for. Loved her for her strength, and her ability to be a fully formed character, not arm candy, scheming, or fake strong. The character kicks butt on her own!

Visuals are good, and the music, ohhhhh man, it’s one of those ear worms that won’t shut up and plays in your head when you’re trying to go to sleep. You’ll know which one I’m talking about (you first hear it played on a leaf)

Side characters are numerous and memorable - actor He Yu’s bimbo playboy airhead (with a good heart) Furong is funny and a standout. There are many things to love about this, from the strong, unique, mature characters to the good effects and epic gods n’ demons storyline, it’s a must-see.

Just for comparison, other dramas Ive loved this much (or nearly) include Love Between Fairy and Devil and Love in the Clouds.

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Sometimes love isn't the hardest part

I don't think this drama is really about choosing between love and faith. It's about what happens when two parts of yourself refuse to coexist, and watching Tanrak wrestle with that inner conflict was both beautiful and heartbreaking. Nothing felt exaggerated. Every hesitation, every glance, and every difficult conversation carried so much weight that I often found myself holding my breath alongside the characters. Barth may be the one who disrupts everything, but neither of them is ever portrayed as right or wrong, and that's what made their journey feel so painfully human.
Gemini and Fourth once again proved why they're among the best of their generation. Bringing Tanrak and Barth to life was never going to be easy. These are deeply layered characters whose story relies on vulnerability, restraint, and everything left unsaid, yet they conveyed every fear, every doubt, and every unspoken feeling with remarkable sincerity. They didn't just play these characters, they became them, and all I can say is standing ovation.
If I have one complaint, it's that I wish this drama had been a few episodes longer. The final stretch felt rushed and heavily cut, leaving several emotional moments without the time they deserved. Even so, none of that stopped me from being completely invested. This drama had me on the edge of my seat until the very last scene, made me feel every emotion alongside the characters, and reminded me that some stories are simply impossible to forget.
This is one I'll be thinking about for a very long time.

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A realistic drama that is worth watching

After finishing *Ye Gou Gu Tou*, I can honestly say that it was a rewarding experience. While it is not a perfect drama, its strengths far outweigh its flaws, making it one of the more memorable crime dramas I have watched this year.

One of the first things that stood out to me was the cinematography. Every frame was beautifully composed and helped establish the emotional tone of the story. The drama also did a great job balancing its emotional moments with the suspense of the criminal investigation, keeping me invested throughout most of the series.

That said, there were a few aspects of the writing that could have been handled better. Some plot points felt underdeveloped, particularly Chen Yi's family background. I kept expecting the drama to explain what happened to his parents, but that part of his story was never fully explored. There were also a few scenes that stretched realism a little too far. For instance, Zhang Bin being stabbed multiple times with such a large knife while showing almost no reaction to the pain felt somewhat unbelievable. Fortunately, these moments were relatively minor and did not take away from the overall experience.

The only creative choice that I personally did not enjoy was the decision to have the main couple live together. It is not something I particularly like seeing, but since the drama has a mature and realistic tone, I accepted it as part of the story rather than letting it affect my enjoyment.

When it comes to the performances, I have to admit that Zhang Jingyi did not immediately win me over. During the earlier episodes, I felt that some emotional scenes lacked impact. However, as the story progressed, her performance became increasingly natural and expressive. By the end of the drama, I completely understood why so many people admire her, and I can confidently say that I have become a fan.

One performance that deserves special recognition is the actress who played Miao Jing's mother. She portrayed such a layered and emotionally conflicted character that I found myself constantly torn between understanding her and feeling frustrated with her decisions. She even reminded me of Yang Zi because of her appearance. Watching her finally regret abandoning her daughter was heartbreaking, yet it also made Miao Jing's emotional distance from her feel entirely justified.

I also felt incredibly sorry for Uncle Zhou. Losing the love of his life was one of the most heartbreaking moments in the drama, and his grief was portrayed with great sincerity.

As for Zhang Bin, he was exactly the kind of antagonist who made every scene feel tense. His unsettling smile alone was enough to make me uncomfortable. He was the type of villain you genuinely wanted to see brought to justice, so watching him receive a life sentence was incredibly satisfying. More importantly, it finally allowed Chen Yi to move forward without fear and without having to hide the truth from Miao Jing.

If there is one thing I wish had been different, it would be the ending. I was really hoping for at least one scene showing Chen Yi and Miao Jing getting married or sharing a glimpse of their future together. Still, seeing Song Weilong and Zhang Jingyi's natural chemistry during their promotional variety appearances somehow made up for that missing moment, so I eventually made peace with the conclusion.

The investigation itself was one of the strongest parts of the drama. Many cases kept me on edge and made me eager to see what would happen next. There were a few slower episodes where I wished the main characters had more screen time, but overall the suspense remained engaging from beginning to end.

I was also happy to see the drama receive a 6.9 rating on Douban. While some international viewers may consider that average, it is actually a respectable score for this type of realistic crime drama and reflects that it found its audience.

Finally, I want to give credit to the entire production team for bringing this story to life. I was especially impressed by Song Weilong's performance. I have often seen people criticize his acting as being stiff, but after watching several of his dramas, I simply cannot agree. I think he has a broad emotional range and expresses subtle emotions remarkably well. More importantly, he understands the characters he plays, and that is one of the reasons his dramas consistently perform well. This role is another example of how much he has continued to grow as an actor.

As for Zhang Jingyi, this was my first drama of hers. Although she needed a few episodes to completely draw me in, she ultimately delivered a performance that felt sincere and emotionally convincing. Together, she and Song Weilong created one of the drama's biggest strengths. Their chemistry felt effortless both on and off screen, making every interaction between Chen Yi and Miao Jing feel believable and heartfelt.

To be clear, I am not a shipper. I simply think they are wonderfully matched as co-stars, and their natural dynamic makes them genuinely enjoyable to watch together.

Overall, *Ye Gou Gu Tou* is not without flaws, but it succeeds where it matters most. With beautiful cinematography, strong performances, emotional storytelling, and an engaging investigation, it delivers an experience that stays with you long after the final episode. It is a realistic drama that I thoroughly enjoyed and one that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a grounded, emotional crime story.

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Some stories just need room to breathe

I'll admit that one of the main reasons I started this drama was Fluke, and it was so nice to finally have him back on my screen. There's something comforting about seeing an actor you've missed, and he reminded me why I've always enjoyed watching him. I liked the idea behind Saithan and Sila's relationship, and the peaceful farm setting gave the story a warm, cozy atmosphere that made it easy to watch. Sila was much softer and more caring than I expected, while Saithan's determination to stand on his own made him easy to root for. My biggest issue, though, was the pacing. Everything, especially the development of their relationship, happened a little too quickly. I never felt like I had enough time to fully see their feelings grow, which made some emotional moments less impactful than they could have been. Even so, I still had a good time with it. It may not be one of the strongest BLs I've seen, but it was a pleasant watch, and having Fluke back in a leading role was definitely one of the highlights for me.

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Mediocre. Nothing special.

Rich with women scheming over men, to the point it’s uncomfortable.

Flatline (and even plain bad) acting, esp Dilraba and the super clingy female villains. All female characters are scheming or weak and lip trembling frail. Uninspired, bored acting in bad wigs.

Cheesy visuals like jumping on a bird to fly, but it looks shaky. This genre (which I love) needs at least some good effects to help bring the otherworldliness to life without recoiling and thinking, omg, that looked SO bad!

I found the side characters of Ghost Lord prince (Zhang BinBin) and his sister interesting, wish there was more.

Overall, I was so ready for a big love story between the leads and was bored by ep 25. Plus, Women wailing over nothing gets so old. It’s so second rate on so many levels, I’m shocked at the ratings.

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For a micro-drama, this series is pretty good.

"Beneath the Moon's Shadow" is another dark-themed series we rarely have in the GL market. This micro-drama breaks away from the typical "fluffy" romance tropes by weaving a suspenseful story that combines a serial killer mystery with an enemies-to-lovers romantic dynamic.

Like most micro-dramas, the series' fast narrative pacing ensures that every 3-minute episode keeps viewers hooked with immediate cliffhangers. The tension between the two main characters—Lieutenant Thara and her rival Natcha—drives much of the story and how it doesn't center its main conflict onto disapproving parents or annoying exes. Their "forced proximity" trope effectively builds a complex romantic bond layered with mistrust and uncertainty while still focusing on the serial killer. However, despite its thrilling plot and good chemistry, the limitation of micro-drama format leads to certain flaws - the plot progression feels rushed and the complex plotlines suffer from a lack of deep exploration, leading to minimum character development. Also, the shift from being enemies to lovers feels abrupt.

Overall, Beneath the Moon's Shadow managed to deliver an engaging storyline, blending thriller elements with romantic tension, but still with some evident flaws. However, it can be considered a worthwhile addition to the GL genre, especially for anyone seeking a darker, more suspenseful storyline and also for anyone like me who's already tired of the generic GL romance series in the market.

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Was Under The Radar, Turns Out Very Intense

What a surprise! This show was totally under the radar before. It was very intense, and they were able to keep the intensity throughout the whole show. This intensity sometimes made me forget that this show was aired free-to-air in local Korean TV, because the vibe and intensity totally matched OTT original productions.

The overall storyline wasn't the strongest point. It seemed very cliche with the story of some North Korean defector being wanted by both countries. Instead, they were able to cover it up and took advantages on other points such as the outstanding intensity. Since the first episode, the intensity continued to increase. Not a single episode would let you down. The casts were all really good, especially So Ji Sub as a ruthless secret agent. Seo Su Min did and impressive job as Kim Min Ji. The chemistry between characters Kim, Han Su and Jin Cheol was also excellent. The action scenes was the highlight for me. Tthe insert of comedy scenes was refreshing, thanks to Choi Dae Hoon and Yoon Kyung Ho to make it happen.

For an action show, the first episode was painfully slow. As usual, there are a lot of makjangs in the storyline, even from the beginning. The writer somewhat began to be a little confident about it, and as the story progressing there was more and more makjangs. Min Ji was tortured and locked in the trunk for like more than three days, but she somehow woke up with pretty good strength and even managed to escape.

Rare occasion where a free-to-air show came up with such intensity. It's should be on your 2026 watchlist!

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