Reviews

Could have been but the ending

Magic move was a good idea with not bad actors. The topic, the concept of childhood misunderstandings, lies kept out of fear, it could have made so much. And I must admit, many times in the middle part I really enjoyed the acting and the story. But alas, both the frist and the last two episode were really weak, the start weak and the end outright bad. I am probably biased because the actor of Ritt is really strongly my type, lol, so I try to ignore that. ^^

The start was awkward; not really bad, but weird and with episode 3 I really began to enjoy what was going on. So episodes 3 - 8 I would have given an 7.5 out of 10. Good, even though not a breakthrough or all time hit. But then this ending. The stern mother changing without any real development, Ritt taking this lies so seriously, but the actor did not really well enough express this drama of his character as he should have in the last two episodes with way too much aimless lingering, and not strong emotions shown. Given the drama of breaking of a love the two MCs had since childhood, both really underplayed the dramatic gravitas of what was going on.

On the other hand I cannot agree with other critics saying Ritt's friend was too evil or Itthi, even though it wasn't nice, I didn't feel it was some super serious betrayal. Sure, if I had been Ritt I would be down my friends had withheld that from me. But isn't there something like trust the feeling of love? No one involved had any reasons to make a fool of Ritt, and he should have accepted that OR either making a really fall into a strong felt darkness - and the ending had neither. So we had the drama ending that felt like "oh well let's suffer for 2-3 episodes". They were not really good actors, and I hope they get some acting lessons, for I am not that nasty to wish an end for their career. Well since we will see Deam/Ritt paired with someone else in "Art Adore En", we can see what he learned or maybe was just held back by directing. Who can say.

I did not regret watching it once, it was an okay series with some serious letdowns and especially the consolation was rushed like an entire episode had been cut showing the hard getting together. Each character should have seriously shown more suffering given the situation they all had put themselves into, and we had to guess with they a bit too stoic faces.

With a good middle part but a weak start and a horrible displayed ending, I can even wishing to see the Ritt actor again give no more than a

5.5/10

Leia Mais

In terms of romance, I’d say this couple has one of the healthiest relationships I’ve seen in a drama. There’s no love triangle, no misunderstandings they support each other through everything. The male lead is such a green flag. he protects and stands by the female lead no matter what. They both look out for each other, and whenever there’s a problem, they solve it together. For me, their romance feels balanced and genuine. I also really like the second and third couples, especially Yanli and Yuening ( they’re so funny for me)

However, there are a few weaknesses in this drama, but honestly, they’re not that bad especially since the story focuses on mystery solving cases (which is totally my type of drama). Because the female lead is a coroner, the autopsy scenes are detailed . She explains the causes and reasons clearly. The case solving parts are also good, but one weakness is that the culprit is quite easy to identify.

Usually, when I watch dramas with mystery solving cases , it’s hard to guess who the culprit is there’s always some unexpected plot twist that makes me go, “wait, seriously? It’s that person?” But in this drama, I could already guess who the culprit was from episode 1, even though the case wasn’t solved yet. I thought maybe I was wrong, but it turned out I was right. So I figured maybe it was just for that case, but for the rest of the episodes, I still managed to guess who did it.

Maybe the writer or director intentionally made it that way so we could focus more on understanding the motives behind their actions ( I’m not sure). That’s the only weakness I can think of, and it’s still acceptable. Overall, the cases are well done.

Leia Mais

Une belle découverte qui se regarde sans effort.
L'histoire avance sans lenteur en nous montrant l'évolution des sentiments confrontés à la prise de maturité des personnages, le tout grâce à leur besoin et leur envie, ainsi qu’à leurs projets de vie.

Bien que la série ne révolutionne pas le genre, elle le gère parfaitement sans chercher à en faire trop et sans tomber dans les travers clichés habituels.

Il y a une belle alchimie entre les personnages, même si j'ai détesté le personnage de « Ouyang ». Le stéréotype du connard égotiste, imbu de lui‑même, qui pleurniche en refusant de comprendre qu'il crée tout seul les situations pour lesquelles il souffre.
Il devient moins pénible sur la fin, mais après les débuts, je ne pouvais plus le voir.

Pour ce qui est de l'antagoniste, ses motivations ne sont pas hyper crédibles, mais il fait le taf dans son rôle.
Au global, j'ai passé un bon moment devant cette série.

Leia Mais

Expected: fantasy angst. Got: handsome men losing their seriousness and making me laugh.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect from A Dream Within a Dream. The concept of a transmigrator entering a drama world and trying to survive based on a script she already knows sounded familiar, but what made this drama interesting is how it plays with the idea that once characters start having their own choices, the original story is no longer something you can fully control.

The story follows Song Yi Meng / Song Xiao Yu (Li Yi Tong), a modern woman who enters the world of a historical drama she knows by heart. Armed with the script, she believes she can predict every danger and avoid her tragic ending — especially her fear of Nan Heng (Liu Yu Ning), the powerful male lead who, according to the original plot, is someone she should stay away from. But as the story progresses, she slowly realizes that the characters are no longer following the script she knows, and the “villain” she feared may not be exactly who she thought he was.

What I enjoyed most about this drama is the chemistry between Song Yi Meng and Nan Heng. Nan Heng looks intimidating and untouchable at first — the typical cold and powerful male lead — but Liu Yu Ning really surprised me with how well he balanced that strong image with unexpected comedy. 🤣 He can look like someone who can destroy everyone in the room, then suddenly become awkward, funny, and surprisingly cute in certain scenes. That contrast made Nan Heng much more charming.

Song Yi Meng is also an interesting FL because her biggest struggle is not just surviving the drama world, but letting go of the idea that the script is always right. Sometimes her decisions are frustrating because she relies too much on what she already knows instead of seeing the changes happening in front of her. But that is also what makes her character realistic — she is someone trying to survive in a world where she thinks she already knows the ending.

One character who really tested my patience though was Chu Gui Hong. As Nan Heng’s former best friend turned rival, I understand that his actions come from his own pain and personal reasons, but there were moments when his accusations toward Nan Heng felt too driven by resentment rather than actual evidence. 😅 Sometimes I was genuinely thinking, “Can we check the facts first before blaming him?” He was frustrating, but at the same time, his character added more conflict and made the story more engaging.

Overall, I was surprised because this drama gave me more laughs than stress. Despite the fantasy setting, conflicts, and misunderstandings, the comedy balanced the heavier moments. The biggest charm of A Dream Within a Dream is not just the plot twist of changing fate, but watching characters break away from the roles they were originally written to play.

It may not be a perfect drama, but it has a unique charm. With a fun concept, entertaining characters, and Liu Yu Ning’s hilarious portrayal of Nan Heng, this became a surprisingly enjoyable watch.

Leia Mais

A not so simple romcom

The show is really interesting. On the surface, it is about a failed actress who gets possessed by a spirit from the past. But, it actually is about the struggles of life and the inherent contradictions between Confucian values and Buddist dharma. In order to change her fate, SeoRi must travel to the future to change the present and then travel back in time to change the past. The story is vague and ambiguous like all of life's decisions. And, in the end, she must choose detached enlightenment or embracing life.

After reading a lot of negative reviews, I think many of the reviewers didn't really understand the drama. It is one of the most philosophical and interesting dramas in recent history. Also, the blend of philosophies is distinctly East Asian. However, if you don't really care about this, you might find the plot to be confusing.

Leia Mais

Watching at midnight was not a good idea

I haven’t felt genuinely scared watching a horror K-drama, or anything in the horror genre, in a while. This one had me reaching for my phone just to watch something wholesome and distract myself. I looked away so many times that I honestly feel like I missed parts of the story.

The peak of my interest came during the backstory of the curse, but they kind of lost me afterward. The tension they built dipped when the story returned to the present, and I found that part a teeny bit boring. To be fair, I also feel that the storyline set in the past, along with the actors in those scenes, took the drama to another level. That is not surprising since Kim Si-A is known for being an amazing actress. Her future is extremely bright.

The way they wrapped up the final episode hinted at a possible Season 2, which seems to be the trend these days. If they do make one, I hope we get more of Haetsal’s backstory and learn how she ended up becoming a shaman.

If there ever is a Season 2, will I watch it? Yes! But will I hate that they made one because I know it will give me nightmares? HELL YES!

Leia Mais

It's just shallow and fun. Messed up? yes but still fun.

Lemme say the negatives first.

This show is a Transmigration fantasy with a healthy dose of romantic comedy and tragedy.

This show had some of the most messed up events that I have ever seen in a drama, which leads into my first issue.

The tone is always a little off? I'm not sure if it's the lack of budget, but as harrowing as the events that take place are. I felt that the show didn't do enough to create a truly moving atmosphere.

The show looks bad, the costumes look bad, even the wigs and extensions look bad. Nothing bothered me more than the bad wigs, omg.

Second lead couple held no interest for me at all either, they were so boring to watch, up until one of them lost their memory, that kinda had me dialed in.

The editing was so abrupt and janky in MANY scenes. People would start a scene in one position and then they'll cut in the middle of a full on frontal shot (with nothing to hide behind) and magically everyone is in a different position with new facial expressions.

Everything technical is just a little off.

I really don't care tho, I loved this show and had so much fun watching it.

It's got a coherent, linear story that didn't leave me feeling stupid at any point. It's chock full of cliche tropes that just kept me hooked. I was always excited to watch the next episodes and see what would happen to my leads. Both leads made me so invested, and have a good amount of development by the end. They don't end the show the same way they started.

I've literally been avoiding Arthur Chen since 2020's Legend of Awakening, but he wasn't too bad here at all. I think he had a pretty good performance and if that is his real voice… I might become a fan. Minus that “white guy smile” face in did in way too many scenes.

I'm not really familiar with Wang YingLu but I did enjoy her performance! It wasn't the most moving every episode, but I liked it enough. No one's acting offended me, and that's all that matters.

I feel like this show is pretty comparable to Till the End of The Moon, Love Between Fairy and Devil, and Love Game in Eastern Fantasy… But I can't help but like it more than all of those.

It's absolutely worth overlooking the flaws so you can enjoy an indulgent passionate romance drama!

Leia Mais

op

AHHH, que le pasaba a la otra, o sea tiene un buen marido, que la quiere, pero seguía pegándose al prota.
Además de que nunca se disculpo de lo que le dijo, que esto y lo otro. nunca se arrepepiente de nada. me molesta enserió.
y ns si soy yo, pero en la primera temporada los papás le decian a es "onii-chan" y ahora le dicen "naoki" tal vez es un fallo de crunchyroll no lo se. Pero es buena que al final le diera su lugar, aun que me molesto como en la boda estaba tan feliz y ahora volvió a ser igual de frío. lo mas divertido fue ver a la familia de rubios, hasta yuki estaba de niña ajjaja. en fin. Ya voy en la segunda mitad de la temporada dos asi que dejaré la reseña de la película y después la de la serie.

Leia Mais

too much fake depth

tale as old as time - the writers wrote themselves into a hole, then gave us a quick succession of poignant nonsense and grand nothings to cover it up and bring the story to a close

what worked:
the leads. they were amazing, they really put the rom.com. in romcom. 10/10 no notes
the shaman was hilarious!!! why was she so scared of being possessed? aunty isn't that your literal [fake] job?! lmaooo
i liked the scenes when fl was on set

what didn't work:
the whole time travel/past lives storyline: a giant disaster that took way more than it gave to the story. it also created an unnecessary melodrama that drowned out the true core of the drama. the fl cried so much, and she was so sad and so miserable for so long, for absolutely no reason. add the dying grandma storyline to this disaster pile, such a drag.
the villain: what even was his deal. also i'm not a fan of dramas where the good guys wait until the literal last 30 mins of the show to get their lick back.
most of the supporting characters: they were caricatures who served no purpose (looking at you ml's family)
the fl's wardrobe - some of her outfits towards the end looked cute, but overall it just gave cake topper, they kept dressing her like she was the literal figurine on an English teacher's birthday cake - what an odd choice
the ml was incompetent - but he got away with it bc he was flashy and witty
all the other storylines they started but just couldn't be bothered to wrap up
the editing: could have been better

watch it for the cp, but the rest? the writing really harmed the story in the end (nearly destroyed the cp too), they kept trying to plumb for depths that didn't exist. stop complicating romcoms!

Leia Mais

What a beautiful performance we got from NetJJ and LatteKim. Net did such a great job portraying two characters that were so different from the others. You could clearly see the difference between Klao and Kun.

Latte and Kim's side story was so compelling that I would have loved to see more of them.

This story had me laughing and crying in many points of the story.

the soundtrack was absolutely stunning.

It's hard for me to give 10/10 rating but I genuinely think this deserves it.

Can't wait to see more of these two couples because they delivered an amazing performance.

Leia Mais

Emotional Roller Coaster

Ok. OK. let me start by saying I am NOT one to watch Romances. Once I see romance in the tagline, I stay away, far far away!

But....one lazy afternoon after watching Legend of the Kitchen Soldier, saw Hometown Cha-cha-cha thumbnail and (what the H__ll) clicked on it. Yes, I did enjoy watching it, though I zipped thru the mushy love scenes. I though the story was interesting in that it keeps one guessing on what Chief Hong's deal was. What caught me was the scenery and portrayal of small town life and its quirky characters-- the best acting being that of Cha Chung Hwa, the village gossip.

Speaking of acting, it was good overall, though a 35 year-old dentist who grew up in Seoul and loves high end fashion, being all giddy when with her BF?? No! Just No.

Emotion-wise, it was a roller coaster, which I guess adds to the series' value and keeps the viewers hooked. Would recommend you watch it, but only once, and make sure you can fast forward!

Leia Mais

Don’t Judge It Too Fast — Every Element Serves A Meaning

First, let’s look at the cast and their performance. The actors have great presence and fit their roles perfectly, but more importantly, they bring real skill and depth to every scene. They deliver emotions naturally — from hesitation and uncertainty early on, to warmth and sincerity as the story progresses. Their chemistry feels genuine, making every moment between them believable and drawing you into their journey. Even the supporting cast adds value and feels like a meaningful part of the story, not just extra faces. That level of performance shows good direction and strong acting talent.

Next is how the story begins and unfolds. The whole plot is set in motion by the magic stones — they serve as the reason their paths cross in the first place. Itt uses them as part of his work, which leads directly to meeting Ritt and starting their connection. Without this element, there would be no clear reason for them to meet, and the story would lack a solid foundation. Everything flows logically from that starting point, leading naturally into the main issue: the lie. This setup is intentional, not random.

Then comes the conflict and the twist. Starting the relationship with a lie is never presented as something right or good — it is carefully placed as the central conflict and key twist. It creates tension, doubt, and misunderstandings, and makes us wonder if their bond can survive. Even when one partner suspects the truth but stays quiet, it adds realism: it shows how fear of losing someone new can make people hold back. This conflict drives the story forward, giving the characters a real challenge to face and giving us a journey worth following.

Finally, the resolution and how it all comes together. The story builds steadily toward the later episodes, where the truth is revealed and both characters take responsibility for their mistakes. The resolution doesn’t rush to fix everything instantly; instead, it shows them talking openly, apologizing, and working to rebuild trust step by step. It makes the clear point that fate — represented by the stones — can bring two people together, but only honesty, understanding, and effort can keep them together. Every detail connects perfectly: the stones bring them to meet, the lie creates the challenge, and their choice to solve it leads to a meaningful, satisfying ending. Nothing feels out of place or left unexplained.

Leia Mais