Reviews

its different.. in a GOOD way

this was something new for me... first time watching a grim reaper type drama and it actually surprised me in a good way.
the story is really strong... its not just one plot its made up of different stories different lives different struggles… and each one has its effect..
i really liked is how they didnt just show reality they actually acknowledged it like the pain the trauma the things people go through but no one talks about… this drama brings that forward properly.. and even the side characters.. theyre not treated like extras... every story n person feels important making the emotional impact even stronger
the acting was really good across the board. You can feel the emotions without it being overdone.
there arentt heavy plot twists but small turns..like more about emotional depth than shocking moments.. OST and music also fits nicely
ill be honest at one point it felt a bit repetitive like similar types of cases again n again… and I even paused it for a while.. but once I got back into it.. realized it was actually worth continuing... the ending felt slightly rushed yeah… but the final scenes still managed to leave a strong impression
its morelike a mix of trauma healing teamwork a bit of comedy… and a lot of emotion

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The resolution and aftermath resolution part have biggest impact for the whole series.

The idea and premise are interesting, but the execution was off. Especially the resolution and aftermath resolution part. Also, there are some points that missed.

They put too much obvious clues in the First Door that have potential to make the tension decrease. The first three episode are really crucial, weather the viewers decide to drop or keep watching.

There's some plot holes. For example in Second Door. I think it's noticeable. I rewatched that scene to understand, probably I missed something. But I haven't found it (Please, tell me the reason that makes sense). In episode of Museum too. But, some episodes are well executed. My top three are The School, Sanatorium, and Box Games.

I think, the resolution and aftermath resolution part have biggest impact for the whole series. They put some clues about the people behind the games, which is good and it's not too much. Until they took another alternative and ruin the whole series. The plot twist seems to be forced.

The acting of the cast was not bad, but the main lead's acting (Ling) didn't really stand out and sometime the expression wasn't on point. I think the expressions are important to build a believable character.

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Une route pas si droite...

C’est toujours un plaisir de revoir Toda Erika dans un premier rôle. Si son récent Reboot ne m’avait pas convaincu, tant il était dénué de réalisme, Straight to Hell se veut l’antichrist du « what the fuck » déballé dans cette histoire de chirurgie parfaite complètement improbable. Et c’est justement le physique de Toda-san qui va être mis à l’épreuve dans ce biopic historique dépeignant la vie de l’une des figures les plus controversées des médias japonais, la voyante télévisuelle Hosoki Kazuko, disparue en 2021 à l’âge de 83 ans.

Après avoir fait partie de la grande famille des Femmes ayant fait le Japon dans les fameux asadora de la NHK, incarnant durant le XXe siècle la sympathique Kawahara Kimiko, génie de la céramique, elle ne semble pas effrayée de rempiler dans une nouvelle fresque historique dépeignant la même période. Mon sentiment était que, depuis Scarlet, elle n’avait plus vraiment rayonné dans un drama, ses premiers rôles étant éclipsés par ses partenaires, souvent bien plus marquants, comme dans Story of My Family, Police in a Pod ou justement le récent Reboot, qui n’en était vraiment pas un pour sa carrière, ne convainquant pas avec son côté faussement mystérieux.

Mais avec Netflix à la manœuvre et en incarnant quasiment chaque minute d’écran disponible la sulfureuse Hosoki Kazuko, elle risque bien de relancer sa carrière, en particulier à l’international. Car cette série s’offre le luxe de sortir dans tous les pays en même temps, avec doublage régional, monsieur ! Évidemment, c’est un crime de lèse-majesté d’entendre autre chose que la voix originale d’Erika, surtout que l’effort de mimétisme ne s’est pas porté uniquement sur le maquillage ou les gestes, mais aussi sur la voix, qui doit être cohérente avec l’âge du personnage, 66 ans lors de l’intrigue en 2004.

Bien sûr, les habitués de l’actrice seront gênés par sa prestation durant cette période, le maquillage révélant tout de même son âge réel. Elle adopte en plus des manières à la Sharon Stone dans Basic Instinct, assez gênantes à mon gout, accentuant encore le côté « cosplay » de son personnage. En face, son intervieweuse prend bien plus d’ampleur, incarnée par la toujours sympathique mais trop peu présente à l’écran Ito Sairi. Un film et un drama par an en général, comme si ses personnages de gentilles coincées se reflétaient dans les propositions de rôles. Pourtant, avec sa voix cassée, on peut lui imaginer tellement de propositions cinématographiques. Ici encore, elle découvre un mentor qui va lui apprendre comment une femme doit prendre en main sa vie plutôt que de la subir.
Les hommes vont donc en prendre pour leur grade nous promet on, même si la réalité historique et sociétale rattrape régulièrement le personnage incarné par Erika. Netflix a mis tous les moyens possibles pour faire de ce drama une référence dans la description des ères Shōwa et Heisei. Les costumes, la mise en scène et surtout les décors sont magnifiques et, même s’ils sont parfois trahis par les effets numériques et les plateaux de studio, la reconstitution des ruines de l’après-guerre est bluffante. Les cabarets sont fastueux, tout comme les demeures, et la bande originale, bien à sa place, accompagne la tension, que l’on aurait toutefois souhaitée plus intense.

Car l’histoire et la prestation d’Erika m’ont laissé un peu sur ma faim. Comme si j’étais son personnage, jamais rassasié par l’assouvissement de mes désirs. Ceux-ci étant de la voir réellement sombrer dans le mal jusqu’à en devenir ivre. Mais, sans trop spoiler, il est clair que la série insiste davantage sur les romances avec de beaux yakuza à la classe à la Delon dans Borsalino, avec pour seul sang sur les mains… le leur. Ils font à peine plus peur que des yankees de lycée. Un peu comme si Erika était Cendrillon et que les différents héritiers crapuleux étaient des princes charmants. Il y a bien de la violence faite aux femmes, souvent suggérée d’ailleurs, comme s’il fallait lisser le propos pour une production internationale Netflix.

La descente aux enfers tarde donc à venir, du moins visuellement. Il faudra passer bien des épisodes remplis de romantisme et de succès dans le business avant de voir le côté sombre du personnage. Sa déchéance ou sa réelle personnalité, c'est au choix, n’arrivent qu’après avoir joué cinquante fois les bons samaritains. Le déroulement insiste finalement peu sur le côté escroc et la terreur qu’elle a imposée à la télévision pendant ses dernières années. Ainsi, elle sauve une grande célébrité du suicide et se montre particulièrement délicate avec sa biographe. Elle prêche sans cesse qu’elle se venge des hommes, mais oublie que le métier d’host est particulièrement rémunérateur pour les hommes qu'elle paye.

Si, comme moi, vous vous attendiez à une véritable pourriture, à une diablesse qui s'habille en Prada profitant de la misère issue de l'explosion de la bulle économique, vous devez passer votre chemin, car l’ennui vous guette malheureusement. La TV poubelle et les années de voyantisme n’arrivent que dans l’avant-dernier épisode, alors que ce sont les trois décennies 80, 90 et 2000 de la Trash TV qui m’intéressaient. Toda Erika et Ito Sairi ne prennent alors de la consistance qu'à ce moment-là, nous interrogeant sur l'intérêt des 8 heures précédentes, alors qu'il ne reste qu'une heure trente pour conclure 80 années de vie. Reste la reconstitution de la guerre et des Trente Glorieuses, rarement aussi bien filmée. Cette série reste finalement une belle ambassadrice des ères Shōwa et Heisei. Dommage que le chemin pour arriver à ces années de « paradis » soit si sinueux.

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Clássico e clichês nem sempre são ruins.

Estamos no episódio 8 e Perfect Crown continua fazendo o clássico com muita competência. É um grande filme de princesa com 12 episódios.

O maior mérito desse drama é que ele consegue entragar um roteiro consistente sem perder a qualidade em nenhum momento. Sempre começa o episódio no alto, no gancho do episódios anterior e segue na crescente para entregar um novo gancho mais alto.

As composições de cena estão belíssimas, só aqui já vale a pena o play.

IU e Byeon Wooseok estão impecáveis, o casal tem química, interpretam bem momentos e sentimentos complexos.

Com 70% do drama concluído, roubou completamente o coração dessa menina que cresceu vendo Cinderela, e conseguiu atualizar bem a história pros dias atuais.

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Storia carina, anche se non è un capolavoro

la storia si è persa è carina e merita di essere vista. Di sicuro non è un capolavoro come spesso mi è capitato di vedere. di quelli che lasciano il segno, ma soddisfa abbastanza. La storia è scorrevole e i due protagonisti sono molto bravi, pecca un po’ di chimica tra di loro, infatti già i sentimenti sono quasi nulla ,in più, quel poco che c’è, è pari a quasi a zero.
Ma ammetto che nel complesso la storia soddisfa, le scene d’azione sono ben fatte anzi molto ben fatte, quindi lascia un discreto senso di soddisfazione. La consiglio per una visione spensierata e senza troppe pretese.

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A well done 2016 classic romance with ice-melting chemistry

SOMETHING ABOUT THE 1% (2016)
Completed: April 2026
Rated:9/10

I have to admit this drama had been sitting in my “continue watching” list on Viki for so long it basically became furniture. I don’t even remember why I left it there, but somehow I finally clicked on it… and that turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in these drama streets this year.

I’ve been avoiding writing reviews lately. Not because I wasn’t watching anything, but because nothing really moved me. Nothing hit that soft romantic spot or made me feel anything deep enough to sit down and write. And then this drama happened. When I finished it, there was this quiet emptiness… like something had been taken away. Dramatic? Maybe. But it genuinely felt like a breakup. I had to pause for a bit before jumping into another show.

Going in, I had completely misunderstood the title, and the synopsis didn’t help much either, so I expected something entirely different. On paper, it looks like your usual contract relationship setup. Rich, cold CEO meets poor, kind female lead. We’ve all been there. But somehow, the way this story unfolds feels fresh. The entry into the trope is different, and before you realize it, you’re invested in something that feels oddly real.

It all begins with a grandfather and a plan. Not a modest one either. He essentially sets out to repair his grandchildren’s lives and ties the challenge to his vast fortune. The ML, as the eldest, shoulders most of that weight. Then fate intervenes, a little chaotic as usual, and throws him into the female lead’s path in a way that’s far from graceful. When unfortunate circumstances lead her to cross paths with this seemingly homeless old man, she does what truly kind people do, leaving him standing there like… wait, people like this still exist? And so we’re drawn into the origin of a grandfather, a plan, and its unfolding execution.

Lee Jae In, played by Ha Seok Jin, is easily one of the most convincing CEO characters I’ve seen. And I’ve seen a lot of drama CEOs. This man actually works. His phone rings so often I started feeling stressed on his behalf. I joked with a friend that it sounded too real to be acting. But beyond that, he brings honesty to the role. Whether he’s making tough decisions, being frustratingly cold, or completely soft in moments of love, it all feels lived-in. Nothing about him feels forced.

And when it comes to romance… he delivers. Fully. The chemistry between the leads is the kind that makes you pause, rewind, and smile like a good third wheeler. Their "skinship" feels natural, their kisses don’t look choreographed, especially the ML, yes he might have been the Ji Chang Wook of the 2010s...There’s an ease between them that’s hard to fake. Honestly, if there were awards just for chemistry alone, they’d have this one secured. Also, yes, the drama is rated 16+, and let’s just say… you’ll understand why.

Jeon So Min as the female lead was such a refreshing surprise. Strong, firm, and very clear about her boundaries. Her “no” actually means no, and her “yes” doesn’t come easily. She’s not there to be pushed around or to exist just for the male lead’s growth. Watching a female character stand her ground without losing her warmth? That was satisfying.

At this point, I can confidently say I’m a fan of director Kang Cheol Woo. After watching a few of his works, including Perfect Romance and So I Married an Anti-Fan, this one really seals it for me. There’s something about his storytelling that feels effortless.

Someone on the platform, commented that this drama feels like the director just set up cameras and told the leads to go live their lives. That’s exactly what it feels like. Nothing is overdone, nothing feels artificial. It just flows.

This is the kind of drama that stays with you. The kind you go back to when you need a reminder that two people can actually change and heal each other without loosing themselves. Like one of my drama chingus said, they rewatch it to remind themselves that the human race is still worth saving. And honestly… that line couldn’t be more accurate.

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L'usurpation du mafieux…

En m'attardant sur les autres avis, j'ai vraiment l'impression d'avoir vu une série totalement différente.

Lorsqu'on me parle de mafia, c'est tout naturellement que j'attends de la tension, des situations périlleuses et tendues et surtout du danger. À la place, je me retrouve à regarder un « homme de main impitoyable » danser dans une piaule, une pelle à tarte à la main, avant de prendre des poses devant le miroir comme s'il allait à la prochaine Fashion Week… Je suis d'accord pour fermer les yeux de temps en temps, mais remettons l'église au centre du village : c'est un mafieux ! Pas une adolescente en émoi devant son premier crush.

La série collectionne les scènes absurdes (lorsqu'elles ne sont pas ridicules), tandis que le meilleur baiser n'est qu'un rêve. Il y a de bonnes idées, mais ça ne fonctionne pas vraiment. Quelques scènes de combat valent la peine, cependant, rien qui permette d'oublier tout le reste.

Le doublage est terrible. La plupart des acteurs sont à peine passables et, bon sang, qui a eu la brillante idée de mettre le baromètre de frustration au maximum pour le couple secondaire ? Leur relation (tant professionnelle que personnelle) peut prendre le dessus sans trop forcer. La fin ouverte suppose une seconde saison centrée sur ce couple. Une telle dynamique est bien trop plaisante pour être ignorée, ma curiosité l'emportera sans aucun doute. Sans eux, je n'aurais sûrement pas terminé ce drama.

En bref, Sammy's Children's Day est un drama au titre aléatoire qui manque de dangers, de tensions et d'ambiance. Si le couple principal est un échec, le second mérite clairement une suite.

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A Classic Midway Shift

I’m sorry, folks, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. I really wanted to love it — especially since I’m a big fan of Li Geyang and Huang Haoyue. I thought their performances were fantastic and well-executed, and the beginning of the drama really pulled me into the story. However, about a third to halfway through, the narrative started to change for me. Developments felt predictable, and the drama didn’t seem to explore them in compelling ways. I also found some of the character shifts unconvincing. It felt like a once-strong character suddenly made decisions that felt totally out of line with how they were introduced at the beginning. This was somewhat jolting, and didn’t engage or entertain me.

I understand what the narrative was aiming for, but for me, it just didn't work.

Overall, the direction didn’t quite land. So, I was disappointed to see that kind of inconsistency given how promising the story was at the start.

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Something was missing...but damn Zhou Yi Ran was superb

This was one of those dramas where I kept wanting to love it more than I actually did. Zhou Yi Ran is an actor that I'm very excited about because he feels like a true performer, and this is my first impression of Sabrina but she looked so nice from the promos that I really wanted to give this drama a fair shot.

However… Like I didn’t hate it. I actually think it’s decent. But by the end I was left sitting there feeling like something important was missing and I still can’t fully pinpoint what it was. The vibes were there, the actors were definitely trying, the emotional beats occasionally HIT… but the overall show felt strangely hollow. I think a huge part of that comes down to the fact that the drama never really figured out what it wanted to be.

The high school portion was genuinely my favorite part by far. The friendship dynamics, the found family aspect, the quieter emotional moments all felt warm and grounded in a way that made me really attached to the characters. There was this comforting slice of life energy to it that worked SO well. Then the university timeline starts and suddenly it feels like I accidentally clicked on a different drama.

The found family aspect gets pushed aside, the tone shifts, and Shen Juan’s storyline takes such a sharp turn into sports that the show almost starts feeling sports focused instead of coming of age. Which would’ve been fine… if it felt cohesive. When you think about it Shen Juan is a physics major, a silver goods craftsman and a genius sharpshooter all by the age of 18? Like my dude was out here collecting skill sets like Pokemon cards. And yes, there was technically some setup for the sharpshooting thing earlier on, but not enough for how heavily it later shaped his character arc. There were just too many ideas competing for attention.

That being said, Zhou Yi Ran absolutely carried a huge chunk of this show emotionally. He’s genuinely such a compelling actor to watch, especially in quieter emotional scenes. I think his performance made me connect to Shen Juan far more than I normally would have on paper.

Same goes for Sabrina Zhuang. I thought both leads did a really good job individually. Which is why it’s even more frustrating that the romance itself felt so underdeveloped.

Because here’s the thing, I did feel the chemistry early on. The tension was there in the way they looked at each other, the pauses, the emotional undercurrents… but there was almost zero payoff. They genuinely felt more like best friends or an old married couple who occasionally hold hands than two people who had just fallen in love. Their romantic scenes, if you could even call it that, had the flavour of a cardboard box.

And I cannot stress this enough: the lack of romance really hurt the show.

I’m not someone who needs constant fluff or forced romantic scenes every five minutes. In fact, I usually prefer when romance is woven naturally into the story instead of being used to distract from weak writing. But this drama desperately needed something. A little more intimacy, more vulnerability, more moments that actually established them as a romantic couple rather than occasionally holding hands and calling each other boyfriend-girlfriend. Like, if you removed exactly two kisses from this show, almost nothing about their relationship dynamic would change. That’s a problem.

I also found myself less invested in the side character storylines as the episodes went on. None of them were terrible, but they lacked impact, and the pacing started dragging because of it.

What did work for me was the family dynamics. The show actually did a pretty good job making the world feel grounded and emotionally believable. There’s a realism to the writing that I appreciated, especially in the quieter domestic moments. But overall, I really think the writers didn’t fully know what kind of drama they wanted to make. Was it a coming-of-age story? A romance? A sports drama? A healing youth drama? It keeps touching all of these things without ever fully committing to one. They actually could have written a story that dove into all of these but this show wasn't it, which is frustrating because there’s clearly a good drama somewhere in here.

I don't know, it was just very meh.

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There better be a second season (and third?)

What just happened? Not one issue resolution in the entire finale!? This is killing me! I hope we get season 2, because otherwise I'm going to pine for closure for the rest of my days.

This show has me hooked. The leads are adorable. They have amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Liuyi's facial expressions are everything. The character is great. The actor, He Yan Zhao, is fire. He should change his headshot to the caramel-colored deliciousness that we see in this series. He looks divine. I don't know if the asian entertainment industry generally has figured this out yet, but many of us prefer a little melanin.

He Chusan is great too. Sweet on the outside and a fierce protector on the inside. And since were talking about beauty, actor He Chang Xi is also truly handsome.

I dont know how to feel about the second couple. But we can sort that out during season 2.

I love the supporting actors. The dad is great. The main lackey is great. The number 2 is great. I want more of them all.

So go ahead. Start production on season 2. I'll wait. And don't feel like you have to resolve everything there. I'll watch season 3, too. I'm just saying...

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good one

start - fml gives ml trauma twice first in school 2md by filter
there's misunderstanding for both which clears in last 10 ? eps
in starting I felt bad for FML later I did for ml because FML was deceiving him alot ,she faked death of the filter people twice
misunderstanding - ml says she's looks bad he meant makeup she thought he meant ugly so she starts to dislike him he does too because of school memories so in start he doesn't care about real her but fake her the filter, the first 15+ eps are took over by fakes story more the side characters than the FML and ml interaction, he interact with fake version for 15+ eps than with real one ,fake version are 4 people, then the filter characters is coming to end they suddenly add colour blindness? that time I felt like I'm watching a complete new drama because after 15+ eps ml and FML finally started to interact for real, I thought he would be angry and won't forgive but it gets solved easily, I wished the side characters parts was less and more ml FML interaction,
2nd couple - not interesting I skipped, I wasn't interested in their romance and why the 2nd couple is always pregnant in every drama ?
Good Comedy alot of comedy,
romance is good too it's starts usually at last 10-13 eps, I liked it enjoyed, can't believe the rating is only 8.5 ? not 9 10?
got hooked which is rare for me

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A Bold Idea That Didn’t Work for Me

Definitely Not Today is a drama that deserves credit for being bold and daring in its concept. However, for me, it was simply too dark.
I feel like it could have worked much better if there had been a balance — more grounded, intimate moments between the two leads. Their relationship wasn’t explored enough, and instead, it felt like an endless chase with bad guys, without giving the audience a real emotional connection to them.
Even though I managed to finish it, I can’t say I truly enjoyed the experience. Unlike other dramas where I feel engaged and excited to watch the next episode, here I was mostly just waiting for it to end.
I really wish there had been more emotional depth and closeness between the main characters.
Conclusion: An interesting and bold idea, but too dark and lacking emotional balance for my taste. Not for me.

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