Reviews

The only thing that stood out: Fighting, motorcycle riding & washboard abs. FL was unlikeable

Ok Ok I admit it - I have a small crush on Zhao Guan Yu. I pay attention whenever new releases include his dramas. I watched this drama at the recommendation of a friend. I was also into bodyguard trope during the time of viewing. Hhhhm I got mixed feelings.

What I liked:
1. Styling - There were shots of Zhao Guan Yu's washboard abs. Hahaha anyway I really liked ML's biker look. Dangerous and hot! FL's outfits were pretty especially the mint green dress.
2. Action - There were fighting scenes which involved ZGY fighting the bad guys. I also appreciated the boxing scene.
3. Kisses - Plenty & passionate.
4. Supporting characters - Loved the bestie. The parts where she teased FL were amusing.

What I disliked:
1. FL characterisation - Not a fan of her. She was cold and guarded. Stubborn.
2. Hidden identity - His identity remained hidden until 1 hour 30 minutes, which is about 75% of the drama.
3. Antagonists - FL's father & brother were money-hungry.

Favourite scene
Fighting sequence

Leia Mais

lots of potential leading to disappointment

Honestly when I heard of this role for JoongDunk after watching Heart Killers I was super excited. It looked to be the complete opposite dynamics of Fadel and Style and I believed this would continue on their high from school and college projects to explore more mature concepts and stories. The original trailer excited me as leaned towards a more mysterious and crime focused vibe. When the official trailer dropped, most of the more serious scenes of the trailer were replaced with more cutesy scenes regarding their relationship as the case evolved, which slightly diminished my spirits but made sense with how JoongDunk's chemistry works. Plus the fact that this was even resembling such an action-esque genre made me so happy for their acting progression. The cast was finalized to be with Ohm, June, Marc, Sing, Chimon, and Earn along with the main pair, which intrigued me as I had enjoyed their individual projects before and knew they would do justice to the story.

The first few episodes did live up to the hype by managing the thrilling murder case while slowly building up Kamin and Jade's tension in their partnership; however here is where the show stopped its rise. At one point it felt as if there were two conflicting plots fighting to be portrayed in the series: the crime case and the love story. I started getting whiplash from how the show would go from a character's death to Jade flirting with Kamin and being all lovey dovey. Additionally both plots also started advancing more quickly without proper buildup, thus feeling weak and rushed at the end of the series. I haven't read the novel so I'm not sure of the speed in which the story is supposed to progress in, but it all felt very insincere and and many times in which you can't at all understand why characters are acting a certain way. At the climax battle, the killer and the twist was interesting, but again felt too short as there wasn't much buildup before their quick demise. The fight and its motivations seemed very shortlived compared to all the buildup to the moment and some decisions felt surprisingly illogical especially given how intricate the killers plan was up to that stage.

Overall the acting and cast were incredible and I do believe everyone did their part phenomenally. I really enjoyed Dunk's new side of intensity in this role and he pulled it off very well. I also loved how Chimon portrayed Champ's smart but spoiled attitude. The music was great as always with Joong's amazing vocals and I also liked Dunk 's Wordless. The only problem I had was with the interwovenness of the love and crime plots and also the poor development of them both. I understand that with 10 episodes there is only so much time to develop the story. (If I remember correctly I think Joong mentioned something like that in one of the reaction videos of the episodes), but I wish there were atleast a bit more episodes to properly setup both plots. When I was watching while the episodes were airing, only the fact that I wanted to confirm who I had suspected to be the killer kept me going near the end. After that aspect is now gone, I fear that the rewatch value has diminished as really just JoongDunk's chemistry is running the show. Thoigh they do have amazing chemistry, it just disappointed me that this trailer and story held so much potential with the crime story and possible slowburn tension built with the crime tension but fell short severely with everything just touching the surface. Thus the show earned such a low rating in my books due to its loss of potential.

Leia Mais

A bloodless vampire romance, so fluffy and sweet (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

PLOT: Dong Ha, a young student arriving in Seoul, is housed in a shared apartment with three young vampires eager to taste human blood, and a half-vampire, Juwoon. Juwoon will do everything to protect Dong Ha from his housemates' fangs.

+++ The actors are young but talented, especially Yu Sin and Park Dong Ju (who has a very natural acting style). I'm looking forward to seeing more of their series.
+++ Perfectly executed (on a small budget). Intelligent story, complete despite the series' short length.
+++ K-pop OSTs.

=> Very cute. Worth watching again for an hour.
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Vampire romance without blood, so fluffy and sweet (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

PLOT: Dong Ha, jeune étudiant arrivant à Séoul, est logé en co-location ds 1 maison abritant 3 jeunes vampires curieux de goûter du sang humain, et 1 demi-vampire, Juwoon. Juwoon va tt faire pr protéger Dong Ha des crocs de ses colocs.

+++ Les acteurs sont jeunes mais talentueux, particulièrement Yu Sin et Park Dong Ju (qui a 1 jeu très naturel). J'attends de voir la suite de leurs séries.
+++Réalis° parfaitement maitrisée (avec un petit budget). Story intelligente, complète malgré la durée minimale de la série.
+++ OSTs Kpop.

=> Très cute. A revoir sur 1 heure.

Leia Mais

A couple transmigrated and started over in a different time period

I was missing Shen Hao Nan so I went on iQIYI and found this drama. Watched it on a night I needed something lighthearted. I enjoyed it a lot.

What I liked:
1. Romance - Oooooo this drama had two romance arcs: 1) between the leads, 2) between FL's brother and ML's sister. Both were very enjoyable. They had communication problems before but that was rectified quickly.
2. Acting - That starting episode with leads' marriage reaching the lowest point and impeding divorce moved me. The cast gave good performances. I liked the chemistry between Shen Hao Nan and Sun Yi Ran. Would love to see them in a modern romance. It was also a surprise to see Shao Wei in this drama. No, he didn't show his abs in this drama but he was likeable as FL's brother.
3. Transmigration - What a delight to see this plot device as mechanism for reconciliation. Did they do separate ways or did they partner up?
4. FL characterisation - I liked that she saw this new setting as opportunity to start over in life. She worked on her goal that she didn't achieve in previous life.
5. ML characterisation - His flaw was his inability to express his thoughts and feelings with FL. However he was a nice guy and clearly in love with FL.
6. Supporting characters - I really liked FL's brother and ML's sister. I also liked FL's parents for having her back.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - I disliked that green tea who always stirred trouble.
2. Hair & makeup - Shen Hao Nan's makeup and hair looked horrible when they were in historical period. The wig was ugly. I prefer his looks during modern period scenes.

Favourite scene
When FL's brother was caught in bed with...

Leia Mais

A very realistic tale of why it’s an almost love

I loved everything about the storytelling.

It was engaging, honest, raw, and they kept everything real especially Xu Ruohan’s delivery of a bright, young girl having experiencing her first love. Dare I say, she really excels in her ability to keep things natural.


The title pretty much sums it all, but I was grateful that the movie allowed us to throughly see how things went wrong. The misgivings, resentments, unsatisfied dreams, tired heart who’s always hoping, reaching… everything about this is just so human. Very relatable, sometimes hits close to home.



I have a personal beef with the ML. I just hope we do not meet someone like him who had no backbone, makes you wonder if he truly loved the FL. Li Wenhan, on the other hand, is so amazing in his delivery. Both him and Ruohan managed to convince the audience that they truly like each other.

Leia Mais

Beautifully shot drama about being friendzoned and moving on

I have to admit - I am not a fan of Yu Yin. However Hei Ze got me curious about this drama. I had only seen him once in a minidrama about crossdressing FL. I decided to give this drama a chance after reading positive comments on reddit and youtube. I watched this on iQIYI a few months ago and enjoyed the drama.

What I liked:
1. Editing - Beautifully shot drama.
2. Styling - Great outfits selected for FL & ML. I liked FL's 90s grunge look. I also think Hei Ze had amazing hairstyle in this drama.
3. Supporting characters - Fu Gui & Yi Ning were my favourites.
4. Writing - Mature way of friendzone situation. I loved that line about FL upset that ML didn't believe in her love for him.
5. FL characterisation - I liked that she felt devastated by rejection but didn't wallow in self-pity for too long. She also never gave up her dream.
6. Acting - Solid performances by the cast.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - Chen She Chuan was a scumbag for being possessive friend & mean to Fu Gui. FL's mother was pushy & condescending.
2. FL's crying - This is my second drama of Yu Yin and I still feel she isn't a good actress. She could not do a decent crying scene - in this drama, it sounded funny.
3. Intimate scene - It looked like a dream sequence with the sheets going on like waves. Bad lighting / filter. It spoilt the scene for me because it looked like a music video montage instead.

Favourite scene
When FL had a honest conversation with SML at hospital

Leia Mais

Life

The words will be finite if I started to write about this drama... So ,I would put it in short ...This 'Veil of Shadows' is one of a kind drama who touches every souls of audiences and feel the character emotions .... Crying , being happy , sad with the characters is not an easy . I cried too much in each eps...there's every dialogue lines has meanings and it teaches us life. Thank you so much actors who portrayed every characters very well... I started to watch this drama because of Ji Ling and I carried on cause I couldn't help. One skip leads to lose whole story ..so many twists and turns ...but connecting with the whole complete story without leaving a loop whole... Bg music , ost,act, visual ,actors are all the best of the best...I must say it's the best wuxia drama if the year 2026 .🥺❤️‍🩹

Leia Mais

Electric chemistry between the leads led to my enjoyment of angst-filled melodrama

I watched this drama a few weeks ago when I was in vertical drama slump. Saw that Bai Yan and Wang Yi Ran were the leads so I clicked Play on my iQIYI app. Wow, what a rollercoaster ride. I certainly experienced different emotions but overall I like this drama. I have watched Bai Yan & Wang Yi Ran's other collaboration but I like this one more.

What I liked:
1. Acting - I had never seen Wang Yi Ran cried so much until I watched this drama. Brilliant performances by both him and Bai Yan. Amazing chemistry and I think they brought out the best out of each other.
2. Angst - I don't usually enjoy angst-filled melodrama but this one is an exception because of the acting.
3. FL characterisation - I didn't like that she staged a cheating scene to break up with ML in order to protect him. However her character grew on me once we learned about her struggles. I liked that she was adamant about clearing her father's name.
4. ML characterisation - Pitiful lover who later became vengeful but mellowed down once he calibrated the situation.
5. Romance - Tumultuous post divorce. The tension was high once FL reappeared in ML's life and what a love journey. I could sense love and passion between them two.
6. Supporting characters - I liked their child and FL's father.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - ML's family friend / supposedly fiancee was annoying jealous b. Daddy's princess who thought she could get away with bad things. Her father / ML's benefactor was cunning too. I disliked him for being selfish.
2. ML's action - I thought it was silly that he never knew about the downfall of FL's family much earlier.

Favourite scene
When ML learned the truth about FL's situation

Leia Mais

I enjoyed this snappy drama about cheating and moving past divorce

I was in the mood for a Song Chen drama so I chose this one because of the short running time and positive comments on YouTube. It was worth watching!

What I liked:
1. FL characterisation - She was reasonable - She already noticed potential threat to her marriage and warned ML. She was decisive and confident. Once trust was broken, she never gave him a chance for reconciliation - way to go, girl. I also liked that she didn't feel the need to conform to societal pressure.
2. Length - I loved that this drama was under 1 hour. The pacing was great!
3. Acting - This is my second time watching Zhang Zhang in this type of role (scorned FL) and she nailed it. Loved her icy stare and assertiveness. ML was infuriating so well done to Song Chen for getting on my nerves. Well done to the actress playing junior secretary because she was cloying.
4. Supporting characters - I liked ML's first secretary who knew what is right and what is wrong and reported to FL. I also liked ML's parents for being sensible and immediately condemned ML's behaviour.
5. Romance - There were two arcs in this drama: one with ML before things went downhill and another one with new love interest. Enjoyed both although the actor who SML wasn't attractive to me.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - ML was certainly the main antagonist in this drama. He humiliated FL by being away from home for months and bringing intern-turned-junior secretary to events that should be attended by his wife, the FL. Emotional cheating is still cheating and he did that. That junior secretary was pathetic.

Favourite scene
The confrontation at ML's mother's birthday

Leia Mais

It completely lacks the feeling of heart-stopping

I only managed to finish this drama because of the original work and Lee Joon gi’s acting.

The later part of the plot feels rushed to the point of being ridiculous. I couldn’t feel the female lead’s fear at all, nor the sense of tension and heart pounding anxiety that the title suggests. I really don’t understand why it wasn’t simply titled Moon Lovers. To me, it has no strong connection to the Chinese drama Scarlet Heart.

If you are watching the Korean version because of the original novel or the Chinese drama, I would suggest you don’t, because it will likely leave you disappointed.

Leia Mais

A series worth rewatching

For anyone who don't watch many historical cdramas like me, this is NOT a wuxia with flying people, dragons, gods or demons. This is a simply a series set in ancient times about war and romance.

Story: I really like how the story starts off fairly simple. You learn about the village the main lead is from and what kind of character she is. I'm always drawn into what situation she will find herself in and how she resolves it. I found the later half of the story to be a bit more confusing, which is natural as it becomes more political and complex relationships between characters get introduced. This causes the pacing to slow down a bit but by this time, you're at episode 35.

Acting/Cast: All the characters are hot. even the villains are hot. What. Anyways, Yan Zheng and Changyu's actors have fantastic chemistry. Their bond was felt instantly and I couldn't stop watching them go from fake love to real love.

The supporting cast was also fun to watch. I was cheering for the 2nd leads to get together and I hated the villain's guts. All of which is because they did a fantastic job with their scenes. All the acting felt natural and I believed all of them could be from ancient times. Major props to the child actors who played a huge role as well.

Music: I never skip the ending credits. Many of the songs are distinct and fits well with the scenes whenever they play. This means you know whenever a certain song plays that things are about to either be intense or cute.

Rewatch value: This is a series I didn't want to end. Precisely because I wanted to keep watching the ML and FL together. Even if it was a slice of life, I want to see them on screen together. Then there's details that you'll inevitably miss the first time around.

Overall: I think if you like romances with very good looking actors and mystery, then give this series a try. The chemistry is next level and even if you aren't into historical drama, I think this will surprise you how much you'll like it. It did for me. I know people who binge watched this in a week or less. I personally took my time and finished it in 2 weeks, which is still nearly 3 episodes a day.

Leia Mais