Reviews

Fahlalala…

Il m'a fallu tellement de temps pour terminer ce drama qu'à un moment donné, il a atterri dans ma liste des abandons. Quelqu'un aurait dû donner les commandes à Arthit pour qu'il accélère un peu tout ça.

Oui, c'est une histoire mignonne, malgré un fond douloureux, mais si lente. Bien sûr, Fah est merveilleux, patient et d'une grande douceur. En réalité, Fah me rappelle le prince charmant d'un conte de fées. Les oiseaux gazouillent quand il entre quelque part. Phoon est comme un adorable chaton. Mais c'est si lent ! Les gestes, les dialogues, les scènes… Leur romance paraît presque candide, elle tire quelques sourires, mais (pour moi) elle ne possède ni tension ni intensité.

Malgré mes critiques, ce n'est pas une mauvaise histoire pour autant, elle ne m'a simplement pas transporté autant que je l'imaginais. Cela dit, c'est plus regardable que la première saison, mais ce n'était pas difficile de faire mieux. Toutefois, je ne peux pas m'empêcher d'être déçue, car la première saison avait montré ce couple avec un si fort potentiel que ça me laisse frustrée de ne pas avoir été capable de sincèrement l'apprécier.

En bref, Beside the Sky est un drama doux avec des personnages attachants, mais où je n'ai pas vraiment réussi à m'impliquer.

Leia Mais

Turn Your Brain Off

HUMINT is a Korean spy film… that ends up being just another generic action movie.

The story revolves around human trafficking, crime networks, and the Russian mafia.
Heavy subject… completely generic execution.

Same formula again: many vs one…
but always attacking one at a time.
Like they’re waiting in line.

The “good guys” are perfect at everything:
taekwondo, flawless aim, insane reflexes.
They can even land shots by bouncing bullets off the ground.

The “bad guys”… can’t hit anything.
Not even at close range.
Except for the main villain, of course. He actually feels dangerous.

The body count is exactly what you’d expect:
enemies piling up like props during endless shootouts.

The movie tries to say something about corruption —
that everyone, even the police, takes advantage of others.
But in the end, it falls back on the usual cliché:
the unstoppable hero
and the “girl in danger” as motivation.

And then comes the most forced part:
characters who should behave like spies…
suddenly act like elite agents,
while everyone else conveniently becomes incompetent so they can shine.

And yes… you can almost hear the director saying:
“run straight into the bullets.”

Final verdict

If you like turning your brain off…
5 out of 5.

If you want tension, logic, and a well-written story…
this isn’t it.

Leia Mais

The baddie and the hottie

The drama started off much calmer than I expected. The early village arc was interesting, but it felt like the focus leaned more toward the female lead than the male lead. While many people loved this part, I personally found it quite slow. Spending almost 20 episodes there was too much—around 10–12 episodes would’ve been enough before moving the story to the capital.

That said, the second half picked up significantly. Once the story shifted into political intrigue, war, and action, it became much more engaging. I really enjoyed the battle scenes and court dynamics—they added tension and made the plot feel more alive.

However, I didn’t find the plot very smooth. At times, it was hard to follow, especially when it came to identifying the real antagonist. It’s not the easiest drama to keep up with, though it’s still manageable.

There’s been a lot of hype around this show, and I think whether it lives up to it depends on the viewer. If you’re new to historical dramas, it will probably feel very impressive. But if you’ve watched many in this genre, like I have, you’ll likely notice its flaws. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s still enjoyable—you laugh, you feel emotional, and overall it’s time well spent.

My biggest issue with the drama is the male lead. His character was clearly meant to feel powerful, ruthless, and intimidating, but that aura never fully came through. I’m a fan of Zhang Linghe, but here it felt like the direction focused more on his visuals than his character. Many of his scenes were shot in a slow, almost romanticized way that highlighted his appearance rather than his presence.

As the story progressed, he also seemed overshadowed by other characters and lacked strong screen impact. It’s not necessarily about his acting—it felt more like the character wasn’t properly established. Even emotionally, his expressions leaned softer and more innocent, rather than conveying the ruthless edge the role needed.

That said, visually, he looked incredible. His styling—costumes and hair—was easily one of the best parts of the show.

On the other hand, the true standout was the female lead. She absolutely carried the drama. This felt like her story more than his. She was strong, charismatic, and balanced—capable in combat but still kind and human. One of my favorite female generals in recent dramas.

My only issue with her writing is that toward the later part of the story, she was occasionally portrayed as less perceptive than she should’ve been. It felt like the drama reduced her intelligence at times, limiting her to just being strong physically, which didn’t match how capable she was earlier.

The romance was well shot and emotionally effective, though not particularly memorable for me. I can definitely see why others would love the couple—it just didn’t stand out personally.

Performance-wise, Deng Kai was phenomenal. He delivered one of the most compelling performances in the drama. His ability to switch expressions—especially through his eyes—was incredible. He portrayed a villain that was hard to hate, which made his character even more interesting. His chemistry with the second female lead was intense and engaging, even if her transmigration subplot felt a bit out of place in a historical setting.

Also worth mentioning is Lin Muran, who really impressed me. This was my first time watching him, and he showed a lot of potential. His portrayal was sharp and impactful—I can definitely see him becoming a standout actor in future roles.

The drama’s production quality is one of its strongest points. The cinematography was beautiful and detailed, the costumes were well done, and the OST—especially during war scenes—was very impactful. Some scenes were visually stunning, like the pheasant feather crown moment and the later flower crown sequence.

I also loved the side characters and group dynamics, especially the “pig slaughtering squad”—they added a lot of fun and charm to the show. Lord Li was another enjoyable character that I’d love to see more of in future dramas.

Overall, Pursuit of Jade is a good drama, but not a standout one. It didn’t fully meet my expectations, mainly because it lacked a strong climax and sometimes prioritized visuals over storytelling depth.

If you go in with high expectations, you might feel underwhelmed. But if you watch it casually, without expecting something groundbreaking, it’s definitely enjoyable.

Leia Mais

I enjoyed this one a lot! It wasn’t perfect, but it was great nonetheless. What I loved most was the casting. After reading the webtoon (which I actually dropped, lol), I thought the actors wouldn't fit at all, thank god I’m not a casting director because I was totally wrong! They were the best part of the show, hands down. The story was okay, bit depressing, but the chemistry and their love story kept me watching. The male lead’s devotion felt like every girl's dream, pure and incredibly strong. Sure, if you think too deeply, he’s basically a romanticized stalker, but it’s fiction! We forgive, we forget, and we enjoy the vibes. Lmao!

Leia Mais

Been there and done that!

I started this show only because of the female lead; I loved When I Fly Towards You and thought she was so cute, so I figured I’d give this one a chance. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling it from the very first episode. Social media edits made me force myself to sit through two more, until I finally had to put myself out of my misery! I don’t think the show was necessarily "bad," but it felt like something I’ve seen a million times before. Usually, a predictable plot isn't enough to make me drop a show, but pair that with a bad mood and it’s the perfect recipe for an immediate "no" from me.

Leia Mais

I'd recommend it!

This one was really enjoyable! The leads were super cute, and I loved the female lead, she was truly a breath of fresh air. She was fearless and straightforward, which made for an interesting watch. I had a hard time focusing at the beginning because I thought it was boring (and I don’t have much patience!), but I’m glad I stuck around because it kept getting better.

I do think the show could’ve been shorter. C-dramas often go overboard with length when the plot isn't strong enough to sustain it. Since this is a slice-of-life show, you stay because you’re attached to the characters, but in my opinion, those types of stories don't need more than 16 episodes!

Leia Mais

I love FortPeat so so much but…

ts was actually so boring 😭why’d it take me 16 days to watch a 11 episode bl series?!? (counting the special ep) MIND YOU I HAD TO PUT THIS IN 2X SPEED 60% OF THE TIME CUZ I COULDNT ENDURE IT NO MORE BUT I DIDNT WANNA DROP CUZ I WANTED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED AND CUZ I LOVE FORT AND PEAT

Idk what it was about it, maybe it was the scenes that dragged on forever or the unbearable side couple or the boring ass family drama scenes but yeah I think I hated so much about this series 💔

So I love my GL and all but Vie and Mook were SOOOOO annoying and boring asf like there was no point of their story and this would’ve been better if they just didn’t end up together cuz genuinely how tf did they even end up together bruh Mook was dead set on fricken idek yall and then boom all of a sudden they’re together ? like how does that make sense like maybe spend less time having Vie boss Mook around and instead spend more time actually giving them a fucking story PMO PMO PMO PMO PMO their stories could’ve been done 10x better I blame whoever wrote ts for that

The whole Raks sister/dad/family drama was boring but sad and I get that it’s important but yeah I watched that in 1.5X speed unfortunately cuz I couldn’t stand that dumbass sister and that fuckass dad 🙄🙄🙄 I did enjoy all the scenes with the niece and Rak and Mut tho, that was cute

Or maybe it’s because I’ve never been one to like beach scenes or beaches in general but like it’s literally in the title so I knew there’d be 90% beach scenes so that cant be it, because I quite enjoyed the beach scenes too tbh, the series was lowkey beautiful in that sense. So that’s a good thing

I do really like Rak and Mut as characters tho, theyre both amazing characters and I love them together, MUT IS LITERALLY THE BEST AND I LOVED RAKS SASSY ATTITUDE HE LOWKEY RUDE ASF THO BUT I GET IT I GET IT

MIT SWEET ASF PROTECT HIM AT ALL COSTS

The fricken nc scenes though oml FortPeat sis asf cuz those were too good also FortPeat kiss the best in the whole Thai bl industry, they’re practically eating each other fr

so yeah UPS and DOWNS to this series and if I were to watch it again, I’d prob skip half of it, but I’m glad I watched it cuz it was lowkey good in some parts not so much in others

I enjoyed the experience and just love FortPeat so much so yeah

Leia Mais

How Did This Come from the Director of Love for Love’s Sake?

I really wanted to like this drama, mostly because it’s from the same director as one of my absolute favorite K-BL series, Love for Love’s Sake. But alas, it was so disappointing. I still can’t believe it’s the same director who made LFLS.

The screenwriter(s) did a terrible job. Three countries (Korea, Thailand, and China) were involved, and the result was still terrible. The storytelling was really bad. Honestly, WeTV should have just given the production to a Korean team instead of a Thai team. I really wonder what they were thinking.

I hope WeTV reads the comments and improves in the future. For their first original K-BL, they did a really poor job. It was so boring that I almost gave up and just wanted to rewatch Love for Love’s Sake again and again.

Leia Mais

Ottimo melodramma, un pò troppo lungo.

Visto con audio italiano su netflix ( buon audio ).
E' drama tipo Reply se l'avete già visto, ma personalmente migliore, più simpatico ed emozionante.
I tag sono giusti, è un melodramma nostalgico ( la storia passata raccontata è per lo più ambientata tra 1998-2001 ), su amicizie giovanili, sport, problemi di vita, primi amori, il tutto in contrasto alla vita e mondo del lavoro. Bella musiche. Scorre bene, ma è troppo lungo, 16 puntate da 70 minuti circa, ultime 2 da 90 minuti. Preferisco la prima parte, più allegra ed emozionante. Arrivate alle ultime 5 puntate le cose si fanno più intense, problematiche, melodrammatiche ( non eccessivamente ). Bravi tutti i protagonisti, soprattutto le 2 schermitrici. Si è spinti ad andare avanti e vedere la fine per vedere e capire come erano andate le cose nel passato. La trama può piacere o meno, certo che la scelta del protagonista è dura da digerire, per un italiano nel 2026. Sono immerso nei kdrama da 2 anni, sono abituato al loro modo di comportarsi. Non so a fine anni 90 come andavano le cose. Non spoilero nulla: Dico solo che quel mondo del giornalismo di cronaca, mi sembra spinto all'estremo, con lavoro 24/24ore senza vita sociale....la scelta del protagonista mi sembra forzata, oggi, io e penso quasi tutti, farei scelta ben diversa.
Comunque da vedere.

Leia Mais

Masterpiece in the making!

wow this is amazing, ep 1 shows a new kdrama masterpiece in the making!!!

It is a family drama involving a city family moved to a small village .... so there are tons of fun scenes and actors

The music is sooo fun LOL spaghetti western with the ML village scenes LOL

This is a great comedy. Yeah there are all kinds of real life scenes, but everything is permeated with gentle or raucous comedy

the topics of the drama are not light :) We get to see a corporate-failed dad, school-failed older son, america-failed mom and 2 younger sons, and then ... various mysterious village personas and shady corporate personas....

The drama is really comical yet it is very deep and heavy, actually. That sense of lightness and VIBRANT LIFE PUSHING FORWARD is accomplished by being present in the moment....

Moment-to-moment, we get to see the depth and the lightness and humor in each moment, and the LIFE AND LIGHT that permeates everything and pushes towards healing.

kdramas are masters in that and this is definitely one of those pedigreed masterful kdramas .
It is MASTERFUL STORYTELLING. Showing the muck, the process out, the healing, and the transformation.

I love acting of the ML actor, he is one of my favorites.

I am not sure why it is only 1 episode per week, that is the only bummer.

Overall, this looks like a masterpiece in the making! A really fun drama, deep complex yet fun! The classic kdrama style, talking about super deep and heavy subject with a sense of lightness and humor.

Leia Mais

Una seconda stagione più intima e divisiva, ma sorprendentemente coerente

La seconda stagione di Alchemy of Souls è stata accolta in modo piuttosto contrastante, soprattutto da chi si aspettava una continuità diretta con il tono e il ritmo della prima parte. Personalmente, però, ho trovato questo seguito estremamente riuscito, proprio perché sceglie di non ripetersi.

Se la prima stagione puntava molto su azione, world-building e dinamiche più energiche, qui assistiamo a un cambio netto: la narrazione si fa più lenta, più introspettiva e decisamente più emotiva. È una scelta che può disorientare, ma che secondo me rappresenta un’evoluzione naturale della storia.

Il punto più discusso resta il cambio di attrice protagonista. Tuttavia, più che una sostituzione, lo si può leggere come una trasformazione del personaggio stesso. La nuova interpretazione mantiene alcuni elementi chiave del passato, ma costruisce un’identità diversa: più delicata, più silenziosa, e allo stesso tempo capace di esprimere un amore profondo e totalizzante. Una femminilità meno esplicita ma più stratificata, che si sviluppa attraverso sguardi, pause e tensioni emotive.

Anche dal punto di vista tecnico, la serie accompagna questa svolta. La regia predilige inquadrature più statiche e composte, mentre la fotografia si orienta verso toni più freddi e desaturati, rafforzando l’atmosfera malinconica. Il ritmo rallenta, ma guadagna in intensità: ogni scena sembra avere più peso, ogni relazione si costruisce con maggiore attenzione.

Quello che emerge è una stagione meno immediata, forse, ma più coesa e consapevole. Non cerca di replicare il successo della prima, bensì di rileggerne i temi principali — identità, destino, amore — attraverso una lente più matura.

In un panorama in cui spesso i seguiti cercano solo di ripetere formule vincenti, questa stagione ha il coraggio di cambiare e di raccontare qualcosa di più profondo.
A me, al contrario di molti, è piaciuta moltissimo.

Leia Mais

Excessive and forced

I really wanted to like this series particularly because the male lead does have a good look for the roles that he plays. Unfortunately, I also dropped his other series (Fangs of Fortune) and now I'm also dropping this one. And after this, he seems pretty one-note or maybe he just isn't being cast well.

The pacing is really slow and the ML/FL interactions are just ridiculously overdone. The whole staring at each other closely in the eyes and excessive seduction scenes this early on are likely for fans who like these actors for their looks. The main plot hints towards something more interesting but definitely not enough to bypass the over-dramatizations. Too bad as the rest of the cast have been decent but it plunders if the ML/FL aren't impressive.

Leia Mais