Reviews

Excellent balance of Romance + Thriller, and Amazing acting by the 2 Male Leads

Crime dramas are usually not my go-to, but when the cast includes Jin Bo Ran and Qin Jun Jie, I have got to check it out. And I am glad I did, because they are both simply amazing. If you are a fan, you need to watch “Sunsets Secrets Regrets”.

This drama is one of the rare crime dramas that balances romance and crime/thriller really well. Most of the time, romance is a side plot in this genre, but here, it is equally important. The plot is intriguing and I was kept on my seat throughout the drama. I personally don’t find Jin Bo Ran’s character, Jiang Han Sheng, too stalkerish. Well, I might be hypnotized by how hot Jing Bo Ran is in this drama, and I’ve never found him hot until now. The villain is equally amazing in his creepiness and a little over-the-topness. He’s charismatic and crazy, and has such a screen presence. However, it did take me some time to get used to the timeline changes in the early episodes. “Sunsets Secrets Regrets” does not shy away from violence, and there’s quite a bit. Some scenes are hard to watch, and as I was binge-watching, I had to take a little break and not watch too many episodes at once. It was that intense, especially when I saw what Jiang Han Sheng had gone through.

To me, the best part of the drama is seeing how amazing Jing Bo Ran and Qin June Jie are. Their characters are polar opposites, and their acting are as well. It was amazing to watch how Jin Bo Ran changes so swiftly from being intense and feral, and then looking lovingly at his wife. The subtle facial expressions and then the explosive intense burst of emotions are quite a sight to behold. In contrast to that, Qin Jun Jie who exudes this playboy sexiness. He’s loud and expressive, fun and carefree. Both suffer greatly in this drama and their cries pierce through my hearts. On the other hand, it took me a while to get into Elvira Cai’s acting. I love her in “Fake it Till You Make It” but I am not sure if she fits this role. It could also be her character that is making it difficult to like her. But towards the end, I warm up to her and especially like some of the more emotional scenes. Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite match up to her two male co-stars, who are just too excellent.

One other thing that bugs me is the makeup in this drama. Both Elvira Cai and Jing Bo Ran have thick white foundations. I just can’t help but stare at their gorgeous faces and shake my head. At times, music is quite loud and I couldn’t quite hear what they said. I do appreciate that the voices are not dubbed (at least I don’t think they are) as it would be a disservice to so many veterans here.

I almost forgot to mention this… I LOVE the bond between Jiang Han Sheng and Teacher Wang. They are so fun together and veteran actor, Du Yuan, cracks me up big time. It’s lovely to see a different side of Jiang Han Sheng when he’s with his teacher. Teacher Wang is more than a teacher at work, but also a love and relationship guru! Jiang Han Sheng still has a lot to learn from him.

I had a great (but stressful) time watching “Sunsets Secrets Regrets”. I recommend this to fans of the two male leads, and romance lovers who hesitate to watch crime dramas because most have lackluster romance. The love triangle here is well-written (and I love both guys). If you hesitate to watch because of the romance, don’t worry. It’s not a cheesy romance, but a mature and supportive one that works well with the greater plot. There are still elements that bug me, thus I am not giving this a super high rating.



Completed: 5/24/2026 Review #689

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Story: quick, patchy, disappointing
Acting/Cast: neither appealing nor unappealing
Music: neither added nor detracted from the show
Rewatch value: none
Overall: works as a time killer while waiting for an appointment

This is another one of those stories where the ML decides he "loves" the FL because he discovers that she was his 30 second crush as a child. So it's a no for me. Even putting that aside, there is no reason for the relationship, no substance, no point. The story just sort of skipped from scene to scene as if checking the boxes from a 12-year-old's "magical romance must-haves" list. The only thing that stood out to me during the last 80ish minutes was the production design. It was incredibly bright and colorful and seemed quite out of place when all other aspects of the show matched what I would expect from a quick, low-budget flick. I think that if that aspect had matched the blandness of the rest of the production, I wouldn't have made it past 5 minutes.

*edit- 4 days later and I can't remember a thing about this one anymore*

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Above average, but still just OK

This is a watchable drama, but definitely nothing new. I’ve seen C dramas similar to this. There was some fun moments, but also some frustrating moments that made me question why I was watching it.

The good

The acting is the best part of the story. Everyone did a pretty good job and fit the role they were given pretty well. The webtoon story was interesting though not necessarily original since there are a lot of Webtoon themed kdramas out there that are quite similar. Of course, very attractive men as usual.

The bad

There were a lot of draggy parts and a lot of parts that made me question why I was watching this. The main female lead was very delusional in a lot of ways and her not wanting to live in the real world when it comes to dating almost got a little ridiculous towards the end. They dragged the main romance piece out far too long. It became pretty typical a lot of the other K dramas. I typically lean more towards watching C drama romances than K drama romances. The K dramas tend to do better at fantasy, sci-fi, and horror for me.

If this is your kind of drama though, cheesy romance then you may like this one. It was an easy watch and pass the time for me. I’d recommend watching it for yourself to make your own judgment on it.

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A Great Premise Haunted by Its Own Inconsistencies

Phantom Lawyer started off strong with an emotional and intriguing premise: a lawyer who can see ghosts connected to mysterious talismans left behind by a shaman. The early episodes were genuinely moving, with heartbreaking stories, unresolved regrets, and just enough supernatural mystery to keep me invested.

Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, the series lost emotional momentum.

The biggest issue for me was the worldbuilding. The show wanted the mythology to feel deep and meaningful, but the rules surrounding the ghosts, possession, and talismans became increasingly inconsistent. We’re initially led to believe the main character is somehow “special” because he can see ghosts, only to later discover it’s mostly tied to incense left behind by the former tenant. Which immediately raises the question: if anyone can burn the incense, then what actually makes him unique?

The talisman setup also started to fall apart under scrutiny. There were dozens of talismans on the wall, each supposedly connected to a dead person drawn there by regret, yet ghosts conveniently appeared one at a time in neat storytelling order. Some had died recently, others decades ago, and the show never properly explains why certain spirits appear when they do. Instead of the mythology getting richer, it began feeling more like a weekly emotional formula.

The possession rules were another frustration. Early on, the show establishes clear conditions for ghosts taking over bodies, but later certain characters, especially the ML’s father, seem able to bend or ignore those rules whenever the plot requires it.

Emotionally, the drama also started running out of steam. By the time the story reached the father arc near the end, I found myself fast-forwarding through scenes that should have been the emotional climax of the series. The romance didn’t help much either. It never fully landed for me, and at one point I found myself more invested in the second male lead.

That said, the drama isn’t bad at all. Yoo Yeon-seok carries a lot of the show with charm and sincerity, and there are genuinely touching moments throughout. The premise itself is excellent. I just wish the writers had committed to deeper mythology, clearer supernatural logic, and stronger emotional escalation.

In the end, Phantom Lawyer felt less like a deeply haunting supernatural drama and more like a cozy emotional procedural that occasionally hints at greatness without ever fully reaching it.

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this is a must watch!!

Anything that has Park Hyung Sik will be good! He's such a phenomenal actor. Storyline is also good. There were some parts where I felt they dragged on for a bit so I don't think this drama needed 16 episodes... maybe 14 would have been good. The 2nd leads were entertaining to watch as well. A lot of funny moments in this series. I am relieved that Park Hyung Sik's character doesn't make amends with this family at the end. I like how they left it as him still needing to heal from the past trauma rather than having everyone end up being all happy together despite what they had gone through.

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It was indeed “ A Splendid Match”

The whole point of this drama was the “splendid match” between a young, feisty, intelligent girl forced to grow up too quickly and an older man who is calm, clever, and incredibly cunning. The drama gave us exactly what it said it would from the title.

From the romance and masterful plotting to the epic battle scenes and the young, brilliant emperor, everything was amazing. This is officially my favorite drama after The Untamed. It’s been a long time since I connected this deeply with a drama.

I have rewatched it so many times, I love every minute of it, I love YeXian character, WINWINs acting blew me away especially towards the end when he owned his character. Oh Cisha expressions on his face was just perfect. I am a sucker for people that act with their eyes, you can see pain, joy, sadness just from looking at their faces and for someone that was playing a calmer man, he nailed his role. That was a 100/10.

Overall the drama gave me what I wanted entertainment, I was entertained and that is all that matters.

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So many plot holes!

I wanted this to be better! It started out good but it seemed like the producers were working with a script that was missing pages.
There wasn't very good chemistry between the actors, which was a shame, because I think both were talented; I just never got the vibe they clicked with each other.
That said, it was beautiful scenery! The setting was gorgeous and I would love to visit if I could.
I would like to see more LGBTQ productions with settings like the Steppes, possibly among the Uhgyurs or other ethnic groups in China, because each group has unique norms regarding sexual orientation.
This is the first BL I have ever given a rating under a 7.

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Just, not my cup of tea

The show had all the ingredients to be something emotionally intense and genuinely memorable, but it completely wasted its potential. A toxic relationship in itself is not a bad premise at all — some of the best dramas are built around complicated, unhealthy, or emotionally destructive relationships. The problem is that this series never actually does anything interesting with that idea. Instead of feeling layered, emotional, or psychologically compelling, it ends up feeling painfully empty and exhausting to sit through.

The biggest issue is how unbelievably slow and uneventful the story is. It feels like the entire plot could have been condensed into one or two episodes without losing anything important. Scene after scene passes by with very little progression, and instead of building tension or emotional depth, the show just repeats the same dynamics over and over again. It constantly feels like it’s leading toward some kind of breakthrough, confrontation, or revelation, but nothing ever really happens. By the time the final episode ends, it barely feels like the characters or their relationship evolved at all.

The characters themselves are also incredibly flat. One of them spends most of the show being cold, emotionally unavailable, and unnecessarily cruel, while the other just drifts around looking defeated and emotionally numb. Instead of creating an interesting contrast, their personalities quickly become repetitive and frustrating. The show gives almost no insight into who they really are beyond these surface-level traits. You never fully understand what draws them together, why they stay in such an unhealthy relationship, or what emotional needs they fulfill for each other. Because of that, it becomes difficult to feel invested in them as people.

What makes the experience even more disappointing is that the show occasionally hints at deeper themes or emotional complexity, almost as if it’s about to seriously explore trauma, dependency, loneliness, or emotional manipulation. There are moments where it seems like the relationship is finally going to be examined in a meaningful or even shocking way, but the series always pulls back before doing anything substantial. It avoids emotional honesty in favor of endless silence, vague interactions, and repetitive miscommunication. Instead of tension feeling intentional or meaningful, it just becomes frustrating and emotionally draining to watch.

There’s also very little character development throughout the series. By the end, the characters don’t feel significantly different from who they were in the beginning. The final episode tries to imply some kind of emotional resolution or happiness between them, but because the communication between the characters is so poor and the writing is so vague, it’s hard to even tell what changed or why it matters. The story never earns its emotional payoff because it never properly builds toward one.

The acting is another mixed aspect of the show. One actor clearly gives a much stronger performance than the other, which makes the imbalance noticeable in emotional scenes. Still, it’s hard to blame the cast entirely because the script gives them very little material to work with. Most conversations are minimal, repetitive, or emotionally flat, so even talented actors would struggle to create depth from it.

To the show’s credit, it does have a few strong qualities. The cinematography is genuinely beautiful at times, and some of the intimate scenes are filmed in a very natural and emotionally soft way. The actors also have decent chemistry, which is probably the main reason the relationship remains somewhat believable despite the weak writing. There’s even a quiet, melancholic atmosphere throughout the series that could have worked really well if the story had more substance behind it.

But in the end, good visuals and chemistry aren’t enough to carry a story that feels this hollow. The series becomes an endless cycle of awkward silence, frustrating misunderstandings, emotional detachment, and scenes that go nowhere. Rather than feeling emotionally profound or realistic, it just feels empty, repetitive, and unsatisfying. Overall, it’s a frustrating watch that mistakes slowness and silence for emotional depth, and despite its potential, it never becomes as meaningful or compelling as it clearly wants to be.

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Se o drama tem 136 minutos e todos os links disponíveis só possuem 2h36 minutos já sabemos né?
Que não tem final para ser discutido... Massss, independente disso, o drama é chato, história chata que só os monólogos das cabeças dos personagens principais são muito mais importantes do que as suas próprias falas.
A comunicação entre eles é extremamente limitada, mesmo depois de 2h30!
Os figurinos são lindos, a atuação é boa, mas não senti química e nesse tempo todo percorrido nunca se soube o pq raios o ML não voltou pra casa sendo que a empresa fica na mesma cidade. Só por que não aceitava o relacionamento? Me poupe ne kkkk
Enfim, a chá verde também é tão sem graça que não faz nem cocegas, só tem um burburinho na empresa dele que logo é resolvido.
Enfim, perdi meu tempo. Se um dia eu achar o drama completo, talvez eu resolva perder mais tempo só para ver para onde ia kk

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Came for Tian Xi Wei, Stayed for the Comedy

Honestly, this is one of those dramas I started mainly because of Tian Xi Wei, and I’m glad I did. The first three episodes were seriously so entertaining and instantly pulled me in. I do wish Xi Wei had more screen time, but I’m still really happy seeing her take on a rookie police officer role.

What made the drama especially enjoyable for me was the humor. Zhang Yi Ang is the type of character you can never fully take seriously because he’s naturally comedic, and the same goes for the entire team. Even the criminals somehow added to the comedy. I’m usually not very interested in crime-focused plots, but this one managed to keep me entertained throughout, even though I wish the storyline had been a little more gripping at times.

When it comes to the cast, I’m only familiar with Tian Xi Wei and Lawrence Wang, who I remember as Si Ming from *Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms*. Still, you can easily tell the cast is filled with experienced actors. I’m especially glad Tian Xi Wei stepped outside her usual roles and tried something more unconventional. Li Qian had such a cool and refreshing vibe because of her performance.

The OSTs also deserve praise because they fit the drama’s dark comedy atmosphere perfectly. Everything felt chaotic in a fun way, which honestly made the experience even better. It’s understandable why the drama is getting attention on local TV, even if it isn’t receiving the same level of popularity on MDL. Personally, I think a 7.3 rating is way too low for a drama this enjoyable, though I can see how this kind of genre may not appeal to everyone.

I probably wouldn’t fully rewatch the entire drama, but I’d definitely revisit a lot of specific scenes because the comedy here was genuinely gold.

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not worth watching

I watched this since it was highly raved by my cousin and we both love Park Seo Joon...but I was not a fan of his hair cut in this show! lol This drama did not need 16 episodes. I am the type of person who binge watches kdrama in 1 sitting or 2. It took me a good week to finish this drama coz I couldn't really get into it. I really liked the the love interest between ML and the 2nd FL. The main FL lead irritated me - both her acting and how she looked in the show. Granted, yes, her look was probably intentional to be kind of quirky and eccentric. She was extremely selfish and arrogant and treated Jang Geun Soo so terrible and he did everything to try and be with her!! I didn't like the fact that Sae Ro Yi ended up with her. It would have been a better ending had he not ended up with either of the love interests.

If you have misophonia like I do, Yoo Jae Myung's character while eating will trigger you. The loud slurping was rage inducing >_<". I also can't believe Sae Ro Yi actually kneeled to him!!!! UGH!!

A lot of scenes felt like fillers to me and I almost didn't even bother finishing the show.

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