Reviews

¡Qué hombre multifacético y qué química de locos!

Miré When the Phone Rings justo después de terminar otro proyecto de Yoo Yeon-seok, Phantom Lawyer, donde hace de un personaje completamente distinto. ¡Qué actor más multifacético, por favor! Pasó de un rol super tierno y complejo (donde interpretaba a varias personas a la vez) a este tipo frío, serio, ultra reservado y distante. Bueno, en líneas temporales de estreno sé que fue al revés, pero así lo viví yo en mi maratón personal, je. Me hizo acordar perfectamente a por qué me enamoré de él desde su actuación en Oldboy.

Convengamos que no es uno de nuestros "nenes lindos" con cara hegemónica de catálogo. No me malinterpreten: yo lo amo y me parece hermoso, pero hay que aceptar que no tiene esa carita perfecta como Lee Jong-suk o Ji Chang-wook (inserten acá un actor de moda; la que escribe esto ya es una ajumma que se quedó un poco en el tiempo). Pero su talento, su porte y su voz te compran por completo.

Sobre el dorama en sí... ¡me gustó mucho! ¿Qué quieren que les diga? Empieza re bien, te atrapa al toque con el misterio, la tensión y una intriga que te dan ganas de clavarte un capítulo atrás del otro.

Aunque siendo sincera, es verdad que al final los guionistas se fueron un poco a la mierda. Venía con un tono maduro impecable y de golpe metieron un bombardeo de drama totalmente exagerado: que si un secuestro por acá, un incendio por allá, caídas de montañas... ¡les faltó un ataque alienígena nada más! Mi abuela diría que en la vida real no pasan tantas tragedias juntas en dos capítulos, pero bueno, los invito a caminar por mi barrio después de las 8 de la noche y ya van a ver cómo se queda corta la ficción, jaja. Igual, a las viejas meadas como yo en el fondo nos encanta que nos den cualquier excusa exagerada para seguir llorando frente a la pantalla, pero hay que admitir que meter tantas vueltas con lo mismo se sintió un poco repetitivo y terminaron quemando la tensión de la serie.

Mención especial para el elenco: No suelo alabar tanto a las actrices mujeres (me concentro mucho en los hombres, soy una vieja babosa), pero me tengo que sacar el sombrero con Chae Soo-bin. Me hizo llorar un montón, transmitió todo de manera excelente.

¡Y la química que tenían los dos protagonistas, por Dios! Yo solo quiero que me hagan sandwichito entre esos besos. No sé si será que venía eligiendo mal mis doramas últimamente, pero hacía años que no veía uno con tan buenas escenas de besos y tanta tensión. ¡Este me dio eso y más!

Sacando ese tramo final un poco repetitivo, vale totalmente la pena por las actuaciones y el romance. ¡Aguante el amor adulto!

Leia Mais

It needn't be that long

I watched a longer version that is 3hrs long, and I don't think it needed to be that long.
After 2 hours we basically got everything and reached the happy end, all jealousy scenes were conducted and every secret from the past was spilled so there is nothing to keep the story going for the next hour.

Also the story has nothing much going on to begin with, just two very rich pair with some wounds from the past and childhood trauma that will be magically cured through each other as it should and that's it, we don't even have family disagreement or any sibling/work drama, literally nothing.

Not saying it's all bad, just a simple 1 and half hours would be more than enough to show everything perfectly.

The cast was good, I however couldn't see much chemistry between the leads, and tbh WHZ here was so bad, I like him generally but here he has shown almost no emotions at all, and as everyone said he was very monotonous, the FL was cute and that's it her character had some questionable moments, but overall she was ok.

Will i recommend it? Ummm probably, I won't.

Leia Mais

Confusing Drama

I blame the director(s) for this drama. It took at least 20 episodes before I even began to understand this fiasco. If shown in an understanding manner and not in jumping from one confusing scene to the next, this could have been a decent drama. Now that I understand what is going on, I will continue watching on how this plays out. If not for the fact there isn't any really good wuxia dramas out at this time that, watching 2 episodes a day is no grievance. I love Allen Ren, but the dramas he has accepted recently have done him no justice in the last couple of years. At least he is smiling or carrying a pleasant expression, but it downplays his talent. He is just going through the motions with no commitment to his craft. I thought twice before starting this because Mr. Ren is not immersed in any character lately.

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Adattamento fallimentare e compresso, con una relazione tossica ripresa da lontano

Questa è la prova che cercare di adattare un manga in un film di due ore non può che essere un'operazione fallimentare. Nonostante le potenzialità di una premessa in genere molto popolare - la ragazza che vanta un finto fidanzato e il ragazzo che inizialmente la ricatta - il risultato è un prodotto frettoloso, privo di anima e, nei suoi momenti peggiori, decisamente fastidioso.
Tra i difetti principali vi è la narrazione, estremamente compressa e, di conseguenza, tremendamente compromessa: la sensazione è di guardare un riassunto, non un film. Gli sviluppi emotivi sono bruschi, i personaggi secondari appena abbozzati e la presunta evoluzione del protagonista, Kyoya, avviene in modo così repentino e immotivato da risultare inverosimile. La mancanza del suo background lo riduce a un ragazzo prepotente e cinico senza motivo, perdendo ogni sfumatura del materiale originale (nel manga vi è quanto meno un focus sul pregresso che spiega il perché del suo comportamento, per quanto discutibile sia).
Anche la regia e la fotografia sono discutibili: l’abuso di campi lunghissimi, specialmente nei dialoghi cruciali, è una scelta inspiegabile che tiene lo spettatore a distanza, impedendogli di cogliere le sfumature degli attori. È paradossale che in una storia basata sulla tensione e sul non detto di Kyoya la macchina da presa decida di non mostrare mai il suo volto nei momenti chiave.
Per quanto riguarda il cast, Kento Yamazaki è sì fisicamente azzeccato e abbastanza carismatico, ma la sua interpretazione fatica a rendere credibile la "cattiveria" del personaggio, risultando a tratti teatrale. La chimica con la protagonista, Fumi Nikaido, non decolla mai, complice anche una caratterizzazione del personaggio che rende Erika sempre più passiva e priva dell'energia che dovrebbe controbilanciare il cinismo di lui.
Detto questo, il problema più pesante è la relazione tossica presentata con leggerezza: passa tra quarti del film a chiamarla “cane”, lei subisce, lui non demorde. E alla fine, va comunque tutto bene. Pessimo messaggio, qualunque giustificazione si voglia mettere sul piatto (e qui il piatto rimane comunque pure vuoto).
Evitabilissimo...

Leia Mais

Never a dull moment in this long drama.

What stood out most to me was the depth of the characters even the villains goid/bad often felt human and worthy of sympathy. The acting & costumes were great, every character, good or bad, evolved over time Ruyi left the biggest impression on me. Her extraordinary patience, emotional discipline, resilience, and discernment. Unlike many drama protagonists, she never transformed into a revenge driven character despite everything she suffered. I found the Emperor deeply disappointing as the story progressed. At first he seemed loving and decent, but over time his ego, lust and insecurity eroded the relationship that mattered most. Overall this series was emotionally rich, psychologically layered but deeply human.

Leia Mais

An emotional and deeply relatable watch

I found myself connecting with both sisters in different ways, especially the feelings of isolation, watching life pass by while simply trying to survive, and struggling in a toxic work environment. This drama captured those emotions with a realism that felt painfully accurate at times. What I appreciated most was how honestly it portrayed the ups and downs of life. It was sad and heavy in moments, but also comforting and healing. The performances were incredible and made every emotional scene feel genuine and impactful. A beautifully written and acted drama that stayed with me long after watching. 10/10.

Leia Mais

Wholesome Chemistry Done Right

I didn’t expect much from this show since I randomly stumbled upon it, but it turned out to be such a lovely and comforting binge-watch. From the very beginning, it had this warm and easy charm that kept me hooked without even realizing it.
What I loved the most was the innocent and wholesome chemistry between the FL and ML.
And can we talk about the FL’s brother for a second? Because his role was literally chef’s kiss. Every scene he was in added so much charm, emotion, and fun to the story. He easily became one of my favorite characters, and honestly, he made the entire experience even more memorable for me. ☺️
Overall, this drama was such an unexpected gem — wholesome, comforting, and filled with characters that leave a smile on your face long after finishing it.

Leia Mais

The romance was peak

I wanted to watch this for IU and Woo Seok and it didn't disappoint. I loved every minute of it. From the romance to the plot to the costuming and sets, I loved it all! The characters were all so enjoyable to watch as well.

IU and Woo Seok's chemistry first off was just incredible. I love these two so much as actors and was really happy to see them work on something together. Hui Ju was such a fun character. I loved how goofy she was but also so determined and caring for I-An. I-An was such a complex character. He was kind and caring and has just been through so much. For a kdrama I feel like they kissed quite a bit too which was nice to see. I just absolutely adored them together!
I loved assistant Choi and Do! I was hoping there would be a romance between them, and I was so glad there was. They had so many cute moments together. Their kiss at the bus stop was next level!! Absolutely loved how passionate it was. I loved how similar Choi is to Hui Ju is with their goofiness. Do was similar to I-An in a lot of ways too so I loved how by the end they pretty much switched assistants. I loved seeing the four of them together! They were so fun to see how each of their dynamics were with each other.
I was very happy when I Rang ended up being on I-An's side rather than her father and Jeong U's. I really didn't like her for most of the show to be honest. Towards the end I did like her a bit more, but she did a lot in the beginning that made me hate her.
I wasn't shocked when Jeong U turned to his villain era. I had an off feeling about him from the beginning, so it didn't shock me when he started doing shady stuff. His reasoning for doing all the bads things being because he wanted Hui Ju for himself was kind of lame I will say. Man had over 10 years to confess to her and never did. I was glad to see his downfall in the end, but I do wish we were shown his arrest and not just told about it.
Tae Ju and Da Yeong really grew on me throughout the show. I didn't like either of them at first because they were routing for Hui Ju's downfall, but throughout the show we saw more and more that they really cared for her by the end and they became really enjoyable to watch. I loved the relationship between them as a couple from the start though, it was adorable.
The king was so stinking cute too!! So adorable!!

I really liked the plot. It was very stereotypical in moments but not to the point it annoyed me. I don't think anything was too drawn out either. I liked seeing how everything with the crown worked in a modern-day society. The focus of the show is definitely more the romance than other plot, but I think that is fine because it's what drew people in. I loved the mix of seeing modern day with the historical elements of the crown. I thought that was really cool to see. I'm not the biggest fan of Korean historicals so I thought this was the perfect way to have both.

This show was really enjoyable. I looked forward to it every week and miss it so much. I think the actors all did an incredible job and this was quite the stacked cast. I have to mention the sets and costuming again because they were stunning!!

I loved all the OST's as well!! Riize, BIBI, Boynextdoor, Woodz, and even Woo Seok himself! I added them all to my Spotify I love them so much!!

Leia Mais

Intricately detailed production visuals added with outstanding acting from all

Intricately detailed production visuals added with extremely solid acting all around, this is a historical drama I would rewatch. Pacing was good (a bit on the slower end) and kept my interest - some of the writing in certain plot points could have been stronger for sure, so may not want to binge watch some of the eps at once (def. can binge the last quarter of the drama however) - but the characters are very consistent throughout and the overall story is built up well to the very end. I'm completely satisfied with the OTP and the secondaries cps. Overall a very lovely visual atmosphere and telling.

Some good thematic exploration about spoiling can lead to their doom (and also other victims along the way), pursuing justice despite the personal cost/sacrifice, and giving into destiny/fate vs. fighting against it. For a "rebirth" premise, this did not feel cliched. None of the subplots/supporting characters felt like filler. The villains' are written and portrayed very well. I really enjoyed seeing the flashbacks to the FL's previous lifetime (and otp loll) and also the various additional details revealed throughout. A satisfying happy ending if a bit abrupt in the finale ep.

Zhang Wanyi is amazing as always (his microexpressions are the best), and Jing Tian's FL character here is a good balance of sweet and competent and vulnerable (my first drama I've finished from her!). They're fun to watch together. Loved all the supporting characters~

**Bonus points to the director/photographer for all the scenic shots and some zoom in time for the production details**

Some notes/comparisons to other cdramas (because I could not resist):
The Double: "rebirth" premise, but SI JIN is better in that I felt like the main otp is given the justified screentime they deserve
Legend of the Female General: again, "rebirth" premise, but SI JIN has more brains in the writing/plot esp. in regards to the politics and the villains
ZWY's other drama Are You the One: similar in the reluctance/push-and-pull beginning of the otps in both dramas - esp. from the FLs in both dramas. Stronger performance from Jing Tian as the main FL in SI JIN (suspect probably better writing for the FL character) compared to WCR in AYTO. Which I'm happy to find as I mostly enjoyed her performance in Wonderland of Love opposite Xu Kai but I think the writing did not give credit to her character and made me dislike watching her character in the drama. I'm convinced the ZWY can have chemistry with a stick of wood while watching AYTO, yet Wang Churan seems better in what I've seen of her in How Dare You?! opposite Cheng Lei.

Leia Mais

Intensity, Sci-Fi, and a Chemistry That Burns Up the Screen

To make sure I didn't miss a single detail of the intricate universe of Pit Babe, I decided to do a marathon: I rewatched the first season and immediately dove into the second. Watching them back-to-back makes you realize how well-connected everything is, especially since the entire series revolves around people with special abilities, a key factor that brilliantly explains why certain characters return to the board.

THE PLOT: THE SERUM DILEMMA AND THE CURSE OF POWERS

If the first season was all about adrenaline and racing, the second season raises the stakes by focusing on a much more mature and dangerous plot: the attempt to develop a serum that can eliminate special abilities. Far from being a weapon, the goal of this serum is humanitarian: to protect those who do not want their powers or simply cannot control them.

A Desperate Need for Jeff and Charlie: Although the serum is vital for Jeff, whose ability is incredibly unstable, dangerously strong, and threatens to cause him irreparable damage; it is also a crucial and desperately needed element for Charlie. For him, getting rid of these abilities is not a whim, it is a medical and emotional urgency that directly affects his survival and his future. The race against time to develop this serum is what keeps the tension at an all-time high.

BABE AND CHARLIE: AN ELECTRIFYING CHEMISTRY THAT EVOLVES

Let’s talk about what melts us all: Babe and Charlie. If they had already won us over in the first season, in this second round their chemistry is absolutely electrifying. The way they touch, how they flirt, and those intense looks into each other's eyes made me smile, blush, and get completely hooked to the screen.

The best part is that the series doesn't just rely on fanservice or heat of the moment; the second season delves deeply into their connection, exploring their mutual vulnerability and the high emotional tension behind it. They are the absolute heart of the show.

NEW FACES AND UNEXPECTED REDEMPTIONS

One of the surprises of the season is the new character, Willy (played brilliantly by Milk). At first, I admit he got on my nerves, he was insufferable, arrogant, and self-centered. However, the script does a fantastic job with him; the shift in his character as the story progresses is so organic that it completely changed my perspective of him. You end up empathizing with him in a way you just don't see coming.

THE BIG CONTRADICTION: ALAN´S DOWNFALL

Not everything is perfect, and here comes my biggest conflict with the season: Alan's behavior. He has always been the protector, the undeniable pillar of the team, the leader, the mentor, and the oldest of the group. Everyone trusts him blindly.

Discovering that his old spinal injury from racing hasn't healed adds drama, but for me, that is no excuse for him to go and negotiate with Tony. Furthermore, the hypocrisy of his character this season hurts: he demands absolute honesty from Jeff, while he hides absolutely everything from him. That lack of consistency with the Alan we used to know left a pretty bitter taste in my mouth.

THE VERDICT: BEYOND THE RACETRACK

What truly solidifies this second season is how it manages to expand its universe. Pit Babe is no longer just a series about romance and cars; it transforms into a survival thriller where past traumas and human ambition collide head-on. Although the pacing falters in a few places due to the side characters' subplots, the acting growth of the entire cast holds the show together strongly.

If you liked the first one, the second season is a mandatory watch that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and, of course, falling a little more in love with Babe and Charlie.

Leia Mais

Beautifully raw and real

This show was beautifully done. I wouldn't consider it a BL, maybe more of a queer story. I loved this so much. I watched it one sitting. I loved getting to go through so many years of life with our cast. It felt like watching someone's life more than watching a show and I loved that.

Ryu was my favorite character. He was so caring and so adorable and just the biggest green flag. Jo Han was an incredible character too. He went through so many hard time but I loved that he kept getting back up and trying to make the best out of his life. Sumiko was also so enjoyable to watch. She is so strong and I loved her determination too. All the characters in this show had such a complexity about them that made them feel so real. They all went through good times as well as a lot of hardships that life throws at you.
The boys wanting to help Sumiko raise the baby and seeing the three of them raise her together was so beautiful to see. I loved that it showed different sides of it including the judgement that would naturally come from other people. Even after Jo Han left, Ryu agreeing to marry Sumiko to make it easier on the child was so incredible to see too.
I have a feeling some people won't care for the ending since the boys never confessed to each, nor came out and said they were gay, but I loved it. Somehow that made the story seem that much more real. You as the audience knew they were gay and knew they had feelings for each other from little moments here and there throughout the show without it ever being said outright and I loved that. We hear their monologues and the end and hear the I love you's but I personally think the I love you's were just in their heads. I think they spent Jo Han's finals moments together and then Ryu goes back home without them ever saying anything to each other, but I don't think they needed to. I think they knew deep down how they felt and that was enough for them and even though some may say it's tragic they never heard it from the other, I think it is still beautiful.

Leia Mais

A Crown It Never Earned

Perfect Crown opens with a king who wanted to walk away from his crown. He chose abdication over power and died in a fire shortly after, with the queen mother's hands close enough to the flame to make you wonder. The show looks you in the eye in those opening moments and makes you a promise that what follows will carry the weight of that beginning. It does not.
This is a drama that invests everything into its surface and almost nothing into its foundations. The visuals are stunning, the costumes are gorgeous, the music is carefully chosen, and at the center of it all are two actors who deserved a far better story. What Perfect Crown lacks is the courage to be the show it claimed to be in its first episode.
The drama is set in an alternate South Korea with a constitutional monarchy a premise full of political possibility. Power, legacy, class, succession all of it is laid on the table early. But the show is never truly interested in any of it. It uses these elements as decoration while quietly becoming a light romantic comedy, and the transition is so gradual and so unearned that by the finale you are watching a completely different show from the one that began.
Byeon Woo Seok is the drama's greatest asset and its greatest tragedy. His performance is exceptional fear, anger, longing, all of it lives in his eyes before it ever reaches his dialogue. He gives the show an emotional core it did not write for him. Much of the online discourse has criticized his performance as too restrained but that reading misses what he is actually doing. Yi-an is a man who has spent his entire life being told not to outshine the crown. Of course he is contained. The restraint is the performance. IU matches him with her trademark sharp energy, and together their chemistry is genuine. But even the best chemistry cannot make you feel the weight of a romance when the world around it keeps refusing to commit to itself. The actors gave this drama more than it gave them.
The supporting characters suffer most from this lack of commitment. Min Jeong-woo begins the drama as the prince's loyal confidant — trusted, close, essential. His eventual betrayal should be one of the drama's most devastating moments. Instead it lands as absurd, because the writers never did the work to earn it. His feelings for the female lead are gestured at rather than developed. We never watch him fall, never watch him struggle, never watch him reach a breaking point where destroying his closest friendship feels like his only option. He does not become a traitor through pain or desperation. He is simply assigned one, and the difference is everything.
The queen mother is the drama's most damning failure. She is established early as its true villain, a woman whose ambition is so consuming that a king died suspiciously close to her anger. That same king had a sealed royal document stating his wish to pass the throne to Yi-an — a document that should have been the show's most explosive revelation. Yi-an holds it. The audience knows it exists. And then the show simply moves on, leaving its most consequential piece of evidence gathering dust in a drawer. In a monarchy, which is the entire world this show constructs, that document is everything legitimacy, justice, truth. Ignoring it is not an oversight. It is the show abandoning its own story. And when the finale arrives the queen mother faces no real punishment anyway. She hands over some evidence and walks away. The writers built a world where a king's abdication decree was burnt to ash to protect a succession and then allowed the woman responsible for his suspicious death to exit quietly. It is not mercy. It is the show flinching from the consequences of its own story.
The female lead's family undergoes a similarly unconvincing transformation, softening toward her in the final episodes without the emotional groundwork to make it believable. Again and again Perfect Crown reaches the moments it has been building toward and looks away.
Perfect Crown earns a 5 out of 10 and that 5 belongs almost entirely to its performances, its visuals, and the ghost of the show it could have been. Watch it if you want something easy, fast, and light — a binge for an idle weekend with beautiful people in beautiful costumes. Just do not watch it expecting the show it promised to be in its opening minutes. That show never arrived

Leia Mais