Reviews

I'll keep it short since there are already many other very thorough reviews, but this really is a lovely show for true romance fans. To start on a very superficial note: the leads are beautiful, the secondary characters as well. The costumes are wonderful, it is very well shot, and with its sweet, dreamy and melancholic atmosphere, this show is a real treat. The acting is strong, though perhaps Park Bo Gum shines even more than Kim Yoo Jung (whose looks are so ethereal in this show, she almost looked like an alien, albeit a very very pretty alien), as he conveys the giddy romantic feelings of his character (those cheeky smiles!)  as well as the depths of his sadness (those teary eyes!) wonderfully. His character is extremely touching in that he is very open about his feelings, all while being admirably witty and quick on the political front. This is a show that really treats its viewers more than the usual in the romance department (I would say about 10 episodes are purely romantic), though it does take a bit of a backseat in the last 2-3 episodes. However by then the drama had set so much intensity between the leads that I didn't resent it too much. The two secondary characters, aristocratic Yoon Sung and rebel Byung Yeon, are really worth mentioning as well, as their complicated loyalties make a very touching story. I loved how the drama showed examples of people intertwined in difficult circumstances that sometimes de facto opposed them to the ones they cared about, but how somehow despite their allegiances and actions they never betrayed each other at heart, because they were coherent with themselves and with their values, and because there was a general trust and respect amongst these characters that admirably avoided many of the cheap misunderstandings dramas often give us. Overall this show went above my expectations in terms of romance (compared to the regular romantic drama), all while maintaining a clever, subtle tone that never made me feel dumb as a viewer. It's a romance drama with quality.

P.S: I actually dropped this show several times in the first couple of episodes because it was perhaps a bit too goofy for me, though I really started to feel invested around episode 3 when the leads start to connect more.

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This is the kind of drama that gets me asking: Are kdramas getting weirder day by day?Are the writers in a constant brain fart?

To put it simply,this drama is about a few characters who try to catch some evil spirits.You throw in some bipolar romance,a very poorly depicted/acted/you name it heroine and some apparent "deepness"about some important life lessons(who fall appart when you try to think more about it) and  some veeeery poorly explained fantasy events,connections and support characters(which again,if you think too deeply ,your brain explodes because it makes no sense whatsoever) and BOOM,you have hwayugi.The Hong sisters could have taken  the best parts out of Journey to the West and made it into an awesome drama,but noooooo,let's take a very important piece of asian literature and write a drama with a plot as tiny as an ant.
The part that pisses me off the most is that it was announced as one of the biggest dramas of the year.SAY WHAT?Think again.
In conclusion,please don't watch it.Don't waste 20 hours of your life on it.

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When  I started watching this, I became more curious of how this story is going to end. It didnt disappoint me for some reason because of the brotherhood of the two leading roles Soo Chan and Dong Tak. Their different personalities make the funny and furious moments although there were some romantic touch but I was more touch than the friendship between two men. And I also notice Ko Bong the beautiful pickpocketer and her partner the detectice (I cant remember his name) to be so cute couple... although they have some short scenes, I found them so noticeable. And also I found Prosecutor Tak to be so hot... uhm so cute and serious type... good film, nice atmosphere, nice story and one last thing that I remember was "forever partners".

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An honest review from someone who hasn't seen the first movie about this couple (Love is Coming): Love Love Me is pretty forgettable.

The central couple, Gump and Nai, are very cute, and the secondary characters include some major eye candy. The somewhat random editing and low budget give this movie a slice-of-life feel that I liked. The conflicts aren't too dramatic, which is nice. It's just a story about people feeling insecure in their relationships. It starts with the heroes in the middle of a relationship, not just starting out, which potentially makes for an interesting twist. I also really appreciated the portrayal of the relationship between Gump and his mom.

The downside is that the ending goes makjang and dramatic in a way that was out of place. I have a high tolerance for weird plot contrivances, but I felt cheated by this one. I don't know why the characters couldn't work things out on their own.

Also, it's unfortunate that Nai has more chemistry with his friend the secondary character than with Gump. This isn't a reflection on the actors, who are all doing a good job, but a fault of the script-writing and directing. They just made that kiss in the middle of the movie way too good, perhaps. They needed to work in another scene or two to show the chemistry between Nai and Gump, for those of us who haven't seen the first movie and aren't already invested in this couple staying together.

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Best thing about this show is that it's genuinely very funny. I've seen so many revenge dramas, but this is a revenge *comedy*. The ending is absolutely perfect and you will cheer that our hero got his (admittedly totally petty) revenge in a very funny way. Yeah, it's low-budget, but they do a lot with what they have. Great characters, including secondary characters like the doctor.

As boys' love, it doesn't always work, as a result of Chinese censorship. The editing gives the feeling that significant scenes and pieces of information are missing. But the writers still got away with a lot of refreshingly dirty dialogue and a bit of skinship. There's chemistry between the actors, although the comic nature of the plot downplays it.

Though I think strong seme/uke dynamics are often a dumb narrative shortcut, they don't bother me much here. The dynamics result in a silly, entertaining power struggle between the two main characters, who are reasonably well developed (for a comedy).

I don't recommend this show if you're looking for romance. That's not the emphasis.

I do recommend it, though, as a well-written sex comedy that plays around with the conventions of boys' love. It's sad that Chinese censorship and the new ban on gay content means that we can't see what Chinese writers and directors could do with the BL genre in future.

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This is one of the best dramas (if not the best) I have ever seen. To begin with, I thought the story was fun and refreshing. We have the typical love triangle, but it doesn't feel too long as it sometimes does in other dramas. The characters solve their issues pretty fast and in a somehow realistic way (taking into account that the circumstances of the show are not supposed to be realistic at all).  The actors did a great job too. I immediately fell in love with most of the characters, especially the two leads. Their chemistry was amazing, and their screen time together was glorious!

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Okay so starting I actually dropped this drama halfway through the first episode. Hye Ri was so annoying that I couldn’t do it. She was a shrieking, spoiled mess- but, like 5 months later, I was on YT and watching some fan vids when one of this show popped up and color me intrigued. It took a while because Mad Dog came first and left me in a drama rut, so then I watched Return of Superman and then I finally began again and I’m actually hooked on it.

Also, I have the “Goodbye! Goodbyyyyye my princess,” stuck in my head. I don’t usually pay attention to music, usually it’s there and if I really like it, I go find it. But this tune- it’s not annoying and I don’t exactly want to go find it but I can’t help but like it at the same time.

All characters go through major growth that make you fall in love with them, bringing out empathy from the watchers.

The story line, the main story line, is intriguing as hell. I love this anti-hero character on Park Shi Hoo and how he isn’t the classic second lead or the normal main lead. He isn’t there to get revenge entirely but to set a wrong right. He’s dark and bright and in love but has to keep on down the road he’s made for himself. Park Shi Hoo's character leans more to the anti-hero side then the hero side, straddling the line between dark and light.

The law/court setting isn’t overwhelming and leads you into the main plot seamlessly, because you have to watch her grow before she’s ready to tackle what she must. Hye Ri was such a deep character past the first couple of episodes where you actually learn about why she acts that way and how she changes from the influence of the people around her.

I like Je Ni, Je Ni was pretty great. I like how when it came to her relationship with In Woo, the writers didn’t complicate it with feelings- they’re just friends who have been there for each other and are super close. I also like how she’s protective of In Woo when it comes to Hye Ri. More like a sibling than a girlfriend vibe. With the second lead girl, I like how she handles Hye Ri and Sunbae- she doesn’t cling on when he moves toward Hye Ri but starts to separate herself. The second lead girls of this drama. Let me praise you because you deserve it. Please write more like this, writers.

These types of dramas don’t come around often and half of them are butchered in the middle or at end and you leave hating everything about like you just ate spoiled cake and can’t get rid of the taste, but this drama is one that did it right.

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I only decided to write one review for this series since Season Two is a straight continuation of Season One. An Chu Xia and Han Qi Lu are static and dynamic at the same time. As their relationship progresses from strangers that had a twist of fate meeting to something more, I found myself getting slightly addicting to this drama, just to see the ending (but more on that later on, if you want spoilers). I will admit the story is a bit bland and one noted, if not kind of messy, but it's still a decent plot that you can follow. The development is plotted more clearly towards the end of Season One and it's a bit more thought out throughout Season Two. I do find myself wishing they had a more in-depth explanation for things, where I do feel the ending was slightly rushed to this series because of that. Overall, it's a lighthearted romance that has points of humor and lots of drama and snakes (you have been warned about the snakes!). If you're like myself, you'll find a major dislike towards certain characters, even the main leads at times, but you'll probably enjoy it. The 46 episodes in total as a whole are better when compared to certain episodes and moments. Chu Xia is a character that really draws you in, because you never know her thoughts at times but you can read her like an open book the other times. Qi Lu is also quite the common cold-hearted boy that's had a grudge due to past experience, which is also what makes his character unbearable at times. The side characters are expressive throughout the series which is something I enjoyed more than usual. It's cute, nice, and definitely new to my taste in a way. 

! Now, for the things I didn't like. Note, there WILL be spoilers: !

! You have been warned !

1. Han Qi Lu is insufferable due to  his trauma from Man Kui and it's honestly the reason that this drama kinda of dragged on, he's constantly acting in this personality of not really showing his feelings but also showing them in the wrong way, which is how Chu Xia interprets them half of the time. So, hate the character slightly, but not that much cause he has underlying good intentions.

2. Man Kui. Where to start? She's so manipulative you want to punch her in the face, even with the fact that her whole reason for coming back for the boy she left without thought is that her right hand is no longer able to perform. She's a TRUE SNAKE, on par with Xin Wei, that's for sure. Her actions are so easily overlooked because of Qi Lu's softness for her (?) I guess you could say? I think it's more of him still having slight feelings for her, but that's just how I saw it. Her character evens out in the end, but only after a lot of dragging on the series due to misconceptions.

3. Chu Xia and Qi Lu deserved a better ending in my opinion. The ending to this series wasn't fulfilling, and was more of a "up to your imagination" type of ending, which is the kind I mainly stray away from. It left a slightly bitter note for me since I was anticipating an ending that explained a lot more about what happened, and not just for them, but for the side characters also. I want to know if Xiao Nan got together with Chen Chuan, if Han Yu found someone, and whether or not Chu Xia and Qi Lu were able to stand the test of time and how their relationship was.

4. My final note on this drama is that I wish they properly started it. The first few episodes nearly discouraged me from continuing on with the drama (even though I pulled through) and was quite hard for me to understand. You're going from one minute where there's a fake hostage crisis to Chu Xia's mother dying and giving her organ(s) to the father of Qi Lu. This all leads to the set up of the story which I naturally understood, but the manner of the execution could've been improved in my opinion.

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Why to watch this drama? For L of infinite and for the love story. However, even the good performances couldn't help overcome the cheesy plot. The writers overdid themselved with the amount of cliche one can add to a plot. Though the main story is okay and kind of interesting, though nothing original, the additional elements, like playing the guitar till you bleed, constantly trying to remember what you have forgotten, playing the guitar even in a tunel, in the night, cause you just had to...If it wasn't for those things, this drama would have been actually good. Aslo, the ending was kind of odd and confusing. So, 2 out of 10.

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The way the main characters create a bond with each other is kinda out of the blue  because they didn't even know each other, the way it happen was kinda off to me!
The development of this drama was fine although I hate it when a character is "in love with 2 people" because for me that doesn't make sense, you may like them and the way they treat you but if you are thinking in who to choose that's not love! But actually in this case we can see that the main character is in love with just one of them and is just afraid of leaving the other one alone, because he confuses the feeling of being cared of, with love. And that confusion makes them betray their partners.
I recommend this drama for the kisses and the background in each couple and the way they change for love.

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WOW! I was one of those that when I first heard of this drama, I was thinking "Oh heck no, I would NEVER watch this." I LOVED Nirvana in Fire 1, it was different from other dramas in terms of schematics and revenge. After I started watching NIF2, I was like WOW!!! It took a while to recall characters from part one, and figure out who is who, but after you do it's a really great drama. The storyline and plot moves well, and doesn't drag. The writers did a really great job with this sequel. Although you do not need to watch the first one (you should anyway lol) to follow this drama, it's nice seeing all the easter eggs and cameos/mentions from NIF1.

The thing that makes NIF and NIF2 so captivating is the writing. Usually when I'm watching dramas, I can GUESS what will happen. I could't ALWAYS guess what the outcomes would be. For example, I thought Ting Sheng just had a evil face and would have thought he WOULD take advantage of the emperor(s). But I was sooooo wrong! 

Cast: I'm not familiar with any of the actors in this drama (that's why I didn't want to watch it lol), but everyone did a great job. Liu Hao Ran came through shining, his was BLAH in the beginning but he did great in here. I'm surprised. Huang Xiao Ming also was fantastic. The supporting cast also did well, and I really enjoyed watching all the supporting cast as their characters develop.

Overall, great drama. I'd definitely watch this again! Drop some easter eggs in the spoilers if you caught any!

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I'd just like to thank this mini-drama for introducing me to Lee Seowon, who is a cutie, as well as providing me with a solid two hours of fluff and heartache, in equal measure. Last Minute Romance is a pretty standard contract relationship trope drama, but the twists throughout make it somewhat refreshing. The acting is pretty good, mostly okay - Han Seung-yeon portrayed Baek Se's emotions pretty well, except for when she was already feeling pain or when Baek Se was particularly sad, because I really couldn't connect to her at all during those moments.

I also enjoyed the parodies throughout, they were very much fun for me. Overall, a good pick for a drama if you have some time to kill - has the right amount of fluff (sometimes too much, but I'm not complaining) but also just enough angst.

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If you've read as much BL manga as I have, you know that a big cliche of the genre is noncon, i.e., the romanticization of sexual assault between partners. I was disappointed to find it in Addicted, which is otherwise a great slice-of-life romance. For Americans raised on a very different set of sexual customs, these scenes of apparent non-con will be surprising or disturbing. I say "apparent" non-con, because I know that in some Asian cultures female partners are expected to put on a show of resistance to sex. This is a seriously problematic custom, and caused endless confusion for an American man I know when he was dating in Japan. But it's how I explain to myself the occasional "assault" scenes in "Addicted." I strongly believe that No means No, but I also get the sense these guys have never heard that.

The low budget, simple settings and slightly eccentric pacing give this show the feeling of real life. The characterizations are top-notch. Much of the tension comes from just how stubborn both of the main characters are. That they're able to rely on each other anyway is sweet, and makes them an interesting and memorable BL pairing. But the writer also portrayed a great father-son relationship and gave a humorous insight into the differences between China's poor and nouveau riche. The music is also good, and I often don't notice music. (The "It's Okay That's Love" shout-out in one of the musical selections made me very happy.)

The greatest flaw in this series is also the thing that makes it most interesting: the censorship of many scenes and the fact that China banned gay content before the series could be finished. The romance never feels fully developed because censors eliminated not only sex but kissing. The end result is a show where the guys talk about sex frankly (okay, Guo Bai talks about it, gotta love that cheeky bugger), but we never even see an affectionate kiss between them. And the story ends abruptly with a cliffhanger and a ton of emotional issues unresolved between the guys.

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