Reviews

WORKPLACE CHAOS

The story follows Dam Ye-jin, a powerhouse television home shopping host known for her legendary 'sell-outs' streaks. Outwardly successful but privately battling severe chronic insomnia and a career setback, she is desperately trying to secure an exclusive beauty contract with a major corporation. Her mission takes her deep into the countryside to find Matthew Lee, a meticulous, multi-tasking researcher and farmer who holds the exclusive right to a rare, miracle cosmetic ingredient ( the 'white-flowered Noori mushroom'). Guarded, blunt, and fiercely protective of his town, Matthew wants nothing to do with corporate sharks. When Ye-jin invades his quiet rural life to secure the contract, the stage is set for a hilarious, chaotic clash of worlds.

Furthermore, Ahn Hyo-seop plays brilliantly against his usual 'suave CEO' type here. As Matthew Lee ( fondly nicknamed Mechoori by the locals) is delightfully gruff, a bit stiff, and practical, he hides a deeply, fiercely protective heart. Chae Won-bin is a total standout. She handles the physical comedy flawlessly without ever making her character feel like she's over-acting. Her transition from a high-strung, burnt-out workaholic to someone who finds peace in the country is credibly endearing. The show shines brightest when it leans into its rural comedy elements. The local village ahjummas, the chaotic town sports festival, and the ridiculous subplots, like a quick game of one-on-one basketball turning into a massive ego battle, give the series a genuinely warm,community-driven feel. Also, the production team did a fantastic job with the split-screen sequences early on, contrasting Ye-jin's sterile,showroom-like city apartment with Matthew's peaceful, nature-driven routine. The cinematography in the rural village is gorgeously warm and scenic.

However, while the first two-thirds of the show are full of lighthearted fun and healing, the final two episodes stumble slightly by throwing in a few too many artificial corporate conflicts and late-stage misunderstandings. It forces dramatic tension where a cozy wrap would have sufficed. The timeline of product development, manufacturing, and corporate scandals happens at warp speed. It's a drama where you have to turn off the logical side of your brain regarding business logistics and just enjoy the character interactions.

In conclusion, Sole Out on You doesn't reinvent the classical K-drama rom-com wheel, but it executes its tropes with so much heart and humor that it's impossible not to smile. It's a breezy, comforting watch that beautifully captures how people with 'holes in their hearts' can help each other heal.

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Love You Back

To be honest, this is one of the best BLs to come out of Thailand in a very, very long time. Not only is it entertaining from the beginning, it maintains its entertainment value throughout. The storyline is creative and novel, and I honestly looked forward to every episode because each was fresh and original. The story’s theme was not just saturated in love but decidedly rich in devotion, reverence, and fidelity to one another. It has been a long time since I have been wholly impressed with a Thai BL; this gave me hope that they can indeed get back to making quality series again. This is clearly a “must see” for everyone. Unquestionably, it should also be considered a nominee for Best BL of this year. The full devotion of its simple message to love, devotion, and dedication and the simple smart and entertaining way it delivered was astonishingly effective. It also shows the importance of recognizing the role of mental health in the development of healing our bodies. I might suggest in the future that the series not be afraid to ‘label’ the conditions that are being expressed, rather than merely painting a visual picture. It is “okay” for us to deal with real conditions that hinder us from moving forward in living and let those who love us and our communities support us in our efforts to improve. We must no longer feel ashamed or afraid or embarrassed. We are who we are. This is a BL series that will stick with you for a long time.

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Missed Opportunity

As a fan of ABO I was really excited for this. However, they don't explain the ABO dynamics and it feels like they don't have a world system in mind. They just throw around words like "alpha" with no real thought behind it. I also don't really care for race car driving plot. It didn’t hold my interest. Another thing that added to the disappointment was how the friends were one-dimensional and ignorant. It's a shame because the two MC's have chemistry and showed some good acting, but the lack of investment in the story and understanding of ABO led to lackluster results.

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It's Fine - That's the Highest Compliment I can Give It

You ever watched a story and found yourself thinking, 'had this aired at a different time, or perhaps if I were a different personI'd have liked (tolerated) it better?' When this started airing, I thought I'd love it. I left myself a note at the end of episode 2 stating how much I enjoyed how the plot and setting both reminded me of 'Business Proposal' & 'Welcome to Samdal-ri'. Dramas that, while I thoroughly enjoyed, had (and still get) scathing reviews.

The scathing comments kept coming in, and for the initial 5 episodes, I tuned them out. The show worked for me, and I like what I like, so whatever. Screw what the naysayers were peddling. However, after episode 6, I started slowly siding with the masses.😭

Let's start with what I liked
🍄‍🟫The comedy - They did have some funny bits. Did I find myself laughing to the point I lost my breath or had tears running down my face? No. But they did manage to get several chuckles out of me.

🍄‍🟫References to previous dramas - They had Anh Hyo Seop on the team, and they decided to milk that for all it was worth. They had multiple references to 'Business Proposal' -some obvious, some not-, as well as K-pop Demon Hunters. I also believe that the sprinkler kiss in the mushroom greenhouse was a little nod to 'King the Land.' That's my kind of fanservice and I was very happy about it.

🍄‍🟫The live selling aspect - This is purely based on the fact that it's a niche interest of mine. I kept wishing (and still do wish) that they gave us a deeper look into that. Because 2 reasons
a. It serves a particular interest of mine.
b. It showcases a much different career path than what we're used to in dramas

🍄‍🟫The villagers and Dam Ye Jin's 2 coworkers - The villagers' r/ship with Mechoori was quite endearing to watch - you know, b4 they turned on him. I liked that tsundere r/ship he had with them. I loved how Dam Ye Jin and her coworkers remained friends, and they had her back despite her being kicked out after the scandal. They worked well together

My Frustrations
🍄‍🟫Noble Idiocy - Ah! The Achilles heel of many a Kdrama (Cdramas and Jdramas included).
So both characters are struggling with things in their past. Ordinarily, I would be empathetic; however, I found myself struggling in this case. If you look objectively at both their past traumas, any reasonable person would at least suspect a setup. Even without damning evidence against the other party.

Based on that, the burden they chose to carry (because, yes, this was very much a choice, and a bad one at that) really made no sense to me. I understand when authors and screenwriters wanna write green flag, pure characters, who feel deeply, but it comes to a point that..... Nah man.

🍄‍🟫The therapy debate (or, rather, the lack thereof)
Our mains needed some serious therapy to help deal with the issues of the past. But, despite being well off enough to afford it, no one suggests, considers, or seeks it. She, abuses sleeping pills to the point of detrimental side effects and is a workaholic. He, on the other hand, hides, becoming a corporate life recluse in an idyllic farming village.

I would want to yell at this drama for this one, but this is an overarching Kdrama issue - not one specifically tied to this one show. Therapy is for the birds in dramas. Depression, suppressed trauma, and other mental health issues are fixed by copious amounts of alcohol (I'm looking at you, Doctor Slump), comeuppance, and the amazing power of love... sigh

🍄‍🟫How do time and distance work in this world?
In the 1st (?) ep when she has to go to the village to meet him, it takes the better part of the morning. She also mentioned that she needed to leave the village early as she had a broadcast later that night. When they started meeting daily so he could give her the meds, they showed on the navigation that he'd have to drive about 2, maybe 2.5 hrs to get back to Seoul. This is at around 1/2 am, when one would assume there's no traffic.

Now, based on those instances, can someone tell me how this man got from the village to Seoul and managed to save her from almost getting run over that one night? Can he teleport? Could his car achieve speeds of light speeds and they never told us? I hate it when seemingly turn off your brains shows make me turn my brain back on. You need to find a balance with the absurd, unbelievable nonsense. I can only gaslight myself so much

🍄‍🟫The sleepwalking and the sleep phone calls - Went on for too damn long

🍄‍🟫 I wish we had gotten her mother's side of the story.
Something more than 'I will sabotage and be rude to my daughter for years after the tabloids said that she took a bribe to sabotage my career - and she said she did in a heated moment.' I think the story about a woman choosing a career over being a mother is such an interesting one.

We rarely see these types of stories. It sucks that they never explored it. I would've liked to see her internal battle/struggle with this vs the trauma on the child, coz both sides are valid. We only get to see how Dam Ye Jin was hurt, but never quite the mom's side. But perhaps this particular drama wasn't the best vessel for such a deep and nuanced conversation

🍄‍🟫The romance/chemistry - I didn't get butterflies or swoon. Were they cute? Sure. But while they told me they were in love and they acted as people in love, I didn't buy into it. Into their chemistry.

This is in comparison to dramas like 'Filling for Love' and 'My Royal Nemesis'.

As I type this, the former is 2 episodes from the finale, and so far, I have loved the chemistry between the main characters. I bought into their journey to each other and the romance. They are swoonworthy and spicy. In the latter drama, both of them are crazy. We are halfway through airing, so they have every chance to fuck it up (fingers crossed they don't), but their journey so far is more on the giggle, kick your feet side.

Now having this show air in tandem with the other two... yeah, not a fair fight. The romance and chemistry in this were certainly and glaringly lacking.

🍄‍🟫Final Thoughts🍄‍🟫
While it did start with the potential to be good in my eyes, the plot, pacing, and absurdity of some choices and sequences put me off the show. IMO, skip it. But if you wanna try it, perhaps watch it as a background noise drama. It has some good, but they are overshadowed by the bad.

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She only has eyes for you

Cute and funny short series with a classic misunderstanding trope. Not bad, but definitely nothing special.

Things I liked:
1. Cute moments.
2. Supportive sister. She is a great sister and best friend.

Things I disliked:
1. Voiceover. No matter how many series I watch with voice-overs, I can never get used to them. I know why they are a thing, but I just personally dislike them.
Even though sometimes they are better and less noticeable than others, here the quality of voiceover is mediocre.
Not to sound disrespectful, but if I wanted a voiceover, I would watch series dubbed.
Also, from what I can remember, this is the first Taiwanese series that I've seen to have voiceovers, so I was quite surprised at first.
2. Acting was tense and awkward at times; their "romantic" moments felt quite unnatural.
3. Last episode is like a fever dream, a whole lot of nothing. Was that added drama really necessary?

Overall, I enjoyed watching it, but as I mentioned, it is really nothing special. Sweet little series, worth it if you just want something easy to watch.

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Great historical drama!

Definitely feels like one of those that should be a 9 at least in my opinion, but overall, one of the best recent historical dramas I've seen! Really a good watch for those interested in the history of China. It can be boring if you're not into history, may even be hard to follow if you're not good with Chinese names, and somewhat long and boring at parts (like discussions about politics if you're not into that stuff), but overall I still really enjoyed learning about the history of this time period between the end of the Tang and the beginning of the Song. It truly was such a messy period back then that I never knew about as I never saw any other historical dramas about that era!

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Looses the plot

Yue breaks up with Wei because he’s poor and she’s all about that rich girl life. She ends up trying to get Cheng, a cold blooded gang member that loves snakes, to like her. When Wei discovers this he decides to steal her man, period.

I’ve said it a million times I love it when shows have a character with a secret and this premise was so good. This drama actually was ruining my life a bit, I only wanted to watch it. Their love story including the frisky scenes are so well executed I was in love.

This show however forgets bisexuality exists and it loses the plot completely when Yue’s plots are all tied up (she’s severely underdeveloped too) and then Cheng’s ex shows up around episode 13. There’s a few good episodes later on, especially with the father in law, but it feels like the show is just continuing for nothing and to develop the second couple. I almost stopped watching it completely after the ex kept showing up.

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Some episodes show superb direction. A very gritty, hard-hitting thriller, ruthless, even. You can feel the Ringo Lam influence, with its raw, unflinching violence ; this isn't meant to be a feel-good watch. It's deliberately infuriating. It really gets under your skin. Everything is rotten to the core. A very good series, but one that leaves you seething with rage by the time it's over.

"You're just a thug with a badge." We call that a cop, yes.

The story of a sadistic serial killer, set toward the end of the military dictatorship in 1988. We see despicable cops and a prosecutor acting with complete impunity. (Those cowards) We see men behaving as a patriarchal society naturally encourages and rewards them to do. We see female victims who are considered guilty in the eyes of others. We see high-ranking officials who are full of themselves and never take responsibility for anything. We see police repression of pro-democracy demonstrations.

"The public no longer trusts the police." I think that's a sign of good health.

The acting is incredibly intense. Serious stuff. A cop protagonist who's been through the worst and is forced to work against his will with one of his former tormentors. He thinks the police protect people, he believes they bring the guilty to justice… A constant in this kind of crime series : the cops are terrible at their investigations and ruin people's lives by wrongly accusing innocent people left and right. I don't know to what extent this is intentional. It comes up so often !

Not to brag, but I figured out who the killer was right from the start. My only flaw : too good. It's a fact. (Everything screams him, right there !) The solution doesn't come at the end but along the way, so it doesn't matter and doesn't ruin anything. It's the kind of series you can still enjoy even if someone with bad intentions spoiled it for you beforehand.
The culprit is every bit as cunning as those who claimed to be hunting him down. The theme is the rot at the heart of the social order. The back-and-forth between 1988 and 2019 confirms that nothing ever changes. The killer bears as much blame as the police and the justice system.

"Admitting your mistakes and asking for forgiveness takes even more courage." And that's how we move forward. That's why people in positions of power never admit their mistakes. They don't want things to get better for others.

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My first GL

Oboom asks her twin sister Aioon to breakup with her other partner so she can go on her honeymoon with her new husband (she owes her a favour), she refuses but since Oboom gets into a coma she decides to do it. Her other partner turns out to be a rich blind woman.

I love the representation of blindness I feel like the actress did a very good job. This series was really try not to feel bad for everyone challenge. Like no one is a villian, I have sympathy for all of them. Unemployed main lead with bad jobs that constantly thinks they’re bad at everything and wants to be a writer… wait is she me? These characters are so complex it’s crazy.

I feel like the runtime is too long. The pacing is weird asf it’s too long and then some parts I want more of but never get.

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Here’s a review written in a more natural opinion-style tone based on your thoughts:

Started watching Our Happy Days mainly because I always liked Uhm Hyun Kyung in long dramas, and honestly I have no complaints about the acting. Both male and female leads did well and their characters were enjoyable enough to follow.

But what really disappointed me was the older couple in the drama. The grandfather and grandmother treated their own son and daughter-in-law like complete outsiders. Not just privately, but openly in front of employees too. It honestly felt weird and cruel. Even the old man’s secretary behaves rudely toward the company’s own CEO simply because his father doesn’t support him properly. The drama tries to present the grandparents like innocent elders protecting the family, but many times they just came across as biased and emotionally toxic.

What made it worse is how obvious their favoritism was. They only truly cared about one grandson while the others felt neglected. Then the drama acts surprised when tension and resentment happen in the family.

Another thing I didn’t enjoy was the second lead couple writing.

The second male lead had almost no self-respect. He kept chasing a girl who clearly loved his younger brother. After being rejected so many times, it stopped feeling romantic and started feeling pathetic. Same with the second female lead. She gets rejected and humiliated repeatedly, but instead of moving on, she keeps emotionally hanging around the leads. Her dramatic “take care of oppa” scene felt more like emotional guilt-tripping than heartbreaking.

I really wish the drama gave the second leads proper growth and self-worth instead of making them suffer endlessly for melodrama.

Still, the acting overall was solid, especially Uhm Hyun Kyung. She carried emotional scenes really naturally and made frustrating moments easier to sit through.

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Wish it had no minuses

Its really sweet and cute drama with one of my favourite couples ever with tropes I love like friends to lovers, falling for someone you think is straight, office romance, high school romance it has everything that I love. They’re chemistry is insane, they actually feel like friends and when they start dating I was ready to make this my favourite BL. But them it ruins everything built up in episode 10 just to extend the show with stupid ass plot points. The side couple also isn’t engaging at all, I don’t know why I have such a disconnect with them. Would’ve been a solid 10/10 if not for the mess that are episodes 10-11 but instead it’s a weak 9/10. (SADLY)

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Not perfect, just decent

So we have Hiro that’s being abused at work and his childhood friend Kai comes to live with him and says they are married. Boring premise I know but was it done well… well um no.

It’s very short with 6 episodes which isn’t enough to tell a coherent story and doesn’t actually show their relationship. Kai is anything but interesting and their love story is so dry, boring and predatory. Its predatory because it has a sexual assault scene that heals him, as someone who experienced sexual assault I immediately hated this drama. I can just tell it’s trying to be a slow burn romance and instead it comes off as boring.

The supporting cast barely gets any screentime so no one is developed, the flashbacks do nothing to improve their lacking chemistry.
Do they kiss? I can’t remember and don’t care enough.

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