Reviews

It's mid and could've been shorter

A few years ago I read tong the webtoon. I'm gonna admit that I totally forgot what it even was about. To many people their surprise I actually really enjoy these type of series. Although I normally watch BL or Romance in general, it's rare for me to even start these type of series. But today, I wanted to watch something with fighting and more in it. Tong wasn't bad, but there is definitely room for improvement. The plot lacks but the fight scene's are good. When I was around episode 7-8 it got more and more boring.

The thing I really like about this series are how well done the fight scene's are. It was enjoyable, although I did catch a few editing mistakes. I like how dopamine fed it is. But, the plot is just pure and only fighting. I wished we had more deeper moments and sometimes it became a bit overwhelming. It took me 3 episodes to really understand what was even going on, I had to read the description to understand it. I even rewatched the first episode... I was kinda confused on how to start with this series because I knew it was a sequel to the manhwa. It might confuse Manhwa readers but watching Tong:Memories before Dokgo rewind doesn't matter. It would be so nice if more parts of the manhwa series got a live action but if I'm honest, I don't think that'll ever happen.

For the acting, it's quite nice. This series acting reminded me a lot of Weak Hero. I actually wasn't familiar with the actors before so this is my first time seeing both Heo Ji Won and Lee Hak Woo as leads. One of the second things that made the series alright. When I first saw Myeong Hwa I was like "DAMNN". His hair is amazing, I love it. The girls in this series were badass as well. Like genuinely. Talking about women... this show lowkey had a few misogynistic moments, let's not lie. I understand it's all about men and I'm saying this as a male but... some moments just felt weird and direspectful. Maybe just different culture but I did not like it.

My main problem was how boring this show got the more I got into it. Everything until episode 7 was alright but after episode 7 it just felt like unnecessarily added episodes. What also made me more and more confused was the amount of random added characters. Like after watching a few episodes we do not need to keep getting more and more new characters. It would've been way nicer if they cut time by shortening the series. 7 or 8 is enough. Sorry but the last episodes were just bland and my whole motivation to finish this was BAD. The fights made up almost half of each episode too like...the fighting is what makes it good, sure.

I really enjoy the animations in this series. Like when the characters are introduced and the intro. Really well done. But we never got proper introductions of many characters. Also, the motivations are so unclear because the episodes are short and shit. I get the whole Tong thing but I just don't understand half of the time why they're fighting. There's more fights than actual talking it just pisses me off like where did that plot go?

I watched this on YouTube and had to find out if the music in ep 6 was the actual song originally used in the editing? Either way the very happy music while they seemed excited for the fight was crazy to me. How can they be soo excited to fight. episode 6 might be my fav ep so far. Even if I do have a bit of criticism, especially on the lack of plot and production, I do actually like it. I mean.. everyone has their own taste. My rating is still low and it'll probably stay this way. Mainly with the reason that it got extremely boring to me towards the ending. I somehow managed to finish it but if I'm honest, I did press that skip button during the fights a lot. Not recommended, but maybe you'll like it. This is purely based on my opinion.

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Perfect for "stray cats"

I nearly dropped this drama after watching more than half of it, and if I had read all the reviews before, I wouldn't have bothered to watch it at all either. I was looking for the next drama to watch and stumbled upon it by accident. Seeing the leads were Yang Zi and Xu Kai, I went ahead with it not knowing what to expect. Turns out it's mainly about Chenghuan and her mom's relationship. Half the time I watched this, anger was what I felt. The main character was not only Mai Chenghuan but her mother also. Time and time again she kept messing up without realizing any of her mistakes. Meanwhile, Zhiming and Ziyu appreciated Mrs Liu because their parents were the opposite. Overbearing parents can definitely learn a thing or two from this drama. Too much caring is stifling and too little is depressing. The latter episodes made up for all the frustrations from the start. People who didn't grow up in a warm and loving family would certainly appreciate this, especially those who didn't experience a mother's unconditional love.

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You Maniac is already a masterpiece!!!

After nearly 2 years of waiting for a new lead series from WilliamEst, YouManiac has blown all my expectations apart and its only the first episode!!

First of all I love their character dynamics so much. We have Dean who seems like a very warm, outgoing and easy person, picking up flings wherever he goes and getting away with anything with just a cheeky smile😂. I mean he even managed to set up a table with three of his exes and they all had a good time! Who else could pull that?😂😂

But I help but feel like there's some coldness underneath all that and he doesn't seem to really let any one in. I think he's hiding his real self.

Looking over to Moth, he's just fabulous 👌. Gorgeously cold and haughty, just how i like my bottoms🤭🤭. Emotionally unavailable and rude about it as well. I'm so sat for him.

Couldn't help but notice that his friend's overbearingness is pushing him towards Dean, against his better judgement as he knows how much of a whore Dean is but he cant help falling into the pit😂😂 I hope we get to see some corrupted tropes even if its a little. I eat that shit up like its desert🤭

Feel like I've already said too much but in summary its a banger, I will definitely be tuning in to the next episodes and WilliamEst's chemistry is absolutely electric!!!! The way they kiss and look at each other when they kiss is just uggggghhh😩😩😩😩

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One of the most underrated bl

I watched this ages ago for the first time, talking 2020(?). This series will stay one of the MOST underlooked series ever. I never hear anyone talking about it. Unlike newer bl, it actually covers representation. Homophobia, realistic scene's and not necessarily an unhealthy relationship, but a lot of angst surrounding it. Many newer bl's don't cover homophobia at all, while it does still exist and yes, even in Thailand. I was surprised to even see the page of our skyy: Tee-Mork COMPLETELY empty. Zero comments or whatsoever.

Back in like 2020 I was really surprised about the random pairs in this series. I mean I obviously knew DrakeFrank back then but NeoPhuwin?? Honestly Gord and Morn's story got a bit confusing towards the ending but I think it's just how I felt because I was EXTREMELY focussed on Tee and Mork at that moment. Phuwin playing younger brothers is funny. He also played a younger brother in the warp effect and I loved it. Neo and Phuwin both have this thing... not sure how to say it but it's like they have the same type of charm. Not saying they look alike, but yk the vibes.

I forgot how young most actors were when this was filmed. Like AJ awhhh. HE WAS 17. And Phuwin was fucking 15. It's funny how long of a fan I've been and it feels like I've seen certain actors grow. Especially Phuwin and Khaotung. What I also really appreciate is that they casted teenagers to play in teenage series. It feels so weird watching 25-30+ year olds playing high school roles? Like it makes no sense... I'm happy Gmmtv is lately casting more teenagers for teenage series though. But at some point they didn't. This casting is amazing. Drake and Frank had an amazing chemistry. I feel so bad for Frank though. I am forever a huge fan of his but it's sad to see how bad his current company is doing. Although I really liked his latest Bl's, I can't help but admit it's not the best but still good. He went to do military service and left gmmtv. If I could change the past I would love for gmmtv to still take Frank after his military service. Maybe it was his own decision of course! I'm really excited for Neptune in the Sky though, it seems like it's actually going to be good!

About what I said earlier, I love the representation in this. Although there's a lot of new bl, it barely ever covers homophobia. And my biggest irritation is one of the things gmmtv keeps on getting praised on? "Yeah we treat bl's like love stories not a Bl".... That's your main problem. Do you actually give a fuck about the problems queer people face? That is why older bl hits just better. The mother being against their relationship and doing everything to separate them is something that feels realistic. The principal also EXPELLING Mork was so evil.

The angst was amazing. As someone who loves angst I really love how the relationship wasn't necessarily toxic. It was the people surrounding and meddling with THEIR relationship that made it toxic. I felt soo bad for Mork because he was always the one who had to take it. Tee also had some troubles with his mother but I feel like his issues were not that bad. I like how they showed Morks mental health going down hill realistically. The drinking and everything. Tee obviously didn't do anything to Mork but Mork's character in general was already mentally unstable.

The plot itself was really nice but the story turns a bit to a whole different type. It starts off about the barber shop and the dvd's but later on nothing about that was left. Though I was happy that Bambie had left Tee because she was annoying me. Like what Mork did wasn't okay at all but Bambie just kept on being more and more annoying. Her attitude towards Ching was totally unnecessary and toxic. I'm actually a bit glad this didn't have NC scene's even though Mork sold p0rn dvd's. I saw the your skyy episode had Nudity tagged although I doubt it's much knowing gmmtv.

The production was surprisingly well done. I like how you can clearly see actual Thai culture in this series unlike many other Thai series. The colour grading wasn't as bad as I've seen from Thai series/movies around that time. Min Akitasvara did an amazing job as the original creator. Also the Executive Producers are amazing? Hello? We seriously got Da Darapa, X Nuttapong AND Tha Sataporn?? No wonder it's such a good series. One of the things I disliked a bit were the Breaks and the advertisement. It annoyed me a bit and I was watching on tv so I got a whole block of advertisements. Sometimes there were a these weird switches in quality, but it might just be my tv.

Not gonna lie, that was the most shitty ending I've ever seen. Them just cutely sitting close was adorable but a bit... empty. Also after it there was immediately an advertisement and I get that they were able to film this because they were sponsored but it totally ruined the ending for me. Tee and Mork getting engaged was cute though and I did really love the last episode, it just felt like it was missing something.

Overall this show is amazing. I recommend it to everyone. It's too underrated and I need more people talking about it, because it's actually too good to ignore. I feel like most people rather not watch something that is seen as 'old' but I think it's no problem. The older Gmmtv series are in my opinion the best once out there!!

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Superficial and tonally inconsistent

"Washed-up detective becomes less washed-up by being put on an emotionally complex case" => if that's your thing, go watch any of the hundreds of other movies that have this theme.

The comedic beats try to make the movie not as heavy but just end up sounding tonally inconsistent.

The central plot is around the murder of an autistic child. It turns out both his parents think his life is not worth living and he'd be better off dead. He is murdered by his mother, who worries about what will happen to him after her death. Parallels are drawn with the elderly father of one of the detectives, who has severe dementia and who is also considered better off dead.

In an interview the director says he didn't want to make it about who did it but about why the child ended up murdered. But in the end the movie remains about finding who the killer was. And the why appears to be "because he was autistic and from a poor family". Autism is introduced as a theme but is not actually engaged meaningfully.

Also the whole scene with the landlord guy is homophobic as hell for no reason.

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The C-Drama version of Fifty Shades of Grey

I like how the story has been adapted so far to fit the cultural nuances of a C-drama. It retains some of the basic flavour of the original premise while reshaping it enough to feel at home in its new setting.

The acting is good, but the standout for me is the Music. The OST does a lot of the heavy lifting in creating the romantic tension and atmosphere.

Everything else? Same old, same old.

A fresh graduate falls for her cold, seemingly unyielding highly efficient boss, who is secretly head over heels in love with her but is far too emotionally guarded to express it. Throw in a couple of love triangles to stretch the story across more episodes, and you pretty much know what you're getting.

There isn't much here that feels particularly fresh or surprising, but it's not a bad watch either.

If you have time to spare and enjoy this particular brand of emotionally unavailable boss romance genre, this does the job.

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COMPLETE YEARNER PACKAGE RIGHT HERE

“i want to live six years longer than you, that way i can love you for six more years, to make up for the days i left you behind”

i dont think anyone can measure upto the yearning i just watched sang yan do. Its one thing to preach about yearning and then actually doing it to this scale. I loved how every episode had the ‘the story is not over yet’ line and kept showing amazing moments. I know that loving is supposed to be unconditional and pure but this one just tops the chart, its probably the most unconditional and pure love i have seen. Infact i dont think people like sang yan exist in this world.

The side characters are awesome too, they show a depth to the show that cant be easily replaced. Its also so cool to know the the ‘hidden love’ is sang zhi’s story too.

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The Man Who Made Her Dreams His Own

This is a story about two people who crossed paths simply trying to survive, and somehow end up becoming each other's biggest support system. The Road of Splendor is such a wholesome slow-burn, but I can confidently say it is worth the wait. At its heart, this is a story about growth: two people stepping far outside their comfort zones and learning to navigate completely new lives. Fu Ting Yun has to find a life beyond the home she once knew, while Zhao Ling enters an entirely new chapter after leaving behind his illegal salt-smuggling business. Their journey isn't just about becoming wealthy or powerful, it is about becoming better versions of themselves. Across 36 episodes, we really get to see their lives turn upside down. What I particularly appreciate is that their success doesn't happen overnight. The time jumps show that every journey needs progress, and that becoming successful takes time. It gives the story a sense of realism that makes their achievements feel earned rather than conveniently handed to them.

Zhao Ling is the epitome of the “if he wanted to, he would” gentleman. He is loyal, true to his word, principled, and fundamentally a good man. But what makes his devotion to Fu Ting Yun so satisfying is that he doesn't simply say he loves he, he works toward giving her the life she wants. What makes it even more touching is that this man didn't particularly dream of becoming great. He just happened to fall in love with a woman who had big ambitions and decided, “Okay, you deserve that life.” He doesn't just want to bring her wealth and honour, he works on himself so that he can become someone worthy of standing beside her. He listens, he plans, he protects, and, most importantly, he makes things happen in her favour. He proves, through his actions, that he is the right man for her. That's romance to me.

And Fu Ting Yun is equally compelling. As Miss Xie, she is a fallen noblewoman betrayed by people she once trusted. Her relationship with Zhao Ling begins almost like a gamble with her own life, but slowly, she learns to trust someone again. What I love is that she doesn't allow everything that happened to her to determine the rest of her life.

The drama also deserves credit for how it portrays its women. In a society where women had very limited control over their own fate, these women aren't simply passive figures waiting for men to decide their future. They are strategists, decision-makers, and ambitious players in their own right. Almost every madam in this drama is quietly doing something behind the scenes. They fight, scheme, calculate, and sacrifice to build a better future for themselves and their families. The men may be the ones standing in the spotlight, but the women are often the ones making sure everything works behind the scenes.

Fu Ting Yun and Zhao Ling's relationship isn't perfect because they never encounter problems. It is healthy because they know how to face those problems together. They don't always agree, and their path is certainly not easy. But the strength of their relationship lies in how they handle those difficulties. They communicate instead of assuming. They trust instead of doubting. And they each continue working on themselves rather than expecting the other person to carry the relationship. That is what makes their romance feel less like a fantasy and more like a genuine partnership. They are simply working toward the same vision. Their relationship isn't smooth sailing at all. In fact, the drama will test your patience with how many obstacles and villains these two have to deal with, but perhaps that is the point. The Road of Splendor isn't telling us that a beautiful life is one without hardship. It is telling us that a beautiful life can be built despite hardship.

This isn't simply a story about falling in love. It's a story about two people growing up, growing stronger, and eventually building the life they once could only dream about. And yes, after Yu Jing Xiu's entire storyline, my final takeaway is apparently: Listen. To. Your. Mother.

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Cheng Yi Deserved a Better Story?

I started Sword and Beloved because of Cheng Yi, but I stayed because I wanted to understand Wangquan Fugui—not simply as the strongest swordsman, but as the son of Hongye and Dongfang Huaizhu from Love in Pavilion, a child born from sacrifice and raised to become a weapon.

And that premise had so much potential.
Fugui inherits the extraordinary power of both his parents, but instead of being given the freedom his mother wished for him, he is raised by his father to become the strongest possible weapon against their enemies. His entire identity is built around strength, duty, emotional restraint, and sacrifice.

That is exactly the kind of internally conflicted character Cheng Yi can play beautifully.
And he does.

🎭 Cheng Yi Was NOT the Problem
If anything, Cheng Yi was the reason I remained invested as long as I did.
His Fugui is deliberately restrained. He isn't supposed to be openly emotional at the beginning. He has been conditioned to suppress attachment and prioritize strength, so much of Cheng Yi's performance happens through his expressions, silence, body language, and the subtle moments when Fugui begins questioning the life that was chosen for him.

But this also made me compare him with two of Cheng Yi's strongest roles:
Si Feng in Love and Redemption and Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook.
And that comparison is where Sword and Beloved unfortunately loses.

In Love and Redemption, Cheng Yi was given a story that constantly challenged Si Feng emotionally. His love, suffering, sacrifice, misunderstandings and relationship with Xuanji were central to the narrative.

In Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Li Lianhua was practically inseparable from the story itself. His identity, his past, the mysteries, his relationships and his physical decline were all woven into the central plot.

Cheng Yi wasn't merely acting those stories.
He was at the center of them.
Fugui had the potential to become another unforgettable Cheng Yi character. But Sword and Beloved doesn't consistently give him enough space to be one.

There is a point where I found myself wondering:
“Where is Fugui? Why does it feel like the protagonist has become nothing more than a side character?”

And unfortunately, other viewers had the same complaint about the middle portion of the drama.
That is why I cannot blame Cheng Yi for the drama's low reception.
The actor was better than the material he was given.

🕷️ And Then There Was Qingtong
This is probably my biggest personal problem with the drama.
I simply did not connect with Qingtong the way I wanted to.
The idea of a spider demon becoming the person who challenges Fugui's worldview is actually interesting. But the execution of her character and the prolonged spider-related storyline made it increasingly difficult for me to remain emotionally invested.

And because Fugui and Qingtong are supposed to be at the heart of the story, their relationship needed to remain the emotional anchor.
Instead, after the major Thousand Swords turning point around Episode 17, the story increasingly separates the two leads and gives more attention to supporting characters and their relationships.

For me, that was the point where the story began losing its center.

⚔️ The Turning Point
The Thousand Swords sequence is one of the strongest early turning points because Fugui is finally forced out of the life that has defined him.

But after that, the drama becomes increasingly fragmented.

There are important plot developments, revelations and character arcs, but the main romance becomes less prominent, while side stories receive more attention.

This is especially frustrating because the central premise is actually strong:
A son raised to be a weapon finally has to decide whether he wants to remain a weapon—or become a person who chooses his own life.
That should have been the emotional spine of the entire drama.

💔 The Love in Pavilion Connection Makes It Even More Tragic
Having watched Love in Pavilion first, Fugui's story carries an additional layer of sadness.

Huaizhu dies giving birth to Fugui because she believes her son can help end the threat that destroyed their generation.

But she also leaves behind a very important wish:
If Fugui ever wants to walk away and choose peace for himself, he should be allowed to do so.

And this is where Hongye tragically fails her.
He protects Fugui's life, but he doesn't protect his freedom.

Instead, he raises his son to become the strongest weapon possible.

That contradiction is one of the most compelling aspects of Fugui's character.

And Sword and Beloved eventually makes Hongye confront that mistake.

So I don't think the deaths in Love in Pavilion were meaningless.

The tragedy was supposed to become the wound inherited by the next generation.

But here's where I struggled:
We already went through this.
The Masked Group was devastated.
Huaizhu died.
Hongye survived.
Fugui inherited the consequences.

And then in Sword and Beloved, we return to the same overarching enemy and another cycle of sacrifice and death.

At some point, I couldn't help asking:
“Was the tragedy of the previous generation meant to be resolved—or are we simply watching the same tragedy happen again?”

Thematically, the idea of breaking that cycle is powerful.
Emotionally, however, the repetition became exhausting.

📉 Why the Ratings Fell
This is also why I understand the surprisingly low reception.
The problem isn't simply that the drama is tragic.
Tragedy can be beautiful when the story earns it.
The bigger issue is execution:
• uneven pacing
• an increasingly fragmented storyline
• prolonged side arcs
• the main romance losing focus
• inconsistent use of the leads
• Qingtong becoming difficult for some viewers to connect with
• Fugui feeling strangely sidelined despite being the protagonist
• and an ending built around sacrifice after the audience has already endured so much loss

There are viewers who genuinely loved the drama, particularly its early episodes, Cheng Yi's performance, the visual presentation and its themes.
But the mixed-to-negative reception across multiple platforms shows that the problems weren't limited to one site's rating.
And personally, I understand why.

🎬 Did I Finish All 36 Episodes?
No.
And I'm actually okay with that.
I watched the early portion properly because I wanted to experience Fugui's development and the relationship between Fugui and Qingtong for myself.

After the story began losing focus, I chose to watch the important Fugui/Qingtong scenes, major revelations and key plot developments while fast-forwarding through portions that no longer held my interest.

I also followed the later story closely enough to understand how Fugui's journey and the major conflicts conclude.

I don't regret making that choice.
Because watching 36 episodes simply so I could say “I finished it” would not have changed my opinion of the writing.

And honestly?
Cheng Yi already gave me enough reason to stay until the point where I felt the story was no longer rewarding my investment.

⭐ Final Thoughts
There is a genuinely good story hidden inside Sword and Beloved.
Fugui is a fascinating character.
His relationship with his father is compelling.
His inheritance from Hongye and Huaizhu gives his journey emotional weight.
The idea of breaking away from a life built entirely around hatred, duty and strength is meaningful.
And Cheng Yi understands Fugui.
That's why it hurts to see the story gradually lose focus.

Compared with Si Feng in Love and Redemption and Li Lianhua/Li Xiangyi in Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Fugui had the potential to become another defining Cheng Yi performance.

But those dramas knew how to build the story around their central character.
Sword and Beloved increasingly struggled to do that.

So my biggest criticism isn't:
“Cheng Yi couldn't carry the drama.”
It is the opposite.
Cheng Yi carried the drama farther than the story could carry itself.

And perhaps the saddest conclusion I can give is this:
I didn't stop watching because Cheng Yi wasn't worth watching.

I stopped because Cheng Yi was worth watching in a story that knew what to do with him.
Cheng Yi: 9/10
Fugui as a character: 8.5/10
Premise: 8/10
Visuals/Action: 8/10
Romance: 6/10
FL Characterization: 5/10
Story Execution: 5/10
Pacing: 4.5/10
Overall: 6/10

A strong premise, a compelling protagonist and a very good Cheng Yi performance—unfortunately trapped inside a story that became increasingly messy, unfocused and emotionally exhausting.

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This series is so good. Light hearted show.

I love the pairing of Pond Phuwin. And this is light hearted show for a feel good watch. So if you are looking for a fun, comedic, and feel good series to watch then this show is for you. Side couple plot is also interesting. I like this show. You can go for it.












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need a beer for this

a break from the mainstream. it was refreshing, realistic, and felt like i was reading through their own journals while watching. not only did they make it longer than the first season, but they also wrapped up each episode so nicely. the less smoother sides of our personalities are exposed through here, which i like. i appreciate the sentiment through music, flowers, clothes, and that high-stool chair by the window. to love and to be loved is accepting the risk of hurting the person you love the most. being vulnerable to your person is never easy to begin with. they both struggled in their own ways, and were able to overcome it for the sole thought of being together forever. it was so beautiful. i will surely miss them.

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And once more with feeling...

I rarely give ratings 10/10 - but this movie deserves it.

Please don't be surprised by my 1/10 for "rewatch value" - this only shows that this movie goes so deep that you'll have to think twice about re-watching it. You should only watch this movie, if you are emotionally stable and don't let it hit you too hard. However, I don't want to discourage you to watch watch this movie, because it is truly brilliant and the actors give an amazing performance that pulls you deep into their story.

Sunshine Women’s Choir is a heartfelt and powerful movie that tells a story of friendship, hardship, and love inside the walls of a women’s prison. What begins as a simple tale of inmates forming a choir becomes something much deeper — a reminder of how connection can grow even in the most difficult places.

The emotional weight builds slowly, but once it hits, it hits hard. Beware: halfway through, you will not stop crying. The movie's tenderness sneaks up on you, and the second half is so touching that it’s impossible not to feel it. The women’s bond, their shared struggles and the love they share for each other is truly heartwarming.

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