Reviews

A Slice of Depression

Starting this review of by saying acting was amazing. I had some reservations about GYJ's acting which she sucessfully overcame. Since I had seen other actors in other dramas, I wasn't really worried about overall quality of the performances.
What left me somewhat cold was the writing. I understood what the writer was going for, but some of the comedic and melodramatic moments felt out of place. Overall, directing and music choices fit the drama genre very well.
My review probably leaves you wondering why I gave this drama only 7.5. The reason is quite simple. If you're already struggling mentally, this drama will likely leave you feeling even more depressed. Because of that, I think it's important to watch it at the right time.

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An inspiring tale of entrepreneurship

What I loved most about “My Destiny” was the entrepreneurial and ambitious side woven into the story. Instead of focusing only on romance, the drama highlighted hard work, determination, and building something meaningful through persistence and vision.
Tan Song Yun gave such an inspiring performance, portraying a woman who balances emotion, independence, and ambition so naturally. Her character’s growth, resilience, and drive made the story feel refreshing and motivating. I especially appreciated how the drama showed the realities of chasing success — the setbacks, sacrifices, pressure, and personal growth that come with pursuing your goals.
It’s the kind of drama that leaves you feeling inspired to work harder toward your own dreams.
If you enjoy dramas with strong character growth, ambition, business-minded themes, and heartfelt storytelling, “My Destiny” is definitely worth watching.

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we are all trying and that's okay !

"We are all trying here" is one of the most painfully human dramas I have watched in a long time. It’s not a story built around grand events or shocking twists, but around something much quieter and far more universal: the fear of being left behind, the exhaustion of trying to prove your worth, and the loneliness that comes from believing everyone else has figured life out except you.

What makes this drama so special is how relatable it feels. Every character stands at a different point in their life, career, art, and emotional journey. Some are still dreaming, some are burnt out, some are desperately holding onto what remains of themselves. Yet all of them are trying in their own ways, just like we all are in real life. That is what gives the story so much emotional weight.

I could deeply relate to the main characters as someone who constantly overthinks, struggles with anxiety, and relies mostly on myself. Watching this drama sometimes felt like fresh air, but also like staring into a mirror for too long. There were moments where I had to pause because certain dialogues or silences hit far too close to home. The writing understands emotional vulnerability in a way that feels honest rather than performative.

One of the things I admired most is that the drama never treats one life path as more valuable than another. There is no “correct” timing for success, no superior person, no magical solution to feeling lost. The series quietly reminds us that being human is already enough. That message felt incredibly comforting to me.

The storytelling itself is beautifully restrained. The pacing is slow and introspective, but intentionally so. Instead of forcing dramatic moments, the drama allows emotions to breathe naturally through conversations, monologues, lingering silences, and subtle actions. Every scene feels purposeful, as if the story trusts the audience enough to sit with discomfort instead of escaping it.

The performances are genuinely outstanding across the board. Every actor brings an exhausting kind of realism to their character, the kind where you forget you are watching actors and start feeling like you are witnessing real people unravel in front of you. The casting was honestly perfect because each actor embodied their role with so much nuance and vulnerability. No character felt exaggerated or artificial.

Hwang Dong Man especially stood out to me because of how quietly heartbreaking he was. His fear of worthlessness, his awkward perseverance, and his desperate need to keep going despite repeated failure made him feel painfully real. Byeon Eun A’s emotional restraint was equally incredible, hiding years of anger and fear beneath cold professionalism. Even secondary characters carried emotional depth that many dramas fail to give their leads.

The OST deserves praise as well because it never overpowers the story. Instead, it gently accompanies the emotions like a lingering thought at night. The music feels melancholic, intimate, and healing all at once, perfectly matching the atmosphere of the drama. Some tracks almost felt like they were breathing alongside the characters.

Visually, the drama is simple but incredibly effective. There is no unnecessary glamour or aestheticization of suffering. Everything feels grounded and intimate, which makes the emotional moments hit even harder. It’s rare to find a drama that portrays struggling people without romanticizing pain, ambition, or burnout.

What stayed with me the most after finishing it is this simple realization: maybe life is not about becoming extraordinary. Maybe it is enough to continue living despite everything, to remain soft in a world that constantly pressures us to prove our value.

This drama soothed my heart in a way I did not expect. It made me feel understood through every dialogue, monologue, silence, and small gesture. It reminded me that it’s okay to still be trying. We do not always need to succeed. Sometimes we simply need to live fully and honestly until the end of our own story.

To anyone watching this while struggling with life, loneliness, anxiety, failure, or simply feeling lost:
please be gentle with yourself.

You are also trying.
And that is enough.

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This is in the conversation for one of the WORST dramas ever made

It is rare to see a show change its main character as quickly and drastically as this one. In the beginning, the female lead was introduced as a refreshing change of pace. She was a shrewd, calculating and genuinely a strong woman. By episode 9, however, that writing seems to have been discarded. She has devolved into an immature brat who spends her time being lovestruck, not even over the actual ML, but over his adopted nephew, a character who acts like a total closed book. Watching a once-promising, intelligent woman turn into a regressive character over a secondary figure can be quite frustrating. The rest of the show does very little to save itself from this writing. While the actual ML is depicted as properly ruthless and competent when dealing with his enemies, the domestic scenes surrounding the FL are difficult to sit through. It is a shame, because the toxic family dynamic itself is likely historically accurate for an abandoned legitimate daughter. The villa is entirely run by the scheming concubine and her wicked daughter, while the female lead's biological mother, who is supposed to be the matriarch, is portrayed as a weak and useless parent who refuses to step up. Ultimately, A Splendid Match is a massive disappointment that can lead to irritation. What started as a promising historical drama with a smart heroine has transitioned into a frustrating, immature mess that may not be worth finishing.

Episodes 10–21 gets marginally better than the absolute bin fire of the first nine episodes, but it is still plagued by major problems. While the plot moves away from the FLs initial infatuation, it replaces it with lazy writing, a complete lack of logic and infuriating character dynamics. The 2ML is a difficult character who completely tanks any potential for second-lead syndrome. Despite a decent appearance, the Marquis’s son is a short-sighted individual who cannot see the bigger picture. The ML is desperately trying to save this man's family from ruin, yet the Marquis always accuses him of being petty and holding grudges, completely blind to the fact that he is the one acting in an immature and petty. Least we forget the fact that early on he actually whipped the FL because he was having one of his petulant tantrums because she was giving him some home truths. Very frustrating.
The romance completely stalls out because the female lead has devolved into a bit of an irritating character. The script cuts ridiculous corners, suddenly turning her into an expert archer out of nowhere just to suit the plot. When the ML behaves like a proper adult by confessing his love and proposing, she flat-out rejects him due to baggage over her dead mother, dragging their dynamic into a childish standstill. To top it all off, the show suffers from severe narrative amnesia regarding its core villains. The half-sister and father, whose cruel crimes defined the start of the series, are suddenly treated like background characters and completely sidelined. Instead of giving any satisfaction by punishing them for their past crimes, the script forces us to focus entirely on the father’s extended family and their wicked schemes, turning the show into a frustrating political slog.

Nb. During the first half of this show there are a couple of moments particularly after episode 10 they’re actually quite nice especially between the ML and FL but they are so few and far between that I lose sight of them and almost forget them because of the frustrating elements.

The narrative completely collapses from episode 22 to 28, transitioning from a potential promising historical thriller into a masterclass in script lobotomy and state-approved propaganda. The fierce, calculating heroine we were promised completely regresses into a passive, skittish martyr who spends her time fixing household problems for her abusers and collapsing into her evil grandmother's arms to satisfy censorship-mandated family harmony codes. Meanwhile, the ruthless ML is thoroughly neutered into a passive bystander, and the 2ML throws a psychotic, sword-wielding, blood-spitting tantrum over a heartbreak he never even earned, considering he never properly courted her and literally whipped the FL earlier in the series. The political stakes completely evaporate as the actual mastermind of the corrupt grain swap is lazily let out of prison, the young Emperor suddenly mutates into a telepathic mastermind and the adopted nephew goes on a literal hunger strike over the wedding. To top off this absolute bonfire of garbage writing, the wedding day rewards the unrepentant scumbag father and toxic cousin, grandmother et al with massive imperial prestige and social immunity simply because the FL is marrying up. The show has officially sacrificed every ounce of character logic and cathartic revenge to serve as a pretty, high-budget piece of ideological stability lecturing that is a total insult to the viewer's intelligence.

From episode 29 to 34, it has transformed into a show that is a logic-defying catastrophe where character consistency is sacrificed for lazy padding and state-approved propaganda. The absurdity begins when the Emperor suddenly strips the Marquis title from the household the second the patriarch dies, backing his top confidant (2ML) into a corner over a nonsense power play. Instead of dealing with this high-stakes political crisis, the script bizarrely stalls to let the MLs ex-fiancée launch into a petty lecture scolding the female lead regards the 2mls unrequited obsession, forcing the heroine to endure this unfair humiliation in submissive silence to satisfy censorship-mandated family harmony codes. The story completely abandons basic human psychology and legal consequences as it barrels through its worst writing loops. The weak Fourth Master gathers the brazen audacity to kidnap the fl with the explicit, vile intent to sell her to a brothel so the "whole world would trample on her", yet the supposedly ruthless ml lets him off the hook with a soft exile and a mere kick to the leg. This legal farce peaks when an ironclad treason petition against the corrupt grain minister is derailed by a single verbal claim, causing the bribe-taking uncle to be dragged off in chains while the actual treasonous mastermind is allowed to casually hang out in his luxury mansion instead of rotting in a cell. The script then drags out a repetitive, rage-baiting subplot of the corrupt official's evil wife trying to frame the female lead's restaurant, completely wasting the viewer's time because the writers have run out of original ideas. The ultimate death of character intelligence happens right after the male lead is injured in an ambush. When he acts like a mature adult and asks a perfectly rational question about her past with his nephew, the female lead completely refuses to answer him. Instead of using her brain to resolve the trust barrier, she simply uses a physical kiss as a conversational mute button while the production blasts sweet music to gaslight the audience into ignoring the total breakdown of logic. The show has officially checked out, trading its somewhat early promise for an exhausted, mechanical product that relies on lazy romantic shortcuts and unpunished villains just to crawl to its 40 episode finish line.

Episode 35 to 40. The structural collapse reaches absolute peak psychosis across the battlefield arcs. The top-tier Metropolitan scholar Chen Xuanqing is completely lobotomized, transforming into a knife-wielding madman who takes the heroine hostage out of pure, unearned spite because his uncle got married. The writers then subject him to an absurd, five-minute suicide speedrun where he is lashed forty times, bashes his own head, and reveals he already drank poison, all while the production blasts unearned, manipulative music to force a synthetic tragedy. This is immediately followed by a gruelling display of misery porn during the invasion battle. The script stubbornly refuses to give the audience a single second of heroic triumph; instead, the entire supporting cast of friends and the male lead's personal guard are pointlessly pulverised in the mud. The second male lead takes a cliché spear to the back to cheat his way out of stalking accountability, triggering a grotesque, ten-minute sequence where the female lead screams uncontrollably and tenderly strokes his corpse, completely ignoring her own husband who is literally bleeding out and fainting into the dirt right in front of her.
The final episode is a masterclass in production panic and structural failure. Out of a 41-minute finale, the first seventeen minutes are entirely wasted on the dead rival's funeral and the female lead weeping over a secret letter hidden behind a painting, completely freezing the political plot. When the male lead finally reappears at the 20-minute mark, the script commits a bizarre act of identity theft by forcing him to cosplay in the dead stalker's armor to lead the remaining army. The grand political climax is entirely outsourced to a kitchen-knife standoff inside the mentor's office. In the final two minutes, the writers suddenly remember that the male lead was supposed to be "ruthless" in episode 1, mutating him from a sophisticated statesman into a blade-throwing action-movie assassin who hurls a piece of steel straight through the hostage-taking wife's chest. Within thirty seconds, the entire mention magically mutates into a CGI inferno, allowing the mass-murdering traitors to get a romantic, peaceful "Romeo and Juliet" deathbed embrace while the male lead scoops up his wife in a bridal carry and strolls out of the flames. By completely erasing the supporting cast, ignoring the total breakdown of marital trust, and replacing human dialogue with cheap visual shortcuts, the show finishes as a mechanical, exhausted joke that actively insults the viewer's intelligence. This show is without a doubt in the running for the gold medal for worst of all time in the history of television.

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A great comedy superhero drama

In park eunbin, I trust. I tuned in solely for Park Eunbin! I didn't even know the ML is CEW from the poster lol. Later i learned that this is the same director of EAW,which is one of my favorite dramas.
I loved wonderfools, it made me laugh out loud. The chemistry among the 4 is amazing! I loved the duo robin and ahjussi especially, the comedy and the stunts they did were remarkable.
What a great set of actors! CEW range has been widened with this work. As an unpopular opinion, i actually really liked him in gangnam beauty! I ended up liking the lead actors acting after reading the manwha more. He's a good actor but often played it safe since most scripts wanted him to be just a flowerboy actor. Imo he still needs to be improved on certain parts but still there are scenes that had impact on me. Park eun bin once again proved how great of actress she is! Her dedication and passion are to be inspired. She is so cute here. The 4 "villains" are a great cast! I like the actress with hallucination power, she is great at micro expressions.
I feel this is quite rushed and it would be good if it has a sequel

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Byeon Eun-a and Hwang Dong-man , when confidence meets ambition.

Trust me , if you have not watched this , you are missing out on one of the best (bestest) kdrama out there. It's a work of emotions.

When i strated watching it , the first few episodes felt really heavy and difficult to digest . Then i realised it is not something to watch lightly . Give it some time . Sit back, dim the lights , and fall inside . This story is something you have to live along with. That's the way you understand it . That's the way you justify it.

The words and lines are totally a work of art , or should i say a poem written by hwang jin-man !

Every character has it's own shine . The one's that are portrayed as bad characters delivered the best acts. You hate them but at the end you kind of understand them. And you will be glad you came to know them .

I feel like there is a some Byeon Eun-a and some Hwang Dong-man inside all of us, the confidence and the ambition . The Hwang Dong-man (ambitious)inside us wants to make it big , but it's still missing the byeon eun-a (confidence) part of it .
But one day down the lane we will find it !

This story makes you believe in yourself, your friends , and emotions everyone around you is carrying. You start to see the validations of all the actions people do . Actions their emotions make them do .
You will end up understanding that EVERYONE EVERYONE IS TRYING HERE

Shout out to all the writers for trusting themselves and showing us such amazing works .

Loved every part of it.

PS : May every child gets to live an easy life (Young-sil) ♡

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If you love to see BossNoeul in an over the top comedy, this is for you ❤️

What's better than watching a RomCom BossNoeul for a BoNoh? 😂 It's basically them being them, along with a little bit of over the top thai jokes maybe.. Still I am happy to see them in CLMM.

They are showing the world once again how talented they are as actors by naturally embracing their roles. It's contrasting roles we've not seen from them before. I do wonder at times how did they keep a straight face and do this 😂🤣 They did a great job with shooting this within less than 20 days.

Story wise I am not trying to dive deep, I am just laughing along with their jokes.. coz it's basically a slow burn love story in the book as well. I am glad they've changed the senior-junior troupe to CEO-Intern which seems to give a refreshing feeling without keeping BN in student roles for one more time. I love Cooheart's cameo role too.

The comedy here is on another level tho, 😅🤣😂 I am still happy they make me feel included with all the millennial's song references, jokes in English which we understand too.

I can't wait to see FuMoo being in love, which I am so looking forward to watch.. since I know BossNoeul Chemistry is the best 🥰❤️

P.S : The OST is so catchy my shoulders keep moving to its' beat naturally 💃 Jib jib khun~

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A GEM from the genres of slice of life drama and black comedy.

This drama made me laugh, cry and relate to the characters.
It's like a warm hug to the viewers. I have already known about the writer's works but it's the first time I'm watching her work. I'm impressed!
The drama gives you all the feels!
I feel this is how art is supposed to be. It does leave us with unanswered questions yet it does feel complete.
It's well made and the actors did a GREAT JOB in execution
I'm annoyed yet entertained by Hwang dong man lol. He's a lovable person so is byeon eun ah. All the characters feel real, have flaws and traumas yet they live by like us. I thought this is gonna be slice of live with depressing elements but it made me laugh and made me feel fuzzy. I've learned that I love black comedies lol.
The 1st episode is like a movie, it completely drew me in!
I'm glad i watched it.

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Had immense potential

But a great let down. Since ep 1 it's hard to connect with the stories nor the characters. I thought probably it's just me and did try to get through it since I'm watching dramas after quite some time.
But as the episodes go on, it's evident this show has no substance or depth and the characterisation is poor too.
The scenes are disjointed and there are just fillers.
Yes it's a romcom, but doesn't mean it shouldn't have a solid script or direction. There are better romcoms that are heartwarming yet light out there. So fans should stop defending a poor work which is a disrespect for good scripts and direction.
I'm a fan of both IU and BWS works. Their name carries this show. The chemistry and acting isn't that great, main part of it probably due to bad scriptwriting. You can watch it if you're a big fan of these 2 and don't mind plotholes. That said, i really liked queen mother acting. Her acting is the best there (i don't even know her before pc so I'm not glazing lol). IU and bws' acting faded pale in comparison which is sad. Nevertheless I'm hoping the best for these 2 in the next projects.

To sum up this show it's a pretty shell. Grandiose on the outside but empty inside. Actors and the production value saved the project.

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Zombie with Wifi/Bluetooth

Its an exciting zombie movie with a great story line and straight to the point, you feel the danger and wonder how would they stop it small twist here and there but you notice them early so by that i believe you already know what to expect.
The acting is good except there some actors that have the same emotion throughout the movie cough jun ji hyun cough which lowers its rating but others are cool
the ending is not satisfying in my opinion and there is some plot holes that if they were fixed it could reach the hype of train to busan

But in general good watch try it.

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To reclaim yourself, you have to go through being painfully broken once to mend your soul again.

The Dark Romance is a wonderful gripping drama that masterfully blended elements like suspense, romance, and psychological depth. The story revolved around Yan Ling, who finds herself entangled in a turbulent web of love, lies and hatred which gradually help her awaken to harsh truths and fight to reclaim her life. For me, the drama stands out for its realistic portrayal of dark romance, avoiding nonsense clichés and delivering a well-balanced, nuanced narrative.

Before watching this story, you need to know nothing about it. The less you know, the more curious you'll become about each episode; because as much as it is traumatising to witness the cases, it's even more nauseating to watch characters going through their traumatic past experiences with painful details. But it is harder to put it down once you start. The thrill, suspense and dramatic portrayal of nerve-wracking, tense moments will keep you on your toes.

On the above, this storyline is criminally simple. For people like you and me would cry for days, then forget and move on in life with our soft sore heart. But our FL is different. She is financially independent, self-sufficient and mentally strong, but at the same time, she is empathetic towards each and every other human being. Things resonated with her on a deeper level because, unlike others, she could feel them, in her soul. Yan Ling’s journey was particularly compelling!!! Our male lead, Wu Kang Ren, delivered a next-level performance which added layers to the suspense and emotional intensity. In one word, "brilliant performance"!

All the characters are brilliantly portrayed. Their micro expressions and slow camera work created a gripping atmosphere that made me all jittery. One thing that one needs to understand is that all the characters are multidimensional. You can't predict how they'll all react because when you do, another layer of the character resurfaces and will leave you completely baffled. And the suspenseful music selection was just "chef's kiss" as it fitted very nicely and made it hauntingly memorable, adding to the overall immersive experience.

It wasn't without flaws. Few things felt out of the line, not explained well or resolved too quickly to give it the properness the audience deserved. But I am very speechless with the outcome that I can easily overlook it for the sake of the hell of a tense ride it let me go through. For the sake of the actors brilliant performance, it's all forgiven.

Overall, this drama is not for fluff lovers as it is intense and emotionally heavy, which might not appeal to those who are looking for a light-hearted romance. It is for those who would appreciate intricate plots and complex characters. Because it's a dark, suspenseful romance with psychological depth, it will make you question your every move. This is one of the most gruesome and mentally suffocating things I've ever watched. And honestly, I'm glad I watched it. Loved every moment of this traumatising hell.

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Disappointment of tomorrow

I originally started watching this because I'm a HUGE fan of namtam's acting. Also when I saw the pilot my expectations were high, maybe too high.

The first few episodes of the series were good. The editing was kinda choppy but it's gmmtv so I kinda expected it.

What I liked: The casting/acting. The casting for this series was PERFECT. GIVE WHOEVER DID THE CASTING A RAISE. Sadly the acting was the only good thing abt this series...

What I didn't like: The music, editing, plot, writing... I can go on but for your sake I won't cause I don't think you'd want to read allat. I was so excited for the OST but when I heard it I almost shed a tear (Not happy tears btw). It's giving 5$ and a dream. Gmmtv really hates their actresses and they don't even try to hide it. Enough abt the music, the plot and writing was so bad that the characters and acting couldn't even save the series. They could've wrapped the series nicely in ep 8 or 9(?) but they just had to drag the plot out. Also PRIM PMO IN EP 10 AND 11 I HAD TO TAKE A LAP AROUND THE HOUSE CAUSE ATP SHE'S TRYING TO RAGEBAIT ME AND ITS WORKING, and don't even get me started on praew. STOP TRYING TO PREASSURE YOUR CRUSH/GIRLFRIEND INTO COMING OUT WHEN SHES CLEARLY NOT READY AND WHEN SHE TELLS YOU THAT SHES NOT READY DONT GET FCKING MAD YOU IMBECILE. lowk started crashing out writing this. mb chat.

ANYWAYS ONLY WATCH THIS IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO AND WANT TO FEEL SOMETHING CAUSE THE CHARACTERS BE RAGEBAITING YOU 24/7.

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