Reviews

Caught Between The Rat and The Real One.

It was interesting how all of this was inspired by the Korean folklore "The Rat That Ate Fingernails,” yet they turned it into a chilling psychological study of trauma, identity theft, and imposter syndrome without relying on supernatural tropes.

I had fun, ngl, and a lot of that was because of our duo, Noja and Moonjae. They had this bickering, humorous buddy dynamic despite being at odds with each other: one was a loan shark/private detective whose money was laundered, while the other was a traumatized writer.

Despite the duo being great with their deadpan comebacks, I couldn’t help but be impressed by Noja, portrayed by Sul Kyung Gu! He stole the show with his raw and chaotic energy. The rogue car fights where he landed some brutal punches on the paid goons, the insane police car chase, and the scene where he crawled out of the hole he was buried in were all so thrilling. He brought high stakes and grit to the story.

Ryu Jun-yeol brilliantly handles the dual roles of the 'Rat' and the 'Real' protagonist. He balances the imposter's bold, calculating nature against the genuine human's paranoid, guarded demeanor and slouched body language.

The directing also elevated my experience, especially in how they portrayed Moonjae’s panic attacks through the constant zooming in and out and swirling lighting.

However, Episode 9 was my least favourite from a directing standpoint. We spent about three-quarters of the episode in darkness because of the poor lighting during the nighttime chase in the mountains, which made the action scenes feel draggy.

The pacing also took a huge hit in the same episode, as the police were busy cursing in the dark and fighting amongst themselves, prolonging the chase and giving the criminals ample time to escape lol.

In the end, it was a fun watch, but the pacing dipped from Episode 8 onward. I loved the twists, the car chase, the amazing depiction of the cost of stolen identity, and the leads’ brief alliance.

Read More

Who is the Rat and who is the Human?

Many of us consider our identity as something stable. We take it for granted that we are the person we know we are and we rarely question ourselves about that. But what would happen if one day, we lost the one thing we believed it was irreplaceable? Or worse, what if we started doubting who we are altogether?

Mousetrap is a psychological thriller that centered around this premise. From the very first episode, the main character, Je Moon Jae, sees his routine crumple before his eyes after a series of different events. His phone didn't recognize his own fingerprint, his house had been sold under his name without him knowing nothing, his only friend disappeared and he learned that he had been going around, despite not setting a foot outside his house for three years. And to make matters worse, he is unable to prove that he is the real Moon Jae.

From the get go, Mousetrap sets up a terrifying scenario. Having your identity stolen is a scary thought but not being able to prove you are you is even worse. The first episodes captured the feeling of helplessness perfectly and from early on, it was easy to sympathize with Moon Jae's struggle.

The first half of the drama covered Moon Jae's attempt to pursue his doppelganger with the help of Noja. Halfway through the series, it's revealed that the one behind the theft of Moon Jae's identity is an old classmate of his, Yu Min. The inclusion of the Korean folklore of the rat who turns into human after eating fingernails added even more layers to the symbolisms and the chase, raising a big question; who is the Rat and who is the Human?

Since I haven't read the original source material, I'll have to judge the story based on the kdrama only. The premise, which initially caught my attention, started off strong. I am a big fan of stories about double roles and double identities and I was curious to see what Mousetrap would offer. The drama had me question Moon Jae's identity and I was creating different scenarios in order to rationalize the bizarre events. It wasn't quite clear where fantasy and reality seperated or were mixed together, thus making the events unreliable, even if they happened right before my eyes.

That was the first project I watched with Ryu Jun Yeol and I think it was a strong introduction. He pulled off the double role of Moon Jae and the "rat" with ease and he portrayed the characters' different personalities and manners in a distinguished way. He conveyed Moon Jae's anxious and introverted character realistically enough, from the way he acted to the way he talked. His expressions shifted constantly from one character to another, I could tell if he was playing as Moon Jae or his doppelganger even if I had covered half his face on my screen. On the other hand, he perfectly embodied Yu Min's confidence and charm, making it even more believable that he was two different people.

I impulsively added Mousetrap on my watchlist for two reasons: the plot and Sul Kyung Gu. And the later one, did not disappoint, like always. I had a blast watching Kyung Gu as Noja. He was both fun and intimidating and although I was kinda annoyed at the mistakes Noja made, considering he was an experienced gangster, I quickly warmed up to him. Kyung Gu was very expressive in this role, he was both ruthless and yet almost caring when the story required it. Noja carried himself around with both confidence and caution and Kyung Gu encapsulated it perfectly.

It goes without saying that the chemistry between the main leads was one of the biggest highlights of the series. I was looking forward to Moon Jae and Noja's interactions but I didn't expect them to win me over so hard. Although their relationship was far from what one would describe it as "friendship", it was a nice partnership which revolved to something deeper as they spent more time together. Moon Jae and Noja got off the wrong foot but they eventually realized that in order to achieve their goals, they needed to partner up.

While their personalities and experiences couldn't have been more different (Moon Jae who had been living a secluded life thrust himself upon danger, while Noja had to protect someone who wasn't used to violence and who struggled with anxiety), they somehow made it work for the most part. The interactions between them were unintentionally funny at times (loved the scene where Noja just gave random medicine to Moon Jae in order to control his panic attacks) and both actors complimented each other, offering a visual feast.

The rest of the supporting cast did a good job as well. The roles didn't require any emotional depth but the actors did what was required. I was especially excited to watch Kim Sung Oh and Hyun Bong Sik, two actors who have climbed on my list of anticipated names and they didn't disappoint. Kim Sung Oh as Seung Gyu was scary even to watch, he nailed this villainous role and his character made me feel uneasy all the time.

One aspect the series excelled in was the direction. The cinematography wasn't always consistent, however, there were many great moments which captured the eerie vibes of the story. The camera work in particular was very intense, I appreciated the usage of first person shoots during the scenes where Moon Jae was having a panic attack, it highlighted the feeling of being suffocated. Moreover, this technique was also used during some scenes where the characters conversed with each other, making me get immersed into the story by "integrated" myself to it.

Unfortunately for Mousetrap, despite its interesting premise and strong, beginning, the writing was proven to fall short for this type of ambitious script. I detected from early on that the pacing was disjointed and too slow for a better progression but I wanted to wait and see if it would improve in the later episodes.

Alas, this didn't happen.

I want to clarify that I love slow paced thrillers. The feeling of discovering all the cracks to a mystery little by little is unmatched and I am a big fan of scripts which allow the viewers to take their time to adjust and digest everything. The problem with Mousetrap is that instead of an appropriate built-up, it wasted time by adding some fillers scenes and dedicating too much time on the investigation and the gangs instead of focusing on its initial priority. I understand that everything was connected to Moon Jae's case but having too many subplots take place simultaneously, without expanding on the characters and the plot, was becoming too tiresome.

One main issue with the plot was that it felt like it took much longer than it needed to to reach a breaking point. Even after the reveal of Yu Min, I didn't feel that the pacing had paid off and that continued until the end. There were interesting moments scattered around but the drama as a whole wasn't as tightly written as it should have been. It was plot twist after plot twist (and I could predict the majority of them) which made the story drag. This type of writing does not necessarily add depth and some writers need to realise that. I can't believe that I'm saying this since the series is already pretty short for kdrama standards but maybe, it would have benefited from an eight episode format.

Because of the messy writing, the characterisation got impacted, too. The secondary characters barely felt like characters, they served as plot devices mostly, which didn't work for me. Even the main characters sufferered from the writing. Park Sun Yong was presented as a complex character, who struggled to balance his duty as a father-husband and a police officer and yet the writers never explored this aspect of him in order for me to care enough. His character had constantly the same attitude and expressions and I really wish the script had required something emotionally stronger, to fully humanize Sun Yong.

Moon Jae, while complex and intriguing, still fell short in some areas, particularly towards the end. While the drama highlighted his issues and gave some hints at his backstory, he still wasn't explored enough. It was a wasted opportunity not to show more of his childhood and his parents, especially since that would have explained many of his future decisions. Considering the fact Moon Jae was the one who had stolen Yu Min's identity all along, I found the portrayal of his personality to be a little bit one-dimensional at times and in the end, he was mostly villainized all of a sudden, instead of being explored in depth.

All in all, Mousetrap was interesting enough to keep me hooked and curious about the trajectory of the story but in terms of writing, it didn't deliver what was expected. I would recommend it though to fans of this genre and if you're in the mood for something dark yet quick, this might be a good option. Proceed with caution and remember: your identity is never safe.

Read More

opposing forces

Overall: I like their dynamic, and their chemistry is growing. 10 episodes about 25 minutes each. Airing on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@%E8%B5%B4%E6%B5%B7KissOrKill and GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8746/kiss-or-kill-2026-e01 (not in Japan or Korea)

Content Warnngs: past death, child trafficking mentioned, blood, past murders/violence/blood, held against will, beaten up, murder, blood

Watch Suggestions (to take out most content warnings and focus more on the relationship)
- episode 1 watch 13-end
- episode 2 watch 3-6:30, 7:30-13:30, 14:30-end
- episode 3 watch 8-18, 19-20:30
- episode 4 watch 4:15-7:15, 13-15:30, 15:55-end

What I Liked
- tension
- fight sequences
- unique premise

Room For Improvement
- beginning felt click baity
- not totally sold on the chemistry yet
- 3 minute reshowing of the end of a previous episode

Read More

It’s not Ash, but the fire is real.

The story is hardly original: an undercover operation, a powerful crime family, two enemies with a shared past, guns pointed at attractive faces and enough sexual tension to ignite the ammunition warehouse. Think KinnPorsche or Spare Me Your Mercy which is the bar I set for this genre.

The criminal plot occasionally feels less like a true syndicate, it doesn’t feel like a Mafia-type group and more like a nice excuse to lock two handsome men inside the same house. Fortunately, the handsome leads Orion Chen and DayDay understands their roles and one can feel their intensity. Just like our two leads in Ash.

Kiss or Kill may not have the polish and feel of a major production, but it knows exactly what it is selling, danger, deception and two men who cannot decide whether to shoot each other or remove each other’s clothes. I love strong-willed gay men duking it out to see who ends up on top(our intended). The crime story still feels fake, yet the chemistry feels surprisingly genuine. Four episodes in, I’m not completely convinced by their love but I’m sufficiently seduced to continue watching. Since this was film outside the scope of the Chinese censorate I hope the intensity of the NC scenes are worth waiting for, after all, fireworks are bound to explode.

Read More

Would have been a Solid 10 if they didn't kiss so much

Would have been a 10/10 but
TL;DR -
Changyang kinda creepy.
They kiss too much.
Hated the 2nd lead.
ShuTian my babies :((


This was one of those shows that comes in like a soft breeze but leaves like a storm. I loved every aspect of this show. From the cinematography to every last drop of tear that this series made me shed. The characters were well written. Their complexities definitely drove me deeper into the series.

I love Feng QingLang so much. I wish I could protect him with my entire being.

Xu Changyang, well he was something. I loved him the most through the first 8 episodes. I mean, who doesn't love a straightforward man who is amazing with his words and worships the ground you walk on?
But, after a while, Xu ChangYang came off as creepy/obsessive to me rather than likeable. I don't think he was a green forest. He monopolized QingLang's entire life since the moment they had that incident at the hotel. I personally would be hella irked.

But, who am I to say? QingLang definitely loves a little possessive boy. QingLang was out of his pants as soon as Changyang revealed another one of borderline criminal offense.

However, man, they kiss too much! It was hot as fuck in the first few eps. But then it got too repetitive, didn't add to the plot, became quite anticipatory. So much so, it made me groan in boredom the moment they got closer than 5 inches. I don't think queer romances need to imitate corn to stay relevant.
Albeit the actors having gorgeous chemistry, after a point the NC scenes felt like they were being played out for an audience — an audience of straight women.

And the 2nd couple — didnt even bother getting their names tbh — WAS SUCH A MESS??
What was even happening with them. I would hit the forward button as soon as they appeared on screen. The dude who played the bottom among them definitely had potential though.

And, oh Lord, I cannot emphasize enough on how hard QingTian and Xu Wenshu CRUSHED me. Hello?? That was so unnecessary. I don't even wanna talk about it tbh. They weren't even the main couple, why did he have to suffer like that.
I wish they were the 2nd couple atleast, because they genuinely had great chemistry as well and I was invested in their story.

All in all, it was amazing. BLs like this come once in a while and leave yoh recommending them for a long long time until something else comes and fills their spot.
I will forever appreciate the skills and the eye for art that this production house has. They managed to capture the beauty of nature and the mess within it so captivatingly. Definitely made me want to stop everything and start a life in a secluded tea forest.

Read More

Intensely Red

I ended up enjoying this drama a lot. It's very entertaining, it's visually stunning and the cast did well portraying their characters.

The pacing is a bit uneven, which wasn't that big of an issue, because it was expected given the shorter number of episodes.

The bigger issue for me was that I didn't always like the FL. She's definitely a flawed character, which would be a good thing if she actually learned to overcome her shortcomings. The trauma of what happened in her past life should have been a trigger, but instead throughout the whole drama she remains stubborn, impulsive and full of unearned confidence, which ends up putting people in danger. While I do say that I didn't always like her, most of the time I did. I also liked the ML and the relationship between the two of them. There's a very gentle chemistry between them, which does work in a drama that's mostly very intense. I do have to admit that XYL suffers when compared to XYF and DY, because they are much more interesting characters.

All in all, I enjoyed this drama very much.

Read More

Poor production choices

Very disappointing season.
I was waiting to see human connexion, vulnerability, true feelings, maybe even (one can always dream) queer representation and voices... I got nothing of what makes a good reality show and nothing useful for the lgbtq+ community.
I understand that this was a reshoot, but the production team could have done so much better.
JaeHa anf HyeongJun's story was an important part of half the season, but just when things were getting a bit more interesting, JaeHa gets eliminated... Way to ruin the storyline. Also, we get told that they were a couple but we get 0 footage of their story in the previous shoot. If only one participant had to be erased, then there should have been enough footage to show how previous relationships had developped between the cast members. Instead, the wievers and two new cast members are left wondering where everything is at. It was unconfortable and could have been avoided with the use of previous clips and editing.
Participants were also all very very bland. The only one with a personality (Lee HyeokJin) gets eliminated halfway through. I get that the other cast members weren't interested in him, but what about the viewers? To me he was one of the reasons I kept watching more episodes. I honestly didn't understand why they had to eliminate two participants.
I also agree with another review : separating them by blocks wasn't the best way to create group dynamics and organic interactions between different cast members.
Anyways, poor choices were made at many different points in the making of this season. I got fed up with wasting my time and decided to stop watching at episode 8.
I still have hope that maybe next season could be better.

Read More

I really enjoyed the message behind this drama. Ning Ruo Wei was once the famous “Legal Queen Vivian,” a brilliant lawyer with a career and reputation of her own. Yet for love, she gave it all up to stand behind her husband, Fu Yan Xiu, and support his career for three years. Sadly, while she devoted herself to their marriage, he became so accustomed to her sacrifices that he stopped seeing the remarkable woman beside him.

The return of his first love, Jiang You Ning, finally pushes their marriage past its breaking point. Fu Yan Xiu gives so much of his time and attention to helping Jiang You Ning with her divorce case while his own wife is left lonely and forgotten. What makes it worse is watching Ning Ruo Wei being looked down upon simply because people see her as “just a housewife,” never realizing who she once was.

But this is where the drama becomes satisfying.

Instead of continuing to beg for her husband’s attention, Ning Ruo Wei chooses herself. She walks away, returns to the legal world, and reminds everyone exactly why she was once called the Legal Queen. Watching her confidence return as she takes on difficult cases and proves her abilities again was one of my favorite parts.

And then comes the delicious irony: Fu Yan Xiu discovers that the brilliant lawyer he respects and admires is none other than the wife he neglected at home.

For me, the strongest part of this story is Ning Ruo Wei’s transformation. She doesn’t need to become someone new—she simply becomes herself again. She learns that sacrificing everything for love can eventually mean losing yourself.

“Love yourself first, then love others.”

That is what stayed with me most. When Ning Ruo Wei and Fu Yan Xiu meet again in court, she is no longer the woman standing quietly behind him. She stands across from him as his equal—and his opponent. ❤️⚖️

Read More

might contain spoilers

I loved hove the chemistry between the ML and FL flows. even through their gazes you can see the electricity that attracts them. And i like it that it is not a slow burn romance. The storyline is appealing, show the strength of the young FL, the arrogance of the boss that falls for her. the fashion style of the ML is edgy and modern , though I do not quite like the style of the FL - but I suppose as she has just graduated, here costume befits her. This drama has me looking for Jing Boran's older dramas (Regeneration - this is so goood - why did this one escaped my attention in the past). Am looking forward to watching Road Home and Sunset Secret Regret. Really, the ML is sooooo good looking here

Read More

Beautiful beautiful beautiful

This serie was a standout from dramas im watching, the natural landscapes, the visuals and unique cinematography was captivating and refreshing, it was relaxing watching it weekly

Storyline wise it was beautiful, the chemistry, how Nothing felt forced between actors, so natural, the intimacy was one of best i watched
QL the actors from shiny yet demanding world met CY, the 20 years old tea farmer, who is charming, caring and attentive, their love was heartwarming, the obstacles they faced were realistic And not out of plot conveniences, if i start with every details about their relationship this review will be long, so just watch them

The 2nd couple were an example of real couple on-screen and offscreen facing all brutal industry demands and standards, they were like a version Of QL and Shi Yuhao (the ex) but the difference these two worked all their problems and changed themselves to make their relationship work unlike how things went with QL and his ex

Sister Lan, a Centric character even when she left us quickly, her philosophy and the way she Handled things and took care of her artists was what made all her people stand strong, even after she left, she felt present till the end
QT, My shaylas whom's death was sudden, unexpected but thats what made it feel so real, we saw all his loved one grieve on their own way, he didn't get to be happy in life so i hope he is in peace💔😭😔

Anyway this is getting long, just watch this show if you enjoy slow beautiful storytelling and visuals

And no im not forgetting siste's lan wife neither brother Guo, mvp of the serie, love you

Read More

Risqué done right

This was a great drama, lovely romance, no angst and more importantly no break up. (At first the kisses are more deer caught in headlights but boy when they finally get going) Great steamy kissing scenes, lots of suggestive innuendo.

It's a great comfort drama or guilty pleasure in between the more intense or heartbreaking dramas.

If you're looking for a drama that doesn't ask anything from you only for you to sit and enjoy watching... this is the one.

However, if you're looking for something that has more teeth, that keeps you on edge this isn't it. Also, this isn't porn so if that's what you're looking for look elsewhere.

Read More