Reviews

What Do You Mean It's Overrrr???

I am actually crying. I got so attached to this show. I don't think I can move on. I was looking forward to Fridays, and now what? ㅠㅠ

TXT was a great choice for this show. They were so caring, playful, and endearing with Yoojun. The best part of this show is how Yoojun got comfortable with them with each ep. The way he started speaking random words, laughing, and having fun with them as days went by was so heartwarming, I was in tears.

I can talk about this show for hours. I loved how he was different with every member. I love his obsession with his cart, stairs, rice puffs, and strawberries. I love how they took him everywhere with them - even the Music Bank. Yoojun was their lucky charm. They tried every possible way to make him happy and keep him entertained. I really wish the show was longer. Since the shoot is over, at least release the behind-the-scenes or unreleased parts (they shot for like 2 or 3 months, right?) once in a while, pls :)

Anyway, such a comfort show. Such a dopamine boost. A cute little serotonin pill. Bought out the cuteness aggression in me. Straight to my list of comfort shows.

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I truly don’t even know what to say…

Maybe I should start, umm, before I started watching I got spoiled about the two timelines, so I already knew it. I truly loved the first episodes until somewhere 5ep. Later the 6-7-8 episodes made me dumbfounded…

At first I tho the guy—The one that had the hotel—was the same guy, just older version of the “true timeline” guy, the ML. So it would have had made sense, that he got with murderers two times, but I was wrong, after all they are totally different guys.

the most thing about this drama that I love is the cinematography and the quets =)
If I would need to rate the first few episode 1-4 I would rate it 9/10, but onwards 5-8 only 6/10.

The more the episodes went, the more i thought about what was the purpose of all this drama? what is happening? what was that???
Maybe I was expecting something else…I think this drama would have been better with more episodes. I would want to find out more about the psychopath FL, about the hotel owner son, his “cruel” life, about the ML “violence”.

I’m not happy how it ended up, it feels that so many things are missing…Yet it’s still worth to watch, I truly enjoyed it ^^

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Chaos between friends in the zone

This drama drew a new picture in the scene of Thai dramas with it's messy characters and realistic approach of the youth love. Through the idea of situationship, this gave us a new taste in the romance genre.

The plot is very character centric, revolving on the relationships and the friendships between everyone and that brought more chaos than expected. The characters were flawed yet realistic. They made many mistakes, had their own redemption arcs and in between so much we ended up with some of the best bonds on screen. Every character played a part in the plot and it was nice to have a romance drama where it is uncertain who will end up with who, if at all they are ending up together.

The cinematography felt really new. The pace was little different then the older romance genre dramas of that time. Jojo made sure everything left a bit of frustration with so much of curiosity for the next part. The music was refreshing.

The acting was really good in this. Plustor especially brought his character to life. It really felt like watching real people on screen.

It was one of the pillars of the Thai dramas that brought in a different styling. Definitely reccomended.

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So So

Ok ,the actors are gorgeous, production is rich I love all designs and costumes, but I can't get over the poor story telling with this CDrama. I hate when characters have to discuss every scene. Just show us the story, the viewers are not idiots.
The crowned prince always needs to talk to the young guard about how amazing and calculative the princess is. Every single trap or scheme she is doing is main topic in their conversation as if they were right there , this is done as filler just in case the viewers are not convinced enough in her intellect and beauty.
Side plots are very random and do not contribute anything to main story, also the characters appear out of nowhere exactly on right moment because the plot requires it.
I believe this will get worse by the end, I can't find any character interesting aside from the female general and the cute judge. Their dynamic is fun.

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The acting saved the plot with holes

While I did gave it a 7 I was more disappointed than dissatisfied because this had potential that got wasted with bad screenwriting and direction.

The plot wanted to focus on student rebellion and power. It tried to highlight corruption in education system and much more but failed even get a little bit of it. The screenwriting felt like it came from a novice. It could have been much more refined with plan and understanding the direction of the story.

The acting is great. Even with a young cast they did a good job to show their emotions. This is one of the highlighting series of that time GMMTV new stars.

I really started this back in the days with lots of high hope however it didn't meet anything.

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A Heartwarming Story of Youth, Friendship, Family, and Community

This is the Chinese remake of Reply 1988. I'm not sure why, but I could never really get into Reply 1988, whereas I was hooked on this version from the very beginning. Maybe it just resonated with me more.

A heartwarming and nostalgic film that beautifully captures the atmosphere of the period. It has youth, friendship, family bonds, and a strong sense of community. Nowadays, most families live much more independently, so watching this film reminded me of how close-knit and supportive neighborhoods used to be. The neighbors, while can sometimes be a little nosy, at the end of the day, they are always there for one another, sharing both the highs and lows of life and willing to lend a helping hand.

Overall, it's a bright, uplifting, and enjoyable drama with some touching, emotional moments. The only downside is that the ending feels a bit disappointing when it comes to the main couple.

The entire cast delivered excellent performances. Their acting felt natural and convincing.

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The evergreen comfort series with outshining chemistry

I rewatched it after years again and decided to contribute to the review community because everyone deserves to watch this masterpiece at least once.

The plot is simple, very simple, very linear but something about it healed thousands of us. The story revolving around two people who wants to but shouldn't be together. It was not that dark or depressing but it hit some corner in the heart. The characters were the true pillar of the series. They felt relatable. Every scene had a meaning, helped the story in a way. This made me giggle, made me tear up, made me smile and gave me comfort because Pat and Pran felt like real people and I felt like a part of their universe witnessing a warm love story and friendship boom. Another good point? They called out all old school BL jokes about women, hetero normativity, internalized homophobia and so on. That became the reason BBS is one of the most revolutionary BL of all time.

The direction was not something that would make your jaw drop but it caught the exact feeling they wanted to go for the series. Light, comforting but at the same time more than just fluff. Every scene was so well done that even after a couple of watch you will never feel bored of it.

Before BBS I never thought on screen chemistry holds so much of importance because OhmNanon chemistry gave this series some different out of this world essence. To this day it is hard to match it. Love and Milk was the start of the GL rise in GMMTV. The supporting cast added much more to the series.

I am stopping here because it will be never be enough for me when it comes to writing about Bad Buddy. Even after decades this will still be sought after as one of the best BLs of all time.

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just boring

For me, the first episode was outstanding. It did a great job of making the audience care about the characters. I honestly had absolutely no complaints. The first episode was a solid 10/10.

The second episode started to annoy me just a little, but I still thought it was excellent. Then everything began to fall apart.

The comic relief provided by the two sidekicks became irritating because I genuinely don't see any place for that kind of humor when your friend's daughter is in mortal danger. What bothered me even more, though, were the overly long flashbacks, the constant cheap adrenaline rushes, and characters so exaggerated that they were almost cartoonish.

By episode five, I actually fell asleep out of boredom and slept through about 40 minutes.

I'm giving it a high rating because the production quality is excellent, but I don't know... At this point, after watching episode five, I'm starting to wonder whether I even want to finish the series, especially since the preview for episode six wasn't exactly encouraging. What started as a father's mission to find his daughter has turned into a clumsy intelligence-agency conflict and a gang war that's brutal purely for shock value. And that's just boring.

After episode 7 - 5/10

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“A Slow Burn Love Story Where Two Enemies Learned That Trust Was the Real Romance”

💚 Green Flag: Slow burn, mature relationship development, strong female lead, political romance
💔 Angst Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Chemistry: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🧠 Plot & Strategy: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🎭 Acting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Prisoner of Beauty is the kind of drama that doesn’t immediately grab you with loud romance or dramatic declarations. Instead, it slowly pulls you in — layer by layer — until you realize you are already emotionally attached to these two people who started as strangers forced into a marriage neither of them wanted.

What I loved about this drama is that their love was not built on instant attraction. It was built on survival, understanding, trust, and choosing each other despite everything around them telling them not to.

Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao’s relationship started with so much uncertainty. They were both carrying their own wounds, pride, responsibilities, and fears. At first, it felt like they were two people constantly testing each other, waiting to see who would break first. But that is exactly what made their journey beautiful.

This was not a romance where the ML simply falls in love and protects the FL. This was a story where both characters had to learn how to trust, compromise, and become each other’s safe place.

Xiao Qiao — The Beauty Who Was Never Weak
One of my favorite things about Xiao Qiao is that she was not written as a helpless woman waiting for someone to save her.
She was intelligent, observant, and knew how to survive in a world where women had very little power. She understood people, politics, and the consequences of every decision she made.

What impressed me was her patience and emotional strength. She knew when to fight and when to step back. She was gentle, but never powerless.
She wasn’t trying to become someone else to fit into Wei Shao’s world. She made him understand her world too.
That is what made their relationship feel balanced.

Wei Shao — The Cold General Who Learned How to Love
Wei Shao is the type of ML that takes time to understand.
At first, he was cold, guarded, and difficult to read. His actions were often controlled by duty, revenge, and the responsibilities placed on his shoulders.
But slowly, we see the man behind the armor.

What I appreciated about him was that his love was shown through actions. He wasn’t perfect. He made mistakes, he struggled with communication, and sometimes his pride became his biggest weakness.
But watching him slowly lower his walls and realize that Xiao Qiao was not his enemy anymore was one of the most satisfying parts of the drama.

The biggest romance in this story was not the grand gestures.
It was the small moments where he started choosing her.
Their Chemistry — The Reason This Drama Worked
The chemistry between Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao carried the entire drama.
Their relationship was not about constant sweetness. It was about tension, misunderstandings, emotional distance, and finally learning each other.

The slow burn was frustrating at times because you just wanted them to talk and stop hurting each other 😭
But when they finally understood each other, every small romantic moment felt earned.
That is what made their love story satisfying.

The Things I Loved
✅️ Strong female lead who uses intelligence instead of just relying on others
✅️ Mature romance built through trust
✅️ Political conflicts that actually affected the characters
✅️ Beautiful character development
✅️ The feeling that both leads needed each other, not because they were incomplete, but because they became stronger together

My Frustrations
Of course, this drama was not perfect.
There were moments when I wanted to shake both characters and say, “Please communicate!” 😭

The misunderstandings and emotional walls sometimes became exhausting because you could see how much easier things would be if they were just honest with each other.

Some parts of the story also required patience because the pacing was more focused on gradual development rather than constant action.

But at the same time, that slow pacing was also the reason the emotional payoff worked.

Final Thoughts
Prisoner of Beauty is not a drama that you watch only for romance. It is a story about two people trapped by circumstances who slowly find freedom through each other.
It is about a woman who refuses to lose herself and a man who learns that strength is not only about winning battles but also about protecting the person who becomes his home.

After finishing this drama, what stayed with me was not just the romance.
It was the journey.
The frustration.
The longing.
The small moments of happiness.
The pain of watching two people who clearly loved each other but had to overcome so much before they could finally choose each other.

A beautiful slow burn that requires patience, but rewards you emotionally.
Definitely one of my memorable costume romance dramas. ❤️

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Disappointing ML all the way

Man, i was watching this series hoping that the male lead was a pretend playboy who actually skill in martial arts but so disappointing that he is really just a spoilt noble with a kind heart.. Continue to watch in hope that he with have development in the army.. but nada. Instead the female lead is the one growing all the skills and doing the hard lifting that leads the man to victory one after the other.

Then the guy became an emperor but very disappointingly turned into the same emperor who schemes against his own man, the most disappointing plot ever. It makes no sense to exchange the life of the general whom the enemy fears, and the enemy actually kept the word after their biggest obstacle to conquer is gone..

The romance is also as disappointing, Chang Yu Qing is such a great character, but he is not getting as much screen time as i wished.. he's much more suitable for the FL than the weak Qi Huan, but of course no supporting ML get the FL hey :(

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The greatest production of the highest quality BL with the most intriguing storyline - Shine

I am at loss of word on how to review this masterpiece. I am remember seeing a comment in MDL calling it boring and that just made me realize a series with depth, artistry and whirlwind is not for everyone.

The storyline, the plot, everything about this made my head hurt. The stripped down display of corruption of the system, the homophobia, the conflict of ideologies and lastly how little to no value human life holds to those in power. This was downright the realest political drama I have watched in a while. Kudos to the script writer and their amazing mind for linking real historical events so naturally to the timeline. The moon landing of 1969, and then the next year Thailand sending Ms. Thailand for Ms, Universe and lastly the Coup Detat of 1971 and the student protest against Military junta. The amount of research went is commendable. The conflicting opinions throughout the series from various characters made this drama amazing, and it's a rare characteristics to hold because we mostly end up with one sided support that yes only the student revolting is right, the other side is wrong. The characters were given so much of depth and dimension and they upheld ideologies that were closer to reality than fiction. I loved how romance was the sub focus of the storyline while focused more on philosophy and politics. The characters goes beyond the box of good, bad, red flag, green flags etc. They were true people whom I loved, got frustrated on and had my eyes twitching.

I usually don't have much to say on cinematography but this deserves a dedicated paragraph. The color grading made it 100x times better because it truly felt like watching a period piece from the 1960s with the grainy filter. The use of music and ost is immaculate, it elevated the entire scenario. The OSTs alone deserves a column. The styling felt exactly at the right place. The direction was good however at the beginning in some places it felt the cuts were not tying up properly. Still it is one of the greatest production of all time.

The amazing actors and actresses who brought the characters to life, my kudos to them for their incredible job. Mile made me belief he is not the same guy from KP. Apo absorbed his character so well that he truly felt like the man who just came back from France to Thailand. Son did amazing as Colone. Euro showcased his emotions accurately as the angry journalist and I might have a celeb crush on him. I wish we had more of Bump, Fuaiz, Mio and JJ but even with little screentime they made me remember their scenes. Truly such amazing young actors. Senam's first series and I am already rooting for her. Now lastly, Peter as Victor was revolutionary because there is no way this is first series and he made me go through a roller-coaster. The actress playing Moira is so gorgeous. The entire cast is stunning.

This drama cannot be confined as just a BL production. It goes beyond that. It is a true queer media upholding multiple dimensions, that will make you pause, think and realize. Truly the masterpiece.

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是, 也不是 — Yes. And Also No.

Revisited ahead of Season 2 (TBA).

Historical dramas have an interesting way of introducing geniuses.

Usually, they hand someone a fan, an incurable illness, and a room full of people who mysteriously become less intelligent whenever the protagonist starts talking.

The Ingenious One does something more interesting.

It gives Yun Xiang a reputation for brilliance...

and then repeatedly puts him in situations where brilliance isn't enough.

Comparisons to Mei Changsu are inevitable. Both are physically vulnerable strategists surrounded by people far better equipped to survive an actual sword fight. But Mei Changsu feels like a chess player executing a game whose board he already understands.

Yun Xiang feels more like a gambler.

He arrives in Nandu with fragments of the truth, few allies and nowhere near enough information. He bluffs. He calculates. He miscalculates. Sometimes he wins because he understands the other player.

Sometimes he survives because he realizes quickly enough that he didn't.

"Shi, ye bu shi."

Yes.

And also no.

No phrase captures The Ingenious One better.

Yun Xiang is ingenious.

And also not.

He is righteous.

And also very capable of behaving like the villain in someone else's story.

He manipulates allies, withholds information and treats trust as something to be strategically deployed. His schemes can be genuinely clever. They can also leave an impressive amount of collateral damage for a man who will later have to explain himself to the people standing in it.

That's what makes him interesting.

The drama lets him be wrong. More importantly, it lets the people around him matter for reasons that have nothing to do with recognizing his genius.

I also enjoyed how practical this world feels. Power requires money. Banks, ports, trade and merchants aren't decorative background details; they're part of how influence is actually built.

Apparently even revenge needs working capital.

Visually, the drama understands restraint too. The muted palette, lived-in locations and natural lighting give its jianghu a physical presence, while the fights are fast and refreshingly uninterested in turning every sword swing into a slow-motion spiritual experience.

Yun Xiang may be considerably better at running from a fight than winning one, but fortunately the people around him are more than capable of handling that department.

But the most interesting thing he inherits from Yuntai isn't the ability to scheme.

It's a worldview.

Everyone is a pawn. Attachment creates weakness.
Emotion compromises judgment.

Efficient.

Elegant.

Slight problem: people.

Because people have the deeply inconvenient habit of developing loyalties, changing their minds and refusing to behave according to the role assigned to them.

Yun Xiang included.

The more attached he becomes, the harder it is to maintain the emotional distance his training demands. I don't think the drama is arguing that love magically makes him better. It makes him less certain. Less efficient. More vulnerable.

More human.

Shu Yanan matters because she is someone he cannot comfortably classify. She can stand beside him rather than behind him, remains difficult to fully understand, and disrupts the neat division between ally, liability and love interest.

I liked their chemistry.

I was less convinced by how much space the romance occasionally demanded.

The relationship belongs in the story; the timing of some of its detours doesn't. Just as the larger conspiracy begins gathering momentum, the drama sometimes pauses to remind us that Yun Xiang is suffering romantically too.

Noted.

Can we return to the conspiracy now?

Fortunately, the supporting cast is often where the drama is at its best.

Jin Biao looks like a man you should probably avoid in a dark alley. Naturally, he becomes one of the biggest hearts in the drama.

Mo Bufan loves money. Possibly too much.
Unfortunately for him, he also loves people.

Kang Qiao makes sure that becomes painful.

Su Mingyu starts as a sheltered rich kid and is eventually introduced to consequences.
Ke Menglan, meanwhile, is allowed the rare privilege of being a love interest with an actual function in the plot.

And then Liu Gongquan arrives.
Suddenly the game gets considerably more interesting.

Yun Xiang may be the ingenious one in the title.

Thankfully, the drama remembers to give everyone else a brain too.

The characters, at least.

The plotting occasionally has other ideas.

The mystery of a mastermind is often more impressive than the logistics of one.

Once decades of conspiracy have to be explained, some of the brilliance starts looking considerably more ordinary. Questions remain unanswered, certain character histories feel underdeveloped, and some schemes work better as dramatic ideas than as things that survive close examination.

The ending isn't bad. It simply isn't as satisfying as the uncertainty that preceded it.

And yet, for all the places where the plot lost me, the characters never quite did.

I cared.

Their friendships mattered.
Their loyalties mattered.
Their losses mattered.

Somewhere between the schemes that worked, the schemes that didn't, and the people Yun Xiang was never supposed to care about, the drama made me care too.

And that's why 是, 也不是 fits the drama so well.

Is The Ingenious One as ingenious as its title suggests?

Yes.

And also no.

Its flaws are obvious. The plotting is uneven, the romance occasionally disrupts the momentum, and the final conspiracy doesn't entirely live up to its buildup.

But dramas aren't spreadsheets.

Fortunately.

I would still rather watch an imperfect drama that gives me characters worth caring about than a perfectly assembled puzzle that leaves me feeling nothing.

Yun Xiang doesn't always have the answer.
Sometimes the drama doesn't either.

And somehow, I was still invested enough to keep asking the questions.

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