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Spoiler Alert
Overall the drama was pretty good. This drama consists friendship, rivalry, mystery and King Jinheung's character is portrayed superb. The love triangle between the three leads is a good but I would have really liked it if Ahro would have ended up with the king. The drama would have been a little better if the female led would not have just cried thought out the series and gained sympathy. And the last episode is a must to watch as it has really nice plot twists. The other hwarangs are superb and they really share the best friendship.Was this review helpful to you?
Top Tier BL Series
This show is really awesome. Every episode is getting better and agonized you waiting for the next episode. It will give you butterflies and rollercoaster emotions. One of the strongest point of this series is the character development. The main actors have undeniable and amazing chemistry. The acting of JimmySea here have improved a lot. Cinematography and music is top notched too. The background music were all perfectly fit. For me this is refreshing story. Realistic and relatable. I was worried at first on how they will pull this off because it's a very sensitive topic but they did an excellent job. They researched well and studied in every way. I was happy also they didn't include a lot of characters and just focus mostly on the story of the 2 main characters.For now, it's my top BL!
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You want kisses?? We've got kisses!
Okay, I admit it. I watched The Love by Hypnotic only because I enjoyed Fang Yilun’s performance so much in A Journey to Love. The show was also a much-needed lighter fare for me after the dark depths we had to go to in AJTL. And there were so many funny moments in the show.The Love By Hypnotic is light, sweet, and fluffy. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story done well. Alas, that’s probably the only thing I can praise it for. Its many storytelling and production flaws prevent me from giving it a higher score.
- The plot is often illogical and things happen to create angst or lovey-dovey things happen for our couple.
- The way Ming Yue uses hypnosis makes me uncomfortable.
- This kingdom is run on a shoestring budget. There's no maids, soldiers or eunuchs around and royal protocol is non-existent.
But, but ... its good points are really good.
- Fang Yilun's acting is on point, and he shows what a versatile actor he is; he handles the funny and serious scenes expertly.
- The kissing scenes are ... omg, the best I've seen and there are. so. many.
- The characters talk about sex. Yes, SEX. In a Chinese drama.
For one, it does romance REALLY well.
We journey with our reluctant couple as they first meet, fall in “hate” at first sight, develop affection for each other and eventually love. But they don’t stop there – they also talk about practicalities like initiating sex (imagine that), and living together as a married couple when you have different habits and personalities.
So yes, I highly recommend this drama despite its flaws. It can get frustrating at times, but it's still a good drama to relax to and to giggle over ;)
This is a summarised version of my lengthier review here: https://dramatea88.wordpress.com/2024/01/26/love-by-hypnotic-review/
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Don’t waste your energy
I decided to watch this cause I thought the plot was good. I was expecting an enemies to lovers type of situation because that’s what usually happens, but thats not what ended happening. This was terrible, I had a miserable time watching this. Everyone just pissed me off especially Chaeyoung! the only redeeming character was the Grandfather and of course their daughter. If you’re looking for a feel good romantic comedy, then this is not for you.—
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A Touching Tale of Love and Fate
This drama mixes fantasy, love, and deep thoughts about life. The story is about a woman who is very sick and calls for a magical being who represents doom. This interesting idea makes for a story that is full of feelings and makes you think a lot about life and love. The drama shows how people deal with difficult things that happen in life.The actors in the show do a great job. They make their characters feel real and their acting is very touching. They work well together and make the story even more emotional. The show is also very pretty to watch, with lots of beautiful scenes. It has serious moments but also some funny parts, which makes it not too sad. If you like shows that make you think and have a bit of magic, Doom at Your Service is a good one to watch. It's a special story about fate and how strong people can be.
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Just... Meh
I'll start with I haven't watched the 2003 drama with this same title, so in case I missed out on something, it's because of that.I don't even know where to start.... It is my pet peeve when writers put so many events into a single episode of a drama and the whole drama then becomes PACKED. Let the plot brew and breathe for a sec, I can't keep up with you.
In the episodes I watched, there was mostly Duan Yu plot and honestly, they could've just cut this story out and call it "the ridiculous adventures of Duan Yu". His plot in those episodes was just.... Crazy. When he found out about the first half sister, okay, when he found out about his second half sister drama minutes moments after, I was just "well.... O-kay? Weird" And when there was the indication of a third half sister because apparently every woman who had a child with Duan Yu's father has a blood revenge on him and the Duan Family, I called it quits.
I put "not planing to drop drama" in the review but idk, I was thinking of dropping it after episode 4 already, then episode 6 and I don't know what kept me until episode 12. Very probably Bai Shu, even though characters like Duan Yu (dummies who are actually just too innocent and pure hearted for the world but gosh darn it, learn something from your actions at least???) are another pet peeve of mine.
There are some things I loved about this drama though, one is soundtrack, the music and singing matched beautifully to the scenery. Two is the what looks like warm autumn weather, when this drama was shot. And three is the teachings of the monks, my infj heart deeply appreciated those words.
I am curious about how this ends, might watch it until the end but right now, I am so tired of Duan Yu diving head first into all of the deep and murky waters.
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One of the series' greatest strengths lies in its ensemble cast, who deliver standout performances across the board. From the brooding prince to the scheming courtiers, each character is brought to life with depth and complexity, making it impossible not to become emotionally invested in their fates.
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Alchemy of Souls Season 2: Light and Shadow
1 people found this review helpful
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Freshness
I just finished this series, and I must say I really enjoyed it. So much so that I spent 5 hours and 50 minutes glued to the screen without distracting me because at each episode I was getting more and more immersed, I couldn’t wait for the next.This Drama is fresh. It reminds me a little bit of Élite Spanish series but doesn't stand up to comparison with Bitch and Rich because there are fewer scenes of excess alcohol and no sex scenes especially not at the excessive level of Western production.This is due to the modesty of Korean film production. A side that I appreciate more and I don’t think I’m the only one by now I think many people like watching series, movies korean for that sense of naivety, modesty and authenticity.
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In particular, Jung So Min's performance shines brightly, catapulting her to newfound fame, and rightfully so. Her portrayal in this series is nothing short of breathtaking, deserving of every lead award the Korean TV industry has to offer.
With its compelling narrative and standout performances, "Alchemy of Souls" is a must-watch for anyone seeking captivating storytelling and exceptional acting.
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Fun couple, emotionally engaging in most parts, they lost me a bit at the end.
Day (Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert) was an aspiring athlete until his cornea was injured and told that he'd become blind eventually. While Day is living his days with his remaining sight, he meets Mhok (Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok), who is hired by his mother to be his caretaker. Mhok and Day's moments together make them attached to each other, but their relationship gets really tough at some point."Last Twilight“ emphasizes the challenge of being in a relationship, rather than the obstacles in getting together. From how they portrayed Day and Mhok, it feels more of a character-driven story than plot-driven. As much an independent person he is, Mhok's past prevents him to fully express himself. Day is no 'damsel-in-distress' in his situation, but he often doubts his decisions through the ups and downs of their relationship.
Despite the somewhat sad premise, these two are fun and adorable. Another one that has my heart is Day's brother, Night. I enjoy his story and their brotherhood. The one I never understand is Day's mother. She is talking wise and all-knowing but her attitude is childish.
It was lovely except for the last quarter part, where the conflicts felt forced. They keeps showing us somewhat hopeful cliffhangers, but when we get to the actual scenes they felt underwhelming. At the last minute, they employed a trope I dislike before jumping to conclusion. The ending wasn't that satisfying but worked out pretty conveniently. Last note, this drama has a better than average production value (the editing and OST) as a Thai drama, I appreciate that.
-Jan 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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