Reviews

Refreshing Thai BL series

The story depicted in Be my favorite is really fun and different from the usual BL stuff. The addition of fantasy elements - time travel - is not overpowering and it makes the story stand out.

The characters are mostly depicted in a realistic manner and I have to say that personally I really enjoyed the portrayal of Pisaeng. Gawin is a really mature and his skilled actor. I really love his subtle way of expressing emotions, never over the top, never exaggerated.

Kawi's character is a little more colorful, a little more tropey, but I think that Krist showed a good balance between being serious and funny. I wasn't a fan of Krist or his character at first, but as the show progressed, he definitely grew on me. Also he's actually really cute even though at first I only saw Gawin's charm.

The pacing of the story is fairly balanced, not too fast, not too slow.

I have to admit that as much as Ioved the way they handled things with Pear, from their admission that they love each other, and Kawi's realisation that he actually fell in love with Pisaeng, and he had no feelings for her anymore, I feel that they allocated way to much screentime to the resolution of Pear's story. I mean, let's be honest here, most of us want to see more of the guys story, and I just feel that they could've cut short all or most of her scenes after they came out to her as a couple.

Overall, I rate this BL at 8/10 especially for the realism and the solid acting of the guys and side characters. It's definitely worth a watch, a very cute, refreshing love story.

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Lack of creativity

If you're looking for a genuinely engaging and unique romantic comedy experience, it's best to look elsewhere.
If not, repare for a cringe-worthy journey through the land of overdone tropes and predictable plotlines in the romantic comedy "King the Land".
This show had nothing new to show us. You start watching it and find yourself drowning in a sea of familiar storylines and eye-rolling situations.
ugh.

Rich male lead running after a hardworking (and obviously not rich) female lead? How original! If you're looking for complex characters, this drama is not for you. Our leads are perfect examples of romcom stereotypes.
At first, there was some chemistry... but then I don't know what happened. Their interactions often felt forced, and their emotional connection seems... again, forced and fake. This makes it difficult to invest in their relationship or root for their happy ending.

King the Land serves as a great example of everything that's wrong with the romantic comedy genre. It leans too heavily on clichés. While it might offer a something for those seeking mindless entertainment, it mostly just leaves a bitter aftertaste due to its lack of originality.

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Shenanigans in the best way ♡

Great Comedy show! So happy I gave it a 2nd chance. When it was airing I wasn't in the mood for Comedy but this was so much fun.


I needed a fun light show to watch while I was sick in bed. A friend recommended this one and I am so happy I watched it.
Binge worthy show. completed in 24 hours.

This show is a full on comedy it doesn't take itself seriously and I love it.
Really enjoyed the characters and the romances.

The only con I have was the use of strong language that I wasn't a fan of.
Aside from that I enjoyed it and the small twist and turns in the plot were nice.

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Superb drama

Guys let me tell you this drama is really good and filled with cute moments although we have only 8 episodes but still it covered all the plots in good manner like enemies to lovers and ceo employee love story , toxic past boy friend and goal in the life , comedy , intimate kiss scenes and top of that cute and very talented actors and script writers and director wow thumbs to all the members in the team bze I found many kdrama bl with great actors but script wasn’t good but this one had all of them please do watch this drama highly recommend for kdrama fans who are bl

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One of the best drama ever made.

I have so much to say about this drama because it was that good. If I start ranting then it would coherent as I am overwhelmed with emotions. So let's just list 5 things why this was one of the best dramas every made and why you should not miss out on it!

1)Storyline
There is a not a moment in this drama you would want to skip. I am a kind of person who is ten second jump watcher to keep the story going but once in a while I will find a gem like drama which captures me so much so that I don't skip a second. MLC has pace, intrigue, action, interesting characters, both good and bad. It feels like you are right there with characters solving the mysteries. And those epic reveals, twists and hero entries will make you yelp in delight. I promise some of the reveals will make your jaw drop.

2)Bromance/The trio
Cheng Yi is a superb actor. He shines in his role and thank the lords that we get to hear his og voice. He is amazing as Xangyi but even better as Lianhua. He is beautiful when he cries, stunning when he fights and witty we solves crimes. He is that character no one could hate. His sassy intelligent role is one of the smartest characters I have seen in C-Dramas. No one could have played this better than CY. You can going to feel every emotion our Lianhua will feel, trust me on that.

But we all know CY is great. What was incredible is Zeng made his mark with his strong presence. Now as much as I love CY, character wise, Duo Bing was my favorite character. He is smart, loyal, caring, upright and the best version of his talented master, Xangyi. His character growth is incredible and by the end of it you will realise he is worth all the good that comes his way. The chemistry between Master and Disciple is incredible, they bicker, solve crimes together and bicker more but when it comes to understanding, they understand each other better than a soulmate would.

And finally our Director Di. The way that guy cared for Li Xangyi was more than any male lead would care for his female lead. For him everyone could die except LX. And in the end it's clear it was not just the matter of battle or power position for him. He even warmed up to Duobing. I honestly cried at their friendship.

3)Intelligent characters
We don't have bumbling fools just for the sake of comedy or clumsy good guys who mistakenly put heros in danger. We have super smart characters who will look for evidence right and left and not just blindly believe everything. FDB, LLH and DFS are obviously the smartest but let me mention how incredible the princess is or FDB's whole family, even SuXiao who I was hoping could join the squad. Hats off to the vilains to who matched the intelligence level of good side though GuDao was super petty guy.

4)The cases
Let's just say they cases are incredibly interesting and LLH and FDB gives us all Sherlock/Watson vibes. The way they uncover the most paranormal case and make it make sense that it was indeed just normal will leave you in awe.

5)The fighting scenes
I need to highlight the battles scenes done impeccably. The Li Xangyi prowess era is so good to watch, but when LLH suddenly goes from being just a miracle physician to the man underneath the wits, that gets us hyped and cheering. Then there is FDB in second half of the show who is incredibly talented and his later fight scenes are incredible. I am so happy that LX left his legacy to a guy like him.

P.S. Do not come looking for romance or happy go lucky stuff. If you like a serious good watch with strong production, acting and story, this one is for you. And if you are Cheng Yi admirer like I am, his is INCREDIBLE in this! GO for it!

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REVIEW

I really liked this movie. At first i thought there was a romance between the boy and the girl because of some tik tok edits but not at all. When i realised it was actually a movie centered in sport competition and the relationship between the two brothers I wasn’t disappointed by that. Because i think this type of movies don’t necessarily need a romance. And i was really interested during the whole movie, it wasn’t boring to watch. I think they knew how to make things interesting and how to make a catchy movie by developping the relationship between the brothers (SPOILER: for exemple why they seem to have some anger in their relationship etc… ) The storyline was good. But i also can understand why people would be frustrated by the fact that there was no romance. Because when we see the girl character i think we would like her to change the situation, maybe to play a role in the current situation. But she seems to just be an observer of what is happening, so it might be frustrating at some moments. But i think this is a chill movie to watch if you like sport movies and siblings relationship. If i have to find one negative point, I would probably say the development of the girl character. I think they could have done something better with her character! (sorry if i made some mistakes, english is not my first language!!)

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Overhyped C drama

As an avid c-drama fan of many years, I was so happy to see both hidden love and WIFTY trending on tiktok. While i absolutely loved WIFTY, Hidden love was honestly a hard watch for me. It's not new to see these types of "crush on sibling's friends" plot, the age gap in this drama was shocking and a tad too much for me to enjoy any sort of romance in this show. Whenever the FL shows aegyo towards the ML, the image of her as a child comes to mind and I just can't look past it TT However, I will say that the storyplot was great (with the exception of certain misunderstandings which dragged on for years and could've been easily resolved if they just communicated), so that's its only redeeming factor. I will give Zhao Lu Si props for her involvement in this drama's production from wardrobe, casting and even singing some of the songs in this show to save money when the original director ran off and delayed the filming. She has many other great drama such as The Long Ballad (2021) and Who Rules The World (2022) which I'll recommend everyone to watch

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Watch if you have free time to waste

On episode 13 and at this point, this has got to be the messiest dating show I've ever watched. 4 guys and 4 girls, yet all the guys are aiming for just ONE girl. In every date that each paired up couple go for, this girl's name is always mentioned and I can only imagine the frustration of the other 3 girls who are also on this programme to find love. Instead of focusing on the person in front of them, they see these girls as back up plans. And the worst part is that I don't see the appeal of this one girl at all, her personality is bland as compared to 2 of the other girls. Another thing I was expecting from a dating show with adults is the maturity to have honest conversations about their emotions, which is severely lacking in most of the male contestants on this show. Usually the last episode is the most eagerly awaited one, but I will be dropping this after watching the second last episode.

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Great Story, Decent acting and well thought ending.

If you can ignore the "angelbaby" related hated are not looking for tremendous actors than this is the show to watch this year.

Definitely a low budget drama , with way way better story than most S+ rated drama. The best part of this one was every part seemed balanced out , it nvr got too boring and had one of the most satisfying and well thought of ending which made some logical sense. Yes , it has loopholes (like FMC character not being consistent for a couple of episodes around 32/34) but which Cdrama doesnt. And if you start to hate a show after watching 4-5 intial episodes and didnt like main character please dont rate it , because thats the only reason this show which deserves around 8.3-8,4 is now rated 7.6.

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A day in the life of...a coffee shop table!

An oval table in a small coffee shop in a quiet part of the city. A tiny vase with three small flowers decorate it.

This is the backdrop of this omnibus movie which tells the stories of this particular moment in the lives of four women. They have arranged meetings and have chosen this table because it was the only one with flowers on it. We find out the reasons behind these meetings but do not know what happened afterward
The first to come is a famous actress meeting her old boyfriend frow way back when. The conversation is stilted, they are obviously uncomfortable and he keeps asking her if the rumors going around about her are true and not believing her. He is impressed by her success but is jealous at the same time and is trying to find a way to bring her down. She's very much aware of it and after a few minutes leaves politely but very certain never to see him again.
Cautionary tale of never looking up the past, you are bound to be disappointed when you see the true face of the people you were so much in love with ages ago. Let the past stay in the past.

The second woman to come to the coffee shop was invited by a man she met months ago. After a one night stand, he left to go travelling the world: India and Europe. She did not really want to see him again but he had left his watch in her place so she wants to return it. Again, the conversation is stilted while she incredulously looks at him saying nonsense about his travels. Suddenly he takes out a present he bought for her in Europe. And another one and another one.... She realizes their one night stand had left a lasting impression on him and that he actually wants to get to know her better. They leave together!
This story is a love story in the making. The actors were cute and we could see the changes in the woman's face as she realizes that he actually never forgot her. Very subtle and sweet: she starts off very guarded, suspicious and on a defensive but melts as the story progresses.

The third encounter is between a woman organizing her own fake wedding and a fake wedding planner. As they talk about the people they need to hire to pretend to be her family and friends we discover that she is actually a swindler who fell in love. The wedding organizer works on the edges of illegality and has regrets because this job has prevented her from attending her own daughter's wedding. She offers to play the bride's mother in order to feel, even if it is fake, what it is like to be at one's own child's wedding. The bride, behind her strict and professional cool exterior hides a person changed by love who dares not hope for a happy future. Still she tries! This is a poignant story of missed chances and bad decisions which ruin lives.

The coffee shop's closing hour sees the encounter between an older woman about to get married and an ex boyfriend. She offers him to spend the last night together. The feelings linger heavy in the air, he is sorely tempted to accept and she is aware of it so she keeps pushing. But he manages to resist the temptation sensing it would be so wrong to succumb. They have strong feelings for each other and the reason they broke up is not really evident but since she is apparently getting married to a rich guy....To be or not to be tempted? Did they make the right decision about their lives? Are they going to keep living with regrets or their story is well and truly over?

The movie focuses on women and their emotions and it shows them to be strong, intelligent and responsible, open minded and reasonable. The men in these stories are just the sounding boards for the women to make decisions about their own lives.
The actors are all excellent. The cinematography is soft, pretty and mostly in muted tones. The way we follow the life of the flowers on the table is so symbolic of the events happening around it. The flowers wilt slowly until they are picked apart by the man in the last story to the chagrin of the woman.

I am a fan of omnibus movies. This one was interesting, very slow burn and rather static: just people sitting and talking. The only person really moving around was the coffee shop owner serving coffee and clearing the table. It is not a very long movie or particularly exciting for that matter but it is rather for the people who enjoy the kind of a movie where everything happens through conversation.

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The bottom line that you shouldn't compromise

First of all, I am used to be a kdrama avid fan, please mind my limited knowledge about cdrama in writing this review.

The writer has succeeded in torturing me through this whole drama, but I found the storyline brilliant alas, sometimes annoying.
All the actors/actresses really did a great job in portraying their characters. kudos to all the casts.
I am grateful that I found DengWei in TTOETM that lead me to this drama, which helped me found other incredible and talented actors/actresses, particularly Zhang Wan Yi. Mannnn, ZWY is not a joke. He is even more intense than Wu Lei in LLTG (sorry to Wu Lei's fans). He delivered the role fantastically. I hope he will get a big award for this role. He really deserves it. His intense gaze and rich facial expressions really got me down. I understand CX pain and obsession, and so many times made me wanted to hug him, particularly during his wedding. The way he gazed at XY said it all, but XY never really understood his hidden desire.

YangZi, I know she is an experienced actress, but this is my first time watching her works too. Hat's off to her acting. I could tell that She really worked hard. But, her role in this drama sometimes annoying, particularly when it's related to my baby Jing. But, toward the end I could understand her actions and decisions. Even though sometimes she looked like swinging over to FFB of XL for unnecessary reasons, she is just a realistic girl with a clear bottom line that she doesn't want to compromise. I like how she is always there for CX even though she has to risk her safety and comfort. She is a loyal one.

XL, no offense to XL this is just my personal preference. I just couldn't tolerate this kind of characters, abusive. Hence, whatever kindness, gentleness and sacrifices he shows after that, it just got blurred in my eyes. I appreciate his sacrifices for XY, yet till the end he chose to be on the different side of CX, which another bottom line XY couldn't compromise. He did have his own story and reasons, and I understand that, but shipping him to XY with those things is just a big no for me.

YS/TSJ, many people might see his character a bit boring, but for me this is just my type. So, no matter what people said about him, I just don't care. DW is perfect for the role. He portrait YS/TSJ really well, his vulnerability, indecisiveness, gentleness, kindness and loyalty. I feel bad for him with having such a family, a jerk brother, a schemer fiancée, and a snake grandma. I am still hoping that he will end up with XY.

FL, he is a good brother, a loyal friend, and a fun buddy. I just hope that XY doesn't need to marry him since CX is already got the throne.

ShinYue, I didn't like her at the beginning, but I think she is my role model when it comes to choosing life partner? I understand why she made that kind of decisions. She deserves the best too. She did a lot for CX. She did her best, but she could let go when things doesn't go as she hopes, a bottom line she couldn't compromise.

Finally, one of my favorite quotes from the drama,
"LIFE IS HARD FOR EVERYONE"
Yep, let's just enjoy the drama, no need to bash other people because they have different opinions than yours.
See in other dramas?

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Its OK, but its a bit , do we care?

The negatives, the tropes of tramatic past, you can not get over, the fantasy premise, and the very stupid females charector that acts like a spoilt brat in her pursuit of a man she sees as hers. The there was not need for most of this because being hounded by your 'fans' and antifans is pretty traumatic enough for you to run away, this theme would have been more interesting, than the repeat childish adult wanting a man who has no romantic interest in her.

The plot meanders along, which no real tension, when they did start to write the ML part, by then he was basically boring, even if you did feel sorry for him, a bit. The ML continued to have virtuall no personality throughout the whole drama, and little growth, never really says what he wants.
FL , appeared to have common sense but also pretty boring, the mother was more interesting. The FL should have had judging on the back story of her life more attitude and drive.
The couple has no UST, in any way, it was a child like relationship.
As the main driver of this drama is the pop industry, not one memorable song or tune, a big failing
It passed the hours but did I care about anyone, not really.

Failed my lift test. If you stuck in a lift for four hours, no matter how obnoxious the people are would you be interested in their story, in this case no, because not matter how extrodinary their tale, this lot would make it sound like a shopping list.

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No plot twist a total fucked up show !

I only began watching this since it seemed somewhat interesting
Turned out I should have better of seen any other drama but not this. The beginning of the series was fine but everything likely got worse. There were no plot twist but the actors were fine what's wrong is the storyline. To the point where I were about to drop this for the 3rd time but still continued since when I start something I can't help but watch it till the end.
Nine and praew's relationship was total toxic. Nine only being a red flag through out the show. As some people enjoyed it, I didn't feel the show one bit
Would never rewatch it.

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For those who prefer "the road less travelled"

If you are looking for a drama with intricate plot, complex villans and ample use of CGI then this is not for you. This drama is exactly as it is advertised. It is a Rom-Com with an underlying theme of true love, devotion and a profound love story. It is pure fantasy, providing escapism from real life.

For me, if the drama has one or more below mentioned trope, I will assuredly give it a chance. This drama ☑ most of the things that attract me.

1. Soulmates/ true love ☑
2. Hidden identity ☑
3. Triangle for two ☑ ( reminds me of another classic triangle for two, clark- lois- superman)
4. Beauty and the beast ?❤ ? ☑
5. Werewolves/ shapeshifters ☑


Even though it is not necessary to watch go princess go season 1 to enjoy this, viewers should keep in mind that this is a sequel story of the daughter of the main protagonists of season 1 and 'loosely' adapted from a novel by the same author.

Hence the FL, qi pa's actions are a direct result of her mother's quirky modern outlook and rallying for women's individuality and independence. These thoughts become a major roadblock for her falling in love with ML, kui mulang. If you are interested in watching a spunky FL who is a beauty with brains then you will admire her traits as does kui mulang. Though her deviousness at times exasperate him as she is always scheming and plotting to get away from him, he adores her to bits.

This drama tries to bring a fusion of modern and traditional ideologies and attempts to combine western and chinese culture as mentioned below:

* qi pa's father using english words " Follow your heart"
* qi pa using english word 'feelings' when talking with Li xiong about how it feels to be in love.
* qi pa dancing tango with Li xiong, kui mulang and hai tang.
*use of statue of david by Michelangelo.
*qi pa arranging volleyball game.
* qi pa dressed in baby doll nighty, exposing her legs ?
* high heels presented to Hong xiu by qi pa
* qi pa mentioning cosplay.

The above was what the production team tried to achieve. (In the comment section of this review is a clickable youtube link to production featurette in which they explain their intention.)



On the surface, this drama illustrates comic element presented through qi pa's runaway antics but underneath that it portrays one of the most sincere love story that I have ever had the pleasure to watch on screen. My attraction to costume c-dramas is that they often present devoted MLs. However some dramas outdo themselves to exhibit a ML that is willing to go the extra mile to prove his love and affection for FL.

King kui Mulang has been selflessly depleting his internal force to keep his people safe, now needs qi pa who has accidentally swallowed his holy pearl. He abducts qi pa from her home.... And so starts his journey of guilt and most heartfelt love story. The opening theme song's lyrics rightly depict his internal struggle and emotions "it was me who lied". Inspite of the underhanded manner in which he brought qi pa to his kingdom, he is one of the most trust worthy, honorable and dedicated ML. He is a judicious king and an exemplary husband. His devotion and loyalty for qi pa often astounds other women. Hai tang with all her seduction skill was not able to allure kui Mulang, SuHe presumed that if she took holy pearl from qi pa, she could win kui mulang's affection. All futile, kui mulang is "One woman Man" and nothing can sway him from his love. Whenever qi pa needs him, he is always there for her. When he says to qi pa "I am here", I believe his commitment to her. He went to hell and back to safeguard her.

Few things regarding the script that I disliked:

1. Qi pa's aloofness towards ML li xiong/ kui mulang was stretched to the limit. While it was endearing in the beginning, it appeared callous on her part later.

2. Screen writer's decision to make qi pa fall in love with Li xiong persona after her marriage to kui mulang persona. I would have preferred if they would have made her fall in love with Li xiong before her marriage and after her marriage to kui mulang, felt affection for him and slowly fall in love with him while solving beast clan cases along the way ( one saving grace in this whole farce as I have already mentioned in the comment section is that, the writers took care not to make qi pa a cheater. She discloses her affection for Li xiong persona to kui mulang and does not sneak behind his back trying to hoodwink him, kudos to the writers for that)

3. Qi pa's physical revulsion for kui mulang's appearance was also taken too far. It was understandable for her to react with aversion in the beginning when she did not know his temperament but later the writers should have shown gradual acceptance for his casual touch before she fell in love with him, the writers left this acceptance till much later in the drama.


Nevertheless this is one of the most poignant love story. Qi pa and kui mulang work better as a team than plotting against each other. To see their connection, must watch episodes are 23, 28,29 and 30. These episodes highlight the very essence of their relationship and reveal why they are soulmates.

This drama has many hidden easter eggs waiting for attentive viewer to unearth. It has many parallels between episodes and has added references and tribute to other famous western and chinese works. I recently noticed a parallel scene from episode 5 and 30, episode 5- qi pa and li xiong cross dressed. Qi pa playing the husband and him the 'wife'. Qi pa waist grabs and pulls him forward, away from the prying lustful eyes of the soldiers... Episode 30- qi pa and kui mulang dressed in western clothes, kui mulang waist grabs qi pa and pulls her forward away from the soldiers, expressing his reservation about her revealing outfit.

A special shout out to OSTs, costumes, makeup and cinematography.

The supporting casts are equally engaging in their roles. Their interactions with the leads and each other help with the forward momentum of the story. Lui jun, kui mulang's subordinate is used as a sounding board to air out kui mulang's feelings and he often ends up giving valuable advice to the king.

Czy and xuanyi have a good chemistry on-screen. Their onscreen compatibility can be seen when qi pa and kui mulang go through a gamut of emotional ups and downs. Such roles where an actor can explore variations in character are not easy to come by. Playing similar type of characters must get boring as an artist. They would prefer and are lucky to get such roles which are different from the norm to show their creativity and flex their acting skills.

Overall an entertaining fantasy. For me, one of the indelible love story that lingers in mind long after its conclusion


PS: If you are interested in reading my extensive reviews/ summary on ALL episodes together, I am leaving a clickable link to the discussion section of this page below as a COMMENT to this review.

2.also in the comment section to this review, I am leaving a clickable YouTube link for special feature for this drama, to understand what the production team was trying to accomplish.

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