Reviews

Crazy Love? More Like Crazy to Watch.

This series was easily one of the worst things I’ve watched these two in. The first two episodes were not just bad — they were painfully, embarrassingly cringe. I honestly kept wondering whether I was watching a BL series or a school play written by a 15-year-old. 😂

And yes, maybe I’m simply too old for this kind of nonsense. Once Fu finally stopped chasing Mue like a desperate puppy, things improved a little and the series became somewhat watchable.

But let’s be honest — “somewhat watchable” is hardly a recommendation. 😏

If you’re wondering whether it’s worth spending your time on: no. Absolutely not. Save yourself the trouble.

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Liked it nonetheless!

After dragging myself to finally finish this, I can say I've made it to the end. I am not usually into workplace romances, but a K-drama that features two composed, quiet leads alongside a heavily work-focused script is hard to come by. My initial reason for watching, however, was that I really like Park Ji-hyun. (Funnily enough, I find her so similar to Jeonghan from SEVENTEEN—she feels like his female version, haha!)

The series started off incredibly strong. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle nuances between the main leads and the supporting characters. To the third eye viewers, the show might seem to lack charm because it doesn't feature a traditionally bubbly, high-spirited female lead, but it makes up for that with its realistic workplace aesthetics. While I wavered slightly due to the constant reliance on the AI concept, I chose to disregard it to fully vibe with the show.

The plot centers on Cha Ji-yoon (Park Ji-hyun), a resilient professional who never gives up on her job but is fiercely protective of clocking out exactly on time. She crosses paths with Kang Si-woo (Seo In-guk), a divorced team leader known for being the 'company’s worst grump'. They eventually end up on the same team, working on projects, sharing a respectful mutual interest, and honoring their professional duties. The show beautifully demonstrates how patience and persistence in what we chase truly matter, ultimately shaping our character as we move closer to our goals.

Watching Kang Si-woo brings a mix of warmth and pity; it hurts to see that he never fully received the love he deserved because he was always the one letting go of people and things out of pride and grief. Watching his journey taught me how sweet life can be when you are honest, genuine, and sometimes just forward. On the other hand, Cha Ji-yoon made me realize that the more passionate you are, the closer you get to achieving your dreams.

I especially liked how the drama handled the concept of being a divorcee. It gracefully highlights and critiques how society often judges and stigmatizes people who have gone through a divorce.

On the other hand, Cho Ga-eul's character completely infuriated me. How on earth could he think he did everything for Ji-yoon when he literally ghosted her for weeks? No messages, no calls, just completely gone. Then, he returns the moment his album is finished, expecting or feeling entitled to be welcomed back into her arms. I did not buy that crap at all! Absolutely not.

Meanwhile, the second couple was just the cutest. I was incredibly happy that we finally got an older woman/younger man dynamic. *dramatically sheds a tear* Though I became a bit skeptical halfway through, I was so glad they ended things on good terms. Lee Jae-in was incredibly cool for taking that flight with Yoon No-ah. Dude knows who he is!

The only thing that made this K-drama a bit lackluster was that it lost its appeal after the main leads got together. While several plot points tried to sway the later episodes, they failed to create any natural interest. It wasn't exactly boring, but it wasn't captivating or worth investing in either.

Overall, I think See You at Work Tomorrow! is my second watch with this specific type of vibe, right after Love Scout (which I wholeheartedly loved).

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Xin Mei and Lu Qian are well written characters

So I'm 30 years old and this is only the third Chinese Show I've watched in my entire life and out of all three Fate Chooses you is by far the best. I like the story they reveal character motivations and back stories slowly not all at once it is evenly spread out amongst episodes.

The fight scenes are beautiful and intense, the sets are beautiful with good lighting. I love how the immortal sects, humans and demons all have good people and bad people in them this makes the story more believable and not black and white.

Most of all I love Xin Mei's character she is a feminine women. Xin Mei's braveness to stand up for people who are weak and suffering is very appealing to me. I am born in the West and in the West we don't write good women characters like this any more, nowadays it's just a bunch of arrogant and rude feminist women protagonists that hate men. Also Mr. Lu Qian's character is also very likable he grew up with a bad nature and bad environment but he tries to fight against his bad upbringing to be a good person I love characters that try to do what is right and have morals.

The one thing I am saddened is physical media like DVD is not an option for this show because I love rewatching shows and owning a real copy I can keep in my house. The only way I can get a physical copy is from people who pirate the show but I don't want to give them my money. This is a little unrelated but I hope there is legal DVD options for Chinese Shows in the future so we have another way to support the people who created the show besides streaming.

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Expect a Lakorn

And if you aren't sure what that means, it does mean some over-the-top dramatisation, lots of beautiful crying, plotlines that may be slightly unrealistic, but also poetic dialogue and solid acting from the main cast (esp the senior actors). While i went into this expecting the lakorn-ness, i was slightly disappointed with Chat's character design and the simplification of the political scenes. It started to get draggy in the last 4 episodes for me...

What saved this piece for me were the two leads, their parents and the grandmother, who had some of the best lines in the drama. Tinn was also a really likable character and I was pleasantly surprised by his acting (though not perfect) seeing how this was his first series/lakorn,

Watch it for the romance, beautiful lines and visuals. But if over-dramatisation is not your stuff, I'll give this a miss.

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Light, Fluffy, and Surprisingly Satisfying

I enjoyed watching this show way more than I expected.

Youthful Glory follows Prince Jiang Xu of Dingbei, who returns to the Daxian Dynasty to uncover the truth behind the embezzlement of military funds. To protect the Ming family from becoming entangled in the investigation, he enters a marriage of convenience with Ming Tan, a general's daughter.

What begins as a political arrangement gradually becomes something neither of them expected. As they navigate court intrigue and hidden conspiracies together, Jiang Xu and Ming Tan slowly learn to trust, understand, and ultimately fight for each other.

First off, this drama is lighthearted and fluffy, with lots of marshmallows and butterflies wrapped around court politics and sprinkled with just enough drama to keep things moving.

I spent much of the first half laughing and giggling, and then came the secondhand embarrassment. Watching Ming Tan try her absolute best to win the heart of her husband had me hiding my face more than once. 🫣

This is very much a "she fell first, but he fell harder" kind of story, so prepare yourself for emotional butterflies and a constant need to numb your cheeks from smiling too much.

And speaking of Ming Tan... What I really enjoyed was her shamelessness when it came to the marriage contract she and Jiang Xu signed before their wedding. The funniest part was watching her realize that Jiang Xu was actually taking the contract seriously after she had already fallen for him.

She was basically: "I'm talking about romance, but he's rambling on about the contract. It's ineffective communication."

GIRL. 😭😅

You made that contract yourself! You specifically wrote down the rules, signed it, and married the man under those exact conditions. And now you're disappointed because your husband is actually following the contract?!

Watching Ming Tan slowly realize that she had accidentally created the very boundaries that were now keeping Jiang Xu at arm's length was hilarious. But underneath all the comedy, I really liked how her feelings gradually became more sincere. What started as her trying to win over her husband eventually grew into a relationship built on genuine trust, understanding, and mutual support.

And Jiang Xu was a big part of why the romance worked for me.

He isn't the kind of male lead who immediately throws himself into romance. He's restrained, observant, and very conscious of his responsibilities. His feelings develop more quietly, which made the eventual shift in his attitude toward Ming Tan all the more satisfying.

I particularly enjoyed the subtlety of his characterization and the way his expressions, pauses, and small changes in his behavior communicated things he wasn't saying aloud.

This also goes back to something I really appreciate about acting.. I love it when an actor can make me forget that I'm watching someone perform. Jiang Xu gradually stopped feeling like a character being portrayed and simply became Jiang Xu to me. The smallest changes in his expression or demeanor could tell me where he was emotionally without needing a dramatic declaration.

Beyond the romance, I also appreciated the drama's recurring emphasis on law and honor. Youthful Glory repeatedly raises the question of whether following the law is always the same thing as achieving justice, and whether honor simply means fulfilling one's duty or sometimes means protecting the people and principles you believe in.

Those questions become especially interesting because the characters are constantly caught between personal loyalty, political responsibility, and what they believe is actually right. The court intrigue gives the story more weight beneath all the fluffy romance and comedy.

Jiang Xu and Ming Tan's relationship gave me just enough emotional investment to finally break the hangover The Road to Splendor left me with. I didn't expect to tear through the episodes the way I did, but once I got invested in these two, I was in.

So no, Youthful Glory didn't give me the same kind of brainrot that Orchid and Dongfang Qingcang eventually gave me. But I have to give Jiang Xu and Ming Tan credit where credit is due: they got me out of my The Road to Splendor hangover and reminded me that I could still find a drama that made me want to keep pressing "next episode."

For that alone, these two deserve their stars and flowers.

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What is everyone's problem?

Upon seeing so much discourse on these characters, here is the only thing I have to say:
I really don't see everyone's issue with both these characters. Why do we constantly start labeling them as 'red flag' and 'green flag' every single time they make a decision or choose to act a certain way, then switch up the next second when they do something different?
Humans often make irrational, emotional, and conflicting choices all the time, shaped by circumstances and previous experiences, good or bad. If everyone were perfect, then relationships—and by extension, life— would be bland and unnecessary. You live, and you learn, which, clearly, these characters are doing. The most important thing is ownership of mistakes and growth, which, again, these characters are doing.
It is refreshing to see how each person's personality and worldview impact their words, actions, and decisions, and how they work with each other to morph into better people. I am a little tired of seeing the same tropes again and again, where everyone has life and relationships figured out, making them predictable and unrealistic. I do not hate tropes. I love the predictability most of the time, but I can appreciate and applaud when things go off script. I truly don't understand why everyone is so pressed when they act like real people, just this ONE TIME.
I think both Flora and Luke's issue is that they cannot be fully vulnerable to each other, which is why there is such a big gap in their communication and a lack of complete trust, especially on Flora's end.

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Treat this drama as Unscripted Documentary

I watched this drama because i know my friends have binge watching Ao Ruipeng since he is comedian in his social media and he is basically do nothing but being himself. Sun Zhenni and Aimi are doing fine for their roles.

The problem in this drama the plot is not plotting. The scriptwriting became less effective in the later episodes make this drama is hollow in the middle. The longevity plan was indeed meticulous, but the later parts were too chaotic. It felt like many details weren't shown in the drama, making it seem rushed. The timeline in the last few episodes is very confusing. After Ling E was swapped out by the substitution talisman, she copied the "Stability Sutra" five hundred times. I remember when she came to find Changshou, she was contemplating three thousand six hundred years in the future. Isn't everything in between just a fleeting moment? I've already lost track of the timeline since she showed Jin Chan the memories inside the bubbles.

Doubt there is no next season since the production house has disbanded.

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not authentic BUT DEVOUR

Oh my god i really grateful to know this masterpiece T-T

Tbh i'm not into saeguk kdrama bcz the atmosphere is kinda off my vibes, but some titles that combined with modern settings are very appalled to watch for me and turns out amazing, like this one <3

I love how the characters being potrayed here. Cha segye-arner my namja <3, shin seori sunshine, choi mundo the villy, and the others amazing that blends well each other. Well the story kinda focused on main lead bcs there's no other "couple" shown here.... but i'm not complained that much because the main leads carry this show sooo much. Maybe the story is not that different and authentic, but it is very well delivered by the actors and i can understand easily what happened. There's no big plot twist, just light to watch and enjoy the vibes here. Their chemistry is reaaaallyy amazing and make me blushed as well :>> maybe i'll rewatch some times if i miss them xoxo istg there's soooo many romantic scenes that i really love to watch, gonna miss them so much

THE OST OMG MY YOUNGKEEIII super grateful to hear his voice as this kdrama's ost #myday #talented #stantalent

THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME BLUSHED, LAUGH, ANNOYED for 14 eps HUHU I NEED MOREEEEEEE

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Loved it for GeminiFourth's story

I think the main couple's story was meant to portray realistic struggles but was a bit too much. EarthMix acted very well and if you're on your period and need to cry they will definitely make you cry.. but just how unlucky can a character get?? Uncle Jim's story was so overly dramatic that it felt a bit overdone. Shit after shit happening to him and he stays that goody goody, letting others use him, not getting bitter at all... that's unrealistic to me.
The real gem is GeminiFourth's side couple. Their acting was incredible, Fourth's portrayal of a troubled teen especially. He moved me in many ways and how gently the blooming of their relationship was portrayed is simply beautiful. Also how they, as young people, tell their elders that being gay is not a big deal while Jim thinks of it as a struggle, scared he "made" his nephew gay?!? I liked how these - sadly realistic - worldviews were represented next to each other and how they talked about how some people might support LGBTQ rights while not accepting their own family member's orientation. The true star of the show was Khaotung's character and his mom. The way she loved and accepted him was beautiful. The plotline of her death seemed like a plain plot device to me so that he'd get to know First's character :(
First's portrayal of Alan was touching. He's just so good at playing pathetic desperate characters and while some think of him as a bad guy, his reactions are very realistic and just come out of desperation over a lost relationship he can't let go. Wen on the other hand, realizing he stopped loving is just as complex and Mix really brings out the grief the person who breaks up also goes through.
In total, this show had many memorable characters and the side couples truly shine. However, it's too sad and I'll only rewatch it if I'm in the mood for some real melodrama.

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“And having more ideas, they had more suffering.”

Undoubtedly one of the most interesting contemporary Korean TV series, “The Affair Was Just the Beginning” is a brilliant dark comedy built around an interwoven narrative and a gradual piecing together of the story, in which the chronology and, above all, the way information is revealed are manipulated to make the viewer mentally re-examine what they thought they had already understood.

It is a sort of narrative ‘disjunction’ in which it is not necessarily the story itself that is told in a non-linear manner, but rather the information about it that is presented in a disjointed way: the viewer is thus led to form an initial interpretation of the events, only to be forced to re-evaluate it in the light of what is subsequently revealed.

It could therefore be described as a dark comedy of misunderstandings, built around a chain of tragic errors in which the audience gradually ends up knowing more than the characters. And it is this imbalance in information that generates much of the humour: each event provides partial information that leads to an initial interpretation, whilst the addition of new elements retroactively alters its meaning.

The result is a sort of narrative labyrinth constructed through the retrospective repetition of the same time segments, each time expanded by new information and a different point of view.

Beyond the most obvious simplification that might spring to mind — a sort of interlocking, jigsaw-style plot — the narrative structure finds its most compelling element in the randomness with which events end up linking together, transforming more or less significant faults, omissions and poor decisions into a progressive catastrophe. It is the snowball effect that drives the entire story: each character tries to solve their own immediate problem, but in doing so, almost inevitably, creates a much bigger problem for someone else.

It is a narrative structure that, in some respects, may bring to mind Stanley Kubrick’s film “The Killing”, with its constant re-composition of events through different perspectives and temporal segments; the spirit, however, is surprisingly close to that of the Coen brothers, because behind this sophisticated structure there is no all-powerful criminal mastermind orchestrating events, but rather a cast of characters who are convinced, time and again, that they can make up for their mistakes with a slightly bigger one.

Every attempt to evade the consequences of one’s actions thus gives rise to the next consequence, until a single incident turns into an increasingly uncontrollable chain of events. This progressive accumulation of faults, omissions and responsibilities ultimately makes it impossible to draw a clear distinction between the guilty and the innocent: no one is truly innocent, yet the consequences do not necessarily fall on those who bear the greatest responsibility either.

The entire comic and suspenseful dynamic are built on the vast information gap between the characters and the audience itself. We, the viewers, gradually come to possess more pieces of the jigsaw than those on screen, thus witnessing a colossal cover-up which is, in fact, the solution to a problem that the protagonists have failed to grasp.

From case to chaos: blackmail sets off the hunt for money; the hunt for money opens up another abyss; and the discovery of the video’s true content shifts the focus of the story yet again. What appeared to be merely a piece of the puzzle suddenly becomes something else, altering not only the protagonists’ perspective but also that of the viewer, who is almost naturally led to view the adults from a different angle.

And whilst Gyeong-hui finds herself increasingly at the centre of responsibilities that seem to multiply rather than diminish, the relationships between the characters are also constantly shifting: what seemed like an alliance turns into mistrust, what appeared marginal suddenly takes on a different significance, and even the blame seems to be redistributed according to ever-changing perspectives.

It is a most felicitous insight: there are not simply red herrings, but constantly shifting perspectives. Together, the viewer and the characters add a new ‘step’ to the story, only to discover that this new piece also alters the previous ones. An almost labyrinthine deception, in which every new piece of information seems to finally clarify the picture, yet instead alters its focus.

As the system begins to become overwhelmed. The arrival of Na-do finally introduces an external element, almost a disruptive force, a perspective that seems capable of breaking that closed cycle of secrets, omissions and half-truths. Except that even the detective gradually becomes absorbed by the chaos he is supposed to sort out, whilst all the characters converge towards that grotesque ‘all together now’ moment, where the various plotlines cease to run in parallel and begin to collide.

Here, “The Affair Was Just the Beginning” proves itself to be more than just a brilliant dark comedy, revealing itself instead as a drama constructed with almost mechanical precision, in which the complexity never ends up overshadowing the central narrative. The starting point and the ending are part of the same story, and even the chaotic final collapse is not a deviation, but the natural consequence of everything that has gone before.

The series’ modest length certainly helps in this regard: eight episodes, all well under an hour, are enough to develop the vast plot without getting bogged down in digressions or redundant backstory. The pieces fall into place at just the right moment and, just when the puzzle seems impossible to solve, they all surprisingly end up finding their rightful place. It’s a sort of Kubrickian precision applied to a subject matter that is decidedly more chaotic and, above all, far more prone to irony.

Just think of the bunker, which has gradually been transformed into a sort of grotesque burial mound: a concept so absurd that it is irresistibly comic, yet perfectly consistent with the series’ internal logic.

But none of this would be possible without the excellent choice of an absolutely perfect cast; the great chemistry between the actors is evident in every ensemble scene and almost seems to suggest just how much fun they had staging this mad, interlocking game. The dynamics between the characters work precisely because no one tries to steal the limelight from the others: the chaos is collective and is collectively fuelled.

Kim Hye-soo naturally deserves a special mention. It is she, to all intents and purposes, who drives the drama and carries it through the crucial moments with the full range of skills required, displaying impressive naturalness, plenty of self-deprecating humour and a sex appeal that would put many twenty-somethings to shame… Magnetic and simply perfect.

Paradoxical as it may seem, the conclusion is perfectly in keeping with the tone adopted from the outset. The police’s far-fetched theories are by no means a narrative shortcut: they are the final, consistent manifestation of the very same randomness and human stupidity that have governed the entire affair. In a Coen-esque world, even those who are supposed to restore order end up adapting to the chaos.

In the end, what remains above all is that mocking feeling that has accompanied the whole affair; after so much anxiety, so much fear and a web of lies that grew until it became almost bigger than the events themselves, reality seems almost to take pleasure in putting everything back into perspective, according to a logic that completely eludes those who have desperately tried to control it.

If you like, it’s a sort of poetic justice: not a punishment, not redemption, but the irony of having gone all that way only to find oneself, in some way, exactly where one never thought one’d end up. To breathe a sigh of relief, yet without being able to erase what has happened, nor that strange feeling that, for once, coincidence had the last word.

This fairy-tale return to normality therefore has a surreal quality to it: everything seems to be falling back into place, but nothing is really the same as it was before. Ultimately, the affair was really only the beginning: having narrowly escaped danger is not the same as freedom, because perhaps the worst prison is not a jail, but having to carry on living within the gigantic lie that has been constructed.

8 ½

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Let Qingtian be the prince of the forest

​I am seriously falling for this series. Even with a few heartbreaking moments, it’s such a memorable ride.

​The Romance: I love the scene where Qinglang uses Changyang’s hand as comfort. The way XCY holds QL's hands always reminds me of an ex back in high school—so gentle and kind. And that kiss? It was so sudden, I was totally shocked!

​The Visuals: Qingtian’s beauty is just too die for. Plus, that rope-tying scene in the mountain immediately reminded me of Wei Wuxian in The Untamed 😭.

Enjoying the silhouette kissings between XCY and QL.

​Han Lu and Qi Hao Yu's story caught my attention at first—it reminded me of a very lighter version of Deep In. I liked them until the end, but because the main couples are so strong, I felt like I didn't focus on them or connect as deeply.

Meanwhile, Xu Wen Shu is actually my second favorite character after Changyang. His love toward Qingtian feels so big, pure, and devastating. Seeing all the pain Qingtian had to endure, and then Qingtian's passing? That made me cry. For someone who cries easily, his death was something I never expected—even though I saw spoilers online (the classic curse of watching a series late!). It feels so crazy how his life ended just when it felt like a real beginning was happening between them.

​Let's talk about Shi Yuhao—I never really liked his character. He was to blame for his mistakes and choices, and even after 7 years, he acted like everyone else had to fold to him. I wasn’t super shocked by his ending, though, since a knife was teased in his scenes a couple of times.

​It was definitely Shi Yuhao's fault. I know I shouldn't say it since the guy was going through something, but I believe everyone has to reap their karma. Live through it, make things better, and make choices because they are right—not because they are the easiest.

​Changyan: At his age, he was so mature and capable of anything. But everyone reaches a breaking point where they show a side they hide from the world. When he cried in that car, it wasn't a loud cry—it was a quiet cry of profound pain. Pain from losing a friend, and pain from knowing people didn't respect his friend even after death (even though the parents didn't know the full truth at first and tormented Qingtian for losing their son, when it was an accident).

​Qingtian: I always saw him as so strong over the past few eps, so seeing his absolute vulnerability and pain this time around really hit my core.

​Qinglang: I see him as such a grounded person who really knows himself. If you asked me if I could wait for someone for years without knowing when they'd return, I'd say I have no idea! Both Qinglang and Changyang love in completely different ways, but their love is just so strong. I swear, dramas are really stepping up their BL game.

​With the ending, I wasn't fully, 100% satisfied because we only got a short glimpse of their reunion—I really wish they had a special episode for it! But on the bright side, we got plenty of domestic moments with them across the episodes, so it wasn't a disappointment.

And honestly, for a hot second, I was really hoping Qingtian's death hadn't actually happened and he was just standing right beside Wen Shu taking pictures of the flowers.

​Overall, this is a series I can rewatch, but not too often. If I watched it too frequently, my heart would just break all over again for Qingtian.

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