Reviews

Lord Wu An Completely Stole My Heart

I started this drama purely out of curiosity because of all the hype surrounding it, and now I completely understand why it became so popular. 😭❤️

I’m officially one of the biggest Xie Zheng / Lord Wu An fans now. Seriously… **what a character.** He was so strong, protective, composed and dependable, but at the same time there was so much warmth behind the way he cared for the people he loved.

And Feng Chang Yu… I honestly don’t even know where to start with her. If I tried to list everything I loved about her character, this review would probably never end. 😂💕 She was easily one of my favorite parts of the whole story.

The drama itself is definitely slow-paced, but for me that was part of its charm. Nothing felt rushed or thrown in just for the sake of moving the plot forward. Everything developed naturally, and I ended up completely falling in love with the story.

The romance was another huge highlight. It was never overly cheesy or exaggerated — instead, it felt incredibly sweet, warm and comforting. I could honestly watch Wu An and Chang Yu together all day without getting tired of them.

I also loved how the ending was handled. There was no rushed five-minute conclusion where everything suddenly gets wrapped up. Every character and every storyline was given enough time to properly close, which made the finale feel so satisfying. ✨

And those post-credit scenes in the final episode!! I only wish we had gotten even more of that timeline, especially an extended version of Wu An and Chang Yu’s first encounter. I enjoyed that part so much and would have happily watched an entire extra episode about it. 😭❤️

I still can’t believe I finished the entire series in only **two days**. That alone probably says everything about how addicted I became. 😂🔥

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A must watch

NOTE: This review is full of spoilers, because it's me rambling about this movie since I have no one to talk about it.

I kept Forgotten on hold for a long time and I kind of regret that now. This masterpiece perfectly hits my taste. A psychological thriller which will occupy your brain and leave you questioning.

As the movie began, I was pleased by the adoration JinSeok had for his brother. From the synopsis, it was clear or can be guessed that elder brother was kidnapped and replaced by an evil lookalike. But the series of revelation had me questioning my choices back-to-back. There were lies, deception, a mental trauma coping mechanism and not to forget— A manipulative timeline. I had not saw that 20 years of leap coming.

After the revelation of truth, when JinSeok said with full confidence that he didn't kill the mother and daughter. I really believed him and doubted that SeongUk might have got the wrong person. And I was wrong. AGAIN. They showed his POV, all that misery and sufferings and still I didn't get disgusted by him. Because it wasn't his fault. All the murders that happened wasn't his fault, it happened by accident and all of that was because he wanted to save his brother, his only family left. But in all that, he created another orphan like him. No matter what, I couldn't ever bring myself to hate JinSeok. He wasn't a monster, situation made him.

Another major twist was fake YoonSeok (SeongUk) being the victim's family. An orphan. How hard it must've been for that poor soul to live in this cruel world all by himself. My heart ached for both of them equally. Both of them were victims of disturbing fate and both decided the worst possible, yet most relieving decision to end all the misery— suicide.

About HaNeul and MuYeol's acting, it was good and admirable. All their emotions of pain, betrayal, fear were on point. Especially, HaNeul's acting when he was scared or being tortured or was sitting isolated in his room. I could feel his anxiety out of the screen.

Initially I was going to rate this drama a 7.5 overall. But directors pull out that scene in end where they both met each other 20 years ago before all of this happened, which made me cry for them more and gaining a point more. So, I'll give it 8.5.

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horror short series

Overall: I thought it was fairly well done for a horror short series and what I assume is an indie company. Spoiler that two m/m couples are murdered and 1 of a 3rd potential couple so there is no alive m/m couples at the end of this. 3 one hour episodes. Aired on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SzZtlHlZGg

Content Warnings: multiple murders graphically shown/bloody, kidnapping, torture, homophobia

Watch Suggestions (to take out content warnings)
- episode 1 watch beginning-12:45 and 15-54:30
- episode 2 30-end
- skip episode 3


What I Liked
- an established couple
- steamy intro
- a character was supportive of another character wearing lipstick

Room For Improvement
- not happy with who the murder was/how they were portrayed as that played into stereotypes
- facial expressions of one character towards the end were too exaggerated
- there were several characters introduced rather quickly

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Park Chan-wook is a master

This was immaculate.

The things capitalism will put you through. Love how this film turns a mirror to its audience to decide what’s moral. Who to root for? At what act do we decide to become horrified and who gets chastised? No one wins. There is no right or wrong under this system. Just eat or get eaten. It’s a tragic reality.

The approach to these topics reminds me so much of Memories of a Murder. The tone will go from outrageously silly to petrifying within a blink.

Amazing sound design, beautiful cinematography, impeccable editing. The best stuff is coming out of Korea and has been for quite a while.

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I’m left perplexed?

So mixed about this one. I just feel perplexed after finishing this. This was the fastest I’ve ever gone through a K-Drama because of how fun and easy of a watch this was but the last two episodes almost ruined it for me. They were such a sudden shift in tone, characters were assigned odd and lazy outcomes, plot holes galore, unnecessary twists, everything felt so astonishingly rushed. The ending couldn’t be more anti-climactic and awkward. It felt like a whole different show. As if the writing room was struck by an asteroid before the deadline. But before that, I was considering this drama an all-timer… as many hyped it up to be. It wasn’t without it’s flaws, of course. The OST was nothing memorable and the ML could have been more likable. Maybe I’m sick of the cold CEO trope.

I still consider this worth watching for the comedic relief and delicious food scenes but don’t rush to get to it. It was a 9/10 for me until the last episodes. Business Proposal was cheesy and full of corny humor in the best way. I loved the silly use of graphics, the plot was more down to earth than most dramas (I just finished Lovely Runner lmao), the female lead was educated and successful in her own right, and the performances were truly great! It’s just wild to watch such a great set up be failed upon at the finish line.

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perfect mix of all genre. complete drama.

Just finished this drama today and what did I just watch? 😭 It has everything from being typical romcom, action, fight scenes, melancholy, drama elements, good storytelling. Just every aspect of this drama fits perfectly at the end. It wasn't just a one dimensional drama like only romcom, or action, it has bit of everything.

Starting was a bit cliche, as the show went on i couldn't stop giggling throughout. Though there were a lot of sad scenes too. What I actually like is It sums up all characters backstory perfectly together in the end, especially te ha's father, baek sung gil, and gave it perfect closure. Writing and storytelling, romance, love between the villagers everything was so good.

The female lead, is a beauty, though pretty inexperienced as it's her first lead role ig, still she pulled off everything so well. Few scenes felt cringe still it's okay because of the comedic timings. We can overlook that. I'm definitely gonna miss these characters.

Jung haein , what should I say, mature actor , pretty face but heroic action. Their chemistry was top notch. Like what was not being present in the show? It was definitely my top 10 ever. I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece, but 10/10 for me. And I'm not new to kdrama been watching for 5 yrs now.

just watch it with no expectations and you'll be surprised. It may not be for everyone. But definitely recommended.

Rating: 10/10.

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Smart, ambitious and just chaotic enough

Meng Tinghui is an orphan who refuses to accept the life society has decided for her. Her goal is to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations and prove that a woman can stand among the most educated and powerful men in the court. Along the way, she crosses paths with Ying Gua, the young emperor travelling incognito. What begins as an unusual encounter gradually develops into a relationship built on mutual respect, political cooperation, friendship and, eventually, something much more personal.
The premise itself isn't revolutionary, but I really enjoyed the way the drama approached it.

Meng Tinghui isn't waiting around for someone to change her life. She is already determined to change it herself.
And that's probably what I liked most about her. She's intelligent, ambitious, stubborn and occasionally so confident in her own plans. She knows what she wants and, more importantly, she knows exactly how difficult it will be for a woman to achieve it in the world she's living in.
She doesn't suddenly become powerful because the male lead decides to help her. She earns her position through her intelligence, persistence and ability to solve problems. The fact that she becomes one of the first women to enter the Hanlin Academy gives her journey an additional layer, because her ambition isn't simply about personal success. She genuinely wants to challenge a system that has never been designed with women like her in mind.

I also enjoyed how the drama mixed different types of conflicts. We get court politics, investigations, corruption, power struggles, questions surrounding the imperial examination, criminal organizations and eventually a much larger conspiracy.

The relationship between Meng Tinghui and Ying Gua was another major highlight. I particularly liked that their relationship didn't immediately become a typical romance. They first develop an understanding as two people who recognize each other's intelligence. Ying Gua sees that Meng Tinghui is capable of much more than the position society would normally allow her, while she gradually realizes that the apparently carefree young man she met is hiding something considerably more important. Their dynamic works because neither of them completely dominates the other.
They're both stubborn.
They're both clever.
And they're both very used to having their own way.
Which, naturally, means watching them interact can be hilarious.

One of the relationships I unexpectedly enjoyed was Yan Fuzhi and Shen Zhishu. Their interactions brought some much-needed lighter moments to the drama, and I found myself looking forward to their scenes. The secondary characters in general help make the world feel more populated, rather than existing solely to move Meng Tinghui and Ying Gua's story forward.

For a large part of the drama, I was very invested in the political storyline and especially in Meng Tinghui's journey as a female scholar and official. Then the story introduces larger revelations surrounding her identity and the Blood Moon Society, and while I understand why those twists were included, I wasn't always convinced that they were the strongest direction for the story.
The drama sometimes feels like it has too much story and not quite enough time to properly explore all of it. Several conflicts take a long time to develop, only for the final resolution to happen much faster than expected. The last part especially feels like it could have benefited from more breathing room.
It's one of those dramas where I can recognize the flaws while still having a very good time watching it. The first half in particular had me completely invested, and even when the story became less consistent toward the end, I never reached the point where I wanted to abandon it. Not a new historical-drama masterpiece, but a genuinely entertaining watch with a smart and ambitious female lead, an interesting emperor, plenty of court intrigue and a romance that takes its time developing.

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Worth the hype

How am I supposed to watch any other K-Drama now after watching the Citizen Kane of them all?

Anyone who loves Murakami books would love this. Anyone who loves the anime ‘Your Name’ would love this. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it, but I know many are! Both involve time hopping, tragedies, and romantic fate.

This drama was on a whole different level from all the others I’ve watched. It was incredibly unexpected but welcome. Fantastic performances and chemistry, a consistent tone and pace, emotional depth that will truly leave you heartwrenched consistently, and an unpredictable story that keeps you addicted the entire time.

I’m so impressed by how well the tone would shift back and forth in this drama. And it shifted A LOT throughout each episode. You could never get too hopeful or comfortable and it keeps you addicted. The perfect balance of heartbreaking drama, action, and adorably cheesy romance. This needs to be protected from an HBO remake… truly.

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Whether it's bad or not depends on your expectations going in

Reminds me of Xena: Warrior Princess. The production values, the acting, the story, the makeup... is good for what it is. But it ain't no GoT. The romances are very cursory, plotline not that believable, settings and makeup require a certain suspension of disbelief to get an immersion going, characters a bit cartoony and overdone.

But it does have some finer points, namely:
*CZY was practically holding the show up by himself with that acting performance, and it was awesome.
*CZY aside from incredible acting, was total eye candy here, he looks so gorgeous in them robes, wewww my goodness.
*Surprisingly, ost/bgm really elevated this grilled cheese sandwich into something approaching gourmet. Great job there.

It was worth the one time watch, if youre looking for a "between shows" show.... if for no other reason than to check out CZY's performance as sexy emperor.

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Entertainment value..

I dont do big reviews..I get straight to the point. Fantastic series from start to finish.Bls like this are few and far between. It had every emotion happiness..sadness..fear.. disgust..
anger and sexual desire.All the actors were great especially two main leads. The episodes were long which isnt the normal but they could have been longer for me. If you want a good series it entails everything even if you dont like
the depravity..The 2 MLs were exceptionally good looking but being a more mature female
I couldnt get enough of Jarukit Toptap..hope we see him in more bls with minlee..Thankyou to all involved in this gem of a series and I hope the directors and scriptwriters pull another one out of the bag just like this series..❤️ xx

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ABSOLUTE GEM OF A MOVIE

We were on a plane to Europe when my husband, who never ever watches K or C dramas, recommended this to me so of course I had to watch it immediately. Side story: He said he watched it vicariously through other people's tv screens when he flew to Asia some months ago and even without sound he thought it was funny and right up my alley. He was right. This movie is an absolute delight!

Yoona KILLED IT with her "evil" character!!! I think she deserves an acting award just for all the yelling she did in this movie lolz! It's definitely a sign that she needs to play more spicy characters in the future. Everyone who's criticized her acting chops for years should ask for forgiveness because THE GIRL HAS RANGE y'all! I'm not even like a huge fan of hers but I've always thought she gets too much criticism.

Ahn Bo Hyun is marvelous as always. He's an amazing actor whatever role he plays but this is my favorite type of role for him. The cute, puppy dog in love, innocent type in the vein of his characters in Her Private Life & Yumi's Cells.

If you haven't seen this movie, go and watch now because it's a laugh trip!

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