From Rivals to Lovers
Two men who have actually always loved each other go from rivals to lovers. Sounds like a simple story, right? WRONG.The most important thing I think this story does is that it reveals the importance of communication in romantic relationships.
It’s a different, maybe strange, kind of “falling in love” story and there are times I did find the characters frustrating. Like JUST COMMUNICATE! but I know it’s never that easy for everyone.
The ending made up for all the initial frustrations I felt, so I would recommend it to anyone who wants to watch it. DO!
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Those Who Get It, GET IT
I could talk about this BL for days, but I’ll keep it brief.It is an amazing story, realistic (of course it is) but I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s only for those who don’t mind watching the realities of being a young questioning queer child.
It’s that kind of story that stays with you for days, especially if you, in a way or two, see your younger self in the characters.
It stayed with me for days and I’ll forever be one of those who think this still remains one of the best Thai BLs in history
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Code-66: When a Lethal Black-Ops Asset Fails Basic Parenting 101
The premiere of Agent Kim Reactivated doesn’t just give us a standard high-octane revenge thriller; it exposes a brilliant, deeply ironic root conflict. We have So Ji-sub playing an absolute powerhouse of a covert operative—a literal human weapon—who is completely, utterly incompetent when it comes to the simple domestic laws of survival: understanding his own daughter.While many will inevitably look at this adaptation through a pure genre lens and expect a relentless, Taken-style action-fest, the real genius of the opening episodes lies in its depiction of the devastating consequences of the "strong, silent" archetype. Agent Kim’s stoic, emotionally unavailable approach isn't just a character quirk—it is a foundational parenting failure. By substituting deep, vulnerability-driven communication with superficial provision, he leaves his daughter completely unequipped for the brutal social hierarchies of school bullying. The real tragedy of Episode 1 isn't that his dark past caught up with him; it’s that his emotional absence might have driven his daughter into harm's way long before the syndicate ever did.
The series now stands at a critical narrative crossroads. It can easily sink into an empty, stylized cycle of endless combat choreography, or it can swim to greatness by treating the violence as a secondary catalyst. For Agent Kim Reactivated to achieve masterpiece status, the ultimate tactical mission cannot just be a rescue; it must be a reformation. The real victory won’t be Agent Kim taking down an empire with his bare hands—it will be him learning how to look his daughter in the eye and finally become a real father.
So Ji-sub’s phenomenal, micro-expressive acting gives us hope that this character has the emotional depth to pull it off. Let’s just hope the writing chooses to prioritize family restoration over empty political tropes and cheap shock value.
Initial Rating: 8.5/10 — A masterclass start with a brilliant emotional core. It has the blueprint to be something profoundly human if it doesn't lose its soul to the bullets.
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A Heart Can Learn How To Love Again
Yeah, I know I’m late to the party, just watched this after putting it off for years.It’s a good story, that’s what I can say, it’s more than just a BL show …
Features themes like family dynamics, among others.
I don’t think there’s anything else I can say that other reviews haven’t said yet.
Watch it if you haven’t
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This review may contain spoilers
they need therapy
Hira a shy student with no friends becomes infatuated with Kiyoi, a popular but lonely student at school.What I Like
Hira is very relatable to me, I too hate icebreakers and am very shy. Although I’ve never stuttered I feel so much empathy towards him. I also love when characters have crushes but are too shy to reveal their feelings. I like that Kiyoi is nice to him sometimes. I also love the pining and the sweet moments between these two.
What I Hate
The worst part about this show is they’re toxic, Hira is a stalker and Kiyoi is an abuser. Kiyoi is were most of the toxicity comes from he constantly uses Hira and is awful to him. I would go as far as saying he’s abusing him physically and mentally. Apart from that they also have no reasons to like each other.
Nitpicks
I hate the portrayal of guns especially in a school setting but maybe that’s just my western perspective. The second male lead was unnecessary as was the "love triangle". The finger sucking scene was so nasty and weird I was literally covering it up with my hand. Whoever put that in, fire them.
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Romance That Would Happen Between Two Actors on Set
Two “straight” actors, mind you, but this show is telling the story well.Four episodes in, and there are a lot of things that makes this a good CBL so far. The story, the acting, the chemistry, the sexual tension, and the insane visuals.
So far, I’m liking the progression, but we all know a CBL cannot exist without something like a “red flag” that would have viewers questioning the whole romance dynamic (and this has that too) but I want to see how the romance would develop between these two “straight” actors. (I put “straight” in quote because it’s questionable so far, they could be latent biromantic/bisexual) but I’ll leave it here to avoid spoilers.
All in all, leave your hesitations and give this a watch! It’s good so far and you won’t hate it.
(PS - I’ll edit my review as I watch as usual)
Edit 01: After watching episode three, I have to say CBLs are notorious for featuring morally dark characters and I’m just never a big fan of that. There are some things that shouldn’t be represented even in fiction.
Not sure how I feel about this new episode, but I’ll keep watching.
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"If you don't respect animals, you'll be punished"
Mr Zoo: The Missing VIP was a cute cross between Dr. Doolittle and Pets starring a gorgeous German Shepherd named Ali and the dependable human ahjussi Lee Sung Min.Agent Joo Tae Joo leads a regimented life with a touch of OCD. He’s up for promotion and determined to get the position. When the Chinese envoy for the 25th Anniversary of the Korean-Chinese Diplomatic Relations turns out to be a panda named Ming Ming he doesn’t hesitate to volunteer for the assignment in hopes it will seal the deal for his promotion-despite his anathema for animals. His life takes a strange twist when he abuses a stray cat named GOD and later sustains a head injury trying to thwart a pandanapping. He ends up being able to understand what animals are saying and can communicate with them. The agency isn’t thrilled with his new “abilities” and benches Joo during the search for Ming Ming. Fortune smiles on him when a military dog named Ali steps in to help him find the culprits.
I found the first 40 minutes or so terribly uneven and uninteresting. Lee Sung Min gave his all as he always does so his performance was not the problem. Kim Seo Hyung made the most of this lighter role, showing she could do comedy as well. The problem was that this type of story has been done numerous times and execution is critical. The editing and scene setups came across amateurish and unpolished. There was the required estranged child who desperately needed the father who had no idea how to talk with her. And the competitive colleague licking his chops at the chance to leap frog over Joo.
Mr. Zoo had a beautiful German Shepherd, Ali, who was truly a good boy. Ming Ming, the star of the anniversary celebration knew her worth and tried to hog the spotlight whenever possible. An array of other creatures with legs and for those triggered-without them-were the highlight of the film. Not a great film, but entertaining for what it was. Fair warning, while this was a family film aimed at children there were disturbing scenes of violence against animals albeit with the requisite disclaimers.
27 June 2026
Trigger warning: A snake shown in different scenes. Dancing rats.
Kung Fu Panda Note: The animal costumes were actually pretty good.
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Weird
I'm glad they came up with this to appease us viewers who were unhappy about the ending, but the entire thing just feels really awkward and forced; the voices are different, which made it hard for me to immerse myself in the characters, and they talk to the camera like they're in a commercial. I'd rather not have this and have the drama's last 10 minutes cut.Was this review helpful to you?
A perfect slow burn
The plot here is something I'm sure we've all seen before — it's a typical revenge + political intrigue type story. But between this and The Prisoner of Beauty, I'm loving our new female leads that aren't physical fighters but are intelligent, brilliant strategists. Jiang Li is a fantastic main character to follow; I really liked how multi-layered the story here is and how she is the main driver of her own story. While I LOVED the romance here, it was wonderful to see the ML be supportive while the FL got to make the plans and carry them out.With that being said, I also really liked the romance; this is always what I wanted from a slow burn: two characters who fall in love over a long period of time based on mutual support and care as they each work towards their own goals. It was actually great that romance wasn't the main arc here, and it made for very consistent tone throughout all 40 episodes. One complaint I have with some long historical c-dramas are that the first half is very light-hearted and romance-focused. while the second half becomes really dark and angsty once the main plot is addressed. This drama did not have that issue, which was refreshing.
There are some plot points that you'll have to suspend your disbelief for. Imagine how speechless when this show suddenly used the hyper-realistic masks from PLL. For the most part, though, I didn't have an issue with anything.
With that being said, my one complaint (and probably one that many people agree with) is probably the last episode/the ending. It had the perfect ending but tacks on a few more scenes that try to add some more darkness and angst to the story, but it only feels confusing because we didn't explore any of the plot points around it. In my head, that part doesn't exist, and without it, this was a fabulous show.
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LOVE THIS VER MUCH!
This series was so good If you want a slow burn romance well this series is for you. The actors are also so good looking and good at acting.Loved the plot and the story I still can't believe this is the end for the multi-couple series fourever you. I love the fact that this is the last story that couples the fourever you series. Thank you for this masterpiece.
I'll miss HillEaster, JohanNorth, TonfahTyphoon, ArthitDaotok, and TigerDueannao 😭😔😍🥰
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Nan le poulet était trop bon
J'ai fini 20h d'épisodes en 5 jours + des nuits à 4h du matin.Kdrama hospitalier, le deuxième meilleur que j'ai vu. J'en ai vu que deux, mais il n'empêche que me faire aimer des opérations où on voit vraiment tout, j'applaudis. En plus, ça me fait chialer comme une madeleine. J'ai jamais autant pleuré qu'ici (films et série confondus), nah l'episode 9 c'était trop.
Un point que j'ai beaucoup apprécié, c'est qu'il n'y a pas scénario "héros qui peut tout faire". Il y a des morts, beaucoup, à des moments auxquels on ne penserait pas. Ces moments où on se dit qu'iel va pas mourir et finalement que si. Réussir l'exploit d'aussi bien bait le spectateur, à plusieurs reprises, la sensation était pire que mes examens (non)
ps : Y'a encore 2 saisons... je me sens comme la meuf avec des assiettes autour d'elle, je vais me péter le bide
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This review may contain spoilers
Thai romcom (watch suggestions)
Overall: it was great to see several actors again, but this style of comedy didn't work for me. 10 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on Viu.Content Warnings: stalking played as comedy, bullying, vomiting, beaten up, manipulation, non con touching, manhandling, beginning sexual assault (not between the MLs), punch, harassment, attempted murder, blood
Watch Suggestions (if the humor doesn't work for you and to focus on the romance and take out content warnings)
- read the synopsis and skip episodes 1-4
- episode 5 watch 23:45-28:40 and 30:40-end
- episode 6 watch beginning-6:10, 16:40-21 and 31-34:45
- watch episode 7
- episode 8 watch 11:50-13:30, 18:45-20:50, 29-31:05 and 36:30-end
- episode 9 watch beginning-4:45, 7-11:40, 13:20-15:30, 29-35:40 and 38:30-41:20
- episode 10 watch 11:40-14:40, 20-34:20 and 42:30-end
What I Liked
- actors did a good job with the script they had
- good consent, didn't kiss him when passed out drunk
- intimacy
- easy to understand premise
- happy that a bullying survivor didn't quickly forgive the bully
Room For Improvement
- cringey sound effects that were constant
- the overheard and never communicated trope
- two of the other 3 romance stories didn't work, they didn't get much screen time and the former bully's victim was reluctant for too long for it to work as a romance, also 2 were unresolved
- terrible prank at the end of episode 9/beginning of episode 10
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This review may contain spoilers
Great until that last bit.....
Overall I had a good time with this drama but I found it sort of hypocritical at the end which frustrated me.The first half did a great job showing us these really lively characters who had their own agendas. I'm usually more invested in the romances of these costume dramas but the plot was constantly moving in ways that captivated me. The romance was sweet and took it's time to nurture which I enjoyed. The growing maturity of the characters was really well thought out and explored.
I especially loved the exploration of friendship and love between Shaoshang and A'Yao. They might not have understood or been romantically in love but they are soulmates~
But... but...
Don't get me wrong, I believe in love but I also believe in being a human and the way the drama showed our characters being depressed for 5 years non-stop is sort of ridiculously unrealistic. I don't like how Shaoshang's character in the second half after she goes on about being stubborn and unchanging. Damn it writers, you didn't make her stubborn enough!!
When I was young and stupid I would have eaten this up but after having gone through a devestating break up myself, I just don't buy the 5 year cry fest lol. You would get tired and either kill yourself or slowly start to heal. Yeah I can imagine that Shaoshang and Buyi would be upset about it 5 years later but I don't think that they'd cry about it for 1800 days straight. Especially with how these two characters were portrayed in the first half.
I think what would have been more realistic and more true to the characters was to have Shaoshang happy and free but also missing Ling Buyi and sad but only sometimes. (And also have him do a bit more grovelling before she took him back.) Like Shaoshang went to scold the Third Prince about how she loved Buyi but she's still her own person and then the show was like nope nvm she's going to change into this shell of herself for the rest of the drama..... That pissed me off a lot aiyaaa
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This review may contain spoilers
fantastic acting with unrealistic plot
Overall: I enjoy slice of life series; however, so many rare things happened that it completely pulled me out of the story. I define soulmates as people with romantic connections, so in my opinion the series is misnamed as I felt zero romance. Aired on Netflix. Spoiler for the ending in the comment section.Content Warnings: homophobia, vomiting, attempted suicide, xenophobia, blood, fights, past death, hate crime, death, grief
Watch Suggestions to take out content warnings
- skip episode 1
- episode 2 watch 15-end
- episode 3 watch 5:20-27:45
- episode 4 beginning-7:30, 20:15-21:45, 24:50-27
- episode 5 watch 13-29
- episode 6 watch 16:30-end (there is a photo that will tell you something sad)
- episode 7 beginning to 7m30s or 10 minutes
- skip episode 8
What I Liked
- acting
- production value
- support characters like the friends, parents, bar owner & more
- realistic portrayal of the struggle of having a child and working
Room For Improvement
- the first episode was confusing, I wasn't sure what was real or not
- way too many coincidental/rare things happened that the series felt fake and 'because the writer said so'
- I did not feel soulmate chemistry
- noble idiot trope
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Good cast and story concept but did not deliver its full potential
In the first few episodes, I was excited because of the cast and the potential of the story. I enjoyed getting to know the different characters, specially those in Deokpung Village. Knowing the tv/online shopping world is actually fun and new to me, but the plot about the sleeping disorder feels like so unrealistic. A huge plot about the 2nd male lead feels so forced and can be removed entirely in the story. And the vibe of the drama is all over the place, where in one scene it was full on drama, then the next it is so comical. By the latter part of the series, it started to feel hard to watch, but I was still able to pushed through finishing the drama.Was this review helpful to you?
