Reviews

When Letters Truly Bring Hope

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" - for me this quote by Albus Dumbledore/JKR could not be more fitting than here for Twelve Letters and its characters' journeys!

Dear Reader,

I haven’t been able to fully dive into C-dramas or movies, but in the little I have explored, I’ve noticed one pattern—they often tell stories that bend time. That’s exactly why Twelve Letters stayed on my watchlist far too long, like an unopened letter waiting patiently to be read. It only took me half a day to finally marathon it - that's how good it was.

Maybe by the time you read this, you’ve probably already come across several well-written reviews praising it. So let’s make this clear: it is brilliant, and you should watch it to truly experience it. Before starting, my biggest question was whether it had a happy ending. The common answer I found was that it’s “bittersweet.” I’d like to disagree—for me, this was truly a happy ending. Yes, it’s emotional, raw, and explores themes that might upset you, but if you’re someone like me who values happy endings, then yes—this delivers one.

➥ What I Loved:
Of course, the story—you already get the gist from the synopsis. It is a story where fate intervenes to bend time, letters speak, and destiny writes back. Two suffering souls (rightly called weeds in a scene), trying their best under a cruel fate, still finding love, family, peace, and hope.

The cinematography was stunning—bringing the ’90s to life through objects, costumes, and scenery, all under a warm yellowish tint, contrasted beautifully with the sharp, crowded, blue-toned aesthetics of modern times.

The actors portrayed their characters flawlessly. While the main leads were exceptional, I especially appreciate when supporting characters are given depth—and this drama does that wonderfully. By the end, you connect with all of them, and you leave a piece of your heart behind with each one.

The music, direction, and fantasy elements are like cherries on top—elevating something already great into something close to a masterpiece. Oh, and I loved the cat. Cat-kun—or should I say Xiao-Cat/Cat-gege—saved the day (or rather, years) so many times. The true hero of this story ≽^•⩊•^≼

➥ Why I didn’t give it a 10/10:
If you’re still reading, I’d encourage you to check my profile where I’ve elaborated on my rating system. I have deducted half points each for slow-pacing & some unanswered questions. Without them, this drama would have been perfect.

I personally prefer fast-paced storytelling. While this drama carries mystery and urgency, it slows down quite a bit at times (especially after Episodes 5–6) to focus heavily on emotional arcs. I did feel those emotions, but at the same time, I found myself yearning for answers and occasionally fast-forwarding. The remaining 0.5 deduction comes from unanswered questions. While some are implied, I’m not a fan of ambiguity—I would have preferred clearer, explicit explanations. (If you don't mind mild spoilers, then read my P.S. below to know of them)

➥ Overall:
Despite these shortcomings, I recognize they’re very personal preferences. I would still highly recommend this drama. It’s a beautiful tale of hope, friendship, sacrifice, love, and making the best of the hand fate deals you. It will stay with me for a long time—along with the adorable cat and Zhou Yi Ran’s cutest smile and dimples!

Thank you for reading and I hope you'd watch it or already have. For now, my own letter/review ends here.

Yours,
Veronica | @omo-omo-omo

P.S. You can stop reading here—unless you don’t mind some MILD SPOILERS, then scroll down. ^. .^₎⟆





================ MILD SPOILERS / Questions Ahead ================


These are the unanswered lingering questions which made me deduct some points and not rate this drama 10/10 ⚞^. .^⚟

[1] The fate of older Tang—why and how did it happen? (I understand what’s implied, but I wish it had been explicitly shown.)
[2] How did the mailbox arrive in 2026? (No clue.)
[3[ I understand the last letter after the credits, but I wish they had shown it properly instead of presenting it as an animated sequence.
[4] What was the purpose of the end-credit scene? It only raised more questions about Nian and Shen Cheng's fates
[5] Why could they use only that stationery and anchor stamp? (Still a mystery but I can still let go of this one, time travel must have rules else we all will be doing it)

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A Bittersweet Goodbye

Saying goodbye to Yumi's Cells was bittersweet. It felt like saying a final goodbye to a dear friend. For a while now, it has been such a constant in my life, so when the final episode came to an end, I couldn’t help but tear up.

This season has felt rather different from the other two, and I feel a little unsure about how to rate it. It has been really good, and I can understand why a lot of people say that it is one of their favorite seasons. For me though, it has been the weakest.

The acting was, as always, amazing. This is to be expected from Kim Go Eun. She has and will always be the star of this show. Kim Jae Won as Sin Sun Rok impressed me, though. I don’t think I was the only one who was surprised and a little apprehensive about his casting. He nailed it though. He really embodied his role. You could truly feel all his emotions, his exhaustion, his tiredness. I really appreciated how convincing he was, as an introvert who is daily fighting exhaustion myself.

Where this season fell slightly short was the romance. Yumi’s feelings for Sin Sun Rok felt a little unfounded at times. I understand that part of the premise was love taking one by surprise. Still, the feelings came somewhat out of the blue. I missed that sizzling chemistry, the feeling that here were two people who just had to be together. The relationship felt slightly rushed and less developed than the previous ones, despite being her final match. A lot of this comes down to the 8 episodes. With this season being so much shorter and them getting together rather late, we didn’t get to see all the layers and growth of the romance, which this format does exceptionally well. In the previous seasons, the characters got together quite early, and we got to see how the relationship evolved over time, all the little nuances of being with another person. This season was much more focused on the lead-up to the romance than the romance itself.

The cells were, as always, delightful, so funny and cute and insightful. It is hard not to love them. They did, however, feel slightly less integral to the story. While they were present, we didn’t get to see them navigate being in the relationship for long. All those small conflicts, as well as the romantic growth, were missing, which meant they didn’t get to shine in the same way.

That said, this season had many wonderful moments. The tiny throwbacks to other seasons were lovely. And while a new OST would have been awesome, the original is so strong that it felt nice to revisit. It is still my favorite soundtrack, and having it here felt more like a nod to the earlier seasons than a lack of a new one.

Overall, while this season felt a bit more rushed and less developed, it was a pure joy to watch. I may have come off a little critical, but that is only because the other seasons set such a high standard. Watching it, in many ways, helped me through the week and made me look forward to every single Monday.

It feels a little bittersweet to let go. I know I can always revisit the story, but finishing season three still held the feeling of a final goodbye. And so, goodbye Yumi. Thank you for everything. You meant a lot to me.

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trash

i skipped some parts so I didn't understand, ml fake personality meets falls for FML and the ml unaware of anything just completely ignore avoid her , so when meet again does same , I don't understand their work issue, so the work issue resolved and ml is not interested in her so FML decides to leave and at that time because the fake ml disrupt ml work many times he makes FML stay by his side I thought she will be just around or he will talk to her but he is treating her like slave , making her work under him , giving unnecessary work and then leaving her sleep on the floor seriously? i haven't seen a scene like this treating FML like shit ?

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great movie

My brother was a really touching movie. As someone who has started watching Korean films not long ago, I was surprised to see a very young Kim Hae Sook. I’m used to seeing her as the grandmother in the shows I’ve watched, so it was quite remarkable to discover older films and see the actors in their younger days.

The story beautifully represents brotherly love, illustrating how, despite fighting, you will always love your siblings even if you aren’t speaking to them.
I anticipated the sad moments, thinking they wouldn’t affect me, but the actors delivered their performances so well that I found myself crying nonstop. Also, I want to mention Shin Ha Kyun, who plays such compelling characters. Each time he appeared on screen, I was brought to tears, he is so good with delivering emotions though screen.

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Cooking show on Netflix say yes

I loved every bit of the show and this was no less than a thriller.

I am ecstatic to see cooking show / show about chefs being broadcasted in platforms like Netflix for the world to see. As a chef myself this was a proud moment for me. The show is something I have never seen before. It goes beyond a cooking competition. It's ruthless, it's exhausting, it makes you anxious. It makes you feel like you are there cooking and your life is at stake. Pulling something on this level with a cooking competition is insane. The first 2 episodes had me hold my breathes every time chef Ahn or Ched Paik came to judge the food. Each round were filled with a surprise. You thought it's over and they will come up with something even more jaw dropping than last time. The editing of the show made it even more enjoyable and thrilling, Not a single skippable moment. Koreans truly know how to make a show interesting.

What made this show even special is how all the competitors got to show a little bit of themselves along the lines which gave them a true identity. It was a wonderful watch and I hope this showcase more about culinary world.

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Cried a river and the ending left my jaw on the floor

When I first started this drama, I had no idea what the story was about. I was intrigued by the title and was completely taken by surprise by what unfolded. The story is both heartbreaking and empowering. Be prepared to have plenty of tissues on hand because this movie will make you cry every few minutes.

What struck me the most was that, despite receiving a terrible diagnosis and having only a few months to live, Futaba's main concern is her family and their future. She faces numerous challenges and goes beyond words to ensure they are prepared to live without her. I have always found it hard to understand how someone can be so selfless and love another person so deeply, putting them above oneself. Perhaps that’s what makes mothers incredible.

**Spoilers***

Another fascinating aspect is that all the characters represent different stages of Futaba's own life, and that's why she understands what they are going through. As a way to console her younger self, she attempts to give them what she never received herself.

Futaba was abandoned as a child, and her mother never came back for her, so she knows firsthand the pain of being left behind. When she married Sachino, whose wife left him with their daughter (Azumi), Futaba took Azumi in as her own and cared for her deeply, as if she were her own daughter. She never treated Azumi differently or let her or us suspect that she wasn’t her biological child; instead, she considered her as her own blood.

When the truth was revealed that Azumi was not her biological child, I was genuinely surprised by the depth of Futaba's love for her. Seeing how much she pushed Azumi to be strong and loved her, it was impossible to even imagine they are not blood-tied. At the same time, she empathized with Azumi's mother's situation, which is why she made sure Azumi learned sign language so they could communicate if Azumi ever wanted to reach out to her biological mother. This act of love deeply touched me and made me realize how much Futaba must have loved Azumi to endure the pain of letting her learn sign language for that possible future encounter.

Not only did Futaba give unwavering love to Azumi, but she also encouraged Azumi to be strong and stand tall against those who were abusing her. She helped her understand that when problems come, she should not hide but stand tall to face a difficult situation with confidence and dignity.

When Azumi's biological father left her and Azumi, she could have walked away since Azumi was not her biological child, but she chose to stay and endure immense pain. When she encountered her husband again and learned he had another child, she welcomed that child, who was also abandoned by her biological mother, into her home, offering her the same love and care she had given Azumi because she understood what it meant to be neglected.

Another story that struck me is when she met backpacker Takumi, who also experienced neglect and was a lost child. She recognized in him a hurt kid, and when she embraced him like a mother, she gave him something he likely never received. She offered him purpose and encouraged him to return to see her, giving him that sense of being wanted.

So each one of them goes through things Futaba herself experienced, and rather than let them be alone in pain, she tries to help them overcome those difficult feelings and guide them to overcome it all.

It is incredibly touching to witness Futaba’s unwavering effort to help everyone around her, even as she prepares them to live independently after her passing. It breaks my heart to know that she is helping them heal their traumas and become self-sufficient so that the transition is less painful when she is gone. This, too, is an expression of love that I could not comprehend.

Something remarkable about the story is how family can go beyond blood ties. Despite being the least connected person by blood to those around her, Futaba loves them more than many biological parents love their children. She is an example of how, truly, a mother’s love is beyond words.

This movie was profoundly moving and painful; I cried a river while watching it. Even now, reflecting on it brings tears to my eyes. It's probably one of the best pieces of screenwriting I’ve seen in a while, and it’s no wonder it received so much recognition.

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Could have had it all

It's such a shame that this series had a lot of potential yet was ruined because of the lack of GMMTvs effort to actually make a BL crime thriller. Still a good show to watch but the bar was set too high since pilot and they definitely didn't meet it.

The plot was fantastic but it couldn't be shown properly in the series. The plot twists were 50/50 predictable however when it actually happened my jaw dropped. This was the perfect dark plot for GMMTVs suppose pivotal crime BL but it lacked depth. The screenwriting was filled with so much of side quest than the actual murder mystery which ruined the thrill for those who wanted this to be more than just a romance BL. The characters lacked depth which made them just a plot machine. I couldn't feel bad for any victim, I couldn't feel much anger either when the truths started to come up, for any of the characters for that. The screen writing really failed the murder mystery.

The direction was not fit for a dark themed BL. The focus went too much on the couple rather than the case. The romance should have acted more like an envelop to the murder mystery and should have been integrated more in scenes where they were investigating rather than always having completely separate scenes. Jade and Kamin were supposed to be co-workers first and then fell in love. Their falling in love should have happened parallelly while they work together. The cinematography was not bad, that being said the color grading and sound engineering did save the "mystery" aspect of the drama. Even though it should have kept the darker essence we saw in the pilot.

Acting wise this is second best to Style for Dunk's career. He actually improved a lot and this is coming from a complainer. He actually became Kamin. Joong always slays his role with his versatility and facial expressions. Pahn is such a stunner. She will go far. I just love bad boy Chimon character so much. He is one of those actors in GMMTV that can be a villain or a victim any day. Especially have to mention Ashi for his incredible acting. Made me want to punch his face. Aungpao, with less screen time left an impactful show. I have always loved Earn's acting. She really brought her character to real life. For Sing, really nothign to say, a veteran indeed. And lastly June, her eyes talk, brilliant acting. The acting really saved this series for me.

Honestly it's not bad, there are worse mystery series than this. It's just disappointing because this should have been Joong Dunk's break through to the world if the show was done correctly. Still worth giving it a try

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Watch the magic of Earth/Mix's first BL

PLOT: Tian, ​​a wealthy young man with myocarditis, lives and parties as if he could die tomorrow. One night, he collapses and miraculously receives a heart transplant from Torfun. Torfun, a volunteer teacher in a mountain village (and in one-side-love with the Chief), has just been hit by a car. Seven months later, Tian, ​​wanting his new life to be meaningful, learns who his donor is and decides to continue what she couldn't finish by becoming a volunteer teacher in the village himself. The adjustment is difficult, but Tian gradually wins the affection of the children, the villagers, and the Chief.

+++ Earth & Mix are two great, brilliant actors—beautiful, subtle, and emotional—with instant and magical chemistry, even though they don't touch each other. Kudos!
+++ Excellent overall cast, with a very young Khaotung :)
+++ High-quality production, with magnificent scenery, good pacing, and well-maintained suspense.
+++ Excellent OST

BUT: The writing, good in the first part, falters afterward:

### Why hide Torfun's death from the villagers and children?
### How can the doctor so easily obtain confidential information (donor's name, license plate number of the car that caused the accident, etc.)?
### Episode 8, in particular, makes no sense: the villagers' reaction, and even more so the Chief's, is nonsensical. The writers tried to inject drama where it wasn't necessary. It's a shame!

### Just an ending kiss ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´(00)`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

=> One of the best BLs, thanks to the magic of Earth-Mix (1 of my favorite ships)...

*******************************************************
1ere BL de Earth / Mix

PLOT: Tian, jeune homme riche avec myocardite, vit/fait la fête comme s'il pouvait mourir demain. Il s'évanouit un soir, et bénéficie miraculeusement du don de coeur de Torfun. Celle-ci, enseignante volontaire ds 1 village de montagne (et one-side-lover du Chief) vient d'être renversée par 1 voiture. 7 mois + tard, Tian, qui veut que sa nvelle vie soit utile, apprend qui est sa donneuse, et décide de poursuivre ce qu'elle n'a pas pu achever en devenant à son tour, enseignant volontaire ds le village. L'adaptat° est difficile, mais Tian se fait peu à peu aimer des enfants, des villageois, et du Chief.

+++ Earth & Mix sont 2 super acteurs, beaux, subtiles, émotionnels, avec une alchimie instantanée et magique même s'ils ne se touchent pas. Kudos !.
+++ TB cast général, avec la présence de Khaotung tout jeune :)
+++ Réalis° de qualité, avec des paysages magnifiques, du rythme, un suspense bien mené.
+++ Excellentes OSTs

MAIS : L'écriture, bonne ds la 1e partie, se perd ensuite:
### Pourquoi cacher aux villageois et aux enfants, la mort de Torfun ?
### Comment le docteur peut-il avoir si facilement des informations confidentielles (nom du donneur, n° de la voiture ayant causé l'accident, etc.)
### L'ép. 8, en particulier, n'a pas de sens : la réaction des villageois et plus encore celle du Chief, est un non-sens. Les writers ont voulu mettre du drame là où il n'était pas nécessaire. C'est dommage !
### Just an ending kiss ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´(00)`ﾟ)ﾟ｡

=> Une des meilleures BL, grâce au duo Earth-Mix (1 de mes fav ships) ...

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super cute! but not a great adaptation. [very long]

i'm currently re-reading the manga for the first time in about 10 years. i was thinking "the only thing missing about this is a 2000s jdrama adaptation that takes itself way too seriously" and i stumbled upon this. so allow me to make a couple comments:

1. as a lolita myself, the amount of btssb all over this movie had me close to fainting. i saw a girl holding an usakumya plush and then i look up at her face and see that it's MISAKO MF AOKI HERSELF. i couldn't find the name of the dress akira wears to sneak into the girls' school (i'm not as familiar with btssb/aatp catalog as i am with angelic pretty) but i DID see that baby collabed with pullip to produce a doll of him??? insane collector's piece i fear it's on my lolita grail list right next to milky-chan the fawn jsk. i adored seeing so much of this fashion that's so near and dear to my heart. however, i do still kind of wish that more masculine looking women had been cast to play blaue rosen.........the manga makes quite a point that mizuki is often mistaken for and treated as if she's a man, and while the actress cast to play her was very cute and expressive, i really don't find that she fit the bill appearance wise. however, i do find that akira's actor was quite well cast, he's decently androgynous-looking for the role and i think he pulled it off well. he also looks great in a jsk and otk socks lmao.

2. if you're looking for a faithful adaptation to the manga, this is not it. i kept waiting and waiting on the topic of kaoru moving overseas and the band breaking up to become a topic, since this is quite literally what propels the plot in the manga. kaoru moving away is the driving force that brings akira to mizuki in the first place, which then leads to the plot of him joining the band as their new vocalist. like i'm actually shocked that out of all the parts of this movie that were faithful to the manga, the primary plot of the entire story was completely omitted. i'd understand taking out some parts for time constraints, but i feel like SO much of the story was changed that it doesn't exactly feel recognizable. if you're okay with viewing it as it's own separate media independent of the manga, then go ahead. but if you want a good adaptation, maybe skip it.

3. i find that compared to the manga, many parts of the story were quite sanitized for a lower age rating. for example, in the scene where ran discovers mizuki is a girl, the manga has him jumping on her and tearing her clothes open quite violently. whereas in the film, i believe it's a bit of an ouran situation of him accidentally feeling her chest. seeing as the film is much more comedic in tone than the manga which takes itself quite seriously, i can see why this was done, and i do appreciate it a bit for being more tasteful than the manga. there's actually quite a bit of sexual theming and serious topics such as assault/harassment in the manga (seeing as the target demographic is adult women rather than teens or young girls), so the choice to omit these for a light-hearted romcom feels more appropriate and respectful than if it hadn't been.

in conclusion, i really did love this movie, it was really cute and fun and sweet and the music blaue rosen played in universe is exactly what i pictured while reading the manga! that being said, the manga is MUCH different in tone, and while i'd advise to use discretion regarding the topics of sexual harassment and such, it really is a great read. i'd strongly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of josei romance like nana or paradise kiss. i feel like it's one from its era that tends to get overlooked quite a bit.

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Cute but plot holes are frustrating.

I must frankly say, that this drama was cute, very light as a school drama and I really appriciated the dynamics between the main leads. The kisses surprised me (because Korean dramas rarely have REAL kisses) and were a nice touch to the overall feel.

However, the plot suffers from plot holes and I couldn't stand it. I was confused most of the time when it came to the story outside the romance, I couldn't really wrap my head around the logic behind it all.
It kinda bugged me that some things were just left... unsaid? (I just found out that this is a spin-off to "A breeze of love"???) I honestly thought it was based off of a manhwa, that's why it felt kinda rushed but it seems not? It's illogical just as it is.

I recommend this series if you need to turn off your thinking and enjoy a nice, warm romance. It's really good when you don't pay attention to how it all works 😭

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Good pacing. No idiotic plot. Clean, simple, enjoyable.

I have no notes. GMMTV has been a bit of a flop for me lately and nothing has been hitting the spot so I didn't have much of a high expectation coming into MRS. Suffice to say all my expectations were blown out of the window.
While the plot might not be anything that'll blown you away with plot twists or never seen before concept, it's comforting in its simplicity and very well executed story.

The series was well-paced, every episode was filled with content, stories and some sufficient romantic scenes without abandoning the overarching plot. There's no idiotic Gmmtv ep11 curses, no nuisance dramatic misunderstanding plot for the sake of drama. This is not one of those shows where lack of communication and dramas bottle up and overboard till everything explode at the very end and then quickly scramble up some resolution in the end. The writer utilized all 12 eps to craft a moving, funny and content-packed story. While some of the character's background might not be relatable, their struggles, weaknesses and growth are something I think MANY viewers (especially Asians) will find very relatable.

Characters' chemistries are good, although admittedly I care more about the main couple (TimPai) compared to the secondary couple (YuNorth). YuNorth's actors performances felt a bit stiff at times and take some viewing to ease into, but generally still didn't tamper the series for me. I have to commend Pai's actor specifically. His acting truly was the star of the show for me, he performed well on some of the more difficult or emotional scene of the show that truly sell the plot and story to the viewers.
Additionally, I also enjoy some details about Thai Chinese' cultures that's woven into the series thanks to Pai's family background.

This show quickly becomes one of my top 5 favorite series from GMMTV. Not because it's an extraordinary 'never seen before' concept, but because they took a concept that works well, and worked it well. Good execution, enjoyable, funny, with good chemistry and generally good acting.

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FL Was Like a Robot With No Personality.

I started watching this after bad luck with picking dramas. I'd paused another drama to watch this. I should have sticked with it. In terms of character and personality I think Sword and Brocade lacks it. The FL was very stiff and mechanical. Her smile seemed fake. I've seen the actress in other dramas and she's acted better there.

I also had an issue with how they didn't age the FL up from fifteen to eighteen. I kept thinking about it and it grossed me out. I realise they were going for a degree of historical accuracy and most women married soon after their hairpinning ceremony at 15 (which was really 13-14 because they were classed 1 upon birth and became1 year older on every New Year). I think the tipping point that really got me to stop was the bedroom scene after marriage. The music made it out to be a joke...

Don't get me wrong, from what I saw there's no sexual assault in this on camera. It's just the situation really didn't need that music. It would have worked better if the scene was shorter with what takes place hurried along for the viewer to see with different music. I just feel the scene could have worked so much better now I'm writing this review. It could have had a completely different feel and epic music to accompany it.

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