Reviews

Disappointing

Honestly, it wasn’t that great—it was just… meh. It’s watchable, but I was expecting more.

With only seven episodes instead of the ten from season one, everything felt super rushed and kind of dull. There were so many plot holes, and the conflicts didn’t feel fresh or exciting. Plus, there were a ton of backstories that really needed more attention. I mean, a hundred years is a long time! The events and relationships built up over that time just didn’t get the focus they deserved.

Yeah, the action scenes were cool, but it felt like they were trying to make up for the weak plot with all the action and CGI. Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee are great actors, so no complaints there. But the script was a bit too cheesy and pretentious for my taste. You could tell they were going for some deep philosophical stuff, but it didn’t really land.

Honestly, I think season one was way better. They should’ve built more on that story in the same era and maybe just made the present-day stuff an epilogue. I really wanted to like this season—I was pretty excited for it—but it was a letdown compared to how rich and creative season one was.

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The summer of youth.. and the midsommer night's dream

Haaah..
I needed to let it just stew for a while after that finale because the feels.. all the feels I'm feeling.. haaah..

Between the poetic vibe and the bright lens they used to tell the story, there's a ton of whiplash on what you think you're supposed to experience, but none of that matters, because watching this is an experience in itself. I was left contemplating the meaning behind their actions as they left them in a sad and vulnerable state, while experiencing joy beyond explanation just by watching two people become the entire world to each other.

I love those bonds, just pure love. Where you know what the other person is thinking, can anticipate what they're feeling, when you know them better than they know themselves on every sort of level. The melancholy and excitement, and the growing pains of being a teenager who is suddenly thrust into unfamiliar and uncomfortable environments only to end up finding the one person who is going to be their entire life was so incredibly moving to watch.

A lot of my words until now have been vague and philosophical, so let me just say this, they perfectly managed to encapsulate the feelings of being in a new environment and then discovering that it's more home than anywhere else. Budding friendships, familial ties, first love, and all the confusion, happiness and pain that comes with it.. just perfect.

This was more than just a romance, not only because that wasn't the only focus of the story, or because they weren't the only couple in the story, no. It was because, more than a romance, this was a story of love. A love I can't quite explain, so it's best to watch and experience it firsthand.

Where's my season 2 though :(

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A very good drama, so close to being amazing

Is Moving a good drama? For sure.
Is it worth watching? Definitely.
Is it a 10/10? Sadly no.
But it could have been.

I only started watching Moving almost a year after its first episode aired. I didn't really know anything about it except for the fact that it was a very popular drama in 2023. That was it. I didn't know anything about the storyline, or even what genre it is.

Still, my expectations were high. Due to all the hype, I was sure I'd probably binge all 20 episodes in a week or so. Instead, the first few episodes felt very slow to me. I just didn't get the appeal. Sure, I liked the characters (it's basically impossible not to to start smiling anytime Bongseok shows up on screen cause he is just too adorable), but the story just didn't pull me in.

At first, I was blaming this to the fact that I haven't been into action dramas in a long time. Sure, I was a big fan of Heroes when they started airing almost 20 years ago (which Moving felt very similar to) and liked other "supernatural" shows like Smallville (yes, I'm *that* old) or LOST.

It wasn't until episode 8 when Dooshik first shows up & we watch him meeting Mihyun that I said to myself "OK, now I get. I love this." Those were two spectacular episodes that were unfortunately followed up by 2 mediocre ones. Don't get me wrong - I liked seeing Joowon's backstory, how he met his wife and became a member of the Black team. It just felt too dragged out.

Soon I realized that the whole drama was like that. It just kept going up and down again and again. There was one episode that was good and you got really into it, but then it was followed by another one that you were itching for it to end. With so many characters it just felt like the writers didn't know how to pace the show and include the details of the side characters in a way that didn't bring the entire drama down a notch.

Fight scenes were another problem. There were just too many of them and they were much too long. When you see Joowon get stabbed, hit or shot at for the 1000th time, it just seems like too much. I constantly found myself skipping ahead.

I like how they humanized "the enemy" by showing how and why the North Korean unit came to be, but it just felt a bit sloppy. They sprinkled in the crumbs of how most of the North Korean soldiers didn't really believe in their mission, but at the same time they were fighting both the adults and the kids to get the files and do what they were told.

To top it all off, the ending felt rushed. Why did Bongseok go in hiding all of a sudden? Why did the North Korean soldier get a nice & heartwarming scene of how he basically got "adopted" by Joowon & Heesoo, but the Doosik, Mihyun & Bongseok family reunion felt so underwhelming?

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A Slice-of-Life Melodrama That Could Leave You Feeling Drained and Disinterested

I tuned in expecting a lighthearted romcom about two childhood friends, but instead, I found myself in a slow-paced slice-of-life drama. While the series delved deeply into the characters, the plot often felt aimless, particularly regarding the romantic development between the leads.

The female lead's family dynamics depicted in the narrative added significant depth, especially through the characterization of the female lead's mother. Her aggressive demeanor and high expectations for her daughter, contrasted with a more lenient approach towards her son, effectively highlighted her internal conflict rooted in unfulfilled dreams. This projection of unmet aspirations onto her daughter led to unrealistic expectations that felt burdensome. Furthermore, the daughter’s efforts to hide her illness, coupled with her harsh comments and selective communication with friends and family, hindered empathy towards her character. While this complexity enriches the story, it also creates a barrier to connection.

As the series progressed, the unique tone I enjoyed in the first two-thirds shifted abruptly to disjointed melodrama. It tackled heavy themes like terminal illness, depression, and alleged infidelity, which overwhelmed me and disconnected from the earlier narrative. Watching the characters grapple with communication issues and unreciprocated love became exhausting, making the series feel like an energy-draining experience. After episode 8, I took a two-week break, unsure whether to continue or drop it altogether.

Things began to turn around in episode 12, with many issues resolved and the drama shifting back to a lighter tone. However, by that point, my interest in the main leads had waned, and the overall story seemed less engaging. Ultimately, I decided to drop it for good.

What captivated me most were the flashbacks featuring the young actors; they were charming and perfectly embodied the essence of the leads' characters. I also appreciated the relationship of the male lead’s parents, who acted like teenagers in love after their marriage problems were resolved.

Overall, while this drama had some emotional moments, it wasn't what I expected. I felt misled by the romcom premise, as it turned out to be significantly different from what I anticipated. As someone who typically doesn't enjoy melodrama, the heavy themes and disjointed storytelling were surprising and ultimately left me disappointed. The charming flashbacks with the young actors were a highlight, but they couldn't fully redeem the series for me.

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Loved it!

There is absolutely nothing not to love in this drama. I wanted to watch One and Only first, but I am not a fan of tragic endings, so I decided to skip that series and directly watch Forever and Ever. I was already a fan of Bai Lu, and it was my first time watching Ren Jia Lun. I loved this pairing of lead characters. The chemistry was great, and the unwavering love between the lead characters was both refreshing and powerful. Bai Lu looks stunning, and Ren Jia Lun looks better and better in each episode. The supporting cast was all great too. The story isn’t too complicated, and I binge watched the entire series in two days. Don’t want to give spoilers, but if someone likes love stories with happy marriages, no misunderstandings, and complete devotion between loved ones, then this series wouldn’t disappoint at all!

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A good show!

A sweet romance, the story was nothing new but I liked both the leads and their chemistry was good. I would admit I had a negative bias towards Laing Jie and avoided watching the shows in which she was the lead. But I’ve always liked Steven Zhang and Joseph Zeng, and I finally decided to watch A Day of becoming you because frankly, I had finished what I was watching and didn’t have anything else to watch. But once I started watching the show, my impression of Liang Jie changed quickly and I wanted to watch more shows with her. That’s how I ended up watching Hi Venus. It was a sweet love story with a predictable plot, but it was worth the screentime, one because the show didn’t drag anywhere, two because there wasn’t a love triangle or an evil ex-girlfriend to complicate issues. The parents on both sides were supportive despite the huge economical barrier between the leads, and the ML didn’t seem to think one bit about how he was super rich and our FL was from a humble background. He admired her for her qualities and personality and that didn’t change till the end. The second leads were super nice too, and I never felt like fast forwarding any scenes with them. Though I am still confused why the show was titled Hi Venus, I would still recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet and simple romance.

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All talk, no substance

Plot: has potential; it's a letdown
Production: kinda meh and the reason why soundtrack/scenes were mediocre
Soundtrack: none in the first 8 episodes. It's done the usual way of chinese productions: recording every sound after the filming is done and has no notable music or anything yet and probably won't.
Intro: Great visuals. Might be the best thing of the whole show
Acting: can't tell because the plot and production are subpar in this form. The actors are decent, but most of the scenes feel mediocre at best and this is because of production/script
Overall: You can find much better shows. It isn't worth the time even if they have a banger for the finale(which I can say from what I've surveyed, it's not)


The story has a nice start with a big potential to be development in many ways from rom-com, melodrama to about anything.
After watching 8 episodes(almost a third of the entire series), it's all just talk about roundabout ways, plot has no substance, nothing exciting, no action scenes, no notable comedy/romance or plot twist scenes(the ones done are subpar and feels like a highschooler written and produced this as his first piece without any experience).

After the starting 2 episodes you get 6 episodes of talks and nothing done. Characters just sitting there and doing nothing.
To sum it up: it's a show that should have maybe 8-12 episodes instead of 30, but they dragged it along the way for the money. I know better indian shows where they dramatized a scene with 1 minute of eerie soundtrack and face closeup that are better than the scenes where the characters do absolutely nothing. Even the talks are so boring and with no substance/plot setting intention. They are there just to be there like a guy that when he wants to tell a story about how he got his first pension, he starts with the moment he is born even though he has to leave in 5 minutes. Good luck listening 30 hours of a story from which maybe...MAYBE...2 are worth it.

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don't forget to watch after the ending credits/ regardez jusqu'à la toute fin après les crédits

Spoiler below

This is an excellent sequel, the connection with the 21st century is well done. There's never a dull moment. The actors are perfect, and I've just discovered Bae Hyeon Seong, who is excellent! Clearly there's room for a 3rd season, after the credits we see that the virus is put in plastic bottles and distributed everywhere! In addition, the main actors, apart from the villainess, are still alive! And there's still the mystery of the treacherous detective to solve. In short, watch without moderation.

Spoiler ci-après

C'est une excellente suite, la connection avec le 21e siècle est bien faite. On ne s'ennuie pas une seconde. Les acteurs sont parfaits, je découvre Bae Hyeon Seong qui est excellent ! Clairement il y a de la place pour une 3e saison, après les crédits on voit que le virus est mis dans des bouteilles plastiques et distribué partout ! De plus les acteurs principaux, à part la vilaine, sont en vie ! Et il reste le mystère du détective traître à régler. Bref à regarder sans modération

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Unnecessary

The positive comments for this seem to be on the verge of 99 percent and I for one certainly don't get it. My fingers were itching to type something so here goes.

Cliché after cliché, character A pines for character B who is totally oblivious for 8.5 episodes. But it wouldn't be a Japanese romcom/BL if B didn't suddenly realize A is the love of his life and he has to run after him.

Stupid cliffhangers with stupid resolutions in the next episode.

The acting was fine however I don't see the chemistry between the leads. A series about a relationship between a student and a policeman is not that usual, I'll give them that.

I thought Minato's Laundromat (S1) would be my least favorite Japanese BL of all time (of the ones that I finished), but whereas it was so frustrating that I was nearly moved to tears, Sugar Dog Life was just plain boring.

I guess I watched too many BLs because I truly don't think this series was necessary to produce at all. Didn't read the manga and for sure am not tempted to.

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Interesting glimpse to a rather niche occupation but story development could be better

I watched this solely for Sugino, but I wouldn’t say this is his best performance especially coming from Barakamon. But it’s not completely his fault because his character is written in a manner that felt rather one-dimensional (I can’t really see what is his personality besides being someone who loves the mountain and someone who is hard on himself). But there were other characters who definitely nailed their performances, such as the evil mother and the government official. I hate them to pieces.

Plot wise - it goes deep into the issues that plagued Mountain doctors, which is refreshing as it is rather a niche career. But because it’s so focus on showing the action of the career that it affects the many characters’ characterization and development. For example, Emori is just a bitter doctor. The episodes also tend to be rather formulaic as each dealt with different cases and catastrophe. Music is the weakest here as they were just very forgettable. Overall, good cast, good subject matter but poor storytelling.

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Average but entertaining, I was there for the hot moments between the leads but not much else

While entertaining for sure, this drama had also a very nonsensical scenario that made me roll my eyes more than once. The numerous hot moments between the leads were satisfaying but not much else. I wish the world building, magical elements and all the scheming would have made a bit more sense. Here, the writer drop a lot of diseases, poisons, healing sessions a bit like it arranges the plot to foster tension between the characters and to amp the stakes. It is often done without logic and feel very deus ex machina.

Overall, acting was alright. The main villains were too caricatural to my taste (in the writing as well as the acting) but given the lack of nuance of the script, I don't see how it could have been done otherwise. I quite enjoyed the chemistry between the two main leads. Richard Li looks towards the heroine were really hot and He Xuan Lin was very good as his counterpart. Overall, the couple was quite smart in their actions (even if helped a lot by the writing) and it helped rooting for them.

I felt the editing was a bit all over the place, the succession of sequences felt abrupt, not letting a lot of time for characters development and growth. A bit more room to breath bewteen heavy moment would have helped the series to feel less absurd and to be more connected to the fate of the characters. Similarly, ending felt too rushed. The soundtrack was okay: nothing remarkable and quite repetitive, but not bad.

I would not necessarily recommend this to people as I feel there are too many issues to really warrant a watch. There are some exciting and hot moments between the leads but it cannot save the drama from its writing and editing issues. I feel that the format of 20 minutes episodes was not exploited properly, the numerous events faced by the characters in quick succession made it both entertaining but also completly nonsensical. To be noted: a couple of points of some of the storylines can be triggering so be mindful of the tags if you have any triggers.

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Darkness and unfulfilled promises

Just finished season 2…honestly I’m disappointed but bear with me here I loved the first season very much it had fantasy, tragedy, action, and funny moments all encompassed well in the plot and I looked forward to the second season even with a different setting.
Now as for why I was disappointed in season 2, let’s start with the cinematography there’s nothing wrong with it at all I’m sure the action scenes were filmed very well but you see I couldn’t see it as it seemed the director decided it would be best to shoot it in the darkness and let the viewers figure out who got stabbed and when, I don’t know who thought that idea would be best but let’s move on.
Minor spoilers ahead
Second reason, The first season got a 8.5 out of me and it could have got a 10 if they had given the villains their lashings but COME TO FIND OUT the villains are still very much alive, they built a new layer to do their evil doings and killed all the characters who sacrificed everything to deal one blow to them. This this was the main reason why the second season disappointed me very much while I get it their trying to go for third season which again- is very much not NEEDED. The villains in gyeongseong creatures are always given an easy out or better yet they just keep doing their things while the characters fight tooth and nail and it amounts to absolutely nothing.

I think this is where I stand, I would enjoy having 3 seasons of park seo joon and Han seo hee having steamy chemistry , fighting monsters and looking hot while doing it shit even 15 seasons of it I won’t get enough but do it to point where it makes sense and where it leaves a satisfying mark on viewers. It’s tiring watching them fight tooth and nail just for the next seasons to go “hahaha surprise the villains are still very much alive and those attacks the MC’s did amounted to nothing and I’m still very much doing evil things” it gets to the point where it’ll be like why are they fighting when it’s not making even an inch of a difference.

My conclusion? This could have been a hundred times better if they had ended it this season. Shit it could have been a million times better if they had at least hadn’t ended with such a dumbass cliffhanger. Good luck to watchers I believe deep down this is a good show and a good idea but it’s not good enough to run it for 3 seasons. This plot just doesn’t have enough to do that with.

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Fluff Done Right

As someone who has dropped/passed over many JBLs, this year, 2024, I resolved to try them and stick them out. I have been only mildly successful, but there have been a few good ones. Sugar Dog Life is one of them! And in fact, I enjoyed it over all and completely enough that I even added it to my recommended BL list. First JBL ever on there. I still wasn't able to give it a 10 because it really is very basic, there's no depth, but it's a satisfying watch from start to finish!
On to:

THE GOOD:
- Nice casting and acting, everyone looked good and played their roles smoothly, while not being over makeup'd or acting like anime characters, and the shows LUT choice was bright with just the right amount of saturation to make things pop without being too hard on the eyes.
- A nice, smooth portrayal of an older and younger guy getting together.
- Great pacing for a friendship to attraction development.
- The food they ate actually looked edible, all of it.

There wasn't any BAD or UGLY in this, but perhaps-
THE MISSES:
- It did include one silly thing, which was the 'running to each other' trope, common in JBLs, which is always so stupid, but this one was at least short and pointed, as it was they didn't live far from one another and were always walking around to everywhere, so it wasn't overdramatic like in other JBLs where I can't help thinking 'just, take a cab bro'. So it didn't annoy me.
- If it were a deeper show, we might have seen more of Amasawa's narrative on realizing he'd been developing an attraction to Isumi, since it only seemed to hit him after Isumi confessed and then he put the pieces together of his own interest. I am a sucker for a psychological angle on character motivations though, so I would have enjoyed that, but it's not something the show needed per se.
- An episode 10 could have fleshed out their couple moments a bit more, but JBLs have often either gone full fluff or full tilt with the physical stuff, they've hardly really managed a great balance aside from a few exceptions, so I wasn't surprised to just get a few sweet kisses. No expectation, no disappointment.

THE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Amasawa-san telling Isumi to call him Kyosuke! At the end-end, after the short couple montage, when Amasawa said that, I grinned and mentally fist pumped :D I have always disliked the lack of use of names between established in couples in Thai, SK and Japan BLs, so when he said that it soothed a LONG standing irritation I usually feel for that kind of thing.
- Isumi as a character was very likeable. 'Bottom' characters are a miss more than a hit for me usually, but like Taichi from I Hear The Sunspot, Isumi in Sugar Dog Life was just so damn likeable.

Since I enjoyed every episode and have no complaints about anything and it's a VERY pleasant watch, it's 9.5 from me.

This BL doesn't ask for much because it's simple and sweet, it flows well and the MLs acted well. It will suit those who particularly like the 'everything is beautiful and nothing hurts' type of show.
Would recc it.

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