Reviews

Clássico e clichês nem sempre são ruins.

Estamos no episódio 8 e Perfect Crown continua fazendo o clássico com muita competência. É um grande filme de princesa com 12 episódios.

O maior mérito desse drama é que ele consegue entragar um roteiro consistente sem perder a qualidade em nenhum momento. Sempre começa o episódio no alto, no gancho do episódios anterior e segue na crescente para entregar um novo gancho mais alto.

As composições de cena estão belíssimas, só aqui já vale a pena o play.

IU e Byeon Wooseok estão impecáveis, o casal tem química, interpretam bem momentos e sentimentos complexos.

Com 70% do drama concluído, roubou completamente o coração dessa menina que cresceu vendo Cinderela, e conseguiu atualizar bem a história pros dias atuais.

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A well done 2016 classic romance with ice-melting chemistry

SOMETHING ABOUT THE 1% (2016)
Completed: April 2026
Rated:9/10

I have to admit this drama had been sitting in my “continue watching” list on Viki for so long it basically became furniture. I don’t even remember why I left it there, but somehow I finally clicked on it… and that turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made in these drama streets this year.

I’ve been avoiding writing reviews lately. Not because I wasn’t watching anything, but because nothing really moved me. Nothing hit that soft romantic spot or made me feel anything deep enough to sit down and write. And then this drama happened. When I finished it, there was this quiet emptiness… like something had been taken away. Dramatic? Maybe. But it genuinely felt like a breakup. I had to pause for a bit before jumping into another show.

Going in, I had completely misunderstood the title, and the synopsis didn’t help much either, so I expected something entirely different. On paper, it looks like your usual contract relationship setup. Rich, cold CEO meets poor, kind female lead. We’ve all been there. But somehow, the way this story unfolds feels fresh. The entry into the trope is different, and before you realize it, you’re invested in something that feels oddly real.

It all begins with a grandfather and a plan. Not a modest one either. He essentially sets out to repair his grandchildren’s lives and ties the challenge to his vast fortune. The ML, as the eldest, shoulders most of that weight. Then fate intervenes, a little chaotic as usual, and throws him into the female lead’s path in a way that’s far from graceful. When unfortunate circumstances lead her to cross paths with this seemingly homeless old man, she does what truly kind people do, leaving him standing there like… wait, people like this still exist? And so we’re drawn into the origin of a grandfather, a plan, and its unfolding execution.

Lee Jae In, played by Ha Seok Jin, is easily one of the most convincing CEO characters I’ve seen. And I’ve seen a lot of drama CEOs. This man actually works. His phone rings so often I started feeling stressed on his behalf. I joked with a friend that it sounded too real to be acting. But beyond that, he brings honesty to the role. Whether he’s making tough decisions, being frustratingly cold, or completely soft in moments of love, it all feels lived-in. Nothing about him feels forced.

And when it comes to romance… he delivers. Fully. The chemistry between the leads is the kind that makes you pause, rewind, and smile like a good third wheeler. Their "skinship" feels natural, their kisses don’t look choreographed, especially the ML, yes he might have been the Ji Chang Wook of the 2010s...There’s an ease between them that’s hard to fake. Honestly, if there were awards just for chemistry alone, they’d have this one secured. Also, yes, the drama is rated 16+, and let’s just say… you’ll understand why.

Jeon So Min as the female lead was such a refreshing surprise. Strong, firm, and very clear about her boundaries. Her “no” actually means no, and her “yes” doesn’t come easily. She’s not there to be pushed around or to exist just for the male lead’s growth. Watching a female character stand her ground without losing her warmth? That was satisfying.

At this point, I can confidently say I’m a fan of director Kang Cheol Woo. After watching a few of his works, including Perfect Romance and So I Married an Anti-Fan, this one really seals it for me. There’s something about his storytelling that feels effortless.

Someone on the platform, commented that this drama feels like the director just set up cameras and told the leads to go live their lives. That’s exactly what it feels like. Nothing is overdone, nothing feels artificial. It just flows.

This is the kind of drama that stays with you. The kind you go back to when you need a reminder that two people can actually change and heal each other without loosing themselves. Like one of my drama chingus said, they rewatch it to remind themselves that the human race is still worth saving. And honestly… that line couldn’t be more accurate.

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A Classic Midway Shift

I’m sorry, folks, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea. I really wanted to love it — especially since I’m a big fan of Li Geyang and Huang Haoyue. I thought their performances were fantastic and well-executed, and the beginning of the drama really pulled me into the story. However, about a third to halfway through, the narrative started to change for me. Developments felt predictable, and the drama didn’t seem to explore them in compelling ways. I also found some of the character shifts unconvincing. It felt like a once-strong character suddenly made decisions that felt totally out of line with how they were introduced at the beginning. This was somewhat jolting, and didn’t engage or entertain me.

I understand what the narrative was aiming for, but for me, it just didn't work.

Overall, the direction didn’t quite land. So, I was disappointed to see that kind of inconsistency given how promising the story was at the start.

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Something was missing...but damn Zhou Yi Ran was superb

This was one of those dramas where I kept wanting to love it more than I actually did. Zhou Yi Ran is an actor that I'm very excited about because he feels like a true performer, and this is my first impression of Sabrina but she looked so nice from the promos that I really wanted to give this drama a fair shot.

However… Like I didn’t hate it. I actually think it’s decent. But by the end I was left sitting there feeling like something important was missing and I still can’t fully pinpoint what it was. The vibes were there, the actors were definitely trying, the emotional beats occasionally HIT… but the overall show felt strangely hollow. I think a huge part of that comes down to the fact that the drama never really figured out what it wanted to be.

The high school portion was genuinely my favorite part by far. The friendship dynamics, the found family aspect, the quieter emotional moments all felt warm and grounded in a way that made me really attached to the characters. There was this comforting slice of life energy to it that worked SO well. Then the university timeline starts and suddenly it feels like I accidentally clicked on a different drama.

The found family aspect gets pushed aside, the tone shifts, and Shen Juan’s storyline takes such a sharp turn into sports that the show almost starts feeling sports focused instead of coming of age. Which would’ve been fine… if it felt cohesive. When you think about it Shen Juan is a physics major, a silver goods craftsman and a genius sharpshooter all by the age of 18? Like my dude was out here collecting skill sets like Pokemon cards. And yes, there was technically some setup for the sharpshooting thing earlier on, but not enough for how heavily it later shaped his character arc. There were just too many ideas competing for attention.

That being said, Zhou Yi Ran absolutely carried a huge chunk of this show emotionally. He’s genuinely such a compelling actor to watch, especially in quieter emotional scenes. I think his performance made me connect to Shen Juan far more than I normally would have on paper.

Same goes for Sabrina Zhuang. I thought both leads did a really good job individually. Which is why it’s even more frustrating that the romance itself felt so underdeveloped.

Because here’s the thing, I did feel the chemistry early on. The tension was there in the way they looked at each other, the pauses, the emotional undercurrents… but there was almost zero payoff. They genuinely felt more like best friends or an old married couple who occasionally hold hands than two people who had just fallen in love. Their romantic scenes, if you could even call it that, had the flavour of a cardboard box.

And I cannot stress this enough: the lack of romance really hurt the show.

I’m not someone who needs constant fluff or forced romantic scenes every five minutes. In fact, I usually prefer when romance is woven naturally into the story instead of being used to distract from weak writing. But this drama desperately needed something. A little more intimacy, more vulnerability, more moments that actually established them as a romantic couple rather than occasionally holding hands and calling each other boyfriend-girlfriend. Like, if you removed exactly two kisses from this show, almost nothing about their relationship dynamic would change. That’s a problem.

I also found myself less invested in the side character storylines as the episodes went on. None of them were terrible, but they lacked impact, and the pacing started dragging because of it.

What did work for me was the family dynamics. The show actually did a pretty good job making the world feel grounded and emotionally believable. There’s a realism to the writing that I appreciated, especially in the quieter domestic moments. But overall, I really think the writers didn’t fully know what kind of drama they wanted to make. Was it a coming-of-age story? A romance? A sports drama? A healing youth drama? It keeps touching all of these things without ever fully committing to one. They actually could have written a story that dove into all of these but this show wasn't it, which is frustrating because there’s clearly a good drama somewhere in here.

I don't know, it was just very meh.

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There better be a second season (and third?)

What just happened? Not one issue resolution in the entire finale!? This is killing me! I hope we get season 2, because otherwise I'm going to pine for closure for the rest of my days.

This show has me hooked. The leads are adorable. They have amazing chemistry and comedic timing. Liuyi's facial expressions are everything. The character is great. The actor, He Yan Zhao, is fire. He should change his headshot to the caramel-colored deliciousness that we see in this series. He looks divine. I don't know if the asian entertainment industry generally has figured this out yet, but many of us prefer a little melanin.

He Chusan is great too. Sweet on the outside and a fierce protector on the inside. And since were talking about beauty, actor He Chang Xi is also truly handsome.

I dont know how to feel about the second couple. But we can sort that out during season 2.

I love the supporting actors. The dad is great. The main lackey is great. The number 2 is great. I want more of them all.

So go ahead. Start production on season 2. I'll wait. And don't feel like you have to resolve everything there. I'll watch season 3, too. I'm just saying...

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good one

start - fml gives ml trauma twice first in school 2md by filter
there's misunderstanding for both which clears in last 10 ? eps
in starting I felt bad for FML later I did for ml because FML was deceiving him alot ,she faked death of the filter people twice
misunderstanding - ml says she's looks bad he meant makeup she thought he meant ugly so she starts to dislike him he does too because of school memories so in start he doesn't care about real her but fake her the filter, the first 15+ eps are took over by fakes story more the side characters than the FML and ml interaction, he interact with fake version for 15+ eps than with real one ,fake version are 4 people, then the filter characters is coming to end they suddenly add colour blindness? that time I felt like I'm watching a complete new drama because after 15+ eps ml and FML finally started to interact for real, I thought he would be angry and won't forgive but it gets solved easily, I wished the side characters parts was less and more ml FML interaction,
2nd couple - not interesting I skipped, I wasn't interested in their romance and why the 2nd couple is always pregnant in every drama ?
Good Comedy alot of comedy,
romance is good too it's starts usually at last 10-13 eps, I liked it enjoyed, can't believe the rating is only 8.5 ? not 9 10?
got hooked which is rare for me

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A Bold Idea That Didn’t Work for Me

Definitely Not Today is a drama that deserves credit for being bold and daring in its concept. However, for me, it was simply too dark.
I feel like it could have worked much better if there had been a balance — more grounded, intimate moments between the two leads. Their relationship wasn’t explored enough, and instead, it felt like an endless chase with bad guys, without giving the audience a real emotional connection to them.
Even though I managed to finish it, I can’t say I truly enjoyed the experience. Unlike other dramas where I feel engaged and excited to watch the next episode, here I was mostly just waiting for it to end.
I really wish there had been more emotional depth and closeness between the main characters.
Conclusion: An interesting and bold idea, but too dark and lacking emotional balance for my taste. Not for me.

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evenly matched MLs

Overall: I really enjoyed the mutual attraction and evenly matched MLs (it wasn't one was constantly abused and the other the abuser or one was super innocent and the other wasn't). Seems to be patterned off the Chinese BL vertical "Caged Bird". 55 short episodes (vertical). Aired on iQIYI app or Shortime app (can eventually watch for free by watching ads, My referral link is https://playground.shortime.en/invite/NKNIWI (all letters) and it should get you a bonus. You can view the first few episodes for free on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0vtefTLhn0

Content Warnings: past murders, attempted murder, attempted rape, torture, violence (including choking, slaps, hits), manipulation, drugging, kidnapping/held against will, non con recording

What I Liked
- the characterization of the 2 MLs, I didn't feel that one was a horrid bully and the other a victim
- intimacy, pretty spicy for a vertical (and included mutual want)
- cliche evil woman who wanted to be his wife (but I did not see how that would end so bonus for doing something different)
- the reason for the past split made sense and their actions based on the information they had in the present

Room For Improvement
- nonsense plot stuff, but that's kind of baked in to this style of vertical so I didn't really take off points for it

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Two Hot Guys Dancing

This movie is definitely not for everyone, if you're looking for your average BL this is not it!

Plot:

I would say the plot is the dance and the emotions. The emotions between the leads is the main drive of this movie, and we'll have to thank the actors for not disappointing us with their immaculate chemistry!!

Really though, at least 80% of this movie are dance scenes, so if you try to skip them, you'll be sure to end up with nothing! The dances are what move the plot through, you have to watch them dance and understand the story they're telling you, only this way will you be able to enjoy this movie fully.

Although I'll have to admit, my little heart wanted to see them together at least once, but it's a personal problem of mine. Since it's an open ending, I'll have to imagine the rest myself!

Acting:

Just fabulous! Amazing! I feel like the human vocabulary is not enough for me to describe their acting, even though I'm sure it must've been hard, the actors did a fantastic job conveying the characters' feelings while dancing!

The kisses were so passionate as well, I got worked up just by watching them!

Cinematography:

Very pleasing to the eyes, the lightning and the shots were to my liking, they complimented the atmosphere very well!

Music:

Could've been better for such a high-quality movie. It didn't make me feel what I should've felt, you know?

Favourite moment:

I loved when they danced together at that event instead of going with their partners; "Dance in neither about technique or stamina, Love makes it whole." As far as I've realised, Suguki Shinya must've understood that to unlock his full potential, to dance with "love", he must do it with Suzuki Shinya instead of his formal dance partner. The scene where he asks "May I have the honor?" made me go crazy, I absolutely adored it!

Overall:

If you want something clear-cut and simple, or you just want to watch a spicy BL, this isn't for you. It wasn't perfect, I think I should've made my rating lower, but personally that's the rating I want to give. Pick the time where you have a right state of mind and watch it!

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the story keeps going in circles like this; it’s just too much to bear.

For anyone who feels it’s dragging, you could watch up to Episode 9 and then skip straight to Episode 19 until the end. You’ll still catch the whole story, as the earlier details are revealed in the second half anyway.

A little tease for Neo Hou (Hou Minghao)—if he’s not being stood up at the altar or having a ruined wedding, he’s getting a one-night stand only for the girl to run away. Poor guy! The fate of a Chinese drama lead is truly tragic. At least, luckily, no one died in his arms this time.

There were stretches where Hong Ye completely vanished—like, actually gone for so long it felt strange. Fortunately, Xiao Yao stayed present; otherwise, the connection would have been totally lost.

The plot is a bit too "muddy" (messy/convoluted). They could have cut out the parts that don't impact the main storyline. Honestly, this could have been a 25-episode series.

The leads did a great job, but it’s a shame the storytelling was unnecessarily dragged out.

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High Potential, Poor Execution

Leap Day had a very interesting idea, but the execution was honestly disappointing. The story follows two characters, Day and Night, who were both born on Leap Day and are affected by a strange curse. Every four years, on their birthday, the curse takes away someone they love.

On their 20th birthday, something unusual happens, the people closest to them, Ozone (Day’s brother) and Dream (Night’s girlfriend), survive. This happens because Day and Night meet each other. From there, the story focuses on the four of them trying to understand the curse and find a way to stop it.

The biggest problem with the series is how inconsistent and poorly explained everything is. The characters never really try to understand why the curse exists. There is no proper explanation it just exists, and everyone accepts it. That makes the story feel incomplete and frustrating.
There are also many scenes that feel unrealistic or just badly written. For example, at one point, Day and Night suddenly think there might be a loophole in the curse and start searching their houses randomly without even knowing what they are looking for. It feels forced and not logical at all. The clues are right in front of them, but the characters struggle to understand something so basic. It makes them look unnecessarily clueless.

Another major issue is the timeline. The story jumps from 2020 to 2024, but there is zero sense of time passing. The characters don't change, the world doesn't change, and it feels like four months passed instead of four years. To make it worse, even after four years of "research," They are still confused about what they have to do until the very last second.

Despite all this, there are some positives. The relationship between Day and Ozone was the best part of the show. Ozone added humor, and Day as a brother was genuinely likable. Their bond felt real and was the only thing that kept me interested.
The ending involves a sacrifice where Day realizes he must die to break the loop. While the emotional payoff for the brothers was there, it didn't make up for the inconsistent writing and the lack of common sense from the main characters.

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