Reviews

An Unexpected Gem in a Martial Arts World

I loved this drama, and I wasn’t expecting it. I hadn't heard about it beforehand and I’m not familiar with most of the performers—they aren’t actors I’ve seen in other dramas. Still, there was something about the storyline that drew me in almost immediately.

The opening sets up an underlying premise that isn’t fully explored beyond the first episode, but it’s something the plot continues to build toward throughout the series and helps keep you engaged. The story features recurring sect competitions to become masters of martial arts and alchemy, along with character development and minor subplots that come together near the end. This may be a niche within a niche: it’s heavy on martial arts, with high-level techniques tied to elemental bloodlines, making the characters feel more like deities than traditional martial artists. I’m not typically a fan of this genre, but I found it quite interesting.

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The psychological warfare in this show was insane!

The toxicity in this drama came in so many waves, I don’t think I’ll recover lol.

We all thought it was just some regular psycho fighting over a toy, but then BAM! Plot twist! Kim Su Hyeon wasn't the crazy one after all. (like he, was… but he wasn’t….) and he is the character I latched onto, and I liked him ( for the most part) I kept hoping he’d have a redeeming moment. I was rooting for this raving sociopath – but he was just too angry and violent for him to ever be the leading man who won Da On. But oh, the actor rocked this role!

After all 8 episodes, I'm still stumped about why those two super-smart but totally nuts psychos were into Da On. What made these two men latch onto him from their school days and make him into a disciple puppy, because, as cute as Da On is, sweet and unproblematic, and his doe-eyes were adorable, he had the personality of uncooked bread and butter pudding!
And you want me to believe two lunatics, plus a green flag all chased him like rabid dogs?!

Because I love dark romances, I definitely would have chosen Kim Su Hyeon. I think having all of Da On’s love would have calmed him right down – says my delululu side. LOL.

A fun show I’d recommend, if you want to be wide-eyed every episode from their psycho antics.
Also, what a little shit Jae was. I’m glad I never liked him from the start.

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A solid story with outstanding performance by the A-listers

When it comes to female-centered drama series, Thailand might not have as many choices compared to other MDL countries. However, within this limited selection, "Hangout" stands out as a remarkable and refreshing example. This high-quality social drama delves into the lives of five high-society women, peeling back the layers of their seemingly flawless existences to reveal complex personal issues.

The story unfolds concisely through the perspective of Dujdao, the oldest among five women, guiding viewers through a world of privilege, secrets, and emotional intensity. The series features Thailand's top-tier actresses such as Pock Piyathida, Kwan Usamanee, Pancake Khemanit, Donut Manatsanun, and Chippy Sirin. Their impactful performances amplify the show's intense atmosphere, drawing the audience into the characters’ intertwined lives. Honestly, it's so satisfying to soak in their incredible acting. I’m not going to comment on the production quality because, to me, it's nearly flawless. There's a reason why Director 'Off' Pongpat Wachirabunjong is considered one of Thailand's legendary directors.

At first glance, "Hangout" might appear to follow the familiar formula of female-centric dramas like the well-known Korean series Sky Castle or The Penthouse, which often focus on rivalry, betrayal, and personal strife among women. However, what sets this series apart is its nuanced portrayal of female friendship and love, presenting these relationships in a more hopeful and positive light. While betrayal remains a pivotal theme, the core message emphasizes how friendship plays a big influence on characters’ reactions to hardship. My only issue is that 4 out of 5 women are dealing with similar marriage problems, just stemming from different underlying issues. If only the storylines dived a bit into their friendship during college, it would make the whole series more impactful.

Overall, "Hangout" offers an engaging and sophisticated exploration of female relationships within an elite social context, broadening the limited field of Thai female-centered dramas. Its balance of intense drama with a more uplifting view of women's friendship makes it a compelling watch and a noteworthy addition to the genre. It might seem like a series for the "aunties," but if you are one who appreciates a solid story with outstanding performance, this series is highly recommended.

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We enjoy doggy position not a doggy acting ?? Over hyped and cringe af ???

I don't know how novel is but let me be honest here, we enjoy doggy position but doggy acting? Fucking No, behaving like dog from start to end is fucking cringe af, damn i was so fucked up after seeing same irritating voice and behavior. There should be limit of everything. Story is so basic, there is no element for hype but still it is over hyped. Trust me i am still having trauma after seeing the doggy acting of duang 🤦🤦🤦🤦 i mean who the fuck fall in love if he acts like that irl?. So fucking irritating. Almost 75% time i was skipping the story🤦 somehow i completed but seriously i am still in coma. Wtf did just watched🤦🤦🤦

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It's a sweet and tender drama that's a breeze to watch.

This show was just green flags everywhere. From every character!
Rarely do you find a narrative without toxic characters who act as interfering antagonists. Each person brought a profound mature attitude, especially toward the leading couple.

I’m going to talk about Xiao Dong, first. He was our second male lead.
And when we first see him, we learn he’s the female lead’s cousin, not sure if it’s by blood – but at that time, just looking at his stern face, and how he was giving instructions to female lead, I was all, ut oh – he’s about to be the love rival. HOW WRONG I WAS! I’ve never seen a more supportive second ML before. Talk about perfect, sweet, he was always rooting for the couple, paving the way for their relationship, and also trying to get back his close friendship with our ML. There was a frisson of a relationship for Xiao Dong, too, with his ex, they danced around each other, but by the end, we still don’t know if they ever got back together. I really hope so! If anyone deserves love, it’s that adorable, suited man. He’s going to be one of my favorite second MLs.

I could do a section for each supporting man – there are so many adorable ones, but I’ll group them altogether and say they were a great support for our leading man. The brotherhood, taking them back decades, was clear in every scene and I loved how they were always there for each other. Never a jealous, petty moment.

Let’s get to our yearner – Lin Yiyang. I swear, the actor has eyes made for yearning scenes. You’ll hear me say “It’s rare” in my review, because it really was rare to have a 30 episode drama and neither lead ever lost their temper – we never had one argument. Yiyang loved Guo from the first time he laid eyes on her and it clearly showed in his every action. This was an attentive man! Everything he did was for her happiness and comfort. He called himself a poor man, but he was such a hard worker and talk about spoiling!
It’s the first time I’ve watched this actor’s work, but I’m sure it won’t be the last, this was a perfect show to introduce me to him. My eyes were swooning so many times at his sweet, loving actions.
The man gave good hug!

My initial decision to give this show a watch was because of how much I adored Zhao Jin Mai in Shine on Me – she was my ideal heroine in that show. And while I really liked Guo in this one, too – she was unproblematic, never threw tantrums and worked with their long distance relationship – I wished the writer had matured her a little over time and gave her more confidence.
I'm a sucker for romance novels, and I'm super sensitive to repetition. So, I spotted this thing in the drama that kept happening, and I'm baffled as to why. Guo avoided about 90% of the kisses Yiyang went for.
Knowing she was a timid girl, not used to romance, and possibly felt self-conscious kissing in front of others – even though it was in private – I still considered all that. It's not like Yiyang was leaning on her for more.
It got me thinking why the writer gave the FL that trait. I will say though, she was a great hugger and I loved all those intimate moments. Especially the hand holder. Super heart fluttering.
And then! Toward the end, we suddenly have a pregnancy scare!
Like how? I was hardcore side-eyeing at that moment, with my eyebrows somewhere in my hairline!
This FL was avoiding even the smallest smooches, and you want to be believe they had unprotected sex?
Was it an AI baby?
Did the sperm get delivered by FEDEX?
This was just a little thing that made me chuckle at the time, but at least it tells us Yiyang got past the stiff kisses, right? LOL.

I only included the above section in my review for anyone who is like me and reads reviews to either to find things that might irk me ( cheating, etc..) or to validate any thoughts I might have had about certain scenes. This is your validation if you, too, found the avoidance of kissing to be odd, lol.

Ignoring my minor critiques, I genuinely loved this show and would readily rewatch it for a stress-free escape with its simple, drama-free content. I get why other reviews have said the slow pace didn't suit them, but for me, it's like a show to reset your nervous system!

What a stunning location! I really liked that a good chunk of it took place in another country. And honestly, since I've never watched snooker before, I figured I'd be bored, but wow, I was totally hooked on the games!
Now, I will add Yiyang to my list of ultimate yearners.

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It’s underrated!

I wanted to drop after the first few episodes. However as I went a long, it’s getting very good. If you hold prejudice because you watched Princess Agent, like myself at first, then I suggest you to keep watching. The story is getting much better than a few hit dramas lately. It is underrated because one production mistake: It should not be heavily linked to Princess Agent. The cast is great, the stories are great. If it has not been a sequel, then it would have been much better than the Female General. The FL has a lot of potential as young as she is. The cast are slowly getting into their roles and they won’t disappoint. The vibe is much different than Princess Agent and I do enjoy it. So give it a try. The rating of 6 is not justified. I would give it at least 7.9 (should be 8, but I hate the first few episodes of past reflections - so unnecessary)

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A Heartfelt Story of Family Bond and Drugs

Welp, before "Eight Hundred" aired for the first time, I'd been banking on it since the story involves drug traffickers and a police papa (a conflicting trope which I love to see). FYI, it's an OG source, meaning that I can't predict too much from the synopsis given. On the other hand, I've turned into Xu Kai's anti (being an anti doesn't mean I'm bashing, criticizing this or that, and whatsoever you call names about, but I just simply have no interest over the actors I dislike, that's all) and reuters' leaked pictures had shown that he would be paired with Ancy Deng as his co-star. Okay, so let's just rock, shall we?

The story takes place in 1990s in Fengyang Town, a little suburban district of 800-radius-meter which houses the coal mines and entertainment sources for the populace there. Chen Hongbing is a very dedicated and upright police officer who vows to dismantle every single crime scene for the sake of justice. He also has a loving family including his fussy wife Ding Yue, his son Chen Hui, his father Grandpa Chen, and Chen Hui's lover Gao Songge. The family always spends their mundane life peacefully in Fengyang until the appearance of Peidun Cough Syrup disrupts the peace in the little town. Through several investigations and raids, Hongbing and his crew manage to secure several downlines of the cough syrup, but they never find out who the mastermind behind these scenes. Unbeknownst to them, it is Chen Hui and Songge who stage the layers of deception to gather money for Songge's kidney transplant. As they are risked of being discovered and arrested by the police, the couple has no choice but to create multiple webs of deception to lure the police away until they earn enough to perform the transplantation. Chen Hui has a golden heart to save Songge's life, but his method is clearly wrong as he was led astray when he encountered Tian Jinhai, the cough syrup's tycoon who coerced Chen Hui to join the underground market of drug traffickers. And I'm guaranteeing 100% that you will see a super duper BE in the end.

First of all, I need to appraise the screenwriter for being able to develop such a heart-breaking story while not being explicit in the process, giving the audiences chances to guess how the story works out and what kind of plot twist will happen in the moment of suspense. "Eight Hundred" also manages to incorporate Hongbing's daily life as a police officer and his mission in tracking down the traffickers (it reminds me of "The Truth" by Gong Jun and Sun Yi, but the former turned out to be a fiasco that I dropped it in ep 7), which I appreciate very much. Another thing, we can see Chen Hui's unhinged personality being unveiled, as he strangles Tian Jinhai to death. When the father and son confront each other, I feel their pain and love simultaneously since they just want to be an ordinary united family who can stand against all odds together.

For the acting, I must say Xu Kai nails Chen Hui character seamlessly as he transforms into an ingenious outlaw yet obedient son. His micro-expressions are always accurate, which helps you feel his emotional impacts whenever he breaks down or just wants the best for his family. Ancy Deng also does well as Songge, though I wish Songge could pry more into Chen Hui's issues instead of letting him settle everything by himself. As a couple, Xu Kai and Ancy Deng complement each other pretty well and the two of them have palpable chemistry, as romance isn't the main focus of the drama. Ding Yongdai captures the essence of Chen Hongbing the police papa too, as his emotional turbulence always takes me drifting into the story. Special mention to Hu Ke (as Ding Yue) and Qu Zhazha (as Liu Na) too because they have a unique sisterly bond although they only meet several times. And don't forget the car crash staged by Huo Kaiming too.

OSTs are not published openly, so I can't comment on that part much further. Sets, backgrounds, and costumes are full of 90s retro vibes, which can make you feel deja vu if you're one of those in that era. However, I wasn't born in 1990s, so I can't make any comparisons with the real 1990s.

Would I rewatch this? Maybe yes, if I'm in a drama slump period again. To date, I'm still waiting for VIP tracks as I have no penny to purchase express package. But, I've seen leaked spoilers of the ending, so I might as well include it here. Overall, a ten out of ten and one of the best crime dramas I've ever seen in these years. Good luck and happy watching!!!

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No: I’m sorry, I love you. Yes: I’m sorry I watched this drama. lol

If you want to get pissed, exhausted, and frustrated with anyone but the main lead, just watch this K-drama! I started it because it is a “classic” and wanted to give it a try because I love tragedy. However, this K-drama was everything except enjoyably sad. In my whole 13-year K-drama fan journey, I haven’t seen such an annoying series, except for some rare cases. The upcoming comment included spoilers about the story and characters.

Our selfish, “beloved” Yun:
Imagine a guy who plays with you however he wants and doesn’t care about what you really feel or want. Yes, he knows you down to your “pants and bra size,” but he uses that knowledge for his own benefit and needs. He acts caring and loving at times, but the moment something doesn’t go exactly how he imagined, he immediately says, “Whose fault is this?” blaming the people around him, especially Eunchae, his crush, etc. A purely narcissistic personality. It takes him so long to realize that his childhood friend likes him, and on top of that, he keeps asking her for support to get the attention of his three-year-long platonic love. He tries everything to make the second female lead fall in love with him, and when everything finally works out, she betrays him, only then does he realize that he can’t live without Eunchae. Imagine such an emotional guy who needs betrayal from his current crush to realize that he can’t live without you and when I say “without you,”.

The BIGGEST Problem Eunchae - worse than Yun:
First, she is obsessed with her childhood friend who turns out to be her foster sibling. Yun is already just a selfish jerk who uses her for whatever he feels, and our main girl doesn’t have a developed, mature character to choose what she will do for herself. No matter how much the main guy Muhyeok gives her, loves her, and protects her, she keeps choosing Yun. The question appears: why Yun? Tbh…idk. The actions of Eunchae after finding out she fell for the main guy are so reckless. Without any valid reason, she starts to push Muhyeok away and tells him to die and disappear from her life. The whole show is just about her toxic obsession with Yun, even after she confesses to her dad that she can’t forget Muhyeok anymore. She still hurts him and pushes him away just because her beloved Yun gets sad and heartbroken over her irresponsible reaction. She can’t even say no when Yun is forcing her to marry him and lets Muhyeok get hurt by that.

This drama is just full of so-called “tragedy,” which is nothing but horrible decision-making due to stupidity and lack of intelligence of the characters. The only good things about this drama were the song and the main character who carried the whole show. There are two main reasons why Muhyeok falls in love with Eunchae: first, he sees how tragic they both are so he feels a connection with her; second, whenever Yun’s family messes something up, she takes care of it no matter what, pushing her own feelings and needs to the background and suffering because of it. He sees the silent goodness in her after watching over her and protecting her so many times (which later she thinks Yun did, and she never gets to know what Muhyeok did for her behind the scenes, and our main has to watch Yun take all the credit). All I could do is empathy for the main lead because it felt like he was the only one with common sense .
However, all the thoughtfulness and kindness she has for others are not included to Muhyeok. He never gets sincerely loved or cared for, and she doesn’t show it either. The only time she cares about him is after she hears from her father that Muhyeok is going to die, while Muhyeok told her so many times about giving his heart to Yun and saving him. He openly says that he will die, and there are obvious signs that he is preparing to die and that she should take care of his sister and nephew (yet she can’t even take care of them and decides to kill herself). But of course, our caring girl doesn’t even realize these signs despite her supposed thoughtfulness, and instead pushes and hurts him more and more. And when she gets the reassurance that he is going to die, she feels guilty not because she loves him, but because she feels guilty for being “mean”. So logically, if someone is not dying, you can just tell them to die and hurt them with horrible words? Before she even gets to know about his situation, she keeps misunderstanding him, despite it being clearly shown to her how much Muhyeok cares about her anytime and everywhere. She even dares to offer him even a one night stand quoting”I can do anything for yun ahjusshi” Exactly, no matter how much i think it is very annoying and out of place. All Muhyeok wanted is a shoulder to lean on while he was already in physical and mental pain due to tragic things in his life. But no someone specific had to be so focused on saving Yun, which is for me extremely upsetting and exhausting.
The mother of Yun and the father of Eunchae:

Eunche acts as if she is completely fine without him and still sticks with Yun, yet chooses to kill herself on his grave. I’m sorry, but this is not real love, this is some chronic brain dysfunction. Her father is not better either, he took the twin children of the mother he serves as a chauffeur for 27 years. Why? He thought this was the best option for her. Why? Because the child was from a married man. So? So..? actually nothing thats it as absurd it sounds.

Moreover, the mother is shown as overly dramatic and easily influenced by her adopted son and her emotions. There were many opportunities in the story to make this drama much better and truly tragic with at least some logical decision-making, yet they kept disappointing me every single time. Logically, if you took her children away from her and saw her struggle so much for the adopted child, then you could have told her at least at some point later! But no, if they decide one thing, they have to stick to it, just like the father and then the daughter.

My only applause goes to the main character and the music. If you’ve read this far, thank you for your patience, though that is nothing compared to the patience I endured until the last episode of this drama. lol <3

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AMAZING!!!! BUT THEY BETTER GIVE US A SEASON 2

When i 1st started it i didn't have much hopes from this cz of the dubbing but thank god i did. I feel the series is really well executed. I love how the power bottom actually looks like one cz i think this is the 1st CBL where I've seen a muscular and badass bottom. Yes we had sheng but... he was also kinda a damsel in distress 🤭. Overall it's good but i feel this really needs a season 2 cz a lot of questions are not answered like who killed the sister, the BIL and the police kid? What happens to Lui yi? How is chusan and lui yi's life after this mess? What happens to the 2nd couple?? Etc.

I really hope they do a season 2 although there's a risk cz this is a cbl & chang zi was also removed from pursuit of jade for acting in this drama... i hope they don't end up like the other cbl couples❤️🥺

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Maturing beyond the moment

I love the maturity of the plot, how it was handled and the bravery of the actors to portray a different perspective.

Akira and Kanata bond over their ability to connect though polar opposites in every aspect. Their only similarity is that they are both great at deflecting. One with a smile and the other with cold silence. The glue holding them together is honesty, really listening and no judgment. Though Kanata says he doesn't understand what Kanata says most of the time, he usually gets it right. He sees beyond.

Both in pain, they react differently to past hurts. Kanata pushes the thought of playing football away out of fear. He has a supportive family, but jealousy and comparing himself to his brother, he pushes them away. Akira, retreats further inward from the fear of being ostracized for his sexuality and no one at home gives him the attention and reassurance he needs.

Akira being a loner doesn't speak about his situation to his family. His brother, busy with his life, doesn't connect with him. The only one who takes the time is the tutor.

From the onset my perception of the tutor was never a predator but someone who was lost as much as Akira was. At the beginning when their relationship developed, Akira was bullied and lost to his sexuality. The tutor changed that and made him accept himself. In ep 4 or 5, he asks Akira, what does he want. Akira chose to continue. Ep 6, he willingly steps back. Here he pushes the brother to act as one, admits his immaturity but Akira accepts the role he played because that is what held him together when he needed someone. Even at the end, he asks Akira if their meeting is okay for him.

The age of consent in Japan is 16. Senior high school age is between 15 - 18. Akira is moving into his final year. I'm supposing there is a 3-5 yr difference between them. I would have preferred that the actor used would have appeared closer in age physically rather than older. In his work attire he looks closer to 25-28.

The reality is that there are situations where this type of situation is not favorable and there are predators waiting to take advantage. Is this acceptable? No. The caregivers, parents, 'friends' who alienate the person to seek solace elsewhere should also bear the burden.

I was happy when Kanata took charge and steered their relationship differently. Kanata's acceptance of his football prospects, he comes to terms with his brother's superior abilities and chooses what's best.

The pacing a bit slow and the dialogue was mature even for their age group. Kanata's friends a truly supportive band. Their ending landing perfectly though a bit predictable.

It's a very rewarding watch.

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A Timeless Classic Masterpiece, my ahh

The K-drama started off as a high-potential series with an epic main lead and his tragic backstory, and he was the core reason for me to continue through this hogwash. First of all, it’s so dang slow to begin with. The plot takes forever to even get interesting. Yes, things happen, but after a lot of repetitive, typical incidents. They keep showing you flashbacks of the unknown past and you feel like dang this is going to be interesting. Seeing the main lead suffer so much I even decided I would nominate this as the Berserk (Manga) of Kdramas at some point. And they keep you waiting, hooked up… until you reach the last episodes and expect the utter disappointment you WERE HOPING IT DOESN’T HAPPEN. In my case, I kept giving it chances until and until the very end of episodes, only for the drama to let me down severely.

Nothing really ‘that’ interesting happens for a long time, and even when something does happen, you are bound to feel zero emotional connection to any of the casts except the main lead. He is the only human there. The main lead is just made to go around and suffer through many painful incidents and you fall in love with his character and you are able to understand anything he does. On the other hand, you are forced to watch the “oh so much drama” of the other casts, who make every decision based on their weird, childish emotions and can’t use their own logic or common sense. They live by the time and what’s happening right now without any consideration about what it will lead to. (nothing against the actors; it’s just that the pacing and casting are terrible). The main actress acts entirely based on her emotions in each situation. She doesn’t feel guilty enough for all the wrong things she continues to do to the main lead, and he just warmly welcomes her back later. Unacceptable man wtf. Even the ending is very stupid and makes you feel like it was a grand waste of time to watch. The main lead was actually written well but ended up being too good for his own good. I pitied the main lead as he is somewhat desperately stuck in a loop to receive just any form of real love. But he had to engage with a girl who betrayed him many times for her childhood love despite his countless hidden sacrifices. The same main lead who saved her so many times, and she later does what? Tries to fund him with her sex appeal cuz she thinks that's what he wants. Man, talk about “romance”. What did bro expect from such a senseless woman?

I have nothing against the music, but the way they kept placing the overdramatic music just anywhere made it feel oversaturated. There aren’t even deeply affecting scenes enough that fit with the music. Because again, not enough scenes that hit you emotionally. So why try to make it seem so overdramatic with the music? As a music enthusiast, that’s a letdown for me.

This drama is only for those who either seek cheap melodrama just because it’s a “classic” or want a rollercoaster of negative emotions. I can’t understand how the people who love this drama define “love”. The main lead reminds you a lot of Guts from Berserk but is surrounded by brain-dead people, where he can’t even find a place of comfort, except maybe in his grave. However, in this drama, the Casca turned out to be the Casca who continues loving Griffith despite the type of crap he is ready to do only for his own selfish self. The main actress believes she knows what love is but is actually just obsessed or infatuated for the time being, and doesn’t even care about the main lead truly until she “is reaffirmed”, “accidentally” about the amount of time the main lead has left to live, despite the amount of times she had heard from him directly that he is gonna freaking die. I think the 2nd female lead deserves more spotlight and should’ve continued loving the main lead even after what happened because she is not worse than the main lead. Heck, even the first love who betrayed the main lead came back at some point leaving what she loved - money.

Personal opinion, but I believe only people who are into toxic trauma bonding are going to love this. Full of toxic people and their toxic relationship, and there’s just a guy trying to find a normal bond, whereas when he thinks he found it, he still didn’t. People who watch such K-dramas and say, “Oh, I love this drama, one of the best,” are definitely not happy in their own relationships if they think love functions like this. Old-school? People used to like these genres? That kinda explains why most people don’t know what true love is today. Acting so impulsively and frequently letting miscommunication take place on purpose cuz of silly emotions as every cast did is not normal, yall. (Muhyeok is forgivable in all manners) Only overly emotional people are going to like such shows.

Just one piece of advice for new watchers who want to hold on to their sanity: most things that are popular are often popular due to hype and are watched by mainstream average viewers, and such shows only offer what satisfies that audience. The majority are going to be happy with cheap melodrama or entertainment. Depending on how much you value your time, you might prefer to skip this one if you’re into rare gems rather than “gold.” Please do yourself a favor and don’t get too excited to watch this after reading average positive comments.

I wouldn't rewatch it, wouldn't recommend it, and the only reason of a decent rating of acting is for Muh-yeok. Pretty uncommon for a kdrama to have such a main lead.

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A work of art: the title alone feels thoughtful, symbolic, and tied to the characters’ journey

Fascinating. Impeccable. Intense, yet somehow restrained. There are honestly too many adjectives that could describe this show. It’s a low-budget series that somehow delivers high production quality, and it absolutely earns a high rating for such an impressive job well done.
Set in the 1980s within the iconic Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong, the story already starts with a rich backdrop that is layered, gritty, and full of narrative potential. Then we meet our two main characters, who are complete opposites. One is a brilliant student, the only one who makes it into university. While the other is a young gang leader carrying the intimidating title of “twin-blade master.” From the get-go, the foundation is exciting. And just when you think you’ve figured out the dynamic, the show flips it: the dominant one turns out to be the nerdy guy, while the submissive one is the feared leader. I love that. It refuses to rely on cliches and keeps you pleasantly surprised.

The visuals are a huge bonus! Both couples are ridiculously good-looking, the kind of faces that immediately pull you in. They all have this natural charisma that makes it so easy to root for them. Their acting skills are prominent. Even the supporting characters are just as charming, especially Cui Dong Dong and Liu Yi’s right-hand man. Their Hong Kong Cantonese accent is absolutely irresistible, too.

I do feel like the story left a few things a bit open, particularly the truth behind the death of Liu Yi’s sister and brother-in-law. We’re given hints about the previous gang leader possibly having unspoken romantic feelings for Liu Yi, but it never fully unfolds. Still, their presence and impact were strong enough to set the tone for the series. And honestly, I’m glad the show didn’t drag out the misunderstanding about Liu Yi being framed for their deaths. That would’ve been exhausting.

One of my favorite aspects of the drama is the meaning behind its title, “Sammy’s Children Day.” It’s beautifully layered. It ties back to Liu Yi’s tragic childhood, with him and his sister suffering abuse from their father until Qing Long rescued them and gave Liu Yi a new birth date: June 1st, which is also celebrated as National Children’s Day. And “Sammy”? That comes from Chu San’s English name, Sam. It’s nostalgic, metaphorical, and exactly the kind of meaningful title I wish more shows had, something that truly reflects the heart of the story.

Visually, the drama delivers so many memorable scenes. The bus scene, where they see each other again after such a long time apart, is simple but emotionally charged. Then there’s the graduation photo with Chu San’s father, made even more powerful when we later learn that Liu Yi was late because he was literally fighting for his life just to buy flowers for Chu San. Moments like these stick with you.

I also feel incredibly lucky to have watched this during its airing period. The second couple, portrayed by Matthew Han and Zhang Ming Bo, brought so much chaotic and hilarious energy through their live streams and social media promotions. Their off-screen chemistry made me even more invested in them. I just wish we got more of their story in the series itself. Still, the way they wrapped things up in the final episode is a chef’s kiss.

Speaking of the finale… that reunion kiss was pure cinema! After all the tension of Chu San being kidnapped. Liu Yi doesn’t hesitate for a second and rushes in, hugs him, kisses him, and completely ignores everything else. It’s raw, emotional, and incredibly satisfying. With such an open-ended conclusion, I can’t help but hope for a sequel. I need to see both couples fully stepping into their lovey-dovey era as official boyfriends.

At the end of the day, I’m just grateful that high-quality BLs like this exist. Truly, thank you for the masterpiece.

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