There's a parallel between the pills people take to get through their studies, to stay awake and focused, doping in sports, and this app. King showed how the 1980s in America had put a price on everything, on dignity, on life, and that nothing can ever be free in that world. That's exactly what If Wishes Could Kill does. At least, at first. Starting with episode 2, it takes a different turn and partially abandons the social critique aspect.
People start acting a little crazy, but they're teenagers, so we cut them some slack. Of course, a shaman and her sidekick have the solution. The series chooses to go back to the origin of the curse rather than just explore its consequences and the social subtext that comes with them. We might think it's going to be a total mess ! Well, not really. Its actually pretty cool. Even a little funny at times.Yeah, really.
So, paradoxically, it ends up as a story stripped of its fantastical elements. It abandons them to focus exclusively on friendship, on misunderstanding and lies.
Jeon So-young acts far better than her young co-stars. It's quite striking to see the effort she puts into her lines compared to the others. She's head and shoulders above them.
Anything involving the eyes... I just can't handle it ! It terrifies me.
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Memorable with unique setup of mysteries
The start of the series was fantastic with the depiction of an every day couple living out their lives normally to suddenly getting drawn into the unfolding of many secrets. The unexpected turn of events will have you on the edge of the seat in anticipation of what is going down. After reading the summary, I had held off on this for a while because it sounded like another merchant-political driven story line that will drag on around this "ship case". But this definitely wasn't the case. Although it does hover over a main arc, the leads encounter numerous mysteries that are individual cases on its own. And though not perfect, the mystery plots here are done much better than some series that are specifically geared for it.It's actually quite refreshing as well to see a couple who came from different walks of life. One from the streets and one with a scholar background. It depicts how despite the one "more sheltered" would have no idea what it feels like to grow up in the ghetto, he was still quite capable of protecting his wife in his own way. As for the rest of the family, while it's quite convenient for each member to have different and high capabilities, it is refreshing to see how each member actually had value to add.
The main flaw for me was the plot flow does start to slow down quite a bit after the initial arc. But not really to the point where you will feel the need to speed up the scenes. It just takes a different shift from the initial impression. I also do wish that more time was spent on the aftermath development of the relationships between the characters. There were many established bonds that kind of fell of because they wanted to continue moving the plot forward. So while events do trigger emotions, it was more of a tear or two instead of heavy tear-jerking. The ending also didn't feel completely satisfactory but I still appreciated that it wasn't a complete tragedy of even more deaths.
The other two nice perks with the series is that 1) I expected it to be completely somber but there is more than plenty of humorous moments that will make you smile and bond with the characters and 2) the tidbits of the historical facts with the Song dynasty at the end of each episode was a nice touch.
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Every time you think "It cannot possibly go there", it GOES there.
The number of times I thought "oh well it cannot be that cruel" It is insanely cruel ruthless and hard. I would never have survived the palace lmao. Great game, esp for sticking to its principles throughout and not having any noticeable plotholes or discrepancies. The plot has been thought out really well by people who are obv smarter than me and i love that.Was this review helpful to you?
35 years ago do you remember when it happened it happened 35 years ago DO YOU REMEMB
This is the greatest example of "Great idea BAD execution". Everything important they told could be said in like 10 episodes. Which is funny, cause it's the same amount of episodes where the plot took an absolutely ridiculous twist. It seems like they scratched the initial idea of the main killer, panicked, and created some bs out of thin air. The last three episodes were absolute nothingburger, which is saying something, cause the same goes for about the half of screentime of each episode. So, yes, their grand idea went to hell, and you can tell.And i didn't even said anything about the characters yet. Eugene started out strong, ended up as an empty shell acting as a therapist for other characters. Jae Hwan started as a funny dumbass ended as a useless annoying dumbass with no development at all. Jung Yeop and Hyo Gyeong were AMAZING the best characters ever in this dull show until someone in the writing room decided wait they're too cool, let's make them worse for no reason at all. I guess Jae Hwans stupidity is contagious.
I'm giving it this rating because it COULD be good. An amazing idea was there. But it just didn't happen.
ALSO i forgot to mention that this show thinks that you're, the viewer, is dumb as rocks, so it chews everything for you 100 times like a mama bird.
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Didn't expect that
Bruhhh this was fire, AAAAA I love Geon-u and Seah so muchhh they are so made for each other I love themm and I know there will be a season 2 for this but it will be Na-ri's curse since they didn't pray for her soul just for hyeong-wook's soul and she's mad, I'm soo excited..What I found most interesting is how the drama handles its characters. No one feels completely innocent or completely guilty. Everyone has their own struggles, secrets, and reasons behind their actions, which made the story feel more realistic and a bit unsettling. The tension doesn’t rely on big dramatic scenes but on the psychological pressure that keeps building as the story goes on.
The overall mood is calm but heavy. The cinematography, muted tones, and slower pacing made everything feel more intense in a subtle way. It’s the kind of drama that doesn’t overwhelm you with action but instead stays in your mind because of its meaning. If Wishes Could Kill is not a light watch, but it’s deep, thought-provoking, and quietly powerful.
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The stupidest lovable man you'll ever see
Plot 🗯️🗯️
Our golden retriever protagonist duang one day locks eye with the misterious qin and decides to win his heart no matter what.
On the other hand qin looks really cold and distant. Will he fall into duang's love trap?
This drama is the cutest shit you'll ever see. Duang is the quintessential golden retriever boy. He is lovable, funny, cute and unbearably cringe. He is also very stupid but with a heart of gold. Just watching the drama to see his shanenigans on screen Is worth it.
On the other hand with have qin which is the classical cold, cool guy. He is a musician and a very popular student among his peers.
Even though they are a stereotypical pair they work quite well together and complement each other.
The drama🗯️🗯️
The show starts on a very silly note but it gets way more emotional towards the end. I didn't expect to find such depth in something that appeared so shallow and just fun to watch.
Duang pursuit of qin is a blast to watch but seeing how they are able to really understand each other and support each other was wonderful and even touching sometimes.
They start by just locking eyes (sort of) but end up in a very profound relationship that brings them to heal past wounds.
Stuff I did like✅
Duang: I just love him. His character is fun, cute, lovely, caring. I could go on and on, but the best part is definitely the actor! He is really talented, switching from playful to deeply moving. I was amazed.
Duang's friends group: they are a very important part of duang's life and over all lovely characters. They supportive, caring. Something you wish to have in real life.
Qin's back story: I really like that the show explored why qin is the way he is. It added depth to his "cool" persona.
Stuff I didn't like❌
Qin: as much as I loved duang's actor, I cannot say the same for qin. I am definitely not a fan of this actor. At the very beginning he basically looks like a dihydrate fish always keeping his mouth open and looking lost. Later on his acting gets better, but especially in emotional scenes I felt he lacked the skills to be honest.
Lack of other stories: I don't know why, but the drama tries to insert Jamie's love story. To be honest I didn't care about that dynamics. It felt boring and unnecessary especially because no other characters get explored on any level.
If you want to insert another dynamic just do it right.
Duang's backstory: as much as I loved this character, duang doesn't exist outside of qin or his friends dynamics. He has no backstory, struggles or ambitions outside of qin. He is the main protagonist but also works as the comic relief. I wished they gave more depth to him.
Last episode: felt totally unnecessary. I loved how sweet they were to each other during the whole drama but reaching the end, I couldn't take anymore "I love you so much, I'll never leave etc". They just added random stuff like the dog or the last concert. For me, they could have ended things before their trip to Japan. There weren't any loose threads that needed to be pulled.
In conclusion:
I highly recommend this drama if you are looking for cute stuff and some emotional moments.
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An ad that hints at a good potential series
Ad value: 8- you get food this beautiful and delivery people this beautiful? Almost certainly not, but highly effective ad.Story idea: 8 - there are multiple ideas that could make an interesting 10 episode series
Story continuity: 3 the ad is more concerned about images than flow and continuity
Acting: 8.5 the four actors show they would shine in a well-scripted and directed full show. Fourth
has always been good- the other three appear markedly improved from the last things I saw them in.
Of course, this is only 12 minutes total- takes more energy and focus for full series- but I believe!
Direction: lots of glossy panoramas. Everything looks gorgeous- which means lighting and cinematrography on crew is
skilled. Some shots of cars expose how slow they are actually going.
Check this out and if you like it- write GMMTV for full series. And insist on an actual salary for screenwriters. And
no wiping off food off your intended love's lips, no slow mos on drink sponsors and no
loud "comical" noises. Now I am truly in dreamland.......
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We Best Love : I’m in Love With Them!
this was SO BEAUTIFUL!this was my first time watching a Taiwanese drama, and I loved everything about it!
(except the special episode, but I won’t talk about it here :3)
I’ve actually had this drama on my watchlist for a long time, but I was skeptical about watching it, because I saw the ending and didn’t wanna get into something that ends that way. it was only now that I realized that the ending i saw was actually the special episode, and the season itself had a different ending.
the story is very simple - two people with their unrequited love. but what makes it brilliant is the execution. the cinematography was beautiful. acting of both main leads was so good. their chemistry together together was amazing! not to mention, they’re incredibly handsome. especially Yu, he’s so damn hot!!
i love how effortlessly Yu fell in love with Shi De. even though the episodes are short and there are only 6 episodes, it didn’t feel rushed. i do wish there were more episodes though, i needed to see more of their chemistry as university students 🥹
We Best Love, I’m now in love with the story of Yu and Shi De! this is definitely going to my list of most favorite BLs💕
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Queer story for a mainstream audience
A wonderful drama and an excellent attempt to create a mainstream product for a mass audience in the form of a queer story, which includes, but is not limited to, a gay romance. The content was 99% successful – yes, there could have been less of Chan Yeong and Ji Yu, but all of these subplots (including the sisters' love lives) also reflected various aspects of queerness (the fear of coming out publicly and facing judgment and scrutiny, leaving home because of unaccepting parents, constant unrequited love, etc.).However, in terms of delivering the product to the audience, it was a bit of a disappointment. The drama sat on the shelves for two years before being quietly released on streaming. While it didn't receive an R rating, meaning more people could watch it, it did receive its fair share of "yuck" from a segment (as usual, the most vocal) of the BL drama lovers community.
Unfortunately, I encountered this discourse right while watching, and it seriously ruined my enjoyment. I was even initially worried that the main characters Lee Hui Su and Kim Seung Won wouldn't get a happy ending, and would be left with their unrequited love, as opposed to the happy hetero couple. After all, only something like that could generate such negativity, right? No, it turns out that BL fans simply prefer their typical trope-slop, which checks as many boxes as possible, to a full-fledged drama with queer leads, about queer life and relationships, in which the hetero couples serve as a subplot and the kind of plot crutch that the rare queer characters in mainstream dramas usually serve. Well, this will teach me a lesson - I need to continue avoiding fandoms and their nonsense.
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Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! Special Episode
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This review may contain spoilers
Are we getting a season 2?
I thought this was okay, but I didn't love it.I don't know if anyone else feels this way, but Jack seemed very different to me in this. He seemed weaker to me. Fighting wise in the show he was supposed to be one of the best and he was far from that in the special. Even his personality seemed off to me (and that's before the tragedy happened.
I hate than Tattoo and Aran still didn't get together. They set it up for them to get together in the show and in the special and they didn't. I get that it doesn't always happen in the series, but usually if there's a season two or special they use that and they didn't which was frustrating, especially since they kept mentioning it.
Another small thing is that Jack and Joke adopted Toiting in the end of the series and in the special episode it didn't feel that way at all.
Do I love that they killed Joke? No, I obviously wanted them to get together and be happy. That being said his death and how Jack dealt with it after was so well written. I teared up from the moment Aran was stabbed through the end of the show. The wedding scene was absolutely devastating. The acting from Yin during it all was so good.
I don't think the special episode was really needed. I did enjoy seeing most of the characters again and I did like Carbon coming back as the bad guy, but I think the story could've ended where it did.
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Angering and Coaxing Your Princess Husband
A vertical that seriously commits to the role reversal in ways I've rarely, if ever, seen before (it reminded me a lot of My Lady General). Though the writing quality leaves a lot to be desired, don't sleep on this little RR gem!TL;DR: A complicated kinda enemies-to-lovers in the form of a warrior princess forcefully marrying the disabled older brother of her runaway groom.
THE GOOD:
• Dynamic & Romance - The leads' dynamic is a breath of fresh air in the tradslop romance scene. The commitment to the role reversal is commendable and of the best I've seen. With only certain identifying things (like ML being the chief royal guard), it feels a lot like a story that was originally traditional, and the characters' genders were swapped. The romance being at the actual center of the drama was refreshing. It's a complicated kinda enemies to lovers situation with lots more to it than that, and they go through so much angsty melodrama that's just ridiculously entertaining. Their dynamic was very much giving rake, cheeky husband FL x prissy, sassy wife ML, and I was absolutely here for it!
• Leads - Both leads are interesting reversed tropes with twists. The drama commits to allowing them to be as such. FL is the tough warrior who acts like a rake, and she remains strong and smart throughout, and has a lot of masculine elements. ML is the prissy, bratty wife who constantly sasses her and is allowed to remain delicate and emotional all throughout. Which ties into my next point...
• No bait-and-switch - The drama starts out role reversal and ENDS role reversal. There's no sudden mdom, no RR-to-egalitarian, nope, they remain RR until the very end and keep up the quality of the role reversal too!
• Acting - Good. Both leads portrayed their characters well and effectively. Despite the sometimes ridiculousness of the scenes, the actors fully committed to it. Especially ML's crying scenes were really well-done, those were real tears and whimpers!
• Use of music - I know the tracks aren't original to the drama, but the use of music in this drama was very good and actually enhanced the impact and emotions of scenes.
• Dialogue - Actually clever! The subtitles were amazing, which definitely allowed me to actually appreciate this aspect of the drama, but I was surprised by how witty this drama was. Even better than some full-length dramas! They don't shy away from saying things outright and saying them eloquently.
THE OKAY:
• Overall quality - On the higher end of the low tier for verticals. Some things looked good (even some cinematic shots), other things looked really bad. Mixed bag.
• Melodrama - Oof, it's in abundance. I enjoy angst as much as the next person, but there were a few too many misunderstandings for my taste that started to feel repetitive and silly.
• Side Characters - The two leads' servants were cute and funny, pretty much everyone else was bad, even for a vertical. Nothing going on, no actual arc or reason to their actions. Just there for the plot and then forgotten seconds after.
THE BAD:
• Plot - It's just not good. The focus is on the melodrama between the leads, and the plot is just there to serve that. Admittedly, it's bad to the point where it barely exists, so at least it isn't pretending to be anything other than a vehicle for the romance.
• Side Plots - Expect basically nothing to be resolved because it won't be. ML's relationship with his family? Confusing at best. FL's runaway groom? Only shows up off-screen. How ML ended up in the position that he was? Who knows! Literally every side character's arc... forget it!
• OOC (Out of Character) Moments - For some reason, FL especially has some random moments that are completely out of character, where she is suddenly easily flustered in a demure lady kinda way. Made no sense for her character, and they only appear briefly, but still a shame they happened at all.
• Climax - There is some slight build-up, but most of the final build-up and climax happens off-screen and is briefly narrated to us. It did allow for a lengthy conclusion of the relationship (like 20 minutes lol), but at what cost?
• Villains - I don't expect quality villains in a vertical, but the villains just don't show up! XD And they get defeated off-screen or are simply not brought up again at one point.
• Disability bait and switch - I mean, yeah, I expect it, but it'll always score low points for me. ML is not actually disabled. Huge spoiler, I know...
Notable scenes: (literally all of it, lol. So iconic)
• Forced wedding
• Their official first night
• Breakup scene (those damn pastries, iykyk)
• Battlefield reunion
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I beg to differ
This drama is being praised for being intense, painful, emotional, mysterious, layered, tragic, and everything else. And yes, it has all those elements. It spans childhood, college, their thirties, even later when she is diagnosed with Cancer. It tries to show friendship, love, hatred, jealousy, loneliness, and fate.But honestly, I feel like it was deliberately made difficult.
The story follows Eun Jung and Sang Yeon from school days to adulthood. We are told they are close, almost inseparable. We are told theirs is a deep and complicated friendship. But I never really saw the love. I saw tension. I saw insecurity. I saw jealousy. I saw avoidance. But I did not feel warmth.
Sang Yeon keeps saying she lived her whole life alone. She says she had no one. But Eun Jung was always there. From childhood to her thirties, Eun Jung stayed. She trusted her. She chose her again and again. I never felt that Eun Jung kept Sang Yeon around out of pity or sympathy. It felt genuine. So when Sang Yeon says she was always alone, I genuinely could not understand it. If your friend is right there for you the entire time, how are you completely alone?
What I felt that, what she blame & suffer everyone around her for the misery in her life when she herself never tried to make her life better.
Maybe loneliness is emotional. Maybe she felt unseen. But the show never explains it properly. It just keeps repeating that she was alone without showing us why.
Now coming to the love triangle.
From the beginning, Sang Yeon knew that the person she was chatting with online was Eun Jung’s boyfriend, Kim Sang Hak. When Eun Jung indirectly asked her if she liked someone, Sang Yeon lied. Later when she was asked clearly if she liked Kim Sang Hak, she still denied it. That was my first red flag.
Feelings are not wrong. You cannot control them. But you can control your actions.
As a friend, if my friend even has a little interest in someone, that person is automatically off limits. I cannot even imagine looking at them romantically. So watching Sang Yeon stay close to Kim Sang Hak, hide the truth, and slowly get emotionally involved felt wrong. It felt like she did come in between.
And I will not blame only her. Kim Sang Hak was equally wrong.
He hid things. He did not communicate properly. Even if Eun Jung needed space or had her own emotional walls, he could have handled things better. Instead, he kept things vague. His “my heart swayed” moment was so fucking ick to me. It was confusing and frustrating. You cannot be in a relationship and say you are unsure whether it is Eun Jung or Sang Yeon. That is emotional confusion that hurts everyone.
Even later in their thirties, he keeps pursuing. And I am honestly glad Eun Jung did not go back to him. That was one of the best decisions in the show.
But I kinda wish Run Jung would've dated the guys at her workplace who liked her.
What frustrates me is how everything is romanticized. The lying. The hiding. The emotional interference. The constant presence in someone else’s relationship. It is framed as tragic and painful. But a lot of it could have been avoided if Sang Yeon had just been honest from the beginning and stepped back.
And then comes the emotional climax. If a lead character is going to die, I am supposed to feel something. Sympathy. Empathy. Heartbreak. But I felt empty. I did not feel devastated. Because throughout the story, it felt like Sang Yeon created so much of the emotional chaos and never fully owned it.
She keeps saying she was alone because her mother was distant and her brother died. I understand trauma shapes people. But that does not erase the fact that Eun Jung was there. She stayed. She never abandoned her. So I genuinely could not grasp why Sang Yeon kept insisting she had no one.
Pain alone does not make a character tragic. I need to understand them. And here, I just felt disconnected.
Now coming to the acting.
Kim Go Eun who played Eun Jung was honestly top notch. I understood her emotions so clearly. She carried the emotional weight of the story beautifully.
Park Ji Hyun as Sang Yeon did an incredible job acting. She is so convincing that you genuinely start to hate the character. That shows how good she is. But I really hope she stops getting typecast into these roles where she plays the other woman who disrupts relationships. She deserves more variety.
The actor who played Kim Sang Hak was decent. I was not very attached to his character. The male lead was fine, nothing overpowering.
One of the things I was genuinely invested in was his brother’s story. Not just a few scattered moments thrown in for impact, but his entire freaking story. I wanted depth. I wanted context. I wanted to understand him beyond the surface-level crumbs we were given. They could’ve given us so much more, and I honestly think they should have. I was way too curious about him for it to end the way it did. What was he thinking all this time? What was his emotional journey? What shaped his choices?
In the end, this drama wanted to be about fate and the ache of what could have been. For me, it became a story about miscommunication, blurred boundaries, and emotional choices that could have been different.
There were poetic moments. There was sadness. But instead of feeling heartbroken, I mostly felt frustrated.
A friendship should not feel like one person saying she was alone while the other was standing right there the whole time.
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