Reviews

Creepy, winding, esoteric… and incomplete

I was unimpressed in the beginning. It felt like If Wishes Could Kill was trying to reheat Night Has Come’s nachos, which didn’t sound particularly appealing considering I didn’t care for those nachos fresh.
But then it took a step back from shock-value gore and leaned more heavily into eldritch suspense, and it started to grow on me. It knew when to slow down and linger, when to pan away, when to lighten the mood and let the viewer breathe, and when to trust the viewer to read between the spoken lines.
For a minute there, it felt like I was in good hands. I could just sit back and enjoy the ride while the rollercoaster took us up, up, up the track to the misty summit, where the carriage crested, the mist cleared, and we plummeted…
10 feet.
After all that anticipatory climbing, the ride proceeded to slow to an anticlimactic stop not even a third of the way down, dump us, and reverse.

Is that it? Is the ride over, or is it still under construction? Why would they let us on an unfinished ride? Why build it so high if they didn’t have the materials to bring us the same distance back down?

Yeah.
That’s the feeling, and it’s a shame because I think this cast had a lot to juggle and, for the most part, managed to pull it off (shout out to Mina—I haven’t really kept up with her since IOI and she did a fab job portraying a completely incomprehensible character). And what did they get for their hard work?
A non-ending positively swimming in unanswered questions.

• What happened to Si Won’s dad?
• What did Si Won do to provoke whatever it was her mom died trying to protect her from?
• Why was Hye Ryung so easily convinced to just… leave her friend’s mom to die???
• Why did Hye Ryung immediately jump to SACRIFICING HERSELF IN THE MOST GRUESOME MANNER IMAGINABLE TO CURSE HER EX-BFF & FORMER CRUSH when she was bullied for the first time?? I feel like that is a plan z course of action???
• Why did Si Won wish for the curse to continue? The only people she might want dead are ALREADY dead?? What was the thought process here, because attributing it to revenge is just not cutting it for me
• How did Hyeong Wook’s death get settled so quietly??
• Why introduce the mechanic of subsequent wishes stopping the timer on previous wishes if Si Won is still gonna hunt all wishers down, regardless?
• Why did no one even consider wishing to end the cycle?
• Why was Se A given such Chosen One treatment if there wasn’t gonna be any payoff? No dormant shamanistic aptitude? No family secrets? No “I almost died in the accident that killed my parents and have a stronger connection to the afterlife” reveal? NOTHING???
• Ha Yeong. What’s with the snake? How did she go from Regular Joe to Vessel of Divine Power? Was the power acquired? Awakened? How did she link up with Bang Ul? Ffs.
• If Ha Yeong can weaken Si Won’s influence, why didn’t anyone suggest rounding up all the wishers and bringing them to the shrine, if only to contain some of the chaos while Se A and Bang Ul set out to fight the final boss?? Hello?? Risk & liability avoidance anyone?
• Why was Na Ri so fixated on her crush??? Girl, you were just STABBED, and you’re more mad that your crush got with your friend??? Be so fr

I could go on but I don’t feel like it
You get the idea
This drama is a tease

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This series will forever hold a special place in my heart!

it's not perfect, but I just love it so much. saying pit babe is the best series is a bit difficult since it just lacks in so many ways. but it's always like this with comfort shows. you know it's kinda bad, but you can't help rewatching a million times.

pit babe has always been that series i've been wanting to see. a decent bl that goes beyond romantic love story and the usual everyday lives of two men falling in love. I felt so much while watching pit babe 2. we got the exciting plot, the angst, the love story, and the cute chemistry.

i love how they gave northsonic the happy ending they deserved (unlike the novel) and I'm so happy for them! although it's a bit disappointing for me that kimkenta and peteway didn't end up together officially, but at least they didn't end things in bad terms.

I've been obsessing over this series for the longest time. Rewatched it millions of times and will rewatch it another million and one times! I'm actually on my way to rewatch the series as i write this.

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series so good i'd do anything to watch it for the first time again

Call me biased but this series was the absolute best for me in 2025! I know they lacked in some ways, but i really really loved how it turns out. I was obsessed with singsa latai since the very first episode.

I'm actually glad they decided to change darin's character to a man because it adds more chemistry to the story (or maybe i'm just down bad for seydarin lol). Michaeltopten's chemistry is just over the roof I can't get over them. Especially that hospital scene when darin wakes up finding sey sleeping beside him. and that bathtub scene too!

I'd also like to applaud poohs' acting this time. I just fell for thup since the first episode. He was so lost and innocent, i get why singha ends up adopting this puppy. The small details like thup pinching singha's shirt drove me mad. That's just so crazy. I can feel pooh's improvement after pit babe. He did way better here.

almost forgot to mention their addictive OST too. I just listened to pray and loop on loop the whole time the series aired.
overall i'm just so obsessed over singsa latai, i am never moving on. I will rewatch until the end of time. or until we get that michaeltopten series we've been waiting too long for.

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Something is off with the romance part between the FL and ML lead

I watched this drama as it was said to be the sequel to "The Interpreter" but other than Yang Mi starring, there is absolutely no connection between them. The storyline does use some of the same cliches with Yang Mi' cold, frozen face expressions and being heartless to those loving her. Yang Mi is one of my favorite actresses but I don't think this role was her best performance. I am not sure if anyone else noticed, but it was apparent that throughout the whole series, she has been dodging physical contact, especially kissing with the ML. I have never seen so many forehead kisses, hair patting and hugging in a romantic scene that was supposed to be the lovers' hot/intimate interaction. It was obvious that Yang Mi was barely able to carry on with the romantic scenes, maybe because of the age difference between the FL & ML and she found it awkward to play lovers with a much younger actor. So, the whole "loving couple" vibe was more like a brother and big sister vibe. Thank God for Huang Ze Tao's great acting skills to have saved the romance/romantic parts of the movie.
I really liked the full cast of the very talented young actors:; and the storyline itself wasn't all that bad, except for the plot holes here and there and some things that just simply didn't add up or made any sense i.e. the FL accidentally was forced onto an International flight from China to Hawaii and she didn't know where she was being "taken" to? Seriously? With all the security and check ins at every airport, especially International airports, she just wondered onto the plane??? Or.. how does it make any sense that her friend Shan Shan being pregnant and have fallen so the FL told her to wait for her to fly back from NY to Shanghai. That's a pretty long wait!! How ridiculous. Then she blames herself and the ML for not getting there on time.? Honestly, which script writer had a brain freeze at this point.
And what was with the English dubbing? It sounded very cheap and ridiculous.
Overall, it's a watchable series that provides some entertainment but for me, I will not put this on my rewatch list. Thanks for the Crew for their hard work.

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Gay romance with jealous colleague, possessive ex-lover and confusing systems plot device

I am a big fan of Chinese vertical dramas. I have seen a handful of Korean verticals but only 1 that I truly enjoyed. Thought I should give this a go since it is available on iQIYI and to my surprise, I liked it.

What I liked:
1. Plot - Refreshing as I had not seen office rivalry story done this way.
2. Acting - I really like Kim Ye Chan's performance. His character was a sensitive soul & I could sense his sadness. The actress who played the antagonist gave a good performance because I hated her character.
3. ML characterisation - Yun Yeong Won was my favourite character as he was the most fleshed out. He yearned to love & be loved. Nice guy who was also a sensitive soul.
4. Styling - I liked the contrasting style between the two MLs as they reflected their personalities - uptight vs youthful. It's cute seeing adult wearing shorts to work.
5. Protectiveness - I liked the first scene in which we saw ML having confrontation with his ex boyfriend. Director ML was right about workplace bullying & sexual harassment.
6. Supporting characters - I liked that guy who was friends with the female antagonist. He only had few scenes but his appearances were interesting.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Wow, that jealous colleague turned ML's ex boyfriend's wife was psychotic & malicious bitch. The type who is envious of a happy couple and would destroy their happiness. ML's ex boyfriend was a manipulative arsehole.
2. Systems - I don't quite understand this plot device. Why was the director ML given systems arc?
3. Romance - I felt they could have longer romance arc especially after the awful wedding.

Favourite scene
When both MLs had heart-to-heart conversation

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10/10 Xianxia/Xianhuan Masterpiece

It’s been a long time since I felt this impressed by a xianxia drama. Love Beyond the Grave is exceptionally well-made, with a beautiful story that flows seamlessly between the human and spirit realms. There are no absurd rules or hypocritical gods. Both leads are clever and scheming, but they only use their wits against their enemies. With each other, they are honest, deeply understanding, and feel like a match made in heaven. The villains also have real depth, and the core message of the drama is strong and meaningful.

The storytelling is excellent. It gradually reveals the characters’ personalities while cleverly using flashbacks to build emotional connection between the leads. There are exciting twists, no unnecessary dragged scenes, and plenty of moments that let you appreciate the actors’ skills. The soundtrack is beautiful and deeply touching, the battle sequences are thrilling, and one particular scene about exchanging the five senses beautifully highlights the value of being human and finding joy in simple things.

Visually, the drama is stunning with fresh and gorgeous CGI. Simu costumes are magnificent and look perfect on Dilraba — this role was clearly made for her. Chen Feiyu shines brilliantly in both action and romantic scenes. He’s one of the most talented young actors of his generation, and his chemistry with Dilraba is fantastic. I really hope they work together again soon. The drama offers two endings; I personally loved the happy one as it resolves the story nicely. Overall, this is a perfect drama in every aspect. A well-deserved 10/10.

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A bizarre and comical movie with a unique plot.

Since this movie has no reviews, I thought I'd give my two-cents on it. First off, it's available on the streaming app Tubi, which has a good catalog of lesser known to obscure Japanese media. Barashi Fight happens to be low-budget, and at times noticeably, but it still makes up for it with a ton of absurdity. The story, I'll be honest, is pretty unique and sounds like the plot of an anime or a manga for a lack of better words. Strapped for cash, departments in a theatre production fight to near death (legally, ahem, no harm to theatre property btw) to see who's worthy enough to attend the prod after-party?! As someone who has directed plays in school this would have been hilarious - it would've been a darn bloodbath with how serious everyone was. The story kind of gives us some exposition on 'Barashi' which happens to be this battle royale event after the play's over.

All of this eventually snowballs into a single question for our protagonists, and every crew member fighting for a glass of beer - what does the after-party mean to them? Through all the rice cooker and mannequin head fights, I found myself asking this question: why were these people fighting for the after-party, and why was only one department deemed worthy enough for it? Turns out the story was all about power abuse and, to an extent, harassment from upper management. And honestly, yeah, crew members should be treated better! Give them their flowers! Though I reckon I lost so many important points at the end because the subtitles completely lost any remaining sense by then.

Some of the more throwaway parts of the story, like Shinto's whole thing, was honestly confusing - he did what he did for the sake of art? Very weird pivot for the character. You see, the story's absurd, so I'd forgive most of the inconsistencies because of the absurdity and low budget. On the other hand, I think the actors were fine. I was pretty impressed by the action, and how they used the props! Couldn't have been easy wielding a speaker as a weapon - I say this with absolute seriousness all things considered. You could tell some of the actors were slightly awkward at the very beginning, but they got better as the story went on. It also felt like a stage play towards the end - the fact that it's set in one location helped a ton.

There wasn't much in terms of music, except for the song at the end which may have been performed by a J-pop boy group I couldn't quite identify unfortunately.

I'll end this review by saying that while I don't think I'd watch this again, it was a bizarre story that everyone involved frankly managed to pull of! Granted this was no 'One Cut of the Dead,' but it was a good effort, and managed to get some laughs from me (Tomoegawa's wife at the end lol). And for all that, I'll give everyone in this their flowers.

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Shin Hye Sun steals the show :-) in a good sense

This series caught me off guard immediately! I did not expect too much, even thought I like Shin Hye Sun' acting very much. But here, she is just superb! Such a fresh character after seeing so many one-colored bosses. And on top of that, it is super funny 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥰🤣🤣🤣🥰🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

ok, so to add more. I am writing this review after watching the first one and a half epizode. There is still so much to come after this but I have the impression that behind the funny storyline we will see depths in the characters. So I just cannot wait to watch the new episodes!

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Has so much potential but is ruined by bad directing and script

The "core" of the script plot is great and the actors are very capable - and then all that was just thrown out.... , Some moron made the capable actors act cringe.
ML is made to act poker-faced, 99% limited in his acting and extremely boring cardboard character;
FL is made into a stupid petty damsel in distress in ep 2 in the village /with ML - but she was confident and smart in ep 1 in the city;
and SML is made into a very ... simple fangirl/idol type character. And Ep 2 is filmed in a super simplistic and rather choppy way, and nothing is funny.

To save the drama, ML actor has to be allowed to express as much as possible - make him human!, FL has to STILL have those creative, confident, smart qualities she had in ep 1, and SML needs to be more than just a pretty boy.

To me, ep 1 was so enjoyable bc ML had only comedic scenes in the village, FL had amazing professional success scenes, informative personal scenes, and the villagers provided the energetic, warm scenes.

Then it all fell apart in ep 2.... FL came to the village and behaved like a total loser moron - ah so CRINGE,
ML was grumpy poker faced the entire time - ah so ugly and BORING -
and SML was used as a decorative object for most part. Ep 2 was filmed in a very choppy way and there was nothing funny about it. Even chickens flying around was not funny.

Someone said FL actress was in Doubt. That is a top notch drama. Whoever just turned off her acting capabilities in this drama and made her act the classic sexist "stupid FL" cringe, is a total and complete moron.

I have never seen ML actor before but I highly suspect he can act and wants to act, bc he looks so bored and forced in his overly simplistic poker-faced role, and his only good scene is 1 second of him being a gangster and smiling.

This drama is just throwing great actors to trash. The director is the most at fault, I think, then the script writer.

So I dropped. it is too bad, I wanted to watch this, but life is too short to waste on trash dramas

Even shorter:
Bon Appetit Your Majesty was a super hit bc the open-minded director let ML actor act as much as he wanted, with enthusiasm and energy. That Director was a genius who saw talent and let it shine.

Unlike the director here who is either a caked old geezer without any creativity OR playing it safe and staying commercial mainstream OR totally out of touch with the drama and the actors OR someone with $$$$ told him to make a cliche trash to sell -
in any case;

SOME MORON DIRECTOR IS KILLING THIS DRAMA BY FORCING ACTORS INTO CRINGE ACTING

And the audience is guilty bc Ep 1 was all about strong FL and the audience found it boring - bc audience is sexist as usual -

and audience was shallow as usual, finding villagers boring, finding old people boring, wanting young pretty faces as rich characters in a sleek urban setting - basically their own fantasy about themselves -

and the audience LIKED Ep 2, ML as cold and shut down and FL as stupidly dumb loser who keeps making mistakes and ML saves her - the cliche plot of all trash dramas - and it WORKS - Dynamite Kiss, etc are all such dinosaur cliche sexist trash dramas with huge following -

the Director served in ep 2 what he is sure will work and turned ep 2 into a cliche sexist obsolete trash-drama

the FL is an accomplished actress from a top drama Doubt and her performance in ep 1 of this drama is STELLAR. Whoever throws that talent away is a moron to the max

But the AUDIENCE is driving this drama into mediocrity at best
So the audience needs to cajole the director to let this drama go the way of Bon Appettit Your Majesty
ML actor is energetic, dynamic and I suspect he CAN act, FL actress is a masterful actress, and SML i am sure can act. SO IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A GREAT DRAMA

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Short and sweet

Miss Independent Ji Eun delivers a fresh take on young adulthood through the eyes of a sharp-witted 24-year-old tackling her debut office gig, catty colleagues, and a slow-burn office flirtation that feels earned rather than engineered

Its magic lies in the everyday authenticity: no grand twists, just honest glimpses of triumphs over spills, snubs, and self-doubt, wrapped in humor that hits close to home. Ji Eun's no-damsel vibe—fiercely practical yet endearingly flustered—makes her a standout, turning mundane mishaps into mini-lessons on owning your path.

It's wholesome escapism that whispers, "You've got this," without preaching.

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what the helly is happening

dropping this because i honestly don't know what the helly is going on and i don't really care tbh. the politics is so convoluted and there's too many characters. the beginning 12ish episodes were great (and the best part of the drama) but the execution for the remaining ones bamboozled me. quite frankly, a waste of time. after the war started, i completely lost interest in the romantic dynamic between FL and ML. chang yu's storyline fell a bit flat and it felt super fake how she was so strong because her father had literally taught her a technique that she reuses over and over again like c'mon, that's not how it works you simple minded simpleton. and then magically, she becomes a general, fights a literal war, and beats other men who have way more of a battlefield experience because of late daddy's special technique. like, where was the actual training, failure, or growth to make that believable? during her fight in ep30, she literally recalls two advice that was told to her abt her fighting skills and suddenly she goes super saiyan and kills the man. nothing about it felt built up properly, so by the end it just felt silly instead of satisfying. i also cringe everytime she says she'll kill pigs to raise the ML.

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One Good; Two Bad

There might be a worth while story/show here. I ran into two obstacles and dropped it, but there's a strong positive.

Obstacle one is that the lead actor, Ko Chen Tung, does not have the on screen presence needed to carry the series. He's playing a character in a Constantine mold which forces a comparison with Keanu Reeves of the Constantine movie, and with Matt Ryan of the Constantine TV series and he suffers badly lacking the charisma needed. The second obstacle, for me, is that the production is lacking the smooth plotting and directing of a typical average Korean production.

On the positive side is the sidekick character, played by Buffy Chen, does have a lot of on screen charisma and she steals every scene. She's playing a quirky little odd tag-a-long with the lead. She's almost enough to make it worth watching, but unfortunately, for me, not enough to overcome the lead's flaws.

If you like Chinese dramas and or like the lead then I recommend giving it try.

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Satisfying revenge story with kick-ass women!

I checked out this drama because iQIYI suggested it. I'm so glad I did! This was an oh-so-sweet revenge drama.

I loved the characters of the FL and her closest business partner/female supporter. Their characters have a great mix of strength and vulnerability. They don't bow down to any man or woman. They are strong, independent, and intelligent, and forces to be reckoned with. They are seriously kick-ass!

I really liked the character of the FL. She is multifaceted and goes through various metamorphosis over the drama. But she remains strong throughout, and doesn't lose brain cells like some c- and k-drama female leads are made to as the story progresses. She is also allowed to celebrate her sexuality. Those are some steamy kisses!

I rooted for the leads and loved to hate the villains. And no, I didn't pick this up because of the eye candy ML. I was craving a good revenge story. But it doesn't hurt that the ML is gorgeous. The FL is also beautiful and I love her wardrobe.

This was a short drama: only 24 episodes of about 30 minutes each, so 12 hours in total. I binged it! I think you will, too.

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Don't watch if you like vaguely fair or healthy relationships.

I came into this drama expecting a beautiful, funny and touching political romance story about a powerful, icy female lead and a green tea, pretend-weak male lead.
On the surface, this is true. The four praises I have for this drama are as follows:
1. The acting, especially from Hou Minghao, is incredible. Gulinazha does a great job as well with her dominant, elegant persona, but Hou Minghao is just on another level in my opinion. He expresses every emotion so beautifully, perfectly balancing subtlety and clarity. To be honest, he is the only reason why I wanted to watch this drama, and why I pulled through to the end.
2. The OST in this drama is beautiful, this might be one of the only dramas where I watched the intro fully each time, partly because I just love Hou Minghao's voice and partly because I didn't care about the actual story enough to be motivated to skip through. I also love the use of different instruments. The music in powerful scenes reminded me of war scenes in other dramas, which I really liked.
3. The cinematography and visuals of this drama are absolutely gorgeous, all of the bright colours, sweeping shots and breathtaking landscapes took my breath away at times. I especially loved the setting of the tea plantation.
4. This was an unexpected one, but the little information section at the end of some of the episodes were really unique and enjoyable. I loved how they included information about different aspects of tea and of Chinese culture.

Now, those are perhaps the only four enjoyable aspects of the drama for me. Other than that, this drama quickly became a chore to get through.
The first part, with Rong Shanbao saving Lu Jianglai's life, him losing his memory, and the husband selection, was the strongest part of my story. The characters were bright and vivid, and I felt that Rong Shanbao and Lu Jianglai had the most chemistry, and it is perhaps the only time when they are wholeheartedly working together, although obviously Rong Shanbao is taking advantage of Lu Jianglai's lack of memory.
After Lu Jianglai regains his memory, the story quickly goes downhill.

1. The story fails to properly explore the abusive family dynamic presented, instead continuing to idealise and praise the abusive matriarch after a glorified slap on the wrist. The only character that has a realistic, valid attitude towards her is also a villain who has done horrible things, and she's presented as a villain partly because she doesn't have sufficient empathy for her abuser, which she of course gains in the end.
2. Every single villainous sister is redeemed in the end, no matter how many horrible things they have done. Only exception to this rule is the fourth sister, who actually had a fulfilling and natural redemption arc.
3. Rong Shanbao is abusive and manipulative towards Lu Jianglai, and this is portrayed as of love. She constantly disrespects him, treats him like dirt underneath her feet, uses him as a tool to achieve her goals, lies to him to put his livelihood in danger for no reason, is frustratingly hypocritical in putting everything else before him, and allows everyone around her to disrespect him. This is never ever addressed by the story as Rong Shanbao has no flaws.
4. The story is ultimately boring, childish, mundane and cowardly. It refuses to show Rong Shanbao in any difficult situation and does logical gymnastics to make every hard scenario that she's in actually just a phase of her genius masterplan. The only entertainment you can get towards the end of the story is trying to guess what her plan this time is.
5. The ending of the story is horrible, feels like a completely different drama that was squished into 6 episodes and smashed onto the end of this one without any regard for the preexisting characters, all because the story realises that it has spent so long focusing on Rong Shanbao and neglecting Lu Jianglai despite him being the more sympathetic and likeable character.

Please don't waste your time on this drama, the political and melodramatic elements are cardboard-like and lacking any consequences, villainous characters either take too long to receive punishment or are undeservingly redeemed, and the romantic storyline is glorified manipulation and abuse.

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