Warm. That would be the most suitable word to summarize this show in one word.
I think, to start, the first thing I noticed in this movie from the very beginning, which I don't usually find in other series, especially Boys Love series, is the use of colors in the making of this show. It really matched the original theme of the book "When Oranges Fall", which is from the early 2000s. The warm "orangey" color used on the show really interests me and created a warm feeling for me personally that would honestly make me want to watch more. I watched this show blindly from a YouTube recommendation without knowing a single thing about the story & character. It was purely random, and it is a great decision of mine, I would say.I'm a big fan of high school BL to start, and I've been watching BL since 2021. But I haven't found anything quite like this before. I believe it was also an effort from both of the actors, Poomsuwan Suwansatit as Ko Song & Passawish Thamasungkeeti as Ko Neung. The storyline is really not niche. I firstly am curious why the producer named it "When Oranges Fall", since I didn't know the context of the movie (pure blindbox XD), but later I found out the concept is actually really cute, where a single orange tree created a later to be romantic relationship between the main characters. I also can't forget to mention about the relationship development between the characters. At first, they don't even like each other because Ko Song doesn't seem friendly to Ko Neung, but who knows they would end up in a romantic relationship?
Talking about the characters, I would really love to mention about the great acting of Ko Number 1, he could really build that fun, extroverted, and cute character that has really caught my attention. I'll take one example, his habit of putting the peeled-off orange skin on his head? No wonder why Ko Number 2 fell in love with him :P His emotional act has also really gotten to me, I nearly cried when he couldn't accept the fact that he might be separated from Ko Number 2 because he knew they'd eventually grow up and couldn't be high schoolers forever.
I also won't forget to mention the great character of Ko Song played by Poomsuwan Suwansatit. Recently, I've noticed that most of his shows have him being a smart and lovey-dovey boyfriend, and yeah, I agree LOL.. He really is built up to be that kind of character. The way he talks and cares for his boyfriend somehow made me jealous sometimes.. LMAO... My favorite scene of him is when he was avoiding Ko Number 1, he finally confessed his feelings when the rain poured that he actually loved Ko Number 1 and couldn't resist anymore. If you noticed, LOOK AT HIS FACE IN THE SCENE!! I almost died seeing his pleasing face!
The last thing I loved and need to mention is the friendship aspect of their "gang"! It was truly a wonderful and perfect friendship. The way they always hang out whenever and whenever together is just pleasing! Going to the beach, hanging out after school, sailing together, and many more! Also, the relationship of Augar and Achi really adds up to the story! Sometimes I even forgot to focus on the main characters because of the cuteness overload from Augar's relationship! And this is honestly the kind of friendship I need, and I want.. T-T
The only thing that I had wished to be on the series is more screen time for August and Tle.. It is honestly sad that we couldn't know and could only guess how they would end up. To be honest, their story is really interesting too.. That's why It disappoints me.. Tle didn't even get to show up on the last episode, where I really wished we would get to know how they finally ended up :(
I had a lot more to say about this movie, but It would be such a waste as you should've gone to watch this amazing series yourself! This show even moved me to watch LoveSick 2024 because I simply just couldn't move on from them! To be honest, I don't really write reviews myself, that's why you guys might notice that it's really messy... but Ko Number 1 & 2 really pushed me to write this review :D I would definitely rewatch this wonderful show in the future :)
#AlmondProgress4Ever 🍊
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Two separated by death are given another opportunity.
What I enjoyed most about Xing Xing Qi Yuan was the relationship between Xu Yuan and Zhou Qi Xing. This isn't simply a rebirth story about changing the past—it is about getting a second chance to save the person who once sacrificed everything for you.In her previous life, Xu Yuan experienced the destruction of her family and the death of Zhou Qi Xing, the blind young man who ultimately died for her. When she is reborn, she remembers everything and is determined that this time his fate will be different.
Zhou Qi Xing, however, doesn't have those memories. From his point of view, Xu Yuan suddenly enters his life determined to get close to him—and she isn't exactly shy about it! 😂❤️
I really enjoyed watching Xu Yuan actively pursue him. Her flirting provides some lighter moments, but underneath it is something much deeper. She knows what Zhou Qi Xing did for her in their previous life. Every time she protects him or refuses to leave him behind, you understand why she is fighting so hard.
Zhou Qi Xing was my favorite part of the drama. His blindness never makes him a weak ML. He is intelligent, capable, and emotionally strong, while also carrying his own wounds. As Xu Yuan slowly enters his heart, we see his guarded personality begin to change.
What makes their romance especially meaningful is that they save each other.
Xu Yuan believes she returned to save Zhou Qi Xing, but while she is trying to change his fate, he also becomes someone who gives her strength to face the enemies threatening her family.
I also liked that the romance doesn't exist separately from the revenge storyline. The Si family's actions continue threatening everything Xu Yuan is trying to protect, meaning changing fate isn't as simple as knowing what happened before. She still has to fight for this new future.
Their relationship gradually changes from Xu Yuan trying to repay a debt from another lifetime into genuine love in this one.
That is what made the story work for me.
In his previous life, Zhou Qi Xing died protecting Xu Yuan.
In this life, Xu Yuan refuses to let him die for her again.
Sometimes a second life isn't about changing your own fate. Sometimes it's about saving the person you couldn't save the first time.
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A story that belongs to its time
I thought Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a good drama for 2016, but watching it in 2026, I can’t say I found it extraordinary and so tragic as I initially thought.First of all, I was a little surprised by all the comments saying that all died. They didn’t. And honestly, considering the struggle for the throne, deaths among the princes are not that surprising, especially in a historical drama. I have watched Asian dramas that were much more violent and filled with far more hatred.
For me, the love story between Hae Soo and the 8th Prince, Wook, was much better developed and had much more chemistry. Their relationship felt natural, emotional and romantic. In comparison, I didn’t really feel that same chemistry between Hae Soo and the 4th Prince, Wang So. We know that he was constantly trying to protect her, and their relationship was important to the story, but somehow I didn’t feel enough romance between them. I kept waiting for that deeper emotional connection to really come through.
That said, I think the drama did a good job of trying to portray the reality of those times. The competition for the throne, the political conflicts and the deaths are part of the world the story is trying to show. It isn’t necessarily a story about endless hatred or violence, but rather about people caught in a brutal political reality.
I actually avoided watching this drama for a long time because of the reviews. I had the impression that it would be overwhelmingly sad and depressing. In the end, I found it to be more of a story about a certain reality, with many beautiful moments along the way — especially Hae Soo’s relationships with the princes and the memories they created together.
I also have to mention IU. I think she played Hae Soo perfectly. The character suited her incredibly well: beautiful, playful, kind, warm-hearted and compassionate. It’s easy to understand why so many men were drawn to her.
Overall, I think Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a drama that excelled in its time and clearly left a strong impression on viewers. But watching it now, in 2026, I would personally rate it as a good drama rather than an extraordinary one.
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FL： Wang Jin (as Wen Qian Su) in the leading couple's roles. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple had a great rapport with an intense connection and a passionate romantic chemistry. The drama can cause an array of feelings and a wide range of emotions concerning the male lead, but the story is about redemption after rebirth, a second chance to do things right and, during the process, being able to be loved and to cherish and protect your loved one. Overall, the drama i interesting and entertaining; enjoy it!
In the meantime, you can watch the drama on YouTube under the caption: " 4K【梁思偉💕王槿】未婚夫劈腿繼妹，她又被親爹趕出家門！暴雨夜暈倒在霍先生車前，醒來竟被他溫柔寵上天，原來他是重生來奪妻！《酥酥入懷》全集#短劇 #甜寵#cdrama [GOOGLE TRANSLATED:4K [Tony Leung 💕 Wang Jin] Her fiancé cheated with her stepsister, and she was kicked out by her own dad! Collapsing in the rain one night in front of Mr. Huo's car, she wakes up to find him showering her with gentle love—turns out he’s back from the past to win his wife! 'SuSu in My Arms' full series #shortdrama #sweetlove#cdrama] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8MvWaWv6zQ) or "His tenderness and favoritism are the most magnificent armor on my path of revenge." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g4UvcdXHm8)
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"friends" with different personalities
Overall: visuals are stunning, not sold on the dynamic though. 10 episodes about 22 minutes each. Airing on iQIYI https://www.iq.com/play/summertime-episode-1-wcrrbix90o?lang=en_us ; GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8745/summertime-2026 (not available in Japan, Korea, Americas, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde Islands, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe, Macau, Timor-Leste, Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom and Oceania)⠀and Wavve (S. Korea)Content Warnings: bullying, homophobia, manhandling, past death, grief, violence of screen
What I Liked
- best dream/start of series
- different personalities
- visuals
- fingers at the end of episode 4 and episode 4 overall
Room for Improvement
- one character treats the other character like an object to possess instead of a person with his own thoughts/desires
- he yelled at the friends and snitched to the dad when he did the same thing
- the dad beat him so badly he had bandages and everyone was chill about it???
- love rival
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Placeholder for lengthier review coming soon
I'm reserving full judgement until all episodes have aired but so far I'm really enjoying this drama so far.It's a pretty light watch, the acting is good, the storyline is good, and the pacing is good for me.
I also am kind of happy to see the ML in a role where he isn't a complete scumbag HA
What's not to like? :)
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Beautiful, Amusing, Intriguing, Heart-rendering
Love Beyond the Grave starts on a grim note, with the massacre of a town, but the mood quickly changes when General DuanXu arrives. Dilraba as He Si Mu absolutely had me roaring with laughter when she started flirting with him. She is so pretentious that it becomes hilarious. Her expressions — flirtatious, cunning, wicked and hypocritical — are spot-on. Good looks and excellent acting skills are always a killer combination for actors.And this drama certainly has the looks. Dilraba and Miles Wei are absolutely eye-candy — both are stunningly good looking. Miles once again plays the jilted lover, as he did in Flourished Peony and its sequel. Call me shallow, but good-looking actors with excellent acting skills always score extra points with me.
There are also some lessons to be learnt. If you are infatuated with someone who does not return your love, learn to back off. Do not assume they are merely playing hard to get. Otherwise it becomes harassment.
I also could not help drawing parallels with the corporate world when the emperor fails to reward the person most worthy of praise, instead rewarding peripheral staff. It is the classic workplace problem: bosses reward the obedient rather than the capable, and then wonder why the capable ones leave. I could empathise with DuanXu's frustration but admire that he still had not abandoned his ideal of recovering the 17 prefectures despite having such an absolute asshole of an emperor.
As for forgetting the names of exes — well, I completely empathise with Si Mu on that one!
The story also has enough twists and mysteries to keep things interesting. We are left wondering whether DuanXu is really who he claims to be, or a murderer who has assumed the identity of a dead man. There are simply too many things about him that do not fit someone from a scholarly family.
Some of the supporting characters are memorable too. The Shaman was thoroughly infuriating, while Ding Jia Wen, as the Imperial Preceptor, really brightened the drama with his coy, playful, drama-queen antics. The two young actors playing young Chen Ying and Spirit Song Xing Yu were commendable for their age and showed real promise as future stars. Credit also goes to the casting team: the child and teenage versions of Chen Ying actually bear a convincing resemblance to each other.
There are some genuinely heart-rendering moments. An upright, capable and promising young minister commits suicide simply to save someone else. He could have denied the edict, so why did he have to die? And when a villain dies happily knowing that the woman he loves will be alright, it is heartbreaking. I agree that it was probably the right ending for him, but credit where it is due — his love was sincere.
On the other hand, I became increasingly impatient with DuanXu's constant self-punishment and reckless abuse of his own body. He repeatedly exchanges his senses with Si Mu even though he knows perfectly well that doing so will weaken him and eventually kill him. At some point, I just wanted to yell at him: stop doing this to yourself!
As for the soundtrack, it has many lovely melodious pieces - absolutely enchanting. I was debating between 9 and 9.5 - decided to change it to 9.5 because of the beautiful soundtrack.
Now for my nitpicking...
If DuanXu gives all his senses to Si Mu, does that mean she becomes completely incapacitated of her spiritual powers?
And why would the spirit still want revenge on the people who wronged her? After all, they should surely have been dead for decades, given that it takes a century for an obsessed spirit to cultivate a human body.
And those obsessive spirits floating around like jellyfish really did not work for me. Surely there was a better CGI alternative — perhaps a vague human silhouette would have been far more atmospheric.
Overall, I rate Love Beyond the Grave highly for its entertainment value. It has beautiful actors, good performances, humour, romance, mystery, twists and enough emotional drama to keep things moving. My nitpicks aside, it is an enjoyable watch.
Enjoy!
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This review may contain spoilers
Had to struggle through this one..
Started watching this as I wanted to watch a drama with Liu Yu Ning after POB. Story was ok and acting is good from the cast but j feel that the ML and FL lack real chemistry. Zhao Lu Si is a great actress don’t get me wrong.I was practically watching episodes 20-30 by fast forwarding as jt was so draggy but completed it anyway.
Music and production value good but will not be rewatching.
Only watch if you are either a Liu Yu Ning or Zhao Lu Si super fan.
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Incredible acting by almost all the cast. I've watched many of the ML's before so I already know what a good actor he is, but the FL really stole the show in basically every scene she was in. Also, both ML and FL had incredible chemistry together which is so important to me and what makes or breaks a drama - and I wouldn't say this was a romance drama at all, but this drama was so unexpectedly romantic. The yearning, love, and devotion exhibited by the both of them was 10/10, no notes.
Plot was engaging, and not boring even though I know next to nothing about salt trade. I thought everything made sense, the villains were convincing, and it tied up nicely at the end. All the side characters were interesting, and I was actually majorly invested in their character arcs to see where they would end up.
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This was cute, what else can I say?
It took me a little while to start watching... I'm afraid I'm not a huge fan of Domundi's series, but I watched it because of the hype.Overall
This series is definitely for the fluffy-series lovers; the story is sweet, the characters are charming and the humor is fun. if you're looking for something more complex or mature maybe this is not for you.
Through the first episodes, the series is entertaining and fun to watch. The pacing is calm, there isn't any annoying or unnecessary drama.
I liked that most of the characters are total green flags, Duang, while chasing Quin, always respected his boundaries and never harassed him, like it often happens in some other bl series. Also Duang and Quin's friends were very supportive of them, they have an endering and healthy relationship.
The subplot of Qin's childhood trauma was very interesting to watch, it gave depth to the series, and it helped us to understand Qin's character better.
The intimate scenes were surprisingly well-performed, they were sensual, but not highly erotic or spicy, and the skinship through the series felt natural and cute.
Notes and things I didn't like:
At the beginning I thought they made Duang's character too unrealistic and stupid, but from middle to end of the story he seemed to return to sanity.
There some things that could be cringy for some people. Particularly for me all the Chucky costume strategy to get Qin's attention was painful to watch.
The pacing might be a little slow and not that exciting, but for me was okay; it was fresh and nice to watch.
I really liked the dynamic of Duang and Qin's friends, and I would have liked better if they had given us more scenes of them together and developed the story of Jamie and Marvis more. Still I understand the main focus was romance and not friendship :(
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The story flow
Amazing and hotCharacters are good and amazing..
First episode is super hot.. I want to know the story flow of the series.. Moth is beautiful and dean is hot.. I know until the end im still holding the title in "team dean"..
Still want to read the novel..
Still can get over the first episode..
first episode is amazing,, what more in other episode.. cant wait to watch the reamaining episode.. Im so very excited for this series..
More success for WE 🙏🏼🙏🏼
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10/10, Emotionally Devastating
I honestly don’t even know how to rate this drama after that ending. I finished the last episode and just sat there feeling genuinely heartbroken.What I really loved about War and Beauty is that it doesn’t simply divide its characters into “good” and “evil.” The deeper the story goes, the more you realize that many of the women who seem cruel or manipulative were once innocent themselves, and the palace gradually turned them into what they became.
Consort Yu is probably the character who surprised me the most. At first, I thought she was simply another scheming villain, but learning about how innocent and hopeful she was when she first entered the palace, and how the loss of her son and years of palace intrigues changed her, made her character much more tragic. By the end, I couldn’t even look at her in the same way anymore.
And then there’s the ending… genuinely brutal.
On Tsin finally escaped with the person she loved, only for us to discover that she had already been wounded by an arrow and died on the way. The fact that he didn’t even know she was injured while carrying her made the scene so much more painful. And Art Sin never even found out that her real sister had died. That detail absolutely destroyed me.
Dr. Sun’s death also hurt. At some point, I was basically watching the finale thinking,
“Can ANYONE in this palace just survive and be happy?” Apparently not. 😭
What makes the ending even more frustrating is that the people responsible for so much suffering don’t necessarily receive the punishment we expect. The Queen, especially, made me furious. She committed terrible things and yet the story doesn’t give the audience the satisfying “villain finally gets what she deserves” ending. And honestly, I think that was intentional.
The palace's world is cruel because power doesn’t automatically come with justice. The people at the bottom suffer the consequences while the people protected by the system can survive.
I also couldn’t stop wondering about the Emperor during the rebellion. The fact that he left very early that morning, before sunrise, with relatively little protection made me suspicious that he may have known that something was going to happen. The drama leaves enough ambiguity for you to question how much the people at the top actually knew about what was happening inside the palace.
And that’s probably what stayed with me the most: not everyone dies knowing the truth, and not everyone who deserves punishment receives it.
War and Beauty is tragic, political, ruthless, and surprisingly emotional. It’s also one of those dramas where the “villains” become more understandable the longer you watch, because you start seeing how the palace itself destroys people.
I came for the palace intrigue and ended up emotionally attached to a group of doomed women. Terrible decision. Would absolutely do it again.
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Very enjoyable. I have started this ride and I am all in.
- Cast ... Perfect for their roles. I enjoyed each and every one of them.
- Characters ... These characters were written so well, deep, and charismatic.
- OST ... Very good.
- Cinematography ... Beautiful with a smooth flow.
- Choreography/fight scenes ... Delightful. This alone would make me re-watch.
- Storyline ... This is a maze with many roads, yet the stories hold their own. I enjoyed this series; it was compelling and had enough content and details to hook you and make you want to continue the journey.
Halfway through I started to doubt the characters, plot and even my sanity ... but I am glad I stuck with it as the story unraveled and my curiosity led me to the end.
After watching Time Raiders I decided to go back and watch this one. Now the next on my list ... The Lost Tomb 2 (2019)
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If My Wife Becomes an Elementary School Student.
0 people found this review helpful
a good cry
i typically don’t tend to go for dramas where there’s a switch in between lives/souls or the minds or even parallel worlds. things like reincarnation i find unrealistic and while it is a genre/theme that is pretty popular and interesting to a lot of people i find it really unrealistic but regardless i found this to be a very good watch because of the cast.the girl who played the character of the mother amazed me because in reality she’s really just a kid but she mimicked the qualities and the personality of a mother figure as if she was the mother, which in the case of the show she is. this show also has a very fulfilling and melancholic aspect to it: for a caring loving mother to be reborn to a family that is the opposite dynamic, and the fact that she was able to change the girls life and help her mother and daughter grow a stronger bond.
while i would not rewatch it, i definitely loved the acting and story itself. while it was not the ending i wanted i definitely think everyone was able to get the closure and grow to accept reality despite it being something out of this world, the unexpected. but nonetheless this is a good watch and i got a good cry out of it.
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I was hooked from the start
Korean BLs have long been full of dead fish lips and half hearted storylines lacking depth. But recently a handful of production companies have decided enough is enough and gone back to the drawing board. Does this series have NC? Yes. Is that the main thing that is going to be why you watch? Probably for some who only watch any BLs for the NC scenes, and we listen and don't judge. But is that what is going to keep most of us watching? Not by a long shot. This is a well rounded series with a great cast, an amazing OST, and a script full of emotions that keep you laughing and crying, applauding and cringing for our leads.Was this review helpful to you?
