Reviews

When 8 Episodes Feel Like an Eternity

I expected more from this drama. Despite being only 8 episodes long, it felt dragged out. The first 3 episodes were disappointing: the storytelling was too tedious, lacking tension, momentum, and overall atmosphere. From episode 4, things start to move at least a little, but the ending still feels underdeveloped. In the end, the story turns out messy and at times illogical, which made it a boring watch.

The premise was interesting фтв the cast was quite solid, but the execution fell short. So what went wrong? The strangest character for me was the prosecutor. Her smug, almost unpleasant smirks don’t match the image of a principled fighter for justice, and at times she looks more frightening than the supposed antagonist.

Ryeo Un did a decent job and clearly tried, but he didn’t quite pull off a truly chilling portrayal of a psychopath—though perhaps that wasn’t the goal. However, you get the feeling that even the director didn't fully understand what the final result was supposed to be.

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We Love To Fight;Bloodbath is a must

The show was on the fundamental move of giving and intense fight scenes; it was delivered properly.
The layers & depth of the characters is not much to talk about, much isn't given but the mutual trust they had in one another makes it more enjoyable, than suffocated, the bromance of our leads in S2 went into a tight era, shaping the intricacy of having a close friend you can lean towards in times of tears, anger, and sadness.
The graphic violence was existent & nauseating, giving you a flinch at every deadly blow (for some, not me).
The relationship with their mother was an important ride, as it was a nicely cooked delivery on my emotions.
Rain delivered a wacky, cruel, money-obsessed villain, impeccably.

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FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY OUTSTANDING!!

Bloodhounds 2 comes out swinging from the very first minute and never lets up. This season is high‑octane, viciously brutal, unexpectedly funny, and anchored by some of the best fight choreography I’ve seen in a K‑drama EVER. If this show is nothing else, it is a masterclass in action design.

And yes — Rain as a villain is everything. Woo Do‑hwan deserves a shoutout too; the way he plays naive, emotional, and earnest is genuinely great acting.

As the story escalates, the stakes rise and the villains grow more vicious, leaving Gun Woo constantly fighting uphill while the police remain frustratingly useless. But the real crown jewel of this season is the fight choreography — a genuine masterclass. Episode 5 delivers a standout duel, and Episode 6 raises the bar even higher with the phenomenal Baek Jeong vs. Tae Geom fight. The emotional beats land too, especially Woo Jin’s heartbreaking moment with Gun Woo’s mom. By the finale, the showdown between Baek Jeong and Gun Woo is everything it needed to be, with Jin Woo joining the fray for good measure.

The season wraps up satisfyingly, but the mid‑credit and post‑credit scenes leave just enough intrigue to spark speculation. If you’re here for the fights, the tension, and the emotional punches — this season delivers. If you're here for a great plot this isn’t the strongest, but the execution, performances, and action more than make up for it.

4/4/26

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The cutest actress ever

Things I adored

1 The FL: She is gorgeous and a great actress. She plays cute and dynamic and romantic well. I've known her from I may Love you drama I loved and she was one of my favorites there. I can't understand how is it possible that she hasn't landed several main roles. She is a great actress.

2The outfits. Best outfits ever. I'm sure there are other series that have actresses who are dressed well, but I loved all the outfits the FL wore here. Each one of them. She ahs a great silhouette but she wore them with such grace. They were cute ad modern and so so elegant.

Things I loved

1 The kisses. Although it felt juvenile most of the time and the story wasn't anything special some of the kisses were sweet and romantic but also better than many I've seen in much better series. From what I saw in the Behind the scenes feature, they had fun filming the main leads and maybe that's the reason the kisses are that good. Kudos to them.

2 The assistant. He was a good actor and I enjoyed his interactions with the ML.

Things I liked

1 The FL character. I separate this from the actress because I thought the character was great when it started but it went downhill after a few episodes. She lost her verve and dynamism and the series lost a bit of its charm. When she became a couple with the ML things weren't as interesting anymore. If it weren't for her I would have given up.

2 The ML character. I didn't love him but I liked that he was aware of being weird and the actor did a good job with his character. It could go south but he managed to make him sympathetic. I didn't like some of the things he said or did but all in all nothing major and he was more sweet and quirky than anything else.

Things I disliked

1 The 2FL. I didn't care much about her and I admit I disliked the relationship and the whole fatty thing.

2 The 3FL. I thought she wasn't anything special and just took time from the main couple. Her plot was terrible as well.

3 The plot. Actually, there was no plot. It's the first time I say that but the premise was flimsy at best. If not for the FL I would never finish it because there was nothing to expect or to capture your attention.

4 The artist and idol of the FL. The actor wasn't great and the character not essential to the series to be honest.

Things I hated

1 For some reason I felt like this drama used the word GOD a lot. I didn't expect that and it bothered me. I haven't noticed such thing in other dramas so I wonder what was with that?

2 The 3ML. The actor was awful and the worst is that he looked so young it felt creepy to listen to him speak as an adult and especially seeing him kiss the 3FL. I don't know I hated the whole plot.

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It was funny and entertaining.

"This is one of the funniest series I've ever watched, and will ever watch. They did a great job of making it all together so that each character wouldn't have their own separate series and nobody would be waiting for one. Santa and Mark were especially fantastic; their energy and timing really carried the show to another level. The chemistry between the entire cast is what makes this series so special and rewatchable. Every episode feels fresh, and the humor is so well-written that I found myself laughing out loud constantly. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a good laugh and a heartwarming story. It is truly a masterpiece of its genre and I enjoyed every second of the 24 episodes

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Not bad

Things I loved

1 The female lead. She wasn't the prettiest or the best actress ever abut she did a good job and I loved how her character was different than most.

2 The male lead she stayed with. he was handsome, funny, a good friend, and I even liked his relationship with the receptionist. They were cute and although sometimes they were frustrating, I loved them both.

3 The receptionist and friend of the FL. She was beautiful, interesting and I loved her relationship with one of the 2MLeads.

3 I loved the relationship between the ML and one of the 2MLeads. It felt real and it was also fun to watch the rivalry between the brother and the ML. The friendship between the three was fun.

Things I liked

1 The company context. I loved that they didn't make it too much dark between the two companies and the CEOs.

2 I liked the approach the FL took regarding her career. It was refreshing. That said, I was happy things changed in the end a bit.

3 The ML. I'm not sure where to put him. I see he ahs quite a few shows but in my opinion he wasn0t the best in this drama. He wasn't bad per se, and I loved some interactions with the FL, but I can't say I was taken by his performance. He was wooden sometimes and it bothered me. Other times he was sweet and looked handsome and loved him. I liked his character as well.

4 The 2ML. I saw him for the first time in Moonlight and adored his character. Here it wasn't the same love but he still managed to play his role well and his behavior was amusing more times than not. I think the actor is talented it's just that the role here wasn't as engaging as the one in Moonlight. All in all it was an interesting drama and the dimples were mentioned quite a bit related to this actor. I don't see why the title would refer to it since he wasn't the main character but I guess someone thought it was smart to make people wonder what the dimples have to do with anything.

Things I hated

1 The ex of the ML. What a witch. I can't believe the lengths she went to to annoy the FL and get back with the ML. It was frustrating and tested my limits a few times, but it was also fun to watch waiting for her to pay.

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I am obsessed and I cannot imagine how long I’ll take to get over this!

I usually never start ongoing dramas but the hype surrounding this drama was too much and I was seeing edits and spoilers everywhere so I had to start. I can’t say I’ve watched many cdramas especially historical but I can say from all I’ve watched never have I ever been unable to stop and not get bored midway. Zhang Linghe and Tian xi we were brilliant and I fell in love with this drama. I really feel like reading the book too much because there’s so much more I wanted to see in the end like their second wedding, their kids and just more happy days of them together. I’m sorry the ending came so soon but I understand the starting with the lin an village had to be long because that’s literally one of my favourite parts. Xie Zheng was so so much cooler with his secret letter sending and fighting which injured than he got to be while he was actually with the army. They really robbed us of good fighting scenes from him when he was well and healthy but oh well changyu saved it with her epic scenes. I also had to struggle avd rewind parts to catch vital dialogues concerning the main political parts in the end but I understood it thankfully. I wish I could talk to friends and recommend this more but a lot of non cdrama watchers would definitely struggle. the story it’s based on is so elaborate and detailed that even 40 episodes weren’t enough. despite all that I cannot rate it low because it was seamless, it was beautiful and it made us all fall in love. The cast, the story, the ost and the production was truly beautiful and I cannot praise it enough.

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Live up to disappointment

From the synopsis and even the trailer, you'd think this would be a drama about people going to Beijing to follow their dreams. And in retrospect, it did start off that way in the first quarter of the drama. So of course, I was intrigued. I wasn't expecting them to all to actually get their dream bby the end of the drama but I was fully content with watching their drive and the motivation the characters had to reach it. But unfortunately, the writer didn't have the same idea as me.

Throughout the drama, there was a common theme that became redundant and ridiculous after a while. One of the characters would get a chance to live out their dream, be it singing, acting, writing....and the writer would snatch it away and then repeat the same thing over a few episodes later. It's like letting the characters get a taste of success and then stripping it from them to prolong the story. It made it so the characters would do jobs outside of their ideal profession to earn money. That's understandable but after a while I started to notice that it was steering away from the core reason of them coming to Beijing in the first place and the premise of the story was diminishing from my eyes. But I don't even know why I was surprised because they jumped the shark numerous times with all the gang violence that didn't even fit the scope of the drama at all.

This next part is a spoiler and why I hate this drama and would never recommend it to anyone. So, don't read the next part if you don't care for spoilers.

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The way the screenwriter wrote Jelly Lin's character and the 2ML's characters to be miserable was infuriating. Those two were the happiest at the start of the drama and became miserable by the middle and had the worst ending possible. Jelly Lin's character out of everyone grinded the hardest to reach her dream as an actress. We watched her get her second fl taken away from her then she got the third FL role and that was taken from her as well. Then the writer had her sleep with an investor to get acting jobs, the same investor (an old disgusting guy) ended up getting her pregnant, she had to quit acting because of the disgust she was getting from her costars and special treatment she got from production, her mother disowned her; until finally she got some semblence of happiness when she married the guy who always loved her (2ML), they moved to Paris, and a couple of years passed and they were happy and in love only for the writer to give her husband a tumor and six months to live.

As one would expect. Her husband died, and she ended up alone in Paris for 20 years until coming back to China. And what makes it even crazier is that the ML actually got to become a screenwriter (He was the only one out six that got his dream) and produce movies, but somehow getting Jelly Lin's character to be an actress in one of his movies wasn't an option? Even in the drama the ML said if his scripts where able to beome movies or dramas that he'd cast her and that never happened. I'm so annoyed.

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Healing drama

This was such a cute, slice of life drama.

Each character felt explored and developed, and I found myself caring for every single one of them, which is rare in large cast dramas for me.

The teen couple stole my heart, it was a really sweet and both actors were amazing, hopefully this is the start of very long a prolific careers for both of them.

This features love in all life stages, which was very much appreciated. I really liked hown the grandma had her own story and wasn't there just as a plot prop.

Main couple, I did not expect less from these actors. They chose a truly great project. They played each of their roles flawlessly and made me cry with them, but also made me extremely happy in their happy moments.

My only slight issue was with the lack of development of the second lead couple, I guess it was ok, nothing extraordinary, when they had great potential in the beginning.

I actually don't think this could've been longer, with more ep maybe they would've dragged everything for too long, everything wrapped up nicely in the end.

Overall, best of 2026 so far.

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The reality of broken family and the meaning of Love in a Family

half of the characters don't have mothers. the others half, have mothers and they are so freaking controlling and toxic, poisonous characters. Girls at 25-26 act like they are 12 years old, and they don't have an answer, a decision , fight back against crazy mothers. Castrated men. Men who have nathing to say. Men who are just there, without any kind of masculine energy and inspiration for their sons.

what is this drama trying to prove or inspire?!?!

I feel like I'm dying of boredom by episode 24, and this dull female perspective doesn't inspire me. It scares me. It saddens me.

Ling Xiao mother was a great example of a narcissistic, huge mental problems. As a child if you want to have a healthy life you have to end everything otherwise your life will be hell.

Mental health, toxic family, luck of boundaries.
Harmony and loving family, is yhe way to be open and able to live your life.

It has also cuteness, comedy moments but it was sad to see how children take aduls responsibility and they have to be responsible for the parants that treat them bad to glorify the image of family.

I hope people's watching this to learn and become aware of their mental health, emotional health and to have string boundaries even in the family.

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It would be a 9 if not for the second couple

Things I adored

1 The parents. I would watch it again just for their scenes. Such great parents and great actors. I enjoyed the relationship with their children and between them and it was relaxing and rewarding to watch them.

2 The main couple. Both actors are amongst my favorites but I want to highlight specifically their chemistry. It wasn0't as good I think as the chemistry in Moonlight but it was still great.

Things I loved

1 Ester Yu. I didn't put her in the adore list this time because I have to differentiate this role from the one in Moonlight and I think this one had some major problems, but she's still wonderful in playing the bubbly girl. I loved her more in the first episodes and again in the last ones. In the middle she was great but sometimes I felt like the script wasn't good enough and she hadn't much to work with.

2 Vin Zhang. He became one of my favorite actors ad its a shame i can't find enough modern dramas with him. He was good here although I preferred him in another show Here We Meet Again. He still was gorgeous and had chemistry with Ester Yu. The role was perfect for him. I loved his relationship with his little brother, he has a real talent acting with children. I noticed how great he was in the other drama I mentioned as well. A great actor and I enjoyed his aloof professor role.

3 The actor who played the little brother of the male lead. Such funny and cute character. I loved his relationship with Ester Yu and Vin Zhang. Their interactions were hilarious.

Things I liked

1 The FL brother. He was wholesome and kind and I would love to see him fall in love with the blogger and follow their love story for a bit.

2 The ending. Yes it went also in my dislike list because I anted more time with them as a couple, but on he other hand hem being separated gave me strong sensations and that is important as well. They should just reward us for the heartbreak with a bit more time with them.

Things I disliked

1 The student. He was obnoxious and irritated me more than he entertained me.

2 The time they were separated. I wish we had more time to enjoy their relationship and my heart was sad the whole time. It felt like we didn't spend enough with them as a couple.

Things I hated

1 The second couple and that's the reason this is only an 8. I hated both of them. Yes, 2ML was an awful character and I didn't warm at him at all, but the 2FL was an awful actress and she was no match to Ester Yu. Usually she's paired with some good actresses and there's chemistry between them, but not this time. So it ruined the drama for me in some capacity. Fortunately not completely and after a wile I just skipped every time they appeared, and unfortunately they appeared a lot.

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A joy that came late

Reviewed after Episode 19

A beautiful story of mutual unrequited high school crush which gets another opportunity a decade after

Its a slow burn romance
Requires patience and a calm mindset to appreciate all the details
There is a SML arc which some viewers may find annoying in the middle episodes (he doesn't even count as a proper obstacle) but he becomes a likeable character later on in the show
There are extra clips at the end of episodes (not all) which are missing pieces to the story. Don't miss them!
The story goes back to flashbacks every now and then which can disrupt the pace and momentum and cause confusion for some viewers
Entertaining and funny without much angst like melodrama, misunderstandings, break-ups
A very grand proposal and wedding for a deserving conclusion to the title and series

Main leads story:
This story is told in a realistic way.

Secret crush:
Firstly we understand why it remained a secret crush 10 years ago- because the fl thought it was one sided and although she made preparations (gift) to confess, as a last resort before they leave school, it failed as the ML didn't show up on that day when the final year students were going on a graduation trip.
The ML also thought it was one-sided, yet he too prepared a gift to confess to her on new years eve. In the meantime, due to his parents divorce, and as his sister didn't want to go to US he had to compromise and leave with his dad. At this point he made a decision not to confess.

The Gap years:
The FL becomes a successful writer
The ML becomes an accomplished lawyer settled in the US
During these years they have grown from adolescents into adults each shaped by their own experiences

Catalyst:
When fl runs out of inspiration, she goes back to her hometown where while rummaging through her old stuff she finds her personal diary with all the notes about the ML (teen stuff like she saw him on that day feeding the orange cat, another day playing the piano etc). She decides to write this into a novel hoping to give her unrequited love a happy ending. She makes up a version for the ml and includes some fantasies in that. The book gets published, becomes successful. Then she gets accused of plagiarism. This is a crucial part of the story. Around this same time, the ML's sister, while going through some old boxes in her house finds an old phone (her brothers). She discovers some unsent drafts and after reading gets excited that her bro actually had a crush on someone and decides to make it into a story and publish it. This happens before FL's story gets published. Then people compare the two and accuse the FL of plagiarism. Then another character (fl's career rival) comes into picture, and she provokes the ML sister to sue fl legally. Sister and her classmate sue fl but somehow end up in a soup which forces them to find out the identity of the author and through some twists and turns they find out that the author was actually her brother's secret crush. Because of the trouble she was in and because she also thought maybe this was a godsend opportunity for their unrequited crush, she reveals all this to the ML and that's how he ends up in China as her lawyer.

Initial phase:
Imagine meeting your secret crush after 10years and coming to know that they are going to assist your case. The book is about him and she has included some very personal thoughts and fantasies in it. Her first reaction is to not acknowledge him. Then he plays along. This goes on for a while. In every interaction they have they discover slowly that the other knows fully well they are from the same school. She still doesn't doubt whether he knows if the story is about him.
At episode 12, when the plagiarism case ends, she notices a 'change' in his demeanor to a more caring and gentle one especially when she gets sick.
She even thinks if he is "possessed"
Whenever he tried to reveal himself , she seemed to cover it up not wanting to do it.
So the crux of the story is that they first need to reveal and accept that they are from the same school, which in turn would mean he knows that her story is about him. This happens around episode 14/15 finally. Once she discovers that, she feels exposed and embarrassed. All this while he had known her innermost thoughts and secrets about him yet played. She feels disturbed, embarrassed, and in a situation where she feels she can't face him anymore. She goes away on a holiday.


The Re-discovery:
A phase where the tension comes from the friction between who they were and who they are now. Their interactions as lawyer and client help put each other on a pedestal. They learned about each other. They need to know more. Another opportunity for the ML to go to the same town on work is 'created'. The adult romance starts when they realize the other person is flawed and human, not just the "golden" version from their memories.
This is the part of the story which drags with the SML arc and some other fillers.


Confession:
Hopefully this will happen when she finally comes to know that their secret crush was mutual, with a happy ending.

Why is it taking so long for them to confess?
So how realistic will it be if he suddenly arrives back in China and reveals/explains everything. Will she fall for him then? How can she even trust him? Besides, it is shown that ML is not very good with expressing his feelings and hence outwardly he is seen as cold and aloof. Why would she even accept him when she could see through his schemes? How long does it take for someone to "know" the other?

It is not about a single 'confession' or an 'apology' or an 'explanation' that will sort out the issues between them. It has to go through a process and hence the time.

Side stories-
ML's colleague and friend and his interactions with ML and FL's bestie are some of the brightest moments in the show
SML's track- serves as a competitor for the ML. At episode 19 we understand that he doesn't plan to confess anymore as he finds the FL accidentally fall and caught by the ML while watching fireworks 😀
Now I have to mention here that the sml arc took a U turn when it was explained that he faced his own challenges in career too alongside his personal life. But Lawyer Xu helps him restore his reputation when he is scandalized and he actually is now a friend and a guy to depend on for the main couple.
ML's sister and her classmate are an adorable fun pair to watch
Family dynamics-Ruan family were a pleasure to watch. That's exactly how parents support their children. On the other hand, Xu family have it tough. Not because one is wrong, but because it is one's principles vs one's choice. The family reunion did come after a decade. A bit too late for Xu dad but atleast it came.

The elaborate proposal scene and the grand wedding gave a befitting end to our leads love story.

Cast/acting -10
Visuals -Stunning10
BGM/OST - excellent 10
Story 9
Rewatch value 7

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