Reviews

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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Not as good as first season ....

this season definitely is not as good as season 1 , the plot for me doesn't make much sense , I get that they were running an illegal site and will do anything for views and money but them insisting on geon u fighting despite him refusing multiple times and even going as far as trying to kidnap and finally kidnapping his mother , not to mention killing police officers and bombing a building with police officer inside was way too extreme to convince him to fight , I mean they made the previous champion fight and still they made a lot of money out of it , couldn't they have found someone else , I don't know the plot didn't seem that strong for me .

this season was very fast paced than season 1 , the first season we got some character development we watched them getting defeated and not giving up , this season i guess there wasn't much time " i mean it's just 7 episodes ".

the fight scenes were great , first time seeing rain as the antagonist yet it was great .

maybe you'll enjoy watching its fighting scenes , but don't expect it to make much sense .

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Personal review for Yanzheng aka Xiezheng aka Zhang Linghe❤️✨✨

I didn’t know the day would come when I’d fall in love with Zhang Linghe 😌🥀❤️ Because I had watched several of his projects long before—My Journey to You, Story of Kunning Palace, The Princess Royal, Fox Spirit Matchmaker—and the very first one I saw was Chang Heng from Love Between Fairy and Devil and yet, I still didn’t adore him like that.

He’s handsome, his acting is good, he builds chemistry well, and every role he takes always manages to pull me into the story—but I didn’t love him. So I kept wondering… what exactly made me fall for him in POJ?

Because honestly, a character like a marquis is everywhere. Dominant, a general (or marquis, whatever), brilliant at war, and when he falls in love, it’s only with one woman—classic, right? lol. But here in POJ, it feels different.

Of course, part of it is how he was styled into that “insanely, extra handsome” Marquis Wu’an (like… we cannot deny that. That is so undeniable😭). But what really stands out is something else: the details in his acting.

Experience never lies. His micro-expressions feel more alive, more natural. The way he switches between Yanzheng and Xiezheng is subtle but distinct—even though they’re not actually two separate characters, just a fake identity. Yet somehow, he makes us believe they’re two different personas with completely different auras. And that’s not easy.

And the thing that truly made me fall for him: he doesn’t overdo it. He knows when to hold back and when to explode. His gaze… it can be cold, soft, possessive—yet still elegant. It makes me think, “Oh… this is the level of an actor who understands emotional rhythm, not just relying on visuals.”

That’s why I was honestly surprised when people started bringing up issues like “too much foundation” or being overly focused on makeup. Like… come on, I get the point—yes, a general should look rough in war, a worker should look worn out.

But that just tells me they’re not really watching the drama properly. Look at the scene where Yanzheng hides in a pigsty and Changyu sees him from above—he looks extremely shabby: thin clothes, pale lips, a drained, lifeless face 😭

Maybe it’s just his natural visuals that make him still look attractive no matter what😌✨ And then when he becomes the marquis, the poor Yanzheng disappears completely—Xiezheng, the general, dominates with that all-black outfit, especially in the fortress scene where he’s desperately searching for Changyu. So what I’m trying to say is… 2025-level makeup shouldn’t be compared to 2015 drama standards 😭

But let me emphasize this again: Linghe is not just visuals. Everything above is just part of the process that builds the character. What actually makes people obsessed with him? Clearly, it’s his acting that brings the character to life. There are so many dramas out there with perfect costumes and styling, yet they still fail to feel compelling—either as individual characters or as a couple.

Anyway… I’m definitely looking forward to his upcoming projects. Especially Overdo (which probably he’s going to be insanely ridiculously crazy handsome again 😭💅🥀🙏). After this, I also want to continue with Our Generation and The Best Thing—yep, I’ve officially entered my “watching all his dramas” phase now hahaha.

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Better than s1

Contrary to common belief i liked this season way more than s1. On the 1st season I'd understood from the get go that Sieun was the villain of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised to not be able to find out who the killer was from the start. My problem? the killer himself. I was expecting a serious web of background events leading to a killer no one expected. For me, it's ironic for yulhee to be the killer in s1 and also her BOYFRIEND to be the killer in s2. like what's up with this couple? I felt the backstory of the murder was really rushed, even more cause the culprit was not really punished at the end.

HUGE doeon and somang drought since the second one wasnt even in the show and to be honest I found it weird that his brother went to that school JUST to take care of somang's crush and he also ended up falling for her as well? I found it uncomfortable since they're brothers. what was going on with Doeon and being pathetic in this season? also how could Kim hein survive such a big fall😭

On a positive note I loved Hyein and Jena's bond. felt nice to watch them work together. and I also liked cha jinwook. I wish they gave his character more depth so we could understand why he was the black dog? what connected him with the other students and he exposed them? Personally, I am the kind of viewer that likes the story being exactly explained to me on the screen so I dont have to imagine anything. these little points aside, I found it to be way more interesting than s1.

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The best one, albeit still not great

Things I adored

1 The pane as usual. Great chemistry and great laughs. The addition of Dex works and Lee Da Hee and Hong Jin Kyung make me laugh the most. Their interactions are priceless. I'm looking forward to the next season just for them.

Things I loved

1 That for once we didn't focus only on one player. There was focus on one idiot, but at least we had the chance to see the rest of the cast as well. Most of it to be specific because the woman who came later had barely any screen time and another female participant as well.

Things I liked

1 That for once there were two couples I believed they could be real and they could make it outside the show. I don't have high hopes but Hee-sun and Su-bin, and Jae-jin and Joo-young seemed to not entirely fake their feelings toward each other. I loved both couples, they had some great moments and I truly hope they stay together.

Things I disliked

1 It seemed scripted a lot of times. The story between Su-bin and Hee-sun felt scripted. It's strange what I'll say but I didn't believe in his infatuation with Mina-su so I think the production used this to create conflict. I'm not sure how anyone in their right mind would choose Mina-su instead of Hee-sun.

2 The fact that my two favorite couples had the male contestants waver between other women. I would have loved it if they were more solid during the whole show.

Things I hated

1 Mina-Su. What the heck was wrong with this woman? I've never seen anyone this messy in my whole life and I lived enough to have met all kinds of people. I didn't like her, not once, and I think she was playing the whole time. What I mean is that she pretended. I didn't buy her fake tears, her fake illness, no matter what you say. An attention seeker if I've seen one. I didn't buy her change of character either. Phony change dictated probably by the production team or something else happened. I don't care enough to find out.

2 The couple Min-gi and idiot. He was another phony and brainless contestant and I never believed in that couple. I'm not sure what a smart gorgeous woman like Min-gi saw in him, and I'll never understand her choice.

3 Go-eun. I know unpopular opinion since everyone seems to find her beautiful and a good person, but I disliked her almost as much as Mina-su. I felt like she wasn't herself and pretended the whole time. Not only I can't believe this person was Miss Korea, so much I find her unattractive, but compared to all the other contestants she was the ugliest. Not only that but her choice didn't make any sense, better she styed alone and also her indecisiveness was irritating to the highest point.

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A very cute college BL series if you get past the first few episodes.

PLOT: The very serious Kim, (along with his two friends Park and Bomb), president of the Student Council, is tasked by the Director with taming the trio of disruptive vloggers: Mek, Lee, and Bear. Kim and Mek are forced to play a fake BL couple. They hate it at first, but then grow closer (they're neighbors, and more if things go well). Tim (a model and college star) comes along to stir things up.

+++ I wasn't convinced by the CL at first, but they have talent, and a great chemistry develops.
+++ Two very cute secondary romances (a bit rushed).
+++ Boat (his first drama) as a love rival.
+++ Effective direction, with good pacing, humor, good use of a limited budget, and well-executed techniques.

### You have to be patient because Mek is unbearable in the first few episodes. The tone becomes less caricatured later on, and the viewer gets drawn into the story.
### It's clearly a comedy, but some characters (like the university director) are caricatural.

=> No message, but a fun, entertaining BL, performed by novice but convincing actors.
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Série BL universitaire très cute si vous dépassez les 1ers épisodes

PLOT: Le très sérieux Kim, (avec ses 2 amis Park & Bomb) président du Student Council, se voit chargé par la Directrice de mettre au pas le trio de vlogeurs perturbateurs : Mek, Lee et Bear. Kim & Mek sont obligés de jouer un fake couple BL. Ce qu'ils détestent ds un 1er tps, avant de se rapprocher (ils sont voisins et + si affinité). Tim (modèle et star de la fac) vient jouer les trouble-fêtes.

+++ Je n'étais pas convaincue par le CL au départ, mais ils ont du talent et une belle alchimie s'installe.
+++ 2 romances secondaires très mignonnes (un peu rushed)
+++ Boat (1er drama) comme love rival
+++ Réalis° efficace, avec rythme, humour, bonne utilisat° d'1 budget limité, technique bien maitrisée.

### Il faut être patient car Mek est insupportable ds les 1ers épisodes. Mais le ton devient ensuite moins caricatural et le spectateur se laisse imprégner par la story.
### C'est clairement 1 comédie, mais certains personnages (Directrice de l'université) sont caricaturaux.

=> Pas de message, mais une BL sympa, distrayante, interprétée par des acteurs novices mais convaincants.

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A vibrant story about the Miao people full of hilarious moments

If you’re looking for a story about an ethnic minority in China with beautiful landscapes, rich cultural heritage representation, a modern vibe, and full of humour wrapped in a dynamic pace, this is the one.

The story starts with the return of young Miao entrepreneur Ma Qing Hao to his Miao village in Guizhou province. His departure many years ago created some conflicts in the conservative community, and the echoes of that past, together with the fact that someone would willingly return to a rural area after succeeding in the big city, give rise to all types of conflicts and speculation. Along the way, we discover the colourful, lovely characters of the main cast and their — in most cases — hilarious relationships and the situations that arise around them, as well as the cultural aspects of the Miao people and their exquisite embroidery.

Besides Ma Qing Hao — the successful urban Miao entrepreneur who returns to the village looking for a quieter life and to develop a tourism accommodation project — and Qing Yue Liang, his love interest and the beautiful and introverted Miao embroidery National Heritage inheritor, we have many memorable characters: Wu Ai Cao, one of his friends who is lost in life but loves cows; his wife Long Feng Bi, another Miao embroidery woman; and Ma Qing Hao’s other best friend, Gun Chang Pu - the female lead’s brother, Family members, villagers, and many more characters are also warm, funny, and charming. Special mention to Ma Qing Hao´s father.

What makes this drama worth watching?
First, the family, couples, and friendship dynamics in a small community where secrets are non-existent; second, how to preserve the essence and meanings of Miao embroidery while making it relevant to the market and transforming it into a sustainable activity, and third, how to adapt the local economy to the current times - a real challenge in China and all over the world.

Here, there’s no tourist coming to the rural area looking for the meaning of life, trying to heal themselves and discovering the beauty of the countryside. On the contrary, there are local people with a distinctive culture trying to adapt to current times — livestream e-commerce included — while being true to their roots and striving for a better future in their land and homes. As in City of Sunlight, this is a local story told through the lens of the local people. If anyone comes, they are investors, and the show depicts how they deal with the local mindset and how the locals deal with theirs.

The drama is full of hilarious situations and characters. My favourites were the main lead’s father-son dynamic - by far - and the best-friend married couple, as well as the friendship among the three friends: Ma Qing Hao, Wu Ai Cao, and Gun Chang Pu. The love story is also sweet and warm, with funny situations too. Of course, the drama has its emotional moments, but the overall tone is light, funny, and positive.

Finally, the drama is based on real events, as the Miao villages were part of the Chinese government’s rural poverty alleviation policy, in a joint project with the Mercedes-Benz Foundation and UNESCO. Many of the situations you see in the show actually took place, such as Paris Fashion Week, although of course they were adapted for the screenplay..

You can find more about the real story here (I leave the link in the comments) : https://www.reddit.com/r/CDramasBeyondIdols/comments/1rsq9xs/tales_of_wumeng_in_the_news/

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Writers and their artistic egos

Some may say that this drama reflects the reality of many relationships. True. But people are already slapped daily with reality, with the harshness of life and relationships. Entertainment, and especially K-dramas, should supposedly offer an escape, an alternative reality to the harsh everyday life, something that makes us believe that tomorrow can be more colorful, happier. But writers always want to do something different, artistic, that makes us think and blah blah blah. Make the journey, the story as difficult as possible, but in the end give us a happy ending. Reality is already harsh enough.
Anyway, the premise is good and the acting as well, but the ending, well, more of the same. Writers who prioritize their artistic ego's, and not the satisfaction of the viewers.

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game of true love review

Ok, so this is my first short drama that I’ve ever watched and I have to say, it is an adjustment. The dramatics of it all and the very like businessman, bossy CEO trope that is present with all short dramas is definitely a little bit cliche at times. Not to mention how the main relationship is always SO toxic. I gotta say, I do like the shorter episodes though. There’s something that just makes me seem so much more accomplished when I finish more episodes, even if the duration is shorter.

However, I have to say, I do love the connection between Xu Nuo and Shen Jiahe. Although they are so toxic for eachother and prob should never speak or interact with each other again for the mental sanity of both of them, they can’t stay apart. They know so much about the other and still really care for the other no matter what they try to say. So, I am rooting for them to stay together even despite all the millions of challenges that will come their way and I know of that. I love how Shen Jiahe can just read Xu Nuo so well and emotionally connect to her in a way no one else can. He always knows when she’s upset and knows how to calm her down or leave her alone. He is always there to protect her, from episode 1. Despite all the ups and downs, they are both always there for the other person and I am sure of that. That’s one of the things I love, is that no matter what, you can count on the other person.

You know what I don’t like though…Xu Mingli’s relationship with Bai Xia. That is just so weird. I can’t get over the age gap and the fact that Bai Xia doesn’t actually love him and likes Shen Jiahe, which is basically Mingli’s foster son. Like that whole dynamic is so weird. I hate Bai Xia’s character and it’s prob meant to make the audeince feel that way so good job. Bai Xia actually has no compassionate bone in her body and I hate how she always frames Xu Nuo to be the bad one, when she herself sets up most of the things that happens. Man, how obsessed can you be over money? And her mother is soooo annoying too. Like anytime I see her or Mingli with Bai Xia’s more intimate scenes, I inwardly cringe. Like it’s just weird I don’t like it. The fact that Mingli gives up his own relationship with his daughter and mother of his child just to be with Bai Xia is insane to me. Like there’s no way ur slapping your own daughter when you don’t know both sides of the story and just instantly take Bai Xia’s side. Like hello? How dense do you have to be?

What the heck? How could they ever be siblings? What is going on with this family? Xu Mingli is actually so toxic and manipulative. Same with Bai Xia. When Jiahe had to break the news to Xu Nuo, he still did what was best for her. It broke both of them, but he didn’t want her burdened with the truth that he was her biological brother (although don’t know if that’s true completely). The actor did a rlly good job with that scene though. The way u could see the physical pain on his face for having to treat Xu Nuo that way. There’s no way Xu Mingli basically “ra…” Jiahe’s mom bro. Ok they’re actually so toxic tho. The slapping and the hurting each other with words. It’s like two children fighting. But then, the making up and the locking in the house. Like, come on. Let’s be adults huh?

I'm glad it was a happy ending, but man was that a rollercoaster. There were so many plot twists that it started to become too much and like too unbelievable. But, the ending was nice. I'm glad that Chi Ye isn't hated on by Xu Nuo and Shen Jiahe because all he wanted to do was gain revenge for his family and keep his relationship with Xu Nuo. But, at the end, I think he realized there was literally no turning back. So, he ended up making the decision to end his own life. However, Xu Nuo and Jiahe still understood his reason behind it, so I liked when they went back to the place his ashes were thrown in the ocean to honor him. The little child at the end is so cute too, although, I wish we got to see more of their process becoming parents.

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Intense world-building wuxia of justice and power

The drama is not your average wuxia. It is a heavy with plot lines that build on one another with hidden identities, dangerous battles, and cross-kingdom politics. An entertaining watch that slowly captivates you with the sheer amount of lore.

The biggest standout is the leads' romance. Never have I witnessed such a healthy, mature relationship. They truly respect and view each other as equals. Such a partnership is hard to find where both the ML and FL come to each others' rescue. Their relationship is adorable, as they act like an old married couple. However, their romance is just not the focal point of the story.

Who Rules the World is a tale of politics and martial arts. It is a story that is constantly building as it escalates into war and death. The stakes are so high that it makes the romance simply not important enough. There are cute, sweet moments but there's always an insane amount of things happening that overshadow it.

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I love this drama

This is a really good show the characters relationships development is really interesting healthy and unique many of the tropes you see an Asian dramas that are usually not well written this is not one of them this is well written fun the the main couple enjoy each other's company that many other dramas show it as a not pleasurable for one of the parties that is participating in the action the sets are beautiful and costumes are beautiful it has a beauty and the beast theme where the female is the beast and the male is the beauty as a slight Gomez and Morticia feel to it they're romance that doesn't you don't see very often in Asian dramas or American

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