Very controversial review ..
Ok so, this review will be very controversial… I didn’t """love """" this K-drama.It was good, I cried during the first episodes, but I struggled to finish it… When they grow old and have children, everything fell apart for me. I found it repetitive — always the same struggles, whining and crying… and now they are even suffering because of their child.
I rushed through the end just to finish it… I’m really sad I wasn’t more into it.
But of course, you should watch it to make your own opinion!
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It has everything what a drama needs to have
This is my first review ever, but this one made me come here and post this.I am watching on Netflix and hence need to watch the remaining episodes after 32... I know there are so many spoilers floating around which is a shame.
I will start with the negative point - The only drawback is that it is a very hefty story with lots of characters (but all are very good actors), so I do feel that they need to cover a lot in 40 episodes and hence the last few episodes have too many threads being covered with characters which surfaced recently. Maybe it needed 50 episodes instead of 40....
Or maybe now I feel the starting of the show could have little more pace, but the way the ML/FL and characters developed was a treat to watch so I should not complain.
The good points are too many but listing the few...
I loved all episodes till his identity revealed to FL, after that it is a bit fast paced and sometimes I have to watch 2 times to understand the context...but I am doing it.
TXW, the actress is truly doing a marvelous job... She is a so lovely, cute and love her acting and martial art skills... she has aced her art... can see her shine through the role... she is always a luxury to watch.
ZLH has always had the looks but they way he has been presented and he has imbibed the character is a treat too for all us watchers.
All the other characters are doing such a great job that there are no complaints, and I love watching every scene, but I am thirsty for more of ML/FL scenes - hope that is covered well in the coming episodes.
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FL as killed the show (in a good way ofc)
Ok so I struggled to finish this K-drama, but it was worth it.The story, the acting, the music, the sets: everything was impressive! I had a lot of fun and many laughing moments with this K-drama, but I still can’t give it more. The FL… what an actress!
The story is very addictive — the political side, the struggle with the inner self and pain, I really understood it.
What threw me off was the length… 20 episodes? It took me ages to finish it. I also didn’t find the romance between the FL and ML appealing… I can’t really tell why. Maybe because I was always wondering "Is he the ML inside the queen body gay" ???... It must be because of it.
Anyway .. the political aspect is also very, very central — if you don’t like this kind of plot in general, it could be complicated.
But of course, you should definitely give it a shot!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
Good Start, Horrible Finish
This show has a decent premise with a great start.Go Rim's friendship and relationship with the father/ her friend was natural and wholesome. Nothing felt romantic (more on that later) and on top of that, both being pursued by wealthy love interest made for a fun dynamic. The Main lead is a bit cold, but not overly emotionless as some other leads. The SFL lead was fun and probably my favorite character, with the side couple being the one I paid more attention to.
So, with all of that going on, I was really looking forward to watching both relationships unfold and getting through the series until...my enjoyment was immediately snatched and burned right in front of me due to one writing decision.
The SML loves Go Rim too and always has? For years upon years, he's loved her but never confessed?
What in the cliche, boring plot reveal is this?
Adding a second male lead into a story where the female lead is 100% going to choose the other guy doesn't build tension. It builds annoyance.
And maybe the show writers didn't consider this or didn't care, but if SML has been in love with Go Rim for forever, what does that make the woman he had the child with? The writers could have easily made his reluctance to date the SFL be about his inability to move on from his first love, but no. We get a boring, random love triangle introduced instead.
Even after being hit with a wave of disappointment, I tried to keep going and skip over any scenes related to the love triangle, but my interest declined every episode, until I eventually just skipped to the end.
This drama reminded me of how much I don't enjoy second male leads. As I stated previously, even after his interest in Go Rim was revealed, him and her had no chemistry, and no other reason other than to make the male lead a little more jealous than he already was.
Halting the development of a relationship for the SML and the SFL (who end up together anyways!!) just didn't make sense to me. But, oh well.
Other than the love triangle, the other thing I didn't like was how the ML treated the SFL. While he was not aware that Go Rim wasn't married and felt guilty regarding his feeling for her, he suddenly becomes a man who's willing to force the SFL into an arranged marriage, despite the fact he didn't want that same arranged marriage forced onto him?
That's not heroic and it doesn't make me sympathize with him feeling sad. He just ends up looking selfish.
Overall, I'd said this show is a 5. Good start, good actors, but kind of feels like the writers didn't care by the end.
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Could have been great but I guess I am not the forgiving kind...
This drama has an adorable main couple, interesting side characters ans a whole lot of fun and good to it untill we get to the main plot-lines that pretty much killed my interest half of the time.In the begining the drama felt a bit like Gilmore girls meeds Dharma and Greg in a Thai LGBTQsetting, had it kept this mix and added its own fun twist then thi could have been an 8,5 or even a 9. The romance has so much potential and could have been so much more if they focused on the mains relationship and the friends instead of constantly getting sidetracked by anooying plot-lines and awful just awful characters who supposedly have some kind of checter development leading to all being forgiven... And well I am just not the forgiving kind.
The quality of acting varies a lot, and there is a lot of cringe and over acting moments, that said out male lead is more or less perfect in every way. Papa Grace is a bit to preachy and forgiving but such.a sweetheart. Saving this from getting a lower score.
An okay watch that could have been grate, but just wasn't.
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Average Kdrama to pass time
Don't misunderstand me, this Kdrama is good.But not good as the ones that will make you stay up all night, clicking on the next episode each time.
Sorry was cute, the lead actress is a badass ! But a lot of things were missing for sure , from my point of view of course, I finished it but it didn't hyped me at all. I found it a bit childish to be honest.
You can give it a shot as a side Kdrama to pass time , why not.
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This review may contain spoilers
Fantasy short dramas tend to be bad for the fact that they are a short drama.While Seeds of Scarlet Longing is not completely full on fantasy, it has fantasy elements that because of the format, aren't explored enough. And it falls short because of it in almost every aspect. The plot feels rushed towards the end and none of the themes the drama tries to explore is fully developed. But overall, it was simply enjoyable.
The first half is very promising, it's cute and the acting is on point, specially the leads and second male lead. Female lead is very lovable to me, you can understand easily the male lead and the second lead is very interesting. I think the second female lead is a little bit weak, but she's a new actress, so I think she did well, I just wished her character had a little more depth. The villains also needed a little bit more depth. The romance between the leads was also ON POINT. The relationship between uncle and nephew was amazing, the female friendship power! Overall, the dinamics and acting really saved the drama for me.
The dinamics, styling and cinematography were also great! And I'm just being petty but the male character's wig was so visible, wish they tried to conceal it more. But Zhao Qing and Deng Xiaoci's styling is top tier overall!
Now, the drama falls apart the moment it tries to resolve the issues, because it's very caricature-like. They simply talk to the people and the people understand that they are wrong. The fact that the Jadelings trick men to live with them is also never ever acknowledged and the conflict is resolved so easily that it just falls flat. That's why I truly think, that maybe if it was a longer drama, maybe the writers would have put a little more effort into the conflict and themes within the drama.
Despite that, the ending was very satisfying, specially for the female characters, who chose themselves and their freedom.
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A Lie That Became the Truth
One of the few recent k-dramas that really grabbed my attention. The storytelling is nonlinear and packed with flashbacks. If you aren't paying close attention, you’ll lose the thread between what’s real and what’s a lie. It reminded me a bit of another drama, “Anna,” where the main character also built her identity on lies, but in this case, Sarah emerged as the absolute winner. Her “Boudoir” is her happiness, and she protected it until the very end.Closer to the finale, the writers overcomplicated things a bit. There are moments that feel underdeveloped, and the supporting characters sometimes just get lost in the mix. But if you look at it through the heroine’s lens, it actually makes sense. Sarah views people as “outdated handbags”, she takes everything she needs from them and then burns them.
“If you can’t tell the fake from the real, is it really fake?” -that’s the essence of Sarah’s life. The ending can be seen as an absolute victory for pragmatism. By confessing to a crime under someone else’s name, she “dies” as a person, but preserves what matters most — her brand, her status, and the reality she has created.
P.S. Shin Hye Sun is simply incomparable here. I first saw her in “Brave Citizen” and fell in love with her right away. I was happy to see her again.
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This show is like a sandwich! and also like a precious pearl!
no spoilers here :)this show is like a sandwich: 3 parts:
1- the first part i thought it was a disaster!!!! It's the part where we discover the world of pearl harvest. I found the setting a little gimiky, theatrical and it was hard to connect with it!! I almost dropped it at every early episode, but only kept going because of the main lead! now, looking back, i appreciate the moments that made the FL become who she is very early on!
2- my favourite part, the whole adventure/ journey of the main couple! the evolution and developpement of the main characters and their crew... sometimes cliché, sometimes cringe, sometimes very idealistic... but it was a very enjoyable journey! mind you annoying tropes were here and there!
3- the final episodes! i can't say no more, but regardless of how it ends, the journey was worth it!
i really love the OST! one of my favourite ost songs ever from cdramas!
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This review may contain spoilers
That double standard is hard to ignore.What makes it worse is how the two male leads are written. The CEO’s behavior especially makes no sense. Why is he patiently waiting while she compares him with another man like she’s choosing between products? That’s not love — that’s evaluation based on “who gives me more value.” Real feelings don’t work like a value-for-money calculation.
If anything, genuine liking is closer to brand loyalty — like people who choose an iPhone not because it’s the best spec-wise, but because they genuinely prefer the experience. You don’t “compare and select” someone you truly like — you gravitate toward them.
The drama tries to present this as a mature exploration of choice, but instead it feels like it’s avoiding accountability and dressing up indecisiveness as depth.
And honestly, the most unrealistic part is this: both men just accept it. In real life, most people would walk away instead of waiting to be “compared.”
So for me, the issue isn’t whether she chooses passion or stability — it’s that the show is built on a dynamic that doesn’t feel honest or believable to begin with.
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ART of mockery
Sarah reminds me of a mockingbird...She is surviving, blatantly and nonchalantly in a maze of superficialities.
the actress showcased her coldness and manipulative ways so brillantly in this show.. sometimes even just litteraly in her eyes, the gaze she gives...
while the story and investigation have a few loopholes, it is really engaging and we discover the WORLD of sarah. A world where she is no longer the most shocking part of it. her world is a reflection of an ugly system and she peeled each layer...
the underwhelming resolve of the investigation is so interesting and sad.
i was reminded of another interesting netflix series about celebrities and social media quests gone bad...
it's a nice show to dive into if you like to see the dark side of fashion and high class society
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+++ Two amazing actors. Jin Yun is very young, but he brings Shao Peng to life, without a single word, with such power and intensity. Wow, he has a promising career ahead of him! Raiden Lin is also fantastic in this role, portraying a young man craving attention and recognition. They form a moving and touching CL, to which the viewer can't help but become attached.
+++ The series portrays disabled people with respect and dignity. Shao Peng wants to be independent and even help others. His disability causes him limitations (which he compensates for as best he can), but he wants to live his life and take responsibility for it. A good message, well done.
+++ The second romance is funny, although it doesn't have much screen time. The directing is effective despite a limited budget. There's no Great Villain, and we get to see (for once) real parents!
### The story is cute, maybe even a little too cute. The villains are actually nicer than expected... and everything miraculously ends well (with some huge coincidences :)
=> One of the cutest boys' love stories I've seen, with a CL I'd love to see together again (chemistry, height difference, visuals, etc.)
♡╰(ﾟxﾟ)╯♡
***************************************************************
PLOT: Le MC, Shao Peng, sourd (et muet), veut à tous prix décrocher un emploi ds l'aide à la personne, mais il est refusé partout en raison de son handicap. Par hasard, il aide le ML, Zi Xiang, en voyage d'affaires avec son adjoint, à échapper à une agression. Zi Xiang, héritier chinois, rebelle, se fait passer pr incompétent car il refuse la vie contrôlée par son père. Zi Xiang, blessé, recrute Shao Peng comme aide soignant. L'adjoint enquête pr identifier le commanditaire de l'agression, et rencontre 1 apprenti truand qu'il va prendre sous son aile.
+++ 2 amazing actors. Jin Yun est très jeune, mais il donne vie à Shao Peng, sans aucune parole, avec une telle force, une telle intensité. Wahouuu, il a une carrière prometteuse devant lui ! Raiden Lin est aussi fantastique, dans ce rôle, de jeune homme en mal d'attention et de reconnaissance. Ils forment un CL émouvant, touchant, auquel le spectateur ne peut que s'attacher.
+++ La série montre des personnes handicapées, avec respect et dignité. Shao Peng veut être autonome, et même aider les autres. Son handicap lui fait subir des incapacités (qu'il compense de son mieux), mais il veut vivre sa vie et l'assumer. Bon message, bravo.
+++ La 2nde romance est funny, bien qu'elle n'ait pas bcp de tps d'écran. La réalis° est efficace malgré un budget limité. Il n'y a pas de Great Villain et on peut voir (pr 1 fois) de vrais parents !
### La story est cute, même un peu trop. Les méchants sont finalement plus sympa qu'attendu... et tout finit miraculeusement bien (avec parfois des coïncidences énormes :)
=> Une des plus cute boys love que j'ai vu, avec un CL que j'aimerai revoir ensemble (alchimie, différence de taille, visuels, etc.)
♡╰(ﾟxﾟ)╯♡
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This review may contain spoilers
True slop
watched till ep 7True slop from the slop factory for lonely people who are way too deep in idol culture . The way it presents the vr device as a cute little escape from reality was really distasteful , although I can understand why people would like this drama if they turn off their brain even then I feel like I'm just not the target audience for a drama like this as a cis hetero man.
Very star studded cast .
Ml is a bland underdeveloped character.
Fl is a lonely person who doesn't want to live in the real world but that escape is presented as a cutesy little thing with only glimpses of its true impact , Imagine a lonely middle aged man or woman who sleeps with a body pillow and treats them like a real partner and presenting it as if its a good thing . Its only perceived as ok by the audience here because of the prevalence of idol culture and its extremities in South Korean media and culture . I am saying this as a person who consumes media extensively to escape their own reality that something like this shouldn't be presented as healthy for a functioning human member of society .
Even when you ignore all of this the romance between the fl and ml is not fleshed out at all their connection seems extremely superficial. Its genuinely just the most pure slop drama I have ever seen .
Even if they show the ramifications of the device in the last two episodes its meaningless and impact less.
The cast is nice acting is nice but that's about it .
A simple fix for this drama would have been to flesh out the romance between the ml and fl and to show the ramifications of an unhealthy coping mechanism or even to just show what you miss out on if you choose the world you create inside your head , to present it as though there's nothing wrong with it just shows the lack of depth of thought here it just misses nearly all things that constitute a good piece of media .
i completed it
rating and gripes don't change much but they do address somethings i guess .
Tl dr ; watch only if you want multiple eye candy relationships and can turn your brain off,nothing else is offered in this drama .
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Love in an unexpected place
A simple and sweet short movie. Well done for such a short movie. The visuals were good and the music ok.It was wel acted and the chemistry between the leads was good, they had great kisses.
I recommend watching this short movie.
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I thought it would be fluff – ended up adoring it!
Isn’t it a great feeling when you assume a show will just be a filler until you find your next great watch and it ends up going on your favourite list?10 perfect liners was such a surprise – I chose to watch it because I’d heard good things about Perth and Santa’s pairing, and I wasn’t disappointed! All the couples held their weight and I enjoyed each storyline but Yotha/Gun were my favorite couple, their plot had all the emotional range that made me binge episode after episode. Gun was a convincing actor when he cried; I truly felt his pain. And how about his smile? It could light up a room!
I loved how the show was split up into three couples but didn’t feel like three separate shows. Then they sprinkled in support couples (Auo and Boom were so good in every scene they appeared in)
Definitely a show I will circle back to and re-watch one day.
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