Reviews

Growing in their lives together

I loved tis season more than the first one, i love the life after part. It gave me At 2500 in Akasaka vibes and i love that series too. I really hope there will be a third season.
This was just a perfect season without any toxidity, just growing in their lives together.
The visuals were great and the music good.

Great acting by the whole cast.
The chemistray by the mains is amazing, and their kisses very good!
I loved the part when they were out on a trip and when they wanted to connect they just put their foreheads together instead of kissing each oter in public. I thought that was such a beautiful moment.

This second season is so good, it makes me want to watch both seasons more often.

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What a Letdown

The trailer gave me the impression that this was going to be more lighthearted than it turned out to be. Regardless, it started off well - a young man who is deeply in love with his escaped slave girlfriend gets abducted right before their wedding.

Then it fell flat.

The big problem for me was the romantic subplots. Neither the main couple nor the secondary couple had any real chemistry, either between the characters or the actors playing them. The first one felt contrived. It seemed like it was just included to have the drama of a love triangle. The secondary one was particularly irritating, as the female love interest was a vicious, entitled creep. I expect more out of love stories than just the couple falling in love because they both happen to be very good looking. The way that one played out at the end also felt very artificial. True character development happens gradually, not like someone flipping a switch.

On the positive side, the backstories were touching and added depth to the overall story. I was particularly impressed by Park Ji Hoon's performance when they got into his character's backstory later in the series. I'd never seen him in anything before and will be keeping an eye out for him in the future.

So, I won't say that it was awful, but I cannot recommend it either.

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Revenge is best served with a cold as heck attitude.

With themes of empathy, apathy, abuse, revenge, forgiveness, temptation, sins & glory this definitely stands as one of my favorite revenge dramas out there. While Part 1 is a lot of setup it still intrigues the audience with a lot of fun ideas. It was so interesting watching this girl who had nothing persevere & reach just barely to the top to finally try to get revenge on the people who hurt her so much. This drama had just the right amount of everything that it never felt too much of anything. The heavy topic of abuse & how many ways it comes makes it work cohesively. So without further ado:

Pros:
- The story/writing is really good as throughout the series the story is clearly well mapped out already. The writers/directors clearly double checked the story multiple times to make sure that everything makes sense for the most part. As such we the audience never feel like there's a whiplash. we watch so many things get setup & actually have payoffs. Things like showing us her homeroom teacher's son early on just goes to show how Dong Eun's mind works. She was holding a grudge & planning incredibly early on. It shows how meticulous she is. Even her inner thoughts work as she's the only one who's thoughts we hear.
- The characters were off the charts like the amount of pain Dong Eun shows without really showing it & how Song Hye Kyo conveys it through body language and subtlety was top notch. And of course the bully gang was just so hateable, but enjoyable to watch too, bcuz they all don't even seem to like/respect each other that much. Lee Do Hyun & his character Joo Yeo Jung do feel the weakest out of the characters, but even then he does a fine job that has its merits. The other characters too were so well acted that any scene they are in contributes to the story & themes. Such as the Kang Hyun Nam storyline where her family are victims of family abuse by the father.
- Cinematography wise the show is also beautiful looking. I don't remember if there were any clever camera tricks, the series clearly didn't need any. It was a case of the series being so good that I either missed it or the story is so good it doesn't need too many fancy camera tricks to sell the series.
- Other production qualities like make-up, costuming & other production are also good too. Each character has their own look & you can really tell from how they look. It makes them all feel like their own people.
- Music creates so much tense & cathartic situations that it was so horrible to see the horrible stuff & so fun to see her edging closer & closer to her revenge.

Cons:
- I do feel like a romance in the midst of a revenge was a weird choice. Not to mention Song Hye Kyo's chemistry wasn't nearly as strong with Lee Dong Hyun. She had stronger chemistry Jung Sung Il so I do think that dampened their relationship a bit. But then again I do think it also works, bcuz we need to be convinced Ha Do Young is infatuated with her.
- Sometimes the bully characters do have to overact & some of those times I think it was too much.
- I feel like the bullies didn't really, put up a "fight" against her. Like I sort of get it as some of them were either too weak or just so full of themselves that they didn't do it. But this is a drama where Dong Eun happens to meet Yeo Jung who happens to have the right skills to help her. So I feel like a bit of a fight would make the downfall of the characters more glorious.
- The shaman story. Just no.
- The ending where they go to prison to complete Yeo Jung's story is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I also didn't really like how Dong Eun needed to leave Yeo Jung at the last ep to go find herself only to come back later & help him. I still don't see the point of it. I think it could've been easily skipped.

Overall, the show is really good for me. One of the things I absolutely love is that Dong Eun gave these people chances, but they never repent & take that chance so when doesn't hold back in her revenge it was satisfying. Too many times I've seen Kdramas get "revenge" but they play the higher ground & its like stop being the nice person. Or worst yet try to redeem them like a parent or something. The show doesn't do that & lives up to all its build up & even more at times. It truly deserves its hype & its glory.

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Lackluster second collaboration

I need to be honest this is one Jia Yixuan drama that left me disappointed with the plot

The plot is somewhat clichéd, and although the pacing is moderate, most parts can be played at double speed. Still got peeve on short drama (kidnapping, a knife-shirking act, and drugging). Since i prefer the leads real voice, the dubber voice acting was so grating.

I still don't understand why FL didn't trust ML from her perspective. From an emotional standpoint, she lacked love and lived on thin ice, which I completely understand. But I really think that from a rational point of view, if you think about it carefully, you'll know that that weird male classmate definitely had something going on.

Well, The second collaboration between Chen Si and Jia Yixuan are only for hardcore fans to watch.

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great premise that felt flat and repetitive

the first few episodes hooked me and it seemed like it was going to be a fun one with lots of tension but in the end, I feel like the plot felt flat and too dragged out.

I initially started watching because of the ML (loved him in Love Between Lines), this is the first time I see the FL but I don’t think like they had the chemistry to pull this plot off.

as the drama continued it felt too dragged and there are whole episodes where literally NOTHING happened.

I did find the concept of AI vs humans probably explained and talked about in the most realistic way so far, that part I liked.

but in the end it felt too dragging and I think because they didn’t have that much chemistry it was tricky to stay connected.

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Romance with an intense theme

I was in awe. This drama carries a profound depth and a sorrowful story I wasn’t prepared for. However, from the very first episode, I already knew it would bring me to tears when Chihiro says, “Life is like a box of chocolates. When I opened it, it was empty. Until I met Keito, who is both bitter and sweet, like chocolate.” That metaphor alone perfectly establishes the emotional journey the audience is about to experience.

Both characters carry deeply traumatic pasts that continue to haunt them. One is neglected by his loved ones, while the other suffers sexual and physical abuse at a very young age. I didn’t expect the story to go that dark. Watching Haoren’s past was devastating. I felt so much pain for him. No one deserves to experience such cruelty.

Haoren having multiple names reflects the different stages of his life and the traumas tied to them. When he finally reveals his real name to Chihiro, it becomes a powerful moment. It signifies trust, healing, and the beginning of a connection where he can finally lean on someone, feel love, and be loved in return. Kaji also plays a vital role as a father figure to Haoren. Together, their trio forms a family bond that both main characters have longed for.

The storytelling is unique and emotionally impactful. I initially watched this drama because of Rei, and his portrayal of Haoren is truly admirable. He is an incredible actor. The ending left me emotional. After confronting each other’s deepest wounds, they reunite, finally free from the weight of their pasts. Haoren is liberated from Maya, and Chihiro finally achieves his dream of becoming a photographer.

A truly happy ending, indeed.

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Again a weak FL and a stupidly caring man

The first few episodes are some nice storytelling of a by-chance first love, nice cinematography, and I love acting of ML actor.
it is a mismatch between a shallow, weak, dumb girl and a smart, dedicated, deep boy.

Then... they grow up and really cannot continue, she dumps him brutally bc it is convenient to her, but he is still stuck on her.

So, I dropped. I am tired of watching a grown man going after taking care of a woman-child.
FL is no match for the ML and he should NEVER try to come even close to her.

FL IS A WOMAN CHILD WHO IS NOW TWO TIMING
AND ML KISSES HER AS#.

How boring.

FAREWELL!

Again, FL who is immature, weak, lacks focus, and wants some boy toy when it is convenient for her
and ML who chases her, loves her and takes care of her bc he is ah so pure and dedicated.

The fact is, she is a sleazebag, and he is a moron, and the two should never be together. LET GO OF IT ALREADY

So many dramas like that lately - Surely Tomorrow, Our Universe, Practical Guide to Love, etc etc etc etc

DROPPED WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT

THIs DRAMA IS FOR VERY DUMB WOMEN TO FANTASIZE OF CAPTURING ATTENTION OF A HIGH QUALITY GUY FOREVER AND DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT AND HE WILL STILL ALWAYS BE THERE

HECK NO

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Better than I expected

I originally started this for faifawine because of all the edits I saw and lowk got fomo, then I found out that it was an anthology with three couples. Faifawine’s story happened to be in the last few episodes so it was inevitable for me to watch from the start (I can’t start a show without starting from the beginning). I found myself laughing from episode one and I love humor, I love things that make me laugh so this was a huge factor for why I’m rating it what I’m rating it. I loved JJ’s character. I’m not the biggest fan of angst so Perthsanta’s story was not my favourite but I’m not going to completely dismiss it because they were really cute imo. But I also couldn't really forget when Yotha kissed P'Wa, it just didn't sit right with me. Personally, Arcarm’s story is not talked about enough!!! I found them really cute, this was one of the first shows I watched with Forcebook and I didn’t really have high expectations because I saw people diss them all the time. I was so wrong, I love Arc and Arm. Arc’s character (imo) was so yearner coded, I loved it. Their acting was better than I expected too. I’m still pretty new to BL and I’ve only started watching BL September 25’ so I didn’t really know much about all the cp’s in P10L. I judged Forcebook too quickly and thought they weren’t going to be good. (Shouldn’t really trust what people say online, sorry Forcebook!) And, I gotta give credits to Junior’s acting. His acting was so seamless I genuinely forgot he was acting, made me feel like I was just watching a weird kid from school, not an actor doing their job. I’m pretty sure everyone’s said this, I loved Faifa. With the people pleaser in me, he was so relatable. And he was such a green flag!!!

I saw someone say that there wasn’t really a plot and that’s why they didn’t really like it. I’d have to agree on that, there wasn’t really a solid plot which did kinda make me question why I even bothered watching it. But then also, I’m not the type to critique on stuff like that so I just ended up not caring. Like I said, I started this to see Faifawine, so it didn’t really affect my rating.
Also when I saw that it was 24 episodes and not the normal 10/12 you’d see other shows have, it just completely threw me off. I’m not a big fan of long shows, and I also didn’t really know the main cp’s that well to want to continue watching so I did end up stopping after ep 9 where Arcarm’s story was basically complete. It was also the beginning that had me so confused because in ep 1, Arc and Arm were already together and so were Yotha and Gun so I was like, what??? I did end up stopping a few times because I just didn’t get it. And now looking back I don’t know why I thought to even continue it because I’m not a big fan of complicated storylines or shows where the centre of the story is based on a flashback from the past (if that makes sense???) I’m not sure how to word it but I thought that was how it was gonna be so I got kinda disinterested. I’m glad I continued it, though!

Again, opinion-based, I loved it but that doesn't mean everyone else will.

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My God, how draggy was it ~

This started off really great, nice balance between her perspective and his to start telling the story right from the beginning, their first encounter and how everyone's life got entangled.

Nice crime, great whodunit, romance too is fantastic and characters are great.
But for me it should have ended at ep 23 with ep24 them catching the bad guy and ending everything related to the drugs case and the crime case.

İt needn't be 40 episodes at all, I got bored and wanted everything to end.

I would still recommend it because it was well done, but I wouldn't blame anyone for dropping it half way~

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A waste of it's potential and the talent of the cast

This movie was ok and the fight scenes were good but I don't see them being as memorable as the fight scenes in other action movies. The most disappointing thing about this movie was it's wasted potential. The story could have been so good and it had all the ingredients. The characters and they're relationships with each other could have been really interesting but were not fleshed out and are only saved by the actors who all do a great job. The main issue I had with with movie is that I didn't understand some of the characters motivations. I shouldn't be asking "wait, but why?" when a character makes a decision or an event occurs. For example, I barely understood why the final fight was happening and what little I was able to grasp was flimsy at best. The writers needed to spend more time establishing these characters and their motivations. The character I understood the most was the female lead but even then I still wasn't completely satisfied with what her motivations were. The person I understood the least was the main villain. Why was he doing the things he was doing? It made for a frustrating watch. What a waste of the cast.

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