Reviews

Enemies to lovers trope done right. ♥️

I started Match Point thinking it would be a simple school BL with a tennis background, but honestly, it has turned into one of those series that I genuinely look forward to every week. The story is about rival families, two boys who initially don’t get along, forced partnership and eventually developing feelings — but the way Sun and Bay’s relationship is being built makes it really enjoyable to watch.

For me, the biggest highlight is definitely Sun and Bay. Their chemistry feels natural rather than forced. They start off with that competitive, slightly annoying relationship where neither wants to give the other an advantage, but slowly you can see them becoming more comfortable with each other. What I really like is that their relationship doesn’t change overnight. There is an actual progression from rivalry to friendship and then to romantic feelings. That slow development makes their emotional moments feel much more satisfying.

Bay is probably my favourite character. He has such a fun personality and brings a lot of energy whenever he’s on screen. His teasing, confidence and sometimes chaotic behaviour make him entertaining, but underneath that, you can see how much he genuinely cares about Sun. Sun, on the other hand, is more controlled and serious, so their personalities balance each other really well.

The tennis element is another thing I appreciate. It isn’t just something added to make the series look different. The fact that they have to play doubles together actually becomes important to their relationship. They have to learn how to trust each other, communicate and understand each other’s strengths. In a way, their progress as a tennis pair mirrors their progress as a couple.

The family storyline is definitely dramatic. The rivalry between their fathers can sometimes feel exaggerated, especially considering how much is being put at stake because of their competition. But at the same time, it gives the boys a real obstacle instead of making the story only about misunderstandings between them.

I also like the balance between cute moments, comedy and emotional scenes. The series doesn’t become unnecessarily heavy all the time, and that makes it easy to binge or look forward to each new episode.

Another pleasant surprise for me has been the supporting characters and the second couple. They add something to the story rather than feeling completely disconnected from the main plot.

If I had to mention a weakness, I would say that some of the family drama feels a little too convenient, and I sometimes wish the series would spend even more time developing Sun and Bay’s relationship instead of stretching the external conflict.

Overall, though, I’m genuinely enjoying Match Point. It has that addictive feeling where an episode ends and you immediately want the next one. The combination of rivals-to-lovers, tennis, family drama, comedy and slow-burn romance works really well for me.

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Sweet realistic and an overall good time.

Loved this series. The parts that I love the most about this series is probably that it's a story of people just desperate to be truly loved and their partners who show no interest in them at all. The show in comparison to other shows that I have been watching lately feels so real. I am completely falling in love the characters are imperfect and real their characters are not too exaggerated and their way of playing is sweet. It talks about intimate life in their couple that is going badly and talks about their desire and their feelings deep down their relationship evolves little by little without exaggeration. Overall, this is a good watch that I can recommend if you want to watch something a bit more sweet and realistic.

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Title: Blind Date to the Big Boss (2024) is an impressive miniseries with slow burn romance within a contract marriage with ML: Yu Xuan Hong Hao (as Han Yi Chen) and FL: Zhu Mo Yan (as Lin Lan) in the leading couple's roles. The cast did an awesome job bringing their characters to life and the leading couple had fantastic rapport and a lovable romantic chemistry. The intimate scenes were cut off or filmed from obscure angles which can be noticed easily, but the lead couple had an enjoyable mature relationship that slowly developed into respect, admiration, and a deep and steadfast love. Both Yi Chen and Lin Lan are wounded souls with strong and resolute characters that are also sincere, honest, and kindhearted. They were able to heal together as they sought to resolve some unjust occurrences in their past and paved a life of love and mutual trust and support into the future.

In the meantime, you can watch the drama on YouTube under the caption: "Forced blind date!His gorgeous face melted her—turns out he's her boss! Cold by day, beast by night!" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdTlK4uYhkA&t=2s)

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Thoroughly Entertaining Show With Profound Themes of Love and Acceptance

Truly such a fun show. this is my second rewatch and I love it just as much as I did before. tian is such a loveable protagonist and his relationship with his brother yang and his mother li are so complex and layered. oddly enough, despite that, I was still kind of detached from tian emotionally as he didn't have much of a personal character arc. in fact, I thought his parents were more interesting as people than him in some cases while he, despite being really loveable and easy to root for, is kind of already perfect. the show kind of hits you over the head with how perfect he is, and he has no personal arc at all.
the romance is very sweet but it's really boring. I thought jiu was just okay as his love interest and surprisingly in such an entertaining show, their relationship just... fine.
yang and pin were so cute but like I didn't get too attached them as well. I think the problem is that the show presents such important issues like class differences, homophobia and feminism through an extremely modern lens. like, tian is very feminist and wants the women to make their own choices, yang is also the same, pin is a girlboss, jiu is gay and he has no struggles with himself at all. I understand maybe pim but in the historical context, it makes no sense for the characters to be so ahead of their time.
I thought one way of the historical framing with postmodern sentiments that was handled really well was with xiatung and her little spy. like it shows how women in such an era were able to maintain control and autonomy. similarly, li and chan, despite being such deplorable people are still sympathetic because their motivations are rooted in the cultural context of the time period. chan has spent her entire life being placed second to her rivals so of course it makes sense that she's intensely bitter and cruel. li has severe PTSD from witnessing Zhang's suicide and doesn't want her son to experience this so she makes things worse by trying to protect him.
in short, superb and entertaining drama, with everyone being complex except the main character but that's alright because he's a cutie.

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Tutorials on How to Stay Low-Key by Li Changshou

After the end of the carefully crafted masterpiece "Mystic Nine", Youku decides to drop two bombshells simultaneously, which are none other than "Pull Strings" and "The Early Spring". However, I'm not fond of office rom-com, given my awful experiences of rom-coms over these years, so picking up "Pull Strings" may not necessarily a bad thing. FYI, "Pull Strings" also has its anime version released on Youku with different title, "Big Brother". Let's see my take on "Pull Strings" and here we go...

"Pull Strings" tells the chaotic story of Li Changshou, a terminally ill patient who's been idling away in the hospital by reading his favorite fantasy novel. A little accident causes him to transmigrate into the novel's universe and he has to face the Great Tribulation (I'm sure xuanhuan fans are aware of tribulation - tribulation is defined as a cause of great trouble or suffering, usually by heavenly lightning strikes - and if you can't withstand those strikes, you're potentially doomed for good). To evade from this calamity, Changshou keeps a low profile from the public eye's and becomes a disciple of the Ascendance Sect, specifically entering the most unassuming division in the sect, Jade Division. Changshou's shifu is Qi Yuan, a lovesick yet clumsy old man whose foundation was destroyed early on (by his junior brother Kuai Si). His shifu also yearns to reunite with his past lover, Wan Jiangyu (also killed by Kuai Si due to his unrequited love). However, Changshou's tranquil life is turned upside down when shifu brings a brand-new junior sister for him, Lan Ling'E. Since then, Changshou can only haplessly save the day to ensure the safety of everyone while hiding his true nature. Changshou meets his match, the unruly Fairy Yunxiao, who shares similar passion with him. Together, they create schemes after schemes to save the world from the upcoming calamity. Anyway, the lore is divided into several arcs - ranging from Formation Test of the Ascendance Sect, Dragon Clan's banquet, the discovery of Pregnesis Sword, the history of Bear Island's folks, the Blood Gnat/Westdawn Clan's impromptu ambush, and eventually the showdown at the Dragon Palace, near the Sea-Calming Pillar to be precise.

To be honest, I feel the comedic timing is more amplified compared to the anime's as I didn't feel the humorous side of the story back then. The screenwriter is crafty in amalgamating the dialogue in exhilarating and maudlin atmosphere at the same time. Not many dramas can achieve this equilibrium, as some tend to transform into second hand-embarrassing slapstick comedy, while some become disconnected as the plot turns 180 degrees without proper pacing. I also like the modern jargons and technology used in the drama (we've got washing machine, mobile phone, telescope, mosaic blurring technique, level 1 tsunami warning, mind mapping, spa treatment, photo pose, inhaler, mosquito swatter, and more to go). The supporting characters don't serve as the one-dimensional cardboard, instead they become the catalyst for the main protagonists to show his trump card repeatedly, enhancing the probability of character development without being too obvious. All of them have their respective comedy scenes too, which I savor thoroughly (this is my second-best comedy drama of the year, after "No Pain No Gain"). Meanwhile, harem-thingy is alleviated to escape from the censorship's austere gaze, and I totally appreciate that as I loathe harem trope. But I suppose Changshou is falling hard for Yunxiao without him noticing lol.

On the side note, the drama shifts 180 degrees to angsty tone as it approaches an end. Furthermore, we also get a plot twist about Jin Chan's origin. I have a hunch that he's also a transmigrator (but highly unlikely) like Changshou. He claims that he has faced 4 consecutive Great Tribulation and is the main cause of the deathly catastrophe. The motive behind his vile deed is quite simple, which is to be recognized as a savior by the heaven. However, he was never chosen in his past lives, driving him to become a ruthless cultivator and hunt every 'chosen-one' and obliterate them before they ended the Great Tribulation. Jin Chan masters Time-Space Stasis to stop the movement of time and space as long as he likes. In this stasis, Changshou spends 3600 years to count every single probability of saving the world without sacrificing other people. In the end, he'll combine himself into the Sun Dial and controls the Fate, helping everyone eschewing the Great Tribulation and ensuring peace for the world. Yunxiao, who is possessed by the Demon Emperor, has transformed herself into the new Sea-Calming Pillar, thus sealing the Demon Emperor once again. Nevertheless, she leaves a trace of her soul behind in the form of a strand of hair.

Despite all the pros listed above, the show has its own weakness as well, which refers to the confusing timeline at the end of the show. Moreover, little information is given to explain what truly happens at that era. And doing mental arithmetic to count the years definitely does you no good (if you just watch "Pull Strings" for relaxation).

Once again, Ao Ruipeng proves himself as one of the most versatile actors in C-drama land, able to transition between exuberant and serious character in one fell swoop. His micro-expressions are pretty on point, as I can sense a turmoil of emotion through his body language. I hope he can bring another masterpiece in "My Queen, My Rules" with Shen Yujie. For Sun Zhenni, she's quite decent as the tsundere yet rebellious little fairy - while she indeed has less screentime than Ao Ruipeng, she still shines in her role and becomes Changshou's emotional anchor whenever he's stressed out. In "Pull Strings", Ai Mi doesn't need to face criticisms about her young age or older pairing which prompts people to jump to pedophilia's conclusion. She totally fits Lan Ling'E's bubbly personality and is one of the most loveable girls in this drama. On the other hand, Changshou's potential love interest also includes Youqin Xuanya and Jiu Jiu (played by Zhang Changning and Jenny Zeng respectively). Despite their hidden romance sparks, I kind of feel like they still respect Changshou's wish to be a rational man (a delulu would've forced her way with brute force). Shout out to our little baby dragon Ao Yi (played by Ao Ziyi), our art-fanatic Celestial Emperor aka Hua Ritian (played by Li Zhehao), the Bear Island's gang, the older actors (who portray the elders of the Ascendance Sect), and more.

OSTs are surprisingly pleasant - I particularly like the tracks sung by Dai Quan, Wu Yi, and Bai Jugang (I strongly suspect this track is written by the composer who also made the score of 汇 (Convergence) by YoungG). Sets, backgrounds, and costumes are meticulously crafted, and even the CGI doesn't look that fake (low-budget ones usually have the fakest of the fakest LMAO).

Overall, it's a ten out of ten. If you're burnt out in the real life and want to shut your brain off for a while, "Pull Strings" may be the best antidote for you. Be ready to have the heartiest laugh all the time (I always have to suppress my giggle, or else my mom thinks I'm going insane). That's all for "Pull Strings", good luck and happy watching!!!

P.S.
I can relate with Changshou because I tend to stay rational and cool-headed all the time, having to make three plans ahead of everyone, plus we've got a huge amount of trust issue against other people. Even if we're stressed out, we don't want to look for others' help and still solve the problem on our own. Yes, this may come off as being selfish, egoistic, or individualistic, but trust me - people are hard to trust nowadays (some may even betray or use your trust against you). Only you can save yourself in this 'rat-race' society. One more, I need his spa treatment and washing machine theorem. The breakdance at the party is very fun too.

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Enemies at First Touch, Lovers Before First Sight: Sometimes the Heart Sees What the Eyes Cannot

Ten years after Addicted, the same director is back with a new Chinese BL, Till I See You, and that alone was enough to get my attention.

The concept immediately reminded me of the Thai BL Last Twilight starring JimmySea, with a caretaker looking after a visually impaired lead and a relationship that starts with constant clashing before slowly developing into something more. I am always a fan of enemies to lovers, especially when two characters have completely opposite personalities, and that is exactly what we get here.

This is my third time watching Wang Ruichen after The Summer You Kissed Me and Awakening the Steppe, and once again, he is absolutely stunning. His muscular physique is definitely one of his biggest visual strengths. However, I have to say I am not a fan of the blonde orange hair in this series. I definitely preferred his darker hair in his previous dramas.

What makes me laugh is that his character almost feels like he has followed him across all three series. This time he plays Song Yi, a fun, confident and wealthy young man who has run away from home and needs somewhere to stay. Just like his previous characters, he is naturally flirty, confident and always seems ready to make the first move. Wang Ruichen really knows how to play this type of character, and honestly, I am not complaining.

Opposite him is Sun Xiaoxiao as Xu Feiyu, who is visually impaired and recovering from eye surgery. Feiyu could not be more different from Song Yi. He is cold, distant and extremely guarded. He hates having strangers around him and especially dislikes being touched, so you can already imagine what happens when someone as playful and persistent as Song Yi suddenly enters his life.

The story itself is quite simple. Song Yi needs somewhere to stay and ends up becoming Feiyu's temporary caretaker. Their personalities immediately clash, resulting in nonstop bickering and frustration between them. But underneath all that fighting, Feiyu slowly begins lowering the walls he has built around himself and developing feelings for the person he initially could not stand.

I think Song Yi is going to be the light that slowly breaks through Feiyu's darkness.

Feiyu clearly carries emotional scars beyond his visual impairment, and there seems to be much more behind his cold personality than we currently know. Song Yi is exactly the type of person who could slowly warm his heart. He is patient, caring and funny. He cooks for him, looks after him and even takes care of an injured wombat. How can your heart not slowly melt for this man?

What makes the romance more interesting is that Feiyu cannot truly see Song Yi yet. Their connection begins through personality, touch, conversations and everyday moments rather than physical appearance. By the time Feiyu starts letting Song Yi into his heart, their relationship has already become something much deeper.

But this is clearly not going to remain a simple caretaker romance.

Song Yi originally travelled to Northern China because he wanted answers about his father's past, and there appears to be a hidden truth connecting everything together. Just as Feiyu is getting closer to regaining his sight, that secret threatens their relationship and leads to Song Yi suddenly disappearing from his life. The story will then take us five years into the future, where fate brings them together again and forces them to confront the love they never truly left behind.

So while the beginning gives us a fun enemies to lovers dynamic filled with bickering, flirting and caregiving, there is clearly heartbreak waiting for us later.

So far, I really like the chemistry between the two lead. Their contrasting personalities work perfectly together. Song Yi brings warmth and chaos while Feiyu brings coldness and resistance, which makes every little moment where Feiyu lowers his guard feel more meaningful.

The acting is strong, the chemistry is already there, the plot is easy to follow and the OST is beautiful. Sometimes you do not need an overly complicated story when the characters and chemistry can carry the romance.

You can watch Till I See You on GagaOOLala, with one episode released each week until November 19.

My only complaint is that waiting an entire week for a 20 minute episode should be illegal. Give me at least two episodes a week!

If you enjoy enemies to lovers, nonstop bickering, opposite personalities, caretaker romance, emotional healing, great chemistry, strong acting and a story that looks like it is going to become much more painful later, definitely add Till I See You to your watchlist.

8.5/10 so far. A simple beginning with great chemistry, but I have a feeling this one is going to hurt later.

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Sweet 7 lifetime romance with almost zero drama

I decided to watch this because I didn’t know what else to watch. I’ve been watching a lot of Ding Yuxi dramas lately and finished several of them, so I picked this one up. It’s also the first Yang Chaoyue series I’ve ever watched. I’ve heard her name a lot but only just realized I’d never seen any drama where she was the female lead. The plot is really good. The structure of the seven connected lifetimes has nice parallels and small details that don’t feel repetitive. Each life is different—sometimes only one of them remembers, sometimes both do, sometimes neither does—which keeps it from getting boring and adds mystery that makes you want to keep watching.

For me, the early episodes moved along enjoyably even though it felt a bit slow at times, especially the second lifetime. The first lifetime (as animals) was quite funny, and the third was fun too. Around the middle it slowed down and I felt a bit bored, but from episode 25 onward—especially the later part of the fifth lifetime and the sixth—it got really good and exciting. The second male lead in the second and third lifetimes is one of the most annoying second male leads of all time for me, even though he turns out to be a good person in the end. The main villain’s death at the end also felt a bit too easy. Ding Yuxi as Chu Kong is definitely the highlight of the show. He plays multiple lifetimes and different personalities really well. Yang Chaoyue as Xiang Yun is very cute. Her acting isn’t particularly outstanding and there are a few points you can nitpick, but it’s not bad enough to make the show unwatchable. Their chemistry is good. The relationship is sweet and adorable with some sad moments mixed in. Because the male lead is quite straightforward, there’s almost no misunderstanding drama between them.Production is beautiful—costumes, sets, and the opening OST is excellent.

Overall, This drama has a very interesting plot about seven connected lifetimes. It’s a sweet story. The pacing can drag and feel a bit boring in some parts, but the main focus is the story and relationship between the leads. If you’re looking for a couple who are in love and have almost zero misunderstanding drama, this one feels very comforting to watch. You can definitely give this a try.

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A rare 10/10

It all started with a well written story. I have read the book and found it deeply engaging. Both characters were flawed and at times some of the interactions were almost borderline toxic. Luan Nian, as depicted in the book was a character that I really want to dislike but in the end he redeemed himself. And I could really see how Tao Tao has grown and mature in person over the 6 years period. The drama, whilst has made some adaptation, follows the gist of the book true to its form and I really appreciated that. I love every aspect of this drama, from the cast, the scripts, the music, the cinematography, the fashion. 10/10

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A huge miss for me

I couldn't enjoy it as much as everyone else did. I wish I could though.

The plot was predictable, filled with comedy, fluff but had an underlying story of the lives of the Lee family. It was very much character oriented. In my opinion it lacked substance. The story only revolved around, comedy and Khun Thee's diabolical way of making Peach his lover. Some scenes were fun but it didn't have much to offer in the plot so after finishing an episode I didn't find the immediate urge to play the next one. Peach's character was written well however the rest felt like too one dimensional.

The set was amazingly done. They definitely had good budget and utilized it properly. The direction was also not bad, it wasn't stretchy. The cinematography was great. The quality of the production is definitely one of the better sides of the series.

The acting was probably why I couldn't drop the show and this is coming from a non fan. Getting into a character like Thee, who is far from the everyday people is definitely hard so kudos to Pond. Phuwin, Bonnie, Est, William, Perth, Santa, Tee and the rest of the cast played their roles perfectly and made the series enjoyable.

Maybe it was not just for me but I wished they had kept more elements in the story to give more dimension and layers. If you are looking for a lighthearted show with not much storyline then this one might be a good choice.

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Lots of stupidity and misunderstandings, but cute?

I did enjoy this one a bit more than "Star in My Mind" storyline-wise, just because it is more unique than the more classic and overused school BL approach of the first series. But everything else was just meh.

You can watch it on Viki: https://www.viki.com/tv/39524c-sky-in-your-heart#episodes

Things I liked:
1. Some cute moments.
2. Caring moments. Putting it as its own thing since there was quite a lot of that.
3. Beautiful views.
4. Some funny moments.

Things I disliked:
1. Prince hiding the fact that he is rich. I just don't necessarily understand the reason for that.
2. Too much of the back and forth of the fighting and making up.
3. Very slow pacing.
4. Fah keeps putting himself into his brother's relationship. He is not a child, let him make his own choices.
5. Fah acting like Dao is a baby when it comes to his relationship and other things but then going to him for love/relationship advice. Make it make sense.
6. Lackluster ending.

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Bold, Intimate and Visually Stunning

So good. Strong acting, bold storytelling, amazing chemistry, phenomenal music and absolutely beautiful cinematography. The Early Spring caught my attention from the beginning and somehow kept getting better.
The acting is one of its biggest strengths. The chemistry between the leads feels intense and incredibly natural, and so much is communicated without words but through looks, pauses, body language and the smallest changes in expression.
Visually, this drama is stunning. The cinematography, framing, colors and symbolism are beautiful, but they aren't there just to make everything look pretty. The visual details actually tell part of the story. Even the silences have meaning.
I also loved how bold and mature the drama was willing to be. The intimacy was handled beautifully, not only the physical scenes, but the closeness, hesitation, tension and little gestures between the characters.
And the OST is phenomenal. The music isn't simply in the background, it becomes part of the storytelling. Sometimes it feels like the music is saying everything the characters can't put into words.
The characters themselves are far from perfect. They make mistakes, frustrate you and give you plenty to argue about. There was so much discussion about red flags and green flags while this was airing, but after finishing it, I think those labels are simply too easy. These are complicated, flawed people, and that's exactly what made them interesting to me.
Was everything perfect? No. But The Early Spring made me feel, think, argue, rewatch scenes and notice tiny details I would normally miss.
Bold, intimate, beautifully acted and visually stunning. This one is going to stay with me for a long time

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