Reviews

That final 15 minutes was refreshing. I liked the twist!

Today I was in the mood for mermaid + merman dramas so I decided to watch this drama. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist - this drama was really enjoyable.

What I liked:
1. Acting - Wang Zi Yi was amazing in her role. She managed to convey the different emotions of her character. She and Li Qing Tian had an alright chemistry.
2. Romance - It was a marriage of convenience but their relationship was warm from the get go. No cold / distant awkward strangers. Their love story was believable because they worked together. This isn’t a steamy drama but the role play was delightful (I liked the doctor bit).
3. Supporting characters - ML's son was smart & sneaky - he was a nice boy. I also liked ML's assistant.
4. FL characterisation - She was kind and focused - the hotel / restaurant was important to her.
5. ML characterisation - He was a nice guy who wanted the best for his kid and FL. It was amusing to see his hidden identity.
6. Twist - That final 15 minutes was a nice surprise. Wow, that saviour story was unexpected. I also liked the part where FL's friend's scheming was unveiled.
7. Fantasy - The element was done well despite the limited budget.

What I disliked:
1. Ending - That final minute ruined everything. I wonder if the scene was created to appease certain group of industry players.
2. Antagonists - FL's friend was mean and insecure. ML's pursuer was horrible for the scheming.

Favourite scene
The saviour story

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He is worth way more than a dollar

One Dollar Lawyer is worth watching for one key reason: Namkoong Min. Charismatic, strikingly handsome, and armed with impeccable comic timing, he completely owns the screen as Cheon Ji-hun, a lawyer who charges the outrageous fee of just 1,000 won (about one US dollar) per case, in spite of being outstanding in his job.

Cheon Ji-hun is the kind of character who can walk into a room looking like a trendy fashion model, act like a complete lunatic, and somehow still be the smartest person there. Cocky, confident, eccentric, and utterly unpredictable, he turns every courtroom appearance into a performance.

A large part of the fun comes from the mystery surrounding him. One moment, he appears completely broke, with his landlord relentlessly chasing him for unpaid rent. The next, he is casually bidding huge sums of money at auctions as though he owns half of Seoul. Is he rich? Is he poor? Is he secretly both? And more importantly, how does a lawyer charging only 1,000 won per client manage to keep his office open?

As the story unfolds, Ji-hun and his two loyal sidekicks take on a variety of cases, usually fighting for people who have neither money nor influence. Watching this unconventional trio work is half the entertainment. Whether it is clearing a man falsely accused of murdering his parents, helping a petty thief escape the shadow of his criminal past, or taking down an abusive corporate executive who treats his staff like punching bags, Ji-hun always finds a way to turn the tables.

The drama does occasionally suffer from pacing issues, especially the first episode - I was wondering I would want to watch on as it felt quite boring. However, if you can make it through the first couple of episodes, the series gradually finds its rhythm and becomes much more engaging.

What elevates the drama beyond simple comedy is the tragedy hidden beneath Ji-hun's clownish exterior. Behind the jokes, outrageous outfits, and constant wisecracks lies a man carrying enormous emotional scars. His fiancée was stabbed to death on a train. His father, a presidential candidate, allegedly took his own life by jumping from a building. Yet Ji-hun remains unconvinced by the official explanations and continues to pursue the truth.

As the pieces slowly come together, it becomes clear that powerful figures with even more powerful political connections are involved. The deeper Ji-hun digs, the more danger he places himself in. Suddenly, the goofy lawyer charging one dollar is no longer just fighting legal battles — he is confronting people capable of destroying lives.

What makes the drama work so well is its balance. It can make you laugh one minute and then hit you with a surprisingly emotional revelation the next. Although I suspect that much of the humour might be lost in translation relying on the English dubbing as I don't understand Korean.

Overall, One Dollar Lawyer is a highly entertaining blend of comedy, legal drama, mystery, and underdog justice. It starts quietly, but once it finds its footing, it becomes difficult to stop watching. And at the centre of it all is Namkoong Min, delivering a performance so charming and energetic that he could probably charge 1,000 won for legal advice and still convince everyone they got a bargain.

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Great casts, is the life of the show.

A office rom-com that is thrilling, interesting, and fun due to the great casting, incredible performances, with lovely camedarie, good humour and engaging office investigations. While the plot isn't compelling and incredible the casting performance were the life of the show

While I love all the casting, the main couple casting, was impeccable, with sweet romances, cozy hugs, chaotic energy investigations which were my gripping effects each week and my highest motive to binge this every week.
Loved the ride.
I need Shin Hye Sun and Gong Myoung casted in a great script

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A Rich Brat, A Detective Badge, and a Deadly Mystery

Jin Yi Su is the second son of Jin Myeong Cheol, chairman of a powerful conglomerate. Unlike every other chaebol heir in K-drama history who is busy plotting corporate takeovers, Yi Su has zero interest in the family business. He happily leaves that burden to his elder half-brother and instead indulges his obsession with detective novels, crime dramas, and elaborate role-playing police raids that cost more money than most people earn in a year.

Then fate intervenes.

While chasing a criminal, Yi Su ends up tackling and subduing the suspect. Unfortunately, Detective Lee Gang Hyeon arrives just late enough to draw the wrong conclusion and arrests the wrong man. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, the police somehow decide that the best way to apologise is to recruit the billionaire playboy into the homicide division.

A bit far-fetched, that is how police hiring works in this drama. The result is comedy gold.

Gang Hyeon spends much of the early episodes trying to keep Yi Su away from investigations, but pushing aside a chaebol heir with unlimited money, unlimited free time, and unlimited curiosity proves impossible. Soon, the reluctant team finds itself solving murder of a famous artist, suspicious accidents of an old man, mysterious deaths of a CEO, and crimes involving a terrifying cult organisation.

What makes the drama work is that Yi Su is not merely comic relief. Beneath the flashy clothes, endless confidence, and attention-seeking antics lies a genuinely intelligent investigator. Gradually, the team begins to realise that the spoiled rich brat they initially despised actually has useful instincts and impressive investigative skills.

Ahn Bo Hyun absolutely shines as Jin Yi Su. He perfectly captures a character who is equal parts peacock, man-child, genius, and wounded son. Yi Su loves showing off and being the centre of attention - the absolute flex, but beneath that charming playful facade is a lonely boy who lost his mother at a young age and harbours deep resentment toward his father.

The drama cleverly blends comedy, detective mystery, thriller, corruption, politics, and friendship into one surprisingly addictive package. One moment you are laughing at Yi Su spending absurd amounts of money and resources to solve a problem. The next, you are watching a tense murder investigation.

And of course, every good detective story needs a central mystery.

For Yi Su, it is the death of his mother. He has always believed she died in a tragic accident that unfolded before his eyes. But as the story progresses, cracks begin to appear in that version of events. When his father later suffers a similar fate, it becomes increasingly clear that there is more to these deaths than simple bad luck.

Who was really responsible?

Was his mother's death an accident at all? Was Yi-Su's childhood memory reliable?

And if someone has been eliminating members of his family, is Yi Su next?

While the drama is enormous fun, there are moments where reality quietly packs its bags and leaves the building. For example, can a police superintendent really assign a civilian billionaire to active homicide investigations with so little paperwork? Probably not. Still, this is hardly the kind of drama you watch for procedural accuracy.

One interesting point that caught my attention was the discussion around the statute of limitations. A quick Google search confirmed that in South Korea, murders committed before 1 August 2000 were indeed subject to a 25-year limitation period, adding an extra layer of realism to part of the mystery.

Overall, Flex X Cop is not a drama that takes itself too seriously, and that is precisely its charm. It is funny, fast-paced, packed with memorable characters, and manages to balance comedy and suspense surprisingly well. If you enjoy detective stories but would like your murders solved by a rich show-off who treats police work like the world's most expensive hobby, this drama is well worth your time.

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Imagine waiting 2 years to end up with this

First of all, editing is horrible. The sound quality does not exist. OST is unlistenable - intro was probably made by a child instead of grown-up producers. Story doesn’t make sense. It was interesting at first but all those fights over nothing became so boring. Characters are impossible to like maybe except for Gorya. I also didnt couples’ storyline. Actresses who played amazingly in Pluto had to become a couple in this show out of nowhere. Useless drama doesnt make it better though. Wasted lot of time watching it, I could’ve spent it on GL dramas like Clairebell or Hometown romance. I’m so disappointed. I was excited about the cast but the whole drama was probably made by some wattpad writters in their 10s

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30 minutes is too short for an enjoyable mermaid story. Yang Mie Mie fits mermaid aesthetics

I was in the mood for mermaid short drama so I chose to watch this drama. Gosh I guess this must be the pre-Yu Long era. Anyway I wish this drama was longer.

What I liked:
1. Styling - Yang Mie Mie fits the mermaid aesthetics with her doll-like features. Her mermaid outfit was adorable too.
2. Fantasy - The Eye of the Sea is common tool in mermaid storytelling and it's done well.
3. FL characterisation - She was likeable. Her attempts to retrieve her item were amusing.

What I disliked:
1. Plot - With running time slightly longer than 30 minutes, the storyline was severely underdeveloped. The ending was rushed.
2. Romance - Underdeveloped. Just as the romance was about to blossom, the story had reached an end.
3. Acting - Both did the best they could with the goven script. There was lack of chemistry between Yang Mie Mie and Xi Er Li.

Favourite scene
When she tried to retrieve the Eye of the Sea

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Realism at its finest, with some minor discrepancies on some characters

This is good, story wise, if you like an ordinary working environment and realism, this is the one, ignore the harsh review or trashing about this, try it at least 3 episode, why? because the first one most of people are not gonna like it, but after that, its pretty enjoyable and keep us hooked with the story.

The bad ones are some bad character or as we can label it as (villain) here is not really getting what they deserved, it got the sudden change of character without any impactful story or explanation whatsoever, and it feels like the writer is trying too hard to justified the SML and SFL affair which is left a bad taste in my mouth, other than that, pretty enjoyable.

The acting was good it makes me feels like hearing some of my collague at works some of their life stories, relatable and each and every one of them here doin a really good job at it. And yeah, the chemistry of the main feels like just enough, almost lacking.

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I started watching this mainly because of Fuaiz.

At first, Sun believes that his mother's death and his younger brother's murder were the consequences of his own actions as a debt collector. For five years, he lives with guilt, working himself to exhaustion and simply surviving day by day.

Then he discovers a shocking truth: someone deliberately manipulated the tragedy that destroyed his family.

That moment completely changes the direction of the story. What began as a tale of guilt becomes a revenge drama.

The entertainment industry setting is interesting, but what caught my attention most was Sun himself. He is not a typical heroic protagonist. He is broken, exhausted, and burdened by years of self-hatred, which makes him compelling to watch.

Fuaiz once again plays a character with a darker edge, something he seems particularly good at. Ever since 4Minutes, I've enjoyed seeing him portray morally complicated people.

The first episode is heavy and tragic, but it successfully sets up the revenge plot and leaves me curious about what will happen next.

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Cute, slowburn bl for foodies

Although I'm not typically a big fan of Korean Bl, I really enjoyed this one. To be honest I just randomly picked this series to watch since it had been on my watchlist for a long time. I always feel like romance and representation lacks when it comes to K-BL. What I do like about K bl is that it's always short. This series is 8 episodes and around 25 minutes long per episode. The bl did have some of the typical 'Korean drama moments', which were actually really cute.

The whole aesthetic is adorable and well dressed. It's a Kdrama so this might be a bit expected but the acting felt real and not uncomfortable. I love how it's super slow burn, but if you don't like slow burn I obviously don't recommend this series.

I normally don't like series with 'reunion' because it feels very unoriginal and repetitive. But this one is really different than others that use it. The old classmate becoming neighbour is actually quite nice to the plot. However, It also didn't take ages for Do Hoon to figure it all out, which is normally the problem I have with that type of plot. I do not like the flashbacks though, they felt really unreal and fake, probably because they looked older than high school students.

I LOVE the food plot. My mother has a food business and bl's with a restaurant always have a special place in my heart. The love through food reviewing feels really original. It felt like a super cute cozy bl and kinda felt like they already lived together. I love their relationship trope so much.

The whole love triangle was just perfect, I did feel like super bad for Do Hoon, even if it wasn't the fault of Yoon soo. The whole misunderstanding added a super well done plot. I LOVE angst so if you like angst this is definitely your series but don't expect the best angst ever. I really recommend this series especially for people who like slow burn, food and K-BL. Also for new Bl watchers since it's simple and just cute, not a huge plot or plot twist. I love it super much!!

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The Heavy Cost of Saving Each Other

Had I Not Seen the Sun is a mystery romance drama centered around a young serial killer Li Jen Yao, known as the Rainstorm Killer. At twenty-five, after murdering ten people, including his own father, he turns himself in, cooperates with the police, and accepts the death penalty. The one thing he never reveals is why. Years later, two journalists decide to make a documentary about him, hoping to uncover the truth behind the murders. As they begin investigating, strange visions and dreams start haunting one of them, and little by little the past begins to surface.

Most of the drama unfolds through extended flashbacks, telling the story of Li Jen Yao’s life, first during high school in part one, then in early adulthood in part two. His life is bleak from the beginning. He is abused by his father, repeatedly let down by his mother, chased by debt collectors, and constantly targeted by bullies at school. There’s very little warmth in his world.

The only real light in his life is Chiang Hsiao Tung, a girl he meets at school. She takes an interest in him and decides they should become friends. She’s everything he isn’t: bright, talented, surrounded by loving family and supportive friends, with a future ahead of her as a ballet dancer. For a while, she becomes the one beautiful thing in his otherwise miserable existence. But once she gets pulled into his world, everything slowly starts falling apart. The love that grows between them feels like it should save Li Jen Yao, but instead it turns painful and destructive, and in the end it leaves both of them broken.

The drama explores a lot of heavy themes: family abuse, sexual assault, corruption, the way powerful people use their influence to bury their crimes, and the issues surrounding the death penalty. It mixes mystery with romance extremely well, and there are even a few scenes with a horror-like atmosphere that genuinely unsettle you. It’s intense, at times graphic, and emotionally exhausting in the best way possible. The story keeps hitting both the characters and the viewer with tragedy after tragedy, with only a few tender moments between the leads offering any relief.

It’s a very bleak and heartbreaking watch, but if you love angst and emotionally painful stories, it delivers beautifully. What makes it work so well is that it handles all of those difficult themes with real care and depth. Even when it gets heavy, it never feels empty or overly dramatic. You just can’t stop watching.

The acting is phenomenal (especially Tseng Jing Hua as Li Jen Yao, and Moon Lee as Chiang Hsiao Tung) the casting feels perfect, the cinematography is beautiful, and the soundtrack is chosen incredibly well. And by the end of part two, when the mystery from the opening finally unravels and every piece falls into place, you’re left with this overwhelming heaviness and deep pity for the characters.

It hurts from beginning to end, and somehow that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable.

In the end, the famous line, "Had I not seen the sun, I could have borne the shade," rings hauntingly true. Had Li Jen Yao never seen the sun in the form of Chiang Hsiao Tung, he might have endured the bleakness of his own miserable life. But once he glimpsed that light, returning to the shadows became impossible, and ultimately, it was that glimpse of the sun that ruined him.

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