Reviews

Absolute perfection, a true masterpiece

This show is a true masterpiece. This is easily one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. In only six episodes they were able to tell such an incredibly beautiful story. I was brought to tears and cried multiple times and I've never been religious, so I can't even imagine what it was like being religious and watching this. I could talk about it this show forever.

Barth:
Getting to learn about his past, his experience with religion, how he came to the school in the first place, and seeing that grow into the man he becomes in the end was so beautiful. He went through so much. Seeing him reconnect with God after visiting his mom made me cry. Such a powerful moment when he looked up and prayed after visiting her. I loved Barth so much. He was funny, such a tease, kind, and so loving. I love how much he flirted and teased Tan without ever pressuring him into anything. He fell so hard for Tan and I loved seeing him go about that relationship given the time and where they were.

Tan:
Seeing his struggle with his faith and his sexuality was so heart wrenching to see, but so real. So many people go through the same or similar things, and it just felt so real. He broke my heart and made me emotional and cry multiple times. I loved seeing him learn about his feelings with Barth, it was so wholesome and again so heart wrenching at the same time. I was so happy when he got to talk to the trans woman because I think she really helped him get the clarity he needed. I loved seeing him go and talk to Father in the present day about everything and how understanding he was with it all. He was just such a sweetheart, so caring, so smart, and so full of love. His whole monologue at the end as well was so beautiful.

I loved seeing Barth and Tan's relationship develop. It was fun and playful yet so deep and powerful at the same time. I loved seeing them together 20 or so years later happily married too! Seeing them with their wedding rings, photos, and just their life in general was so emotional to see. I really thought the show was going to have a sad ending and I'm so glad it didn't and in fact was just a love story.

Gemini and Fourth absolutely killed these roles. I can't imagine anyone else as Barth and Tan. Their acting is some of the best I've seen. They both were able to convey the story perfectly and could say so much without saying anything. Before this show, I hadn't seen them in anything before, and this show made me want to see their other work. Give these guys an award for this!

The cinematography and lighting in this were absolutely incredible! The different lighting choices depending on the moods of the scenes, the different camera shots; everything about it was true cinema.

This show is just a true masterpiece, and I recommend it to everyone, but especially those who have faced religious traumas or struggles or is part of the LGBTQ+ community. I wish I could give this higher than a 10/10 because it truly deserves it.

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Complete Disaster ....for the lack of better words

I was looking forward for this. Especially for Li Yun Rui. Episode 1, FL acting already seared my eyes. I told myself that perhaps I was too judgmental, so I watched more episodes. In the end I could not stomach this. I skimmed through until the end.

At the core, the drama is talking about abolishing the slavery. The theme itself is grand. But, the execution felt short and childish. The romance also quite disgusting, from my point of view. Honestly, I don't understand why Zhuge Yue is so obsessed toward Chu Qiao. Yan Xun ....... this man spent the entire drama acting like man lover who can only think about how to take Chu Qiao back.

The worst ever of this drama is the FL acting. The actress now is in my 1st rank for the worst ever actor/actress. It is like you give a high school project to elementary student.

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The Eternal Silence of a Loving Heart

My world is enshrouded in the eternal silence of the heart which once loved me. Life goes on: it triumphs in budding flowers, songs of birds, rain, and sunshine. Life goes on - past my world, where only my dogged heart is still alive.

I am unable to retreat: I want to live, for I love life. But Death looms through the spring triumph of life. I never feared death. I always sought beautiful things in order to withstand negativity. Music, poetry or nature - all this was my way of escape from the gathering darkness - from Death.

One of my beautiful things was the Chinese historical drama Kill to Love (2025) starring Zhang Zhe Xu (张哲旭) as Duan Zi Ang and Mi Jin (弭金) as Xiao Shu He. I discovered it in December 2025. This is a tragic story of love between a prince (Xiao Shu He) and an assassin (Duan Zi Ang). Love united them, duty separated them. Entangled in politics, both of them dreamt of the simplest things - freedom, love, and happiness. Both of them found only death at the end of their dramatic yet passionate journey of love.

Duan Zi Ang became my favourite character at first sight - not because of the enchanting comeliness of the actor Zhang Zhe Xu, but because of the similarity between this character and me. This made me sympathise with him until the end of the series. The only thing that Zi Ang wanted was his friend, the prince Xiao Shu He. The only thing that I ever wanted in my life was a close person. Zi Ang did not covet either power or fame or wealth: all was nothing in comparison to the bond of two souls. He overcame obstacles, conquered a kingdom, and achieved his goals - only to be defeated by his immense yet futile effort... The "reward" which he received for all his endeavours was his beloved's lifeless body in his powerless embrace. Zi Ang once says that he "wanted too much." Perhaps, the faithfulness of one person is indeed too much in this miserable world.

Xiao Shu He hurt him (intentionally or not), but Zi Ang forgave him all. He did not hold a grudge against the one who was slowly talking his life with his killing love. The most poignant scene was when the almost-dying Zi Ang expressed regret for all that he had done, yet Shu He maintained the appearance of a victim, unable to understand what he himself had done to another human being. The invincible Duan Zi Ang is vulnerable before the weak Xiao Shu He. Zi Ang's great love is his own doom.

Xiao Shu He is a good person - too good to be compassionate. He cares about an abstract people, hurting the one who cares about him. He loves the abstract notion "people," yet he is unable to love a human being. He is slowly destroying Zi Ang with his devilish goodness and cannot even comprehend what he is doing. He once stabbed Zi Ang with a dagger for being saved; afterwards, he stabs him with his actions and words again and again... Zi Ang wastes his feelings for a person who is unable to reciprocate his love. Of course, Shu He has feelings for Zi Ang, but his feelings are faint in comparison to an ardent and genuine flame that shines in Zi Ang's heart. Zi Ang is too loving, too strong, too perfect for Shu He. Whilst I watched the series, I wanted Zi Ang to have a better lover - a true soulmate, who would be as passionate, faithful and sincere as Zi Ang himself. True love as well as true friendship can exist only between equals.

Mi Jin's acting was impeccable: I almost hated Shu He for hurting Zi Ang. One of the most painful moments was in the episode 11 when Zi Ang expressed his desire to live with Shu He for the short time remaining to him, yet Shu He decided to run away "for the sake of" his beloved abstraction of people...

Duan Zi Ang is the only character whom I ever sympathised with: I am not a big fan of films or series - I prefer documentaries. But Kill to Love is not mere entertainment - this is a true work of art.

In this drama all is logical, all is suitable, all is perfect. The script is well-wrought like an intricate pattern full of bright colours and the finest shades. There is neither a missing piece nor a superfluous one: all is well-balanced, all is a pure harmony of colours, hues, and emotions. Music splendidly conveys moods and highlights dramatic moments. Dialogues are meaningful and poetical. The film's shots are thought out in composition and colour scheme like paintings. The acting is convincing, soulful and realistic. The whole drama is surprisingly realistic and understandable, notwithstanding the ancient ambience.

Moments of intimacy between the main characters are enchantingly beautiful. Fascinating sensuality is conveyed even in small details. Kisses are mesmerising - they are a perfect expression of the syntony of two souls. The first kiss of Zi Ang and Shu He was so emotional and passionate, as though it were a real kiss, not a staged one.

The action takes place centuries ago, in a country foreign to me, but I feel all, as though all were familiar to me. The actors were able to express genuine emotions, and I can feel those emotions. The best acting is that of Zhang Zhe Xu. He not only played his role - he lived it. When I see him, I am oblivious to Zhang Zhe Xu - I see only his character Duan Zi Ang and I feel his feelings. Zhe Xu is the best embodiment for that passionate, caring and tragic character. Besides, his appearance is suitable for his role. Zhe Xu has wonderful eyes, beautiful and expressive, full of passion, thought and inner life. Zi Ang's emotions were reflected in Zhe Xu's gaze. The most impressive part of Zhe Xu's acting was his gaze.

As to the other main character, Xiao Shu He, the actor Mi Jin was sublime in this role - a real prince with a noble deportment and exquisite features. If I had not liked Duan Zi Ang, Xiao Shu He would certainly have been my favourite character.

In my opinion, Duan Zi Ang and Xiao Shu He are the best male couple in cinema. They look exquisite together, complementing each other with their different beauty and personal traits.

The drama resembles an enthralling journey through space and time to Love in all its splendour and tragedy. This is realistic and understandable story of love - a story full of meaningful nuances, vivid colours, and eternal Beauty.

I watched the film in December 2025, when I was ill, and it made me feel far better. I re-watched it in January 2026, when I had a difficult time as an author, and the series helped me to stay positive. I began to watch it this April, few days after the death of my loved one, and my favourite Kill to Love made me revive.

... A nightingale is singing outside my window. Life goes on. In the eternal silence of my own love my dogged heart is still beating.

Olga Kawecka
(author, historian, translator)
Russia, Tver.

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loved it!

I had great fun watching this drama. I have to say that it was one of the best dramas I have seen in quite a while. It gave me laughs throughout the series and I didn't take it too seriously most of the time. However, there were also some emotional moments that kept me entertained too. First of all, I have to say that Na Hwa Jin is one of my favorite characters. His death scene made me cry and I actually felt so sorry for his wife. I think that it's great that Na Hwa Jin made me feel attached to him and his family.

To conclude, I really enjoyed this drama and I think that everyone should watch it. It has great elements of comedy, action, and emotional moments. I was never bored while watching it.

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Great!...but with flaws

Road to Success is one of those dramas that constantly feels like it's on the verge of becoming something great. The series ambitiously blends romance, sports, and suspense into one story. On paper, all three genres complement one another, and the drama does make an effort to weave them together into a cohesive narrative. You can see the vision behind it.

But the problem is that it rarely allows any of those elements to fully breathe.

The biggest issue isn't that the editing is choppy, it's that it feels overly condensed. Rather than allowing storylines to unfold naturally, the drama often presents them in summary form. You see the beginning, the middle, and the end of an event or character arc, but much of the emotional development and contextual buildup in between is either rushed or missing.

Because of this, the transitions between the romance, sports, and suspense don't feel as seamless as they could. It's not that the genres themselves clash; it's that they aren't given enough room to breathe. Moments that should gradually build emotional weight instead move quickly from one plot point to the next. As a result, the drama can feel emotionally incomplete, not because the story lacks direction, but because many of its scenes prioritize progression over development.

This is also why certain character moments feel less impactful than they should. The emotional payoff is there in theory, but without enough context or quieter scenes to bridge one moment to the next, some relationships and story arcs feel summarized rather than fully experienced.

Episode 25 perfectly captures this issue. The episode begins building intrigue around Lin Wanxing's past, creating genuine emotional weight and suspense. Just as that mystery starts becoming compelling, it transitions into romance and healing, before shifting again toward sports. None of those transitions are inherently bad, but they happen so quickly that the emotional impact never has enough room to develop.

The cinematography is consistently solid, and visually the drama knows what it wants to be. There are plenty of beautiful shots and well-composed scenes that enhance the atmosphere.

Esther Yu delivers a strong performance as Lin Wanxing. She works well with the material she's given and captures both the lighter and more emotional sides of her character. However, the editing works against her. Certain scenes feel noticeably trimmed or missing, making some emotional reactions feel less earned than they should. It isn't necessarily her performance that's lacking, it's that pieces of the emotional context seem to have been removed, leaving some character moments feeling incomplete.

Chen Jingke is convincing as the coach in terms of appearance and overall suitability for the role, but his performance never fully clicked for me. Early on, his emotional distance makes sense because of his past trauma. He carries the guilt of believing he caused the death of a player he once mentored and coached, so it's understandable why he'd be guarded with his new team.

However, as the story progresses, it feels like that emotional arc reaches a point of closure. The drama suggests that he's beginning to move on from his past, yet that progression doesn't really translate into how he interacts with the players he now coaches. Even after showing signs of healing, he remains so withdrawn that it sometimes feels excessive. You can interpret it as him wanting his players to become independent and solve problems on their own, but even then, he comes across as more emotionally detached than quietly supportive. At times, it even feels as though he's only temporarily coaching the team rather than genuinely investing in them. Because of that, his passion for coaching doesn't always come through as strongly as I think the drama intended.

The romance is another area where I found myself conflicted. I don't think the leads lack chemistry, they clearly have it. Watching Esther Yu and Chen Jingke promote the drama, their natural chemistry is obvious. But somehow that chemistry doesn't fully translate onto the screen. The script makes it clear that he falls first, and there are plenty of scenes and dialogue that support that progression. Yet his affection feels so subtle that it rarely creates the emotional payoff those moments are aiming for. There are brief cracks in his otherwise stoic exterior, but they happen too infrequently to make the romance truly satisfying. I understood why the characters were falling in love; I just never found myself emotionally invested enough to root for them as a couple.

Overall, Road to Success is far from a bad drama. It has a compelling premise, attractive cinematography, an ambitious combination of genres, and a cast that clearly puts in the effort. The issue isn't that the story lacks potential, it's that it rarely slows down long enough to realize it. \It would constantly builds anticipation but rarely allows that anticipation to reach its full payoff. It gives you just enough of the romance to become interested, just enough suspense to become curious, and just enough sports to become excited, before immediately moving on to something else.

In the end, Road to Success feels less like a drama that confidently balances three genres and more like one that's afraid to stay with any of them for too long.

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Homophobia corrodes everything it touches… and abuse does too.

This series has left me thinking a lot of things... It was an interesting mix of sweetness and toxicity. Not my cup of tea, but interesting nonetheless.

Lu Feng: He’s the strongest character, and I liked his determination and his unapologetic “screw the world, screw homophobes” attitude. He never hid himself, but his obsession with Xiao Chen overshadowed everything. Growing up with abusive parents and enduring constant rejection left him scarred, but trauma isn’t an excuse to harm the person you claim to love. He’s a walking black flag. Yes, he eventually changed for the better, but if I were Xiao Chen, I’d never date him again. No redemption arc can erase the damage he caused.

Xiao Chen: The personality most crushed by homophobia. Weak‑minded, overly complacent, and raised in a seemingly perfect family until prejudice tore it apart. His father died without ever accepting him, and his mother forced him into a sham marriage to meet her expectations. Both parents left without truly embracing who he was, which is heartbreaking. He wanted love but also wanted to please his parents, and that conflict wrecked his mind. Despite enduring homophobia and Lu Feng’s Novichok‑level toxicity, he survived when many would have given up. Still, he never prioritized himself, even when it meant sacrificing his own happiness. Points for being a dutiful son, but at what cost?

Yi Chen: Not a bad brother. He clearly loves Xiao Chen and accepted him more than their parents did, even if he struggled at first. His slip‑ups—like lying with good intentions, were forgivable. Stronger in spirit than Xiao Chen, he managed to build a healthy relationship despite parental homophobia. Honestly, he was the luckiest of them all.

Qin Lang: Pure boyfriend material. Handsome, considerate, and the green flag this series desperately needed. He handled homophobia with firmness but also empathy, recognizing parents sometimes need time to adjust. Always supportive of Yi Chen, though I wish he’d had more screen time to balance out the sadistic mess of the main couple.

The homophobia arc felt raw and honest. But once the torture arc began, everything collapsed. I still don’t understand why Xiao Chen didn’t send Lu Feng straight to jail. Then again, you can’t force people to leave toxic environments, even if it’s for their own good. And please can we retire the tired “I don’t like men, only you” cliché?

The recovery and redemption arc was rushed, and it felt like the mental health struggles were treated far too lightly.

Conclusion: I wish the series had focused more on the second couple. Xiao Chen endured far too much, while Lu Feng’s determination and independence don’t excuse his cruelty. Trauma and mental illness should never be used as a shield for abuse. The series desperately need disclaimers. That said, the acting was excellent, the cast delivered love, fear, and hate with intensity. If I ever rewatch this, I'll definitely skip a couple of episodes and pretend they never happened.

Also, I'd like to add that If you take morals too seriously, skip certain episodes, or even the entire series, the main couple is as toxic as Novichok. It will set off every moral alarm.

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Good show for what it is

This show was pretty cute for what it was. You can definitely a lower budget show. I thought it was cool that it talked about and showed some of the good and bad things that go on behind the scenes in the idol world. Hyeon Jae and Su An were cute together, but I cared more about Jaemin and Khun's story. The back and forth of Hyeon Jae and Su An got a little boring pretty quickly. Jaemin and Khun were the more interesting couple to me from the start. I liked seeing their relationship grown into what it was. I feel like we got to see more from them emotionally as well. Jaemin was my favorite character out of everyone so that could also be why I favored his couple. I thought the chemistry was good between the two couples as well. I liked the show overall and thought was pretty enjoyable.

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Satisfyingly mild thriller/mystery ,but cold female lead. Happy Ending but romance is meh

This isn't a drama you're going to want to watch twice because once the mysteries are revealed there's no unknowing ! I may have missed some key points, but the math kinda got away from me as there were 3 "boyfriends"/ fiancé in a VERY short time frame (1 year? ). This was a big plot problem for me until the end where they reveal just what her relationship was with each man. Still, it's alot of men to be involved with in such a short time span, especially when you consider the addition of the detective-making the number of men she is involved with 4 (+her childhood friend#5!)
That aside; the suspense was well done. The female lead is incredibly skeletal. Her arms, legs & hip bones are so obviously underfed & at times her hip bones actually protrude against her clothing. Besides that, Her character could have been done better, but over all they made it work. The romance felt forced. It really left me : "meh"
I didn't feel chemistry between the leads & the kisses were lackluster -blame it on the cameraman/angle ?
The female lead's character is odd. She let's things happen to her. [Like the kisses- she's ok if he kisses her & ok if he doesn't-no desire, no heat].They show you alot about her, that explains ALOT & yet she's not written for us to like her. [trying hard not to spoil too much of the plot !] .So when they fully explain the death of boyfriend #1, I felt my already lukewarm attitude toward her get even more tepid. When we get the full explanation behind boy friend # 2, it didn't really actually give an explanation that worked for me (relationship wise). Boy Friend/Fiancé #3 's relationship with the female lead also had me taking yet another step back from the female lead. In the end I viewed her as just another attractive female who resented her looks & looked down on the men who were attracted to her. As for being a "siren", the men were shallow in what they wanted from her, but the story is less clear in answering just how much "luring" the female lead did. I struggled throughout the drama with my ambivalence over the female lead's relationship with boyfriend #1 & #3 . So when she reacted (again) pretty much exactly as she had with boyfriend # 1 ,with the final romantic relationship (in the drama), I felt justified in thinking that she's no heroine & she certainly never showed true character growth. I did NOT like the point they drove home at the end about the usage of the word "siren". They throw some feminist message in that's just an excuse for her selfishness. Let's be honest; what she did & what she cared about, was not any different from the other people in her life whom she considered "bad" & "wrong".
The end was "happy" ? she gets what she wants. but you have to conceed: she attracts a certain type of guy, which begs the question: whose actually the siren !?

The OST; had too many songs sung in English that were repeated too often (some were just bad to listen to musically).

Dumb stuff: sign in parking garage : "Praking"
WHY are there no airbags in the very new looking cars ?
Policemen carrying guns (I didn't think that was normal)

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Awful writing

I am so sorry I love Boss and Noeul so much, but I do not understand why they chose to do this show. This show wasn't very good at all. I think they are better than something like this. The show was very cringe, but that's not the whole reason I thought it was bad. The story of them getting together wasn't the greatest, but my biggest issue was the three side love stories got so little screentime that I'd forget they were even a thing until we got the brief little glimpses that we did.
Tai and the coffee shop dude (I don't even know his name) had maybe two scenes so I didn't care about that at all. Tee was just a bully and a stalker, so I'm glad the guy he liked never gave into him. Again, though they had so little screentime that if it were going to turn into something, there wouldn't be enough time shown to develop anything. Tian at the end talked about how he didn't want to be sleeping around anymore and they even showed us a moment where it seemed like he may have been kind of dating someone again, except we didn't see any of that (other than their breakup) and we didn't see how he reached that point at all. They also introduced that hotel worker guy as someone potentially for him but that didn't go anywhere either.
The writing in this was just so bad. I just kept thinking that Boss and Noeul were too good for this show the entire time I watched it. I tuned in every week but couldn't ever get into the show really. The actors all did great with the script they were given, there were some genuinely funny moments, and the spice was great (ofc bc it's BossNoeul), but overall, I just think even a show like this could've been better than it was. It said to be continued at the end, so we'll see if I like the next season/special ep better.

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Started Strong, Ended Up Going Nowhere

The drama started off really well and had me hooked. But as the story unfolded, it honestly felt like everyone was just... searching for a ghost without any real logic.

My biggest issue was how the characters kept making the most frustrating decisions. The FL knew she was in danger, yet she constantly insisted on handling everything alone. Girl, why are you walking into that huge creepy house by yourself? ans when you know that so many people died there uh 😭

The investigation also felt repetitive. They spent almost the entire drama searching for clues, old newspapers, books, and the ghost's name. It was just searching... searching... and more searching. The worst part? Some of the biggest "discoveries" happened way too conveniently. They built up so much suspense, only for important answers to come from the simplest conversations.

The folklore aspect had so much potential, but I don't think it was written very well. The ghost manipulating the leads made sense, but the execution didn't. There were so many moments where I just kept asking, "Why are they doing it like this?" Even the ghost literally giving them a page number felt ridiculous.

Another thing that annoyed me was the lack of communication. One character literally knew almost everything about the ghost and kept quiet for no good reason while another spent half his life searching for answers. Just... tell him?? So many problems would've been solved if people actually talked to each other.

episodes 9–12 especially dragged for me. Instead of moving the mystery forward, it started feeling repetitive and overdramatic.

That said, I did enjoy the production quality. The possession scenes were well done, and I also liked the backstory involving the grandmother and father. Those parts were honestly more interesting than the main investigation.

Overall, I wasn't bored, but I was definitely disappointed. It kept me watching, yet by the end I was left wondering, "What was actually happening?" The premise was interesting, but I think the writing could've been much tighter. With a better script, this could've been an amazing supernatural thriller.

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Fresh and unique genre with stunning visuals

The first parts were kind of slow to me i would say it become really really fun from ep4.5/5 ish. Loved Ep5 and Ep6 so much i would say the highlight of this show to me.

Storywise, it is good for me but i didn't really like how the plot twists were too overdone to the point it kind of deducted points from me abit. I loved the grandma plot twist so much. The arc for the crown prince was the main plot of this drama right? But i feel like the reason for his anger was too weak considering how he was cursing and killing everyone . He was THAT angry because his father killed him and because he wanted to be a king? What about the other princes that was killed by him, why weren't they THAT angry too? It was questionable for me. I feel like the other people in the story were more wronged than him, hence they should be the bigger villain, no? The story felt like it was spinning at one point i was so confused i had to pause a couple of times. Were they doing too much, idk tbh. But, i really loved, saenggang and gucheon's backstory which were key plot points to the story. The story for the other spirits were also very fun.

Acting wise, it's mixed for me. The king and the queen dowager absolutely killed it with their performance. The creepy vibe that Jang Youngnam carried along with her acting was phenomenal. But for the leads, gucheon and saenggang, i find their acting in the early episodes abit weak and unconvinving but luckily midway through they became pretty good.

Chemistry wise, although there were barely any romance, i feel like they were the strong points of this drama that made me stay. I really loved gucheon and saenggang's dependency on each other. I loved that they were willing to risk their lives for each other , it was kind of romantic haha.

Cinematography was stunning, and absolutely gorgeous. They managed to bring that creepy and haunting aura so well to the screen. I also enjoyed the CG very very well.

Maybe, cause i'm a sucker for well done sageuks, despite the negatives i still find this show good enough to rank 9.5. A good enough plot, engaging story, strong acting, a hard to not ignore chemistry, mindblowing visuals both from the cast and also the cinematography, strong scoring. I also loved the spirit storytelling, the shamanism and all. Most of all ggeomeoksalli the cute creature. A solid drama.

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