ehhhhhhhhhhh
The movie itself was great but feels like they threw that clique ending in there just so the movie had proper substance. If it weren't for that ending then it would have been a skip for most. Now it lands itself in the K-truama list which boosts it instantly. Since people like to rate these kinds of shows based on the ending. I like the vibe of the movie and it kept me entertained. But definitely not the best.7/10 ehhhh I'd say watch every other k-trauma story first before you get to this one. Not highly recommended but not a skip. It's giving that one movie that came out 6 years ago that you still haven't watched. But it's now 2032 and you're ready.
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The classic everyone talks about
Watched this movie for the first time, and I must say I really enjoyed it. It's actually a really fun romcom with a backstory I didn't expect to make me so emotional. I can understand why some people might not like it or have different opinions but I think that if you don't take it too seriously and just try to have a good time it's really worth it. The chemistry was great, with a perfect performance from Jun Jihyun as I expected. As I said, I know it might be somewhat controversial for some people but if you have this movie on your watchlist I think you should give it a try.Was this review helpful to you?
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Another Favorite From 2026, Loved Everything About It!!
What happens when a righteous thief meets the Grand Prince??Supposedly, he/she should get arrested. This show might remind you of “Moon River”. The recently concluded shows shared one concept- body swapping. The male protagonists in both shows swap bodies whenever one of them is in danger. The theme might seem repetitive, but “To My Beloved Thief” wins with sheer better execution. Starring Nam Ji Hyun & Moon Sang Min in the lead roles, the storyline revolves around the magnanimous thief Gil Dong. With a crazy King on the throne, the capital lies in ruins and the people don’t have food to consume. As such, Gil Dong plays “Robin Hood” by stealing from corrupt officials and sharing their wealth with the downtrodden. During the day time, Gil Dong embodies another personality, that is of Physician Hong Eun Jo. Caught unaware, she gets entangled with the Grand Prince Do Wol, who is rumored to be an idler. As Dowol investigates Gil Dong’s background, he gradually falls for Eun Jo & they work together for the betterment of the poor people.
Read the complete article here-
https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2026/02/23/to-my-beloved-thief-series-review/#more-2298
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characters, plot and the ending
i'm not satisfied with the ending, jin taeseok should feel his punishment in prison, yeongchae should apologize for everything she did to jungwon. and why is jungwon haneul's relationship like that..(?) 😭😭 it's very different from yeongchae and sehun who already have a child. i love the development of gong nansuk's character, she is willing to admit all her mistakes and become a better mother for haneul and yeongchae, she also becomes good friends with haera ㅋㅋ to be honest, the episodes leading up to the ending felt boring and the plot was chaotic... 🥲Was this review helpful to you?
I loved it
Forget all the negative comments, if ur planning to watch it, go for it… this series is truly good. I’m not sure what makes the other reviewers put this drama so down when it’s actually good but to each their own I guess …Pondphuwin were amazing, there were so many beautiful and cute scenes that I was not expecting but it was a happy surprise.. they’re gorgeous, beautiful ppl who are in love with each other, what can be more beautiful than that?? Also, I felt ppw connect in the most raw and loving way in this series… I loved them so much
Ofc there are plot holes and shortcomings in the show, like my biggest question was why are the richest ppl not hiring proper bodyguards for themselves when they knew they are in life threatening danger?
My Perth baby was beautiful, he was such a great character, I loved him but chimon, I’m sorry but his character was not it.. I wished he brought something to the table but he kind of didn’t.. he was just there
Anyways, a great watch, I enjoyed watching it
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Impeccable ensemble of actors who brilliantly carried the whole series despite the so-so story.
Wow. The line up of actors in this is crazy good! So my expectation was a bit high! This is what they usually say great cast but mediocre script. With this is I would repeatedly praise and go on and on how good the actors were despite the mediocre story. It could have been a movie because of the script/story, but it was such a treat how they made it into a limited series just to see the brilliance of these actors. The story doesn't have much depth into it but the actors-gave it so much life, the attention into details of the actors with the characters they are playing is what made me finish is it till the end.They gave the characters their own life-they interpreted it in such a way that it surpassed the story itself. I stayed because of the characters.
Nam Gi Jun played by So Ji Sub is such a straightforward character, but you would see throughout the series his ruthlessness is also equated to his humanity. The ways he made layers in his character is brilliant and subtle at the same time. That made it so satisfying and not overly glorified.
Give it a try and you would be on a ride-it was a treat especially for those who want a cleanse and witness the action-packed intense scenes-straightforward fighting filled with grit.
The one thing I appreciate is that for every fight scene you could see that when they focus the intended character each actor will have their own side-the side of the will and grit to live and stay. To fight for each of their own causes.
Don't want to spoil but it would have been nice if this was longer to explore of their so-called world. I don't know if I am biased but at some point it resembles the world of John Wick - maybe inspired by it but sadly if this is so it would have been really better if they made it to a full blown series-maybe it would have been given another turn and maybe a world of its own would be created. It has that potential!!!
But all in all it was a nice one-the actors gave this one a life. Easy watch and entertaining one!
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I had high hopes for this drama
The acting was subpar, I won't lie but the beginning of the story gave me high hopes. As the story progressed though, it just got more egregious and silly. How is she genuinely getting away with so many crimes and so openly? And somehow NO ONE has figured it out? Oh and don't get me started on the crap ending! For basically nothing to happen to her except prison...? Exactly what was hell for her...? Additionally, Sawako and Juri/Komi somehow survive multiple stabbings (+FIRE FOR SAWAKO) but Makoto gets ONE stab in the stomach and dies? Right, because that makes sense. Just a genuine letdown.Was this review helpful to you?
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Chaotic drama about Short Drama.
I watched this by chance without looking female Lead and i only know Liu Sansi but for his drama i ever watch he was actually average but i still enjoy his choice of script. The chemistry between the leads was satisfying to watch.It was better than i expected and Zhang Ruoxi acting as dual personality was quite entertaining. The kissing scenes are great, Plus, SFL (the original FL) also comes to her senses later on. FL only has money on her mind, completing her mission to seduce ML and infuriate the original FL. ML plays along with FL the meat, and the original FL stimulated into a dark transformation, causing the paper doll to awaken! Then the two awakened paper dolls subvert the FL's expectations, and the ML is taken back to the real world by the FL.
Personally the ending was anticlimax but it was decent drama to watch.
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powerful characters pretend to be powerless while villains with zero legal standing run the show
The most offensive part of the 16 episode at approximately 60 minutes each drama is how it treats Joseon-era law like a buffet—the writers pick the rules that torture the characters but ignore the ones that would actually solve the plot.This slave trap that it constantly promotes shows that it is happy to enforce rigid, archaic "parental rights" and "slave status" to justify a scene where a legendary, high-skilled female lead is reduced to a passive widow waiting to be beaten in a courtyard. It strips her of her physician intelligence and thief agency just for a cheap damsel in distress moment.
Yet, five minutes later, the show ignores the most absolute law of the era which is treason and we are expected to believe a bastard concubine’s son (2ML) can arrest a Grand Prince (ML) and survive.
The Male Lead is perhaps the most frustrating hero in recent K-Drama history.
When the Queen Dowager—the only person with a functioning brain—rightfully orders the 2ML’s execution for arresting royalty, the ML stops her.
The Result of "saving" his rival, he directly causes the next hour of misery. He allows the very man he saved to stand in a courtyard and challenge his marriage proposal. The rivalry isn't "epic"; it’s a self-inflicted wound. The ML isn't a "noble strategist"—he’s a spineless martyr who values a "political chess game" over the immediate physical safety of the woman he supposedly loves.
The chemistry is non-existent because the Female Lead (Eun-jo) has the personality of a dry loofah.
Is it Survival or Stupidity? The show blames her "aloofness" on survival, but it’s actually Noble Idiocy in its purest form. She stands silently in a "Triangle of Incompetence" while two men—one who shouldn't legally be able to speak to the other—fight over her like she’s a piece of furniture.
When the Grand Prince offers a literal royal decree to extract her from a house where she was just almost stabbed to death at the end of episode seven, she hesitates. At this point, her "independence" feels less like strength and more like a lack of common sense.
The show is a mess of shambolic logic. It forces us to endure the nonsense of a high-status Prince being bullied by a low-status bastard, all the while the "badass" female lead stands by and watches.
My final thought: In the warped logic of this script, the father is being framed as a "tragic figure" who thinks he’s protecting his daughter’s moral purity.
The father thinks a Royal Marriage is just a different kind of "ownership" or a political cage.
He is so obsessed with the idea of her being "free" that he’s willing to let her stay in a house where she is literally a slave being beaten.
If the ML asked, "Why was it okay to sell her to a dead man's house of stabbers, corrupted murderers but a Prince is too much?" the father would have no answer, and the plot would end. The writers keep the ML silent to keep the misery going.
The last couple of episodes were decent, but he didn’t make up for the dross that happened before
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Historical done right
Its been a while since I saw such a beautiful historical drama, highly recommend it.Plot kept me entertained, along with excellent performances from the cast. The ost adds a magical touch to this drama.
Nam ji hyun and Moon Sang Min are so amazing here. Even supporting characters have depth to their actions.
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The Art Of Sarah -- A Fable of Modern Society
As a piece of fiction, I enjoyed the show and its social commentary. It made me think. It was somewhat like a fable that tells how society is all about keeping up appearances, blurring the lines between the real and fake. Sarah Kim is an extreme case but honestly, doesn't everyone put on a mask to get ahead? Sarah Kim put in actual work into her brand and ironically operated it like many other luxury brands -- yes, she faked her resume, identity and the history of Boudoir -- but really, how different was it from the legitimate luxury brands?Another memorable part is Sarah's claim about how there were no victims so it wasn't a scam. She successfully conned all those people because she "looked at what they didn't have, not at what they have". She fulfilled their needs and desires in exchange for their money and trust -- a family member for the loan shark, a nice apartment for the sugar baby, a "friendship" with Nox's CEO etc. It might have been a con, but it always looked like there was something genuine there. I especially liked her story with the loan shark, it felt a little like a father-daughter relationship.
As for the ending, I found it fitting for the themes of the drama and also a little ironic and bittersweet. Sarah Kim made use of the wealthy's insecurities to sell those bags, and she saw through the loopholes in the system. But she was actually the most insecure person in the entire show. Her entire self-worth is tied to Boudoir and the Sarah Kim she created. We see that even as Mok Ga-hui, she projected herself onto that silver bag, telling it to flee as it didn't belong there. When Boudoir was at risk of being exposed, she sees herself drowning yet again -- she is unable to continue living without it. Yes, she succeeded in protecting her art, but in the process, she lost something important. The ending may be up to interpretation, but for me, it shows that Sarah Kim didn't know or love herself. Which ties back to the hints of her unstable childhood, leading to her instability as an adult as well.
TLDR; it was a unique watch and one of the more interesting kdramas as of late.
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I wish there was a second season
I'll start by saying this is my first Taiwanese drama and what a well done drama, the male lead an amazing actor, I want to watch more of his work.To the story, a touching drama of lose, grief, healing and letting go, with a good balance of comedy to balance the heaviness of the story.
Watch if you enjoy supernatural dramas, with detective work, healing, righting wrong. Good writing and very good acting
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Brilliant casting and brutal content
There honestly isn’t much I need to say about VIP except that it was a great watch. With a cast this strong, I wasn’t even surprised that it turned out as good as it did. The performances are intense and everyone plays their role so good that the tension never drops for a second.That being said, I need to give a serious warning!!!!!
If you’re planning to watch this movie, please know that it contains multiple scenes involving sexual assault in extreme gore tones. The violence is not subtle. It’s graphic, disturbing, and at times very difficult to sit through. I personally had to look away several times because some scenes were that intense.
This isn’t a casual thriller you put on for entertainment. It’s dark, brutal, and emotionally heavy. So if you’re sensitive to graphic violence or SA themes, please take that into consideration before watching.
But purely from a filmmaking and acting standpoint, it delivers exactly what it sets out to do; unsettling, gripping, and powerful.
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Like most viewers, I started watching this drama with no expectations. I've seen several NJH dramas, but I've never seen an MSM drama before.But, d*mn, this is Gold.
Great script, poetic dialogue, amazing cast, great acting, beautiful direction, setting, and costumes. Perfect storyline, addictive soundtrack, and no unnecessary villains (the stepbrother, the grand prince's mother, the concubine, and even the king aren't bad guys, though they are troublesome in some ways). Most importantly, the clean ending. I've rarely seen a drama with such a satisfying ending.
The two leads are visually stunning, and the way they delivered the story was mesmerizing. Plus, the balance of the story? The writer is a genius. I loved everything about this drama, especially the Dodo couple. And Daechu. He is so entertaining, that I love his scenes so much ^^
This will definitely be my favorite drama for a long time. Thank you to the TMBT production team for creating such a masterpiece.
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Don't waste your time watching this
Like my S1 review I want to start the positives. When the leads finally got together, they are so sweet! The acting in this drama definitely deserves an applause, especially in S1, you cried with the characters, you laughed with the characters, it's a shame that the screenwriters completely ruined this. I had pointed this out in my other review, but I want to say it again: out of the 56 episodes of both seasons, they are together for 7! 7!! thats insane especially since they had chemistry so early in the show. It just became a routine of watching the show on ×2 speed and skipping until something finally happened between them. I understand that S1 may be focusing on Mu Dan's career and all, but their chemistry was so good it makes sense for them to get together in S2, then we have a sweet S2 with our couple, but no the writers drag it through the gutter and use absolutely illogical and ridiculous plots like having Liu Lang sabotage their relationship and that cliche excuse 'oh we can't be together, its too dangerous'. I was so fed up with the whole show I watched it on ×2 speed and just skipped. I only stayed waiting for the romance in the end.Aside from romance the plot was not it either. It was nice to see some more characters being flushed out, especially Jiang Chang Yang and his past, but that was where the positives stopped. The takedown of Prince Ning was so anticlimactic, I didn't feel any satisfaction. Also the cliche faked death was not helpful either. Furthermore, the whole backstory with the FL's mother being murdered was the most unnecessary plot point ever. It makes no sense, and did not add to the plot or characters at all. It was just there for that little bit of angst.
Honestly, don't waste your time watching this, but listen to the OST, I loved it!
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