Reviews

IN SHORT: this did NOT disappoint and i recommend this drama if you liked the American version or if you just like crime solving dramas.

As someone whose seen the American version before this a lot this was really good to me i love the series criminals minds and since I've been getting in to Asian dramas i just found this and I'm not disappointed, it has the same crimes, as i was watching this i recognized them but since i haven't watched criminal minds in like a year or two i forget the ending but remember stuff that happens but the acting was so good it made me want to watch it anyways, plus it also has an actor in it that i really liked.

Read More

"Forgive the past...or not"

Song of Flower Basket aka Hanakago no Uta was a 1937 love square starring a young Tanaka Kinuyo as the side doing all the heavy support of this geometric melodramatic comedy.

Keizo’s tonkatsu restaurant does a brisk business due largely to his comely daughter who attracts the foot traffic and cook Lee’s extraordinary fried pork cutlets. Lee doesn’t only love frying up tonkatsu, he also loves Keizo’s daughter Yoko. Two university students frequent the place---Hotta Nenkai who is destined to become a Buddhist priest and Ono Susumu who is a poor student with few options. Hotta is Ono’s wingman and helps Ono and Yoko (also called Oyo and Ojo) spend time together. Because her mother died over a decade ago, Yoko’s aunt takes charge of matchmaking and sets up a potential husband who is a doctor. Complicating matters, the waitress is desperately in love with Lee. Are we up to a pentagon now?

This story was flimsily held together by miscommunications and misunderstandings. My comprehension might also have been impaired by the aged film’s blurriness. It was often hard to tell people apart in numerous scenes. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Ryu Chishu’s voice and sure enough he played Hotta. Having finished all of Ozu’s films, I rarely see him anymore. Tanaka Kinuyo was in charge of making Yoko not seem like the dullest knife in the drawer. Yoko was 23, on the cusp of spinsterhood, but she still acted very young and naïve. Ono was more experienced, having frequented hostess clubs prior to Yoko, and yet he also wasn’t very sharp. Never really in the running, the doctor visited the restaurant a few times to scout out his potential fiancée. Personally, I would have enjoyed spending time at the bar with Hotta who seemed to be the most engaging of all the young men, and the only one without a love interest. A brief note, thirteen-year-old Takamine Hideko played Yoko’s younger sister. She breezed in and out of two scenes, barely enough to acknowledge her existence.

What was actually interesting to me was the reversal of purity shaming. Yoko was devastated by Ono’s past and called him on it. Usually, it’s the female characters who have to be concerned about having had any other relationships. Of course, men being men in the 1930s, they all drew ranks and covered for each other. I did like that the father allowed Yoko to choose her own mate, even if he caught some backlash from her about it when she began to doubt that choice. He also stood his ground to his sister and stated, “This shop does not sell Oyo.” Though in practice she was what brought people in so that the food could seal the deal.

Clocking in at 69 minutes, Song of Flower Basket might not have been an in depth look at relationships but there was love and heartache aplenty. It also made me hungry for tonkatsu. If you enjoy old, really old, Japanese films and can tolerate the blurriness it might be one to try.

16 February 2026

Read More

My Feb Recommendation Challenge

Watched this for my Recommendation Challenge from 𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆. Let’s talk drama…

Song Xiaoyu is a struggling, minor actress who accidentally transmigrates into the world of a historical script she was cast in. To her horror, she becomes Song Yimeng (YM)—the tragic female lead destined to be manipulated, abused, and eventually killed by the ruthless male lead, Nan Heng (NH).

She arrives at the moment she is about to marry Chu Gui Hong (GH). In the original script, YM opposes the marriage because she is deeply in love with NH.

Knowing the plot tropes and her tragic ending, YM decides to fight against the narrative and do everything she can to successfully marry GH instead. However, she soon discovers she is trapped in an infinite loop. Every time she attempts to get married, she dies in one of 108 absurd and unique ways—ranging from a falling vase to accidental poisoning—before restarting at the same point.

When she finally accepts her fate, the script unexpectedly resets to a point long before everything began. Determined to escape her doomed destiny, YM begins rebelling against the narrative constraints. Yet no matter how hard she tries to avoid NH, she continues to cross paths with him.

As she lives inside the script, she realizes two unbreakable rules govern this world:
1. The "Big Banner Moments"—key plot events—will happen as the script written,
2. The Male Lead will save the Female Lead if she's in danger.

So, for the first rule, YM starts playing a game of wits, attempting to “hack” the script by deliberately acting out required scenes in controlled ways. But no matter how cleverly she maneuvers, those Big Banner Moments still occur—just in slightly altered forms.

As the 2nd rule, this rule changes YM’s attitude toward NH. She is no longer afraid of him, because harming her would only bring consequences upon himself.

NH is a very pitiful ML. No one likes him. To the people, he is the ruthless prince. To his father, he is the reason the Empress was murdered. To GH—once his closest friend—he is seen as the reason for his father’s death and the enemy who stole his glory in battle.

At first, NH gets close to YM because of her connection to GH. He needs the secret sword-forging technique that GH possesses. Given their close relationship, NH hopes to uncover the secret through YM. But when he realizes she isn’t easily fooled, he changes his approach.

NH starts to dislike her—even more so when he realizes he can’t hurt her due to the “ML saves FL” rule.

Now let's bring Chu Gui Hong (GH) into the picture. GH is the second male lead in the drama. He also has a tragic story—and in his eyes, it’s all because of NH.

First, NH became the cause of the Empress’s death—GH’s beloved aunt. The two boys, once best friends, grew apart and became strangers.

Second, after returning from the battlefield, GH discovers YM’s growing connection with NH—something that deepens his resentment and sense of betrayal. Because YM was betrothed to him… and he loves her deeply.

The greatest betrayal? During a crucial battle, GH sent a desperate letter asking NH for help. According to NH, he never received it. But in GH’s bitter heart, NH lied, he chose to ignore the plea—only to appear after the war ended and claim victory as his own. To GH, NH didn’t just abandon him. He stole his glory. His honor. His life.

As the story progresses, GH becomes increasingly consumed by hatred, especially after YM ultimately chooses NH.

The biggest difference from the original script is the emergence of Nightwalkers groups & their leader, Li Shiliu (SL). The group is initially introduced as a group of assassins, but as the story progresses, it turns out it also serves as a front for intelligence gathering and more clandestine activities.

Unbeknownst to YM, SL turns out to be NH's secret persona. NH creates the SL identity to gather information and correct the wrongdoings committed by his own family.

Unlike with NH, YM places her full trust in SL—seeing him as her savior and only true ally in this scripted world. Because to her, SL exists *outside* the script. Slowly, she begins to fall for him.

But over time, seeing how genuinely she treats *SL*, how kind and open she is toward the person only he can be—NH slowly begins to fall for her.

In the end, NH chooses to maintain the disguise—not just to gather secrets, but to stay close to her… and protect her.

As always, secrets cannot remain hidden forever.

What will happen when YM discovers that SL and NH are the same person?
Will NH confess first—or will YM uncover the truth on her own?
And how will NH react when that moment finally comes?

Just when things seem set, another twist arrives: the original drama’s writer also transmigrated into the script world.

What changes will this creator bring?
Will it be something good—for YM and the ML?
Or will it make everything worse?

Last but not least question:
Will YM eventually get back to real world & successfully did the drama?
Or will she stay inside the script world?

That's pretty much the story without giving the spoiler. Now what I like and don't.

What I like:
+ Li Yi Tong is quite funny. I like her here.
+ Li Yu Ning is also really good. I can see the pain in his eyes every time something unfair happens to NH.
+ The chemistry between Li Yi Tong and Li Yu Ning is also quite good.
+ I like Riley & Chu Dan. They're really good when they play supporting roles. Quite like their dynamics too…
+ Fu Gui is such a funny man…
+ I really like what happened with the emperor's family. Like how the relationship between NH & his family eventually gets better. Even Nan Rui himself finally grew up…

What I don't like:
- The twist where the writer also get into the script. I don't think this is a necessary act...

What I hope can be better in the end:
- GH can give up on his obsession & finally make peace with his situation… Seeing how his ending is really pitiful somehow. He's not a bad man, that's why I prefer a better ending for him.

Overall I am really happy I can watch this. It's kinda different than any other transmigration to the book/script story…

Read More

Jung So Min's best work I have seen so far!

This and Alchemy of Souls are two dramas where I have seen Jung So Min shine, and this one outshines her performance in Alchemy of Souls.

Her acting during the stage therapy and her entire character was so damn good. It was so easy to get drawn into her character, to feel what she felt, to even disagree with things she did.

There were times when I didn't like Lee Shi Joon, a lot of things which we would have deemed as red flag were excused due to him having PTSD but then again same could be said for Woo Joo.

Shi Joon was so goofy at times and their repertoire was also great. I loved that part of them.

Read More

The other side of Force and Book we should see.

Before I start, I just want to say that t is not everyone's cup of tea, especially with drama touching on Serial Murder case and Mental health, so do not push yourself if you are finding it hard.
I was patient with it. A first it was confusing and following the plot became a bit challenging. So i decided to give it time and came back after a few episodes had aired and watched it without trying hard to figure the answers.
I will have to admit that it took me up to episode 8 to get really hooked and that is where everything made sense, I mean yes we do not expect a Mystery to drop all the good things in the first episodes.

I will give it to the 2 main leads, they really did their best bringing the story to life... I am not used to seeing Book in such roles and it was beautiful seeing the other side when the fluffiness and goofiness is paused. The story is not an easy one, It is full of emotional roller coaster, at one point we are battling the idea of Dissociative Identity Disorder /or they thought hehe/
, at another point we are battling the idea of understanding what love really is and another Acceptance and letting go. The two main leads have led such pitiful life but finding each other opened doors to experiences and feelings they had never or rather have been shut down.
Also The OSTs are beautiful. Currently I am hang up on the Endless Love Song sang By Force... I wound suggest you give it a listen... it sure is beautiful.

my first review... xoxo

Read More

Not For The Weak Stomach, But Worth It!

I finished Trauma Code: Heroes On Call in 3 days, that alone should tell you something. If your looking for something to binge watch this is the right show for you (maybe just don't eat while watching.) I really liked how this was action packed, and there was so much adrenaline and chaos surrounding this show, and the humor in this show made it so much more enjoyable. And I loved learning about how doctors are so overlooked in the world, when the deal with so much, even if this show wasn't 100% realistic it definitely taught me a thing or two. And the graphics in this show was so mind-blowing, to me the surgery looked very realistic it made my stomach turn, and the little medical caption graphics made it easier to understand what they were talking about, and it was very interesting to learn about. This show was very intense in some parts especially the screaming, shooting, fire scenes, so if you are not into intense dramas this one isn't for you. But I am confused on one thing for the story line, before Baek Kang Hyuk how was the trauma team operating? Like after Baek Kang Hyuk joined Yang Jae Won become the 2nd lead. But aside from that I loved the drama and I loved how Kang Hyuk actually cared about his patients, doing anything and everything to avoid them from death. Even though the story line was 100% there I found that this show really done well on was the visuals and the story lesson of how hard doctors work.

Read More

The Prisoner of Beauty: A solid 9/10 Masterclass in Strategic Romance and Lethal Chemistry

The Prisoner of Beauty is a visual powerhouse, anchored by the electric, slow-burn chemistry between the FL and the ML. It masterfully balances high-stakes political maneuvering with an "enemies-to-lovers" arc that keeps you hooked from the first episode. However, it misses a perfect score due to two glaring issues:
I was frustrated at times by the FLs Logic. While brilliant, man-man’s decision-making is often two-dimensional. Her refusal to trust Wei Shao led to the "heart shield" fiasco and, more critically, her concealment of the secret tunnel (the Zuihou path). By keeping this "safety net" for the Qiao clan a secret, she ironically handed the enemy, Liu Yan, a literal back door to slaughter her husband’s forces. Seeing her cry in Episode 30 because she sent him to fight a war she helped sabotage was the ultimate "accountability" moment she earned.
The other small grip I have is the anticlimactic Villain Deaths.
After episodes of meticulous buildup, the antagonists are dispatched with jarring speed. Su Ehuang’s manipulative "brother’s widow" shield eventually shatters, but her end feels rushed. Similarly, the obsessed Liu Yan and the slimy Qiao Yue—who survived far longer than their IQs should have allowed—met their fates so quickly that the payoff felt hollow compared to the 30+ episodes of stress they caused.
Despite these gripes, the production value and the lead performances make this a must-watch. The side characters were all compelling and there’s lots of emotional moments.

Read More

Y/N and mafia boss

*minor spoilers*
Nice and cute comedy series. I really enjoyed all of the sweet moments.

Where to watch: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLszepnkojZI4FP9uMttYt5IYujbpNVPUG

Things I liked:
1. Thee is such a goober, I love it.
2. Mok. Definitely a favorite character, so funny. He was a highlight of a lot of moments in this series.
3. Peach's maturity. I love how different he is from Thee and how he is teaching Thee a lot.
4. Rome/Williams appearance.
5. Mostly funny humor that isn't overly cringy or annoying.

Things I disliked:
1. Using AI slop.
2. No explanation of what happened to Wiwid. He is literally a predator and deserves to be treated as one. He definitely deserved a sentence in prison. But we were not shown if he received any actual repercussion for his deeds.
3. So many ads...
4. Not nearly enough of the RomeMok couple!
5. I personally wasn't that fond of TawanAran's couple. Especially after Aran took him back just like that.

Read More

This is high quality dramas in 2026

I'm a multi genre viewer. I watch any drama and film, including Cdramas, Thaidramas, Kdramas, and Jdramas, as long as they're engaging and high-quality. I can watch both light and heavy stories.
When judging a drama, I consider the seriousness of the production team. Is the script heartfelt? Are the actors' performances good? That's what I consider. And this drama is one of the best dramas in my opinion and a favorite in 2026. This story isn't made for everyone because of its serious and heavy topic, but the script makes this heavy topic interesting to watch.
At the beginning of the episode, I saw how chaotic the times were with epic cinematography, so many actors, horses, and props that must have cost a lot of money. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE DRAMA!! The storyline is great, the friendship between young people like Qian, Zhou, and Guo is very touching. Controversial figures in history like Hu Jin Si, Feng Dao, and my favorite character Shuiqiu... all are well written. I like Hongchu's growth in this story, his love story with Tai Zhen is only a small part of the story but I think the portion is very appropriate (although in history Hongchu had many concubines and children, it's okay if we just ignore it).
This story teaches me the sacrifices of people in the past, their struggles and integrity are truly extraordinary, this drama brought me into the story, made me cry and laugh.
If I transmigrated into this drama, I don't think I would be able to last for 2 episodes. My IQ, EQ, crisis management, emotional management and wisdom are very lacking to survive long in this era, modern knowledge will not be useful when war always occurs and peace is difficult to achieve. This is the second best drama in my opinion in 2026, hopefully there will be more satisfying dramas this year.

Read More