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Slow burn but good kisses. Felt the pairing was missing spark
I watched this drama because I like both Du Ya Fei & Liu Xi Yu acting. I watched it within 1 or 2 days of its release. I thought this drama was just ok - I felt like Du Ya Fei and Liu Xi Yu pairing was missing spark.What I liked:
1. Romance - Slow burn but full of affection. They were not shy about kissing once married.
2. Acting - I liked the performance by DYF and LXY. I liked his expression during the ending. They had good enough chemistry for their role.
3. ML characterisation - I knew she had a crush on her right fro'm the start. He was protective, nurturing & respectful.
4. FL characterisation - Sweet & nice even though she was young.
5. Ending - It was so sweet.
What I disliked:
1. SML - He was a scumbag for cheating on FL then wanting to get back with FL. Thankfully his character grew up.
2. Mixed signal - I liked FL's adopted brother but his arc felt a little like a potential love rival.
3. Antagonist - Supposedly betrothed ML fiancee was annoying. The mistress was annoying too.
Favourite scene
When ML made an excuse to stay over at FL's childhood home
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Worth the watch…
Magical and beautiful and wonderful and all of that. But… the ending just didn’t give enough. For such a forced distance for the MLs throughout, I just wanted more than what was given at the end. I’m left hungry for more (not in a naughty way, that’s not my point). I couldn’t feel the happiness the ending could have brought because I don’t know those actors/character representations.I will have to preface this by saying I don’t think I’m smart enough for this film, which is a rarity because I can usually follow along well enough to figure out timelines and storylines, but this had my brain flipping around un-endlessly and always questioning what version of exactly what it is that I was watching. My BL Olympics brain did not fare well, but I still got the whole gist of it.
Basically, I’m happy by the ending, but not happy because of it. If you can make sense of that.
It is a good enough watch though and I do recommend watching.
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Underwhelming performance but good kisses and shots
I watched this drama a few days after its release because of a reddit friend's review. I liked Tian Yu Wei's acting in the two dramas I watched.What I liked:
1. Production - Raw & natural. I liked how the drama was shot. I could see FL's pores, which is good thing for me.
2. Styling - Refreshing because of natural makeup.
3. Kisses - Good kisses.
4. Tian Yu Wei - I don't remember what this drama is all about but overall Tian Yu Wei gave good performance.
What I disliked:
1. Acting - FL's acting was underwhelming that I was indifferent towards her character. There wasn't any chemistry with Tian Yu Wei.
2. Romance - Lacklustre.
Favourite scene
When FL & ML made out in the car
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Peak fun until the plot started copy‑pasting itself.
Okay, so here’s the thing: Flex X Cop totally got me in the first half. I’m not even pretending otherwise. I was eating it up. The whole “chaebol son pretending to be a cop” setup? Delicious. The way he just strolls into crime scenes with the confidence of someone who’s never been told no in his life? Hilarious. And the fact that he somehow solves more cases than the actual trained officers — using methods that should absolutely get him fired, sued, or both — was exactly the kind of chaotic charm I signed up for. It was fun. It was silly. It was sparkly. I was vibing.But then… the midpoint happened. And listen, the show didn’t suddenly fall apart or anything dramatic like that. It just started getting predictable in that quiet, creeping way where I could feel my enthusiasm slowly packing its bags. The cases weren’t bad — they were just… familiar. The beats weren’t wrong — they were just the same ones I’d already seen. And once I could see the pattern, the magic wasn’t there anymore. That’s when it became a me‑problem.
Because I could feel myself dragging my feet by episodes 9 and 10. Not because the show betrayed me, but because I didn’t want to keep going if the spark wasn’t going to come back. I didn’t want to push into the second half and end up disappointed when I was already side‑eyeing the screen like, “Okay, I get it, you’re a cop now, can we do something new?”
And honestly, I didn’t want to erase what hooked me in the first place. The first half was genuinely fun. It gave me exactly what I wanted: chaos, charm, and a lead who solves crimes like he’s speed‑running a video game. I just didn’t want to keep going once the shine wore off. So yes — it’s a me‑problem. I loved the beginning, I stalled in the middle, and I chose to preserve the version of the show that worked for me instead of forcing myself through the rest.
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Am I the only one
I hated this series. I forced myself to watch up to ep. 8, but saw no value (to me) in this series. Every episode seemed to be mostly filled with gang fights and that was about it. I don’t appreciate the drug lord storyline, I don’t enjoy all the fighting, and there was no BL in the episodes I watched (that I can recall).On the other hand, I really LOVED Weak Hero Class 1, which had bullying, fighting, and NO BL elements. There is a big difference in the well-written, tight story, the comraderie, the acting, and the emotions, tied together, in WHC1 as opposed to whatever was happening in Bangkok Boy.
It doesn’t mean much that there’s going to be a Bangkok Boy 2, because they also made a Tide of Love 2!
I was NOT impressed.
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Just an average Demon-Human Lovestory
The story is about a demon falling in love with a human girl. The two are already tied by the past as lovers. Wolsim, which is also Do-hee in the present time died due to Catholicism issue. Catholicism is considered a taboo at that time which lead to her execution. While, Yi-sun on the other hand, is away to take an exam to land on a government post. When he came back he witnessed Wolsim's execution and became enraged. Yi-sun killed all the people he sees in sight after Wolsim takes her last breath in his arms. After all his killings, he also decided to kill himself but a sudden turned of event led him to be back as a demon.Centuries later, Yi-sun becames Gu-won and lives as a demon, making deals with desperate people by granting them wishes in turn of taking their souls to hell after 10 years. While, Wolsim is reborn as Do-hee who happens to have a big family issues. One timeful event led the tattoo which is the power source of Gu-won to transfer into Do-hee.
To cut the story short they work together to get what they want. Gu-won needs the tattoo back and Do-hee needs Gu-won's protection.
The story was pretty common, I find it quit similar with The Guardian: Goblin's Bride. Though a firmly prefer the later, no question. I just can't help but to notice that both the series have similarities on how the male leads ceased to death by burning away as they fight with the main villain in the story. Another thing is that the parents of the female leads made a deal with the male leads to save the baby female leads. As you know, if you see both the series both male leads fell in love with the child they saved.
All I can say is that, I find the show's progress to slow. In my opinion, it could have end in 12 episodes if unncessary scenes were cut off. For me, the show only got interesting in mid episode 15.
The actors were great but I just think the chemistry of Song Kang and Kim Yoo-Jung lacks the sparks. For the side characters, I personally loved Ga-young's story arc, especially her ending where she was able to repay the grace she received herself when she's a kid. Suk-hoon is just too good to be true as he embodies ungreediness and unselfish love to Do-hee. The office characters did good as they help me occasionally ease my bore as the show unfold. Both the secretaries of the leads were sooo cringe LMAO. Lastly, I commend the actors who played Noh Suk-min and Noh Do-gyeong as they really made me stop for awhile and think who could be the lighter guy among them.
The OSTs were good with superb editing skills for the show's effects. Though, the scene of the gasoline stop shop fire doesn't sit right with me.
I recommend this show if you wanted to watch a fantasy like drama with a demon falling for a human girl. But, if you are looking for a drama that is fast paced with solid storyline, you might have to skip this one. The show was okay but I can say there are alot more dramas with the same concept of this one that's more worth it.
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A total miss, could have been waay better!
I think the director actually forgot that, this drama was also a romantic drama lol. The last part was so unecessary, it was almost foolish of the director to think we would habe been interested on those peoples' lifes. That time could have been used to focus on the leads and give some other caracters some closure. What a shame!I couldn't feel the chemistry between the leads. The male lead did try his best , but the female lead needs to go back to acting school...throughout the drama, she had like 3 facials expressions. Had her acting been better, this drama could have been way better. I can't remember a moment, when she actually confessed to the male lead , or was more casual with him. It was always him chasing her...it felt like the male lead was the only one being insecure or cared about their relationship,
I quite like Hou MingHao, but most of his projects are not the best. Hope his future projects will be better.
I don't recommend it. 6/10 for me
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A masterpiece
It is absolutely a masterpiece. Extraordinary cast, photography, story. True poetry.... It was so long time that a drama didn't give me this vibe. Since from the first scene to the last, the watcher can live the life of the characters, Immersing in their world and want to know about their tradictions even more. To see.Was this review helpful to you?
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Whats real and whats fake?
At the end of the kdrama you’ll find yourself asking what was real and what was fake, but more importantly who is actually Sarah Kim. Honestly if anything this kdrama shows the struggle of Sarah to become rich, or someone worth of respect- so it actually shows her path towards that goal, how far she could possibly get and even saying at some point “you can’t become rich, you’re rich if you’re born that way”. So this kdrama will set a lot of questions in your head that might gradually get answered but then again, what is actually real and what is actually fake?For my perspective, I think that this kdrama shows how devotion and dedication will take you far, and when you feel like Sarah is about to lose, she manages to keep it all just like she wanted and always had- even if it meant to lie.
However, the story starts to get confusing at the end. Theres a point where to much is happening and by the last episode you feel like you don’t even remember what happened at the beginning or what was the characters intentions
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Proof that sincerity beats plot twists
I love going into a drama without reading reviews or forming expectations. Sometimes that gamble pays off. Sometimes it doesn’t. With My Sweet Mobster, it absolutely did. I only wanted something light for a Saturday afternoon; instead, I found myself laughing, giggling, and kicking my feet through all 16 episodes. (˵ ¬ᴗ¬˵)Story
The ML is an ex-mobster with a heart of gold who runs a meat company and hires ex-cons determined to turn over a new leaf. After some misunderstandings, he meets a sweet FL who is a “WeTuber” (read: YouTuber). Through a series of mishaps, she ends up living in his house alongside the sweetest group of thugs you’ll ever meet. They fall in love - and of course, there’s a childhood connection. His past resurfaces, complications follow, and yes, it all works out in the end.
The storyline is undeniably predictable. The childhood connection is obvious early on, the villains rarely surprise you, and the love triangle never truly threatens the main couple. But the predictability works because of the emotional sincerity. The tension doesn’t come from twists; it comes from watching these characters choose kindness, loyalty, and love again and again. Knowing where the story is headed becomes part of its comfort.
At its core, the drama asks: can you really leave your past behind? People talk about rehabilitation, but how many are truly willing to give second chances?
Characters
Seo Ji-hwan and Ko Eun-ha are at the heart of the story. He’s an ex-mobster; she’s a bubbly, optimistic content creator. Reformed bad boys supposedly make the best husbands, and Ji-hwan proves it. He’s selfless to a fault, dropping to his knees for his employees without hesitation. He knows society won’t easily accept him or his brothers, but he keeps trying anyway. All he wants is a decent life for them. His self-awareness makes him push Eun-ha away at first, but eventually he allows himself to want something more.. a family, a future.
Eun-ha is pure ray-of-sunshine energy, the kind of FL you instinctively root for. She apologizes when she’s wrong but never becomes a wilting wallflower. Life knocks her down; she gets back up. This OTP is the drama’s beating heart.
The secondary characters add so much charm. The gang of rough-around-the-edges ex-cons are the kind of brothers every favorite ML deserves. The principled SML, Jang Hyeon-u, is sincere but ultimately never a real threat. Even the secondary romance, though small, adds sweetness. The villains are standard fare - effective, if not groundbreaking.
Performances
This was my first time watching Uhm Tae-goo, and I genuinely don’t know why it took me so long. Ji-hwan isn’t morally grey. In fact, he’s practically shining white, which can sometimes feel boring. But Uhm Tae-goo makes his goodness compelling. He brings out Ji-hwan’s shyness, quiet longing, and uncertainty about whether he deserves Eun-ha. You root for him completely. And yes, I would absolutely wear a T-shirt that says, “I heart Uhm Tae-goo’s raspy voice.” It’s dreamy.
I’ve seen Han Sun-hwa before, but this is the first time I truly loved her performance. She makes Eun-ha bright without being naïve. Even though the character doesn’t have a huge arc, Sun-hwa keeps her from ever feeling one-note.
The supporting cast all deliver solid performances. Not a single scene feels dragged down.
Overall
Yes, it’s predictable. But the execution is warm, sincere, and comforting. I don’t regret spending my Saturday afternoon with these characters. This drama was a hidden delight - and I’m very glad I hit “enter.”
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The cycles of history
Set during the latter half of the chaotic Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Swords into Plowshares endeavors to condense several decades of turmoil into a cohesive story. For the most part, it succeeds as a well-produced historical epic, anchoring the story around a few historical figures - Qian Chu of Wuyue, his wife Sun Taizhen, Zhao Kuangyin of Song and Guo Rong (Chai Rong) of Later Zhou.The first 12 episodes or so are some of my favorite - bold, devastating and moving in its depiction of the wanton slaughter and abuse of the common people as the Central Plains exchanged one ruler for another. There are also moments of human triumph some to arise out of that destruction and usher in a semblance of peace and order. But mankind is fickle, and human nature is not easily overcome. Until the final frame, our main characters face struggle after another in order to bring about a "year of peace."
A few historical figures are unfortunately whitewashed to fit an overall narrative of unifying the lands for peace, but the drama is overall still a respectable attempt to faithfully depict an often overlooked period of Chinese history. The script at its best waxes philosophical regarding varying viewpoints regarding human governance, and its strong use of classical Chinese is a much needed breath of fresh air in this age of idol dramas. It may too dense for some, but the cast deftly bring their characters to life, and one can simply follow their emotional journey fairly well even if much of the detail in the dialogue escapes them.
As a longtime enjoyer of historical dramas - from any country or language - I hope to see more in this vein from C drama land.
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Enjoyably Interesting, but Somewhat Standard and Predictable
I placed spoilers at the end of this review.Overall, this was a good series. I mostly enjoyed this because I love reborn for revenge storylines. I just wish the execution was better. The script had a great start, but lost steam towards the end. Although the script is not perfect, it still did a great job setting up the characters and storyline. It started to perfectly weave the different stories together, but this slowly unraveled. Although it was a minor storyline, I felt the romantic storylines was a little weird. However, I liked that many of the characters were complex and not purely good or bad. Many of them had multiple levels and reasonings for their actions. What really saved this series was the entire cast which is a good example why casting is very important. If this had different actors, I probably would have dropped it. This had some other minor negative aspects. This had some very odd background music choices that don’t really fit the scenes. They also didn’t do a great job switching between time differences with the current scene and Lee Han Yeong’s future memories and/or or flashback events.
The last negative aspect is the ending.
******Potential Spoiler Alert******
It took me awhile to warmup to the romantic storyline between Lee Han Yeong and You Se Hui. Even though it seemed out of place, it was actually well written and was not the main focal point of the series. I also like how they used this to give Yoo Se Hui a chance to redeem herself. This is a rare case that I liked a redemption story arc.
This has an ambiguous ending and was a bit of a letdown. They give hints of a possible second season which I’m not sure I would watch.
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Be Yourself; Outer Appearances Don't Change the Inner Self
My first impression was the drama was too silly, but I grew to enjoy the nonsense. Later, I was uncomfortable with the FL as it was repeatedly said how kind she was, but her actions were particularly cruel and thoughtless to one person. As the story progressed, I began to appreciate the friendships and ensuing humor, especially of the supporting cast.The message that everyone is uniquely beautiful, though true, was hammered at a bit too hard. Although I appreciated the sentiment, a lighter touch would have been more effective.
The FL had low self-esteem initially, but she sabotaged herself with her attitude, poor grooming, lack of makeup on a face with acne, and wearing a hoodie to a job interview with a company that dealt in fashion. Her "transformation" at the end of the drama was more about confidence and self-love which resulted in proper hygiene and maintenance.
A bouncy OST complemented the drama, and some nice writing delivered well by the actors distinguished this from run of the mill romcoms.
Filter finished well with no long time skips or a loved one leaving the country for a few years to improve themselves. That's a rarity for current romances, it seems! The visuals were a treat. Favorite scenes were the Rainbow Stairway (located in Meijingyuan Town, China: https://www.reddit.com/r/cdramasfans/comments/1j7upwv/behind_the_scenes_the_making_of_the_iconic/), and the ML and FL hiding in a school archive room with thousands of books stacked behind them. I also love when a drama teaches me something new and fantastic. The ML gave the FL a box of Prince Rupert's Drops, a group of tadpole shaped colored glass. PRDs are harder than steel and practically impervious at their bead end, but they are incredibly fragile at the tail-shaped tip. The entire thing can shatter with mere finger pressure. It was a fitting metaphor concerning relationships. For incorporating unique aspects into the drama, my appreciation is given to the creators. As a result, my viewing afterglow reflects a higher rating.
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This drama is indeed a piece of art
Well, as the title itself suggests, this story is about a woman, most well known as Sarah Kim and how she has managed to create everything (her persona(s), a very bougie brand and very convincing stories/lies) from nothing in her very own way, which definitely can be described as art.The more you try to dig into her story and past, the more you realize that you know nothing about Sarah Kim. The detective (ML) found that out the hard way!
The story was captivating. It left the viewer questioning everything and everyone every single episode. But towards the very end everything finally started to connect, we finally got the full story of how FL managed to fool us and all the people in the drama. It was genius.
It's worth noting that we actually never find out who she really is or why she doesn't have an identity, but honestly, while it initially left me confused, it didn't take away the charm of this drama for me. I was instead so taken aback by how smart the FL is, how she managed to manipulate so many people at once and used them at perfect times.
Shin Hye Sun once again absolutely killed her role :)
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Even I, who don't usually like crime dramas, enjoyed this one
Rest assured that if I enjoyed police dramas, the rating would be much higher, but unfortunately I have a lot of difficulty connecting with investigative plots. What would happen if you were forced to join the police force to escape a criminal? The series is about that, a policewoman and a pastry chef who meet in a police training course for VIP secret service. It's been quite funny seeing Vicky among several trained policewomen, developing her skills. Let's wait and see the next episodes.In addition, the production is very good and the effects are very good too, including the action scenes.
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