Reviews

"No la compré"

No me mal entiendan, amo a Jisung, pero no todos los guiones que hizo son como para terminar de verlos y no es su culpa nunca. En este caso, pensé que me iba a reír más ya que la situación de simular una familia daba para ser muy graciosa pero no fue el caso, tal vez porque también el personaje femenino principal no es muy atractivo. El malo (el personaje, no el actor) ES MALÍSIMO valga la redundancia... parece sacado de un animé y la verdad, esos malos funcionan en los dibujitos, no en la "vida real" de la serie digamos. En fin, la dejé porque el tiempo de adultos es sagrado ¡y sólo puedo gastarlo en cosas bien buenas! ¡¡Hasta la próxima serie Jisung!!

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Nice Love Story

I loved this story of a close past friendship slowly evolving into a love story. Friendships will in some cases lead to a more solid relationship down the road with the right formula of honest communication, trust, understanding, respect for differences and support, which seemed to work here. The two leads were outstanding as I have seen them be in other series...both with versatility and great range. The supporting actors were brilliant in their portrayal of diverse characters, especially the female lead's volatile mother, who was a bit over the top in going after the daughter, but in a way this seemed to be her coping mechanism.
For me, I felt it was well done all around.

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The play that hid the feelings, or the feelings that hid the play

This is my number one cdrama for me, and I'm saying that on my third watch, which is the watch where a drama usually starts to thin out and this one only got deeper.

I want to start with the thing people fight about, because I think it's the reason the drama is misunderstood rather than a flaw in it. Yes, it withholds. It gives you identities before it gives you people, flashbacks before it gives you the scene the flashback belongs to, and it lets you sit in the wrong reading of a moment for episodes before it hands you the right one. That isn't sloppiness, it's a story about people who cannot say what they mean and by a narrator who also won't. Watching it once, it feels like the drama is hiding things from you. Watching it again, you see it was never hiding, it was placing. Every reveal is already sitting in an earlier scene, in a glance, in a line that sounded like nothing. On rewatch, almost nothing plays the way it did the first time, and that's the highest compliment I ever gave.

And then Lu Wuyi and Ji Ling. This is what I came for and stayed for. Their entire relationship is conducted in the wrong register on purpose, teasing, strategy, a joke standing exactly where an "I love you" should be. The words never come close to the size of what's underneath them, and that gap is the romance. They hide from each other, they hide from themselves, they hide inside the performance they're both keeping up, and at some point you stop being able to tell whether the act is protecting the feelings or the feelings are protecting the act. Ju Jingyi and Tian Jiarui play that ambiguity with so much control. Neither of them ever tips it. You just watch two people love each other in the only language they're allowed to use in a world where they don't belong to themselves.

The direction is what holds all of it together. Edward Guo writing and directing means the misdirection is authored, not accidental. He knows exactly which frame will read differently later, exactly how long to hold on a face before cutting away and letting you assume the wrong thing. Playing it that precisely, over 29 episodes, without letting the trick collapse into a gimmick, is a masterful piece of work.

The craft around it matches. The effects are genuinely perfect, not "good for a cdrama" perfect, just perfect, integrated into the world instead of decorating it, so the fantasy never breaks the emotion. And the OST has not left my head for ages. Certain cues now do half the emotional work by themselves; I hear four notes and I know what kind of emotion to be prepared for.

If you dropped this early, give it another chance.

10/10. I'll be back for a fourth watch.

P.S. The actual story starts on episodes 5-6, so if you haven't got that far, stick to it.

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Unique

This was quite a different storyline that I wasn't quite sure which way it was going to go with these two characters, especially with the female character having this multiple personality disorder throwing a surprising curve into the mix. First of all, I was taken back at the brilliant performance off the female lead who was so real that you were wondering what person she would be changing into next. The male lead was phenomenal in his portrayal of the translator struggling in his difficult relationship, but eventually through his patience, understanding and insight became wiser in figuring out ways to navigate through all the chaos.
For me it seemed to have the right balance of character development and pacing.
I give credit to everyone in creating this very different genre...it couldn't have always been easy.

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Although I understand the hype and really like it myself, there's 2 things I am very critical about.

This time a more critical and professional review unlike other BL review's I've wrote. What I really love is this genre. Investigation drama's are always amazing and have a lot of potential. This is a genre I really love, no matter what. This series was totally unpredictable and had me thinking along often. I really enjoyed it, but my over all is still quite low compared to other good drama's I've seen. I feel like there's a few big issues with this series.

The first issue is something I will keep doing. I'm critical on this, no matter what. I am sick and tired of ai being used in any form of media. The intro, the first few scene's and apparently the background?? Now as someone who's mostly focussed on PR for editing as a film student. Is it just me or does even the editing look ai generated?? It PISSES ME OFF. Now here's the thing. Some scene's do seem to be correctly put together and nicely lined up but then there's this very weird feeling when they change shots. Idk maybe it's just their style of editing but this fr feels off. The intro feels like it's made by lazy people. Just give me those ugly 2018 fades again.

Another issue I had is the relationship between Chae Ha and Tae Seon. Although I think they suit really well and have perfect chemistry, I really hate Tae Seon's behaviour. Truth is, at some point I even thought he was very suspicious. But, my main issue is the way Tae Seon treated Chae Ha. I don't see no one calling his behaviour out. Can we all agree that Tae Seon Sa'ed Chae Ha 2 times?? The first forceful kiss looked soo uncomfortable but later it got worse. He did yk what, while Chae Ha was super drunk??? I also hate how Tae Seon treated Chae Ha in this confusing way. The one time he was really mean and sometimes he suddenly turned sweet.

Next thing might sounds weird, not a bad thing. That song in episode 5... it's the same one they kept using in the nc scene's in My stubborn. Now don't question me on this. I just got extremely irritated at that song and I always skip all nc's but it was so weird to hear the same song being used and this time rather for an attack scene. It just surprised me. I hate that song sooo much that I recognise it everywhere.

Can we all praise Yang Kyung Hee?? She directed the best BL from South Korea. I'm really happy that she directed this. Although I didn't like all of her work, I have to admit that she might be the best BL director out there in Korea. Often Korea's BL's lack plot but most of her's don't. I really hope she'll give us more amazing drama's. The acting work was incredible as well. I rather not choose favourites but Park Si Woo... he was amazing. I feel like he was way more relatable than any other character and the series felt like it was purely his point of view .Also I really liked Ha Neul... WHY DID HE DO THAT..

Overall this was amazing, but like I mentioned, I am a bit disappointed in the relationship between the male leads and the excessive use of ai. I did enjoy the plot, it was rich and unpredictable. It's a huge suggestion and I think this might be one of the best Korean Bl's we've had.

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se toda mafia fosse assim, nao tinha crime no mundo

se todos os mafiosos do mundo resolvessem ficar uns com os outros do jeito que a gente viu em kinnporsche nós teriamos duas mudanças muito interessantes na criminalidade mundial, e poderiamos começar pelo Kinn e o Porsche que são praticamente dois fugitivos de caps sendo que um é um trambiqueiro do cacete e o outro deu sorte de nascer numa familia muito louca mesmo.

vamos ressaltar que nao engoli a ana castela da tailandia e o arco do personagem dele que nao fez diferença nenhuma, tava lá só pra ocupar espaço e mascarar a lavagem de dinheiro do cachê dele, mas work jeffinho você arrasa e canta muito te adoro

e agora passamos para o Tankhum que é a melhor coisa que temos em kinnporsche, além do gostoso do Bas que é um colirio para os olhos tambem (tal qual o Apo)

dito isso, adorei TUDO menos o caralho do final, jesus cristo queria assistir só até o episodio 9 mesmo, depois disso é horroroso.

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Protagonista Determinada

Acompanhar esse dorama foi uma experiência inesquecível, principalmente por conta da protagonista. Que personagem admirável! Sua bondade, força de vontade e altruísmo me conquistaram logo de cara. Ela tomou as rédeas da história de um jeito único, a cada estratégia, ficava aflito torcendo pelo sucesso. Perfeita e cativante do primeiro ao último episódio. Mesmo tão nova, demonstrou um espírito de liderança surreal ao resgatar sua família da extrema pobreza e reconstruir a vida de todas com pura resiliência.

Prota masculino dava raiva de ver como ele se deixava manipular pelo imperador, virando o principal entrave para o romance engrenar. Compreendo suas limitações, mas era frustrante vê-lo intervir e estragar os planos justamente quando o imperador precisava pagar pelo que fez.

Elenco de apoio deu um espetáculo. As fiéis escudeiras da Zhi, que com o tempo deixaram de ser meras servas e ganharam um lugar especial no meu coração. Até a relação com as tias e a mãe, que começou me fazendo passar muita raiva, se transformou em um laço familiar lindo e acolhedor. Funeral da avó, com a presença marcante da Imperatriz Viúva, foi uma das cenas mais tristes .

Quanto ao romance principal, achei fofo, mas sem uma química avassaladora. E quer saber? Achei ótimo! O verdadeiro trunfo da série foi focar na jornada pessoal da Zhi e no fortalecimento daquelas mulheres se apoiando para vencer na vida por conta própria.

No fim das contas, é uma obra nota 9.5 A trilha sonora é impecável, com uma abertura inesquecível.

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A warm coming-of-age story with an interesting FL, with some missed potential

Genius Girlfriend turned out to be a warm coming-of-age drama with several moments I genuinely enjoyed. It's not perfect, and while parts of the story occasionally felt slow or less engaging, there was still plenty to enjoy and connect with. Lin Zhi Xia (LZX) is easily the most interesting character for me, and Tian Xi Wei (TXW) suits the role very naturally.

-An interesting coming-of-age journey-

What I liked from the beginning is that LZX's genius isn't really the heart of the story. Yes, she is portrayed as exceptionally gifted in mathematics and science, but what interested me more was seeing how someone with such an extraordinary mind tries to find her place in a world she doesn't always understand or fit into socially.

She genuinely tries to connect with others, but her way of communicating isn't always understood or accepted by those around her. What I found particularly interesting is that she isn't simply someone who "doesn't understand people". She makes mistakes in how she interacts with others, but she is also capable of recognizing them and genuinely tries to learn from those experiences. Social situations don't always come naturally to her because she processes the world differently, making this a conscious part of her growth.

That made her development feel more meaningful to me. She doesn't suddenly become socially effortless or change who she is; she gradually learns to navigate relationships while remaining fundamentally herself. What interested me most was therefore not simply watching a genius succeed academically, but seeing how she learns to understand the people and emotions around her, and ultimately, who she might become as a result.

I also appreciated that the drama avoids pushing her into the usual extremes. She isn't a Mary Sue who effortlessly excels at everything and solves everyone's problems, but neither is she portrayed as a helpless victim whose social difficulties exist mainly to evoke sympathy. Her intelligence is simply one part of who she is, while her story is also about learning to navigate relationships and deal with her own emotions.

TXW fits LZX very naturally. She brings out her intelligence, social awkwardness and innocence without making her seem naive or overly "cute". Many of her reactions feel spontaneous and understated. I also liked the natural styling of the character. She isn't constantly presented as perfectly polished or glamorous, which helps LZX feel believable both as a teenager and later as a young adult.

Her strongest moments for me came in episodes 19 and 20. The emotional scenes genuinely got to me, and I actually went back and watched some of them again. Those episodes were definitely the highlights of TXW's performance for me.

-The high-school years vs. adulthood-

I enjoyed the high-school portion, but it did start to feel a little long towards the end. At the same time, I understand why the drama needed this build-up. Establishing the characters, their friendships and, most importantly, the bond between LZX and Jiang Yu Bai (JYB) is essential for the five-year separation to have the emotional impact it does later.

My issue is more with how that time was distributed. Some moments lingered longer than necessary, when the same development could perhaps have been conveyed more concisely. This becomes more noticeable when compared with the adult arc, which has much less room to explore LZX's development.

Once the story moves into the university years, the change of setting gives the drama a refreshing new dynamic. LZX feels more mature and independent, and I became particularly interested in seeing who she was becoming, both personally and academically. The five-year separation also gives her relationship with JYB a new dynamic, and I liked that their feelings were allowed to develop gradually.

And this is where I think the drama leaves some of its strongest potential unexplored.

The university arc opens the door to the question I had become most interested in: who does LZX become?

I would have liked to see more of her academic journey and what it actually means for someone like her to find her place in an academic environment. How does she grow as a researcher? What challenges can't simply be solved through intelligence? How does she continue to develop socially as she becomes an adult?

As the story progresses, however, the focus shifts increasingly towards her relationship with JYB, while her academic and personal development becomes less prominent. The final developments feel particularly condensed. Major achievements and several years of her life are covered quite quickly, leaving me wishing we had been able to experience more of that journey.

By the end, I almost felt that the original "genius" premise had become secondary, when it could have played a much more interesting role in her adult development. I also found the more mature and independent LZX from the earlier university episodes more compelling than the version we see once the story focuses more heavily on her relationship.

-The romance and Jiang Yu Bai-

The romance itself was enjoyable to watch. I could see LZX and JYB gradually growing closer, and I appreciated that their relationship wasn't rushed. Their history and the five years they spent apart also gave their relationship an additional layer.
Personally, though, I didn't feel their connection as strongly as I would have liked. I could see the romance on screen, but I didn't always feel it on the same emotional level. That's obviously subjective, and my connection with JYB probably plays a part in that.

JYB is caring, intelligent and does a lot for LZX, but I often wanted more of his own personality, motivation and inner struggles. His backstory—particularly the debt connected to his mother and the reason he disappeared for five years—had plenty of potential, but I didn't always feel its emotional weight as strongly as I expected.

Hu Yi Tian's restrained and stoic performance also contributed to this for me. It suits part of JYB's personality, but sometimes made him feel a little too distant and lacking in energy. I have nothing against Hu Yi Tian as an actor; he simply wasn't quite the type of male lead I personally connected with. I did find him a better fit in the adult part of the story, and there was definitely chemistry between the two leads.

-The relationships I enjoyed most-

Interestingly, the relationships that affected me the most weren't the romantic ones, but the family relationships.
The bond between LZX and her brother, Lin Ze Qiu, was probably my favourite relationship in the entire drama. Their interactions felt warm, natural and genuinely affectionate, and I completely believed in their sibling bond. Her relationship with her parents also contributed greatly to the comforting atmosphere of the series.

For me, these family relationships ultimately felt more emotionally convincing than the main romance.

I also enjoyed the Lin Ze Qiu and Jin Bai Hui storyline. Their development was interesting, although it was handled rather briefly, and I wouldn't have minded seeing a little more of it.

-Pacing, direction and music -

My main issue lies in the balance between pacing and narrative focus. Some scenes linger on the same emotional beat for a little too long. The intended emotion is already clear, but there isn't always enough progression within the scene to justify its length.

At the same time, the final episodes have almost the opposite problem: several storylines and major developments are wrapped up rather quickly. This imbalance made me wish that some of the time spent lingering in earlier parts of the drama had been used to further develop the adult storylines instead.

From a directing and visual perspective, I didn't have any major complaints. It isn't a drama that constantly stands out for its cinematography, but the direction generally serves the story well, particularly during the more emotional scenes. The OST was another definite plus and complemented the warm atmosphere very well.

-Final thoughts -

Despite its flaws, Genius Girlfriend gave me enough enjoyable and genuinely touching moments to leave me with an overall positive impression.

I particularly enjoyed LZX as a character, and Tian Xi Wei brings a very natural quality to the role that makes her easy to follow and connect with. She does particularly well in the moments where the story gives LZX more emotional depth.

For me, Genius Girlfriend is a good drama that didn't quite make full use of the potential in its own premise.

GG succeeds at making LZX interesting as a young person learning to navigate the world, but once the story opens the door to her adulthood, it doesn't spend enough time exploring who that person ultimately becomes.

That is probably my biggest takeaway from the drama. I became more interested in the question “Who will Lin Zhi Xia become?” than simply “How will Lin Zhi Xia and Jian Yu Bai end up together?”

Still, I'm glad I watched it. If you enjoy warm, easy-going coming-of-age dramas with romance, family and an unconventional female lead, I'd definitely recommend giving Genius Girlfriend a try. 😊

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IMPERFEITO NOS DETALHES, IMPECÁVEL NO QUE REALMENTE IMPORTA

Comecei esse BL por pura curiosidade sem imaginar algo especial, mas a grande surpresa para mim é que "Blue Lips" me impressionou de um jeito tão bom que fiquei apaixonada.

Desde o início, a série nuca teve a intensão de ser uma mega produção, mas conseguiu ser perfeita do jeito que é, sem precisar fingir algo ou força. É claro que por ser de baixo orçamento, dificilmente é impossível evitar os erros e falhas óbvias que aparecem. Porém, no meu ponto de vista, o roteiro é impecável e sua história transmiti uma sutileza e profundidade tão agradável que quando tu menos espera você já está gostando tanto do drama quanto do Teng Mo e Shi Xian.

A química dos dois personagens foi algo que sem dúvida se sustentou muito bem durante todo o BL, de forma que eles conseguiram entregar momentos lindos, engraçados, fofos e íntimos (de até mesmo tirar o fôlego.)

Portanto, "Blue Lips" merecia mais do público, algo que infelizmente a maioria falhou em notar uma excelente obra-prima. Eu recomendo que se você estiver pensando assistir, assista sem se prender aos defeitos da serie e se deixe levar apenas pela história, porque realmente ela é bonita.

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Si estás pensado en tomar alguna decisión sobre tu relación, ve este drama, te ayudará

Me parece que la historia súper bien elaborado y trabajo. Me dió la lección que solo funciona cuando ambos están dispuestos a trabajar en la relación. El que se pueda trabajar las emociones humanas y sus interacciones de forma sana en varios ambientes, nos hace pensar en lo maravilloso que puede ser estar enamorado pero al mismo tiempo delnmiedo que sentimos al aceptar esos sentimientos.
El manejo de la ruptura y como se afronta, para posterior darse una nueva oportunidad, nos enseña que siempre uno puedo trabajar en si mismo para mejorar. Creo que gracias a esos análisis, entendí que darse un tiempo con una pareja o un amigo, para saber cuáles son tus límites sanos es la decisión más certera.
Definitivamente entra en mi top 2 de favoritas, además de que las risas no flataron, y te hace analizar de diferentes perspectivas los tabúes y el manejar las relaciones profesionales, en parte lo que estás dispuesto a negociar y lo que no, yo la recomendaría y le daría una oportunidad.

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THE LOVE THAT HEALS !!

I genuinely don’t know how this drama managed to make me feel so much with so little. 😭 This isn’t just a BL about two people falling in love....it’s about two people slowly finding somewhere they can finally breathe. Qinglang has fame, money, and everything from the outside yet he’s clearly exhausted. Then comes Changyang living quietly among the mountains and tea fields and somehow this man becomes his safe place. Their relationship is slow, soft, and painfully real. AND THE WAY THEY YEARN FOR EACH OTHER...The best non-toxic BL ever. It’s healing, mature, soft and somehow still INTENSE AS HELL. And the chemistry??? INSANE....The smallest looks have me screaming. They barely have to say anything and I’m already emotionally finished🥹🥹
What hits deepest is how this drama treats love as something that gives you freedom not something that cages you. But when fame,expectations and the outside world start closing in then you really feel how fragile that kind of happiness can be. It's about choosing love in a world which expects you to choose everything else But these characters still chose love over everything else first.
I'M SO EMOTIONAL WHILE BIDDING THEM GOODBYE....My changyang and qinglang you'll always be a part of my beautiful memories... I never knew I'll be so attached to them....
I'm not OKAY ..I haven't been okay from the day they started looking at each other with those loving Eyes. 🥹🥹🥹

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Ding Yu Xi is, once again, a big standout

I think Ding Yu Xi must be my favorite CDrama actor because I find myself watching mid-dramas just for him. He seems to be the only actor I will do this for, but his performances elevate even the most *meh* dramas into something special.

==Breakdown==
Background plot - 50% (more and more as the show progresses, but averages to 60%)
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%

Background plot - Some good messages
Romantic chemistry - Heart-achingly excellent from the ML, okay from the FL, but ultimately with no payoff
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Fine

Ding Yu Xi's character here is a lot of fun. The other characters are well drawn but not necessarily well-acted. The main female was okay, as was the second male lead, the brother, and the returning friend (antagonist for the middle part of the show). But the actress who played the BFF was not good and like nails on a chalk board every time she showed up on screen. That said, the character was a good one, just not well portrayed.

Although, this drama did (on its own) have some interesting messages which, if they'd finished the drama on a strong note, would've taken it from an 7.5 to a 9. However, the last two episodes completely fumbled the story by giving us a non-ending, incredibly unsatisfying after so many episodes and slowness. Such a shame.

THAT SAID, still worth a watch for Ding Yu Xi if you are between other dramas.

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A friendship based on rivalry that started in high school and continues when the two work in the same company. The challenges become so silly that they end up having sex with each other on the first episode. Ryo and Zen then dare each other on who falls for the other first.

Honestly, the plot and characters are way too manga-like and fake for my liking. While I did enjoy the acting some of the time, the exaggerated acting made the characters feel empty and I quickly didn't care if the couple ended up together or not. When Ryo suddenly confessed his love for Zen, I thought it would be another prank to trick him into falling for him.

For some reason all the intimate scenes also fell flat for me. The actors are definitely lookers, but perhaps the angles conveyed the idea of passion rather than actual longing and lust. Overall, this drama is unique and could be enjoyable for some.

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Beyond my expectations

This show completely exceeded my expectations. I went into it without expecting much, but I was genuinely impressed by how well everything came together. The story was engaging from beginning to end, the characters felt believable, and the performances made it even more enjoyable to watch. There were so many moments that surprised me.
What makes it even more interesting is how fresh and unusual the concept feels, especially within Korean BLs. A romance between a cop and a killer is definitely not something you see every day, and the show actually takes advantage of that premise rather than treating it as just a gimmick. It feels bold to see a darker, morally complicated relationship like this explored in a Korean BL, and that alone makes the series stand out.
I especially loved the chemistry between the two leads and the tension created by their completely opposite positions. The combination of romance, crime, and the constant question of whether they can actually trust each other made the story even more addictive. Definitely a show I would recommend, especially if you’re looking for something different from the usual BL storyline.

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