Reviews

17 billion won and zero romance later…?

7/10 because I came for romance and apparently the romance decided not to show up. 😂 That fake wedding scene had me thinking, “Okayyy, we're getting somewhere!” Nope. That was basically the peak. 😭

The 17-billion-won treasure hunt went on for so long that I needed a refresher on what they were even looking for. The comedy was there occasionally, though—Lizard pretending to be their father and getting disrespected by everyone was easily one of my favourite bits. 😂

Kang Hari also stayed weirdly awkward/closed-off throughout, and I kept waiting for her character and the ML to actually develop into something.

And that ending?? Park Haekang suddenly opens a law firm and does audits when the man spent the entire drama running a gang and a gambling den. Sir, when did you study law AND accounting? 😭

Cute moments, quirky vibes, some funny scenes… but not enough to make me want to binge it. And no romance payoff either. 🥲

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All the Atmosphere, Not Enough Bite

This one had so much potential.

First of all, the visuals are beautiful. The drama does a really good job of creating that eerie, atmospheric world where the supernatural elements feel like they actually belong in the environment rather than being added on top. The setting, production design and overall mood are easily some of its strongest points.

The characters are interesting too, and I actually think the writing is pretty good overall. That is what makes the drama a little frustrating, because you can see how much better it could have been with tighter pacing and stronger execution.

The funny moments worked really well for me. They gave the drama some personality without completely breaking the mood, and the lighter scenes were probably some of the most naturally enjoyable parts.

Where I wanted much more was the horror.

I know this is not necessarily meant to be a full-on horror series, but honestly… would it have been wrong to make it genuinely scary?

The setup was there. The supernatural elements were there. The atmosphere was there. It just never fully pushed itself into becoming truly unsettling, intense or frightening. I kept waiting for the drama to go one step further, but it always seemed to pull back just before getting there.

That same problem carries into the emotional side of the story. There are scenes and conflicts that should have landed much harder, but they needed more emotional weight and stronger build-up. I understood what the drama wanted me to feel, but I did not always actually feel it.

Nam Joo-hyuk as Gu-cheon and Roh Yoon-seo as Saeng-gang both played their parts well, and I thought they had good chemistry together. The supporting cast was strong too and helped make the world feel more interesting.

What the drama really needed, though, was a stronger villain.

With this kind of supernatural setup, the antagonist should feel genuinely threatening and memorable. A more intimidating villain could have raised the stakes significantly and made both the horror and the emotional conflict much stronger.

The open ending makes it feel like the story is not completely finished, so I really hope they are planning a second season. If they do come back, I would watch it because the foundation is already there. I just hope season two is tighter, darker and more confident.

Overall, East Palace is visually striking, atmospheric and full of potential, with good leads and a strong supporting cast. I enjoyed it, but it never quite pushed its horror, villain or emotional stakes far enough to become as memorable as it could have been.

Worth watching if you enjoy supernatural fantasy with strong visuals and lighter horror elements, but go in knowing that it may leave you wishing it had gone just a little further.

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Perfect Hair, Imperfect Drama

The opening is actually interesting enough. Since the drama is built around the female lead trying to figure out what happened, you are solving the puzzle alongside her, and the first episode at least gives you that sense of curiosity.

Unfortunately, a few things really let the drama down: the writing, the lack of common sense in certain situations, and a romance that feels more forced than convincing.

The chemistry between the main couple just did not work for me.

Jung Hae-in is, as always, very good-looking and charismatic, and he brings the same quiet, reliable charm he has carried in many of his previous roles. The problem is that his character is supposed to be a mobster, yet he never really feels particularly different from the Jung Hae-in we have seen before. He is good in the role, but the character itself never becomes especially distinctive.

I had more trouble connecting with Ha Young’s character. She is obviously beautiful, but strangely, that became one of my biggest problems with the drama. Everything is too polished.

Her hair is perfectly blown out and styled in almost every single scene. Even when she is being tortured or going through something traumatic, she somehow looks completely put together. After a point, it starts feeling less like you are watching real people in difficult situations and more like you are watching an advertisement.

And that shiny, overly styled presentation creates distance. I never really forgot that I was watching actors in a drama.

The romance itself also becomes repetitive. There simply isn’t enough chemistry, tension, or emotional development to hold it together. Combine that with weak writing and, eventually, you just stop caring about what happens to the characters.

The comedy is fine. Some moments work, but quite a few feel like clearly designated "this is the comedy scene” moments rather than humour naturally coming from the characters or their banter.

Ironically, I found some of the supporting characters more interesting than the leads. Lee Jae-won as Ahn Ki-jun and Choi Yu-ju as Min Su-ji had a storyline with more personality, depth, and surprisingly good chemistry.

The drama does introduce potentially meaningful conflicts, but they are either dragged out or handled without enough conviction. The problems are supposed to feel big, but the writing does not always make you believe in their emotional weight.

And yes, I probably could have overlooked quite a lot of this and continued watching comfortably…

…but the female lead’s perfectly styled hair bothered me an unreasonable amount.😂

I know that sounds petty, but it represents my larger problem with the show: everything feels too shiny and manufactured.

The memory-loss setup is nothing new, the romance never becomes compelling enough to elevate it, and the writing is not strong enough to compensate.

That said, I can see some people enjoying it. If you want something fluffy, glossy, easy to watch, and you like the leads, you may have a perfectly good time.

But if you need strong chemistry, believable characters, or a romance with real emotional pull, I would probably skip it.

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Dream to You? More Like Dreamt of Better Writing

The first two episodes were genuinely strong. The setup felt fresh, the characters seemed interesting, and I thought the drama was going to do something a little different. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there and never really managed to fulfil the potential of its opening.

For me, the biggest problem is the writing. I don’t think Hwang In-youp is a bad actor, but he really suffers from the material here. The drama clearly wants Woo Soo-bin to feel layered and emotionally complicated, but those layers never fully land. A lot is suggested about him, but not enough is actually developed in a convincing way.

Lee Hye-ri gets the better end of the stick because her character feels more grounded and easier to understand, but even then, the drama repeatedly introduces potentially heavy emotional conflicts and resolves them far too easily.

One example is Joo Yi-jae’s fatal accident and her family’s resentment towards Woo Soo-bin. We are told that there is blame and resentment there, but we rarely feel it. The drama says these emotions exist without really showing the history, tension, or consequences strongly enough, so something that should have carried a lot of emotional weight ends up feeling strangely minor.

I also never fully bought the tension between the male and female leads. There just wasn’t enough friction, longing, or emotional push-and-pull in the beginning. Because of that, when they eventually get together, it doesn’t feel like a major romantic payoff. There is no real “finally” moment because the drama never built enough tension for one.

Another issue is the tone. The drama tries to balance serious themes with comedy, but the two never blend particularly well. At times it feels like you are watching two different shows, and that makes the emotional moments less effective.

Overall, Dream to You had a promising beginning and some interesting ideas, but the writing never managed to develop them properly. There are good actors here and the foundations of a better drama, but too many conflicts are introduced without enough depth or payoff.

Overall: below average and skippable.

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I definitely won't recommend it

Here's what I was thinking: maybe those creators who resisted Chen Zhe Yuan's participation in this drama were right? Maybe they weren't acting out of spite, but based on experience?
Because if the screenwriters changed the concept of the novella—making the main character a self-sufficient and ideological fighter for justice, rather than an intelligent and talented woman living solely for her beloved emperor—then they would have had to change the main character's character as well. The character played by Wu Jin Yan would have been perfectly suited, for example, to Kenny Lin from "Journey with the Phoenix": he spoiled his Qipa the whole way, allowing her to express herself to the fullest. In this drama, however, the emperor had the character from the novella, and his companion was from the screenwriters' imagination. They didn't achieve harmony.
A little about the implementation—what particularly stood out. The nighttime planting of plastic flowers reminded me of the song "I Plant Aluminum Cucumbers in a Tarp Field." I swear I've seen flower pots like these at street markets in Liaoning and Harbin—I think the set designer bought them on the way to the set.
Also, of course, the three "lost ones" from the "special department" looked so cute, but they looked silly: at night, they wandered through seedy places and investigated crimes without people or resources. They should have gained some experience in "The Great Princess"—how to build a ministerial infrastructure!)))
Nevertheless, the drama had its positives: Chen Zhe Yuan's excellent costumes (I suspect the investor forbade skimping on them). And the male cast—I'm glad to see Liang Yong Qi, Sheng Yi Long, and the young, promising Yan Yu Cheng. And, by the way, all the actors were good. And everything bad is the fault of weak creators. After all, take away the budgets of these "weaklings" already!

I definitely won't recommend it.

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199/10! A Masterpiece Meant to be Engraved in Our Hearts

I thought after The Untamed I would NEVER be able to watch any drama like that, and since then, I don't think I've ever seen any drama which would come close to it—whether it is the OST, the acting, the storyline, or the cinematography. So, I would just listen to its songs and reminisce about it. But I was wrong! I OFFICIALLY DECLARE that this has surpassed the high standards The Untamed had created in my heart, and that is why this has become the BEST DRAMA OF ALL TIME for me.

If I had to rate it, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to rate this a 1000/10 (or 199/10 if you get the reference). This is actually the type of drama people might be watching even centuries from now, and it would make them feel nostalgic. Dare I say, this drama is BETTER THAN TITANIC for me. The acting, the OST, the background music, the cinematography, the scenic beauty, the plot, and everything just screams to me. It isn't a drama that is meant for just TikTok edits... It is meant to be ENGRAVED IN OUR HEARTS.

The realism in this drama is very much the reason why I love it so much. There was a scene where Qinglang was talking on the phone while simultaneously, in the background, you hear Qingtian and his manager conversing. And though it was very stimulating and might be a lot to take in, I think that was one of the reasons I fell in love with this drama... Because it showed how things actually take place in a social setting. There were also many moments where they would only gesture to each other without any voiceovers or subtitles, but we would understand it right away. So, HUGE props to the actors, our two main leads, Liu Jingyu who played Xu Changyang and Xiong Yiwen (or Kuma) who played Feng Qinglang, for delivering every scene so fabulously. I forgot they were actually acting because of how real everything felt and how perfectly every emotion was delivered.

It wasn't just the chemistry which was INSANELY good, but also the way they delivered every complex emotional scene. I think it was really good... Especially for Liu Jingyu, because it was his first role, which I was really shocked to find out after watching the drama. I thought he was a veteran actor all along, as his reactions, teasing, yearning, and every emotion he delivered were perfect and might even be better than a few veteran actors I've watched. And for Xiong Yiwen, I was truly mesmerized by how he made complex scenes look perfect. His acting felt very natural and comfortable, making me feel every emotion as if I were him.

My boy, Hu Yichen, who played the role of Feng Qingtian!! Even while writing this, I feel like crying because I loved him so much in the drama. His portrayal of anxiety and depression felt so real, as it showed me a mirror to my past self, which was exactly like him: faking happiness to other people while getting eaten up on the inside. I don't think anyone could've played the role better than him. He easily made Qingtian my favorite character in the drama. I cried rivers for two days straight, not wanting to watch after episode 13, but I'm so glad I continued anyway.

Huang Qixiu, who played the part of Xu Wenshu, made me empathize with him. He suffered a lot. The yearning and love for Qingtian portrayed by him was amazing and really made me feel sad for him. He never got fatherly love, being compared to his brother, nor romantic love, so it hurts me badly to think how he would live after all that had happened, blaming himself for everything. It's like he becomes Qingtian.

Guo Zongxu, who played Qi Haoyu, and He Jiakai, who played Han Lu, were really the cutest couple ever with a really sweet chemistry. Their acting was also surprisingly good considering it was their first-ever drama. I think their acting became better and better with each passing episode. Their chemistry was sizzling, and their journey was really difficult. It made me contemplate the industry and how being forced upon by a big shot 100% happens. I felt so sorry for Han Lu and felt Qi Haoyu's desperation for having his hands tied and not being able to help Han Lu. But at last, they got their well-deserved happiness.

Ma Bingyuan, who played Brother Guo or Guo ge, was such a comic relief yet such a caring and soothing character. It hurt me to see him cry and made me happy when he was happy. He must be the richest person in the world by how many 199 yuans he collected from our MLs, haha. He's such a good actor, and I'm looking forward to more projects from him.

I'd also like to thank Zelia Wang, aka Lizzy, for everything... For directing, writing the script, editing, color grading, visual effects, for the original score, the theme song, lyrics, and music. She did all of this by herself and made a LITERAL MASTERPIECE.

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Sometimes going home is the hardest part

This wasn't the kind of drama that tries to impress with big twists or constant action. Instead, it took its time telling a quiet story about healing, second chances, and finding your place again. I really liked the small-town atmosphere and how every character felt like they belonged in that world. The romance developed naturally, and I enjoyed watching the relationship grow alongside the mystery rather than overshadowing it. My only issue was the pacing. There were moments where the story felt a little too slow, and I found myself wanting some plotlines to move forward sooner. Even so, it was a comforting watch with a lovable cast and a warmth that stayed with me until the end. It may not have completely won me over, but I'm glad I gave it a chance.

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Nothing legendary about this general

When I saw this show rated 9/10 I thought this must be an interesting watch, I read the synopsis and thought okay, we have a badass female general but going into the drama I was really disappointed, no backstory of how she became a general, they shoot most of the scenes at that camp and it just got boring, the moon is full every night, ugh, and how are we supposed to believe that someone with all these feminine mannerisms is actually a man, HELLO?? The way she talked in that baby voice was actually irritating, the ML had one icy expression the whole time, the chemistry wasn’t there and these two liked each other bse the plot needed it that way because there’s nothing to show how they actually fall in love, the title should’ve been something else
I can’t continue with this and i definitely wouldn’t recommend

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First of all, this drama is packed with adventure and problem-solving. I feel like *Mystic Nine* focuses more on the Wu family (which I haven’t watched yet, maybe I’ll watch it later), while for me, this drama focuses more on the Zhang family and the origins of the Zhang family.

There are actually so many versions of this story since they rebooting it with different actors, even though Wu Xie is still the same character. I think I’ll just stick to the 2025–2026 version because there are way too many adaptations with different actors, and honestly, it gets confusing sometimes.

Zhang Hailuo is so handsome here! (Sorry, I don’t know the actor’s real name.) I’ve seen him in another drama before, but I never actually watched it, so this is my first time seeing him act. Although his character can be a little childish at times in this drama, he also shows his smart and capable side, which I really liked. I was especially impressed with Ding Yuxi’s acting because he portrayed two completely different sides of his character. The way he could switch from being kind to becoming evil was so quick and convincing.

I was actually confused toward the ending. Some people said Haxia died, while others said he didn’t. I don’t think he died, but then how did he disappear? Why wasn’t he shown in the final part, especially when his shifu was still alive after being rescued by Zhang Qiling? I’ve read so many theories about this, but honestly, I don’t know which one is actually true.

And of course, Zhang Qiling… I was waiting for his big impact moment. I thought he would show up when Mo Yun Gao threatened the villagers, but nope. He only appeared near the end. That was basically his only moment in the drama. But it’s okay, since he was only a cameo here anyway. Still, I was hoping for a little more from him.


overall: 8.7/10

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This is not a bait and switch . . allegedly

I’m sure most people have high hopes for this show. The star power alone is enough to generate hype and traffic. The first few episodes look promising.

While the ghosts themselves are fairly tame. The crimes are abhorrent. It whets our appetite for what's to come. This only amps up once the ML joins the team. So many possibilities.

The love line of our OTP is also solid, it is a slow burn though. Our FL pushes back hard for good reasons, but the ML is smitten and will not take no for an answer. Some of their interactions are delicious.

So far so good and then the plot went off-piste. Quietly, the ghost stories dried up. It is not even a slow drip; it went cold turkey without any warning. Even the way the FL behaves changed. She became “normal”. She still wears her gloves and won’t touch anyone, but she doesn’t behave like she is being haunted any more. It feels off.

In its place is the OG chaebol succession trope. While that storyline was baked into the A-plot, its subsummation of all else skewered the narrative sideways. What happened to the original premise we were sold on?

Exhibit A: The title of the drama, Your Honour.

This is not helped by some of the most inept chaebol family members. The cousin and her branch of the family are clowns. In the end, I can only assume they are included as some kind of comedic relief. They still managed to generate their fair share of angst though. You lose some and you lose some more.

The real antagonist is a bit better, but he comes across more as an opportunist than a true evil mastermind. It is the usual dig a small hole which got deeper and deeper. Before you know it, you are drowning in a well. Of course, with a show like this, redemption is never out of the question.

This makes the second half rather awkward. It has a nice romantic throughline (with caveats), a humdrum chaebol/business plot and a total lack of Spookiness. I didn’t sloth quit for one reason . . . the FL.

She is every inch a rich heiress. She walks the walk and talks the talk. She looks beautiful in many scenes, and her acting is on point. She is ably assisted by the ML which is just as well when you consider what is happening to the rest of the show.

This leaves me in a bit of a quandary. I was looking forward to this series and then my interest dipped and dipped again.

I hung in there because of the promised romance. I'm thankful they delivered at least that much. It was a close call at times though. Beyond that, the show is meh.

I'm not going to talk about the pacing issues, inconsistencies and plot holes. It was a struggle to stay focused towards the end. All the components are there, yet it is not a satisfying watch. Feels mechanical. Peace.

P.S. the Big White Truck of Doom™ count is 1.

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The Romance Wasn’t Great But That’s Perfectly Fine!

DISCLAIMER: I wrote the majority of this review before I finished watching this series. I had many, many, many thoughts while watching and I truly needed to get them all out before I forgot.

As you can see by the title, the romance in this drama was half-baked and wholly underdeveloped BUT I still enjoyed it. As the resident romance girl, this is not my usual type of drama. I need my romance; I need to be able to inject it into my veins. Give me my fix! However, I didn’t mind the lack of a proper romance. It’s the most bizarre thing. Also, there may be a lot of contradictory thoughts in this review but I promise it will all make sense. Just remember what nuance means but also remember that two things can be true at once. We live in a world of shades of grey, so nothing is black and white.

Lu Jiaxue represents the decadent, seductive, and delicious darkness that we would all like to tap into. He’s batshit crazy! He’s absolutely, positively obsessed with Yining and it actually served for a rather interesting drama. I’ve never fallen prey to the Second Male Lead Syndrome but he got me. Somehow some way, he dug his claws into me! I founnd him intriguing and he actually checks off every checkbox when it comes to yanderes (for me). I have never, up until this point, watched a drama that has ever provided me with my favorite performance of this type of character. I’m very nitpickey and highly critical of everything when I watch dramas, so there’s always something missing when it comes to these types of characters in live-action dramas. Contrary to popular belief, I LOVE male characters like this BUT I’ve just never been presented with one in a live-action drama before and I’m kind of circling the drain as to what I should do with myself now.

The actor who played Lu Jiaxue was really good; this was my first time watching him in anything and I’m pleasantly surprised by his performance. I legitimately thought he was older than he actually was and I love that. He didn’t look like a pretty face adorable soft idol that we usually see in these dramas and that was a huge draw for me. His performance was so unsettling and unhinged, which suit the role very very well. A soft, pretty faced idol would not have been able to sell this role because this character required a level of insanity that most popular male leads of recent years have yet to achieve.

I say all that to say this – I started this drama for Zhang Wanyi, so my love for him combined with my fascination with Lu Jiaxue gave me very complicated feelings. Two things can be true at once and it’s important for us to remember that, yeah? While I started watching this for ZW, I can honestly say I enjoyed this love triangle a LOT. Typically, I haven’t enjoyed a love triangle since circa 2009. So yes, it’s been a LONG time. However, I enjoyed the complicated dynamics of these three characters. It was actually pretty exciting to watch and I never thought I’d say that.

But here’s where the contradictory viewpoints begin. While I did enjoy the love triangle, I can honestly say I didn’t ship Yining with either of these men. Isn’t that funny? I don’t know, but there was just something missing with Yining’s relationship with Shenyuan that didn’t hit the necessary notes for me. It wasn’t the idea that they were ‘siblings.’ [Spoiler alert: we know they have no blood relation to each other and weren’t even raised as such.] However, there was something about their interactions with each other that just didn’t do it for me. Chemistry is subjective, so some people may have seen some chemistry between them but I honestly don’t know if I would say they lacked chemistry. I simply don’t know and I’ve never been in this position before so I can’t explain it. I have nothing to compare it to.

Some others have mentioned that maybe it was due to the length of time it took the writers to allow them to grow as a couple. It’s like the writers didn’t allow the audience to watch the relationship blossom over time. It took too long to develop a reciprocal relationship. Sure, it’s obvious that Shenyuan is interested in her like that but Yining takes WAYYY longer to see him in that light. Shenyuan was arranging his last rites to leave all of his worldly possessions to her because he didn’t think he would survive what he intended to do; but earlier in the same episode, Yining was questioning what type of woman he was interested in. She assumed he was interested in someone but it never dawned on her that he was talking about HER, which means she wasn’t envisioning herself in that role with him just yet. And this was welll past the midway point of the drama.

(Sidenote: there were a few moments later in the series where he seemed like he wanted to tell her the truth and she would cut him off by changing the subject. It’s almost like she knew what he was going to say but she didn’t want him to say it. Those moments only served to confuse me even more when she randomly admitted to ‘fancying’ him out of the blue. There was no build-up on her part. She just randomly admitted it to her stalker in the heat of the moment and then she told Shenyuan.)

In her mind, this was still very much her brother while he’d stopped thinking of her as his sister episodes ago. And if we’re being honest, I don’t think he ever really saw her as his sister, even before he found out that they weren’t biologically related. Which is … asinine because no one would outright ignore their blood ties to their family even though said family treated them like crap. Like sure, you may cut off all contact with them because you want nothing to do with them but you wouldn’t go so far as to completely sever those ties long enough to become romantically and sexually attracted to someone who, for all intents and purposes, still shares the same blood as you. That makes no sense! Don't try to wrap your brain around this because it doesn't make any sense. So, the brother/sister angle isn't what makes this drama fall apart. No, that's too simple; it's much more complicated than that. It's the handling of that arc that makes the drama fall apart.

I watched Si Jin before this so I have to make the comparison. By this same point in Si Jin, the main couple were already locked in together. While the relationship wasn’t necessarily flawless, they were already exchanging love declarations and fighting enemies together as a team. Their relationship was blossoming and running concurrently alongside the overarching plot. That didn’t happen with this drama. The overarching plot was moving along nicely but the main couple’s relationship was moving at a snail’s pace. The romance was not moving and shaking like it should be. Honestly, while I loved seeing more of Lu Jiaxue, I DO agree that they spent way too much time on him and not enough time developing the relationship between the main leads.

As for Yining’s dynamic with Lu Jiaxue, the chemistry was definitely more potent. Watching the two of them interact was exciting and exhilarating. Their scenes together were the most interesting and enjoyable scenes in the entire series. However, Lu Jiaxue was chasing a woman who never truly existed. The woman [or girl] he fell in love with didn’t exist and I feel that he never truly accepted that, which is why he was so willing to obsessively search for her for God knows how long. I've seen some people say that he essentially groomed her and I can't honestly say they're wrong. I simply can't agree or disagree with the notion either though because the writers left so many unanswered questions about their earlier dynamic up in the air. Sure, we can posit that there's obviously an age gap here. I'm not arguing against that, but there's just so many things that were never quite clear.

Now that I've mentioned that, let's jump into some of these questions. 1) How old was Yining when she met Lu Jiaxue exactly? 2) How long were they "together" for Yining to admit that they loved each other? 3) When Lu Jiaxue showed up right after Yining fell off the cliff, had they been separated prior to that or what was that about? 3b) The man was blind the last time he’d seen Yining, which is why he didn’t know what she looked like, so when was his vision restored exactly? 4) After falling off the cliff, how much time had passed and where exactly was Yining hiding that whole time? She didn’t go back to the side yard but she also didn’t go back to the main yard. So … where was she that entire time? It’s obvious some time had passed so where did she go? There wasn’t much clarity regarding the timeline of their ‘relationship.’ The timeline was very hazy and convoluted.

Also, another unpopular opinion – I did not care for the secondary couple. They were cute, they were fluffy, they were a breath of fresh air. However, they did absolutely nothing for me. Nothing at all. I couldn’t connect with them. As individual characters, they were okay but I couldn’t resonate with them as a couple. I didn’t find them interesting. I skipped through most of their scenes the closer we got to the end. Besides Lu Jiaxue, my second favorite character was Lin Hairu. From the moment we met her, she just seemed like she was over everything and I deeply connected to that. Ultimately, everyone started to annoy me by the end of this series though. I mean, EVERYONE. I blame the writing because everyone suddenly became over-the-top caricatures of themselves by the last four episodes and I was over it.

Now, onto the questions everyone wants to know the answers to. Would I recommend it? No. Would I rewatch it? Also, no. The latter half of this drama was a STRUGGLE to get through. Also, pay close attention to my headline above. The romance in this drama is abysmal. This is NOT the drama to watch if you’re looking to get a pure romance fix. They took too long to get to the romance aspect of their relationship and they speed ran everything within the last 9-10 episodes of the drama. The overarching story/plot isn’t all that great either, if I’m being honest. I’m always picky when it comes to these 40-episode count dramas and I always approach these questions with that in mind. Do not waste your time with this unless you truly want to.

Memorable Quote -

“I’ve already married my Third Brother. I won’t leave with you.”

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Nice premise, underwhelming execution

As a big horror fan, I couldn't miss out a drama like If Wishes Could Kill, which made many viewers rave about it. I kept hearing great things about it so I decided to give it a chance in order to see what the hype was about.

The story's premise is simple enough: a group of high school friends came across a mobile app which allegedly makes your wish come true. However, there's a detail that is not known; the price for the wish's grant is the life of the person who made the wish. The protagonists, after the death of one of their friends, are desperate to discover the truth and quickly, they find themselves entangled in a dangerous investigation against entities beyond their imagination.

I went into the drama pretty much blindly but the first episode established the premise in the most dynamic way. Starting your series with a girl filming her own death by cutting her throat was a bold move, which established the gruesome nature of the story. Even if one started watching the series out of curiosity or boredom, this beginning demands your full attention. I will give props to the writers for that.

The first episodes were a decent set up. We got the chance to meet the main characters and observe their dynamics and personalities. Yoo Se Ah, Lim Na Ri, Kim Geon Woo, Kang Ha Joon and Choi Hyeong Wool. Five different people who are supposedly so close and yet are so far. From the moment they interacted, it was crystal clear that the bond among them was fragile. Secrets were kept, feelings were hidden, tensions were boiling. It was only a matter of time before the dynamics were shattered and the catalyst was Hyeong Wook's death after using the app Girigo.

Production wise the drama was pretty impressive. The CGI was convincing enough and made the gore scenes more brutal to watch. The sound effects accompanied by a chilling soundtrack added to the horror experience while the red and black colours highlighted the eerie vibes.

The story was very engaging for the first four episodes. While far from groundbreaking, it utilized common horror tropes in a decent way and it got me curious to see how the story would unfold. But, just like many other series, the plot lost its footing. And it did so very early.

First things first: some writers need to accept that they can't fit everything in a short runtime. You can't combine horror, romance, comedy, mystery and slice-of-life in just 8 episodes. Trying to mingle so many subplots and elements together will inevitably leave you with rushed, underdeveloped story points, which is exactly what happened here. Instead of focusing on one aspect at the time, the writers through everything together, in hope that they'd stick together.

The magnum opus of the series, in my opinion, was episode six, where it explored the origins of Girigo and its connection with the friendship between former students, Kwon Ji Won and Do Hye Ryoung. This episode was perfectly crafted, story wise and character wise. Although the girls appeared for one episode only, I actually cared about their friendship and struggles. The actresses did a good job, particularly Kim Si A as Hye Ryoung, who has been under my radar after having watched her in other projects. Had If Wishes Could Kill been a movie about the girls, it would have made for a more compelling story, in my opinion.

The combination of horror and comedy was handled very poorly. I could excuse it if the series had sold itself as horror comedy but the comedic elements were not enough to justify this. Which leaves me to question...why do it in the first place? Instead of breaking the tension and allowing the viewers to relax, the poor attempts of humor disturbed the pacing and made me feel irritated. The writing was disjointed during these parts and I really wish it was done more smoothly.

Additionally, after a while, I found myself being less terrified. The jumpscares didn't even make me flinch and the story lost its initial charm when it came to the enigmatic atmosphere. That being said, all scenes about shamanism hold my interest, since korean media have made me develop an interest about it.

The characterization was...well, to be frank, there was barely any strong characterization. The majority of characters relied on classic tropes and instead of actual humans, they were more like archetypes. They were mostly flat and despite some fragments of complexity here and there, they barely made me feel anything. While horror stories do not need complex characters, I prefer them to have characters for whom I will care about. Because, no matter how harsh I'll sound, I could barely care about no one in this drama, be it in a negative or positive way.

Se Ah was the classic type of protagonist who has a tragic backstory, a seemingly happy life and who later does everything in her power to save her loved ones. At first, I was interested in her character and her struggles. I liked how her personality was shown and I was curious about her contribution to the mystery but quickly, I started drifting away from her.

Although her character was supposed to feel traumatized after the loss of her parents and her survivor's guilt, that aspect was never utilized properly, despite the initial glimpses of her past. There were so many opportunities to utilize her need to protect others after not doing it for her parents and how that affected her mentality but instead we got nothing. She wasn't horrible but she was written in a way that could barely move me.

Apart from that, the writers made her act really foolish at times. I could excuse it at first but after a while, I couldn't keep giving her the benefit of doubt, especially when she wouldn't listen to those around her, despite being repeatedly told to do so. I understand that the story must move on but having your character making egregious mistakes for plot value becomes really tiresome. Especially when said character is supposed to be clever and competent.

Geon Woo had nice chemistry with Se Ah but unfortunately, his personality was drier than the Sahara desert. Everything about him revolved around Se Ah but while I enjoyed their relationship, for the most part, that wasn't enough to elevate him that much. And even their relationship fell kinda short in some places, it could have been explored so much more considering the fact they had known each other for so long. At least Geon Woo remained loyal to Se Ah throughout the series, instead turning into the typical jackass boyfriend in horror stories.

Before people think that I preferred Ha Joon for Se Ah, he was equally flat and kinda worse in my opinion in terms of writing. I don't understand why the writers decided to make him have a crush on Se Ah, especially since it contributed to nothing. This fake love-triangle reduced both his character individually and his dynamic with Se Ah and Geon Woo.

The most annoying part was that he was already an interesting character of his own. His conflict with his sister, Ha Young and the secrecy around their relationship was very interesting at first and yet it was resolved in the most rushed way. I actually enjoyed the scenes between his sister and his brother-in-law and it's such a pity the writers didn't commit to that in order to develop his character.

Na Ri, who was supposed to be one of the antagonists, failed in making me feel annoyed or intrigued. Compared to the other characters, she at least offered something more complex in terms of personality but without much substance. I couldn't understand if the writer's intention was to present her as a complex character who made mistakes and got caught in a situation she couldn't control or if the intention was to make her just plain evil. She was pretty complex compared to the others but she needed more time to be explored properly.

The acting was pretty good and it was nice to see some new faces getting the opportunity to showcase their skills. Considering the fact the majority of the main leads hasn't played many major roles, they did what was required in order to portray their characters. That being said, there were some instances where the performances didn't feel as packed as they could be. The facial expressions didn't convey the necessary emotions, thus reducing the impact of the scenes. On the other hand, sometimes the acting became too over dramatic for my taste which took me out instead of letting me observe the characters.

By far my most favourite performance was Roh Jae Won's as Bang Wool, Ha Joon's brother-in-law. He was so entertaining to watch, he nailed both the comedic and mystic aspects of the character. I am kinda biased towards Jae Won as an actor but thanks to his performance, I grew attached to Bang Wool and he was the only character I actively rooted forto survive. In fact, I almost wish Netflix will tap into the possibility of a spin off series about Ha Young and Bang Wool because the potential they have is very big. Watching them fighting different deities would certainly be thrilling.

In conclusion, If Wishes Could Kill was a decent, yet average watch. I wish (no pun intended) I could have enjoyed it more, because it had potential to be even better. I would recommend to people who want something quick to watch but if you're an avid horror fan, you might not be impressed by this one.

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