Reviews

I really love this Drama.

I just came across this drama on the Black app, and I decided to give it a try—and I’m so glad I did! The story has such a good flow, and I really enjoyed how naturally everything developed. The enemies-to-lovers storyline was definitely one of my favorite parts because the tension, misunderstandings, and gradual change in their relationship made the story even more exciting.


What I also loved was how well the romance was balanced with the action. The fighting scenes were so good and beautifully done! They weren’t just there for the sake of having action, they actually added excitement and helped move the story forward. Every battle felt intense, and the characters’ abilities made the scenes even more satisfying to watch.

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WELL-WRITTEN

**Coroner’s Diary** is such a well-written series. What I really appreciate is how the story manages to handle its different cases, mysteries, and character conflicts without making the plot feel messy or overly complicated. Everything unfolds at a good pace, and each storyline feels like it has a purpose. The mysteries keep you curious, but they don’t completely overwhelm the character development or the romance.

The romance is also one of the things that makes this series more enjoyable for me. I love that it isn’t unnecessarily rushed. Instead, the feelings between the leads develop gradually through their interactions, trust, concern, and the little moments they share. Sometimes it’s the subtle looks, quiet concern, teasing, or the way they instinctively protect each other that makes their relationship feel more meaningful. Their chemistry adds a nice emotional balance to the darker and more serious aspects of the story.

I also like how the romance doesn't take away from the main storyline. The investigation, mystery, and cases remain important, while the relationship develops naturally alongside them. That balance makes the series more engaging because you have something to look forward to both in the mystery and in the relationship.

Overall, I commend the writer, director, and cast for putting together a story that is interesting, coherent, and enjoyable to follow. The plot is not messy, the characters are engaging, and the combination of mystery, drama, and romance works really well.

And, of course, I have to mention **Ao Rouping!** He is **so handsome!** 😂 His presence alone makes every scene more enjoyable, and his chemistry with the female lead makes the romance even more fun to watch.

Definitely a series I enjoyed watching and would recommend to anyone who likes **mystery, investigation, romance, and a handsome male lead!** ❤️

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All the green flags in the world

I think the whole point of the show is to demonstrate how good communication makes up a healthy relationship. There were initial misunderstandings, but it never festered, thanks to the couple just talking and communicating their worries and needs.

The manga was really steamy, and it made me laugh how they portrayed the sexy scenes in the drama. I still have theories as to why the ML is practically blind (there was a lot of smoke) during these scenes, maybe because his sense of smell goes haywire during it? Haha

My review is a bit biased, because I knew what the drama was trying to portray in the "conflicts" thanks to reading the manga, but to someone who is only seeing the plot for the first time, it may seem a little strange. In any case, I suggest to leave your reasoning at the door and enjoy the chemistry of the MC haha

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Stop Sleeping on The East Palace: A Supernatural Horror-Joseon Collision Done Right

I don't know what kind of curse is ruining everyone’s recommendations, but The East Palace is quietly one of the best things to air all year, and the lack of noise around it is criminal.

First, a quick reality check: if you need fluffy romance, rainbows, and two leads staring longingly into each other’s eyes for 45 minutes while the actual plot waits in the lobby—this isn't for you. And if you’re only here for mindless, brainless gore and alpha-male chest-thumping, go watch something else (no judgment).

The East Palace lives in that rare, delicious sweet spot: a Joseon-era court political drama that got t-boned by a supernatural horror mystery, and somehow the wreckage turned out gorgeous.

Why It Actually Deserves Your Time:
• Zero Romance Drag: No forced love triangles limping along for 12 episodes. Relationships here are forged in survival, mutual leverage, and trauma bonding. The plot keeps its foot firmly on the gas.
• Top-Tier Episodic Structure: Each episode acts as its own bite-sized paranormal mystery with a solid payoff, while smoothly building into the overarching Season 1 puzzle.
• Morally Gray Humans: No spotless saints, no cardboard villains. Everyone has an agenda, everyone is a hot mess, and the main antagonist is delightfully unhinged. You’re not watching to see if the "good guys win"—you're watching to see who survives their own terrible choices.
• Visually Off the Charts: The lighting contrast between the palace court and the underworld is pure art. And to anyone claiming the Realm of Gwi was "too dark"—respectfully, adjust your screen settings. The cinematography is stunning.
• That One Fight Scene: You know the one. Clean, brutal, expertly choreographed violence. I had to rewind it twice just to admire the camera work.
• The Rice Cake Spirit (Ggeomeoksali): In a show this dark, you need an anchor. Enter a dangerous, energy-draining spirit that gets fed a rice cake once and decides to become the MC's permanent anime familiar. Protect him at all costs. 10/10.

The Bazi / Saju Read: Why the Stars (Literally) Aligned for This Show
• The Cult-Classic Premiere Date: Looking at the chart of the release date through a modern Bazi lens, the energy signature is wild. It carries that distinct, magnetizing "cult-following" chart energy. It might not be getting slapped across every mainstream media outlet, but the audience it hits will become absolute fanatical obsessives.
• Nam Joo-hyuk's Career is About to Explode: Beyond him having absolute peak model-warrior proportions for this role, the man is an absolute force here. And if you look at his actual timing—he is right on the threshold of shifting into his next 10-Year Luck Pillar (Geng Wu). With that massive Yin-Wu-Xu Fire Combination activating his Resource stars and the Hurting Officer (Geng) coming through to let his raw talent run rampant, he is about to go completely nuclear career-wise. The East Palace is just the opening salvo.

My Only Running Gripe:
Every single time Gu-cheon has to cross over to the spirit realm, he has to choke or drown himself near-death to do it. Buddy. Why does every commute to the underworld have to be an ER visit? Pick a new ritual sometime, I am begging you.

Verdict:
The writers actually planted real, intelligent breadcrumbs throughout the script, making a rewatch genuinely rewarding. Skip the generic slush out there and watch this instead.

Now give us Season 2 already.

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Is Everyone Dead Yet?

An interesting premise for the action killer genre helped out by the good actors but without a clear view of its identity.

The in-media-res approach rarely works for me and had I known so much of this show is flashbacks I might not even have started his one, so the first three episodes were a bit tough to get through. I very much enjoyed the 4th and 5th episodes before 6 kind of disappointed again even though I was waiting for the uncle's past to be revealed the most. My main reason for checking this out was after all Lee Dong Wook playing a psychologically struggling character again.

The twists, both the mid season and the end were very predictable, so this thriller feeling people are saying Season 2 doesn't have did not even come up for me here. It's a brutal action show more than a brutal thriller.

*Spoilers Start Here*
Which brings us to the action. Min-hye's action scenes were the best followed by Jian's fun training with Pasin and then Pasin's fight against the twins. The Jianman and Bale confrontation was alright, but overall the action scenes were rather short-lived, which is realistic but is that what this show needs when people keep surviving mortal injuries? Doubtful.

I expected more from the one-place-setting given it has been pointed out by commenters and reviewers. At the end of the season the house does not truly feel all that compelling, especially because it does not appear as a fortress in two out of eight episodes. The flashbacks turn the uniqueness of the present-setting obsolete and the secrets Jinman stored away within end up being minimal.

It's not a bad show, but it fails to play to its strengths. The most compelling elements were the tragic relationships, yet there's not enough room to let them breathe. Jinman returning in the last few seconds didn't feel earned, but rather like a way to use him again if a second season would be made and eventually was made. The viewer knows he isn't dead the second the camera didn't show his death, but given the whole setup is about Jian becoming the store owner and either leaving or committing to this life, Jinman's lackluster return ends up feeling antithetical to her story.

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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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