Reviews

What to Expect Before You Watch

A Winter Sun feels like poetry, raw, beautiful, and straight from the heart.
The landscapes are breathtaking, the music is absolutely beautiful, and even the tea-making process is so calming to watch. The scenery is just stunning. Everything about this series feels carefully crafted and full of emotion. I’ve been watching bls since 2016, and i can honestly say this is my best BL so far.

If you want a soft bl, you should also understand that Zelia (the director/writer) didn’t sugarcoat everything. A Winter Sun may be beautiful and romantic, but it also shows that life doesn’t always go the way we expect. Things can happen suddenly, people can be taken from us, and sometimes we don’t get the chance to say everything we wanted to say. It’s a reminder to cherish the people you love while you have them, appreciate the moments you share, and never take their presence for granted. That’s what makes the story feel so real and emotional to me.

Zelia leaves a lot of things open to interpretation. Some things are never fully explained, and it feels like she wants us to come to our own conclusions and find our own answers. Honestly, even a bee buzzing and flying past feels like it was intentionally placed there for a reason. One of the reasons i respect Zelia so much is because of how A Winter Sun explores so many important and realistic topics, stalking, obsessive fans, family, blackmail, the personal struggles bl actors can face behind the scenes, and cancel culture. You can genuinely tell this was a well-crafted bl, with so much thought put into the story and the world around the characters.

The Main Couple: Feng Qinglang & Xu Changyang:
Feng Qinglang is a famous actor in China, while Xu Changyang is the illegitimate son of a wealthy family—and honestly, Changyang is the greenest flag ever. Their chemistry is absolutely beautiful. The way Changyang spoils his man has to be one of the sweetest things ever. I genuinely don’t think a man like him exists in real life because this man is 100% perfect.
Their kisses, the flirting, the little looks, and especially the way they speak to each other in soft whispers—it’s all so intimate and beautiful. You can literally feel how deeply they adore each other.

The Main Couple: Hao Yu & Han Lu:
It sometimes saddens me to see that so many people didn’t like Hao Yu and Han Lu or their characters. I thought they were adorable.
Hao Yu is emotional, impulsive, and sometimes selfish, he doesn't always make the right choices, especially when his feelings get involved. Han Lu is more guarded and controlled, he doesn't openly show his feelings and can come across as cold or difficult to understand. I think it helps to understand that they are not meant to be perfect or easy to love characters.
From my own understanding, Hao Yu and Han Lu are like a mirror of Feng Qinglang and Xu Changyang, showing a similar cycle of love, misunderstandings, emotional distance, and pain, but with their own personalities and story.

The couple that was meant to be:
Wenshu and Qingtian story is beautiful and yet still hurt me, and i really, really don’t want to talk about them because their story makes me way too emotional.

A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills' Dream is one of those rare bls that stays with you long after you finish watching. The storytelling is beautiful and takes you through so many different human emotions.

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Great Start, ain't regret watching but not that satisfied ending.

Okay, I started watching it because of park eun bin and yang se jeong .Then she's a great actress.That's why. and he dont do so many shows but i loved his past shows which he did thats why. Spooky in love has a greak starting, i liked the plots too, but if you are looking for a great thriller kinda feeling this is not a go to show, this a fun watch, i waited for episodes to come out, watched but honestly it was all good till 8 or 9 episodes in last 3 episodes all I was like wth , its a good show if you wanna have a good watch but it isn't a choice if you wanna watch something that just satisfy you, I am lil disappointed by the makers about how they covered it up in the later episodes, it could have been a better show, but nevertheless, i ain't regret watching it but still it didnt ended well.

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What an underrated wholesome series....

Japanese BLs are always good for a surprise and this one is no exception. This series is about representation, not just gay people but also aromantic people which is not seen in any series as far I can remember.

The show starts with the couple Fumihara and Higashi already together and flashbacks explain how they got together. How they struggled with their feelings and especially how someone from a little town struggles to open up after being over 20 years in the closet. On the other hand we have a young Higashi who behaves indifferent to anyone till he met the "one". Also when Higashi is sure of himself and his feelings, he takes the lead and pulls Fumihara with him. The substantial age-gap is not really a point of friction. Of course there must be drama, because someone from Fumiharas past comes back in his life, trying to win him back. And of course there conversations and problem solving are happening in a mature way even when you can see the jelousy, both understand each other very well.

I can only say, when you have a chance to watch this, you should! It's not a stereotypical BL, it's more a coming of age story with two very different characters. This series is also educational, you may learn a thing or two about people who do not fall in the stereotypical categories. The story is told in a very sensible way. And of course the final episode is so heartwarming, you may need tissues like I did :))) Mom is the best (in this case). GagaOOLala picks up every crap, but did not pick up this important series, which is really disappointing. This series matters and is highly recommended!

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Just doesn't make any sense

First of all... I don't understand how Oats character seems to be the only one unaware about omegaverse existence. Even the reasons "explained" by his father later on doesn't make any real sense. In reality could only worsened, since his dad not only hide the truth about his mom, but all the truth of a universe he is supposed to live in. I mean, he "thought" that Phatsa could be an Alpha but didn't even care to explain to him what could possibly happen if he byte an omega?
Then of course his secondary gender never affected him until he started to think about it.
Their acting is stiff and the attraction between Pure A/ Pure O must be really strong, but here we are, watching wierd NC where the leads are glued to e/o (with a really bad acting) and then part ways.. I read omegaverse novel so i know how it works.. nothing like that
I really prefer in this mess the second couple, because they seem more at ease even if one is a True A and the other one a Beta.
Never imagine an omegaverse plot like this, expecially for a thai BL. ABO desire has gained another standard after watching this.

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AI, AI, and more AI.

AI in shows is a trend i despise. Real actors are gonna be replaced by AI too at this point. Despite that, i like giving new CBLs a watch, especially with how restrictive China is. Is it just me, or has Ash, another CBL met with the same issue of low budget, used AI in a much more sensible way? Like, it makes sense to use AI for some of the shots in Ash since they didn't have much funds (still annoying to see especially the whole AI intro??) but in blue lips, the moment it starts im analysing how much AI was NOT needed for most shots. This didn't particularly interest me either, which, all blame to the production quality. I also was heavily confused, why is this so overwhelming? Why did it feel like i was on 2x? Could've fooled me.

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A dash of Spellbound, a sprinkle of CLOY...

To start with the positives- I love the main couple. ML is a green forest and their relationship progressing with mutual respect was very sweet. I adored the proposal scene. The side characters are great and impactful. I loved the entire prosecution office as much as they love Ma Gang-wook. And I loved Yeo-ri's subordinates. The cousin sis was extremely annoying and I was waiting for her to get haunted but her fam had a cute side by the end. OST was a tad light. The blooper reels with the final credits and the cards were a nice touch. I also liked the official website they built- it's cute.

ML's Granny left me wondering- on the one hand this world has entities that most people can't see but Yeo-ri and so we know the supernatural exists. And then granny's premonitions really did come true 99% so her superstitions... I was excpecting her to secretly be a great seer of some sort who'd explain the ghost issue or was related to Ji-hwan's sppiritual necklace.

The negatives- I couldn't put my finger on what but something gets lost by the end, it was hard to stay interested. And it wasn't ghosts coz I never even noticed they were gone till the last episode gave that beautiful emotional scene. I was not expecting this drama to be Spellbound but at the same time- like, there being a tent in the room but no iconic tent scene!? We needed more dates. Overall, the drama felt like a nod to Son Ye-jin with a lot of Crash Landing on You elements as well, but, which didn't always translate that well. And Park Eun-bin too, sometimes it felt like she is trying to channel her inner Son Ye-jin rather than Seo-ri. The last few episodes were lacking in direction or editing, maybe but it just didn't have the same spark as the first half. Ong Seong-wu acted really well(considering a previous series I didn't like him in at all) and was super hot...but... I felt the SML's character became somewhat conflicting(?). Like, two ghost cases had foreshadowed exactly what direction he would take but I was confused with how to reconcile.... Also, there was something confusing about the boat accident's story shifting perspectives.

I was glad no grandmothers were harmed by the end of the drama but wished we had ended on a wedding scene.

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That Cheng "Ryan" Lei eyes are spiritually beautiful

Cheng "Ryan" Lei and Bai Lu made this story come to life in a unique way. Ryan is a softie, but he can become aggressive in a good way in this drama. I felt they had good chemistry with one another, but it was more like a sibling pairing. They need to make another drama together to show me even more chemistry. I'm laughing right now because these two artists are my favorite lead actors in Chinese dramas, so I would definitely love to see them together again.

Okay, okay... let me get to the drama.

I loved the way they moved from normal life to a costume drama and then back again to real life. I especially loved the historical storyline, where Cheng Lei's character was healed by Bai Lu, and how their chemistry grew stronger after that. I think Bai Lu's character was initially shocked to find herself in a historical timeline, an enduring civilization rather than a conventional nation-state. I felt that her character, Ye Li, had to rediscover her beloved Mo Xiao Yao, the Prince... and she did!

Both Cheng Lei and Bai Lu were excellent in their roles. I loved everything about this drama. I especially enjoy stories like this, where characters travel from the future to relive the lives of their ancestors and then return with a deeper understanding of themselves. I will definitely be watching it again to see if I missed anything.

NOTE: I was really anxious to see this Chinese Drama when I thought it was going to be shown in November, 2025 then January and had to wait until April 2026. I couldn't wait for the whole drama to air on Disney, but couldn't, so I watch the episodes day by day until finished. Now I will watch it a 2nd time straight through. Yes, for these two actors, I can do that.

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I love DewTee so much ?

8 episodes have been released and so far this is one of the best thai thriller series ever. People who were still hating this series cause it's bromance are missing this out. Everything about this series is so perfect, the plot, the storyline, the acting, the character, also the OST, etc. And for me this is memorable series cause it's dewtee, I have been rooting them since 2025 and now watching this series made me so proud. This is also Tee's first main lead role and he is cooking this. Dude ate and left no crumbs by his acting and I loved it so much. Can't forget about Dew of course, he's been in this industry for almost 5-6 years and his acting is top notch, I genuinely have nothing to say about him. Apart from main lead, other side character's acting are also so good. I loved everything about this series, let's see what gonna happen in last 2 episodes 😭

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Must watch but a bit annoying ?

I honestly enjoyed seo in guk as a shaman and humorous guy but honestly saying the female lead is damn irritating and felt overacting all the time and she is just for talking shit without thinking doesn't have a single brain cell and empty vessel with lot of noise. She really doesn't act like a cop it felt like she was just guessing the whole time and didn't use any kind of logic. she really a fool who used to share case updates with anyone who may not be related to the case or else she could have kept the information about suspect cheo . Honestly humor action acting of all actors was top notch except the female lead it was so cringe and irritating to watch her she wasn't acting she was doing it overly which threw off the intrest to continue watching the drama the moment she arrives

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A charming ghost romance buried under WAY too many subplots

OK SO I'm gonna keep this brief because I genuinely do not have the words to describe what this drama did to me, but I'm gonna try anyway.

IDK IF THEY PUT SOMETHING IN THE KDRAMA WATER OR WHAT BUT THIS SHOW HAD THE ABSOLUTE AUDACITY TO GIVE ME A GHOST-SEEING HEIRESS SOLVING MURDERS WITH A STUBBORN PROSECUTOR, COMPLETE WITH FUN GHOST MECHANICS, AND A genuinely interesting supernatural mythology… and then spend half the runtime making me watch people argue about corporate share percentages and board meetings. I ONLY HAVE TWO EYES AND TWELVE EPISODES!!

First things first, the premise is good. Ghost-seeing heiress, persistent prosecutor, accidental supernatural entanglement, murder cases solved through dead people's testimony. This should have been an easy home run. A layup. A gimme. And honestly, the show starts STRONG. Episode one gave me Yeo-ri finding a dead body in the woods, immediately getting into a physical altercation with Gang-uk because they each think the other is the murderer, and then casually chatting with the dead man's spirit afterwards. I was ON MY FEET. Then episode three gave us the fake relationship setup and I was fully gone. No thoughts. Head empty. Only these two!!

I LOVED the chemistry between Yeo-ri and Gang-uk, and I want to be very clear that these two actors are working HARD to sell a romance that the script keeps interrupting with increasingly unrelated nonsense. The glove rule!! The accidental kiss!! The fake dating turning devastatingly real!! Gang-uk lying about still seeing ghosts just so Yeo-ri would keep talking to him and immediately getting caught because she tests him on the spot!! The arcade and Han River montage where they actually get to spend time together like a normal couple?? THAT was the show I wanted to watch!! Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong are carrying this drama across a river of mediocre plotting and frankly deserve hazard pay!!

Unfortunately, the show has a severe case of "what if we also added THIS?" By episode seven, we're simultaneously dealing with the ghost-of-the-week procedural, a corporate succession battle, a 300-year-old Joseon cold case, a fake relationship, a money laundering scheme, a jealous grandmother and her shaman, an overseas business trip, a transfer threat, an art fraud case, corrupt prosecutors, a heart transplant mystery, an imprisoned ex-boyfriend being weaponised by the villain cousin, AND Min-hwan's increasingly obvious secret. THAT IS NOT A DRAMA. THAT IS A CURRICULUM!!

The biggest crime is what happens to the supernatural premise. The ghost-of-the-week format that makes the early episodes so charming basically disappears by the back half, and we're suddenly spending twenty minutes watching people discuss shareholder votes. BOARDROOM SCENES!! In my ghost romance!! Unacceptable!!

And the Joseon cold case with Dowon and Hwagyeongdang?? FASCINATING. Easily one of the most interesting supernatural storylines in the entire show. And what does the drama do with it? Resolves it in approximately two episodes and then basically never mentions it again!! Why introduce a 300-year-old mystery with that much emotional potential if you're going to toss it aside like yesterday's newspaper?!

Min-hwan, meanwhile, is possibly the least surprising villain in the history of television. This man is suspicious from approximately episode two. He takes the necklace from the paramedic at the scene of his brother's death. He bribes shareholders. He manipulates prosecutors. He arranges Gang-uk's transfer. He buys out share transfers behind Yeo-ri's back. He lurks around her with the energy of someone who has definitely committed several crimes and is currently considering committing several more. The red flags weren't flags. They were a full parade. And somehow the show spends SIX EPISODES pretending he might be a genuine romantic rival before revealing his true nature in episode eleven. I was not shocked. I was waiting for everyone else to catch up!!

The heart transplant connection, however, is brilliant. Gang-uk has Ji-hwan's heart. Ji-hwan is Yeo-ri's dead friend whose death caused her to see ghosts. Min-hwan let Ji-hwan drown and has spent twelve years carrying that guilt into increasingly unhinged behaviour. THAT is the emotional spine of the drama. Grief, guilt, love, death, and the strange connection between the living and the dead are all right there. And the show somehow decides to cram most of it into the final stretch alongside approximately four other climaxes happening simultaneously!!

The Ji-hwan spirit realm sequence is genuinely beautiful, though, and I will give the show that completely. Yeo-ri surrounded by all the ghosts she helped over the years, Ji-hwan sending her back to the living world while he gets on the boat, and Gang-uk simultaneously learning that Ji-hwan was his donor?? I WAS SOBBING. That scene is the drama at its absolute best. Which honestly makes the rest of the plotting even more frustrating because you can SEE how good this could have been if the writers had trusted the central premise and simply removed half the unnecessary machinery surrounding it.

And then we have the third-act breakup, which is the most pointless obstacle this show constructs in a drama full of pointless obstacles. Yeo-ri calls off the engagement because Gang-uk hid his heart surgery and because his grandmother scared her. Emotionally, I actually understand why she's upset!! But the execution is so rushed that it feels like the writers needed something to happen in episode ten, threw in a breakup, and then immediately remembered they had to reunite them. Less than two episodes later, it's basically over and neither character has meaningfully changed. That isn't storytelling. That's stalling. And I noticed EVERY SECOND OF IT!!

Gye-hee and her children as antagonists are so cartoonishly evil that they accidentally become comedy. Ha-ri coordinating with her imprisoned murderer boyfriend to destroy her own cousin is the kind of plotting that makes me tilt my head like a confused dog. These people don't have coherent motivations so much as a permanent instruction from the writers saying "be an obstacle for Yeo-ri." By the finale, when they're skulking around prison corridors and embarrassing themselves, I felt absolutely nothing. They were cardboard villains wearing designer clothes!!

The finale does have some delicious moments, though. Min-hwan getting exposed at Ji-hwan's own memorial service that he organised himself?? DELICIOUS. Gang-uk showing up with the police right after Yeo-ri plays the damning video?? Extremely satisfying. Yeo-ri becoming Chairwoman and then walking outside Siena Hall holding Gang-uk's hand without gloves for the first time?? Sweet. Earned. I smiled!!

But I cannot let the condition resolution slide because WHAT WAS THAT?! The shaman explicitly says the only way Yeo-ri can stop seeing ghosts is to sacrifice her life. Yeo-ri almost dies. She survives. And then... she stops seeing ghosts. That's it. No explanation. No acknowledgment of the supernatural rules we've spent twelve episodes establishing. No thematic exploration of what losing this ability means for a woman whose entire identity has been shaped by it for twelve years. HELLO??? Did the shaman just make that up??

And that's ultimately why Spooky in Love is so frustrating to me. It's simultaneously too ambitious and too safe. Too ambitious because it throws every possible subplot into twelve episodes and refuses to let any of them breathe. Too safe because after building up all these supposedly dangerous conflicts, it resolves almost everything neatly. Villains go to jail. Couple ends up together. Grandmother apologises. Yeo-ri gets the company. The supernatural condition disappears. Everyone goes home. Nothing that was built up as genuinely dangerous is allowed to have a lasting consequence.

Girl can literally see ghosts but somehow couldn't see the RED FLAGS standing directly in front of her for twelve episodes straight.

Overall, I give Spooky in Love a 6/10. It was carried almost entirely by two compelling leads, fantastic chemistry, and a supernatural premise that deserved so much more than the generic corporate drama it eventually became. There is a genuinely great drama buried somewhere in here. Unfortunately, it is buried underneath shareholder meetings, money laundering, succession battles, unnecessary angst, cartoon villains, and approximately seventeen subplots fighting for oxygen.

I watched all twelve episodes and I would like my hours back. We did not need all of this. We needed the ghosts.

Goodbye!! 👻

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