Reviews

My Stand in: A Car Crash You Just Can’t Look Away From

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I never really write reviews, and I watched this show a few months back now, but it plays on my mind every time I’m reminded of it, and I just want to get my opinion out there.

Joe; the epitome of love making you blind.
First off, Joe poured his heart and soul into someone who never really wanted him. He had fallen for Ming faster than he was able to use his common sense, or any self respect he may of had. He threw everything away for Ming, someone who used him as a replacement, and only ever felt guilty for doing so after his death. Even then, was it actually guilt? Or simply frustration that Ming had lost something he now wanted, but it was all out of his control for once? I believe Joe’s death was necessary for Ming to snap out of his self-obsessed, narcissistic bubble, but sadly, he never truly did. Yes, he became somewhat better, but he was far from perfect and never will be. But in a strange way, Joe adores each extreme flaw about Ming and thrives around the pain Ming causes him. I do not blame Joe for falling for Ming, and I never once felt frustrated every time he returned to him. Instead, I felt the conflicted pain Joe felt. He knew Ming was no good, but he was in too deep – every fibre of his being belonged to Ming. They gave us a few scenes alluding to Ming’s love for Joe, but I never really felt it like I do in other shows. In fact, the ‘love’ Ming showcased was more bare minimum stuff. Such as him getting the mugs fixed, does that mean he loves him?

Where do I even start with Ming?
Ming was selfish, narcissistic, controlling an impulsive. He ruined the lives of countless people around him, but nothing compared to the pain he put Joe through. Someone so selfless was destroyed by the most selfish man I’ve ever seen in a drama, disguised to be the ‘redeemed’ love interest. Ming has always gotten what he wanted, apart from Tong, which is a rejection he couldn’t handle and so Joe became his victim – a toy to play with to feel victorious over Tong, to prove that he can get whoever he wants, and I believe Joe’s infatuation with him was completely satisfying. He loved seeing Joe agonisingly cry over him, begging to just be loved. I don’t hate Ming, but that doesn’t mean I like him. He is a product of his parents' – and the people around him – pampering, making him spoiled and narcissistic, and definitely needs to find a therapist, for everyone’s sake.

The ending had, and still does conflict me. Joe can never return to his old body, forever trapped within the ’New Joe’. In one way, it gives Joe a new chance at life, with a mom to adore him, and a promising career ahead of him. But in another way, he is a foreigner within his own body and always will be. The ’New Joe’ is also symbolic of Ming’s guilt, serving as a constant reminder to Ming for what he did to the ‘Old Joe’. He can never have back the original person he loved, not the way it was. His face, his gaze, his touch, it’s all different and yet somehow the same. Joe is within, his kind soul and his unwavering devotion to Ming, but the face he sees is his consequences looking back at him, haunting him forever.

I know the review I just wrote may not sound like it, but I did love this drama. It’s one of a kind – wether it’s in a good or a bad way – and I was truly captivated by this drama. (I watched it in about 4 to 5 days?) I loved Joe’s kind-hearted nature and the relationship formed between Joe and his new mother. However, I do have one major complaint that I felt should’ve been touched up on. What about the body Joe was in? Who was this other Joe? We met his ex and discovered his cause of death, but other than that, this Joe is a stranger to us and I did feel extremely sorry for him. He was dead, without a second chance, and the series never even gave us the gratification of giving us at least an episode’s worth of backstory for this mystery Joe. (ngl I wanted to see some more of the other Joe because the actor is absolutely beautiful, along with the rest of the cast of course)

Overall, if you’re into dark, twisted dramas then this one will probably be for you. it’s a 9/10 from me. totally flawed, but a uniquely enjoyable watch. The actors are all talented and do their job well. The OST is forgettable, but that isn’t very important to me.

Lire la suite

a borderline guilty pleasure type of show

borderline bc while there's an obvious sizzling chemistry between the leads, the show doesn't really go all in on it. instead, it focuses on occultism in the first few eps, then suddenly family drama, then whatever that is you call a plot. expect many plot conveniences towards the ending. it ends well tho, happily. everyone is redeemed — or dead.

my only complaint is their major plot convenience: park seungjae. the way they keep reminding us that he exists and using him for critical points but don't bother giving him more layers. he's showing up so much but remains one-dimensional. it's just sad bc the actor is so great.

but all in all, this is very watchable and enjoyable if you're focusing on the acting and just want something with a happy ending. i really like the fl and ml, and their romance moves pretty fast, which i actually enjoyed. i'd definitely come back just to watch their romance again. i actually discovered yang sejong through this drama too, so that's another win for me.

the ost is also great, and i'm thinking that'll contribute to a high rewatch value. i didn't feel bad after watching the finale. it's just that the moment i randomly turned on my brain, it was kinda sad. every hole was tied up at the end, conveniently, but i'd argue that casual drama viewers would still love it.

Lire la suite

Another SWL disappointment

Following dozens of reviews so won’t be redundant but bigger disappointment than Shine On Me. Discovered ML in Find Yourself where he was so likable, endearing and passionate* (19 when filmed). While his acting technique has improved as he matured none of his roles since have come close. At least Shine On Me had an original story with good flow and growth and likable FL character/actress unlike Zhang Jing Yi. Most interesting part of story was police officer and late wife that should have received more time as left guessing…due to episode cut number assume. Thankful The Road to Success filed my summer void. *Several scenes wound not pass C today

Lire la suite

Fine, Not Fantastic

Spooky In Love is like an everyday meal. Simple. It's not a lavish spread of a 7 course meal.

The show has a simple premise. FL (Cheon Yeo Ri) can see ghosts, whom she helps move on by uncovering their killers. She belongs to the 1%, while ML (Ma Gang Uk) is a fiery public prosecutor, more of a “salt of the earth” person. Spooky In Love is their journey through love, spooks, and succession drama.

To be honest, I went in expecting something like The Master's Sun. My expectations weren't met, but that doesn't mean I was disappointed. I enjoyed the show, and yet it will never be a favourite.

What I liked: ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

Characters and Performances: 
I'm a Park Eun Bin fan, and she has never disappointed me. Even here, I enjoyed her spooky encounters. She’s a queen of micro expressions. Her ghostly encounters and the walls she kept around herself, were beautifully done.

I simply loved Yang Se Jong's public prosecutor. His energy matched the principled, fiery, mad in love character perfectly. I haven't watched his Doona. The last time I remember seeing him was in Still 17, and he's come a long way from there. Ma Gang Uk was the one I looked forward to in every scene.

Everybody else did a good job too.

Romance: It's a gentle romance. Read that as not a blazing chemistry. Adjust your expectations and you'll enjoy it. It didn't have me kicking my feet under the blankets, but it did have me smiling at my screen.

Ghosts: What can I say.. I'm all for the spooks. ᕙ( •̀ ᗜ •́ )ᕗ

ML's team: Fun and sweet.

What felt a bit meh: ┐( ˘_˘)┌

The forced connection between Gang Uk and Ji Hwan. The whole heart transplant track came out of nowhere and had no real impact on the story. Unnecessary add-on.

Yeo Ri's Chaebolness:

For some reason, I had a hard time seeing her as a third generation chaebol heiress. Part of it was her wardrobe. It didn't shout class to me. Part of it was the lack of a certain snootiness from her. Her Yeo Ri didn't have the attitude you'd expect from a CEO born with a silver spoon. I don't mean a hateful attitude, but the one that comes with the station she must have occupied from birth.

I had the same problem with Ong Seong Wu's Kang Min Hwan. It was hard to see him as a ruthless CEO. He looked more like a Manager than a CEO, and his angst didn't invoke much sympathy from me. Not saying he did a bad job, but he didn't stand out.

Ha Ri and her brother: her character was simply a foil for Yeo Ri, with no purpose beyond smirking and dropping mean girl comments. The two of them felt like filler. Their mother alone would have made a stronger antagonist.

Too much chaebol drama that didn't even feel high stakes, topped off with in-your-face promotion of Singapore tourism that felt very tacky. Damn Netflix.

Overall,

It's not a bad drama. It could have been better. Watch it as low stakes, lazy weekend entertainment without high expectations, and you'll be fine.

Lire la suite

All charcters need therapy ASAP

It has been ages since I was this invested in a BL, to the point of finishing it in no time. It has also been years since I’ve watched a Korean BL and honestly I’d say its been a year even since i watched a good action BL that didn’t bother me because of the bad acting or the boring plot.

As much as i enjoyed it, i am actually happy that it was short, cause it manage to kept the tension high for the entirety of the show, a thing that almost no action bl were able to do in all the years I’ve spent watching them. There was literally no dull moment. It was packed with informations and events beginning to end, and i was actually quite happy of it, even tho i think some aspects could have been explained better, like actually giving a somehow understandable introduction to the various victims without me having to guess half of the time who they were.

One thing: OH MY GOD. I cannot believe the whole plot, the whole deus ex machine, the whole fucking reason they met each other was to resolve the omicide of lee chaeha father and somehow at the end we don’t know who tf made it??? Like it was the whole point, it should have been explained, here should have been at least a confirmation of some sort (and to be fair, an apology from taeseon towards chaeha, but maybe I’m over reaching).

The chemistry between the actors was undeniable and i loved it so much. They were so fricking good together, and finally some kbl actors that were not afraid to open their mouth while kissing like we used to pray for times like this. Unfortately the romance was a little bit borderline for me. The first kisses were forced, their first time they were drunk (well, especially chaeha).. all red flags that I don’t like and don’t condone. And to be fair, even if its then explained why Taeson behaves this way towards Chaeha, the way chaeha fell for someone that treated them so badly was honestly scary like man go to therapy don’t stay here please. Well, actually, they should both go to therapy. No wait, every single charcter in this show should have gone to therapy. Like, there was not a single character that wasn’t either a full psycho or full of traumas that desperately needs some processing.

Both actors were pretty good, but oh my god Yoonsik. The performance was so impressive it scared me. He was able to convey so many emotions through his eyes it made me so happy cause i could finally watch a bl were not only they picked goo actors, but they even put them in role that measured to them (gmmtv, LEARN)

The videography and all the visuals aspects were pretty good, as usual for Korean shows. The dark tones fitted the image perfect, the production, even if the budget wasn’t the highest was pretty well done, the scripts were good, the character intresting. Everything was done very well

Would i rewatch it? Likely yes, but maybe after the first three or four episodes. I’d rewatch some moments and move on, its not exactly the most rewatchable show of all time, once u know all the plot twist.

PS. The plot twist were pretty predictable, but still pretty nice.

PPS. Yoonsik you are the prettiest man alive, kiss whoever gave you that hairstyle.

Lire la suite

when a series feels like home

When Oranges Fall genuinely became one of those series that i know im going to remember for a long time 😭 i gave it a 9.5/10 from the very beginning, and somehow that rating never changed even after finishing the whole series. if anything, by the end i was honestly questioning whether i should just give it a 10 because i loved it THAT much.

there was just something about this series that really got to me. i got emotional, i got butterflies, i got nervous and there were so many moments that genuinely gave me chills 😭 i really love stories that focus on friendship and growing up, and When Oranges Fall gave me that exact feeling. it actually reminded me a lot of Reply 1988. obviously the stories are completely different, but the feeling was somehow very similar. that warm, nostalgic feeling of watching a group of people grow together, care about each other and go through life together. i LOVE that kind of story.

and i absolutely have to talk about progress because OH MY GOD 😭 his acting as ko-neung was SO GOOD. he fits this character ridiculously well. like genuinely, i can't imagine anyone else playing ko-nung besides progress. he understood the character so well and delivered every emotion so naturally. there were so many moments where i was just sitting there thinking, "yeah, this role was literally made for him."

and then almondprogress… 😭😭 their chemistry was INSANE. like genuinely, they had EVERYTHING. the butterflies, the tension, the nervousness, the little moments, the emotional scenes.. i felt all of it. i was getting nervous WITH them. i was getting butterflies WITH them. their chemistry felt so natural that i completely forgot i was watching two actors at some points 😭 i honestly can't imagine ko-song being played by anyone other than almond either. they were just THAT good together.

i also really want to appreciate the entire cast because everyone did such a great job. every character felt believable and every actor actually delivered their role instead of just being there. even ko-neung's mom was SO good. the casting in this series was honestly one of its strongest points for me because everyone felt like they genuinely belonged in their roles.

and obviously, there's also the whole justin situation. thats honestly the only reason i hesitated about giving this a full 10/10. justin moir was actually really good in his role, which makes the whole situation even more disappointing. its such a shame because his performance was genuinely good, but considering everything that happened i can't separate the series from that controversy completely.

but honestly, the more i think about it, the more i feel like this might actually deserve the 10/10 😭 because i genuinely loved this series THAT much. i finished it feeling emotional and weirdly attached to these characters and thats something not every series can make me feel.

overall, When Oranges Fall is definitely one of those series that gave me EVERYTHING i look for in a good story. friendship, romance, chemistry, emotional moments, amazing acting and characters that actually made me care about them. i was genuinely invested from beginning to end, and there were moments where i literally got chills watching them.

9.5/10, or honestly maybe 10/10 because i clearly cant stop talking about how much i loved this 😭🤍

Lire la suite

A stylish, performance-driven dark drama

Thai revenge drama that trades standard romance for a dark look into grief, corruption, and the entertainment industry.
​The Good
​Performances: Fuaiz Thanawat steals the show with a complex performance as the antagonist Sunny, complemented by Min Thanakorn’s quiet, grief-stricken Sun.
​Tone: High production quality, stylish noir aesthetics, and a bold focus on industry exploitation set it apart.
​The Bad
​Pacing: The revenge plot bogs down mid-season, forcing a rushed, boardroom-centered finale.
​Uneven Romance: Sun and Jay’s connection feels forced, jumping awkwardly from manipulation to genuine affection.
​Verdict
A stylish, performance-driven dark drama that delivers high tension, despite a few narrative stumbles along the way.
Overall, i liked it a lot.

Lire la suite

After nine episodes, Little Jane remains just as annoying

I've watched nine episodes and I'm waiting for the rest. I'm watching the series and I think the cinematography is good and the cast is okay except for the one called Little Jane. As another reviewer here also wrote, this actor doesn't fit, he gets on my nerves, and the only reason I gave the stars I did isn't because of him! He really pushes my patience to the limit. I'm not sure why, but he's just annoying! His whiny face is irritating, in intimate scenes his face doesn't show what it should in such a scene, I can't tell if he's laughing or crying, this actor who plays Little Jane is downright annoying. So, the only reason I keep watching is that I like Big Jane. He's awesome, expressive, acts really well, even in intimate scenes, you really believe him, whereas Little Jane... is annoying.

Lire la suite

Wonderful drama with good feels!

So I learned a valuable lesson when watching this series-Don’t not watch because you read some negative reviews. I almost didn’t give this series a chance and so glad I did. Yes it has some formulaic tropes. But don’t all the good ones! The male and female lead have an authentic romance wrapped around other aspects of life’s challenges. There are a few other romances going on which are also interesting. Love their community. Enjoyed the crazy over the top evil parents. No one is perfect but we are all trying and evolving and shouldn’t give up on our dreams!! Give it a shot-you may enjoy it like I did!

Lire la suite

Não é ruim, mas não é um hit

Vou começar como começo a maioria das minhas reviews, dizendo primeiramente que não sou especialista, apenas alguém que gosta de dar opiniões.
Eu me apaixonei por essa série, sinceramente, não conseguia parar de assistir, terminei em três dias. Mas eu preciso reconhecer que existem problemas nela.
Eu AMO essa trope do falso casamento, então a premissa inicial não é nada novo, apenas um casamento por conveniência. Os primeiros episódios são bons, amo como o Lee Min Ki não é nada expressivo e como isso ajuda no humor. O desenvolvimento dos outros relacionamentos e da amizade das meninas foi um dos grandes motivos para continuar assistindo, porém, a única história secundária que gostei foi a de Woo Su-ji e o CEO Ma, a outra acaba ficando cansativa, além daquele episódio em que eles falam o desejo de casamento da Ho-rang que não foi bem explorado.
Aqueles episódios que incluem o desejo da prota de ter “algo a mais” com o Se-hee são horríveis, totalmente desnecessários. Também não gosto de como fizeram a separação deles, não que seja ruim, só não me pegou muito.
Apesar de seus defeitos, amei a história (mesmo não pensando em assistir de novo) e seus personagens, penso que valeu a pena assistir.

Obs: Sinto que muitos personagens foram desperdiçados, como o Bok-Nam, a ex do Se-hee e a Bo-Mi. O sentimento que ficou em mim é o de injustiça por essas personagens 😭😭

Lire la suite

Very good acting couldn't save the tedious writing

This drama starts off strong. The story is interesting, the characters feel ambiguous and real. I didn't know what to believe and that's something I love in a crime drama. After about 8-9 episodes, watching got really tedious. They are running in circles, coming back to the same conclusions they had already come to before. The story suddenly becomes very predictable and the last 6 episodes were an absolute drag for me. It's not build up when the story falls flat in the middle of it, no matter whether or not everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end. I was really disappointed with this drama.

Lire la suite

Probably the calmest and most beautiful drama I have ever watched

This drama is different from all the others I’ve seen so far. It’s calm, almost serene. The story develops naturally at a pace that is neither boring nor hurried.

What makes this drama especially interesting is that the story is shown rather than told. You have to pay attention, because there is very little exposition or explanation. Instead, the drama lets emotions, small moments, and the characters’ actions speak for themselves.

There are no fast cuts, and the scenes are long and almost tranquil. It’s relaxing and heartfelt, yet it still managed to make me shed a tears.

I highly recommend this drama. And make sure to watch the credit and post credit scenes.

Lire la suite

I loved it

I have to confess: as someone who doesn't usually gravitate toward historical dramas, I didn't expect to enjoy it this much, but it completely surprised me. It was fun, engaging, and filled with humor alongside a thrilling, fascinating, and emotional plot.
What I loved most is the emotional depth of the story. The heart of the drama is the seemingly impossible conflict: knowing the leads can never truly be together as long as she is forced to live under a stolen identity as the Crown Prince. The thought that they cannot build a future together while she is trapped in a role forced upon her is truly heartbreaking. Throughout the entire series, I kept wondering how the story could possibly resolve this—how they could end up together, and how they could carry on knowing how deeply in love they were. Thankfully, the ending offers so much comfort and a wonderfully satisfying conclusion.
Beyond the romance, the series beautifully highlights core values of true friendship, loyalty, and deep trust. And the cast? Absolutely outstanding! Park Eun-bin delivers a masterclass performance in such a complex role, and Rowoon is not only stunning but also proves what an incredibly talented actor he is.
Personally, I found myself binge-watching this show every spare moment I had. Highly recommended for anyone who loves high-quality romance and compelling historical dramas

Lire la suite