Reviews

When Friendship Should’ve Stayed Friendship

I went into this for two of my all-time favourite actors, half-expecting to be let down, and sadly, I was. It’s one of those shows that proves not every long time friendship needs to turn romantic. Seok-ryu and Seung-hyu were much better off as friends.

What worked (for me):
The second leads easily outshined the main couple. I was far more invested in them. Seok-ryu is a strong, resilient character (as much as the script allows), and her journey had real weight. Her friendship with Mo-eum was a highlight - warm, supportive, and believable. Performances across the board were solid, with Hyun-jun’s quiet loyalty standing out. I also appreciated that the show at least attempted to touch on mental health and its impact on relationships, even if it didn’t go deep. Mo-eum and Yeon-du were adorable together.

What didn’t (for me):
The romance just didn’t land. Once they got together, it became a string of cheesy, overused tropes. Character consistency went out the window. Stoic, grounded characters suddenly started behaving out of character for convenience. The writing also took shortcuts: years of resentment and misunderstanding resolved in a single conversation felt unearned.

The male lead, in particular, was frustrating - emotionally immature, avoidant, and prone to making everything about himself. His reaction to her trauma was especially off-putting, and unfortunately, her mother wasn’t much better in that regard. The contrast with the best friend’s simple, empathetic response made it even more glaring.

Pacing didn’t help either. The story dragged unnecessarily. This would’ve been far stronger as a 12-episode drama instead of 16. And the casual use of outdated tropes (like the “it’s okay if he’s gay” logic) felt jarringly regressive.

Overall:
Started strong, then steadily went downhill after the first third. A frustrating watch by the end. The performances are the only reason it holds up as much as it does.

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show is lacking chemistry

I love all the main characters on here and really want to love this show but the lack of chemistry from Esther Yu and Zhang Ling He is making it really hard to enjoy the show. I am pushing myself to watch the show because of the bond between Cheng Le and Tian Jia Ru's characters. The rating is high and I am sure the show overall is good and worth finishing but not binge worthy, in my opinion. I will finish this show...one day... just not today nor tomorrow...maybe not by May, possibly June 2026. I love watching C dramas because I love that I can binge watch and immerse myself into their world so it is disappointing when a show isn't binge worthy.

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WASTED POTENTIAL!

Enemies to lovers is probably one of my favorites tropes. So, when I saw this drama title I was super excited... The excitement though didn't last that long.
Was there an enemy to lovers tropes? Yes.
Was is it any good? Absolutely not.

Plot👉🏻
Our doormat FL works as a journalist. She is not appreciated and everyone treats her like shit. One day she is forced to part take in an event and get an interview with our famous ml. Things don't go as planned and the ml mistakes our girl for a paparazzi. Mad at her, he smashed her belongings. Our FL sees red and throws a shoe at him. This moment goes viral and she gets fired. Mad at the idol she accept to partecipe in a reality show with him for the purpose of taking revenge.

I think that the premise was really good but the execution was horrible.
Let's start by saying that the first episodes are really boring, the middle part feels really repetitive and surprisingly, the last episode are the best.

When our protagonists start filming their reality show, I expected an endless list of attemps by the FL to sabotage the ml. After all, she was there to dig dirt on him. Let me tell you that barely anything happens. She is supposed to be a journalist but her investigating skills are non existing, I expected her to secretly tape their private conversations when the cameras are not rolling to really capture how rude he is towards her at the very beginning. The only thing she does is typing out her thoughts about him. Girl, what kind of evidence is that? How can you write something merely based on your words?

While filming there are also tepid attempts at inconvenience him, but they are so tame it is laughable. Most of the time the camera crew is basically pulling her leg and making her look stupid as hell,.

What was that reality show even supposed to be? They literally do nothing and most of the time the producers have no plans at all about their schedule. They are basically being fake nice in front of the cameras.

It was so disappointing because when the FL threw her shoe at the idol, it looked like she had enough about being mistreated by everyone and wanted to be more fierce full. Well, that didn't happen. Throughout the whole drama she keeps being her old "doormat" self.

I don't have much too say about the ml character because overall he made sense as a character. The only thing is that he was so incredibly nice to everyone it was kind of irritating, the drama really wanted to picture him as a saint.

Love story👉🏻
I find the romance to be the weakest part of the show.
Let's start by saying that it doesn't make sense when the ml leads starts liking the FL.
Sure, while filming the reality they start talking and understanding each other more but they didn't get along that much to justify a romance. They barely talked and the ml was still rude to the FL.

The manager said that the idol mistreating the FL was a sign that he liked her. What a stupid thing. It makes even less sense because when the drama progresses we see that the ml is a sweetheart to every human on this earth... His character just did a 180.

At one point he even gets "kidnapped" by a fan but he ends up helping this guy out and not even suing him. But somehow he is rude to the FL and therefore "in love".😑

The fact that the main leads had no chemistry made this love story even less believable.
There were "cute" sometimes but I never felt the sparkle between them. They looked more like friends and I think it would have been better if they build a friendship. They open up to each other and are a good support, love wasn't really needed.
The ml looked more attracted to the FL than viceversa.

The middle part 👉🏻
The middle episode is were some stuff happens but it's the same stuff over and over again.
We explore the idol's past and the unresolved tensions between him and his two ex best friends. I wish they did a better job because, to me, this was the actual core of the drama and the most emotional part. There is betrayal, first love, one sided love, jealousy, revenge, sadness, regret. A whole plethora of emotions good enough to create a good drama. Unfortunately the screen writers wasted all this potential and left us with the same scenes repeating over and over again.
The other guy mistreating his girl, the girl going back to the idol, the idol trying to mediate between them. It happened so many times I lost count.


The last episodes👉🏻
Frankly speaking? This was the most enjoyable part of the drama. Really emotional and engaging.

Things I didn't like❌

The comedy just never hits. Never.

Cliche of the female lead falling into the ml armato create "romantic tension"

The ml parents. Why even include that?

The female lead constantly forgetting to charge her phone just to create drama

Senseless plots: The villain is rich as fuck. His father did buy him a whole company but couldn't buy his son' way into stardom? Never hear of nepotism?

The way the other girl was treated. The villain basically treats her like a toy gatekeeping her from debuting.


Things I liked✅

The FL parents were hilarious. The home visit was my favourite part of the drama.

The two Pds. Their story was cute and I was more enthusiastic for their proposal than that of the main leads.

The fact that the female pd was unable to lie was a cute addition.

Conclusions:
Should you watch this? Hard to say. If you are not as judgemental as me I think you might still enjoy this drama. It is not a masterpiece by any stretch if the imagination, but if you like the actors and idol stories I think this could work.
Just lower your expectations.

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this is peak bl

genuinely one of the - if not the most - peak bl i have ever watched. from the gripping soundtrack to the lovely cinematography, everything about this drama was a masterpiece. i especially loved the romance between peem and khemjira - it was a master slowburn full of deep longing stares and repressed feelings. don't even get me started on peem and his eyes and how unreasonably fine that man is. he had me swooning every time he was on screen. if you want yearning and pining then this show is for you - because the way those 2 yearned for each other needs to be studied.

also, the actual plot had me hooked - i loved the flashbacks to their previous lives and how it all connected to the present. it was so refreshingly original and just beautifully crafted . jin and da were especially cute. anyways i'm going to miss this show it's become a part of my routine. i've genuinely entered a state of depression because i already miss this show - 12 episodes is not enough!!!

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A mesmerizing Emotionally Charged Masterpiece

Wow! What an emotionally charged journey this drama took us on! This drama had a very strong, unique storyline with stellar acting from both Dilraba and Arthur Chen . Both their characters had a lot of depth and complexities t and they made sure that all of them were portrayed seamlessly on screen. They gave us an entertaining , truly captivating and unforgettable performance. The chemistry between the leads was mind blowing making this fantasy so believable that you lived through all of their joy, pain and suffering.

People forget that this is a fantasy from the beginning to the end. Fantasies have more creative leeway when compared to regular dramas. Here a 400 year old spirit and a young 20 yr old mortal are allowed to fall in love. You have to accept this when you watch this drama

Dilraba as the powerful ghost sovereign is frigid, cruel and formidable on the one hand while she softens during her interactions with the ML and lets him get whatever he wants from her. Arthur on the other hand is powerful in his own right as a cunning, courageous general/assassin who lives life on his own terms. You can see why they are attracted to each other. He can never be as powerful as this other world being I.e the spirit sovereign and he is not trying to be. He is who he is. He is extraordinary for living and loving without expectations - which is very hard to find. He Simu, always powerful and intimidating, can be soft and vulnerable only in front of Duan Xu. The real her comes alive only when she is with him.

The love story between the leads is in a constant deadlock because of who they are and this adds to the emotional rollercoaster you are on. The story also focuses on love, loss, obsession, choices and the very fabric of life.

There is a melancholic undercurrent and a dark gothic feel to this drama that go with the dynamic of the central love story. Time, life, life choices and death are the core of this drama and these two facets resonate through both the lead and supporting characters and their roles in their respective realms all the time. The drama makes you appreciate life more and understand what life is especially when we take so many things for granted. It makes you question what is important in life and think about what is important for a fulfilling life. It also makes you accept the uncertainties and inevitabilities of life and makes you want to live fully in the moment without thinking about the future or consequences.

The climatic/ ending episodes were so intense that they completely ripped me apart by rendering this raw and strong emotional experience! The only other drama with this kind of feeling for me was Till the End of the Moon. That is the benchmark and I want to place this one up there . This is going to stay on my rewatch list alongside TTEOM!

KUDOS to the strong supporting cast especially Miles Wei as the villain. No complaints about this gorgeous production that was executed with a lot of care. The world building was mesmerizing especially the Void which was both dead and alive at the same time in a very weird way.
A 10/10 for me. This drama was a class act -with superior story telling and pacing, sophisticated acting from the leads and the supporting cast. No character was neglected and no one stepped on the others toes. The writing and direction was top notch, with high quality production!
The one thing I appreciated the most is how all actors gave individual strong performances. They all stand out in their own roles! This is hard to come across in a lot of dramas!
I find some complaints a little ridiculous and will list them below:

1. The story is NOT REPETITIVE. There is a steady progression towards a climax.
2. Duan Xu is neither weak nor lovesick. He is young and this is his first time loving someone - unfortunately for him it was someone who had no feelings or emotions and mortal life meant nothing to her. He was very strong and persistent. He did not neglect his life by any means - he achieved what he wanted to. But he also paid a price for exchanging his senses -this is inevitable since it is the law of the universe . But the thing with Duan Xu is that he did not care even a little bit. And He Simu loved him for who he was- remember when she says how Duan Xu had his heart broken many times but he pieced them back together by himself and has lived courageously- that is who he is to her. A very strong and resilient human being. Oh and no one ran behind the other in this drama. Duan Xu was persistently waiting for her to come around that’s all . I thought it was a very respectful and equal relationship.
3. Age gap and chemistry - are you all kidding me here? I don’t even have words to counter this ridiculous comment especially in this day and age
4. The endings - 2 highly likely endings - I loved them both- this is a fantasy - what other miracle are people expecting ?

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Better than I thought.

I'm usually at odds with ratings and how they can strongly influence whether a piece will be watched or not. Unless it's something I flat don't want to watch or has uncomfortable subjects and all that, I prefer to take a few in B4 deciding. Drama fits well into that category~
It's one of those entertaining gems that displays Murphys law pretty well. Something always goes wrong. If it can go wrong, more than likely it will. Let's take that disaster and compound after problem after problem after problem............and when you think it's done and over with? Boom! Blindsided with a few more. That is the story of Mad Concrete Dreams~
A normal family trying to survive and better themselves, makes a couple of mistakes, a couples of errors in judgment, a couple bad decisions, and gets caught in a neverending merry go round. Trying to fix one thing just oed to another. The story worked. A quartet of A list actors with the usual familiar faces surrounding them~
The problem I had was with ML. His character was a tall solemn hard working man who never shows much emotion, plugging away daily to make ends meet for his wife and daughter. The almost complete lack of emotion was his strength and also the problem. Things got really bad and there were no scenes I felt where that facade cracked, as in you were not able to tell throughout the whole drama what he was thinking, feeling, which meant he didn't or wasn't able to convey any emotions like fear or sense of urgency. He was a robot and I didn't like not being able to tell WTH was going on in his head. That was my only beef worth this piece~
This was not a popular show rating wise and here but I liked it. Was chaos from start to finish, ppl in over their heads, and was entertaining to watch. I recommend watching the 1st 2 eps and I can say if you liked it, then continue to watch knowing things will just continue to spiral~

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Vampire Plot with Boun & Prem, with blood but without chemistry

PLOT: The MC, Punn, an antique restorer, awakens a vampire, Ramil, sealed away for 100 years in a painting, with a single drop of his blood. But Ramil, awakened, has lost his powers. He is the last of the Original vampires. He has three vampire brothers: Methas, a wealthy hotel CEO; Mek, now a doctor; and Ciar, the "master" of a cult. For the past 10 years (since a tragedy at the orphanage where Punn lived), the Hunters have killed all the Original vampires and are trying to kill those who remain.

+++ Superb cast: Boun, Prem, Mark, and a bunch of great actors
+++ Dynamic direction, with no dull moments, high-quality effects, and a good balance of emotions (mystery, suspense, humor, and a touch of romance).
+++ Coherent story, no plot holes
+++ Good OSTs (why are the OSTs in Thai BLs so much better than in Lakorns??)

### The fight scenes are really really bad ((ꉺꈊꉺ)ꀢ༣
### Prem is clearly not comfortable with kissing or intimate scenes. And it shows! Romance isn't this series' strong point.

Note: The ending hints at a sequel with Mark & ​​Junior.

=> A nice, engaging series, but not particularly memorable.
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Plot Vampire avec Boun & Prem

PLOT: Le MC, Punn, restaurateur d'antiquités, réveille un vampire, Ramil, scellé depuis 100 ans ds 1 tableau, par 1 goutte de son sang. Mais Ramil réveillé a perdu ses pouvoirs. Il est le dernier vampire originel. Il a 3 frères : Methas riche CEO d’hôtel, Mek devenu médecin, et Ciar "maitre" d'1 secte. Depuis 10 ans (drame à l'orphelinat hébergeant Punn), les Chasseurs ont tué ts les vampires originels et essaient de tuer ceux qui restent.

+++ Super casting : Boun, Prem, Mark, & a bunch of great actors
+++ Réalis° dynamique, sans temps mort, avec des effets de qualité. et un bon équilibre des émotions (mystère, suspense, humouret 1 petite touche de romance).
+++ Story cohérente, sans plot holes
+++ Bons OSTs (pourquoi les OSTs dans les BL thaï sont-elles bien meilleures que dans les Lakorns ??)

### Les scènes de fight sont vraiment mauvaises ((ꉺꈊꉺ)ꀢ༣
### Prem n'est visiblement pas à l'aise avec les scènes de kiss ou intimes. Et ça se voit trop ! La romance n'est pas le point fort de cette série.

Rq : Ending qui laisse supposer une suite avec Mark & Junior.

=> Série sympa, accrocheuse, mais pas mémorable non plus.

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very meh

The actors are known for being great at their job. However the story made *some sense*. Literally some.

It started well with a very nice overview of where the story was going, but even I cannot say when it became weird. All 12 episodes feel like 3. Each episode is based on desperation and anxiety, and while romance exists it really does not feel like it does. I vaguely remember the romantic scenes, but in every episode the main focus was on future problems.

Although every series has a bit of story focusing on future issues, in this series it becomes the main topic. The audience does not have time to relax from the overwhelming feelings (scamming, finding out the lies, not being wanted by family etc), and the supposed romantic story line, is completely left out.

I personally will NOT place this on a MUST RE-WATCH list. I hope the producers and writers use the advantage of having great actors like them, to write and produce great series.

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The Whole Family Loves the Little Cute Ancestor Who Came from Heaven (2025), aka (ON MDL) Tian Jiang Xiao Meng Zu Quan Jia Qi Qi Chong (2025)is a nice romance miniseries with ML: Liu Xiaoxu (as Song Jin) and FL: Zheng Chenyu/Sabrina Zheng (as Su You Qing) in the leading couple's role. The drama is lighthearted and fun to watch and the cast did a good job bringing their characters to life. The leading couple had two brief and nice romantic scenes but, although the male lead expressed romantic feelings, the female lead just went with the flow. The ending was rushed but quite fun!

[MULTI SUB] "When Lost Destinies Converge" Liu Xiaoxu × Zheng Chenyu" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wngPU4sTOWI&t=35s)

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People Are Strange

First off, the hate for this show is insane. Folks complain every drama is the same. Then when something different comes along, they hate it.

With that being said. A sociopath is hard to portray on screen. Kim You Jung was PHENOMENAL as Baek Ah Jin. She blew me out of the water and man, was she EVIL. Sometimes i felt bad for her. Other times i wanted to slap her. That is how you know the actess is doing amazing

Is she mad as a hatter? God, yes. Does ahe deserve any sympathy? A little bit, but not a lot. She manipulates all the men around her and does it to perfection. Fans always love the psychopath MEN, yet seem to have an issue when it is a female.

Me, personally, I throughly enjoyed this show and will re-watch it again with my aunt. Kim You Jung was utterly robbed when she wasn't nominated for best female lead performance. Sush a shame.

And for the haters, stop begging for something new, unique, just to turn around and whine about it. You obviously don't want "different"...

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Artistic

I find that most C-dramas are tailored to be profitable rather than artistic. Tragedy, beauty, and romance are so excessively used that they become meaningless. I am pleased to say that "Twelve Letters" does not fall into that category. There is tragedy, but there is also boundless resilience and hope. There is beauty, but it is not ungrounded. There is romance, but it is neither insecure nor saccharine. "Twelve Letters" is real, and because it is real, it is deeply moving.

It is a slice-of-life, so I'll refrain from overelaborating on the plot. I will say—for those who are sensitive—that there are significant mentions of poverty, abuse, assault, homicide, and suicide. However, the story refrains from being maudlin given its decisively hopeful tone. "Twelve Letters" features moving found-family relationships; the purest of young love stories; and flawed but ultimately good characters whom life dealt bad cards.

While there are plenty of stories with similar concepts, "Twelve Letters" differs in its fantastical element and level of execution. The fantastical element of the story stems from a mailbox which can deliver and receive messages from the past to the present (and vice-versa). Throughout the story, a young couple from 1991 messages their future children (living in 2026) through this mailbox. This messaging—appearing to be somewhat of an authorial afterthought at first—later becomes critical in solving the story's main mystery. Additionally, it introduces questions regarding the cost of trade-offs, sacrifice, and love. This supernatural element meshed well with the slice-of-life premise to create what is one of the only "magical realism" adjacent C-dramas in recent times.

As for the level of execution, few Chinese dramas are on par with "Twelve Letters." The cinematography is breathtaking. Every single shot in the show is beautiful, especially in the 1991 Mei-Wan Zhen (梅湾镇) setting. What I particularly love is how artfully the scenes are shot. Each frame is a masterclass in proportion, and there is a bittersweet green tint applied to the footage. Despite the pursuit of beauty, nothing is overdone. The actors are not wearing jarring amounts of makeup or clothes the characters could not afford, and film is not aesthetic for aestheticism's sake. Here, grittiness is not compromised by misplaced romanticism.

This extends to the actors' portrayal of their characters. Wang Yinglu egolessly blends into every role she plays; Zhou Yiran never sacrifices sincerity for superficiality; and every supporting actor/actress performs with utmost conviction. There is not a single weak link, which is almost unheard of in recent C-dramas.

Finally, "Twelve Letters" musical choices are extremely effective at building both joy and suspense, especially in the first seven episodes. After episode 7, I found the OST to be overused or forced in certain moments (despite its excellence, it was probably unneeded). I was introduced to the band FloruitShow (福禄寿) through this drama, and they are now my absolute favorite (they are also unfortunately barred from performing as a trio now; they now perform as a duo under the name DOUDOU).

To be honest, I initially dropped this drama after the fifth episode and only recently picked it back up. The pacing can be slightly slow at times, but I found the ride to be worth every minute and every tear.

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