Reviews

What the f* was this drama

I think all my reviews will end up being dedicated to Esther Yu, because all her dramas SHOCK me.

Speed ​​and Love is the current thing, so well-regarded that it made me start watching even knowing who the FL was. And sure enough, it was impossible to watch. She acts like a child, moans like a child, talks like a child, and in this drama there was an even worse point: they were (or at least should have been) half-siblings.

So there's this whole dynamic where ML is the older brother and acts as such, while she acts like a child. Without any exaggeration, he dries her hair, peels her apples for her, takes the scallions off her plate, goes to college as her GUARDIAN. It's bizarre. In one scene he chops up meat for her to eat. What is that if not a bizarre fetish?

In fact, in the first two episodes, Esther Yu appears with beautiful clothes, beautiful hair, and a womanly demeanor, which changes completely after that, when she starts to appear with f*ing pigtails, overalls, hair clips, everthing to make her character just like a child, and the ML feel attracted to that wierd thing.

What shocks me the most is that people are entertained by this, liking it, loving it, and recommending it. The story, by the way, is super interesting. As in all of Esther Yu's dramas, the ML is amazing, and she's there to RUIN everything. The character has a very interesting backstory; he's a true warrior, a survivor of social inequality. And she's the opposite. Because of her parents' divorce, he was forced to take care of her father, while she stayed with her mother, living a life of luxury.

I understand the "my way or the highway" life, but it doesn't work here. I thought we'd have a supporting character like Sang Zhi from Hidden Love was to Diaxu, someone who would see through ML's situation and be supportive, a strong arm in his life.

Here, on the contrary, Esther Yu's character becomes just another problem in our ML's already troubled life. She doesn't come along to take some weight off his shoulders, but to add even more, since, even though she's an 18-year-old woman, she acts like a child who can't even chew on a pig's leg without ML having to chop it up (literally!!!!!).

Honestly, it's disgusting. It's a fetishistic project that only shows how sick the world is to be okay with a relationship like this. I hope to see He Yu in other dramas, cause he is gooooood. And it makes me even more mad the fact that I have seen Esther Yu acting like a woman (and not a child) and she's really good, but the directors keep chosing to cast her on fetishistc projects. Hope to her in other dramas playing deep characters that I know she is capable of.

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What Started as a Family Matter Soon Becomes Everyone’s Problem

Came for Roh Yoon-seo, but stayed for the story. I had no idea what the show was about at first, but I was hooked from Episode 1.

The plot does get a little confusing in the middle, especially since some characters’ backstories aren’t fully explained. That said, it’s only 8 episodes long, so the pacing is pretty fast.

One thing that really stood out was the production quality. The budget clearly shows—none of the scenes looked fake, and I was completely immersed throughout.

I’d definitely recommend binge-watching this instead of spreading it out over several days, as it’s much easier to follow that way. Overall, despite a few confusing moments, it’s a solid watch that I’d recommend.

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FORGET THE LITTLE DOWNSIDES, IT'S TOO GOOD TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEM!

Was hooked from the get go. I loved the FL and her elegant cold yet soft inside character. She is such an incredible beauty! I'm all for He Yu, my gosh such a sight for these old eyes. Here for him bc of "Speed and Love". Such a different character but still hot as hell. But even if he was ML, if the script and plot and acting don't get me, then I drop it no matter who or what. I've dropped dramas before even tho I am crazy about the actors bc the script or execution or direction didn't hook me. This wasn't any of that, I loved it all!! When she finally confessed I was beyond gone, it was so beautiful and his face was ecstatic. I didn't think I could move on from shipping He Yu and Esther Yu, but I did and I did without guilt.
His struggle with this poison was very hard to watch, he made it look so real. She showed such aloofness but still cared about his burden.
One thing that confused me was that it was never revealed to anybody not even the Crown Prince, that she had another person inside her. ?? EXCEPT for Prince Qin when he was dying. As it should be.

WTH moment: I was very confused that she was having such attacks from the Consort and having to fight for her life and her "girls" so I kept expecting her father and brother to show up in force to rescue her. But they virtually disappeared from the drama after her confession.

I was excited about Jeremy Tsu being in this drama, but suddenly I was noticing the same facial expression and mannerisms that have followed him in drama after drama and it got annoying. Yes that is what made him famous especially his intense eyes, but an actor HAS to move on from that and develop other mannerism according to the character and plot. He made a good villain however and I was very glad when he died. His constant stalking and obsessive behavior became insufferable, but Jeremy Tsu being the good actor that he is, executed it perfectly.

Another WTH moment: The 2FL is supposed to be a man and yet the cold Prince falls in love or seems to be falling for him/her before he knew she was a she. His actions were so blatantly in love and yet NOBODY mentioned that it was two "men" acting all weird. I hated that they disappeared to run off to be together long before the ending. I loved Bu Shu Lin and wished they used her more, but I understand that she had to leave to be a woman. However, I really thought that since they found a replacement that she would keep acting as the replacement. But I guessed wrong.

3rd WTH moment: What was this coming back from the dead stunt at the end? Commenters have said that one has to watch the Special Episode to get what happened, but I still didn't get it. I will have to re-watch the final episode to see what I missed. I didn't understand HOW he came back and where was he all this time? Very frustrating. BUT I still cried when she saw him standing under the tree. It was a bit strange that she just took it for granted that he had returned after 4 years. BUT, It still was a touching moment.

Special Mentions: His death scene. I was so sure that they would rescue him and give him acupuncture or whatever, I was already tearing up though. Then when I fully realized that he really did die lying beside her and she stayed with him in that snow, I lost it. I cried so long and hard I gave myself a headache.
Her dream of him and her and their little boy all together. At first I was confused, thought she was imagining him but the little boy acknowledged him and I thought then that it had to be a dream and it was and I got choked up over that.
When Bai Chen was writing out all the things for each year he knew he wouldn't be around for to teach his son. (I'm choking up just remembering this) Then his Mother reading them to him later.
Bei Chen giving his men their special roles after he's gone.
Tian Yuan's fierce love and loyalty for his Crown Prince. His crying over his condition, his death and then when he got the handkerchief, the joy. I loved this kid and his character. I hope to see him more. Maybe as a ML one day. His acting is up to par for that.
I loved watching the back story of the Emperor and how he became his Father and finally WHO actually poisoned him. I thought it was sad that it turned out to be the Empress Dowager who seemed to have loved him. Retribution of her going mad when she realized she killed her biological grandson, was a good scene.

In the end, I give this a 9, bc to me Pursuit of Jade, which I gave a 10, is still the best for 2026. thus I can't give other dramas a higher score than 9. It ranks up there though as being another great power drama!

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BL Drama of the year

Payback was one of the best adaptations I've ever watched. It was faithful to the manhwa, but with a few altered details that only added to the story rather than getting in the way. They provided even more context for situations that weren't fully explained in the manhwa, such as Sky's trauma. The script was incredibly well constructed, the OSTs were captivating, and the actors? MinLee and Toptap (along with the rest of the main cast) my goodness, they were born for these roles. It's such a pity it was so short; I would have easily watched 20 episodes if it had them!

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The League of Refunded Kids

Kim Ahyeon lives in hiding with 3 other young adults who are seemingly happy and enjoying each other’s company. Refered as “Big Sister” by the other 3, Kim Ahyeon is like a leader of their small team of misfits. Unable to go to school or work, they rely a lot on “Uncle”, the one who pulled them out from the brink of death. They are the refunded adopted kids, abandoned and discarded when their adoptive parents got tired of them or their performance fall short from the parent’s expectation - termed as defective. “Uncle” is the one who handles the refund, by chucking them into a barrel filled with cement, although he did this without knowing the content of the bags he’s given to handle. He saves another refunded child of 11years old, but a phonecall from the kid to his mom turned their world upside down, turning the little hidden group into fugitives from the law and the secret organization who sells babies. Realizing they would not be able to lead a normal life if they keep running, especially after Uncle goes missing and presumebly dead, Ahyeon decided to track the mastermind of the secret organization and expose them to the public.

I like that the little group isnt portrayed to be some superpowered or super genius kids despite them being genetically-engineered. They can fight, they can handle guns, all thanks to Uncle’s training, but theyre still prone to injuries, emotional outbursts and reckless actions that most young adults do. When injured, they don’t just get up and goes on running or fighting as if those injuries are just a scratch like in most action dramas, they actually stayed down and rendered immobile for a period of time.

All the actors performed really well, even the little guy Siwon. Well almost all, I find the guy who played Kim Sihee’s chief bodyguard to be very wooden despite granted with extra screentime of his character’s background, which i felt unnecessary. His background did not add anything to the whole plot, i still failed to see why he came to be so attached to Kim Sihee despite knowing he is expendable in her eyes. This guy tried so hard to look cool and tough, and still fail to look his part.

Overall the fightings are great, the plot is engaging and they don’t waste too much time on flashbacks. Managed to finish this under 24 hours so I guess it’s pretty okay.

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Laughter, more laughter, and happy tears—that's the best way to describe this mini series. 🤍
It was heartwarming, funny, and left me with a big smile by the end. Sometimes a short series is all you need, and Peach and Me delivered exactly that. ✨


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🌸✨🌈 Hiii~ Welcome to my kawaii corner~ ♡(≧▽≦)ﾉ✨🌸

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Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷

Some reviews are under 500 words, so I can’t post them here~ (≧ω≦)ﾉ💫

Thank you sooo much~ ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆ 💕🌸

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What can I say? Tay and New never disappoint when it comes to their series. 🤍
Their chemistry is as natural as ever, making every scene enjoyable to watch. They're one of those pairings I can always count on, and this series was no exception. ✨

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🌸✨🌈 Hiii~ Welcome to my kawaii corner~ ♡(≧▽≦)ﾉ✨🌸

You can find more of my reviews on Instagram~ 🌟💖

Check my homepage for my account~ (｡♥‿♥｡) 🌷

Some reviews are under 500 words, so I can’t post them here~ (≧ω≦)ﾉ💫

Thank you sooo much~ ☆:.｡.o(≧▽≦)o.｡.:☆ 💕🌸

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Don’t waste your time watching this drama!!!

My Review of Overdo

I wanted to like Overdo because the concept had potential, but overall it just didn’t work for me.

The Story
The plot feels all over the place. Instead of building up tension or emotion, it just drags. There are too many filler scenes that don’t add anything to the main story, and the pacing is super slow. The storyline could’ve been deeper and more meaningful, but it ended up feeling shallow and repetitive. I kept waiting for that "wow" moment and it never came.

The Acting
This is the biggest issue for me. The acting felt forced and unnatural. There was no real chemistry, and a lot of the emotional scenes came off as awkward instead of touching. The delivery was flat, and it made it hard to connect with the characters. For a drama that’s supposed to make you feel something, it just fell flat.

Overall
Overdo had the chance to be something good, but between the weak story and stiff acting, I just couldn’t get into it. If you’re looking for something with strong writing and actors you can actually root for, I’d say skip this one.

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A Rare Adaptation That Doesn't Lose Its Soul

Going into Payback, my biggest concern was whether it would do justice to the manhwa. Thankfully, it stays surprisingly faithful. While a few minor scenes and details were left out—which is pretty much expected in any adaptation—the core story, the characters, and the overall atmosphere remain intact. As someone who read the manhwa, I never felt like the drama betrayed the source material.

What impressed me the most was how well the casting worked. The leads fit their characters, and their chemistry felt natural instead of forced. They handled both the quieter emotional moments and the more intense confrontations convincingly, making it easy to invest in their relationship.

The production quality also deserves credit. The cinematography is polished, the pacing is mostly consistent, and the soundtrack complements the scenes without becoming distracting. It feels like the team genuinely cared about bringing the story to life rather than simply capitalizing on the popularity of the original work.

That said, the drama isn't perfect. Some emotional beats don't hit quite as hard as they did in the manhwa because a few smaller scenes that helped build the characters were removed. They're not major omissions, but if you've read the source material, you'll probably notice them. There are also moments where the adaptation plays things a little safer, which slightly tones down the emotional intensity.

Even so, these are relatively minor complaints. The adaptation understands what made *Payback* enjoyable in the first place and focuses on preserving that. It never tries to reinvent the story unnecessarily, and I appreciate that.

Overall, *Payback* is one of those adaptations that respects its source material while still working well as a drama on its own. Whether you're already a fan of the manhwa or going in completely blind, it's an easy recommendation. Faithful adaptations are harder to come by than people think, and *Payback* is proof that staying true to the original can absolutely pay off.

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