Reviews

My Liberation Notes: Had high potential but failed to deliver

I enjoyed the first half of this series very much, but the second half was below par. I liked the three siblings characters, but it was obvious that both Yeom Mi-jeong and Mr. Goo were depressed, and I did not enjoy the story line of his alcoholism which made the show depressing at times. None of the three romances turned out well for the three siblings in my opinion. The dialogue was good, but the plot was very disappointing. I did not like the last episode at all, and I felt sorry for the three siblings who struggled so much from the beginning to the end of this series. I rate it a 6.

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Provides some great social commentary

I really enjoyed this drama. The chemistry between the leads was very believable and the romantic thread was well paced. Perhaps it is a cultural thing but I wasn't thrilled with the seemingly standard trope they followed of allowing parental filial-piety to interfere with their lives for unreasonable reasons – especially considering their supposed ages and history but it did set up for an excellent ending scene for the pair.

The story provides a great commentary on the fickleness/evil of social media comments – especially the blatant hypocrisy by the commenters who actually did bully someone that was merely alleged to have bullied an employee.

I do wish they'd done a little more on the romances for the other sisters (perhaps dropping the rather weak love triangle trope of the main romance thread). Both of those story-lines were interesting in their own right and I would have really liked to see them fleshed out. That is one criticism I have for many Kdramas, they seem to require having a secondary (and sometimes tertiary) romance thread that they then do little with.

Although I dislike the love triangle trope, I really did like the conversations between the two suitors and especially Yong Pil's attitude – ...'don't feel bad, you cannot control your feelings...' and to give his competition the advice to confess his feelings. Actual love for another means wanting what is best for them even if that means they chose someone else. The main thing I hate about the LT trope is it usually involves jealousy and this drama did not stoop to that.

Finally, the little girl actress (Kim Do Eun) was adorable.

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Can someone explain the hate?

From the very first episodes, I found myself completely invested in the story. The plot moves at a steady pace, revealing just enough information to keep the suspense alive without becoming unnecessarily complicated. There are plenty of twists, shifting alliances, and emotional confrontations, but what kept me watching wasn't simply the revenge itself. It was watching how far the protagonist was willing to go in order to achieve it.
We're so used to female leads who always make the morally correct decision, even when they're supposed to be seeking revenge. Here, that's simply not the case.
Ren Susu / Fang Mulan is intelligent, manipulative, determined, and, above all, deeply flawed and I absolutely loved that. There were many moments where I completely disagreed with her choices, yet I never wanted the drama to change her. he's someone you're meant to question, sometimes even criticize. Her obsession often takes precedence over the people who genuinely care about her, and the drama never pretends otherwise.
The best example of this is her relationship with Murong Qing Yi.

I honestly lost count of how many times I wanted to reach through the screen and tell her to stop hurting him.
Poor Murong Qing Yi spends so much of the drama paying the price for decisions that aren't even his own. Again and again, he becomes collateral damage in a revenge that was never his to fight. He remains loyal, patient, and willing to stand beside her even when she gives him every reason to walk away. While I understand why she keeps making those decisions—because revenge has completely consumed her—there were several moments where the pain she inflicted on him felt almost unnecessary. It wasn't the kind of suffering that naturally came from the circumstances; it was suffering created by her inability to trust, to let go, or simply to be honest.
And yet... that's also what made their relationship so compelling.

Visually, the drama is a bit of a mixed bag.
There are scenes that look absolutely stunning, with beautiful costumes, strong cinematography, and emotional framing that elevates key moments. Then, out of nowhere, the CGI reminds you that the budget clearly had its limits. Some effects look surprisingly rough and occasionally pull you out of otherwise powerful scenes.

One thing I know I'll probably be in the minority about is the opening sequence.
I actually preferred the original AI-generated opening. I know it sparked a lot of criticism when the drama aired, but personally, I thought it fit the atmosphere much better than the replacement version. More importantly, it didn't spoil the story. The new opening uses actual scenes from later episodes, and I've never been a fan of openings that reveal moments I'm supposed to discover naturally while watching. I much preferred the original version because it created intrigue without giving anything away.

Overall, Overdo was a very enjoyable surprise. A gripping revenge plot, engaging twists, emotionally layered relationships, and, most importantly, a female lead who isn't afraid to be selfish, stubborn, and morally questionable made this a refreshing watch from beginning to end.

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Absolute masterpiece!

Reading the other peoples comments made me think we watched different show or what??🤔
I've watched 190 BLs and I think I can call myself expert😅
Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Philippines, Vietnamese and Heated rivalry as the only non asian BL in my list,tho the bottom was half Japanese,but anyway back to the point - Payback is rating 11 in my ranking 🤌🏻💋
Toptap and Minlee chemistry is palpable,their visuals are insane 🥵🫦Their acting is phenomenal!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
The quality of the show is on a different level,the show itself had everything - sad moments,ugly moments,fun moments, happy moments,sexy moments (that epic NC scene is gonna remain in the history of BLs as one of the best,imo)For the ppl that said the show doesn't have a plot,are you sure?
The love story wasn't cringe,it was a battle which top to be on top 🙈😂,I'm kidding,the real battle with guilt,desires, revenge and love that needs no words...
Strongly suggest to watch it!

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What Happens When You Stop Being a Bystander in Your Own Life

I finally finished Our Youth.

I actually put this series on hold for quite a while. There were too many new shows, too little time, and from the beginning I had the feeling that this wasn't a series I could casually watch in the background. It asks you to be present.

And I'm glad I eventually came back to it.

Our Youth belongs to the same category of BLs as Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo for me: quiet, heavy, emotional, almost poetic. Watching it sometimes feels less like following a television series and more like reading a novel — something you have to sit with rather than simply consume.

I'm not usually a huge fan of high school dramas. Maybe because my own school days are far enough behind me that I mostly remember them with a mixture of amusement and relief. But I understand the appeal. There is something inherently nostalgic about watching stories set in that particular period of life — that strange space where you're old enough to have very real feelings, but still young enough to have very little control over the world you're living in.

Our Youth uses that coming-of-age framework for something much heavier than first love and queer awakening.

It's about childhood abuse. Neglect. Isolation. And the ways children learn to survive when the adults around them fail them.

On the surface, Jin Minase and Haruki Hirukawa couldn't seem more different.

Jin is the perfect student: disciplined, intelligent, obedient, careful. Haruki is the delinquent everyone has already decided is trouble — skipping school, smoking, getting into fights, constantly covered in bruises.

But the longer you watch them, the more you realise that these two boys aren't actually coming from completely different worlds.

They're both lonely.

They're both being shaped by adults who aren't really seeing them.

They're both learning how to make themselves smaller in order to survive.

Haruki's situation is obviously the more brutal one. His father beats him, and the school keeps failing to see what is happening directly in front of them. The bruises. His behaviour. His absences. The alcohol. The fact that this kid is visibly struggling and everyone has already found an easier explanation for it: he's a delinquent.

And that broke my heart.

Because Haruki isn't simply a rebellious teenager who doesn't care about anything. He's a child who has learned that asking for help doesn't work.

And perhaps the most devastating thing Our Youth does is make Jin witness it.

Jin has this very clear worldview: there are perpetrators, victims and bystanders. Three separate categories. Three separate seas that aren't supposed to mix.

And when he sees Haruki's father beating him, Jin chooses to remain a bystander.

That decision matters.

Because Jin isn't cruel. He isn't indifferent. He simply doesn't know how to cross the line between observing someone's suffering and actually becoming involved in it.

Haruki, meanwhile, has almost the opposite problem. He has learned to expect nothing from people, while simultaneously desperately wanting someone to stay.

And then there is Jin.

The irony is that Jin is also being hurt. Just in a much quieter way.

His mother is physically absent but constantly present through her expectations. His father is there in name more than anything else. Jin is praised for being disciplined, successful and well-behaved, but very little of that seems to come from genuine freedom. He has learned to be exactly what everyone expects him to be.

Haruki initially sees Jin as something almost unattainable — an anomaly, someone who belongs to a completely different world. Something he shouldn't be allowed to have.

And yet he keeps coming back.

Again and again.

Until eventually going back to Jin isn't an option anymore, because Haruki has to break the cycle he's been trapped in.

That's what I found so moving about their relationship. Neither of them really saves the other. They simply become the first person who sees the other clearly enough to make change possible.

There is something wonderfully restrained about the way their relationship develops. The show doesn't need to constantly tell us how important they are to each other. It lets little things carry the weight: sharing food, watching films, remembering details, the way they look at each other, the way physical affection gradually becomes something neither of them has to be afraid of.

And then the series grows up with them.

The time jump is bittersweet because they're both better off — but neither of them has simply escaped the consequences of what happened when they were teenagers.

Haruki has found a future for himself. Jin has changed too, although in ways that aren't entirely healthy. Their relationship has survived.

But being together privately is not the same thing as being able to exist openly.

And that's where the final episode got me.

They're sitting around a table with friends they've known since school. Friends who are getting married. Friends who have grown up within the kind of heterosexual life trajectory that everyone simply assumes is normal.

And only a few hours earlier, Jin and Haruki were in bed together.

"Today we'll tell them."

Then Haruki says that he had a crush on Jin back in high school.

And suddenly the silence is deafening.

The faces around the table.

That split second of confusion.

The desperate hope that this must be a joke.

And then:

"Of course it's just a joke."

That moment hurt me more than I expected it to.

Because Jin's nightmare isn't really about his friends rejecting Haruki. It's about the sudden realisation that even the people closest to him don't necessarily know who he is.

So where exactly is he allowed to be himself?

If he can't even tell the people who have known him for years that he loves another man, what does it actually mean to have a life that is his own?

For a series that spends so much time talking about perpetrators, victims and bystanders, I think that's ultimately what Our Youth is interested in.

What happens when you stop being a bystander in your own life?

Haruki has to learn that surviving isn't the same as living.

Jin has to learn that being good, obedient and invisible isn't the same as being happy.

And somewhere between those two things, they find each other.

Our Youth is not a particularly loud series. It doesn't need to be.

It is melancholic and sometimes painfully quiet, but there is so much feeling underneath that quietness. It's a story about two boys who initially seem to come from completely different worlds, only to discover that their loneliness speaks the same language.

And perhaps that's what stayed with me most.

They don't meet because one of them needs to be saved.

They meet because, for once, someone looks across the water and realises:

"Your sea and my sea might not be so different after all."

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Why you should watch this series

started this series because a friend recommended it to me as "the top is always pampering and bottom" " it's a very cute series" i just finished a lot of toxic bl at that time. So i was like "yeah why don't I try a cute bl for a change" mind you it took me so long to watch it cos i felt the name was so long i probably wouldn't enjoy the series.
I will like to say that was a lie, i love it so much that i can't stand not seeing something about it for a day, i have probably made more that 100 edit by now. That's how much I'm into it.
One day someone commented on my post saying " this other couple "the actors " character are not needed" . That's also a lie, cis every couple as their own unique story to tell. We see the series tell a story about
1. Homophobia parents
2. Toxic fandom
3. Entertainment industry
4.controling parent
5. Toxic relationship
6. Depression
7. Wildlife
8. Beautiful Nature
9. Chinese Culture
10. What healthy relationship looks like,and so on.
So it's okay if the series isn't your cup of tea,that wouldn't change the fact that this series is a masterpiece.
Sidenote. I feel like so time we aren't getting the depth of the conversation cos it's more of parables and you have to be into it and understand Chinese very well to actually enjoy
Some certain words used in the series. Love you Zelia Wang.

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A Refreshing Take on Dating Shows: Comforting, Real, and Unforgettable

I started My Sibling's Romance and I just finished it!
I watched the first two episodes and immediately fell in love with it. It has such a warm, comfortable, and cozy vibe; because all the participants are there with their sibling, it genuinely feels like family. Everyone seems so interesting and funny. It took me a solid week to finish it since the episodes are over two hours long, but I enjoyed it from start to finish without skipping anything or watching at 2x speed.
The concept is highly original: a dating show where you are under the watchful eye of your own sibling while having to pretend you are strangers! I absolutely loved it! Even the first episode, which focused solely on the first-day introductions, was incredibly comforting thanks to that cozy, familiar atmosphere. It was touching to see how the sibling connections were kept secret at first, leaving everyone guessing who belonged to whom. As viewers, we weren't kept in suspense for too long, as their identities were revealed at the end of the first episode through a series of deeply moving childhood and teenage photos and videos. I also loved the career introductions done via photo albums and letters written by each participant's sibling.
When it comes to the cast, the best part of dating shows is that you grow attached to real people, each with their own unique facets. In my opinion, most of the participants showed incredible sensitivity, making it impossible for me to rank them! I will say that towards the final episodes, Yong-woo started wavering, making his feelings quite ambiguous. The same goes for Jae-hyung, who suddenly wanted to "get to know new people." But that’s fair and completely understandable!
In the beginning, during the first few episodes, Jeong-sub and Se-seung felt like a sure thing, but going ahead with the episodes they had some fights and misunderstandings, so much so that I actually thought they wouldn't end up together in the final choice. It surprised me, but that's how it went. However, I felt their foundation wasn't very stable, and as I read online, they broke up shortly after the show ended. It makes sense; it takes time to truly know someone, and if things don't click, they don't click. Still, let's not forget how they made our hearts flutter!
On the other hand, I had much higher expectations for Yoon-ha and Yoon-jae. According to what I read online, they had even gotten engaged ! They stayed in a relationship for over a year but eventually broke up due to "reality obstacles" regarding major life decisions (like wedding planning) and a lack of quality time spent together as a normal couple before taking such a big step. Despite their efforts to make it work and their deep affection for each other, they realized it was healthier to part ways, taking different paths to focus on their respective careers and personal growth while continuing to support one another.
Ultimately, what I loved most wasn't the breakups themselves, but the fact that the entire cast remained on excellent terms. As shown in the final minutes of the last episode, they still meet up and hang out as great friends!
Lastly, one of my absolute favorite moments was the sibling choreography contest. They were incredible! My favorites were Jeong-sub and Yoon Ha performing Nagging by IU and Lim Seul-ong, but honestly, everyone was phenomenal!

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Crazy Funny!

This is such an adorably funny creative non-sensical series that if one did not appreciate it, then you have no funny-bone to tickle. One simply cannot take this series with any serious intent. It is satirical; a comedy through and through and I laughed consistently. Honestly, Thai BLs that are ‘comedies’ are exceptionally rare and ones that are done to near perfection are even rarer. This IS funny. It is presented completely in a tongue-in-cheek fashion and I for one utterly enjoyed every minute of it. The whole premise is unmitigatedly absurd, and it was meant to be from the beginning. Although there are certainly poignant moments speckled throughout the series, they become merely more highlighted by the silliness around them.

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Longer Than a Mini-Drama, Yet Somehow Even More Ridiculous

I’ve never seen a female lead this absurdly overpowered before.

I’ve only watched a few episodes, but the pacing already feels more rushed than those 15-minute-per-episode vertical dramas. Things happen at lightning speed with barely any buildup or proper storytelling.

The female lead is supposed to be someone who got a second chance at life, but she acts more like she has a game system guiding her every move. She’s the daughter of a general, yet the writers treat her like she’s the empress of an empire. Every prince wants to marry her as his official wife. Even funnier, there are countless princes around, but somehow they’re all conveniently single—or their previous wives have died—just waiting for the female lead to make her choice.

Her detective skills are downright supernatural. She can identify everything just by smelling people. She catches a prince carrying a woman’s perfume and instantly concludes he’s secretly involved with a dancer. Then she smells a feminine fragrance on another female character and somehow jumps straight to, “Ah, she’s disguised as a man.” 🤡

The only reason I’m still watching is because the cast is ridiculously attractive. I’m curious whether the story will improve later.

Oh, and one last thing—the male lead has the exact same “look at me, I’m so cool” acting style as Zhang Linghe. Did they attend the same acting class or what? It’s painfully cheesy.

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worse if not the worst work of Zhang Linghe

this is totally my pov. it's okay even if no one agrees with me but I'm disappointed at the story build-up!
I'm used to watching Zhang Linghe as an intelligent, smart character guy but in this drama he literally is just a dumb guy, an emotional fool. i get it he has trauma but the dynamic between ml & fl is too cliché, repeatedly annoying. the only thing that kept me going to finish the drama is visual✨ & ost 🤌 in the first few episodes the story was advancing quite nicely but idk what happened in the middle. after destroying the huo family they should have finished the drama there with showing their happily ever after but no that killing Li Rongzhan troop was really unnecessary.

Literally everyone (good or bad) died except the male & female lead. does it make any sense? the second couple too they did not have any sweet moments together! also how can a mother be thaaaat crazy like cheng zingdi? ridiculous! she didn't raise her daughter, her second son & mostly her 1st son. wtf did she even do? crazy woman! no i won't try to understand her character either.
btw i liked ren susu eyeliner. can someone make a tutorial for that please??
i hope zhang Linghe chooses better script next time and yeah poj was his peak he just proved that with overdo. i was really excited for this drama after watching the trailer but got equally disappointed!

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Forced myself to watch it at first bcz of low rating and also bcz they both are my favourite actors, 1st few ep actually felt boring then after 10 12 ep I somehow started to like the drama but they dragged the drama too much. They should have ended it after susu got her revenge on the hou family but unfortunately they kept dragging it and then in the end left all of us traumatized. 😭😭

I would say if you wanna watch it go give it a try .Don't drop it too early but you should be ready to accept the ending and trauma this drama will give you . You will either like this drama or hate it so much

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The Same High School BL Trope With One Seat Change and I Still Fall for It Every Time

Japan, you have done it again. Give me the same high school BL trope for the hundredth time and somehow I will still be completely hooked. There is just something about Japanese BLs that makes them so awkward, wholesome, and strangely addictive in the best possible way.

As the title says, After Moving Seats, the Boy Behind Me Has a Crush on Me begins with a simple classroom seat change that unexpectedly turns Mayama's quiet school life upside down. Mayama is a loner with no close friends, but he is such a kind, gentle, and adorable character that it is impossible not to like him. After finding a handwritten confession from the popular and handsome Asamiya, he naturally assumes it has to be a mistake. Instead of dragging out the misunderstanding, they meet face to face almost immediately, and Asamiya honestly tells him that the confession was always meant for him.

I really liked how the drama skipped the usual long misunderstanding and got straight to the point. Asamiya knows exactly who he likes and is completely confident about his feelings, which made the confession feel refreshing instead of frustrating.

The first episode was incredibly cute, heartwarming, and moved at a nice pace without feeling like a slow burn. The music also matched the soft and cozy atmosphere perfectly.

Even though the storyline is one we have seen countless times in Japanese BLs, it feels fresh because of its warm, comforting vibe and lovable characters. I already know this is going to become one of my comfort shows over the next few weeks, and I cannot wait to see how Mayama and Asamiya's relationship develops.

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Full of Aura Farming

It starts as a slow and casual office drama, but the story keeps getting bigger and bigger with every episode. The writing is surprisingly strong, and every character feels well-developed. Just when you think you've figured everything out, another satisfying plot twist changes the game.

The main character is the highlight of the drama. Watching them outsmart everyone and slowly build their aura with every challenge is incredibly satisfying. Some of the supporting characters also have excellent development, to the point that I couldn't believe how much they had changed by the end.

Overall, this is an amazing K-drama. A slow start, but once it finds its rhythm, it never looks back.

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