Reviews

What's Not to Love About Spooky in Love

I just finished this Kdrama. You can read below my initial impressions. Now for the review after completing it.

This Kdrama had all the characteristics of a good rom com Kdrama. Here are what I consider the strengths:
1. Good actors - it was nice to see Park Eun Bin again. It had been awhile since I saw one of her dramas. She is really good in it, and when you have a decent storyline, she can make it shine.

Ong Seong Wu, a favorite of mine. I think this is the first drama where I've seen him play the antagonist. I like that he is spreading his wings in to other roles. It shows his acting range. His character had a good mix of menace, ambition, and a little lost mixed in. He showed a range of emotions, and I thought he did it well.

Yang Se Jong - I very much enjoyed his Gang Uk. He had that mix of goofy sexiness that can be really appealing. I said this before, but he reminds me of Rowoon. I hope Se Jong's career continues to flourish and I will be on the lookout for future dramas with him.

Kim do Wan - was really good at the spoiled, entitled asshole who went down the wrong road. It's hard to resist a sexy bad-boy.

There were good supporting characters who added to storylines, and scenes when we needed a laugh. The two Hymeonis were endearing, Yeori's aunt and cousins were both annoying and funny, and who didn't love Gang Uk's staff? And Yeori's staff...I loved those two!! I wish they had more scenes.

2. The storyline flowed moving it forward without too much lag or repeating subplots.
3. There were the typical cliches, but they fit the storyline and at times fit the conflicting narrative. For instance, Yeori's not touching anyone. Here she is, the heroine, the good girl, the perfect person, CEO, yet when presented with a situation like helping a fallen child, she pulls her hands away. This conflicting behavior was added in all the right places.
4. The ending. The story wrapped up nice and neat without unnecessary and over-the-top-scenes. I loved the ending scene of Yeori and Gang Uk walking at her families property holding hands. It was just the right ending.

Weaknesses:
I really enjoyed the storylines with the ghosts. I wished there would have been more of them. I wish we would have had hints of Jiwan's ghost with her. I thought this was a part of the story that didn't get enough airtime and could have been developed further. I really liked the scene where the ghosts were giving Yeori their warmth. It was very heartwarming and brought a tear to my eye.

There were some dumb scenes, like Yeori pushing Gang Uk out of the way only to be hit by the truck. The length of time she stood there watching the truck come at her was too long. It made the scene unbelievable. Also, her lying to Gang Uk about heading to Seung Jae's. After all they had been through together, she lies to him? That didn't make sense. But this is part of Kdrama weirdness that says, "If there is danger to be had, I will face it completely alone." In Kdramaland, people don't act like normal human beings. You just have to understand that.

All in all it was a good drama. I would highly recommend it.


This is after watching 6 episodes:
I'm writing this mainly for those who are still new to Kdramas and after watching the first 6 episodes. This drama has absolutely the best of all the reasons why I fell in love with Kdramas.

1. Kdrama cliches - Yes, there was a time when I thought they were cringy, but now they are endearing. If you think there are "things" you see when watching a series and you say to yourself "you're kidding, right?", then you've experienced the cringe. However, watch enough of these dramas and surprisingly, you will enjoy those parts. For example, the "sudden stumble turned-into a lip-lock" with the two main leads. Episode 6 had one and I loved it! There was a time when I would have said, "oh, brother that's so unrealistic." But now, I laugh, I applaud, I love it. It's just one of the many ways I love Korean entertainment.

2. The acting and the actors!!! This drama has some of my absolute favorites, and they are just wonderful. I have been a fan of Park Eun Bin since The King's Affection and still can't get enough of her work. Likewise, Ong Seong Wu has been a favorite since More Than Friends (one of my top 5 dramas of all time). New to me is Yang Se Jong. The charisma and sex appeal coming off of this actor is blowing my away. He's both goofy and sexy at the same time, which is hard to believably pull off, but he's doing it. I'm really enjoying his main male lead and finding myself looking up to see what other work he has done. Dare I say he's a formidable competitor of another sexy/goofy actor--Rowoon. The scenes with Eun bin's Yeo ri and Se Jong's Gang Uk are a mix of irritation yet sweet, awkward attraction that is funny yet leaves the viewer wanting more. This is the right mix to connect the characters to the viewer and keep them tuned in. This drama has the great combination of smart writing and great acting.
3. The storyline - full of twists and turns. Yes, it has the usual "chaebol" family theme, but has a twist this time with an heiress instead of heir, that sees ghosts and can pass this along to someone else by just touching them. Heiresses are usually fashion icons, which our main female lead is, but with the addition of wearing gloves all the time. What's up with that, right? Another twist--the two leads are attracted to each other but cannot touch else she passes along the curse of also seeing ghosts, so it leads to all kinds of funny, comical avoidance-type situations. Yes, it's kinda stupid, but when you're used to Kdrama behavior, it's comical. It makes me laugh. And, it shows the sense of humor of the writer. The awkwardness between the male and female leads when they are close to each other isn't passed off as normal in this drama. Instead, it's part of the plot. Take one beautiful, single, rich heiress and put her together with a sexy but kind and caring male and of course something will ignite...BUT she can't touch him or else he will be cursed along with her. So, you can see where this leads to all sorts of funny and awkward situations. These aren't the usual cliches'.

I love that a historical element has been added to the mix. The story of forbidden love from the Josean Era and our two main leads have to solve the mystery. There is also the typical evil-doing by others to try to thwart our two main leads in getting together. Jo Hye Joo is doing a superb job of playing the jealous, bitch-from-hell stirring up all sorts of trouble.

It's the typical Kdrama rom com with so much more added in. Give it a whirl...I think you will enjoy it.

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For their first acting project together, they did a good job. 🤍 The series even brought a few tears to my eyes, which is always a plus.

That said, I think the story had the potential to be even better. With a little more development and a few different choices, it could have been a much stronger series. ✨

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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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Great Start; After That, Dissapointing.

I watched the first episode and felt completely in love. The dynamic, the gritty storyline, the many-sided suffering of the main character, everything felt thrilling and so unlike typical Thai BL.

With E2, I had some questions. With 3, I had even more of them. By the time I watched E5, I felt a growing sense of disappointment and realization that I wasn't going to get what I was hoping for.

I didn't understand the first meeting between the characters. I didn't understand the awkward, seemingly random attempt at a beating. I didn't understand what they liked about each other; I didn't understand why Sunny was so focused on Sun yet didn't bother to find out what he looked like, even though everyone saw the photos; I didn't understand why revenge wasn't going anywhere; I didn't understand the humor since it seemed very out of place. I didn't understand where the acting plot was, why so much attention was given to secondary characters, why rich sponsors had to force younger actors to serve them at a gunpoint, etc.

So I went to read the novel, and I was floored because it answered every single question. Half of the confusing scenes weren't present at all; other scenes were given excellent context. The series failed to adapt it. They removed at least 60% of crucial moments, and worse, they completely forgot about revenge and defanged the main character, aka Jay.

In the novel, he's a full-blown psychopath. He's possessive, obsessive, manipulative, cold as ice; he goes through his life without feeling anything until he meets Sun. In the series, he's a mild orange flag. He's so much softer, so much more emotional, and not possessive at all. I just don't understand this weird desire to take a novel with dark characters and twist it into something light.

The revenge is extremely unsatisfying. This series has a ton of useless filler instead; they probably thought people would like it more? I don't know. It doesn't make sense, especially considering the show is called Payback. Everything really starts and ends in the last episode only, and it's very rushed. There is no slower downfall; the main antagonist is handled by the police, of all things. If it could be so simple, why did no one call the police earlier?? The novel's retribution is so much more impactful, and it leaves you forever wondering how big of a role Jay played in it.

I do not recommend this series at all. Ideally, you can watch E1 and then switch to the novel. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. The actors are mostly okay, though they do have occasional issues; the OST is fantastic, and the NC scenes are phenomenal, but that's it.

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A god sent for manhwa readers

"Payback" is a gift sent by God to all manhwa readers. This is the most accurate live-action adaptation of a manhwa, from the line delivery and scene sequencing to, of course, the casting.

Everyone did a fantastic job bringing "Payback" to life. The story was already great in the original version. The issues it tackles are highly controversial; while we might not have hard evidence that these things actually happen in the entertainment industry, we cannot prove they do not either. It is no surprise the adaptation is this good, since Sammon is the screenwriter (I love all of her work).

The main leads' chemistry is surprisingly excellent, especially given that this is their first project together and they are relatively new to the BL genre. And don't even get me started on their NC (no-children/mature) scenes—those are just WOW! Pure "wow," "woah," and "ack!"

The production value is great too; you can really see the quality. Plus, the OST is quite unique and fits the series perfectly.

Once again, I want to commend the casting, from the main leads to the supporting roles. Shout out to Boss CKM! He is exceptionally handsome in this series. I find myself wanting to pause the screen every time he appears. LOL, bye!

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A wonderfully normal drama series

The lines in episode one: It reminded me of how i came upon my love for cooking. My purpose for cooking is not because i want tot be a great mom or be a great wife. I just really love to cook so many delicious food, and have somebody say that it "tastes so good!"
-------------- As a single woman who loves to cook, i loved these words! That is exactly why i love to cook. So this drama hit a personal note for me, i often bring things that i've cooked or baked to my neighbors.

I loved this slow burn and relaxed drama. No toxicity, no "drama" just wonderfully normal. As a person who loves to cook, this drama was right up my ally.
The production, acting, visuals and music were good.

The mains had very good dynamics.

If you want to watch a nice and relaxed drama, this is the one to watch.

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The Wanted Detective

Gostei de The Wanted Detective, mas não cheguei a amar. O drama tem uma proposta muito mais voltada para investigação e mistério do que para romance. O início é muito bom e prende a atenção logo de cara com a dinâmica do protagonista sendo acusado de um crime que não cometeu. Os personagens são carismáticos, o grupo tem uma ótima química como equipe, e a história flui muito bem durante boa parte da trama. A primeira metade foi, sem dúvida, a minha parte favorita.

Ao final, algumas coisas me decepcionaram. A impressão que tive foi que o roteiro decidiu despejar todos os pontos restantes da trama de uma vez, de forma apressada só para encerrar a história. Ainda assim, tem partes boas. Os personagens são fáceis de gostar e os casos investigativos conseguem despertar curiosidade! O casal é fofo mas não tem tanta química, mas isso é porque a trama foca mais em investigação e suspense mesmo.

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I was so disappointed. 😔 The series had a lot of potential, but it felt rushed and underdeveloped.
If they had spent more time building the story and giving the characters more depth, I think it could have been a much stronger series. It had the foundation to be something really good, but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to its potential.

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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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For Toptap's first leading series, he did an incredible job. 🤍 He really impressed me, and it was so much fun to watch the chemistry between the two main leads.

I genuinely loved this series, and I honestly think it's one of the best BLs Thailand has released this year. ✨

.. ... ... .... .... .... .... .. .. ... ... .... .... .... .... .. .. ... ..

🌸✨🌈 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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So Cheesy, made me want more!

I'm so emotional knowing this is really the end... the actual end. It feels like I'm closing a huge chapter of comfort, and I'm already feeling nostalgic. T-T

I'm genuinely impressed by this spin-off. There are only four episodes, and yet it somehow has EVERY-THING it needs.

You can really see that Peach and Kian's relationship is built to last. It's just incredibly heartwarming watching them love each other so deeply and flourish in the life they've built together. I also loved watching Peach deal with Khun Tee's silly personality. Honestly, every single interaction between them is overflowing with love. I don't think I've ever seen a couple complement each other so perfectly while bringing this much comfort to the audience.

I was also really happy to see Mok and Khun Tee's relationship explored a little more. And having the trio back together with Rome not only gives us a better understanding of their past, but also adds so many tender moments.

And I'm not even going to start talking about Rome and Mok because... LORD. We were so spoiled in only four episodes. Watching them fall so hopelessly in love is painfully beautiful... and incredibly addictive.

I was honestly pretty hesitant about Aran and Tawan at first (because let's be honest, that man is a walking red flag). But it was surprisingly satisfying to watch him genuinely try to become a better person. That kind of redemption probably only exists in dramas... but I'll take it. They're ridiculously adorable too.

And you know who else is adorable? Mira and Plub. And the kids.

Honestly, this whole drama is just one giant dose of happiness, warmth, and pure sweetness.

I absolutely loved it. And I'm definitely not being objective when I say this because, honestly, I think this BL brings comfort to anyone willing to give it a chance.

You just have to let your heart be carried away by all the warmth it has to offer.

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Weird ending

The shows story was interesting, its great to watch somwthing with action, crime and serious topics. 2 leads are amazing, i loved them. Few spicy scenes and kisses were amazing, those boys were HUNGRY. Especially for KBL standards. Well done.

I feel like show took a downward turn in the last few episodes, and i was a bit confused by the ending: (slight spoiler ahead)

I wasnt sure if that last scene was really happening or it was a dream. I was convinced its a dream/ happening in someones mind. The beach scene came out of nowhere after characters were in the hospital.

Also, i very much disliked the use of AI in intro and that sea was also AI.

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Desenvolvimento e potencial da protagonista na primeira temporada

Apesar da ideia de um aplicativo de celular que encontra sua alma gêmea e a crítica à dependência eleotrônica e como isso afeta a saúde das pessoas, principalmente a saúde mental, o roteiro peca na questão do desenvolvimento da personagem principal, Kim Jojo, que parece ser a mesma em todos os oito episódios da primeira temporada.
Mesmo que a primeira parte seja mais para contextualização sobre a vida da personagem e como ela se relaciona com outras pessoas, ainda assim é necessário que Jojo tenha um arco completo e amadureça ao longo do tempo, não apenas na segunda temporada. É claro, ela vai errar, mas tem que aprender com seus erros e evoluir com eles, para que novos problemas apareçam e ela tenha mais maturidade para lidar com eles, tanto os mais simples quanto os mais complexos.
E essa personagem tinha um grande potencial, porém ele foi jogado totalmente para escanteio a partir do momento no qual o roteiro decide, quando ela realmente consegue andar para a frente, volta atrás em decisões e toma atitudes não muito legais e condizentes.
Sim, ela é adolescente no início, e adolescentes erram, assim como todas as pessoas. Ainda assim, não é certo que uma trama que prega as críticas que Love Alarm tem , o roteiro faça a protagonista parecer sonsa algumas vezes e, praticamente, voltar à estaca zero em determinado momento.
Em questões técnicas como fotografia, atuação e trilha sonora, não há muitas reclamações. Na verdade, todos trabalham muito bem em conjunto, inclusive com a iluminação apresentada nas cenas.

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What a show

This drama was a slow burn but the payoff of the last few arcs felt so incredibly worth it. The premise of a ‘reincarnation’ or a second-time loop is well-executed in this show and really pulled on enjoyable threads of a second chance. TLDR: an enjoyable story with great characters that paint a really interesting picture of court politics and family tensions, ambitions and romance.

SPOILERS below

I was really hesitant about this show at first because Li Rong being in love with Su Rongqing was such a hurdle for me to move past considering the fact that the story seems to be about her love story with Pei Wenxuan. Also Li Rong was such an emotionally constrained character for a lot of the early episodes that it remained really hard to get a read on her. Her character’s growth was deeply enjoyable to watch, especially considering that she comes back with the memories of her 40-year-old self. Li Rong’s initiative and strong personality shone throughout, so her antics of trying to manoeuvre the court politics and not end up in the same patterns as the past were also interesting to watch unfold. To sum up, she’s a fantastic, strong female lead.

The side characters such as Shangguan Ya, Su Ronghua, Li Chuan and Qin Zhen Zhen were really compelling and well-written. I was deeply invested in Shangguan Ya’s character and the relationship between her, Zhen Zhen and Rong. Su Ronghua was such a fantastic character. He was so loyal to his family, but still so in love with Shangguan Ya. I love a yearner - I actually deeply enjoy that we got to see their story play out tragically in the past. Their story is one of the great payoffs from the later arcs of the show.

Su Rongqing was one of those characters that DEEPLY frustrated me every time he was on screen. Honestly, at first it was the bias because I didn’t know who to root for, and he was part of the love triangle and I despise a love triangle. However, as the show unfolded, it became obvious that despite spending years with her, Rongqing did not understand Li Rong. His plan was honestly wild to me, but considering the past he lived through, it’s understandable that he wanted to do whatever it took to avoid that outcome. He really consistently created tension and seemed to be a fairly formidable opponent for Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan, so in that sense, despite the frustration - he was a good villain. His ending in the show deeply satisfied me.

The court politics was a little hard to handle for me at first because I’m not one who loves politics, but by episode 10 I really wanted to know how it all played out. The emperor, the in-fighting, the clans and familial ties that were testing each character’s loyalty at various points were all pretty compelling. There were pieces that didn’t fully make sense to me like the emperor’s motivations, or the later arc with Li Cheng but it’s still a drama so there’s got to be some leeway.

Lastly, my favorite character of the show: Pei Wenxuan- what a man, what a yearner. He’s definitely written by a woman haha. His consistency and love for Li Rong were so heart-warming. There was so much about his story with Li Rong that was so satisfying to watch: him learning to overcome his pride, trying to avoid past mistakes, learning how to work through difficulties and communicate, and working as a team with Li Rong. Their past was really tragic too so it was the best part of the show to see him do so much better this time around. He was also still fallible, so it was beautiful seeing him try to actually work through mistakes because he knew the cost and weight of them. There were so many enjoyable moments like him knowing her favorite flower was buttercups so he planted a field of them. It was also beautiful how some of her ambitions came from being inspired from his dreams and things he did in their past life- so seeing them work together as a team in this life was just so fulfilling. He was a great character and I love how he loves Li Rong.

Lastly, a big round of applause for the score, because it had some pieces that I really enjoyed. All in all, there were of course still some melodramatic moments and antics that are typical of a C-drama, but I really enjoyed how it unfolded.

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A notch in the Thai BL Belt that redefines what can and SHOULD be delivered

I'll start this review by stating that I have not read the source material for this adaptation. So I had no real expectations going into this and wasn't really sure if it would land anywhere in the realm of relevance in my overall year of favorites. But wow, my mind is absolutely BLOWN at how incredible this series unfolded week after week. I think seriously, this is the refresh I needed from Thailand, who in my opinion has been complacent and lazy in a lot of their releases within the last few years.

Payback dedicated itself to staying true to the source material through and through. I would see people post side by sides of the manhwa and the series and they were matching almost completely. Which is a triumph of the production as a whole, from the script, to the casting, the directing, etc. It literally proves that it CAN be done, it's just a matter of is the production of it WILLING to go the extra mile.

Something else I am stoked about is that Minlee and Toptap are newcomers to the BL world and well, they knocked it out of the park. You can see the effort from their side as well. And it's not only them, but ALL of the lively mix of actors that also brought their characters to life in the best ways. It really was a top tier crew from top to bottom and no effort was wasted. They all deserve their flowers.

This series with Sun's trauma and his story of self punishment turned to revenge, only to land on the one thing that matters most -- his want to live and THRIVE. It's beautiful really, how Sun walked through more than half of this series with an expressionless face, but his eyes held the wounded heart and all the turmoil he'd been holding in. And it's not even when his tears come that you feel relief, it's in the small crumbs of a smile that Jay worked out of him one day at a time. The way it breaks over his face and it feels like the clouds parting wonderfully to let Sun SHINE. And oh, he does.

And while the story is founded around Sun's POV, the remaining story was equally heavy. The way the entertainment works in general and those that prey on newcomers and established actors alike for the sake of an opportunity... It's not an easy thing to shine the light upon, but it does force you to realize that these kinds of things DO exist and ARE happening. And I hope there's more Jay's in the world who will destroy them from the inside out.

The series was so good that it even landed a perfectly executed finale. I was hoping for a 2hr runtime and was initially disappointed that it was it was like an hour and 15mins instead. I didn't really think they could steer the ship to the end in a way that would be satisfying enough--BUT!!! Then it did? I was shocked and gob smacked. And honestly when those credits started rolling for the last time, I teared up.

What a journey! But I'm so glad to have been a part of it as a viewer because it was well worth the weekly heartaches waiting for the next episode. This series is going at the very top of my favorites list of 2026 and I don't think there will be anything else that will come along from now until the end of December that can knock it off that shelf. I hope this series, Minlee and Toptap all get their accolades for their job well done. I look forward to the special episode and also the Payback fan tour that will also be coming the states. I hope there's a date in California. *fingers crossed*

No matter what, the future is VERY bright for both of them and I'm excited to see where they go from here.

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