Reviews

Compelling. Prepare for binge watching

The series draws you in right from the start.
Your eyebrows will be raised before the opening credits are starting.
It serves a compelling story about the ugly side of the entertainment business combined with a great OST (the intro song slapped. No skipping on my part 😁), good cinematography and a cast full of face cards, who displayed the necessary acting skills.
So far, so good. All in all one of the better Thai dramas out there, and definitely worthwhile to watch.

But I had my grievances with some story parts, too. So I need to rant a little.

+++ Spoilers +++

Sky's camera phobia.
His trauma response and how it got treated literally and figuratively didn't make much sense in my eyes.
He got a contract with Dreams, but both parties didn't pursue a therapy option right from the bat to broaden his prospects and to increase his market value? Really?!
Then Sun comes along, recommends it and without further ado Sky is off to therapy and his trauma gets treated. Voila.
Atp I expected at least something along the lines like "tried therapy before, didn't work" or some other explanation for Sky's untreated trauma response.
Nope.

The payback/revenge agenda of both MCs.
Got multiple times mentioned throughout the show, but felt more like lip service with each new episode than setting things up to reach that goal.
It might make sense for Sun's character development from guilt ridden self punishment to a more positive mindset, but it fell flat for Jay's arc.
After all the revenge talk at the beginning, which built up our expectations as viewers - how it got executed in the finale felt anticlimactic. Like the promise of (at least small) fireworks, but getting handed some sparklers instead.

The finale.
Aside from the too thinly fleshed out revenge plot did the story progress at a good pace until the last episode.
Sadly here the writing encountered some bumps in the road.
The revenge execution felt too much like a hastily last minute arranged strategy, based solely on legal technicalities. For viewers less enjoyable and satisfying than a good right hook.
How the villains got punished left me regarding the director and Sunny with mixed feelings too.
The director, because it felt too out of left field. A writer's cop out.
And Sunny - he was a despicable and vile character. His actions deserved a hard punishment. But is to violent r*pe him, concealed as livestreaming content, the right way? Tbh, I have no answer to that question.

While these are the main reasons, why I rate this drama only 8,5/10, despite the fact, that I liked it A LOT, I want to point out some positive things before ending my ramblings.

* The rooftop scene, when Sun acted the suicide scene purely based on his own interpretation. For me one of the most impactful moments of the show. It told us so much about his mindset.
* The small makeshift family of Sun, Sky and the manager. Our likable underdogs. I rooted for success for each of them.
* The romance. At the beginning I was on the fence, because of how Jay enforced some kisses. But after a while it became obvious, that these two had their own special dynamic going, which was working for both sides. The well made NC scenes were telling in that regard.
* How Sun's acting career was written for the final send off: a small supportive role as starting point for him as an actor instead of instant leading role in a major project.
* Boss as photographer. Tyvm. 😁 😘

Definitely a show to watch. Fully recommended from my side despite some shortcomings.

Read More

Every manwha adaption needs to take notes

As someone who did not finish the manwha and had absolutely no faith in Thailand adapting this story, I am absolutely glad I gave this adaption a chance and everyone that was a fan of the book should give this series a chance as well. It is captivating , moving, toxic but heartwarming series that deserves the hype Revenge Love received. Every episode was intriguing, keeping me at the edge of my seat and wanting more. I want to take a moment to appreciate the acting, especially the main leads.

Min Lee as Sun- Absolutely breathtaking. When I saw that another member from Boys Planet (the gayest show produced) was casted in a bl, I was taken a back to say the least. But the minute I saw his face, I knew he was Yoohan (Sun). In the show, he portrays grief, guilt, sadness so well. My heart breaks for Sun as we continued to get more of his backstory, and Min's acting shined whenever he appeared on screen. Sun as a character rarely speaks, but the audience still feel the vulnerability of Sun. He is lead character (the character wanting payback), and it can be hard to have the whole show completely on your shoulders, where the audience is mostly following you and your story. For some, it can be hard to pull off. But Min captivated the audience. I felt every emotion he felt at the time, whether it was pain and guilt, and at the end, happiness and comfort. I could not have asked for a better actor to play Sun. Also Min is beautiful. His eyes were so expressive, his microexpressions had me going to back scenes and rewatching. His eyes makes me think of Onsga from The Edge of Horizon (another exceptional show)

Toptap as Jay- It is very rare, at least in the Thai Bl acting industry, to come across an actor who completely embodies a role. For an actor to act not only by speaking, but using his body to convey a character. The way he walked, talked, moved his body had me screaming. When I first saw the trailer, I did not think he was Jay. But my the first episode, his introduction, the way he looked in the suit, I knew I was wrong. Toptap essence as Jay needs to be studied, For an beginner, his acting clears actors who have been in bls for years. You can pinpoint exactly when Jay began to like Sun because of Toptap's acting. You can tell when Jay started care for Sun, started to want Sun and wanted to save Sun. I only hope that he continues to get projects that challenge him as an actor. He just landed on my lap, but I will continue to watch everything he is in, even if the plot is not good because I know he would absolutely devour the role (put please let the future plots be good he deserves nothing less) Did I mention he looks hot in a suit and is fine as fuck? His aura in this show reminds me of Park Seo Jun in What's Wrong with Sectartary Kim?

The acting from the supporting characters, from Fuaiz, Shogun and Khunnote was great as well. I am truly impressed with everything in this series.

JaySun might be one of my favorite characters and couple of all time. They are both morally grey, but they work so well because they understand each other's pain. Jay is able to understand what Sun is feeling, even when pushes him away and pretends he does not want Jay's affection. Both characters need therapy, but they care so deeply for each other that it's easy to root for them as a couple. Together, they make complete sense.

Toptap and Min Lee's chemistry was crackling. It is very rare for me to get butterflies during scenes but while watching this show I got butterflies, heart palpations, EVERYTHING! I am normally one of the bl fans that want actors to experiment with other actors but I truly want TT ML to continue to work together for my sanity. I need at least 5 more projects from them. In my opinion, Payback is the series of the year, and everyone should watch it and appreciate this masterpiece.

It is very rare for a show to be engaging from start to finish, with every episode ranging from 50 minutes to an 1hr but feels like 5 minutes. You will come for the plot but stay because of the captivating chemistry between the leads and the enchanting acting of the main leads. When I say PAYBACK is the show of the year, I wholeheartedly mean it.

Read More

Great show, but..

I loved this show. It hooked me up straight away, since the first episode.
I have an 8 as score just because sometimes it seemed rushed and confusing in vetting parts, and obviously for something that many viewers I'm sure, will agree with me about.

What the hell happened at the end.
How and why she became a Jinniya?! How and why she appeared to her friend in the cemetery?

This half ass explanation is all we get in the show,

"after a thousand years love with a genie, you have now become a Jinniya" That part just didn't make any sense.

First, what genie are we talking about because Iblis is dead so he can't be the genie they are talking about,and then, a1000 years?!? She died like few days before this scene.

So sorry but the last episode was just very messy and inconsistent with the story so far. It's a pity because up until that point the show was great.

Read More

PERFECT, Gentle and light, couldn’t stop smiling

It was so cute. Omg after having watched so many dramas only a few hit every now and then. This one is definitely one of them. It was so cute. So freaking good that I was squeeling and couldn’t stop smiling. I loved how it didn’t follow the usual cross dressing stories plot line where the boy finds later girl has to hide and face major consequences. I loved how the guy found it out as early lmao. Also nothing rly serious or stressful happened except for so 21 where it was like omg why did they suddenly bring such an evil mom arc even when his mom already has u know softened. I liked that it was light throughout and never boring. I loved how it starts with a disclaimer by author that this sort of crossdressing scenario is only in fiction and never in real life. Also oh my god the male lead, is amazingly perfect. When I say perfect I don’t mean to say the kind of perfect u see usually in some cliche dramas where the male lead is good at everything, and popular and all. No. When I say perfect I mean, he has ego, he is smart but not arrogant and he is rlly positive and the good kind of positive sly. He is kind too. Omg this is the first male lead about whom I have not even a single complaint. I never hated him for even a second in the whole drama. Same with the female lead. She is perfect but not the cliche perfect. She is kind, cheerful and again no ego. Omg they r both just so innocent yet a power couple in their own soft gentle way. Ugh I love the gentleness of this romance. Wow. I love it. I’m just so glad I started this. Definitely one of my all time favs.

Read More

Chemistry so insane I thought the actors were dating IRL

The sweetest first love story imaginable, the yearning was insane.

I WILL NOT accept any slander towards Zhou Wan. Y'all are messed up if you believe that Zhou Wan didn't deserve Lu Xixao. Was it right for her to use Lu Xixao for her own means? No, but she was doing it to save her grandmother. She's 18 years old, in debt, and her only family in the world is dying. She literally had no other options.

Was it depressing af to watch her leave Lu Xixao in the most twisted Hide n Seek game possible? Yes. Could this 10-year old breakup been avoided if she just had a conversation with him? Yes but that would not be her character. People are forgetting that she is as in love with him as he with her but she grew up believing that she's a burden and to hide her emotions for the sake of others. The love of her life got hurt protecting her and one of the only family members he trust told her to leave him. That breakup broke the BOTH of them and honestly me too.

I thank the Cdrama gods for Lu Xixao because no matter how much Zhou Wan hurts him, he never gave up. He called out her lies and when they finally reunited, he folded like a wet paper towel. I just love a ML who knows what and who he wants, it's always been her.

Read More

Payback is a remarkable masterpiece of 2026 bl productions.

I started watching Payback after seeing the trailers online. The promotional material immediately caught my attention because the cinematography looked beautiful and the storyline seemed intriguing. I was also excited to see a cast made up mostly of newcomers. I always enjoy discovering new actors at the beginning of their careers, so that was one of the biggest reasons I decided to give this series a chance.

From the very first episode, the drama kept me invested. The plot builds suspense at just the right pace without becoming repetitive or dragging the story down. There is always enough happening to keep the audience engaged while still allowing emotional moments to breathe. What impressed me the most was that, for the first time in a long while, I didn't skip a single scene. Normally, if a drama starts to feel slow, I'll find myself jumping ahead to the next interesting moment. With Payback, that never happened. Every episode held my attention from beginning to end because I genuinely wanted to know what would happen next.

The cast was another major strength of the series. The main actors delivered convincing performances that made their characters feel authentic. The standout performance for me was Sunny, the main antagonist. His portrayal was so believable that I found myself genuinely resenting the character, which is always a sign of a great villain. He brought intensity to every scene and made the conflict feel real.

The supporting cast also deserves recognition. Sky, in particular, impressed me with his emotional performance. One of his scenes, especially when he experiences a panic attack, felt incredibly realistic. His acting communicated fear and vulnerability so well that I could feel his emotions through the screen. It was one of the most memorable moments in the drama.

Despite the serious themes, the series also balances its tone with humour. Jay's uncle and the manager provided plenty of comic relief without disrupting the emotional weight of the story. Their interactions felt natural and often lightened the mood at exactly the right moments. The manager's relationship with the younger characters was especially entertaining, giving off the energy of an exhausted father trying to keep a group of chaotic but lovable kids under control.

I also appreciated the character development throughout the series. Sky's growth as an actor was satisfying to watch, especially since the drama explores the entertainment industry itself. We see his confidence and abilities develop over time. The main lead also undergoes a compelling transformation, moving from someone consumed by revenge to someone who ultimately chooses happiness and a future worth living for. These character arcs made the story even more rewarding.

From a production standpoint, Payback is visually impressive. The directing, cinematography and colour grading all contribute to a polished viewing experience. Every scene feels carefully crafted, making the series enjoyable to watch. While I didn't pay much attention to the soundtrack, the overall production quality was consistently strong.

My only criticism is the final episode. After such well-paced storytelling throughout the first nine episodes, the ending felt rushed. I believe the drama would have benefited from at least 12 episodes. More time could have been spent showing the villains facing the consequences of their actions, as well as allowing Sun's acting career to flourish so we could fully enjoy his success. I also would have loved to see Sunny witness that success while continuing to struggle with the consequences of his own choices. In my opinion, the villains got off too easily. They should have been forced to live with the consequences of what they had done rather than receiving such an easy way out. Those moments deserved a little more room to breathe instead of being wrapped up so quickly. However, considering this is an adaptation of a manhwa, which I haven't read, it's possible the drama simply stayed faithful to the original ending.

Overall, Payback exceeded my expectations. It offers an engaging story, strong performances and excellent production values. The cast fits their roles perfectly, making every character feel believable and memorable. I would highly recommend this drama not only to BL fans but also to anyone looking for a well-acted series with compelling storytelling, emotional character development and consistently entertaining pacing.

Read More

A corporate drama done right

i've never watched a drama that's centered around the corporate world and business with almost no romance before, so this was a really refreshing watch. it's honestly the perfect drama for corporate slaves because i'm pretty sure they'll relate to all the office politics and workplace drama.

it was so entertaining and full of plot twists that kept me hooked the whole time. the writing was amazing and the plot was really well done. personally, i enjoyed jeon hyejin's acting the most. i remember being so impressed by her performance.

overall, i think everything was great, but the ending felt like it was missing something. it wasn't bad but i just wish it had wrapped things up a little better.

Read More

Let's save Kim Minji!

The biggest strength of Agent Kim Reactivated is the present-day storyline. Every new step our characters take, in order to save Kim Minji, crackles with energy, the humor lands naturally, and the cast has enough charisma to make even the quieter moments entertaining. The leads are effortlessly badass without feeling invincible, and beneath all the action is a surprisingly warm, heartfelt story about loyalty and friendship.

I understand why the writers wanted to flesh out everyone's past, but not every mystery needs an answer. Sometimes, what's left unsaid is far more interesting than a full explanation. A little restraint would've made these characters even more intriguing, and I often found myself wishing the drama would hurry back to the present timeline, where it's firing on all cylinders.

Still, that's a minor gripe in what has otherwise been a ridiculously entertaining watch. It's funny, emotional, fast-paced, and packed with characters worth rooting for. More importantly, it's one of those rare action-comedies that remembers the comedy shouldn't come at the expense of genuine emotional investment.

Read More

Spooky, not so much, but extremely fun

Obviously the show is ongoing, so my review may change later, but I'm enjoying it so much I wanted to comment in the meantime.

There are a lot of great series involving ghosts, and I wouldn't say that Spooky in Love is groundbreaking from the supernatural perspective. But what really makes it work is the chemistry, especially between Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong, but also the excellent supporting cast. You can tell this was a fun show to work on.

I just finished episode 6, and while I guessed how it was going to conclude, that actually made me much happier than if it had gone a different direction. It was perfect.

Highly recommended.

Read More

Love this

After watching the first six episodes, I'm already loving it. I think it's funny that so many people already prefer the second male lead when we're not even halfway through the story or the main couple's relationship yet. 😭

I've seen a lot of dramas and read novels with the academic rivals trope, but most of the time it's the female lead who's trying to surpass the male lead. That's usually seen as cute, inspiring, or even romantic because she's working hard to catch up to someone she admires. So I find it a little strange that when the roles are reversed, people immediately label the male lead a red flag just because he wants to surpass the female lead. Wanting to prove yourself doesn't automatically mean you're trying to put someone else down. Context matters.

In this case, I think his motivation actually makes sense. If he succeeds while they're on the same team, people could easily say it's only because he had the genius beside him. Even her own brother wants to step out of her shadow because everyone would assumes his achievements are only possible because she's his sister or because she helped him. That's why he hides the fact that they're related.

Even the title itself centers around her. She's introduced as the genius, and the story constantly reminds us of that. Everyone around her including the male lead is viewed in relation to her brilliance. If he finally achieves something while standing next to her, there's a good chance people will still see it as her achievement rather than his. That's why I don't think it's unreasonable for him to want to prove that he can shine on his own first.

To me, that's not a red flag. It feels more like someone wanting to build his own identity instead of always being compared to someone else's success. Of course, we'll have to see how the story develops, but so far I'm really intrigued and I'm loving it.

Read More

From a sweet romance to a powerful supernatural conclusion

Head over Heels begins as a sweet high school romance with supernatural elements, It develops into something more substantial, mysterious, and powerful while retaining the beautiful innocence of youth and trust. It also shows the role traditional shamanism continues to play in a modern, sophisticated society: how Korea keeps faith with its traditions. For me, the drama shares sensibilities with some of my favorite dramas from years back before Netflix came on the scene.

The story's metamorphosis is convincing as the characters continue to develop emotionally. I especially appreciated that the villains are not unredeemable. They are given chances - will they take them? No one is ultimately rejected but not all the story lines are resolved.

Needless to say, the acting is at a high level, the romantic chemistry between the leads as convincing as is the bromance between Gyeon-u and Ji-ho. Cho Hu-Hyun does a wonderful job differentiating between the awkward high-school student Seong-a and the powerful, empathetic sHeaven and Earth Fairy shaman.

I know that many reviews have focused on what some see as holes in the plot, unresolved dramatic lines etc but I found myself caught up in the spirit and beauty of Head over Heels. There are numerous little touches that resonated with me - a few chords from Hotel del Luna after the big closing scene at the abandoned house, the epilogue with Seong-a doing a fairly ordinary and tiring exorcism. The writers could have ended with a long kiss under the moonlight but i found it appropriate showing that Seong-a's job is not always romantic or dramatic. It's just another day at work!

Read More

Totally love it!

I get giddy each time it's about to be tuesday, i love this show so much hihihi
Their chemistry is so good and Gaew as Great is so cute
I can't wait for the upcoming episode because we get to see what happened to Gaew, why he was the way he was
Looking at the three episodes so far, i can tell he's been treated unfairly lots of time without getting the chance to explain himself and then he stopped caring at a point and just probably started matching their energy as the "bad guy", he has so much depth that draws me in
I've liked OG Gaew since episode one not because he's just the main character so then he's "allowed to be bad" but because from the very beginning, people treating him unfairly and with so much contempt is not hidden and his side not being listened to over and over again has been seen throughout which made me wonder how many times he has gone through this
He was so lively and positive as a child and i can see this is part of the reason if not the main reason he turned out this way
He's a hurt boy who has been treated like a lowly person, called a bastard just because his parents are no more and living under someone's roof
He eventually grew bitter i believe and I'm so sure he has so much hurt inside, hurt he couldn't share with anyone because he was the "troublemaker" in everyone's books
I can't wait to see the flashbacks of his life growing him
I love him so much, he's carrying an angry, deeply hurt emotions so well then there's total switch to a sweet cute boy who see the positive in everything as Great and it's just one person playing both roles
I simply love the show so much and will type forever if I'm allowed🤣
Gaew is super hot by the way🤭
Let's watch everyone 👏🏿🤣
Amazing performance from Leng and the entire team

Read More

good drama

I just finished watching this drama, and I can honestly say that I absolutely loved it. From the very first episode until the very end, it kept me completely invested. It's been a long time since a drama managed to grab my attention this much and make me so emotionally attached to the characters and their journey. Without a doubt, this has become one of my favorite dramas of the year, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical dramas with romance, politics, action, and incredible chemistry.

The first twelve episodes were simply amazing. Every episode left me wanting to watch the next one immediately. The story moved at a great pace, introducing the characters, building the relationships, and developing the political conflicts in a way that never felt confusing or slow. I was completely hooked from the beginning. The balance between romance, suspense, and political intrigue was handled perfectly, making every episode exciting and entertaining.

If I had to mention one small criticism, it would be episodes 12 to 17. During that part of the story, the pacing slowed down a little, and I felt that some scenes dragged on longer than necessary. It wasn't bad by any means—I was still enjoying the drama—but compared to the incredible first half, those episodes felt slightly less engaging. Thankfully, this didn't last long because after episode 17, the drama became absolutely fantastic again. From that point on, every episode was exciting, emotional, and filled with memorable moments. The final stretch completely reminded me why I had fallen in love with the series in the first place.

One of the biggest strengths of this drama is definitely the chemistry between the main leads. Their relationship felt natural, believable, and incredibly enjoyable to watch. Every interaction between them had emotional weight, whether they were sharing sweet romantic moments or facing difficult situations together. Their chemistry made it impossible not to root for them from beginning to end.

The acting deserves a lot of praise as well. Every actor delivered an excellent performance, especially the two main leads. They portrayed their characters with so much emotion and authenticity that I found myself caring deeply about everything they went through. Even many of the supporting characters had memorable performances that helped make the story feel richer and more complete.

Another aspect I loved was the political storyline. Sometimes political plots in dramas can become overly complicated or boring, but that wasn't the case here. The political conflicts were interesting, well-written, and added real tension to the story. Combined with the action scenes, they created an exciting atmosphere that kept me engaged throughout the series. The action sequences were well choreographed and fit naturally into the story instead of feeling forced.

The romance was another highlight. It wasn't just there for fan service; it actually contributed to the characters' growth and made the emotional moments even stronger. Watching the relationship develop over time was one of the most satisfying parts of the entire drama.

I also have to mention the soundtrack because the OSTs were absolutely beautiful. Every song matched the mood of the scenes perfectly, making emotional moments even more touching and exciting scenes even more intense. There are several tracks that I know I'll continue listening to even after finishing the drama.

Overall, I couldn't be happier with what I watched. This drama gave me everything I was hoping for: wonderful characters, excellent performances, exciting political intrigue, satisfying romance, beautiful cinematography, amazing music, and an engaging story that kept me emotionally invested from beginning to end. Even though there was a brief slower section in the middle, the incredible beginning and outstanding final episodes more than made up for it.

It's been a very long time since I was this addicted to a drama. I found myself constantly wanting to watch "just one more episode," and before I knew it, hours had passed. That's the sign of a truly great series. This is easily one of my favorite dramas of the year, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable watching experience. I absolutely loved it, and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

Read More