Reviews

Unnecessary Sequel

If i thought watching S2 was the screenwriter dumbing me down with those ridiculous philosophycal crap, this S3 made me feel like being zombified by them.

1. The whole season being triggered by quack professor obsessed with the afterlife, a crackhead enough to take down 2 people for him to get the useless answer that, mindfckingly, he never got til the very end. Like whaaaaaat?

2. A woman with a good husband and happy life who’s so hung up with her lost father that she’s willing to venture into the world she fought so hard to leave just to see him again. Like whaaaaaaat? If he’s dead, you won’t find him in borderland cuz that’s the land between death and life, and it’s not possible that he’s been in between life and death cuz it takes at most 2 minutes of dead heartbeat to traverse between that life and death, and he’s been missing for months (or years). And if he’s alive somewhere in the wilderness, then he would definitely NOT be in borderland. There’s just no way for him to be in the borderland so where is the sense of having Usagi following the professor to go to the afterworld? The professor isnt even a therapist she mightbhave wanted to consult with, so how did he convince her to go with him? She’s that fcked over her father’s disappearance that she’s willing to throw away the good life she has now, the good life that she was convinced her father would want her to have back in season 2, which is the reason why she fought so hard to get back to. How could someone who had gone through that, realize the meaning of life and found happiness suddenly throw everything again to follow this quack professor she knew days before just for the unplausible possibility of finding her dad again in the borderland? Where is the logic and sense in that? That’s a total mindfck the writers did on us the audience there.

3. There is no explanation whatsoever as to how the borderland citizens (the gamemasters) could influence real life people to want to come the afterlife, up to the point of arranging the death games in the real world. Like how? Nothing explains this.

4. The dramatic scenes on this one is even cringier than season 2. Of course why not we just opt for the couple straining themselves trying to hold hands between two moving trains when you can simply just jump across and hug? That gap was a no brainer for Usagi the mountain climber, but nope, lets just try hold hands instead 😒🙄 what a drama trope. And how did this badass spiderman FL suddenly needs to rely on a crippled man to get through the games? Guess japanese shows also suffers from cdrama plague of dumbing/powering down FLs just so the next male character could shine. OMG such cringeful of tropes they threw in there.

5. I dont get the kind of attachment Usagi has on the crippled professor. He offers empty promises, telling Usagi she could find her father in the borderland but when she arrives, she wants to go right back. But when Arisu lays a punch on the bastard when they reunited, she spared no second to come to his defense, yelling that he got them back together cuz he helped her clear the games. What the heck now? Girl, he’s the one who separated you guys in the first place for his own selfish desires, he deserves more than that punch even after he ‘inadvertently’ helped you reunite 😒

6. All that trouble to lure Arisu to stay in borderland as citizen for the gamemaster’s entertainment, then in the end the master of borderland would just let him choose whether to live or to die, whichever he chose would still not make him stay in borderland. What kind of mindfck is thattttt?? So what the hell is the point of this whole shenanigans? 🤬🤬

All the above made me thought the hours i spent on this stupid show was such a waste. There is no point whatsoever of this season’s existence. I shouldve dropped this on season 1. Like for real. I’m gonna go with my first hunch for the next shows. Don’t get reeled in by curiosity, woman!

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feels like the target audience is people who fetishize incest

So this was one of my friends' first cdramas (said friend only vaguely remembered it but had fun w/ it), and one day when we were talking about the current era of cdramas having polyam vibes, Wanru's Journey came up as a recommendation bc I'm a sucker for a triad. TBH the premise already turned me off from being into the triad since Xiao Ru is pretending to be Murong Zhuwan (since they look identical), so as far as any outsiders know her and Murong Chong are siblings.............. like. why are we doing a pseudo-incest romance?????? Cause (minor) spoilers but the show definitely has a Murong Chong x "Murong Zhuwan" agenda. But I've watched things where I didn't care for or even outright hated the main pairing and still had a mostly enjoyable time so I was like "the whole mistaken identity situation is actually kinda interesting if you ignore whatever is going on w/ these two so I'll keep watching." Should've known that was a mistake given the pseudo-incest lmao.

Basically there's this whole enemies to lovers vibe going on with Murong Chong and Xiao Ru where he's repeatedly threatening her life over relatively minor things but then she'll watch him in secret and be like "he's so handsome 😍🤤". It's uncomfortable. I finally tapped out bc there's a scene near the start of episode 6 of Xiao Ru having written (erotic?) fanfic about Murong Chong (and I think his friend Fu Hong? I don't fully grasp the details of what she wrote) and he tries to strangle Xiao Ru over this but they get caught by Fu Hong and Xiao Ru is lying on the bed and Murong Chong is like..... basically straddling her so Fu Hong is like "wtf is happening???????" and then Murong Chong gets up and somehow his belt slides off??????????????? and he's like "[nervous laughter] it's not what you think" and it's like...................... he thinks that's your sister.................... no one would be thinking you are having sex unless they think you are assaulting her............................ and then Xiao Ru makes her clothes all disheveled to accuse Murong Chong of just that and it's supposed to be a funny moment????????????????????? WHAT ARE WE DOING???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Basically the writers are weirdos who had a lot of fun playing up the pseudo-incest. I don't recommend this.

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War Wuxia, actually not Romance

If you like real Wuxia and war politics you will like this
Ignore the bad reviews from people who
1) compare with season 1
2) compare with the book
3) compare with the previous casts
DON'T COMPARE. Be professional and non bias in your reviews, this is a drama and a new story in it's OWN RIGHT

However, despite the good story and acting, Chinese drama needs to shorten,it gets boring

Needs to simplify, people come for entertainment not to learn exam and memorisuze names

Chinese producers and directors need to stop trying too hard to make everything arty, like slow motion aerial views with wind blowing and poetry in every scene -,hello! GET ON WITH IT
All the cast are very good looking,both boys and girls, and acted very well

So in summary there's a lot of positive in terms of good story and good acting. Worth watching if you like Wuxia

If you are looking for fast shallow romance then this is not for you

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Nauseatinf roller coaster ride

To be honest, this series started with a compelling premise: the daughter of a respected general becomes a Grand Princess caught in the deadly political struggle between the Regent and the King’s uncle. Add a handsome love interest and a disgraced prince, and it seemed like all the ingredients were there for an engrossing historical drama.

Unfortunately, the writers became so obsessed with plot twists that the story lost its way. Watching this series felt less like following a well-crafted political intrigue and more like riding the biggest roller coaster at Six Flags except every climb was followed by another unexpected drop, twist, and loop.

Every revelation was immediately replaced by another. Just when you thought you understood someone’s motives or identity, another twist turned everything upside down. Nothing was ever what it seemed until the very end, when every secret was suddenly revealed. It tried to be the perfect whodunit, but instead became so convoluted that it was exhausting to follow. I found myself spending more time trying to piece together the plot than becoming emotionally invested in it.

The romance, which should have grounded the series, felt like an afterthought. Instead of driving the story, it merely passed through it. Even more disappointing, the male lead often felt like a supporting character in his own drama.
Ironically, 24 episodes should have been enough to tell this story, yet so much time was spent on unnecessary twists that the emotional arcs and supporting characters never had the room to breathe. By the finale, I wasn’t surprised by the revelations, I was simply relieved the ride was over.

For viewers who enjoy nonstop plot twists and intricate palace conspiracies, this may be entertaining. For me, however, the series sacrificed coherence and emotional depth in favor of constantly trying to outsmart its audience.

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No villain, just life being cruel

Honestly I wasnt planning to watch this in the first place, i know how cliche it will be and since i already dropped speed and love, i thought this is the same. it also uses brother-sister dynamics but thank god, it just for a short while.

The best part is they are not met by chance, or by coincidence, they met by choice. Xixiao seek her to buy her notes and Zhouwan seek him to get money from her mother who is currently his father's mistress. surely, at first, she only tried to get money for her grandma surgery, but she surely make him fall too hard. when her grandma died, he stayed by her side, and that is very profound. they runaway is absolutely cute (though i dont recommend it irl). i love how nonchalant he is but still expressing his feeling obviously.

they said there is a lot of misunderstanding in the drama, surely it is, but in my opinion, they already know and understand each other well even though they dont know anything since they dont communicate, but they immediately forgive each other is golden.

there's a lot up-down in the drama, and i keenly follow through with the updates. there's biggest plot twist at the finale, and i absolutely love it.

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Breathless, Beautiful, and Masterfully Acted—I Just Needed More Than 6 Episodes!

Ticket to Heaven completely blew me away. Everything about the production was incredible—the cinematography and the color grading were absolutely gorgeous and perfectly matched the heavy, atmospheric tone of the story.
The absolute standout of this drama is the phenomenal acting and the undeniable chemistry between Gemini and Fourth. The tension between them was so palpable I could literally feel it through the screen. Together with the amazing soundtrack, their performances made me feel every single emotion right along with them. Tanrak’s intense internal conflict—trying to deny his feelings, trying not to "sin," and then ultimately giving in only to be consumed by immense guilt—was portrayed so beautifully that it was heartbreaking to watch.
I also loved how Barth’s character was structured. Even though he didn't really believe in God, he still tried his best to respect Tanrak’s relationship with his faith. Whenever they shared intimate moments, the way Tanrak tried to hold himself back had me holding my breath with my mouth covered. It was pure, raw emotion.
The only reason this is a 9/10 instead of a perfect 10 is that it was simply too short. With only 6 episodes, it left me begging for more. While I absolutely loved how they ended it by showing how they ultimately chose each other, the finale did feel a little bit rushed and slightly confusing because of the fast pacing.

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A Beautiful, Healing Island Ride that Missed the Perfect 10 Mark

Doctor on the Edge just wrapped, and it was a thoroughly enjoyable, heartwarming ride.
What really made the plot stand out to me was the male lead's character design. Unlike the typical "perfect, untouchable" K-drama male leads, Do Ji-ui felt incredibly human. Having past trauma that made him terrified of the sea—especially while being exiled to a remote island—gave him a genuine flaw to work through. Lee Jae-wook's portrayal of this trauma felt intensely real and heavy. Beside him, Shin Ye-eun was fantastic. She is not only stunning but has incredible range, effortlessly pulling off scenes whether she needs to be tough, sad, cute, or happy.
Their connection felt special, especially because she was the one who helped him face his fear of water. While their slow-burn chemistry was nice to watch, it did lack those intense, butterfly-inducing "giddy" romantic moments. Additionally, the second male lead chasing after her felt unnecessary and didn't add much to the narrative.
The cozy island community life, the closeness of the villagers, and the heartwarming grandmas were easily the highlight of the setting. However, the show's biggest flaw was its flow. The medical cases felt a bit disjointed—like one would end and another would immediately start without a smooth transition.
As for the finale, it wrapped up well and gave everyone a nice step forward into their futures, but the final conflicts (like the main lead's dilemma and the nurse's sudden eye problem) felt like they came out of nowhere. I would have loved less random last-minute drama and more romance for our main leads. That being said, the second lead couple completely stole my heart! Even though the nurse could be a bit annoying by jumping to conclusions and hiding things, I was so invested in their story and wished we got to see even more of them.

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An unforgettable journey, just don't expect an easy one ??

Excellent characters, wonderful female friendships, and thoughtful explorations of domestic violence, power, redemption, and loyalty. Yang Zi delivers a phenomenal performance, and every time Mu Dan cried, I cried with her. One of the drama's greatest strengths is its character writing, especially Liu Chang (Miles Wei) and the County Princess (Li You Zhen), who are incredibly layered and complex.
However, since the very first season, the writing has suffered from an obsession with putting Mu Dan through every possible misfortune imaginable in the Tang Dynasty (I was really exhausted). Thankfully, the final arc replaces the "kidnapping of the week" formula with strategy, politics, and commerce and it becomes the drama I had been waiting for all along. ⭐

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