A Flavorful Story of Dreams, Friendship, and Courage
Adapted from J Robin's web novel, a show about a guy doing his mandatory military service while getting video game pop-ups in the mess hall sounded a bit ridiculous on paper. But honestly? I ended up loving it way more than I thought I would.It follows a story of Private Kang Seong-jae (Park Ji-hoon), who after losing his father, enlists in the military to cope with his grief, only to be assigned to the kitchen under an incompetent senior cook, which seems pretty miserable until this game-like floating screen appears out of nowhere. It gives him cooking quests, stats, and leveling-up goals. It sounds super goofy, but it actually keeps the story moving fast, and there's a little bit of mystery mixed in that kept me clicking "Next Episode."
Although a few middle episodes slow the pacing and some dramatic twists are fairly predictable, the balance of comedy, friendship, and personal growth ensures the series remains consistently enjoyable.
Park Ji-hoon's performance as Kang Seong-jae. He balances innocence, determination, and emotional vulnerability with ease.
Yoon Kyung-ho once again proves why he's one of Korea's most dependable supporting actors, bringing authority, humor, and surprising emotional depth to his role.
Han Dong-hee delivers a confident performance that complements the main cast well.
Lee Hong-nae adds warmth and comic timing that enrich the kitchen-centered storyline.
All Together creates a natural chemistry that makes the military camp feel like a second home rather than just another setting.
The Legend of Kitchen Soldier serves up an enjoyable mix of comedy, heart, and military camaraderie. While it occasionally plays things safe, its lovable cast, uplifting message, and memorable soundtrack make it a satisfying watch. Just a warning: don't watch it on an empty stomach, because the food shots will make you want to order takeout immediately!
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I can rewatch any time
A bang on drama. From start till the end I never got bored. First 1 to 4 episode her College time and those friends omg. Her all friends are pain in the foot lol. After that from 5th episode ML and FL meet for the first time omg literally butterflies in my stomach.Maimai and Longlong's acting was on point. SML doesn't deserve Xiguang the way he was treated her in college and at the reunion.
Overall the best drama for me after The First Frost.
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A rewarding slow burn experience
Genius girlfriend is like sipping a warm cup of sweet tea on a beautiful summery day. It's not going to be intense and there's not a lot going on, but somehow, being able to experience our protagonist's ordinary moments and witnessing her journey from adolescence to adulthood feels very rewarding at the end.Genius girlfriend is a simple coming of age story about a young genius, Lin zhi xia and her relationships with her family and friends. It contains an assemble cast, with the show touching on each character and their story, with each episode ending on a heart felt message. It highlights the importance of family and friendship bonds and experiences of growing up.
It is a delight for people who enjoy slice of life stories and sitting through ordinary but meaningful conversations. The script is very well written and gives you a lot to think about at the end. This show had me laughing and crying at random moments. The ost is beautiful and the cinematography has a dream like quality. Each episode has grown on me and I find myself caring about and becoming attached to all the characters. I think everyone can find a piece of themselves in this show.
I rate genius girlfriend highly, because to me it has been a joy sitting through each episode, and it most certainly is on my rewatch list in the future.
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A Winter Sun Wakes the Wind in Spring Hills' Dream
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This review may contain spoilers
Easily One of My Favorite Shows
Take my review with a grain of salt, I’m a complete fan of UpPoom and their work.I honestly enjoyed the mix of romance and crime. It’s far from perfect, of course, but still entertaining. The crime network storyline was the core of the show. I'll jump into the upsides and dowsides without further ado.
Positive Points
* Romance + crime mix: I really enjoyed the blend of romance with a crime plot. It’s not flawless, but it’s engaging.
* Villains’ acting: Even though they lacked background, the villains were convincing. They embodied the typical corrupt, abusive figures you’d expect in gang rings. Also I liked the fact most villian characters were hard to crack, which is a realistic trait typical of gang rings, which often train to withstand torture to avoid leaking information.
* Foei’s character: Sassy, straightforward, supportive, and portrayed outside the binary. A strong LGBTQ+ representation and genuinely likable. Their grief over Sky’s death felt real.
* Wayu’s portrayal: Poom nailed it. Wayu came across as someone who tries his best in everything, delivering emotions beautifully, and yes, being ridiculously good-looking didn’t hurt. I connected with him a lot because I have a similar background to him and a similar personality, so I understood his actions.
* Up + Poom chemistry: Their ship is easily my favorite in Thai BL. The chemistry was strong, even if Up’s emotional range was limited.
* Supporting cast in general: Full of likable characters. Mind especially stood out, I wouldn’t have minded if he ended up as Wayu’s husband. Tai’s potential love story is something I’d love to see too.
Negative Points
* Crime plot depth: The crime network storyline deserved more exploration. It’s a real-world issue that often gets overlooked, and the show skimmed over it.
* Plot inconsistencies:
1. Ice being shot in the head yet arrested, how does that work? Survival rates are slim when short in the forehead. In the best case, he’d be seriusly disabled. The logic felt off there.
2. Krit’s subordinate’s jealousy and sudden change of heart weren’t explained.
* Sky’s death: His death weakened the main plot since we didn’t see enough of how the gang ring in the series operated.
* Wayu’s mom’s gambling arc: Recovery was portrayed unrealistically, almost like it was magically fixed.
* Krit’s dad’s homophobia arc: Delayed and rushed. A more gradual, realistic timeline, starting earlier with Pete, would have made it believable. Same goes for Krit’s mom’s acceptance, which didn’t seem okay with her son being gay at the beginning.
* Up’s performance: While his cold demeanor worked in My Stand-In, it didn’t suit Krit. At times, it felt like Botox limited his expressions.
Conclusion
Despite the misses, the series delivered real-life problems, emotions, memorable characters, and a ship I’ll never forget. For me, it’s an easy 9/10, even considering the negative points, since I usually fill those plot holes myself in my mind and manage to find logic in most of them. I’ll definitely rewatch it.
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It’s decent, but also pretty cringey in some parts.
I love the story, the acting, and the overall narrative flow, but it gave me chills every time Toh did something weird. Collecting or touching things involving Nuea—like paper bags, bedsheets, food packages, and even leftover food (like crab and pig's head)—always gave me goosebumps while watching. Plus, the way Toh smiles always stressed me out. I know they could have made this series much better and more exciting.On the positive side, I love how they showcased different types of people, situations, and real-world issues—like LGBTQIA+ struggles, discrimination, friendship, body shaming, insecurities, and changing oneself just to fit into society or impress someone. The story creates a comforting space for anyone experiencing those feelings, encouraging them to be more confident in who they are.
While the series has good elements, the cringe factor, weirdness, and especially Toh’s obsession forced me to rush through the remaining episodes because I couldn't take it anymore. I hope to see improvements from the writer next time. In reality, you rarely see someone acting like Toh—and even if people like that exist, it’s just plain weird. Always will be.
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Uma das melhores surpresas do ano, mas que correu no final
A direção do Kim Jang-han deu um show na estética, equilibrando perfeitamente a fotografia linda e aconchegante da vila rural com aquele clima gostoso de mistério e romance. O grande pilar do dorama com certeza é a atuação e a química magnética entre Jung Hae-in e Ha Young. O Jung Hae-in entrega tudo nas microexpressões e nos silêncios do Jang Tae-ha, enquanto a Ha Young transita super bem entre a vulnerabilidade da amnésia e a postura imponente de promotora da Go Eun-sae. A trilha sonora também dita o ritmo exato de cada cena, justificando a nota máxima na experiência geral.O único "porém" de sommelier foi que a roteirista Mo Ji-hye demonstrou um pouco de pressa na amarração do terceiro ato. Faltou profundidade para fechar detalhes cruciais que foram jogados para escanteio na reta final. O mais gritante deles foi o arco envolvendo a paternidade e o passado do Jang Tae-ha. Um mistério que prometia um baita impacto dramático acabou sendo resolvido de forma meio corrida para priorizar apenas o desfecho romântico.
Ainda assim, o saldo é extremamente positivo! É um dorama viciante, delicioso de assistir e com um valor enorme para reassistir. Nota 10 com total convicção, apesar desse deslize no roteiro.
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More then your average TL drama
I really love aspects of this drama. one of my favorite things it does is start out as if is your regular romance late night jdrama, but then in ep. 3 your like hmm wait?? and then episode 4 & 5 comes, and you're absolutely hooked. it has just the right amount of dark romance that I enjoy.my biggest critique is that the intrigue started way too late and the ending is rushed. We could have gone a full 10 ep to really flush out this emotional turmoil. Despite these, i still think it's great.
I will recommend this to any rei lovers. Definitely one of his best dramas so far and hope he gets more of these types of characters in the future.
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What I'm Even doing here????
Tbh, after watching Only You, I was already so disappointed. I genuinely never thought any LingOrm drama could be worse than that… but again, I was wrong. 😭I mean, what are you guys even doing lol??? I was expecting SO much from these two actresses because their acting is actually good, but the story feels like a straight-up slap in the face. Like WTF bruh??? 😭😭
At this point, I genuinely don’t even know why I’m still watching this. The story sucks more than my shocks 💀. It’s literally a 50-minute episode, but I somehow finish it in 5 minutes because I’m just skipping everything and waiting for the LingOrm moments. 😭
And THAT’S the problem… I can’t get enough of them. They’re genuinely so adorable together, their chemistry is EVERYTHING, and I could watch their scenes all day. 🥹❤️ But the story??? Girl… what story??? 😭
It honestly feels like the writers had LingOrm, knew everyone would watch for them anyway, and then forgot they were supposed to write an actual plot. 💀 At this point, even my nephew could probably come up with a better storyline.
I’m watching purely for LingOrm now because the moment they’re not on screen, my attention disappears. 😭
If you’re planning to watch this after *The Secret of Us*, PLEASE lower your expectations because the disappointment is going to hit you like a truck. 😭
LingOrm: 10/10 🥹❤️
Their chemistry: 100/10
Their acting: actually good 👏
The story: …let’s not talk about it. 💀
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This review may contain spoilers
The city didn't seem that big
I like this more than the book. I didn't like the voice in which the book was told. I don't know if it was a problem with the writing or the translation.I don't understand why there's a kdrama and a film adapted from this same book. I'm sure there are more LGBTQIA+ stories to bring to life. Even the ones that don't get awards deserve to be told.
I'm still in the middle of watching the film.
This adaptation added a lot of value to the story. It did have its shortcomings. Sometimes the friends seemed too stereotypically gay, with gestures and a tone that didn't seem natural. Even the main sometimes did that. The relationship with the mother seems changed from what I can remember from the book. You don't have to redeem every character.
The story and the main were childish sometimes but I guess that's with a purpose as well. It's still an important story, with important themes and important representation to a community that is still so marginalised.
The story isn't about love. Ko Yeong didn't lose the relationships because he was immature, even though he appeared immature at times. Kylie is softened up to the maximum in the story and sometimes we don't even realise how much of an impact it had in Ko Yeong's life. Only one person in his life knows about Kylie. He didn't travel to China with Gyu Ho because of Kylie. He could let his "doormat" boyfriend lose an excellent opportunity because of him. He chose to love, even if love meant loss. Kylie affected his self worth. He didn't think he was worthy of being chosen.
I'm hoping we have more Korean queer shows. And I'm hoping people stop harassing the actors for portraying gay characters. I hope the actors don't have such a hard time in the future. They did great.
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Electric Chemistry, Dark Secrets & One Hell of a Payback!!!!
Came for Revenge but stayed for Jay and Sun!!!I really enjoyed Payback. This was one of those BLs where I became invested not only in the romance but in the characters and the world the drama created. The leads did an excellent job portraying their roles, and the chemistry between Jay and Sun was probably one of my favourite things about the series. Every time they were together, there was an electricity between them whether they were simply having a conversation, arguing, or getting physical. You could feel the attraction and tension.
Sun was such a complex, traumatised character. He spent so much of the story pretending that he was numb and that nothing affected him, when in reality he was feeling everything grief, anger, betrayal, fear and eventually love. Jay had his own emotional baggage and trauma, but there was an important difference between them: Jay was much more in touch with his feelings. He understood what he was feeling and, importantly, he seemed to understand Sun even when Sun couldn’t articulate what was going on inside him.
And that love scene… WOW. 😂 Honestly, one of the best I’ve seen in the BL world. What made it work for me wasn’t just the physical chemistry; there was so much emotion underneath it. It felt like a culmination of everything these two had been struggling to express.
Jay actually reminded me a little of Tada from Reset although Reset had much more comedic, almost cartoonish villains and, of course, the whole time-transmigration element. Payback was considerably darker and more grounded.
The entertainment industry
I thought the drama also did a really good job of showing the seedy and sinister side of the entertainment industry. The compromises artists choose to make, the exploitation of people desperate for an opportunity and the way power can be abused were particularly effective.
What makes it uncomfortable is that none of it feels completely unbelievable. We’ve heard enough through the media about exploitation and abuse within entertainment industries to know that these kinds of power dynamics aren’t simply fictional. Obviously, drama has to heighten things, but Payback captures that uncomfortable reality of people being willing to tolerate almost anything for their chance to succeed.
The supporting characters
And we absolutely have to talk about Pkajaorn because he was one of the angels of this show! 😇 He was such a good manager and, more importantly, a genuinely good person. I really liked that his role wasn’t simply “Sun’s manager”. You could see how much he contributed to Sun’s healing journey by giving him stability, support and someone he could actually trust.
Parameee also did a really good job, and having PKN (Boss) and Max appear as guests definitely added something to the show. Those little connections and appearances were a nice touch.
The manhwa adaptation
I also have to give credit to the production for how well they adapted the manhwa. They stayed relatively close to the source material while making changes where necessary to make the story work for a Thai audience and a live-action format.
I actually think this was the right approach. Sometimes adaptations try so hard to reproduce the original that they end up feeling unnatural in a different medium. Payback kept the core characters, relationships and darker tone of the original, while adapting certain elements so they made sense within the Thai setting and the limitations of a live-action BL.
The changes didn’t feel like they were disrespecting the manhwa; rather, they felt like an attempt to translate the story rather than simply copy it. And for me, that’s what a good adaptation should do.
I’ve seen some of the criticism from people who have read the original, and having looked at parts of the source material myself, I can understand where some of it comes from. I haven’t read the entire manhwa, though, so I’m judging the series primarily on what I watched rather than trying to compare every detail with the original.
There were definitely moments where I felt the drama didn’t give us enough context. I didn’t always understand the first meeting between Jay and Sun, some of the early interactions felt a little random, and I sometimes wondered where the revenge storyline was actually going. For a show called Payback, the revenge definitely gets pushed into the background for quite a lot of the series, only to come rushing back towards the end.
I can also understand the criticism that the adaptation removed or changed some important material. If the original gives much more context to certain characters and events, then removing those pieces can make the drama feel confusing rather than mysterious.
I don’t, however, agree with the idea that Jay was one-dimensional. I actually thought Jay was one of the more interesting characters. Was he softened compared with the original? Yes, absolutely. But I don’t think that means he lacked complexity.
The Jay we see in the drama is still controlling, calculating and morally questionable, but we also see his emotional side and, importantly, his capacity to understand Sun. His relationship with Sun brings out a side of him that we don’t necessarily see elsewhere. Personally, I liked that version of Jay.
And I think this is where adaptations of toxic or darker MLs have a difficult balancing act. If you make the ML extremely toxic, obsessive and possessive, there will inevitably be criticism of romanticising unhealthy behaviour. We’ve seen similar debates around dramas like Double Helix and To My Shore. But if you soften the character too much, fans of the source material understandably feel that you’ve taken away what made the character distinctive in the first place.
So I can actually understand both sides of the argument.
And finally…
For me, the bigger problem wasn’t that Jay was softened. It was that the revenge storyline was softened along with him. The title is Payback, so I wanted the revenge to remain central to the story. Instead, there was a lot of attention given to secondary characters and other storylines, and then the actual revenge was compressed into the final episode.
That was probably my biggest disappointment.
I also think the ending could have been much more satisfying. The main antagonist being dealt with by the police felt almost too convenient. 😂 After everything we’d watched, I wanted Jay to have a much bigger role in bringing about his downfall. Sun to really have satisfying end for Sunny. That bastard dying of a heart attack was WAY too easy! 😂
After everything he did, I wanted consequences proper consequences! He really escaped the ending he deserved. All the villains just died.
Overall, though, Payback was a really enjoyable watch. Great chemistry, complicated characters, a surprisingly dark look at the entertainment industry and a very solid adaptation of the manhwa. Most importantly, Jay and Sun’s relationship felt like it had genuine emotional weight behind it, which made their eventual connection that much more satisfying.
Now i just need someone to do a compilation of Sun and Jay scenes particularly the rooftops!!!
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Reincarnation overload & She stays 80 the entire show
In this show, Heaven is more like a waiting room until you feel ready to get reincarnated. I don’t know why, but I wasn’t expecting that, and I was not pleased to continually have the concept of reincarnation shoved down my throat.If you thought this show was just about heaven/hell and not reincarnation like I did, you are very mistaken. Reincarnation is a huge part of this story and I’m sorry but I just hated that part about it. I know in K-dramas the topic of reincarnation does get brought up because probably a lot of people in certain countries believe in it. And I don’t mind if the concept of reincarnation is mentioned every now and then in a k-drama, but in this show, it was just way too much and over the top with it.
Also, if you’re hoping for the main character to ever age down from being 80 while she’s in heaven, you’ve got another thing coming. When they say in the beginning of the show that you can’t change your age, they meant it. It honestly just made the “romance” between the main couple so awkward. They couldn’t even kiss on the lips because of the age difference.
Overall, this show felt slow-paced and honestly should’ve been a 6 episode show at the most. The acting was fine, but that’s about it. I feel absolutely no desire to rewatch this show again.
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Absolute perfection !!!
This crowning achievement remains unmatched. Typhoon Family is absolute perfection, a genuine masterpiece. A breathtaking and extraordinary drama. Its global success on Netflix proves the unquestionable brilliance of this true cinematic gem. No other series can compare to Typhoon Family !I am usually completely indifferent to family dramas, but this series was a total revelation—an unexpected stroke of thunder. It completely swept me off my feet.
The unforgettable performance of the cast is sheer magic, and the thrilling depth of the storyline leaves you utterly spellbound.
From the brilliant, high-stakes plot to the outstanding soundtrack, every single detail is executed flawlessly. Typhoon Family sets an untouchable standard, completely redefines the genre for me, and will remain a timeless, legendary triumph for years to come. ❤
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Overdo Really Lived Up to Its Name
Honestly, I don’t even know what happened here. I mean… we waited all this time for this? (´∵｀) I was genuinely dying to watch this drama and had such high expectations, only for it to end up being so disappointing that not even the actors could save it. With Zhang Ling He and Wang Chu Ran leading the cast, I was expecting this to be one of the best C-dramas of the year, so yeah… this one hurt. (；；)One thing that genuinely shocked me was the use of AI in the drama. I really didn’t expect productions like this to start using it so blatantly already. And on top of that, a story that initially seemed like it had so much potential ended up relying on ridiculously exaggerated scenes and plot developments that made the whole thing feel like a short-form drama. You know those dramas where absolutely everything is happening at once, nothing makes much sense, and the only thing keeping the story alive is constant drama? Yeah. That was basically this.
On paper, the plot sounds like everything I would love: second chances, mistaken identities, tragic circumstances, forbidden feelings, and an epic love story. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn’t there. The drama constantly confuses melodrama with actual emotional depth, and instead of making me feel devastated, most of the time I was just sitting there like… what the hell is happening? ( °-° )
And the romance… where do I even start? Their relationship is TOXIC. It’s basically one giant emotional tug-of-war. One minute they love each other, the next they hate each other, then they’re misunderstanding each other again, then they’re separated, then they’re back together… and the cycle just keeps repeating. It became incredibly frustrating to watch.
What makes it even more disappointing is that this drama had EVERYTHING it needed to give us an absolutely epic romance and an unforgettable story. The premise was there, the cast was there, the story had the potential, and yet the writers and producers somehow managed to waste almost all of it.
Zhang Ling He and Wang Chu Ran made the most out of what they were given and delivered genuinely convincing performances despite the increasingly ridiculous material. Unfortunately, even great acting can only do so much when the directing and writing keep throwing increasingly absurd plot twists at you.
Qing Yi and Su Su are constantly caught between what they want and the responsibilities forced upon them, which could have made their relationship incredibly compelling. Instead, their romance turns into an endless cycle of misunderstandings. By the end, I was kinda emotionally exhausted.
That being said, not everything was a complete failure. There were definitely some scenes I genuinely enjoyed (Okay, possible spoiler ahead), especially the moments between the ML and his son. I also really liked the scenes where the leads actually got to be together without trying to destroy each other, because you could finally see the love between them without all the unnecessary drama getting in the way. Those moments reminded me of what this drama could have been. (´･_･｀) And that ending… OMG. After everything we went through, THAT is what you decided to give us? Brutal...
Overall, I really wanted to love this drama, but unfortunately, it ended up being one of those cases where the potential was much better than the actual execution. The messy writing, excessive melodrama, and increasingly confusing plot made this a huge disappointment for me. I still think there was an incredible story buried somewhere in here… I just wish the drama had actually managed to find it. (；；)
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