Reviews

GREAT ACTORS AND STORYLINE

All the actors did so well. The main leads acted so well. They have a good chemistry and they handled their explicit scene well intentionally according to their character. Their "eye-acting" were greatly done. Emotions were felt beyond the screen. I would also like to commend the antagonists, Oh Jahyeon, Director Tak, and Song Haneul, on their acting. They portrayed their characters so well especially Song Haneul at the end. Oh Jahyeon also did so well in her character being so annoying and ragebaiting.
It's a great production. I also appreciate the storyline. It's not common to me. I am glad that the cases were just connected to each other which made it easier to follow and more interesting. It did not need to add other problems or different cases to complicate the story. Overall, the show is great and I hope that K-BL series will thrive and be known to more people. I hope this queer love will be accepted by more people and will not remain as just a BL genre but just a love story like those of hetero love stories.

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I'm so confused with my feelings for this one, lol

I really don't know how I feel about this one. Like it's cute, it's a healthy relationship - I mean, as healthy as you can get in a kdrama more often than not. The acting is nice. But I still don't feel completely satisfied? I usually like shows or don't like them. It's rare for me to be stuck in between, lol

The show has a nice story with not very glaring loopholes. As mentioned earlier, the acting is nice. It's not very heavy, but I don't think it's your shallow and average romcom as well. What I like is that even the second couple is not overpowering - you might question her choices, but they're not over the top or annoying (at least not for me) - as the story progressed, I actually looked forward to an update on them.

But then somewhere in the middle it feels like it's dragging? Also, with how much emphasis is given to career, family, relationships throughout, I do not feel the ending was nice. It felt rushed and I don't know, I'm just not satisfied. So many questions and "what even" moments in that last episode.

But at the end of it, I still showed up every Tuesday to watch the two episodes and I did smile through most of it. Fast forwarded fairly less. So, I guess, this one might be enjoyable for some people out there. I'm also in a space where I've been away from kdramas and cdramas for some time and just really wanted to watch something and maybe that's why I was able to pull through to the end? Not sure!

In conclusion, I think you'll either really like this one or just not be able to complete it. To each its own. Best of luck watching! :D

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Amazing story/cast - Whiplash editing

Adapted from a novel by the author behind the excellent Story of Ming Lan and Love Like the Galaxy, this drama had all the ingredients to be something special. While the overall story isn't particularly original, it's engaging enough thanks to its many twists and turns.

The standout performance comes from the male lead. There are moments when you genuinely believe he's turned over a new leaf and abandoned his scheming ways, only for a subtle, sinister smirk to remind you that he's still playing his own game. His performance constantly keeps you guessing.

Unfortunately, what keeps this drama from being truly great is the editing. The first six episodes are a mess, with scenes jumping around so abruptly that it feels like you're watching a condensed mini-series instead of a full-length drama. Thankfully, the pacing improves considerably during the middle portion, where you finally get a glimpse of the show's true potential.

Then the final five episodes fall apart again. The ending is rushed and offers almost no emotional payoff. One entire episode is wasted on the villain explaining everything in a lengthy recap instead of letting the story naturally unfold. Worse, the villain's motivations never feel convincing, making the climax much less impactful than it should have been.

The action also loses credibility because of the absurd power scaling. Supposedly legendary "grandmaster" fighters are repeatedly defeated with ease by much younger characters, making it difficult to take the martial arts hierarchy seriously.

Overall, Generation to Generation had the foundation for an excellent drama, but inconsistent editing, rushed storytelling, and a disappointing finale prevented it from reaching its full potential.

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This is not your usual BL. It's life!

This is so different and so real that it's heartbreaking. The documentary style keeps you on your toes and the extremely good-looking male leads keep you rooting for them.. But it all fails miserably at the end and you fail with them.

But you, just like the characters, accept it, get up and be the adult, just like them.

This is a story about love, but more about understanding and diversity in the sense of different people. This was so much about LGBTQ rights and also similarly about just 'people'.

I won't forget this. It touches something within you. Love is not enough. World is not utopia and world is not fantasy. This was real life. You want to cry after this because it will remind you of your failures but you will also understand it. Such is the paradox in life.

I am thankful I watched it. JBLs are always just built different. This was Art, Slice of Life, Question, Answer, Confusion, and Moving On ... All put together.

It is indescribable.
Thank you to the team for bringing this to life. Thank you for everyone.
And I truly do thank myself for watching this.
JBLs, we love you.
And this was DIFFERENT, THIS WAS ONE OF ITS KIND.

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A departure from the usual BL genre but badly executed

This thriller BL was a good idea on paper, with a set up quite different of the numerous school and office BL dramas existing in Dramaland.

However, even if I salute the idea to center the series around investigation and mystery, with a good amount of romance, I found the outcome of it super mid. At the end, both the thriller and the romance failed to convince me.

On the thriller side, the issue is that the resolution of the mystery and the reveals were very easy to guess, super clunky and badly articulated. Police work felt poor at best and it felt like the leads were just lucky rather than skilled and determined to find the truth. On the romance side, it also failed at being compelling enough to make the viewer understand why those guys are irrepressibly attracted to each other...

The fact that I actively strongly disliked the character of one of the leads for sure did not help. It is the kind of timid, wishy-washy character that need a solid growth arc to be likeable and I have to say that at no point his investigation skills impressed me. The character could barely stand on his two feets or get out of the bed without falling...And here, I must admit it irked me to no ends. The way the actor played the role, with big teary eyes and shy voice, felt very empty to me.

In terms of positives, I found the actor playing the other lead, the prosecutor, very hot with his domineering looks and the intimate scenes were believable, even if the feelings were less convincing. Unfortunately, that was not enough for me to forget the various flaws from the show.

I would not recommend this BL because it fails in holding up its interesting concept. Both the mystery and the romance were a disappointment to me...One was clunky and badly articulated, while the other was not compelling enough.

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See You at Work Tomorrow completely stole my heart. ?

At first, it felt like a nice little drama to watch in between other shows, but it didn’t take long before I was fully invested. And can we please talk about the second couple? They absolutely owned my heart. I’m officially signing the petition for both of these actors to reunite as the main leads in another drama because they deserve it so much. They were simply breathtaking together. Their chemistry was incredible and honestly… just seeing them smile felt like sunshine. I was completely in love with them.

The drama also had a beautiful OST that perfectly matched the atmosphere, and I really appreciated the way it explored work-life balance and the everyday struggles that come with it. It felt relatable while still being comforting.

One thing I especially loved were the poetic inner monologues from the main leads. They added so much emotion and depth to the story and made many moments feel even more meaningful.

The only small downside for me was that the last few episodes felt a little slow at times. It wasn’t enough to take away from my overall enjoyment, but I did notice the pacing.

Overall, this drama had its ups and downs, but it also had something truly special. The second couple completely captured my heart, the soundtrack was beautiful, and the emotional storytelling made this a drama I’ll remember for a long time.

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Rewatch value = 0

I'll start by saying that I've been struggling to watch dramas lately. After failing to get past episode 2 of several shows, I picked up The Perfect Crown and actually finished it. It is far from perfect, yet it's entertaining enough to keep you watching until the end. Unfortunately, in my case, I absolutely hated the conclusion. Here are the most memorable things about this drama:

The most toxic love triangle ever: Everyone could see that Prime Minister Min was eventually going to "act up" as he realised the FL was falling for the ML. However, going as far as plotting to murder the ML—who was supposed to be his friend—was far beyond what I expected. Personally, I found it too outrageous that someone who initially seemed like a decent person could turn into such a monster. He became so loathsome that we didn't even get to see what happened to him after he was arrested. The FL didn't even bother speaking to him, and he was given absolutely no chance at redemption.
The worst side-character romance ever: I want everyone reading this to know that I have nothing against lesbians, and I actually think they are underrepresented in entertainment worldwide. When we were introduced to the FL's assistant, I found her refreshing because she felt different, and I genuinely liked her character. However, the writers decided to portray her as a tomboy who eventually falls in love with the ML's assistant. It felt incredibly forced. A woman like that, in real life, considering the way she behaved and spoke, would probably be a lesbian.
Mysterious deaths that nobody cared about: The ML's father, mother, and brother all died. We only get hints that his brother was murdered, yet no justice is ever served and the case is never investigated. Honestly, I thought it was obvious that someone had been preying on the royal family because that much tragedy happening repeatedly cannot simply be a coincidence. But nobody seemed to care—not even the ML—and we never get any closure.
The contract leak: The story made a huge deal out of this, dedicating a large portion of the plot to it, when it could have been easily dismissed as fake and the matter closed. Especially considering the FL's intelligence, it felt surreal that she didn't know how to handle such an obvious situation.
The controversy: I know most international viewers probably won't care about this, but I believe the audience deserved a beautiful fantasy in which the monarchy still existed. The King: Eternal Monarch managed to do exactly that, and nobody complained. The problem here is that the production benefited from the appeal of its royal premise, yet ended up portraying the Crown as little more than a vassal institution. There was very little beauty or dignity in it, despite viewers clearly wanting to imagine a modern Korean monarchy. Saying they joined the project late isn't a good enough excuse. They all should have known better; that's their job.
The ending: I usually dislike endings, but this one I hated with all my heart. We're constantly told that the ML is adored by the nation, yet that very same nation votes to remove him and abolish the monarchy. It felt nasty, anticlimactic, and left me wondering why I had watched the entire drama. If the writers wanted to abolish the monarchy, the ML didn't need to go through everything just to become king in the first place—there were plenty of other ways to tell that story. As others have pointed out, abolishing the monarchy also doesn't eliminate inequality. Wealth, political power, and countless other systems of privilege would still remain.

Overall, it left me with a really bad aftertaste.

It's an okay drama, but it could have been so much better. It had many strong points, and it even made me laugh at times. It's a real pity that the writers couldn't fully capitalise on all the good ingredients they had.

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A great drama with a few problems.

I have a lot to say about this one.
To be clear, generally, I think it's a good drama that really is worth the watch. The story is compelling, the characters are interesting, the chemistry is good, and the pacing wasn't bad either.
The story starts with Gu Qing Zhi, the eldest daughter of the Gu clan, as she kills herself. She then somehow merges souls or overtakes the body (idk; they never made it clear what even happened) of Shen Xi He, the Commandery Princess. The previously gentle, kind, and delicate Princess transforms into a ruthless, fierce, and strong woman overnight, and literally no one, NO ONE, questions it. They're like, 'oh ok whatever'.

The Crown Prince is portrayed as this frail, sick, and weak poisoned prince with a short lifespan. But surprise surprise, he is actually really strong and agile, completely mastering martial arts, and really smart, the big brains behind everything. He saves the Princess from drowning, falls in love with her, and becomes the most devoted, dramatic, delulu fictional man I have ever seen.

The Princess has to choose a husband between all the princes, 3 of whom are completely in love with her—for some reason. This part was really dragged out; my girl refused to CHOOSE, like come on, you have like 3 fine shyts pursuing you, one of whom is literally just the EMBODIMENT of green flag. However, when she does eventually choose the Crown Prince, it gets significantly better.

I really did like both characters a lot. Xi He is a headstrong woman who doesn't fear anyone. The Crown Prince is a downbad diva, but also really smart. Both are calculating and always 10 steps ahead of their opposition (perfect for my delicate heart), so it's never a matter of IF they can outsmart them, but more so a question of what masterplan they have to knock everyone out.

The 2nd couple has got to be one of the best parts of the show. It's a shame they got so little screen time. I was squealing every time they showed up on screen.

The villains of the show were all really well done, I just wished that the 2nd ML wasnt part of them, I really hoped they would finally make him let go of his obsession, but NO, this is a cdrama and no one can healthily deal with regection (I am joking, the other guy who was in love with her did let go, which I loved)

My biggest issue with this drama was the ending, which felt very incomplete and riddled with unanswered questions. The Crown Prince dies, and I cried, truly. They then spent literally the next 4 episodes developing what happened after and that whole plot, which I really liked; it was flushed out well and was interesting. The real problem is when, like 5 years later, PLOT TWIST, the Prince ISN'T dead and was like stowed away somewhere (idk) and somehow magically recovered from the poison which was uncurable the WHOLE show; he suddenly didn't care WHO poisoned him (also a big part of the show), is really old with grey hair for some reason, and what? Xi He knew the whole time????
There was so much left unanswered: How did he fake his death? Where did he go? How did he cure himself? Is he the emperor now? Why is the physician also suddenly really old? What were the people's reactions when the dead Crown Prince suddenly comes back to life??

Although I was heartbroken when he died, I had come to accept it. It worked for the story. It made sense; it tied up most of the loose threads. But to cater to the happy ending, they destroyed a perfectly good ending, instead introducing something completely useless, so instead of inducing any lingering feeling after watching the drama, all I felt was confusion. I'm not mad he's back; I just think the story didn't need it, at least at that point, or in that specific way.

I understand that the novel probably answers these questions, but I wasn't here for a novel adaptation; I was here for a drama, so I expect an ending that makes sense, and I expect the drama to deliver it, not a book I do not want to read.

TL; DR
A good drama, with a compelling story and great characters. It only had some logic and ending problems; otherwise, it was a satisfying watch.

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Fun watch but terrible chemistry

The story is interesting enough to keep you hooked, with well-developed characters who all have their own distinct personalities. There are plenty of genuinely funny moments sprinkled throughout, and the entire cast does a solid job of making their characters feel believable.

Unfortunately, the romance was an exercise in patience. The female lead seemed to treat the relationship like a game of emotional ping-pong. One episode she's passionately kissing the younger, inexperienced male lead, then the next pushing him away, showing us that she is the immature one. Just when you think, "Finally! They've figured it out," she announces she's going to "follow her heart"... only to dump him again in the very next episode. Rinse and repeat. By the end, I wasn't rooting for the couple anymore—I was rooting for the poor guy to quit the show, find a therapist, or preferably a nice woman who doesn't treat commitment like a revolving door. Someone get this kid a hug... and maybe a dating app.

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Losing interest, still clocking in!

It felt like a mock exam, or rehearsal dinner. Technically we are hitting all the same points as the real event, but somehow the emotions are tuned down.

Honestly, the lack of attachment and later on excitement is not something I can explain with objective arguments, it just felt flat at times. I am really liking the dynamics, lines, love the conflict resolutions presented, the mature conversations, but at the same time I don’t really feel much watching it all happen. Maybe because this is not a plot driven show, and it’s all about the daily interactions and mundane struggles, I wish actually less happened, in a slower pace with more in-depth exploration?

There is a lot to appreciate. The realistic portrayal of women struggling at the workplace - without exaggeration, but also without making it seem like it’s not a big issue. Various flavors of relationships and break up - differences between internal and external issues that end to the end, amicable versus more negative aspects of parting ways. Answers to question why some relationships are worth fighting for, and some are better to become just past memories. Reasons to work and to stop working. Workplace harassment. Thematically, there was so much going on. But because there were a lot of different plot lines and conflicts I feel like we had a bit of a speedrun through them.

On one hand I adored how mature the relationship between Kang Si U and Cha Ji Yun was. Whenever they faced any problem, setback, conflict, they always tried to talk about it. Sometimes they took a tiny detour to first figure out their own feelings, before trying to tackle the issue as a couple, but at the end of the day, they were a team and made decisions together. On the other hand, they sailed too smoothly. It’s one think to rationally discuss the issue, it’s a different story setting your emotions in peace. I feel like the emotional turmoil should have lasted a bit longer even after on paper they worked on whatever was bothering them.

Whatever was happening, it was always solved by the end (at worst at the beginning) of the episode, but life is not as simple and easy. So while I love how realistic the problems were, I disliked how unrealistically easy they were solved.

I also wasn’t crazy about the supporting couple. Yun No A was an amazing individual character with a lot of growth to be able to shine by the end, but her love line, even if initially fun, gave me close to nothing by the end.

Truth to be told, what I enjoyed the most about the show was the AI Home team. I loved the interactions between different team members, how they brainstormed to solve different planning and development issues. Jeon Gi Tae and Sin Na Ri became some of my favorite characters and I wish the drama focused on them a little bit more.

Funny enough, I was also quite invested in Ji Yun and Ga Eul. Dare I say I found their story more interesting than leads? Yes I do. It was frustrating to watch and Ga Eul was such a jerk in the past, but at least there were some emotional stakes, their scenes made me feel any type of emotions.

What usually would save a show like that for me is the acting, and while I don’t think anyone was particularly bad, I also do not think any of the performances was memorable. Seo In Guk needs to get back to playing more expressive characters or he will forget how to use his facial muscles. I was excited to see Park Ji Hyun as lead, since I loved her Do You Like Brahms? and Dear My Room a lot, but this role did not highlight any of her strengths. And that styling and make up made her look sick the whole drama. I also could not stop laughing about Choi Kyung Hoon playing this amazing singer with a bright future ahead for him, when we have Seo In Guk right there. Still, I don’t really have any complaints about the acting. The only performance that did disappoint was Won Gyu Bin.

Production was fine. I did enjoy the set designs a lot, especially for everyone’s homes and working spaces - they did quite well represent who they were and what their personalities were.

Soundtrack wise, fitting, but not memorable. I think that’s kind of the issue here - nothing was that memorable about this drama.

Overall, I would not say I regret watching, but it would also not be my first pick when someone asks for recommendations. I feel like at the end of the day the most memorable aspects of this drama were Seo In Guk's face and his forearm.

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No chemistry just Hopeless Men!!

This is like watching The Big Bang Theory but as a reality show. I don’t want to sound harsh, but every single guy is giving loser energy. It’s giving... absolutely nothing.
The women, on the other hand, are not only gorgeous but incredibly accomplished, and great communicators. They’re the ones carrying every date, taking the lead, and keeping the conversations alive while the men just... exist!

At this point, it feels less like a dating show and more like a character development programme, because these guys can’t even hold a normal conversation let alone flirt. At least show us that you are trying ! I genuinely hated how passive the men were.

And then there’s Hyuk Joon!! At first, I was like, “Wait... an eternal single who can actually hold a conversation and take initiative. Finally!” Then came the scissors, and I immediately thought, “Hold on... this doesn't feel like a good sign.” And sure enough, he went on to prove my instincts right. Bro got an ego just because a few girls picked him as their second choice. And the way he treated Hyun Seo throughout the middle of the show just can't be justified, no matter what he says in the end. Even so, I'm kind of relieved they ended up choosing each other after all that bad-mouthing lol

And SUJI??? She woke up too late and She’s not all that reasonable either. Plus she doesn’t feel like an eternal single!!

And So Hyun!! girl why did you still chose that loser rudest guy after all that . That was such a bummer!

There wasn’t a single couple that made me want to root for them. Every interaction felt like practice rather than actual romance.. Romantically, this show is giving absolutely nothing. If you’re looking for swoon-worthy moments, you won’t find them here. If you want a good laugh, though? Sure, the show delivers.

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Criminally Ignored

It took 1 TikTok video -the only one I've seen since - for me to get curious about this drama and the first episode to know that I'd be sat for the long haul (a mere 18 episodes).

Shot in a picturesque village, it is a story that delves into themes deeply grounded in reality. We explore societal pressure, family dynamics, the beauty and struggles of womanhood and motherhood, community, perseverance, and personal growth.

I loved how the story balanced all the different elements and the emotions they constantly hit you with. One minute I'm laughing so hard that I can't breathe, and the very next scene has me on the verge of tears. Some scenes were both funny and sad, leaving me to laugh while wiping away tears - a very confusing emotional state, to be honest.

The story is also deeply cultural. From matters of bride price and child sex preferences, attitudes about out-of-wedlock pregnancies and kinship adoption, the drama opened my eyes to new topics I'd never heard of while expounding on those I had surface level infomation about.

The characters are also another stellar part of this drama; none of them is wasted. The writers beautifully gave each character depth, developing them enough to carry their individual arcs and support the show as a whole. Every member of both families is well-explored. Even the minor characters who pop in occasionally bring an emotional depth that helps the story flourish.

Personally, I would highly recommend this drama to anyone looking for something different. It is funny, heartfelt, and beautifully shot, with life lessons that will stay with you long after the final episode.

PS. While the drama is tagged as a romance, I think that's a little misleading. To me, romance wasn't the main focus. It is a family drama first. It explores various forms of love, not just the romantic kind, and shows how different characters struggle with their attachments, not just our main leads.

👇🏾The following paragraph is a spoiler - LOOK AWAY🙈


If I had to change something, it would be the romantic ending between our main leads. The story offers an open but hopeful conclusion, suggesting that they may one day find their way back to each other. It is no secret that I am not the biggest fan of open endings; thus, this left me feeling a little empty. Xiao Wei experienced incredible, admirable growth throughout the drama to become someone truly worthy of his daughter and Xiao Fang. I just wish his story after the one-year time jump had been tweaked so we could have seen them back together one last time.

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