Reviews

this SUCKS

Probably the worst jdrama I've ever watched, I don't get why this is so popular.

We have a weird age gap between the two leads (she first meets him as a highschooler when he was already of working age) and the romance is just cringe. First of all, the female lead is stupid. Can we stop it with the Main character not knowing the basics of doing their job but gets a pass because "oh! she's so dedicated and has deep connections with her patients!" she's in HEALTH CARE. people's lives are at STAKE. she doesn't know how to do something basic like getting someone's blood but everyone looks at her mesmerized because she practices doing so? what????

this drama just infuriates me.

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More like Drama for Drama’s Sake

Made myself watch it after a few comments mentioned it as the the best KBL of 2024. Expectations were quite high considering the existence of Love In The Big City, so of course they weren’t met in the end. I LOVED the slice of life side of the story BUT weren’t quite on board with the game simulator idea, though the whole reason behind using it as a plot device was actually convincing. I’m not that impressed with its execution, but the thought of someone/something/some entity giving Tae Myung-Ha a second chance at life for him to learn how to properly love someone (and especially HIMSELF) is what saves this project for me. That was lovely, so definitely worth the watch.

Fun fact: the whole time I was kinda rooting for Cha Yeo-Woon and Chun Sang-Won to get together, so hopefully there’s a Thai remake of this without all the sci-fi drama where they do that 😁

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I tried and failed to like this lol.

This was very mid for me I’m not gonna lie. I have never been one for action-heavy plots but I was hoping the one in this drama would be interesting enough to keep my attention since it was so highly rated by pretty much anyone I spoke to. Overall, while I did enjoy the dynamic between our main leads, I cared very little about the central action plot, and once it took over the whole storyline, I pretty much checked out of the drama and watched the rest at 2x speed. I can see why this could be someone’s favorite, and I can’t find any glaring issues with this drama besides my own personal lack of interest and a very weirdly rushed ending. Happy watching if this is your thing!

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Hidden Love: A Drama of Contradictions

The Chinese drama Hidden Love attempts to weave a narrative of romance and self-discovery but often gets tangled in its own contradictions. At its core, it tells the story of Sang Zhi and her evolving relationship with Duan Jia Xu, her brother’s friend. While the show has its moments of brilliance, it is overshadowed by its uneven character dynamics and questionable romantic framing.

One of the highlights of Hidden Love lies in its portrayal of Sang Zhi when she’s allowed to exist outside of her romantic entanglement. Scenes featuring her at work or interacting with her university friends showcase a capable and well-rounded young woman. These moments provide a glimpse into her potential as a character—confident, relatable, and grounded. Zhao Lu Si’s acting amplifies these moments with remarkable versatility. She has a unique ability to seamlessly navigate between emotions, shifting from joy to despair within a single scene. Her performance in emotional moments, particularly those involving her heartbreak, stands out as some of the drama’s most impactful.

Victor Ma’s portrayal of Sang Zhi’s brother, Sang Yan, is another strong point. The sibling relationship feels authentic, capturing the blend of rivalry and deep care that defines many sibling bonds. Sang Yan’s role as both a protector and someone Sang Zhi can be vulnerable with adds depth to their dynamic. The airport scene, where Sang Zhi breaks down in his arms after a painful heartbreak, is a testament to the emotional strength of their bond and remains one of the drama’s most memorable moments. It’s rare to see a sibling relationship portrayed with such nuance, and Victor Ma’s performance anchors these moments with sincerity. The drama’s soundtrack also deserves praise, with its catchy and well-placed OSTs enhancing many key scenes.

However, the strengths of Hidden Love are often undermined by its central romantic storyline. Chen Zheyuan’s portrayal of Duan Jia Xu as the male lead is underwhelming, lacking the charisma or depth needed to carry his character. Jia Xu himself is difficult to relate to—overly controlling, possessive, and prone to jealousy. These traits make him less of a romantic ideal and more of a cautionary figure. His dynamic with Sang Zhi is particularly troubling, as he continues to treat her like a younger sister even after they begin dating. This lingering brother-sister dynamic casts an uncomfortable shadow over their romance, making it hard to invest in their relationship.

The five-year age gap between the leads is not inherently problematic, but Jia Xu’s behavior exacerbates the discomfort. Having known Sang Zhi since her childhood, his inability to shift his perception of her from a child to a partner feels unsettling. It’s as if the drama is trying to force a romance without addressing the fundamental mismatch in their dynamic. This issue is compounded by Sang Zhi’s characterization around Jia Xu. While she’s shown to be articulate and mature in other settings, her behavior around Jia Xu regresses into exaggerated cutesiness and awkward stuttering. It’s a disservice to Zhao Lu Si’s talent, reducing her character to a caricature when she’s capable of so much more.

The romantic scenes between the leads suffer as a result. Instead of chemistry, there’s a persistent sense of dissonance, as if the characters are trapped in roles they can’t escape. Sang Zhi’s infantilized behavior and Jia Xu’s condescending attitude make it hard to root for them as a couple. The narrative’s failure to transition their dynamic from a brother-sister relationship to an equitable partnership leaves the romance feeling forced and unconvincing.

Ultimately, Hidden Love struggles to find its footing. Its strengths in sibling dynamics, emotional performances, and music are overshadowed by a central romance that fails to resonate. For viewers who can overlook the uncomfortable framing of the leads’ relationship, there’s a baseline romance story here. However, for those who can’t get past the persistent brother-sister dynamic and lack of authentic chemistry in the main couple, the drama’s flaws become impossible to ignore.

Hidden Love leaves much to be desired, despite its occasional moments of brilliance. The inability to convincingly shift the leads’ dynamic and the wasted potential of its talented cast weigh heavily on the drama.

A 5.5/10 feels apt for a show that sparks moments of promise but ultimately fails to deliver on its central premise.

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The Rainbow After The Storm

Just to let you know how much I loved this show, I watched it in 3 days and I don't know what to do next. It's so dramatic but that's precisely what immerses you in their world so hard, you think you're notmal about it and the next second you're moved to tears. The suspense is way too good, I'm so impressed by everyone's acting, the finale in specific was SO well done! I can only applaud the cast. Brilliant story about harder times to be queer in Thailand, I was rooting so hard for them, giggling, kicking my feet... you know the deal. I don't know if it's because it's s period drama or if their chemistry is crazy like that, but it's one of those shows where every little detail feels like the most romantic thing you've ever seen. Not only the romantic love won my heart, many rooted for Tian, it was so sweet to watch. I'm just really sad it's over & might rewatch Laws Of Attraction next~ that's it thank youuu

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Long-winded but sweet

Foremost, it took a few initial episodes to get a bit more drawn in to the plot. Then while the interactions between the realms, families, and friendships developed pretty well, it became too long-winded and I spent a significant amount of time speeding it up. There are some sections that were binge-worthy and other sections that felt unnecessary. But it should be said that it was at least overall good enough to spend that fast-forwarding effort to complete the series.

Some additional words of description in addition to the title would be humorous, touching, and corny. I also agree with some of the other reviewers that the ML/FL development was nowhere as interesting as the secondary ML/FL. While I usually prefer the stronger female personalities, the feisty FL fell short of her gentle but tough sister in this one. If you're looking for a casual watch that doesn't require your full attention, this is a good one to try.

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Okay so it wasn’t the worst hour of my life-

Yes, I clicked on this randomly. It happened to pop up under another show I was watching and since I was bored I was like ‘why not?’. I thought this would be like a real series, not that’s it’s not a real series- but certainly not the length of a short movie.
You can say that I was surprised when they started kissing like 30 minutes in and I thought ‘isn’t this the first episode? why are they randomly confessing their love to each other?!’
I simply cannot believe that the dark brown haired dude (yeah idk his name lmao) actually fell for blonde dude so fast. Like how?! They spent half of the show hating and bullying each other (looking at u blonde dude), just for them to start making out. No way am I believing that, not even if the acting was okay.
I was expecting this to be a much longer series but I was just very disappointed when I finished the ‘first two episodes’ and there was no more episodes. If I wanted to watched a bl with no plot and basic acting I would just finish one of the many series I have On hold instead of wasting my time with something like this.
Honestly, I didn’t hate it per say… I just didn’t need to watch this.

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A must watch

Guys, forget every cdrama out there cause I forgot all of them because of LGIEF lol. I waited for this overwhelming feeling to go away after watching the drama to submit my review here. Just want to add that this drama can be considered my all time favorite cdrama. Leaving below my review on everything about this drama:

Plot:
At the beginning, plot might seem a shallow fantasy script but more episodes you watch more you realize how deep it actually is, and towards the end it becomes even more apparent how meaningful this drama is. Not to mention the countless plot twists it has until the very end, those plot twists literally altered my brain chemistry lol. The bond characters have is undeniably beautiful and I really have no negative feedback on the plot.

Acting/cast:

Couldn't find a better cast than this one! The whole cast did their job perfectly, especially main leads. When first googled this drama, the first review I came across was the positive feedback on acting and after watching the drama I now know why. Actors and actresses neither refrain from delivering the emotions nor overact, everything is just in perfect balance. And I can talk about the chemistry between Esther and Ryan the whole day, even though I have watched a lot of dramas with really good chemistry between the couple, I feel like before Esther and Ryan chemistry didn't even exist and they are the inventors of it haha. Not gonna lie, couldn't get enough of their chemistry, planning to watch their previous drama moonlight too, but I hope casting directors are eyeing them again for another reunion later cause I want them to have their third, fourth, fifth, and more dramas together!

OST:

most of the OSTs were given to cast members to perform and along with them doing a great job singing them, soundtracks are also so good and full of emotions, and perfectly used in scenes throughout the drama. Also, there was a sountrack which I haven't found yet that was played in the background of some sad scenes making them even sadder, I am still looking for that one, hoping to find.

Additionally, this is my first time watching a costume drama which I was not planning at all and fully focused on modern dramas, but seeing this drama trending made me watch it and I don't regret at all. The only thing disappointing me was it having an open ending, with such a couple and background story, they should have made a happy definitive ending.
Despite my review seeming calm, I am screaming internally, still trying to process overwhelming feeling this drama brought to me.
Wish I could give more than 10 score to this drama.

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An Underwhelming "Sports" Drama That Stretches Credibility More Than Bands

While marketed as a sports drama, this series surprisingly lacked any substantial depiction of sports across its 16 episodes, save for a few scenes of band stretching. The comedy felt dry and uninspired, failing to inject the light-hearted moments one might expect.

The plot leaned heavily on a tired and overused trope in K-dramas—the omnipotent and corrupt assemblyman controlling everything from the shadows. This overplayed narrative device detracted from the story's originality and felt almost insulting in its predictability.

To its credit, the writing in the first six episodes was reasonably solid, showing potential that unfortunately wasn't sustained. However, the inclusion and persistence of a rapist and assailant "coach" character until the very end was baffling and deeply problematic. This narrative choice felt unnecessary and undermined the drama’s credibility, leaving a sour taste.

Although I avoided comparing this drama to Love All Play, doing so would inevitably result in a harsher critique. That said, the romance subplot was passable for most of the series, but the final episode completely derailed it, leaving an unsatisfying conclusion.

Despite my initial instincts to skip this drama for two years—instincts that now feel validated—I committed to watching it in its entirety. Under normal circumstances, I would have dropped it early on.

In summary, this drama's flaws—its lack of authentic sports representation, clichéd tropes, and questionable character choices—overshadowed its brief moments of decent writing. The key takeaway? Avoid comparisons to Love All Play to preserve what little goodwill remains.

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such an extraordinary drama!

Ro Woon - you beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The drama is based on the webtoon July Found by Chance (어쩌다 발견한 7월). The drama aired in 2019 and gained attention for its unique concept, strong performances, and thought-provoking themes.

Plot
The story follows Eun Dan-Oh, a high school student who discovers that she is a character in a comic book titled Secret. Worse, she’s not even the protagonist—she’s a side character with a terminal illness. Determined to change her fate and find true love, Dan-Oh defies the comic's pre-written narrative with the help of an unnamed "extra" (later known as Ha-Ru). Together, they navigate the rules of the comic world while trying to alter their destinies.

Themes
1. Self-Discovery: Dan-Oh’s journey highlights the importance of self-agency and defining one's own identity.
2.Fate vs. Free Will: The drama explores the tension between accepting predetermined roles and fighting for autonomy.
3. Love Beyond Boundaries: The romance between Dan-Oh and Ha-Ru transcends the constraints of their fictional existence.
4. Meta Commentary: The show critiques common tropes in romance and high school dramas, making it a fresh take on the genre.

Strengths
1. Unique Premise: The concept of characters gaining self-awareness in a fictional world is innovative and engaging.
2. Strong Performances: Kim Hye-Yoon shines as the spunky Dan-Oh, while Rowoon’s subtle performance adds depth to Ha-Ru.
3. Clever Humor: The drama pokes fun at typical K-drama clichés, offering a self-aware and refreshing perspective.
4. Visual Appeal: The cinematography and fantasy elements are visually stunning, enhancing the magical feel of the story.

Weaknesses
1. Pacing Issues: The plot can feel repetitive in the middle episodes, with some scenes dragging unnecessarily.
2. Complex Rules: The mechanics of the comic world are intriguing but can become convoluted and hard to follow at times.
3. Underdeveloped Subplots: Some side characters and storylines, such as those of Joo-Da and Nam-Joo, feel underexplored.
4. Ambiguous Ending: The finale leaves some questions unanswered, which may frustrate viewers seeking closure.

Extraordinary You is a breath of fresh air in the K-drama world, offering a mix of romance, fantasy, and metafictional commentary. Its unique premise and strong lead performances make it stand out, especially for us fans looking for something unconventional. However, its pacing issues and occasionally confusing narrative mechanics might deter viewers who prefer straightforward storytelling.

Overall, it’s a drama worth watching for its originality and charm, but it may require patience during slower episodes.

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Just some cheesy HS things! - Love happens.

The story follows Lee Seul-Bi, an angel who accidentally becomes human while trying to save a high school boy, Shin Woo-Hyun, from a life-threatening situation. As she adapts to her new life on Earth, she ends up living with Woo-Hyun and attending his high school. The drama explores themes of love, friendship, and the struggles of adolescence, with a fantasy twist. The presence of another key character, Hwang Sung-Yeol, adds complexity to the story, creating a love triangle. Both Woo-Hyun and Sung-Yeol face personal family issues, adding depth to their characters.

Key Characters:
1. Lee Seul-Bi (played by Kim Sae-Ron): An angel-turned-human who learns about life, love, and the challenges of being a teenager.
2. Shin Woo-Hyun (played by Nam Woo-Hyun): A popular yet emotionally scarred high school student who lives with his grandmother.
3. Hwang Sung-Yeol (played by Lee Sung-Yeol): Woo-Hyun's classmate and rival, who has his own struggles with family and relationships.
Kim Sae-Ron is so damn cute but there are these two leads - Nam Woo-Hyun and Lee Sung-Yeol - How can I not watch this drama?

The drama is lighthearted with moments of emotional depth. It appeals to a younger audience due to its high school setting and relatable issues. I appreciated its fantasy elements and the chemistry among the cast. However, I must criticize its storyline for being overly melodramatic at times.

Anyways, it's a fun watch, might be a decent drama if you wanna pass your time.

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prepare to cry every episode!

do not be deterred by bad reviews; what an absolutely groundbreaking and incredibly brave k-drama. i particularly admire how the show dismantles stereotypes surrounding mental health and suicide (especially in south korea where such topics are taboo), and is unafraid to cover difficult, sensitive themes (e.g. the atrocious mistreatment of comfort women). furthermore, whilst nailing perfectly the acting and somber plotlines, the drama's romantic storyline was personally the most heartbreaking sequence of the show-- episode 13 hit me like a wrecking ball. overall, HIGHLY recommend this drama for anyone who needs a good cry!

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