Reviews

Amazing drama, moving & comforting, perfect for the holidays!

PLOT: The FL, an orphan taken in as a teenager by a family of crooks, tries to marry the ML, a rich depressed widower with a child. However, she is unaware that his family has superpowers, diminished by the modern way of life.

+++ Really great actors (all of them (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)). Jang Ki-Yong is exceptional (as usual) , but the young In-Ha also has a great career ahead of her.
+++ Intriguing story, full of mystery and suspense, very catchy from the first episodes.
+++ Effective production, with credible special effects. The balance of emotions (trauma, suffering, humor, mystery, etc.) is very well weighed and thought out.
+++ Very good OST.
+++ I really love the final scene (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

### The representation of overweight people in Korea is very often inappropriate on all levels: overweight = eating a lot and dirty, actress with false cheeks and poorly shaped "fake body", etc. The series would have deserved a 10 without this artificial character...

=> Short, nice series, beautifully performed.
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Super drama, émouvant & réconfortant, parfait pour les fêtes !

PLOT: La FL, orpheline recueillie ado par une famille d'escrocs, tente d'épouser le ML, veuf en dépression et avec enfant, d' 1 famille riche. Elle ignore cependant que cette famille possède des super pouvoirs, amoindris par leur mode de vie.

+++ De très grands acteurs (tous (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) ). Jang Ki-Yong est exceptionnel, mais la jeune In-Ha a aussi une belle carrière devant elle.
+++ Story intrigante, pleine de mystère et de suspense, très accrocheuse dès les 1ers épisodes.
+++ Réalis° efficace, avec effets spéciaux crédibles. L'équilibre des émotions (traumas, souffrance, humour, mystère, etc.) est très bien pesé et pensé.
+++ Très bonnes OST.
+++ J'adore la scène finale (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

### La représentation des personnes en surpoids est inadaptée à TOUS les niveaux : surpoids = manger beaucoup et salement, actrice avec fausses joues et "faux corps" mal fait, etc. La série aurait mérité un 10 sans ce personnage si artificiel ...

=> Série courte, sympa, magnifiquement interprétée.

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Beautiful and Impact Full Emphsis on Human Emotions, Art and Their Co-relation.

"Creating things is the desire to embody the feelings of the moment and maintain it forever. Everything will disappear one day. But the desire to hold onto them forever will never subside as long as you are alive. You still have that desire right?"

I feel as if people may not like this version because they loved the fiery attraction between the main leads in the Korean version and attraction is not the main focus here.
It is specifically the emphasis on art, characters' emotions, and the impact of emotions on art that makes this version much more likable for me.
We actually get to see Ren's growth along with the other characters as people and as artists and therefore Mui's and Ren's relationship makes so much sense here. This version isn't just about an f boy and a naive girl and their relationship. This is about presenting characters as real people and artists with real struggles and how they try their best to overcome them. All of this, along with the phenomenal cinematography makes this a solid 9/10 for me. This may not have stayed true to the OG but that is why re-makes are important. To present possibilities within an existing storyline.

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What Seems To Be True & Right Could Be Wrong! What Could Be Wrong, Not Right Could Be Right & True.

To Be Honest, If It Wasn't For Wang YiBo Whom I Love, And Adore, Probably Would Have Never Watched This. LOTS OF TRUST ISSUES! Wu ZhenFeng After 3 Years Comes Back For Revenge For His Father Being Set Up As Drug Dealer, And His Murder. His Long Time Friends, Almost Like A Little Brother Chen Yu, Not Trusting And Going Against Eachother. 3 Higher Ranking Officer That Didn't Trust The Other To Solve The 3 Years Crime. Thought The Officers Were Corrupt. In The End All The Bad Guys Are Taken Down.
If It Wasn't For Wang YiBo Whom I Love, And Adore So Very Much, I Wouldn't Even Care To Watch This Drama, Which By The Way Like All His Other Drama's, Movie's YiBo Has Been In, This Young Man Is Going To Give Me A Heart Attack, Because Of All The Crazy Things He Does, And Crazy Stunts He Does. 😭😭😭 This Drama Wouldn't Even Be A Thought To Me At All, And I'm Not Going To Lie, And I Hate To Say It, But I Probably Would Have Never Watched This Drama At All. This Drama "Being A Hero" Is Very Confusing And Hard To Follow At 1st, But When You Get To Know The Different Characters, You Start To Understanding A Little Better. Then It Starts Gets Good, And Easier To Follow.
(Mind You, I Watch All 32 Episodes In 3 Days, Technically 4 Days, But The 1st Day, I Only Watch The 1st Episode, That Is Why I Am Say 3 Days. Plain, Simple, And Logical, Yes, No? Anyways I Might Get Some Details Slightly Wrong. If I Do Sorry For The That. I Finnished Watching It On January 1st, 2025, Yesterday.)
Wang YiBo's Character Chen Yu Was A Narcotics Officer, But Because Of A Sistutuation That Happened 3 Years In The Past, He Was Demoted, It Was, Because Of Someone He Grew Up With At A Very Young Age I Guess Chen Yu Was Orphaned, And Had No Parents. He Was Taken In By A Man, And Woman That Took Care Of Him As There Own Child. He Called Then Aunty, And Uncle. He Grew Up With There Son Wu ZhenFeng At The Age Of 15. Wu ZhenFeng's Father Gave Them Both 2 Jade Pendents That Match Eachother, And The Plot Starts... Chen Yu Find 2 Different Pieces Of Jade In 2 Different Accassions, And They Match His Jade Pendant That Wu ZhenFeng Father Gave To Wu ZhenFeng, And Him.
There's Alot Of Twists, And Turns, And LOTS OF ISSUES ABOUT TRUST. No One Can Seem To Trust One Another. One Thing I Really Wanted To Say Is Even You As A T.V Viewer Can't Trust Anyone Either, Because The Ones That Are Good Could Be Fake Being Bad, And Or The Ones That Are Bad Could Be Fake Being Good. You Will Not Know Who Is Good Or Bad Until The End. I Kind Of Knew Something All Along, But I Was Still Shocked, So Be Prepared For A Shocker, Because I Nearly Had A Heart Attack, And I Could Only Feel Sorry For The Child Of The Person That Shocked Me, Because At The End Is Kind Of When There Child Finds Out, Pretty Sad!
When I 1st Started This Drama, I Had Only Watched The 1st Episode, And So, I Thought It Was About 2 Highest Of The Law Officers That Were Corrupt, I Believe One Was A Captain, And The Other A Lutenant That Only Had There Own Motives, And There Own Intentions. Then There Was 3 Highest Officers Of The Law, Now A Sargent, More Towards The Middle He Pops Up. At 1st None Would Not Share Details Of What The Other Is Doing, So Everytime There Plan Would Backfire, And Fail. If All 3 Would Have Worked Together, And Corroborate, Maybe Things Would Have Gone More Smoothly, And Not Took 3 Years To Solve.
Although The Main Character Wu ZhenFeng Didn't Return Until 3 Years Later To Seek Revenge, His Father Was Murdered, And Framed As Being A Drug Dealer, And All He Wanted Was To Clear His Father's Name, And Innocents, And To Prove His Father Was Set Up By The Drug Lords. Wu ZhenFeng Even Entered Into The Drug World To Clear His Fathers Name. He Went Though So Much Torture, Agony, And Pain To Clear His Fathers Name. Finally When His Fathers Name Was Cleared He Finally Was Able To Cry A Sign Of Relief, And Happiness, But He Still Chose To Help The Police To Take Down The Drug Ring, And Drug Lords.
Mean While The Drug People Are Now Trying To Set Up Chen Yu As A Person For Selling Drugs, Because He Goes To A Bar, And Tries To Save His Girlfriend. She Went There Looking For A Girl Named Meng Meng, And That Was The Worst Move To Do, And So Dangerous. Anyways Chen Yu Got There Before They Could Drug Her, But Before They Could Get Out They Knocked Chen Yu On The Head, And He Passed Out. They Knocked Her Out Too, And Planted Drugs In Chen Yu's Pocket, And Said There Was Even Drugs At His House.
In The End Chen Yu Trust For Wu ZhenFeng Either Returns, Or He Always Trusted Him The Whole Time, And Wu ZhenFeng's Trust For Chen Yu Returns, Or He Always Trust In Him... But In The End They Worked Together To Take Down The Main Drug Lords, Because The Drugs They Were Making Was Really Bad Drugs. There Was A Yellow Capsule, And Some Pink Pills. All Bad Drugs, The Pink Pill Would Make You Have Serious Withdrawal That Would Make You Hot, And Go Insanely Crazy. You Actually Have To Be Put Into Cold Ice Water In A Bathtub. Yes, This Drug Is That Crazy. The Yellow Pill, I Can't Remember Exactly The Affects, But Probably The Same As The Pink. There Were Pills That Weren't Even Ready, And They Gave Some To Some Girls, And One Girl Poured Alcohol On Her Self, Because She Went So Crazy She Went So Crazy, Now Get This She Set Herself Of Fire, And Ran Outside In The Rain, And Burned To Death.
Finally The Lutetenant, And Captain Worked Together At The End With Chen Yu, And Wu ZhenFung To Catch The Last Of All The Drug Dealers... But Unfortunately There Was A Price To Pay, And One Officer Close To Chen Yu Had Died, Which I Was Upset About, And Them His Childhood Friend Wu ZhenFeng Got Shot At The Very End Of The Drama, Which I Was PISSED ME OFF!!! He Went Though All Of This Agony, Torture, And Pain To Clear His Dad's Name, And Catch All The Drug Lords, To Be Killed.
What I Don't Understand Is Why Is It When Chen Yu, And Wu ZhenFeng Were In The Little Cabin, Or Building Where Chen Yu Was Making The Fake Yellow Pill, Why Did They Leave The Building When The Police Were There Already? My Husband Thought The Samething As Me. I Mean I Guess, Because The Bad Buys Were In The Same Building As Them, And They Were Trying To Kill Chen Yu, And Wu ZhenFeng. As For Me, I Probably Would Have Done The Same Thing, Since One Of The Bad Guys Had A Machine Gun, But They Should Have Just Stayed In The Building. Well There Was Hundreds Of Different Chemicals To Make The Drugs, Maybe That's Why, But I Believe If Chen Yu, And Wu ZhenFeng Would Have Stayed In That Building Wu ZhenFeng Would Have Lived. Even Though He Was In The Whole Drama, He Got Shot, At The End, And Died At The Very End Trying To Save, And Keep Chen Yu Safe. In The End, They Both Wanted To Protect, And Save The Other. They Both Treated Eachother Almost Like Brothers With Love For One Another.
By The Way I Believe This Is A True Story, Because At The End It States EVERYONE THAT WAS A DRUG LORD, AND DRUG DEALER GOT THE DEATH PENALTY. Which I Didn't Know They Have The Death Penalty Out There. Some Got Life In Prison For The Rest Of There Life. Everyone Got There Assets Got Taken From Them, And There Rights Revoked.

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More than just a romance drama

Before we get started, let me warn you that this review contains a lot of spoilers regarding the drama and its overall plot. Proceed at your own risk.

As always, let me begin this review with a brief summary of the plot. In short, the drama tells the story of 36-year-old Hidaka Izumi, CEO of a start-up game production company, who vows to transform 23-year-old Wataru Igarashi, an uncultured man, into someone just like ‘Kento-sama’ — a fictional game character and her ideal man.

At first glance, one might assume this is just another romance drama featuring an older woman and a younger man. However, there’s more to it than just that. In some ways, the drama is the complete opposite of what one might expect based on the synopsis. The drama doesn’t solely focus on romance; it also explores themes like ‘Friendship,’ ‘Sense of Belonging,’ and ‘Fandoms.’ Therefore, the romance feels more like a subplot than the main focus, which I personally didn’t mind. Additionally, I really appreciated the fact that there are no villains in this series, which is rare in dramaland (if you ask me).

Another aspect I absolutely loved was the acting, which was both convincing and cringe-free. All the actors did a brilliant job, making the drama much more engaging. The budget for the drama also seemed to be on the higher end, as the cinematography and props used were of really good quality. Lastly, I really empathized with certain aspects of the plot (emphasis on certain), particularly the scenes where Wataru struggles to learn new skills and the moment when Izumi loses interest in something she once truly enjoyed. As a viewer, these moments were understandable.

Now, regarding my dislikes: Although I don’t have any major complaints, I was slightly dissatisfied with one particular aspect of the plot—the leads dating other people despite having feelings for one another. I really felt bad for their significant others, especially in Izumi’s case. Her decision to date her colleague just to keep him by her side felt off. Honestly, I wasn’t a fan of this part.

All in all, this was a good drama with a solid start that, unfortunately, declined slightly in the second half but picked up again in the finale. That said, I would still wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone looking for a drama with a mature yet realistic romance.

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Wants to be a sex scene

Let's be real, the writers totally would've included one in the original series if they could have. As I said in my review of The Double, the FL and ML are horny AF and certainly continue to be in this 6 minute special ep.

However, I found the sex appeal of these two in the original series to come from their switching. For most of the series they followed a traditional masc/femme, dom/sub dynamic – and it was the moments where they swapped roles when the sexual tension became pure electric.

Except for a rare glimpse of a fan in Xue Fangfei's hands, this short does not deliver the same power/sexual dynamic. Not only is the scene a picture of bland domestic bliss, it's also a consolidation of the Good Governance narrative from the original series.

As I mentioned in my review of the The Double, the political plotline hinged on the main characters supporting the 'rightful' emperor. As this 6 min epilogue asserts: the world is at peace. All the Baddies have been vanquished and the people (or at least the noble elites) can enjoy their lives. Nothing is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Anyway, this short was clearly meant to satisfy viewers who were invested in the romantic storylines of The Double. I'm afraid that wasn't me.

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My review of The Double: https://mydramalist.com/profile/TheUnhinged/review/392435

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Speechless

I can never forget this drama, invitation to the princess by the lighter haha..li xun and zhu yun..these names are engraved in my heart.

Actually, i don't want to write any of the scenes here because go watch it dear, just go and watch it. Reading even slightest of the spoiler will really spoil the freshness. I just binge watched it in 2 days, i just forgot, what's eating, what's sleeping. Li xun and zhu yun were everything to me. Yet i am not over this. For Princess and Lighter, i am kinda head over heels. Its so beautiful. Lovely couple.

This series actually has 2 phases. Ep 1-19 is one. Ep 20-36 is another. If a person looking for just undeniable love and student chemistry, you can stop the drama at ep 19. And it wont feel left inbetween because it's designed as an end at ep 19. But a person want to feel suffering, longing, hatred and still going after each other, go for the 2nd phase. But both the phases has it's own beauty, own uniquesness, in short, you just won't want it to end. You won't be habitual of not having more of li xun and zhu yun around you anymore😭

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All the Tropes and All the Charm..

Skipping Love Your Enemy means missing out on some pretty solid writing and acting.. You might have seen losers in love before.. But this drama takes silliness to an entirely new level.. That said.. I have to admit I genuinely enjoyed their relationship.. There were a lot of unexpected heartfelt moments in the drama..

I started watching for JJH.. But the cast surprised me.. I really loved the supporting characters... They delivered great performances.. And the story has its moments.. The comedy was on point.. No unnecessary side plots or gimmicks.. Even the second male lead was well written.. Which is rare in kdramas.. He wasnt annoying at all.. Well not until his last scene..

One of the standout elements in Love Your Enemy is Seok Jiwon’s character design.. Particularly his integrity.. It adds so much depth to his character.. He was truly admirable throughout the drama..

For me the highlight of the drama was their younger version.. Their teenage relationship.. It was so well written.. And the actors really portrayed it with such authenticity.. Honestly they deserved a couple of episodes just for themselves..

Overall.. Love Your Enemy is a refreshing drama.. It has all the tropes.. Childhood friends, Childhood sweethearts, Enemies to lovers, Workplace romance and Second chance romance.. It delivers great humor and a no nonsense storyline.. Easily one of the best romcoms of 2024..

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Office Worker Isekaied into Dafeng Dynasty and Becomes TOP DAWG

This is such a common trope I've read often in manhuas/manhwas but I have to say I really don't watch it enough in dramas. I would say the only other one I watched where MC was isekaied is Romance of Tiger and Rose! Guardians of Dafeng also lives up to the comedy in ROTR but more in the form of slapstick comedy rather than humour in the dialogue. I'm watching this while I'm in a kdrama slump and I am being kept very entertained so far.

Since this is based off a novel series, I wonder if they're planning on having multiple seasons or if they're fitting everything in one season! Personally, I haven't read the novel but super excited to be watching this! Summary of the drama from what I've seen so far is basically in my headline - Xu Qi'an (originally Yang Ling before he woke up in a different world) aka Mr. Dylan Wang gets isekaied into an alternate fantasy world which takes place during Da Feng dynasty. A world with magic and powers and magical swords. He wakes up in prison btw and basically clears his and his family's names by using his brain, catching the eye of some pretty high up people. His character is supposed to be very smart, and with the addition of his modern world knowledge plus somehow remembering all his years of education (seriously, who the hell remembers their entire high school chemistry textbook), he becomes very good at solving cases and becomes famous for his poems (the ones he writes from what he remembers from books hes read). He slowly starts to move up in this world, eventually achieving his goal of being a part of the Guardians of Dafeng (which are essentially the protectors of the people, think police but with powers). His family is funny, and its so heartwarming to see them form a close bond (apparently the old him was emo) - his uncle, cousin, and aunt are especially funny when they're all together. The one flaw I would say so far is the fact that the writers aren't thinking too deep about how to show Xu Qi'an as a brilliant detective, he is simply just better than everyone and pieces things together better than most people in this dynasty do. I honestly don't have a problem with this, I also like that he solves things so quickly without any confusing path to get there, but it's amusing seeing how it's REALLY not that complicated. If someone is expecting really complex and good investigative skills from this, this is noooot for you. Anyways, now that he's a Guardian, he's also beginning to upgrade his fighting skills and we see already that he's also gifted in fighting. Although he seems to have selfish intentions with his interactions, you can tell he truly does care about people and upholds this righteousness by defending those who need it. On the way to becoming top dawg for real - you just know he's walking out of this with a girl. The FL who is the second princess doesn't appear in the drama until 6 episodes in and I'm not sure how big of a focus their romance will have but I'm sensing some great character development from her. Princess Lin'an (Tian Xiwei) is introduced as a spoiled princess who's always competing to appear better than the Grand Princess, bothering the Bureau of Astronomy for education and now Xu Qi'an for his poetry. Also excited to see their love story play out and I expect a lot of bickering from these two. In terms of acting, I feel like it's the typical chinese drama acting - the side characters act decently well, nothing mind blowing but again this is a comedic drama. I haven't watched Dylan Wang in anything for a HOT minute and honestly I can see that there's been improvement in his acting. He has a lot more facial expressions since his Meteor Garden Days and his line delivery is much better. Could he do better? For sure, but for now I don't care and just like his face. His hair also looks good in this. This is my first time watching Tian Xiwei in anything and I like her so far - pretty natural acting, cute face, good expressions! I've also seen some people complaining about Dylan's sichuan accent and oh gosh some of these people are so nitpicky. I'm really glad he gets to dub his own drama this time and I quite like his voice, I don't think too much of his accent but I guess it bothers some people since this takes place in a Dynasty.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, comedic drama, with a character who gets super OP along with some romance, definitely give this a try!

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Stupid, but funny

I've been a bit of a cdrama slump, and came in with no expectations. It was bad, but something made me continue watching.

Story:
-Ml's sister and Ml's friend is the reason why they stayed together for as long as they did (so I love them)
-The parents in the show was really good
-toxic/unhealthy relationships were everywhere (especially main couple except for the last 2 ep)
-they take forever to get together because of Li Man (second fl) who really makes me hate her (good for the actor at least)
-I didn't like the idea of the ml cheating (was a real turnoff)
-there are so many plot holes and unrealistic things, but you can deal with it, because, from the beginning, its obvious that this show is not meant to be a master piece so it's not like you're disappointed.
-my finger rarely left the skip button.
-fl was kind of a doormat, but what I did like about her is that she had a line. As soon as she had enough of the ml, she left him. I've never been so happy for a breakup before. The ml then, obviously, grovels for a while and changes his ways, so the fl eventually accepts him.
-characters felt a bit flat, but you only realize this after watching the whole thing

Acting/Cast
-the whole cast is gorgeous, especially the fl
-ml's tears didn't seem genuine
-ml and fl had decent (but not amazing) chemistry

Music
-ost was average

Overall, don't waste you're time on this drama unless you're bored to death

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The show starts off strong but ultimately loses momentum as it progresses

On paper, this drama has everything I look for: a compelling story centered on character development, female relationships, and political intrigue rather than just romance. It starts off with great promise, drawing the viewer in with its strong foundation. However, as the story progresses, it becomes stalled by repetitive obstacles thrown in the protagonist's path, which ultimately saps the momentum from an otherwise intriguing narrative.

The first few episodes were absolutely thrilling and deeply moving—they even brought me to tears. The show tackled heavy themes like sexual violence with sensitivity, delivering a female-focused narrative that made me root for the main character with all my heart. The developing friendships and romances were equally compelling, filled with chemistry and emotional depth.
I’ve always loved stories about women overcoming adversity to build their own businesses, as seen in New Life Begins. However, in this case, the story begins to lose its spark in the second half. The intrigue fizzles out as repetitive obstacles are thrown at the protagonist, making the narrative feel stagnant. The show would have greatly benefited from fewer episodes and tighter storytelling in its latter part.
By the time the tragic ending unfolded, my emotional connection to the characters had waned due to the overly drawn-out plot. Finishing the show felt like a chore, as each new conflict added little to the overall progression of the story. While it had incredible potential, the lack of narrative focus in the second half sadly undermined its impact.

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BIG DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE END
STARTS WELL BUT BECOMES BORING DOWN THE LINE
LEAVES GAP IN TELLING STORY
FL ACTING BECOMES FLAT IN LATE EPISODES
I started watching Heartbeat (2023) with high expectations, and for the most part, the drama delivered an entertaining and refreshing experience. The unique premise of a vampire aspiring to become human was captivating, and the earlier episodes were a perfect mix of humor, romance, and supernatural intrigue. The male and female leads shared great chemistry early on, making their interactions fun and heartwarming to watch.

However, the latter half of the drama didn’t quite live up to the strong start. The plot felt rushed, and some narrative choices seemed unnecessary, leading to a less satisfying conclusion. Additionally, the female lead’s acting in the later episodes lacked the emotional depth needed to carry the story forward, which made certain pivotal scenes fall flat.

From my perspective, Heartbeat was a drama with immense potential that didn’t fully capitalize on its strengths. While the world-building and initial storytelling were engaging, the ending felt underwhelming and lacked the charm that drew me in initially.

Overall, it’s still a watchable drama, especially for fans of supernatural rom-coms, but don’t expect a consistently strong ride throughout. The first half is delightful, but the second half might leave you wanting more.

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