Reviews

Love at its finest

Do you know that feeling you get when you have just finished a really good book or series and you are just left feeling empty, like there is a void that needs to be filled, and only the memories you have created over the last few hours can soothe the emptiness inside? This is how I feel right now.

The redemption arc written for Ming is the best one I have ever witnessed in any BL. I love how they did not make him turn over a new leaf out of being sorry but instead made him suffer through love and feel its merciless assault on the soul. They gave his character a rebirth through hard grief. I call it hard grief because knowing someone died and seeing a body is one thing, but not knowing if someone is dead or alive and no body to see, well that is hell on earth.

Watching Joe mourn his old self was so moving in a way I have never considered. I saw a quote that says "Many people die at 25 but are buried at 70." This quote came to mind because here Joe is mourning the loss of his body and old self, but still having a second chance. There are people who have lost themselves for whatever reason and are not really living; they are surviving for the sake of various reasons. My point is when you are lucky enough to get a second chance do not let it slip away, and if you do not get one then make one because you will only be in this life, this moment in this space only once.

When Ming let go of Joe, but could not stand it for even a second and ran to him, wrapping his arms around him; refusing to let him go. Now, that is romance, heartbreak and love all at once. Writing this now, one couple comes to mind and it is Lu Feng and Xiao Chen from A Round Trip To Love. Those two were "desperate love" personified. I always say that for me Chinese BLs and writing are above the rest, well tonight, Thailand hit the same level for me. I have only ever experienced this type of portrayal of desperation and love from a Chinese BL. Well done Thailand.

Ming waited at home cooking for Joe for two years; fulfilling Joe's dream as if calling him home is one incredible act of love.

I am still amazed at how well Ming's character was written to sway the audience (me) so well. I went from hating him to rejoicing in his torment, to feeling my gut move with grief, to finally loving him. The fact that his character alone told a whole love story is just writing at its best.

Joe is a fool for love. The way he folded so quickly when Ming started to make it up to him lol. What I truly love though is that apology Ming gave him. I think it says a lot that even though all was basically settled they saw it important for that apology to take place. That scene in itself is a 10. I think oftentimes people forgive and move on and words cannot change anything, but those three words, "I am sorry" can shift so much in a person wronged and even in the one doing the apology. Apologies are best given in this life because the next life perhaps is not so accommodating or does not even exist, so apologise in the life you are sure of.

I kept putting off watching this series for months. I would come in here frequently and say I am going to start this series but for whatever reason never got around to it. Here I am now on the eve of 2025 completing it and giving it a 10. Closing off a year that for me was full of successes academically and occupationally. I will not forget this one anytime soon. My Stand-In: Uncut 10/10 one of my favourite and proudest 10. This is how you close off the 2024 BL season in style.

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Watch this for my 2024 Alphabet Challenge. Quite surprised how much I liked this in the end…

Story happened in 1952 in Kyoto revolving around Kuwanoki Ichika & her family Ryoten restaurant. After World War II, Kuwanoki restaurant was on the brink of bankruptcy. Not wanting to lose the family’s restaurant, Ichika’s aunt (Marukawa Machiko) has a plan to arrange marriage for Kuwanoki and Yamaguchi family to get help from Yamaguchi family.

At first, the candidate was Ichika's younger sister, Futaba with the 2nd son of the Yamaguchi family. But it turns out the second son is already married, so the choice falls to the 3rd son, Yamaguchi Amane. Futaba is already hesitant to marry the 2nd son, cause he is younger than her, but once Futaba heard the groom will be Amane (which is even more younger than her), she decided not go through with the wedding & elope with her crush. So, the burden fell on Ichika. Although hesitant at first, after talking to Amane, they decided to go through with the wedding.

With no feeling for each other, at first this all only a marriage of convenience. But over time, they learn more about each other, and their feelings grow. So, how in the end, Ichika & Amane help to raise the Ryoten restaurant from the brink of bankruptcy…?

That's pretty much the story without giving any more spoilers.

What I like:
+ The funny feeling of humans. Actually until the end they don’t explicitly show that Ichika & Amane falling in love with each other, implicitly sure, but never out in the open. But their feelings of ownership of each other exist. Like how Ichika likes to tease Amane for being young, she still doesn't like when others insult him for the same reason.
+ How supportive Amane is to Ichika. I like how Amane defends Ichika and the restaurant from his family plan.
+ How all the platonic relationships do not bloom into something else. Like Amane & Suzune, or Ichika & her former boss.
+ All the yummy recipes… Haha….

Overall for me this is quite one perfect peaceful drama to watch in your everyday life…

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I loved it from start to finish

I have read some of the less-nice reviews of this show, but I disagree with all of those. I loved this show all the way through. The writing was very good, acting was fantastic, characters were 3-diemenstional and believable, chemistry of the leads was awesome, storyline was (mostly) believable and interesting. I got bored at no point in this show or had thoughts of dropping it/fast-forwarding. There were some tropes to interfere with the leads' love, but nothing so unbearable I was screaming at my screen (which I have done a number of times before with some other shows).

The FL is cold and angry at first, but also has heart, and she does grow as a character without becoming an entirely different person. THe ML was *adorable,* and some have kinda complained he does NOT have much character growth, but I think it makes sense for his chartacter as someone who grew up as an angel. Also, he DOES decide later to do what he has to do even if it is against God or his own conscience, which I personally consider character growth, myself. Still, he doesn’t change MUCH, but that is something I am GLAD of. He is sweet and cute and warm and innocent pretty much through it all, and it suits him well, as well as making him a great opposite-makes-complement for the FL. Plus, the love story is 100% believable, in my opinion. Some have said otherwise, but it seems to me to be clearly shown from the get-go that they are immediately drawn to each other, like magnets, from the start. It just grows a lot deeper from there, as they spend more time together.

I’ve seen a complaint or two about the show focusing more on the relationship(s) in middle than the dancing and FL’s journey, and that is true, but those elements are still in there. They do rather rush her recovery, but the dance and drama surrounding it are still there. They just become side stories constructed around the leads’ romance; a fact I personally am GRATEFUL for! I came FOR the romance; I don’t mind the rest of the story being secondary to the love story AT ALL.

The ending was happy, though a little confusing to me at first, but after reading the commentary posts on this site for that show (not reviews), it makes perfect sense to me now. It seems some people believe the ending was NOT a truly happy ending, but after reading those posts, I am convinced even more than when I was watching it that it was indeed a HAPPY ending, and one that was NOT, in fact, tacked on last-minute as some have implied but rather quite deliberately intended and well-thought out. I suggest you to read those posts yourself to decide for yourself how YOU see it after you finish the show.

The soundtrack–I would have given it a higher rating if it weren’t for that one song (I don’t know the names of the songs in this show) that I call the “1,2,3,4” song (because the song starts with that short countdown, twice). That song, imo, was intrusive and annoying and overplayed, and also for me I kept thinking a *character* was saying that at the start of each play of the song (it’s a dancing show, after all.). Enough times that the one time a character DOES start counting steps out loud, THAT time I thought it was the stupid song starting again! lol But you may not have any issues with it yourself. That’s’ just me. But the other main song they used, I LOVED. The “There Was a Word of God” song. It’s beautiful, sad, haunting, and appropriate. High marks for that one. The other song or two are also good.

The one thing I wish the show had, though, is an epilogue. Even just two minutes, one minute even. Just a few snapshots of “after.” I would have been so happy to have that. But I’ll take it as is and be plenty happy with that because they could have just made it a very clear tragedy.

Christian folks may find this show a bit difficult to watch, though, given the hard-hitting questions about God asked by the characters and opinions/feelings about God given by the characters. The show never quite resolves that clearly, either, with a “This is what God’s will was all along” or a “this is why thus and such had to happen.” So there’s that, for those who are sensitive to such things.

I did not intend to write such a long review! I didn’t even know I had that much to say. But for what it’s worth…I hope this review helps you decide to give this show a try, and helps you to like it more! It’s a new fave of mine now and I’m giving it a high rewatch score which I don’t do much. :)

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Lee Jun Ho was outstanding!

For me the Kings journey was key to this story and Lee Jun Ho portrayed his struggles and emotions so perfectly!
His co star Lee Se-young was perfect in her role and such a wonderful ensemble cast, especially Jang Hye Jin as Court Lady Seo.
Lee Deok Hwa was fabulous in his role as King Yeong Jo, a more serious role than some I've seen him play.

It was visually beautiful...the scenery, the costumes, all of it.

Such a memorable drama ....congratulations to everyone involved.

I recommend this to anyone wanting to be emotionally involved in a story..one that is quite unforgettable!

Yet another reason to love Korean dramas!

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The tail wagged just in time

I’m not going to mince words. This show feels humdrum for most of its run. Yes, it has its moments and when the romance is in full flight it can be heart fluttering. On the other hand, it is a tedious watch for the longest time.

The old enemy to lover trope is front and centre again. The ML is charismatic, and the FL is attractive. Both are approaching middle age. They seemed to hate each other on sight but there is something unspoken just under the surface. It is a promising start. However, the apple cart starts to wobble soon enough. So much push backs! So much snarling and cattiness. This went on and on.

As soon as they accepted their destiny, the unicorns are freed and all is forgiven. I know they are making up for lost time but scene after scene of snarly exchanges cannot be unseen.

Unfortunately, as soon as it got interesting on the romance front, the side characters start to bay for attention. For instance, the teachers at school are so nosy. Village ajummas need to take note. On top of that, the head teacher is next level. His sole aim is to be a pest and get drunk after work. Any excuse will do. The fact that he is the head teacher makes it so cringey. They sucked a lot of oxygen from the A-plot.

The writer-nim also ran through all the dating tropes. Sometimes, it can feel a bit surreal watching scenes you would associate with young actors being enacted by our 40 years old leads. It can be cute but it is hit and miss.

Then we have the patriarch of both families. The FL's grandfather is a decent man but stubborn as a mule. The ML's father is an obnoxious nouveau riche who is hellbent on exacting revenge on the grandfather because of some historical slight. Our leads are the meat in the sandwich for obvious reasons.

This lead to a series of unpleasant interactions between our leads and the patriarchs. They are close to 40 yet they are treated like kids. Verbal abuse and corporal punishment is the norm. Speaking of kids, the show did devote a fair amount of time to their school yard meet-cute and flirtation. Those flashbacks are quite sweet and certainly shows up their present day counterparts.

I was feeling lukewarm by the 2/3 mark and kept putting off chasing the next episode. Given the acting of the ensemble is solid, especially the main characters, this points to some questionable writing being the culprit. I was thankful when the last two episodes dropped as they lifted the show significantly.

Those last episodes flipped the narrative. Not only a key historical grievance was resolved but it also brought the families together at a critical time.

As expected, the last episode is pure fan service and happy endings are handed out like lollies. I won’t complain. The reward at the end made the time sink bearable. That will do. Peace.

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Overhyped but Watchable for some Dumb Comedy

Not to piss off Dylan Wang Fans but if you want to use your own voice in a costume drama, work on your accent + line delivery. Success of Love Between Fairy and Devil (which I did enjoy) was partially contributed by the right choice of voice dubbing (Sound, Accent, Line Delivery). Of course, I would love it if more actors can use their own voices but that's under the condition if they can do it properly. It's the same concept where European/Australian actors that play American characters with the correct accent. I am sure it's hard work but it's part of acting.

From acting, many of his expressions are the same--that wrinkle between the eyebrow Look. Not comparable to the strong supporting cast. So many good actors can deliver those micro expressions.

Story wise ... kind of makes no sense how fast he solves the 1st case in 3 min. Lots of talking w/o actually going through the process of solving the murder. If you enjoy well written murder solving dramas like Imperial Coroner or Ancient Detective, then this is not it.

What's "Watchable"
Supporting Cast. There are so many familiar faces that can do these dumb humor roles very well. Although this kind of humor may not hit for everyone. 80% didn't hit for me. I much enjoyed "Go East" with Tan Jian Ci or The Happy Seven in Chang'an. Both are silly comedies that hit more for me.

I'll emphasize that these are just my personal opinion. I am not a super fan of any idol actors, but I am a fan of character portrayal and good story telling disregarding popularity.

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Series Ends Really Well

I liked this drama. Ren is a brilliant artist who pretty much has decided he will not be hurt by the disappointments of life especially of a person leaving him. He had a selfish mother who only cared for her own needs and he internalized that by fulfilling his need with women as objects and not even trying to get to have anything real intimately with anyone except his childhood friend, Chiki. Ren is called back to his old alma mater for an art seminar and he meets Miu. Miu is struggling with her latest sculpture. She has sworn off relationships after her boyfriend dumps her unceremoniously. She falls for Ren immediately knowing it will most likely lead to heartache. Ren is not willing to give of himself fully and Miu finally realizes she deserves better than that!

Episode 8 is 30 minutes of some of the best TV I've seen this year. Things wrapped up rather nicely and we see Ren's humanity and humility finally. The scene with his mother was really good. I wanted a bit more but what she tells him made sense b/c as selfish as she has been his whole life she still loves him. Ren kind of gets the catharsis he needs by accepting his mother as she is. I also liked that Miu finally gets it! He ask her if she will have regrets if they get back together and she said exactly what she should have!!

What I loved about the series is the cast is really good and I mean everyone but especially Yokohama Ryusei. I have never seen him in anything else and now I want to see his other work. Minami Sara is an actress to watch for me as well. I like her a lot.

I have not watched the Korean series so I have no comparisons to make but I do plan to watch soon.

12/30/24

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Love it how I ended this year with this drama

My last drama in 2024, i always wait until the series finish aired then i started.. because i never like to have curiousity when waiting next eps..
Actually typicall drama like this is very common.. like the double, kunning palace, royal princess..they have the same theme.. reborn or second chance to change their life.. If you like typicall drama like this, you will enjoyed..
SongMo is the most interesting character in the drama.. he has a deep hatred, revenge for his uncle and mother.. his father reject him and the king he trust disappointed him again and again.. YunRui has a handsome face but he can’t show the cruel face without mercy..his eyes too soft and warm.. actually i really wait how the different his face before and after know DZ but Yun Rui show me the same face.. but i still like him as songmo..
Dou Zhou has memories for her first life. she even has book to tell her what will happen next.. she has fate she will die with songmo but somehow in the middle of the series, she can break the curse between her and songmo. i dont really understand why but it just happen..maybe in the novel has more explanation..
DZ has a really good character. you will never disappointed with her.. she treat songmo really good until songmo can restore his uncle reputation ( something he cannot do in his first life)
in the end of the series will be a little bit draggy but you can still enjoy it..
i dont talk about other character because its too much..because of them, songmo scenes only have small portion..lol

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Was the script of this series written by ChatGPT?

The plot lost itself so many times it gave me total whiplash. The titlesake "kidnapping" only happens in the first 2 episodes and the second-last one. And then it became a mafia story. And then it became a beach romance. And then it was about Min becoming an actor... I feel like this series wanted to be so many things at the same time it ended up being absolutely nothing. It dragged on at some parts and it rushed others, like for example: I think the story moved on waaaaay too quickly from the fact that Min's best friend literally kidnaps people for ramson as a side hustle... with how easily he did it with Q it obviously wasn't his first time... and that fact never gets addressed again lol Q and him even become friends later on. Maybe this would have had benefitted from being a shorter 8 episodes series where it ends after Q chases Min down to the beach he moved to and they get back together ~ROLL CREDITS~.

This series came in a very weird and experimental period for GMMTV BL, where they want to make more serious shows with darker storylines, but they just can't let go of the cheesy romcoms and soap opera writting they're so known for. It feels like like they're trying to do Kinnporsche when all they know how to do is Bad Buddy... but they can't even commit to the elements that made both of this series into classics in the first place.

But tbf... you could convince me to watch absolutely anything as long as Ohm Pawat was in it. He has such a natural chemistry with anyone that he acts alongside, both romantically and platonically. His brotherly relationship with Ohmtpk was really a highlight in this show, if you told me they were brothers irl i'd have believed you . Ohmtpk also had really great chemistry with Leng. Mhen being a sickly homeschooled boy he obviously didn't have many friends to spare, it made perfect sense in the story that someone as lonely as him would immediately bond with someone as lonely as Q and develop a deep friendship (also Ohmtpk is soooo good, i saw his minor role in Last Twilight and he absolutely killed it. Can't wait to see more from him, this boy is going places).

But i'm surprised to hear they will keep OhmLeng as a couple for future series, I thought they would be an one-series-only couple like all of Ohm's previous partners. Ohm has been coupled with phenomenal actors like Singto and Nanon, so Leng had big expectations to live up to on his debut and unfortunately he wasn't quite there yet and in a lot of moments in this show his acting felt very stiff. I think maybe this type of more cute and fragile character like Q doesn't really suit him bc he looked waaaay more promising as a gang leader in the trailer of Mu-Te-Luv and I'm really excited for that story.


I had originally given this series a 7.0 but then I realized I gave 6.5 to series who are waaaaay worse than this one so here, have more half a star (as a treat). The relationship amongst the characters and the chemistry amongst the cast (and Ohm Pawat's LETHAL face card) were just barely enough to save a series that could've been a total trainwreck. If they had deleted the entire mafia/kidnapping plot and made this series be just the story of a stuntman who dreams of becoming an actor as he cares for his sickly brother and a song writer who can never fully debut as a singer bc the public exposition would put him in danger due to his father's job as a police officer... it would honestly had been PHENOMENAL. It's time for GMMTV directors learn to not bite more than they can chew (they won't always have Ohm's insane eyebrow game to save their shows).

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SeaKeen is adorable

Their acting felt so natural for a first series. Don't get me wrong, obviously they had to be overdramatic for the show, but you could see how they added theirselves to the script and it was super enjoyable to watch. I felt the plot fit well because Keen is ACTUALLY GOOD, at singing and dancing! Feels wrong to say, but many GMMTV artists aren't the best in the musical subject, so I felt happy watching him do his thing. I'll say the plot was pretty dragged and dramatic, but thinking about their chemistry and the casting for this series raised my rating. I've rewatched it already, and loved it once again, so I think this series deserves a solid 9.5 🫶

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Squid Game Season 2 hits on the red light.

Everyone knew that Squid Game was the talk of the town when it first aired, taking the world by storm. Hundreds of millions of people streamed it on Netflix, setting an all-time high record that no show has beaten to this day. So, when the second season was announced shortly after the first one ended, people were ecstatic, eager to have their questions answered when it finally aired.

Just to preface this "review," I personally did not like the first season. I understood why people found it fresh concept-wise, but for someone who has been consuming the "death game" genre for years, the idea was nothing original. It just boiled down to how the creators would put their own spin on it.

My main issue with the first season was its inconsistent writing. You could tell the writer had incredible ideas but struggled to integrate them smoothly into the plot. There were also unnecessary elements that dragged the show longer than necessary (one example being Il-Nam's ten-minute monologue at the end of the season).

That said, I did appreciate the character dynamics and the overall simplicity of the story. I genuinely believe that simplicity was the key factor in its success, especially considering Squid Game served as many people's first experience of the "death game" genre.

When the second season dropped during the holiday season, I decided to give it another chance. I thought perhaps I had been too harsh on the first season, as I only rated it two stars. Maybe the holiday spirit would help me enjoy the new season more.

Trust me, I really wanted to like it. I truly did. I focused on a few good things during the first two episodes, but as time passed, I realized that the one thing I genuinely liked about the first season—its memorable characters—was stripped off from this one.

Although the second season introduced a plethora of new characters, none of them were memorable. They lacked depth, making them utterly forgettable. To be honest, I couldn’t even remember a single name by the time it ended.

Plot-wise, it felt as though the creators sacrificed the show’s core focus to expand the narrative. This season felt rushed, with too many things happening at once, which negatively impacted both the quality of the storyline and the development of the characters.

As for the games, while most were new, they were colorful like those in the first season but lacked the shock factor that made the first season interesting.

Squid Game, like many other series bearing the "second season curse," unfortunately wasn’t safe from landing on the red light. I attribute much of this to the abrupt, and unfulfilling season finale. But who knows? Perhaps what this season lacked might become the strongest element of the next.

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One of the better dramas of 2024

Sad to see the low ratings.
I don't understand the hate on this series?? Yeah it was pretty cheesy and had several plot holes, but looking at the good parts, there were A LOT. I can easily compare this series with many others this year and it tops so much of them.

At first, I hated the fan turns into lover idea, but you had to keep watching to realize the main characters had more history than they realized. The plot twists, or just seeing the characters futures changing due to past jumping, got me really excited for the next episodes. It had me giggling in my seat, and I was also OBSESSED with the soundtrack. Not often you see main actors singing for their OSTs!! Minus points for the random plot confusion toward the end, I'd say this show was a success ♡

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