Reviews

Don't waste your time.

The story began pretty good. I was honestly really invested in the drama. Up until episode 6 it was pretty watchable, but slowly it started going downhill.

I've written so many comments on this drama and honestly it's not worth watching. So please don't waste your time, unless you like messy and unorganized series i would recommend watching it.

No but genuinely what happend to them? Lifei and xie yuan.. I thought he wanted to change or smth, but he kept going back to becoming the demon lord or did i miss something?

Lifei still weak asf.. even in episode 30 she was struggeling with her powers and even had to have xie yuan support her. Like what's the point then? There were more scenes with Lifei and Tongzhou than with Xie Yuan. I really thought he was the main lead, but i guess not anymore. Also i gave up on episode 29. It really was not worth it.
I also read somewhere that Lifei agreed to marry Tongzhou.. Are we serious rn.

Don't waste your time guys😔
This is my opinion!!

Read More

Kiss Your Sleep Schedule Goodbye

A few weeks ago, I lost some good sleep over this drama. 😅

I decided to watch just one episode before bed around 9:45 PM. By episode 3, I was already hooked. The plot grabbed me almost immediately. I dozed off for a while, woke up around 12:45 AM, convinced myself I'd only watch one more episode... and somehow ended up finishing the entire series. So yes, this drama completely destroyed my sleep schedule. ಥ‿ಥ

The premise instantly reminded me of the Nicolas Cage and John Travolta movie Face/Off, except this time the story revolves around romance rather than action. The pacing is incredibly fast. Every scene serves a purpose, and the drama wastes almost no time. It constantly moves the story forward, making it ridiculously easy to binge from beginning to end.

General Xiao Han Sheng quickly became my favorite part of the show. Unlike some of the colder generals I've seen in other historical dramas, he never feels emotionally distant. Cheng Lei's performance carries so much warmth beneath his composed exterior, and his micro-expressions honestly deserve an award. Sometimes he says more with a single glance than an entire page of dialogue could.

What I loved most was how naturally the romance balanced the suspense. The mystery had me holding my breath, wondering what would happen next, while the quieter moments between the leads made me sigh in utter bliss. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠) Every time they got closer, I found myself grinning like an idiot. Their chemistry was simply adorable.

One thing I especially appreciated was Xiao Han Sheng's unwavering trust in Shi Qi. There wasn't endless suspicion or frustrating misunderstandings dragging the relationship down. Once his feelings became clear, he simply chose to trust her. Total husband energy. 🫠

The only aspect that felt underdeveloped was the sister's character. Her motivations never felt fully explored, so some of her decisions came across as a little ambiguous. Since the drama is so short, I understand why the focus stayed on the main couple, but I do wish her character had received a bit more depth.

The ending also left me pleasantly surprised. That final snowy scene made me pause for a second and wonder if what I was seeing was actually real or something else entirely. I love endings that leave just enough room for interpretation without feeling incomplete.

Overall, A Familiar Stranger completely caught me off guard. It delivers romance, mystery, suspense, and emotional payoff without wasting a single episode. If you're looking for a historical romance that's fast-paced, beautifully acted, and incredibly easy to binge, this is one I'd happily recommend.

⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
Story: ★★★★☆
+0.5: Cheng Lei's expressive eyes and acting.

Read More

Boring, cringy, edgy

I'll try to keep it short, mostly because I don't wanna give it too much of my time.

Visuals. Somewhat ok. A few meh shots, but mostly everything in regards to visuals is ok. Apart from the fight choreography. You can see that they tried, the actors do put a lot of effort in those scenes, but the logic of the moves is meh at best. (Apart from ep 6, that one was good. For the most part. Because he should've done something else, something very specific. Anyway.) And thats a problem because the show involves proffessional killers. Btw, it has one of the worst snipers I've ever seen (mental discipline, target, technique).
** Funny thing: at some point in the first episode, the first scenes (I don't remember exactly when and I won't even check), our main protagonists watch a movie. She makes fun of it, a solo guy taking out all the other guys. He tells her no no, pay attention, he's using the blind spots. I started laughing, because of the irony. Apart from a few and very specific titles, the korean movies don't have good fight choreography. Its like they don't use trainers when filming. And the irony was that a line was used in this drama, as if its something korean movies do every time. And hen, the fact that they had none for this drama... Oh, they tried, sure. Like I said, lots and lots of moving parts and high tempo sht going on screen, it looks cool, but the logic behind the moves is sht. Also, only very few moments of "blind spots" used. **
Audio. This drama is supposed to have mystery/suspense/thriller so the sound design is done in a way thats catering to it. Lots and lots of dissonant strings, silence moments to draw you in, and such. You can say it is ok, it works well with the visuals unfolding on screen.
The editing is kinda meh. Too much "dead time". I mean, it has 8 episodes, stuff barely happens, ofc the editor tried to use every second available... Minimal world-building, but its not really needed anyway. Looks like mid production value, but dunno what for.

Now the good parts. The story is meh, at best. While the premise might seem interesting, this k-drama was boring as hell. At first I thought it was about setting the mood. Then the opening was replayed in the 3rd episode. They tried to make a couple of "Uh-oh, tense moments incoming. Will they live?" moments work, but because the drama started at a certain point in the story and then it went using flashbacks, you know how it will all end up. And, like I kept saying, the scenes were boring and very long, for no reason. I mean the reason was to have enough runtime, thats not what I was talking about. OK, it gets a little better for episodes 5-7 (I think?), but overall its a drag.
Anyway, the writing is bad. Only a few good stuff in there, the rest will make you sigh and roll your eyes. Add to that some edgy and cringe dialogue, acting and/or "bad guy speech" trope all around, and you get the picture.
A lot of plot devices and plot contrivances. Oh, and lots of red herring. Yet some of the stuff is still predictable. And yes, I'm ok with the over-the-top action scenes and situation, even with some of the sht physics involved, but not the "it just so happened that..." way of pushing the story forward. Thats just lazy writing. Oh, and the last 10 minutes or so were sht.
Now lets talk about character development. OK, I was being cheeky. I won't bother :)))

It gets a rating of 4. Apart from some very few extremely good acting, some very few character stuff and the ok-ish technical aspects, the story, writing and dialogue are sht and/or boring. No rewatch value, obviously. This could've been a 3-hour movie (maybe in 2 parts) if someone erased all the "dead beats". I mean the story would still need some small changes too, but you could have a good product. Ok, decent, lets not go crazy here. The premise is nothing new, it was just modified a bit. But, as it stands for now, nope. And yes, I'm aware a new season is on the way... Maybe it will get better.
Have a lovely day.

Read More

The absence of retribution for the innocents left me deeply disappointed

I found the scenes where Bale and his team hunted down Jung Jin Man’s family especially harrowing. The helplessness of the victims, and the grandmother’s desperate struggle for her last breath, made their deaths feel unbearably pitiful. I had expected Jung Ji An to rise up and fight back, but her determination only flickered briefly, surfacing in glimpses during the final episode.

Episode 4 was striking when Bae Jeong Min revealed his true nature, shocking everyone as he tried to capture Ji An and seize the warehouse. In contrast, Min Hye’s acrobatic kills were exhilarating to watch, and it’s no surprise she earned a Best Actress award for her performance.

I had hoped Jin Man would exact justice by killing General Lee Yong Han, who bore clear guilt for the deaths of Ji An’s family. The absence of retribution for the innocents left me deeply disappointed, as their suffering felt unresolved and unavenged.

Read More

Pacing is off

main point: Pacing is off and bad script but the actors tried their best with what they got.

I had so much hope for this. We rarely get omegaverse shows so when I saw boat and oat casted for this series I was excited. the best casting choice for a show with this topic. But three episodes in already and I’m disappointed. The pacing and plot is really awkward. I always watch shows half way through before dropping it so three more episodes to give it a fair judgement. On a positive note the actors are giving their all to deliver the story. I did like the vulnerability between phasta and nakhun.

Read More

This Never-Ending Summer tested my patience

Subjective Enjoyment Rating: 7.75
Objective Rating: 8.0-8.5

I can see why so many people love “Never-Ending Summer”, especially when you are a romance lover. Romance is the main focus in this drama from start to finish. Unfortunately, I think the execution and writing could have been better. The last episode raised my rating from 7.5 to 7.75. I lost my focus and was bored for about 50% of the drama. When it’s good, it’s really good. When it’s repetitive, it’s really repetitive.

Plot/Pacing
Rich man/Poor woman is not a unique plot. The family drama is not a unique plot. The business part, well, it’s the weakest plot of the drama. But luckily, the main romance is solid and the chemistry of the leads is great. I actually really like the first few episodes of the drama when the leads first started getting to know each other. And I understand and empathize with the tough choices FL has to make, and she’s only 18 years old. I just wish the writing is better so it doesn’t feel so repetitive. I commented on my Friends Feeds that the first 11 episodes feel so draggy and are the slowest 11 episodes I felt in recent months. I was hoping the storyline would go back to the present-day timeline soon, but I had to wait for a very long time. I was looking forward to the angst of the break up, because you know it’s going to happen when you have a rich boy and a poor girl. I waited and waited and almost gave up. Finally the breakup happened and we’re back to 2026. I was stuck in that never-ending summer for a very, very long time. I am interested in the main romance again, but the investigation and business plots bore me. “Never-Ending Summer” really feels never-ending and it tests my patience. Additionally, the parents are annoying. There are illogical plot holes here and there (not enough to dock big points from the rating, but enough to be noticeable and for me to roll my eyes).

Main Romance
I actually like both the leads as characters. I like that they are both flawed and hurt. I actually prefer ML to be more of a playboy or fake red-flag, but he’s very green from start to finish. I like their dynamics, their chemistry and their interaction. But as I said earlier, the repetitive back-and-forth with lying and not lying, taking advantage of someone, avoidance, forgiveness, etc…. It was just too much for me to fall in love with the main romance. I love the breakup scene. It was beautiful, emotional and well-acted. Many criticize ML for forgiving FL in a heartbeat. I don’t fault him for that as he’s always been like that since he’s a teenager. It’s apparent that he’s never stopped loving her and his meanness towards her is really nothing serious. I do agree I wish there’s a little more push-and-pull, and I wanted FL to work a little harder to earn the forgiveness. “Never-Ending Summer” does reward romance lovers, like myself, who stuck around till the end. Once they got together again, it was sweet, fluffy and rewarding. The last episode is worth my extra 0.25 rating. It pleases my hopeless romantic heart. Did I mention we have an amazing drunken confession scene full of emotions and amazing kisses?

Secondary Romance
Well, this couple is disappointing. They could have been so much fun, but not enough time is given to develop their storylines. In high school, they acted as props for the main leads. When they finally have some screen time about their problems, I am not invested in them enough to care.

Acting
I do like the acting of Bao Shang En and Daniel Zhou. Bao Shang En made me love her and also wanted to strangle her. I’ve been a fan of Daniel since I first saw him in “A Moment but Forever”. The two of them gave us youthful energy, and also maturity as professionals, and giddiness when in love. The younger supporting cast did fine, though not amazing. I was especially surprised to see Ke Chun here, as I’ve had many late night dates with him watching YouTube verticals. Seeing him here as a loan shark/hooligan was fun and he did a great job. I’ve seen Fu Wei Lun in so many supporting roles and I felt he’s underutilized here as ML’s best friend.

Production
First of all, I love the OST. There are many beautiful songs, and they complement the show and scenes very well. Having said that, songs are played way too often. There are times when I couldn’t hear the actors’ conversation when the background music was played loudly. The music is great, just the usage could be better. Bao Shang En and Daniel Zhou look great visually. Bao Shang En has such an amazing wardrobe. I love her high school casual wear (and thank goodness she’s not in uniform all the time). And as a professional, she looks absolutely stunning. Did you notice she keeps on wearing off-shoulder tops?


Do I recommend this drama? Mm… I don’t know. I think either you love the romance and the couple, or you hate the repetitive back-and-forth. It's only 29 episodes, so it’s not too long if you are looking for a rewarding romance. But if romance is not your cup of tea, don’t bother.


Drama Completed: 7/14/2026 Review #703

Read More

Can I still go to heaven?

I could never find the right words or the right sentences to describe how beautiful this series is.

I myself have dealt with the clash between sexuality and religion, and the emotional turmoil that leads afterwards. It took me MONTHS to accept myself and finally come back to my religion without feeling guilty. This story perfectly captured the guilt, the grief, the denial, the avoidance. I thought that I had gotten over my religious trauma, but watching this series really dug up all those feelings I had bottled up. I really thought that I wasn't going to cry. When I saw Auntie Lek, I couldn't contain my tears anymore. I love her. 😭

Shortcomings:
The pilot looked like it had more emotional depth. It almost seemed heavier. The wording was bolder and, well... what happened to the girl? I do wish it was a bit closer to the pilot. DESPITE THAT, the final results were still amazing.

Read More

well written characters and plot? they gave it to me.

shin haesun knows her dramas damn like the conflict is so good like u dont know if she can survive that. the similarities with welcome to samdalri and this is so jksdjkf. down bad love interest and extreme conflicts. yongpil and kijun sit in the same table.

i like the secretary's character. u dont really know which side shes on. she bold not becos she is but its for survival. she's messy. she's not a girls girl but not a pick me. shes her own authentic self.

let me talk about hye young i thought they were going to abandon her cus her temper, alcohol addiction and infidelity but her character development is so good. unhappily married and was arranged to a man to get him a strong background. her character knows her purpose of the marriage & is not naive about it. she can be irritable at times but once it was for jae yeol she's willing to be his used cus she knows how weak jaeyeols status is.

also in-ah's back story was not seen much.

Read More

Beautiful story in my top favs for 2026

This drama was def worth the wait chemistry between song weilong and ju jing yi i can feel it through the screen i hope they do a 3rd one together i would like to see them in modern drama together. I also like seeing alot my fav short actors in this drama too. I liked how the drama touched on greed and obession can bring someones dark side. i was sad about ye ye and baili deaths 😢 . Seeing lan ya grow and find someone's like lu li who truly loved her was beautiful. I was upset at first when they shortened it to 33 episodes but they told the story prefectly from beginning to end no confusion plus had me getting emotional almost in tears when thought the leads died glad they didnt and we saw how everyone story ended. I def rewatch this drama i recommend giving it chance.

Read More

Departure From the Usual Thai GL Formula - No Cliches, Tropes, Aegyo and Cringiness

Roller Coaster's cinematography, screenplay and directing is truly stunning. It doesn't feel like the usual Thai soap opera there are no recycled or drawn out plotlines, cringey aegyo scenes, they didn't lean into the usual everyone's forgiven and there are no consequences for your actions ending and there are also no non-consent intimate scenes. Instead the story is realistic and grounded and all characters face the consequences for their actions. I also like how the acting isn't overtly dramatic which is common in Thai GLs instead the acting here is more natural and grounded.

Read More

excellent story, excellent acting and excellent song theme

I just finished watching episode 2 of the series *Mr. Kill*. My advice after seeing both episodes is: don't jump to conclusions. The story is compelling, and the actors—Dew and Tee—did a fantastic job portraying their characters; I’m really proud of them. I especially appreciate the way Tee conveys emotion through his facial expressions and tone of voice. The same goes for Dew; his portrayal of Kaye—particularly when showing his sadness—makes me want to give him a hug. On top of that, the choice of songs for the OST and the ending sequence is spot-on. waiting for true color in music platform.

Read More

"You don't let go of anyone's hand now"

Tokyo Salad Bowl tackled immigration in Japan and the accompanying racism and discrimination that often arose from it. The heart of the drama was a green haired police officer who used food to connect with people and open doors, paving the way for healing and friendship.

Koda Mari has recently transferred to the International Investigation Division where officers deal with crimes involving immigrants. There is a stable of interpreters including Arikino Ryo who can speak Chinese. Neither Ryo nor her new colleagues know what to make of her bright green hair, obsession with discovering new foods, and sunshine personality. They say she picks up the crumbs, small cases that they can’t be bothered with. But the crumbs she gathers often turn into discovering a bakery of wrongdoing. Mari takes a liking to quiet, pessimistic Ryo and cajoles him into helping her with cases, feeding him on a regular basis. As the two work together, Mari comes closer to discovering what drove Ryo from the police force and why he is so withdrawn.

I went into this drama hesitantly as it was based on a manga. Too often I’ve found manga heroines too effervescent with too little brain power. To my surprise, despite her garish green hair and terrible fashion sense, Mari had good cop instincts though she was in desperate need of a self-defense class. She believed that Tokyo was a salad bowl of ethnicities and that everyone deserved to be treated humanely. I was worried when she was chowing down on scorpions and ox penises in the first episode but the dishes became more palatable to me as the drama progressed. And like most female leads in Asian dramas that weigh 90 pounds/40 kg soaking weight she ate her body weight in food daily.

Japan’s dwindling population required a steady influx of foreign workers. Most ended up in low paying or manual labor jobs. Just as the country walked a fine line of wanting and not wanting immigrants, the drama sought to plea for better treatment of foreign workers and also subtly excused racism. It’s not racism---people just don’t trust foreigners, are quick to judge and blame, make snide comments about race, different cultures, customs, and are sometimes abusive towards them. Yeah, that’s racism. It was also telling that the Chinese often had scruffy wild hair and dowdy clothes. Baby steps. Most of the immigrants were shown as hard working and trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. As Mari worked in the police department they also dealt with foreigners who ran afoul of the law. (Important note-as in my country, immigrants commit fewer crimes than native citizens.)

The drama brought to attention the challenges of interpreting and how difficult it can be to translate specifically and for meaning. The language barrier when living in a different country can be daunting and absolutely terrifying if a person ends up in legal difficulty. Trafficking of vulnerable populations was explored though not in depth. Most of the cases were more about community building and understanding people’s needs rather than the actual crimes themselves. The main villain was weakly written and didn’t seem capable of running an international crime ring at such a young age.

Tokyo Salad Bowl was a good analogy for different cultures coming together in one dish. Different peoples bring their unique cuisines giving people strong reasons to bond over food. The drama tweaked the strong desire for conformity with foreign workers, a competent female police officer with shocking green hair, and a gay character. Aside from her ability to seek out the best sustenance in town, Mari’s super power was the ability to really listen and not let go of a hurting person’s hand. Anyone who knows how to care for a suffering person with an offer of Pajamas and tea knows the value of food and friendship. A gentle and entertaining drama about healing, treating people as valuable human beings, and finding the truth.

14 July 2026

Trigger warnings: Smoking. Drinking.

Continuity notes: Mari’s hair changed in intensity from scene to scene as well as her exposed roots. Girl could have used a good wig. I know it’s based on a manga, but when Mari was undercover, I just kept hearing a line from My Cousin Vinny, “Oh yeah, you blend.”

It could go from daylight to nighttime during the course of breakfast.

Read More

Could have been better!

What a let down this has been! I had hopes for it in the beginning but by episode 5 it just became stupid silly. They behaved like 8yr olds. Who writes this stuff? Not sure I will watch to the end but i reallylike these two actors together. They meshed really well & nice to look at😳 The storyline was weak & seemed to go nowhere & I was bored by the 3rd episode. The intimate scenes started off well but then very suddenly switched to another scene like them in the kitchen. They barely ever kissed. It was over before it started. If those scenes would have been better & longer then i dont think i woukd have been too bored😂 I woukd like to these two actors in another series but with a beter story & better intimate scenes❤️

Read More