This review may contain spoilers
Love Upon a Time stood out so much compared to the standard BL formula
Wow, where do I even start? For me, this was easily one of the best Thai BLs I’ve watched so far.It’s so refreshing to watch a historical series where the plot actually drives the show, rather than just using a thin storyline as an excuse to jump from one intimate scene to the next.
I honestly can't believe I watched an entire series without skipping a single scene, and that it had an actual plot! The producers clearly started with a solid storyline and built a genuine show around it, rather than just using the project as an excuse to have the actors engage in overly sexualized scenes.
The time-travel aspect felt grounded and well-paced instead of being all over the place, and the characters had real depth.
I have to say, Klao is officially one of the best "bottom" characters in Thai BL history.
Having a character who isn't just a passive, trope-heavy submissive, but rather a witty, capable person who stands up for himself, is a huge breath of fresh air
He threw punches when he needed to, never solely relied on the "top" to save the day, and had a vibrant personality that didn't just revolve around tired tropes. He was smart and grounded in his interactions, and I absolutely loved his dynamic with Prim and the other women around him.
Meanwhile, Phop easily joins the list of best Thai BL tops. He is the ultimate green flag (and the fact that Net is absolutely delightful to look at certainly didn't hurt). I got so emotional watching him fight for his love in an era where it wasn't accepted.
Even the second leads had a really wonderful plotline in their previous lives and weren't annoying in the slightest. As for the finale, it genuinely satisfied me. It was truly the best happy ending we could have gotten from a time-travel plot.
Overall, I am incredibly happy with this drama. While the acting could have been significantly better in certain scenes, especially from JJ, it was still highly enjoyable. The main leads had insane chemistry without it feeling overly explicit or borderline pornographic. Even the intimate scenes felt deeply tender rather than exploitative. I will definitely be keeping an eye on Net and JJ for future projects.
"To a love unbound by gender, standing resolute against the tides of time."
That was the perfect line to end the show. It left me so emotional, especially knowing how many real people throughout history never got to have their happy ending
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The present sucks so far
Show started off a lot better then it is at the current episodes.From the start FL always felt entitled and rude but now as an adult she is way out of line.
No normal man would deal with such bullshit.
Badass, rage baiting? I call it being a rude, selfish b*****.
This man literally payed for her teenage years and her education and there isnt a single thread of gratitude.
She really thinks she is entitled to the reason why he sent her away. Even tho its none of her business.
People saying that "when MLs do it, its not an issue"...... I havent seen a ML do any of this before.
Edit: After ep 21 it is not worth my time anymore.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Beautiful Tragedy That Stayed With Me
I enjoyed the 1980s setting and the glimpse into life at a women's dormitory. It gave the drama such a nostalgic old school college vibe, and I loved the overall aesthetic. Everything from the cinematography to the atmosphere made it feel different from your usual K-drama.STORY: A large part of the story revolves around female students stuck as hostage in the dorm, so there were times when I felt it dragged on a bit longer than it needed to. Even so, I was completely hooked from start to finish.. I honestly didn't think a political storyline would keep me this invested, but it turned out to be one of the most interesting parts of the drama.
And the ending wasn't exactly surprising, but I still wish the female lead had been given a little more happiness. After everything she went through, it felt heartbreaking to see her left with so little.
ROMANCE: The lead couple had great chemistry and definitely gave me Romeo and Juliet vibes.. Their relationship had so much potential, but most of their time was spent dealing with tragic circumstances. I would have loved to see more lighthearted and romantic moments before everything fell apart.
CAST: Jung haein nailed his role as a Spy. He was the perfect choice to play Suho. I think action roles suits him a lot. As for Youngro, she started off well but her character felt fly towards the 2nd half of the drama. Other female characters outshined her. The entire cast was memorable to be honest !! All characters had a role to play in the story and no one felt meaningless. But The biggest surprise for me was Yoo In-na. I absolutely loved her as a villain (Not soo evil villain), and she delivered one of the best performances in the drama. Her ending was the only that felt satisfying.
While it isn't a light watch, it kept me invested the whole time and constantly had me wondering what would happen next!
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Cinematic Masterpiece? "Deep In" Easily Raises the Bar for 2026
The Acting & Chemistry: The performance from the two leads is phenomenal. Their chemistry feels incredibly seasoned—passionate, emotional, and completely earned. Every intimate scene serves the story beautifully rather than just existing for shock value.The Concept: The "movie inside a show" plot is a brilliant, unique take. Watching two stories connect seamlessly keeps you entirely immersed. You can truly feel the lines blur as their emotions linger long after the director calls "cut."
The Production Value: From the gorgeous set designs to the atmospheric music score, every detail feels intentional. The cinematic quality is so seamless that it never pulls you out of the world they’ve built.
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What Do You Mean It's Overrrr???
I am actually crying. I got so attached to this show. I don't think I can move on. I was looking forward to Fridays, and now what? ㅠㅠTXT was a great choice for this show. They were so caring, playful, and endearing with Yoojun. The best part of this show is how Yoojun got comfortable with them with each ep. The way he started speaking random words, laughing, and having fun with them as days went by was so heartwarming, I was in tears.
I can talk about this show for hours. I loved how he was different with every member. I love his obsession with his cart, stairs, rice puffs, and strawberries. I love how they took him everywhere with them - even the Music Bank. Yoojun was their lucky charm. They tried every possible way to make him happy and keep him entertained. I really wish the show was longer. Since the shoot is over, at least release the behind-the-scenes or unreleased parts (they shot for like 2 or 3 months, right?) once in a while, pls :)
Anyway, such a comfort show. Such a dopamine boost. A cute little serotonin pill. Bought out the cuteness aggression in me. Straight to my list of comfort shows.
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___________________________
I truly don’t even know what to say…Maybe I should start, umm, before I started watching I got spoiled about the two timelines, so I already knew it. I truly loved the first episodes until somewhere 5ep. Later the 6-7-8 episodes made me dumbfounded…
At first I tho the guy—The one that had the hotel—was the same guy, just older version of the “true timeline” guy, the ML. So it would have had made sense, that he got with murderers two times, but I was wrong, after all they are totally different guys.
the most thing about this drama that I love is the cinematography and the quets =)
If I would need to rate the first few episode 1-4 I would rate it 9/10, but onwards 5-8 only 6/10.
The more the episodes went, the more i thought about what was the purpose of all this drama? what is happening? what was that???
Maybe I was expecting something else…I think this drama would have been better with more episodes. I would want to find out more about the psychopath FL, about the hotel owner son, his “cruel” life, about the ML “violence”.
I’m not happy how it ended up, it feels that so many things are missing…Yet it’s still worth to watch, I truly enjoyed it ^^
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Chaos between friends in the zone
This drama drew a new picture in the scene of Thai dramas with it's messy characters and realistic approach of the youth love. Through the idea of situationship, this gave us a new taste in the romance genre.The plot is very character centric, revolving on the relationships and the friendships between everyone and that brought more chaos than expected. The characters were flawed yet realistic. They made many mistakes, had their own redemption arcs and in between so much we ended up with some of the best bonds on screen. Every character played a part in the plot and it was nice to have a romance drama where it is uncertain who will end up with who, if at all they are ending up together.
The cinematography felt really new. The pace was little different then the older romance genre dramas of that time. Jojo made sure everything left a bit of frustration with so much of curiosity for the next part. The music was refreshing.
The acting was really good in this. Plustor especially brought his character to life. It really felt like watching real people on screen.
It was one of the pillars of the Thai dramas that brought in a different styling. Definitely reccomended.
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Watch this if you love an obsessive ML!!
One of my favourite J-dramas because I live for this kind of slightly toxic romance where the ML is completely obsessed with the FL. ❤️ The visuals were absolutely stunning- both the cinematography and the actors’ styling and overall appearance were chef’s kiss. Their stylists deserve a raise. My only gripe is that the drama was way too shortWas this review helpful to you?
So So
Ok ,the actors are gorgeous, production is rich I love all designs and costumes, but I can't get over the poor story telling with this CDrama. I hate when characters have to discuss every scene. Just show us the story, the viewers are not idiots.The crowned prince always needs to talk to the young guard about how amazing and calculative the princess is. Every single trap or scheme she is doing is main topic in their conversation as if they were right there , this is done as filler just in case the viewers are not convinced enough in her intellect and beauty.
Side plots are very random and do not contribute anything to main story, also the characters appear out of nowhere exactly on right moment because the plot requires it.
I believe this will get worse by the end, I can't find any character interesting aside from the female general and the cute judge. Their dynamic is fun.
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Pleasant surprise 10/10
I went into this with mixed feelings. I knew the Hong Sisters' writings can sometimes be a hit and missed but boy when they do deliver there is not doubt it would be a huge winner. This is one of them. I was a bit dubious about the drama after the first four episodes, thinking is this all about pretty people in pretty places with no other substance? However the story started to become significantly more interesting after that powered by superfluous acting skills from the leads. I was utterly mesmerized and entertained. Great watch.Was this review helpful to you?
The acting saved the plot with holes
While I did gave it a 7 I was more disappointed than dissatisfied because this had potential that got wasted with bad screenwriting and direction.The plot wanted to focus on student rebellion and power. It tried to highlight corruption in education system and much more but failed even get a little bit of it. The screenwriting felt like it came from a novice. It could have been much more refined with plan and understanding the direction of the story.
The acting is great. Even with a young cast they did a good job to show their emotions. This is one of the highlighting series of that time GMMTV new stars.
I really started this back in the days with lots of high hope however it didn't meet anything.
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A Heartwarming Story of Youth, Friendship, Family, and Community
This is the Chinese remake of Reply 1988. I'm not sure why, but I could never really get into Reply 1988, whereas I was hooked on this version from the very beginning. Maybe it just resonated with me more.A heartwarming and nostalgic film that beautifully captures the atmosphere of the period. It has youth, friendship, family bonds, and a strong sense of community. Nowadays, most families live much more independently, so watching this film reminded me of how close-knit and supportive neighborhoods used to be. The neighbors, while can sometimes be a little nosy, at the end of the day, they are always there for one another, sharing both the highs and lows of life and willing to lend a helping hand.
Overall, it's a bright, uplifting, and enjoyable drama with some touching, emotional moments. The only downside is that the ending feels a bit disappointing when it comes to the main couple.
The entire cast delivered excellent performances. Their acting felt natural and convincing.
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The evergreen comfort series with outshining chemistry
I rewatched it after years again and decided to contribute to the review community because everyone deserves to watch this masterpiece at least once.The plot is simple, very simple, very linear but something about it healed thousands of us. The story revolving around two people who wants to but shouldn't be together. It was not that dark or depressing but it hit some corner in the heart. The characters were the true pillar of the series. They felt relatable. Every scene had a meaning, helped the story in a way. This made me giggle, made me tear up, made me smile and gave me comfort because Pat and Pran felt like real people and I felt like a part of their universe witnessing a warm love story and friendship boom. Another good point? They called out all old school BL jokes about women, hetero normativity, internalized homophobia and so on. That became the reason BBS is one of the most revolutionary BL of all time.
The direction was not something that would make your jaw drop but it caught the exact feeling they wanted to go for the series. Light, comforting but at the same time more than just fluff. Every scene was so well done that even after a couple of watch you will never feel bored of it.
Before BBS I never thought on screen chemistry holds so much of importance because OhmNanon chemistry gave this series some different out of this world essence. To this day it is hard to match it. Love and Milk was the start of the GL rise in GMMTV. The supporting cast added much more to the series.
I am stopping here because it will be never be enough for me when it comes to writing about Bad Buddy. Even after decades this will still be sought after as one of the best BLs of all time.
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Chicken Soup for my soul
I rewatch this drama at least once a year when I’m feeling down. It’s sweet, funny and warm, and cheers me up every time.Every character in the drama is wholesome, humor is well placed, and leads make my heart believe in being positive and optimistic. I love Goblin, but I don’t rewatch it nearly as much.
It’s too bad Yoo In Na didn’t have many strong dramas after. She is my queen of sunshine.
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This review may contain spoilers
just boring
For me, the first episode was outstanding. It did a great job of making the audience care about the characters. I honestly had absolutely no complaints. The first episode was a solid 10/10.The second episode started to annoy me just a little, but I still thought it was excellent. Then everything began to fall apart.
The comic relief provided by the two sidekicks became irritating because I genuinely don't see any place for that kind of humor when your friend's daughter is in mortal danger. What bothered me even more, though, were the overly long flashbacks, the constant cheap adrenaline rushes, and characters so exaggerated that they were almost cartoonish.
By episode five, I actually fell asleep out of boredom and slept through about 40 minutes.
I'm giving it a high rating because the production quality is excellent, but I don't know... At this point, after watching episode five, I'm starting to wonder whether I even want to finish the series, especially since the preview for episode six wasn't exactly encouraging. What started as a father's mission to find his daughter has turned into a clumsy intelligence-agency conflict and a gang war that's brutal purely for shock value. And that's just boring.
After episode 7 - 5/10
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