Reviews

35歳なるまで見ては行けないドラマ1選 The 1 drama you should NOT watch before 35 !

... I wasn't expecting this. But Japan have sometimes this ability of producing good sensitive drama. There is still a bit of over the top sometime but really this drama pretty much hit on the spot.
It's not happy go fluffy, and despite the heart warming general feeling you get to see the struggle someone can go through, reaching a certain age, about the fear of missing out, the insecurities, the worry to go out of your confort zone once you're not young anymore, the feeling of responsability toward the others ...
I like the pace because the problems are true questions one can go through and the character are well built that their behaviour is relevant.

But it might not be understandable if you haven't experienced it, though I think it can give a good insight and hopefully get teach us all what it takes to grow older.

smart scenario, great accuracy, first time for me getting to think the age gap didn't feel unhealthy.

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The Rom-Com That Made Me Believe Clichés Can Be Perfect!!!

I don't even know how to write this review without sounding completely biased... because I AM. 😭
I've watched Business Proposal more times than I can count, and somehow it still gives me the same butterflies it did the very first time. Every rewatch starts with, "I'll just watch one episode," and before I know it, it's 2 a.m., I'm giggling, kicking my feet, and questioning why every rom-com isn't written like this.
On paper, this drama sounds like every cliché you've ever heard.
A rich CEO.
A fake dating contract.
A middle-class girl pretending to be someone else.
A stubborn grandfather.
You've seen all of this before...
SO WHY IS IT THIS GOOD?!
Because Business Proposal doesn't just use clichés—it perfects them.
Shin Ha-ri is genuinely one of my favorite female leads in K-drama history. She's chaotic, hardworking, awkward, hilarious, and never stops being herself. Even when she's surrounded by wealth and power, she never changes who she is just to fit into Tae-moo's world.
And THAT is one of my favorite things about this drama.
It never sends the message that a middle-class girl has to become "good enough" for a rich man.
Instead, it quietly tells us that kindness, honesty, hard work, and love are worth more than money ever will be.
I absolutely loved Ha-ri's family. They weren't just background characters waiting for their five minutes of screen time—they felt REAL. They laughed together, argued together, worried about Ha-ri, supported her, and somehow reminded me that home isn't about being perfect. It's about always having people who stand beside you.
Now let's talk about Kang Tae-moo.
Yes, he's ridiculously handsome.
Yes, he's ridiculously rich.
But underneath all of that confidence is someone who has spent his entire life trying to meet expectations. His relationship with his grandfather adds so much depth to his character because it explains why responsibility always comes before his own happiness.
Speaking of the grandfather...
I honestly loved his character development.
At first, he believes family background and social status matter more than anything. He can't imagine his grandson with someone like Ha-ri because she comes from a completely different world.
And honestly?
That mindset still exists today.
Which is exactly why watching his relationship with Ha-ri slowly change was so satisfying.
She didn't win him over with money.
She didn't pretend to be someone she wasn't.
She won him over simply by being kind, genuine, respectful, and unapologetically herself.
To me, that's one of the most beautiful messages in the entire drama.
Love doesn't erase social differences overnight.
But genuine people have the power to change hearts.
I also want to talk about Min-woo because I feel like people either ignore him or hate him too much. To me, he represents something so real—how timing can completely change a relationship. Sometimes people don't realize what someone means to them until life has already moved on. That doesn't make him a villain. It makes him human.
AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE SECOND COUPLE.
They had absolutely NO RIGHT to steal my heart the way they did.
Every scene between them was entertaining, funny, emotional, and somehow made me root for them just as much as the main couple.
This drama made me laugh.
It made me smile.
It gave me butterflies.
It became my comfort drama.
Years from now, I'm sure I'll watch dramas with bigger budgets, deeper plots, and more complicated stories.
But I honestly don't know if any of them will ever replace the feeling Business Proposal gives me.
Some dramas entertain you.
Some dramas impress you.
But once in a while...
A drama quietly becomes your home.
For me, Business Proposal will always be that home.
⭐ 10/10. No notes. Just endless love.

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Gender bender romance worthy of a Disney fairytale

First off, I want to admit that the sole reason I decided to watch this 10-year-old drama (after failing to bring myself to watch the first episode once and then trying again a couple of months later) was Park Bo Gum. I simply wanted to enjoy his acting skills and charisma. And the reason I managed to finish it without dropping it midway was exactly the same. There, I said it.

My first gripe with this drama is the casting, namely their choice of the female lead actress. Other than the fact that she was too young both for the character and for a romantic role in general, my biggest problem with her is that, simply put, physically speaking she could never in a million years pass off as a male. Only if every single person who came across her suffered from a brain concussion or sudden blindness could it be considered convincing that they would buy her as a man. The only believable reaction to meeting our cross-dressing FL was the SML's, whose sole reason for falling in love with her was that he was apparently something of an expert in female anatomy and was able to tell right away that she was a woman in disguise.

Don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that a gender-bender drama has to cast a particularly masculine-looking FL. I am simply saying that, at the very least, do not cast an extremely cute-faced sixteen-year-old with obvious feminine features and a high-pitched voice and expect us to accept that people genuinely believe she is a man.

When it comes to the story, as a gender-bender set during the Joseon era, the plot certainly had its fair share of clichés, but somehow its predictability was sweet and funny at first. You found yourself watching in anticipation of certain events, waiting to see how the characters would react. A lot may have been predictable in both the romantic and political storylines, but predictability itself was never my issue. Rather, my issue lay in the specific details of the plot, the character development, and the overall pacing of the show.

For example, we knew the ML would start developing feelings for the cross-dressing FL while still believing her to be a man (I guess he was blind, deaf, and dumb, but anyhow). We knew he would struggle with his feelings, only to eventually come to terms with them before learning her true identity, although I have to say that moment felt incredibly anticlimactic. We knew she would constantly be in danger of being exposed and that people who knew her secret would repeatedly come to her rescue, though the number of times this scenario occurred may have exceeded expectations, but more on that later.

As for the political plotline, let's be honest: political intrigue and court struggles in Joseon-era sageuk dramas almost always follow the same formula and rely on the same unmistakable tropes — a puppet or weak king, corrupt officials, an evil Queen Dowager, powerful ministers plotting poisonings, assassinations, and political marriages to secure power for their families, and so on. There is nothing inherently wrong with clichés, but if you choose to use them, then the details need to be believable and engaging. Smart characters should make smart moves, and the story should not constantly create problems only to solve them through luck, chance encounters, or the miraculous skills of an unbelievably talented portrait artist.

As for the romance between the main leads, while it is easy to understand how she fell for the handsome, kind, and fun prince, his attraction to her, especially early on and up until the point where he began accepting his "faux BL" feelings, never felt convincing enough in my opinion. For a Crown Prince and heir to the throne to come to terms with the possibility that he might be attracted to a eunuch of all people, we needed more than casual banter and sudden, unexplained bouts of jealousy.

Other dramas such as Coffee Prince or the Japanese Hana Kimi, while far from perfect, at least worked hard to provide enough buildup to sell viewers on the emotional attraction and inner conflict experienced by the male lead while struggling with feelings for someone he believed to be male. In this drama, however, it mostly happened because she was cute and pretty, with a bubbly personality and a tendency to talk back to him before learning of his identity as Crown Prince.

The progression of their romance during the first quarter of the drama was not necessarily too fast in terms of the overall timeline, but it lacked the emotional groundwork needed to make it convincing. And when it came to the long-awaited reveal of her true gender, I felt it happened rather quickly and somewhat anticlimactically.

I know I am not alone in thinking that one of the most frustrating aspects of the romance in this drama was how ridiculously implausible their rendezvous and romantic moments felt. And I am not just saying this as a longtime viewer of sageuk dramas, but as a viewer of this very drama. In a world where all it takes is shouting "여봐라!" for servants waiting outside the chambers to immediately come running in, and where characters constantly bump into one another by chance within palace walls, are we really expected to believe that the palace suddenly becomes a haven of privacy whenever the romance requires it?

Apparently, the Joseon palace — a place full of paper walls and servants wandering every corner — somehow had countless secret spots where the Crown Prince could whisper words of love to his eunuch, hold hands, give piggyback rides, and exchange back hugs in complete privacy.

There was one scene in particular that had me screaming at the screen: the Crown Prince was literally sitting on the grass next to her, having a romantic conversation while she leaned on his shoulder, with only a parasol hiding them from servants standing mere feet away. Are we supposed to believe the other side of the parasol was magically devoid of onlookers, and that everyone nearby had suddenly developed hearing problems?

Scenes like this repeated so often that they genuinely started to get on my nerves. I kept expecting rumors about the Crown Prince's sexuality to spiral out of control and become a major scandal, but somehow they mostly never did.

Ironically, whenever the writers needed to solve a problem they themselves had created, they always relied on either our hopelessly smitten SML or the Crown Prince's friend and bodyguard to save the day. And it almost always happened in exactly the same way: they would conveniently happen to overhear a conversation through closed doors or stumble across someone just moments before disaster struck.

The sheer number of convenient coincidences in this drama could fill entire volumes. The writers seemed to decide, depending on the needs of the plot, that walls either didn't exist at all or that wide open spaces provided perfect privacy.

And don't even get me started on the political intrigue, which became the main focus during the final third of the drama, because that provided some truly eye-rolling moments.

For starters, almost all of the criminal masterminds and palace officials were anything but smart or conniving. They openly discussed conspiracies, met their spies in public, and generally behaved like complete idiots incapable of successfully carrying out any scheme.

Even the evil Queen's backup baby plan made little sense. If she needed an alternative prince in case she gave birth to a princess, why keep the pregnant court lady inside her own chambers rather than hiding her somewhere discreet until the child was born?

And once again, the same issue resurfaced: the absurd number of conveniently placed witnesses to vital moments stretched even my willingly suspended disbelief beyond its limits.

The pursuit of both the rebels and our FL was equally laughable. The drama wanted us to believe she was constantly in danger of being recognized and captured outside the palace, only for her to successfully re-enter the palace once disguised as a magistrate and once as a medical assistant.

The second time, during the final episode, she was literally wandering around the palace without a care in the world while wearing nothing more than a simple face mask. The fact that her enemies somehow knew she was inside the palace and still failed to catch her was honestly hilarious.

Another issue was the pacing. The way major conflicts were developed and then resolved during the final stretch of the finale highlighted the drama's weaknesses in this regard. The biggest obstacles facing the prince — the Premier, the Queen, the mystery surrounding the late Queen Mother's death, and the rebel faction — were all wrapped up within minutes, mostly through the same repetitive tactics of characters catching others in the act or conveniently recovering forgotten memories.

It felt rushed, as though the writers suddenly remembered all the loose ends they had left hanging and scrambled to tie them up before the credits rolled.

The characters themselves were, for the most part, well written on paper, especially in the beginning. We were introduced to both leads along with their tragic backstories and childhood traumas.

The prince remained true to his character throughout and underwent decent character development, maturing into a worthy man, loyal friend, and just ruler, despite occasional moments of childishness brought on by lovesickness.

The FL, on the other hand, started out as a somewhat vague but independent character and ended up as a helpless damsel in distress. Initially, she is portrayed as a relationship advisor and matchmaker who understands human emotions well. Like the ML, she carries emotional scars, having been separated from her mother and forced to disguise herself as a boy for reasons she never understood.

This upbringing shaped her into a feisty and independent person who was not afraid of the world around her.

However, the more the story progressed and the more romantic the relationship became, the more her personality seemed to disappear. Very little remained of the strong and self-reliant character we initially met, and she gradually transformed into a weak, emotional, and often helpless damsel in distress.

The side characters fared somewhat better. The prince's best friend and bodyguard, torn between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his cause, gave me the only scene in the entire drama that genuinely moved me to tears, which says quite a lot. Of course, Park Bo Gum's marvelous acting skills certainly helped.

As I mentioned earlier, the SML fell in love with the FL even faster than the ML did, and eventually his character became little more than a convenient tool to rescue the leads whenever necessary.

The drama dragged quite a bit at times. I found the prince's sister's storyline completely unnecessary, and honestly, if the endless slow-motion shots of characters staring into the distance or gazing at one another had been reduced — many of which I shamelessly fast-forwarded through — this drama could easily have fit into sixteen episodes, perhaps even twelve, and likely would have benefited greatly from the tighter pacing.

Would I watch it again? Probably not.

Do I regret watching it? Also no, because I got to enjoy Park Bo Gum's acting and bask in his charisma.

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A long, satisfying watch!

This was my first xianxia drama and I would say it was worth sitting through the 63 long episodes. The story is basically the tale about this girl who cannot have romantic feelings developing them and the aftermath. But one thing I had in mind the moment this drama ended was "Damn, better not love. All of this happened just because Jinmi started having feelings. What a pity". True to that statement, this drama drags you into the kind of groveling you did not sign up for, all in the name of love.

This drama is a feast for the eye. All the scenes and landscapes are colourful and simply beautiful. The costumes and hair were really appealing too. Music was definitely a big plus point. Every song was better than the other. Both male and female versions of 'Unsullied' by Mao Buyi and Sa Dingding respectively and the chorus version of 'Unparalleled in the world' by the main leads themselves are my personal favorites. This is truly a good OST playlist if you like the traditional eastern instruments.

Yang Zi is the kind of actress who can make her audience feel what she feels. Everything from her eyes to body language to pauses and expressions, they are all of utmost perfection. Whether it is the carefree naive self or the mature, tortured self of Jinmi, she does it in a way that blurs reality and drama. And that is why, we get so attached to the character and feel like it wasn't worth all the pain she went through. Deng Lun as Xufeng was a really good casting. He plays the role of this mighty Phoenix Lord who falls for an innocent flower spirit way before she even knows of love. Like any other xianxia drama, this too has the 3 realm arcs and I'd say the groveling was maximum in the demon realm. The chemistry and tension between the leads was at its peak. Ok, lowkey toxic but we sat through it anyways 🙂‍↕️

Luo Yunxi as Run Yu was both irritating and pitiful. If he hadn't been there, would the story have easier? Maybe. But we needed him to get the story going right? Anyways, that character really was a pain. And Luo Yunxi made sure we felt it. But if we were talking of the most irritating of all, then it's definitely Wang Yifei as Sui He. Because damn! She is literally the source of the other half of misunderstandings and troubles. It was really well portrayed, must say. Sending all my love to her because I've cursed her character that much ;) Lastly, Zhiyuan Xia as the fox spirit was a very adorable and warm character. Loved him.

To sum up, the story was a very typical xianxia one but it was done well and that's why it keeps you entertained, pushing the right buttons. The music and acting undoubtedly stand out. I wouldn't rewatch it for it's too long. But I'd definitely go back to some scenes here and there.

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One of my all time favourites ♡

As a fan of fantasy and folklore, this drama has been one of the best shows I've watched. If you love fantasy just like me, this one has a mix of modernity with it too. Undoubtedly, one of the best shows of this genre that you'll come across in the K-Drama world. Whether it's the story or the cast, it is definitely an ace.

The storyline is really well paced. Never do you feel bored or dragged. In fact, I'd even say it keeps you on your toes from time to time, making you click the next episode almost as reflex. It has the right number of episodes. And the right number of characters, not too many, not too less. The story itself includes a lot of traditional elements, giving insight to Korean folk tales and beliefs. But it's definitely not too much to the point where you are confused. With jumpscares and a bit of horror (can't exactly say, but I am really not good with horror T_T), it does feel wholesome. Production wise too, the landscapes and effects were well done. Another masterpiece by Studio Dragon.

I think the strongest point of this drama is its cast. The gumiho Lee Yeon played by Lee Dongwook is the best gumiho portrayal I've ever seen. My personal fav hehe. The orange hair, red umbrella turning to sword, carefree, laid back, playful, childish personality but not even once does it overshadow the strong presence and aura of Lee Yeon. In fact, I think it's because he has a certain level of power, the smug personality becomes a charm rather than show off. The orange eyes....Lord! Whoever decided that must be there, bless you! That character is just so well written, no argument. And Lee Dongwook really really did it well. It's just his eyes! He's one of those actors whose eyes speak to the audience's heart. I'm pretty sure many will agree that his acting resulted in a lot of people swooning over someone double their age 😁😁 Now if you think the male lead is the best part, you are so very wrong. Nam Jiah played by Jo Boah is a very notable character. She is strong, mature, resilient and extremely courageous. Unshaken by the creepy stuff she encounters, always seeking the truth. But you clearly see the young girl who lost her parents and had to look after herself since childhood. A real good balance between feminine and masculine characteristics. Her acting indeed deserves a round of applause. Together, they are an awesome power couple with a good chemistry. I am lowkey sad she doesn't have a main role in the second season 😭 Now...Lee Rang. The story between the male and female lead is definitely great in itself, how a fox spirit waited for a 1000 years for his lover and how fate always tries to pull them apart. But this was my personal favorite relationship of the drama. The bond between the brothers. The elder who has to be responsible yet loves his brother too much to ever even dream of harming him. And the younger one who loved and admired his brother so much that when he misunderstands Lee Yeon, the hate becomes as deep as his love. For much of the show, you feel he's just being a brat, causing trouble and being the gone case, psycho brother of the main lead. But once you hear his backstory, see his interaction with other characters and the softness he still carries, you realise how precious of a little brother he is. Kim Beom plays Lee Rang so well. He is as irritating as he is a gem. The bickering between the siblings, the admiration of Lee Rang for Lee Yeon and the love for his younger one in the eyes of the older, it really flows out of the screen and right into our hearts. So when Rang has to kill Yeon, that dialogue "Rang-a", it never stops echoing in my mind. And when Rang decides to sacrifice himself for his brother, and every single scene following that, my God! I've cried buckets. Still do. One of the most heartwrenching scenes I've witnessed. Never ever getting over it 😭

Next, the people at Samdocheon. My next favs for sure. The bossy TaIuipa and her obedient yet strong husband Hyunuiong are the cutest couple of all. The bickering between Lee Yeon and his 'Halmom', adorable indeed >_< And definitely Goo Shin-joo the vet and his ferocious love Ki Yu-ri are another pair of dom female-soft male trope. Again, adorable ^_^ !!! And the kiddo, Kim Soo-oh, reincarnation of Lee Rang's puppy; that child is literally a puppy personified, with the bob cut and runny nose. So cute!!!!! Sending love to Jung Si-yul! The villain was definitely a strong one, well done by Lee Taeri. And Eom Hyoseop as the TVC president, he was a pain in the neck! Each character has such good backstories and developments, they are all main characters themselves. And I feel, they all got a good ending for themselves (not Lee Rang though ㅠㅡㅠ).

Next comes the music. From the intro to the instruments, I loved every piece so much! And this drama really needs that extra punch through music throughout it's length, whether it's to give that eerie effect or emotional pang. And it did exactly what was needed.

I have already watched it twice and I could still watch it again.
The whole plot and especially the characters were very well written by Han Woo-ri. Thank you so much for this wonderful story! Overall, it's a really good watch, not much about life or something you can learn or relate to, but well, the drama is the tale of a nine tailed, not yours and mine! 😁

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This drama is probably not for everyone to watch in general even if you love thriller as it needs to grown on you as you watch. Initial episodes will make you hate the FL. The FL is shown as someone meek and scared but gradually due to situations adapt to be brave. So the character growth is really good. Acting is really good by all the actors, Lee Kwang-soo delivers a stellar performance. It defiantly does not have that massive high octane action sequence, rather than relying on flashy action, it focuses on human nature, survival instincts, and how immense greed can affect ordinary people.
I loved how it made me feel tensed while watching, anticipating worse.
However, because it diverges from typical K-dramas with a slower, character-driven pace, whether it suits you depends on what you are looking for.

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Comedy was comedying and had me laughing like crazy.

I have a few thoughts, but thankfully they're all happy thoughts because I genuinely had such a good time watching this drama.

Going into Fight for My Way, I didn't have huge expectations. I mean... with a title like that, I thought it was going to be all about fighting and taekwondo. I was mentally preparing myself for match after match, but there were only like three fights, and they barely lasted five minutes. Thank goodness. 😂

Because this drama turned out to be so much more than that. It wasn't about sports at all,it was about chasing your dreams, growing up, friendship, love, and figuring life out. Plus they didn’t fast forwarded their journey to make them successful overnight instead we actually get to see all their struggles and failures. This gave the drama an authentic touch. Even though it looked like Aera will get a fortune after her mother came into the picture but that didn’t happen, which was soo humbling and realistic.

Now I wanna talk about Kim Ji-won... mommy Kim Ji-won. 😩❤️ she nailed her role as Aera. She was soo loud and chaotic and I usually don’t like such female characters but she was soo funny and loveable. And her chemistry with Park Seo-joon? INSANE.

Speaking of Park Seo-joon... he was such a cutie patootie in this drama. 😭 Dong-man was such an idiot sometimes, but in the most lovable way.
Their romance was cheesy, but It never crossed into cringe or overly dramatic territory.

I'll admit, though, I wasn't sold on the second lead couple at first. I honestly didn't care much about their story and found myself waiting for the main couple to come back on screen. But once the love triangle kicked in, I actually started getting invested, and their storyline became surprisingly fun to watch. Sul-hee’s character development was most impressive.

My absolute favorite part of the entire drama, though, was the comedy. This show had me laughing from beginning to end.

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Mr.Kill EP.1 Review

I really enjoyed the first episode of Mr.Kill! Honestly, I was a little worried at first since the filming process felt quite rushed, but after watching EP.1, it turned out so much better than I expected. I know it’s still too early to judge since we haven’t seen the full story yet, and I might be a little biased because I love DewTee, but i’m genuinely satisfied with how everything came together.

The pacing was really good, and the cinematography, camera angles, locations, and overall atmosphere were amazing. The crime and murder scenes looked incredibly realistic that they genuinely gave me chills 😭 (which is also a compliment because it shows how well the team executed those scenes). The series has this eerie, mysterious vibe that immediately pulls you in, and I absolutely love that feeling.

One thing I really liked was how they started the episode. Instead of having a typical opening intro like many GMMTV series, they immediately brought us into the story with Kaye and the opening scene before showing the credits. It made the series feel more like a thriller or mystery film, and I was hooked from the beginning. There was no intro to skip, just straight into the atmosphere and story, which made the experience even better.

Dew’s acting as Kaye was absolutely captivating. This role is definitely challenging because portraying someone dealing with anxiety, panic, and such complex emotions is not easy, but Dew delivered it so well. You can really see how much effort he put into understanding the character. Even in scenes without dialogue, his expressions and body language said so much. His eye acting especially was INCREDIBLE. It made Kaye feel mysterious, complicated, and honestly a little unsettling in the best way.

I’m also so proud of Dew because he continues to improve with every project. Knowing that he also contributed his artwork to the series makes me appreciate his dedication even more. He’s not only an amazing actor but also someone who puts so much passion into his work.

For Tee, I can only say how proud I am of him. For his first leading role, he did an amazing job. His expressions, dialogue delivery, emotions, and the way he portrayed Phat’s personality were all so impressive. He perfectly showed the different sides of Phat being a serious police officer while also showing his warm and caring side when he was with his sister. Tee brought so much depth to the character, and you can really tell how much effort he put into this role. His acting has improved so much, and seeing his hard work pay off makes me incredibly happy. His voice, expressions, and overall presence were amazing. I’m really excited to see more of Phat’s journey.

AND OF COURSE… DEWTEE’S CHEMISTRY!!! 😭 Their chemistry is seriously insane. Every time they appear together, their dynamic is so interesting to watch. Their visuals complement each other so well, and they have this kind of presence that makes you want to see more of their interactions.

What I love about this series is that it immediately makes you curious, like who is the real serial killer? What is their motive? Why are these people being targeted? There are so many questions that make you want to keep watching. I haven’t read the novel yet, so I don’t know how the story will unfold, but i’m really excited for the twists and surprises because the story seems like it will have more layers than expected.

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Solid Drama

This is a solid drama with good acting, good character development, and a believable plot. Finally.
The capable woman trope is finally done well. She's not capable for the sake of impressing the audience but because she earned it. We see what she had to go through for the skills she has. They don't magically appear for because the moment needs it.

The last few episodes do drag. The momentum gets lost toward the last 20 episodes. It was okay with me, but I will admit I did lose patience and started fast forwarding through the memories or repeated scenes.

Even with that, I would suggest watching this drama. The way characters were handled make it worth any later slow down in the plot.

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Such a fantastic idea, wasted on such an average execution.

It’s just like many K-dramas that begin with a unique concept and a highly promising premise, only to eventually fall back on the same old clichés.

The "blind date in bed" was incredibly unique and refreshing. What I loved most was the idea of two people building a connection based solely on how they felt about each other, without outside options or love triangles getting in the way. Finally, a dating show that wasn't treating romance like online shopping. I was hooked.

The so-called "isolated romance" turned out to be about as isolated as a group project. The chip giving segment was just another recycled confession activity we've seen a hundred times before, and suddenly all that originality collapsed. The show traded its biggest strength for the safest, most predictable formula.

The biggest disappointment in isolated romance, was the chemistry or rather, the complete lack of it. there were almost no heart-fluttering moments. No lingering eye contact, no butterflies, no unforgettable conversations that made you root for anyone. The only heart fluttering moment I remember was Hyun Ji holding Si-hyun’s hand after they’ve just met, that was out of the blue and exciting.. The end couple was even more insane and not in a good way !! Like are you kidding me !

The 4th experiment, King of Hearts, was… alright. But honestly, where was the love??
Everyone was giving player energy except Yerim. The amount of planning, plotting, calculating, and scheming just to decide who goes on which date… meanwhile I’m here wondering, “Does anyone actually LIKE anyone???”
Maybe it’s just me, but that didn’t feel like a love experiment. And the chips??? They were supposed to represent feelings, but half the time it felt like people were just handing them out like loyalty points.

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SLEEP? Who needs sleep when you could be binging this?!

IDK how to even express myself after this mastpiece of a show. I went from cheering, dreading uncovered secrets, fear, praying they would just let each other go, and then finally peace and happiness that they were able to fall into place after they each grew up and worked on themselves. One needed to learn to love himself and the other how to love others. It's a story about *how* to love. Regret, remorse, love, and lust are all big themes and of course, BL time. I think the turning point for Fan Xiao was when he pressed the send button for the whistleblower information. He knew he needed to be punished and didnt want Hao Yiran to have to live with making the decision to send him to prison. Hao Yirens turning point came when he chose not to be alone and adopted Tian Tian. He started veering towards his self-redemption when he abandoned his worthless brother who only saw him as an ATM. I love that they adopted the kid at the end and that they both worked through their issues. Everything came full circle.

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