Reviews

Did I have low expectations with this drama?

***BURNOUT SYNDROME***
10 Episodes ... BL Drama
Featuring: Gun & Off

The artwork is exquisite which I have to make to be the opening remark! Whoever is truly doing the artwork, has a beautiful eye for art. The Artistic work is what compels me to continue to watch this drama! The intensity of what goes into the drawing & how Jira feelings flow into each of his drawings.

Let's begin with the *Burnout Club*. Interesting concept for those who are stressed out, and meeting a stranger to either vent or just to find out more about each other. This drama gives off so many different emotions, especially with Koh. He goes through so many emotions that it made me a bit dizzy... more so with what he is going through with Jira. Personally, the shipping just was not there.. and leaned heavily toward Jira and Pheem take off. The annoyance of Koh always hitting at the wrong time was overwhelming. If this is what the writer wanted the viewer to experience... It's a success for me personally.
Then came the realization of his Art being the forefront of Jiras Heart. Especially understanding the Bad Boy syndrome being an attraction to the heart.

With everything Pheem is going through.. can't help but want to throw some hugs his way. The rollercoaster of emotions regarding Jira is overwhelming him.
HOWEVER, if I were to put my heart out there because of the crap that Jira is going through.. it would be his friend Ing. OMG, talk about a good friend.. all the coverups that she has to do for Jira. It's annoying, but at the same time hilarious. Jira has issues of not wanting to just make a final decision. He is so confused with his emotions, that it's more detrimental to him than beneficial.
In my personal opinion, Episode 8 is when I can feel everything is starting to form an understanding between Jira & Koh.
If I were to put a spoiler in here... the only thing I would say is how much I cried for Pheem.
The rest of the drama is something I'm not going to mention.. You'll have to come to your own conclusions on how this drama snagged on your emotions.

Stay Healthy, Safe & Amazing

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Lack of romance was needed

First of all, acting so perfect. My girl Bo young eats every single role shes given whether its romcom melodrama or thriller. Genuinely the best actress and lets not forget my man sungcheol, and all the fine ass actors in here. i hope this drama gets more recognition because literally everyone did their big one😫

Okay now to their story; ive seen people complain about there being no romance and that the chemistry has gone to waste but i think it was pretty necessary. Regarding their situation, there's literally no room for any romance between the main characters, heeju's greed took over her and to be fair she never really 'loved' anyone. She even said it, she only liked the feeling of being with do gyeong not him as a person. i also hated how she chose to trust everyone but woogi. But in the end, seeing them together it kinda gives me hope they might end up falling for each other. My top 3 best bo young's dramas.

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Gwi Stole Every Scene

Honestly, the main reason I watched The Scholar Who Walks the Night was for Lee Soo Hyuk. He completely owned that role from start to finish. Out of the entire cast, he was easily the most memorable presence onscreen. The character perfectly suited his visuals, voice, and overall aura. Lee Soo Hyuk naturally has that cold, sharp, intimidating energy, so playing a seductive and terrifying vampire villain felt like the ideal role for him.

Every time Gwi appeared, the drama instantly became more interesting. Even when the story started dragging or the romance lost my attention, his scenes kept me invested. He had this calm but unsettling presence that made him genuinely feel dangerous without needing to overact. His facial expressions, the way he spoke, and even the way he carried himself made Gwi stand out way more than the actual main characters for me.

I also liked that Lee Soo Hyuk made Gwi charismatic instead of just purely evil. There was something strangely captivating about him, which made it easy to understand why so many viewers ended up more interested in the villain than the heroes. Visually, he fit the gothic vampire concept perfectly too. Honestly, some scenes felt like they were designed specifically for him because of how naturally he embodied the dark fantasy atmosphere of the drama.

As for the overall story, I wasn’t nearly as invested. A lot of the plot felt overly dramatic and dragged out at times, and I didn’t feel strongly connected to the romance or the main couple. The pacing could also be inconsistent. But anytime Lee Soo Hyuk appeared as Gwi, the energy completely changed. He was easily the highlight of the drama and the main reason I kept watching until the end.

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The Ending Didn’t Feel Earned

I really couldn’t get into drama because I never bought the main relationship between Jang Heetae and Kim Ilri. Knowing they started off as teacher and student immediately made the relationship uncomfortable for me, and the drama never fully convinced me to see it as romantic in the way it clearly wanted viewers to. Even when the story moved forward and they were older, that dynamic still lingered in the background and made it hard for me to become emotionally invested in them as a couple.

The drama tried to present their relationship as deep, passionate, and complicated, but I just found it difficult to connect to emotionally because the foundation of it already felt inappropriate to me. Instead of rooting for them, I spent most of the drama questioning the relationship itself. I also felt like the emotional decisions the characters made were supposed to come across as meaningful and poetic, but a lot of it just felt frustrating or unrealistic instead.

On top of that, I really couldn’t believe the ending either. After everything the characters went through, the resolution didn’t feel convincing or emotionally satisfying to me. It felt like the drama wanted the audience to accept certain choices and outcomes without properly earning them through the storytelling. By the end, I just couldn’t fully buy into the relationship or the conclusion the drama never worked for me.

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Lee Soo Hyuk Stole Every Scene

The best part of Lucky Romance for me was easily Lee Soo Hyuk as Choi Geon Uk, aka Gary Choi. His character was genuinely refreshing, charming, and unexpectedly adorable. I’m so used to seeing Lee Soo Hyuk play cold, mysterious, brooding characters with intimidating energy, so it was really nice seeing him in a lighter and more playful role for once. Gary had this awkward but sincere charm that made him stand out every time he was onscreen. Even his smaller mannerisms and expressions made the character lovable without trying too hard. Honestly, he brought a lot of warmth and personality to a drama that I otherwise struggled to stay invested in. A lot of my enjoyment came from his scenes because he naturally made things feel more entertaining and less repetitive.

Unfortunately, I really didn’t care for the overall story. The plot felt dragged out and repetitive after a while, and a lot of the conflict relied too heavily on misunderstandings, superstition, and forced romantic tension. The drama kept circling the same ideas without making the emotional development feel satisfying. I also found it hard to fully connect with the main couple because the relationship progression didn’t feel that natural to me. There were moments that were supposed to feel quirky or heartwarming, but instead they just felt overly exaggerated or predictable.

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great yet very devastating .....

this drama isn't for the faint of heart , didn't think I would like it at first but I was very wrong .
a great thriller with great emotional depth that kept us on edge till the very end even though the killer was revealed before the last episodes yet you kept going wanting to see justice served .

kang tae ju's character was very well written , he was willing to sacrifice everything for the truth and justice to be served even going as far to making an alliance with his school bully , man I thought they would be on the same side and set their difference aside for catching the serial killer , yet the ending was devastating , I truly hated when he had to leave town before catching the real killer to save his sister.

cha si yeong can't make my mind about his character yet for me he was a gray character it wasn't his intention to do wrong yet he aided the serial killer to escape jail all those years one way or the other and went as far as convicting innocent people to get credit , raise and his father's approval , he was a very despicable person for what he did in the little girl's case and no even giving her family a closure or an apology .

Gi Beom 's death was truly sad and devastating , didn't think it would end that way.
Gi hwan's character was quite rushed like we didn't get where did his obsession with stocking come from? and what really annoyed me is that he didn't get what he deserve he seemed to enjoy his time in jail and talking to tae ju .

the ending was truly devastating no one got what they deserve , the only who was being criticized was tae ju and that little girl's family never got justice for their daughter's death.

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Heeju is such an unlikable character. The fact that we don't know much about her dilutes whatever story they are telling.
At first I was so mad at her for making all this dumb decisions and following her bf so blindly. The next episodes do give us some backstory and context on why she did all of that but still it was frustrating to watch.

Heeju only survived all this due luck. Somehow she had Woogi's deep loyalty and her father finds her at the correct time and sacrifices his life for her. Woogi's initial loyalty can be chalked up to him having some brains and realizing the only way he could get some money is by being on her side but him trying to save her multiple times even after she made it clear that she didn't trust him...foolish af.
Her parents story was emotional though.

They tried to do a theme of how people get greedy and everything and it worked for a while with Heeju's mentality being no gold no life but then they kinda throw it away with Heeju going around saving everyone she doesn't trust and then crying that she just wants to live a normal life.
Maybe they were trying to do a nuanced take on greed and stuff but it just didn't work

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Doh Kyung Soo!

I can appreciate what this drama tackled topics that most dramas at the time avoided, and I can respect the effort to normalize conversations around trauma, mental illness, and healing. You can tell the drama wanted to say that people struggling mentally still deserve love, understanding, and support instead of being treated like they’re broken. Some moments genuinely handled loneliness, trauma, and emotional isolation really well.

Gong Hyojin’s acting...there were moments where her performance felt too exaggerated for the tone the drama was aiming for, especially in emotional arguments or scenes that were supposed to feel intimate and vulnerable. Instead of feeling natural, some reactions came across as theatrical, which pulled me out of certain scenes. I also felt like the execution of Ji Haesoo’s intimacy issues wasn’t handled as carefully as the writers probably thought it was. At first, it seemed like they were setting up a deep exploration of trauma and emotional fear, but later on it felt inconsistent and rushed. If anything, it sometimes came across like the writers overdid her avoidance of intimacy just to create a bigger contrast between her being “pure” and Jang Jaeyeol being known as a player and womanizer. Instead of naturally developing her healing process over time, the drama suddenly acts like she’s able to overcome years of fear almost overnight once romance fully kicks in. It made her progression feel more plot convenient than emotionally earned. I think the storyline would’ve worked better if they spent more time showing gradual trust, setbacks, discomfort, and realistic healing instead of resolving it so quickly.

The standout performance for me was easily Doh Kyung Soo as Han Kang Woo. He completely stole every scene he was in. The scenes where he had to portray pain, fear, loneliness, and emotional suffering were done incredibly well and felt effortless on his part. His expressions alone carried so much emotion without needing exaggerated dialogue. There was a naturalness to his acting that made his scenes hit harder than a lot of the main storyline for me. It’s honestly hard to believe this was one of Doh Kyung Soo’s earlier acting roles because he already showed so much control and emotional depth. He never looked like an idol trying to act. He felt fully immersed in the role from beginning to end.

Honestly, I found myself way more invested in Han Kang Woo’s scenes than the main romance. Doh Kyung Soo brought a level of sincerity and emotional realism that made his storyline unforgettable, and by the end, he was the main reason I kept watching.

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Girl Rules, where the first rule is don’t break your own rules.

That sentiment also goes for the writers too.

This was designed to be messy, and if you’re hoping to see good things with established ships, then for the most part expect to be disappointed. If you view GL from a more neutral standpoint and are looking for something different to the usual couples falling in love and ending up together, then this might be one to watch.

Each episode is written around a specific rule, and how each of the characters either breaks it, or show how they handle it. That aspect of the series is well written and directed, and credit should be given for that.

When writing, directing and producing a series like this, your first rule should be to research the content you are using, and the second is ensure you proof read it before using it, especially when using different writers for each episode. They clearly didn’t do this, and at one point they mixed up a gender expression with a sexual orientation, completely erasing bisexual identities in the process. They did reference pansexual, but with the lack of any butch mascs and other transitional gender roles, it leaves a bad taste. If you are going to write about LGBT+ issues, then proper research is essential, and good proof readers need to ensure mistakes like this don’t happen.

As for the plot, it focuses on three main couples, two are established ships, and a potential new pairing. In reality, it centers on one story focused around Namtam/Film, with the other two couples, Milk/Love and View/Mim, getting less attention and screen time, which hasn’t been received well in the fandoms.

There are three guest couples, one is a romantic couple who play Blossom’s owners in the plot, Kapook/Ciize who represent exes that interfere with Namtam/Film, and Emi/Bonnie who get involved in the messiness with Milk/Love.

The setting is split between their homes, work, vacations and nightlife. The work settings are a fashion house, production company and a photographer, that overlap with each other. The nightlife is mostly within a lesbian bar called Blossom, which shockingly has almost no butch representation at all.

It’s fast paced, with quick transitions between each sub-plot and high-octane music that changes frequently within each scene. That’s important, because this doesn’t follow the usual slow burn of a couple getting together, being torn apart by family tradition or homophobia but somehow ending up together anyway. In general, the music matches the messiness that unfolds, and that for me is the best part of this series, although others have expressed a dislike to it. Compared to other GL’s that lack the depth and emotion of the music, this one is on point. The OST reflects this, with upbeat tracks and decent beats.

There were some sound problems though, especially with the live music scenes and the screaming fans, which was largely distorted and lacked quality. In those episodes, I had to adjust the volume down quickly, or remove my earbuds.

Three of the established ships cross over, with Love hooking up with Namtan, Film hooking up with Milk, and to a certain extent, Emi trying to win over Love. For me, the writers missed an opportunity here. They had 12 episodes to completely screw with the ships, but all we got was one quick interaction with each that ended as quickly as they started. I would have liked to see more of these new pairings, and more involvement from Bonnie.

I understand why they didn’t though. They knew by messing with established ships that it would cause problems, which has already been shown with the series being received poorly within the fandoms. If you want something that has good kissing and love scenes, this is not a good choice. The focus is more on day to day lives rather than their intimacy.

Overall, it was a good first attempt at a more soap style GL, but the mistakes they made were poor. Trying to use the established ships meant they had to tread too carefully, when in reality we need to see the more realistic POV of messy lesbian and bisexual relationships, and the difficulties chasing straight girls. They have a good pool of actresses to choose from that are not already paired, and they should have used them. They need more butch and trans representation too.

It would have been better with more episodes, and to slow down the outcomes with more drama and more crossover of the ships. but maybe this was deliberate so they can carry on into a second series, although that seems unlikely. It has almost no re-watch value, because it doesn’t really have an overall storyline, although you might want to relive some of the specific drama scenes.

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my expectations and what I received

This might be by far the worst K-drama I've ever watched. I really liked the first season tho. What announced me was that the second season didn't pick up where the last scene of the first season ended,I was annoyed that we couldn't find out what happened in the museum (I think it was a museum).Also, the male lead turning into a second lead was very absurd and unnecessary.If this season had been at least as good as the first, it wouldn't have received such a bad review.At least it would have remained in our minds as an decent/good teen series, but unfortunately the screenwriter did a terrible job. By the way, I had set the rewatch value to 0.5, but the app says it needs to be at least 1. Anyway, so I'm reporting it here: I think the rewatch value should be 0/10.😬😐

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Eternal Spring that stays for a short time but leaves a lifelong impact.

It was a drama that that gently unfolded the delicate human emotions with its tender, soothing approach to hope, struggles, and beauty of living.

From the very first episode, the FL's character was really bothering me. Her rude behaviour and know it all outlook felt very unfitting and random. But I'm a sucker for good cinematography so I stayed for that, and trust me, it didn't disappoint.

Deok Hyeon, is a young diver fighting with the weight of dark his past and the uncertainty of his future. His quiet strength and vulnerable past made him instantly relatable, correlating with the universal struggle of finding one’s place in a world that often feels very overwhelming to speak out. On the other hand, Anna is quite spicy, radiant spirited girl. Her determination towards her swimming career showed how resilient she was. Her journey through her personal hardships and healing was portrayed so realistically that it will resonate deeply with anyone who has faced life’s unpredictable storms.

Most importantly, the cinematography was breathtaking! Each and every scene was meticulously shot capturing the serene beauty of nature, the unpredictable, calm nature of the turquoise sea and the subtle nuances of everyday life. The soft colour grading, the gentle waves of the sea, and the tranquil azure skies created a visual poetry that I LOVED very much!
Also them bonding over food was the best thing ever. They opened up gently and gradually. Sometimes it felt like the series brought the viewers into a world where every frame is like a dreamy painting, every note of music a soothing balm, and every character’s journey a heartfelt story of resilience and hope.

Now the dislikes, that fake cat was straight up bad. Couldn't they find a cutie catto on the island that they had to put a slow CGI cat. And sometimes the scenes were quite random that they didn't really made sense. Otherwise, it's forgivable for a 6 episode drama.

Overall , this was a short soothing drama that offered more than just entertainment—it provided a calm experience that touched my heart. If you're looking for a heartfelt story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit amidst life’s challenges with beautiful cinematography then it is for you.

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MUST SEE and so damn close to the best C-Drama I've ever seen!

(I'll warn you when this review drifts into spoiler territory.)

My first C-Drama was RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE back during Covid. I consider it a 'long form' series which means more than 12 episodes, and it's still the best long form series I've seen out of over 30 series. BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI had the potential to beat it, but dropped the ball in the final episodes. Fortunately, the ball is merely a small marble.

I like to follow actors around, and RUYI's Xin Zhi Lei (Princess Jia) brought me to BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI. I've seen her play various roles, but her strength is duplicitous vixen. Or sweetheart serpent. In this story she's a WEAPON and deployed perfectly in each frame. This series should land her some great roles in the future.

Thanks to TO THE WONDER (best short form C-Drama I've ever seen) and INTERLACED SCENES, I also came to this series to see Ma Yi Li. Anything she's in is gold and she doesn't disappoint. She's full of her usual passion, emotion, and broken dreams.

I see from her many credits that Tiffany Tang is legend, but she's a new actress for me. She had absolutely no problem sharing the limelight alongside Xin Zhi Lei and Ma Yi Li. I particularly enjoyed when she delivered lines with food in her mouth, lol. I will try to watch some her work soon.

Anyone who is a fan of world class strong female leads MUST SEE this show. To have them all in one show is a WOW.

Also new to me was none other than our lead male playing Mr. Bao, Hu Ge. In this series he's doing his best to be the Chinese George Clooney. Hu Ge plays a local legend in Shanghai, a man that can survive anything.

He survives the roaring 90's stock market. He prospers in various businesses. Under the guidance of the charming Uncle Ye he can handle almost anything: except the three aforementioned women. And one I haven't mentioned yet.

(Entering light spoiler territory)

You see, Blossoms Shanghai is a highly unique and perfectly executed love quadrangle. But by 'perfectly executed,' I don't mean it's as lovey-dovey as you'd expect. Some consider this a serious shortcoming of the series. I actually found it refreshing, realistic, and poignantly moving for true love to be so unrequited all over the place.

Kind-hearted romantic C-Dramas have a way of pairing up all sorts of characters into couples at the end. Nobody leaves 'the prom' without a date.

But in BLOSSOMS, I felt for every woman who felt Mr. Bao was out of her reach -- just as -- I felt for Mr. Bao who had a woman (or two?) always out of his reach. Uncle Ye made a point of repeating that you can't mix business with pleasure, and man did this series slam that idea home.

Great credit is due to the legendary film director Wong Kar Wai and the cinematography. This claustrophobic series lurks behind behind walls, peeks thru windows -- and yet -- manages to put you alongside these characters as well.

You will not only love every lead in this series but outright adore every supporting character. I mean every one of them, including the cigarette guy. The depth to these characters is why the show takes about 5 or so episodes to get rolling.

These people become your family and you'll miss almost all of them at series end. I'm certain most of these actors will never look this good again. The camera work and lighting and staging and costumes and set design is off the map great.

I wasn't familiar with the period pop songs throughout but they added to the carefully crafted atmosphere. And I enjoyed the Morricone inspired moments in the soundtrack score.

So why not a perfect 10 score? (9.5 isn't bad, mind you!)

1. The story is (kinda) much ado about nothing. It's a soap opera of sorts, that focuses mostly on money instead of mating. So this series bounces people off each other instead of lips. I made up a term for this series: People Opera. And it's a really great People Opera. But at the end of the day, it's just a story about a man, a street, everyone on it and their country -- trying to grow in stature. As Tina Turner once said, "What's love got to do with it?"

2. The other shortcoming is that the story kinda chickened out at the end, in the romance sense. As great as the final goodbye was between Mr. Bao and Li Li in Ep 27, I felt these two had a little more to say to each other -- about each other -- and I felt cheated. I felt this broken heart's club needed a first kiss -- that was tragically their last kiss as well.

3. Also, the final shots of Mr. Bao in the fields with electrical transmission towers simply didn't land right for me. The way we saw Miss Wang slowly leave Huange Street -- chatting with the cigarette dude -- is really how Mr. Bao needed to leave the series. His buying land thing came off as flat and irrelevant.

4. Also, the show hinted that the new elevator operator was like a young Ah Bao and that Bao was transitioning into an Uncle Ye. Perhaps they should have pursed that literally, by Bao saying goodbye to that street and inviting the young man to join his land venture. By inviting the boy off that street that seems to destroy lives, it would be a sign that the one thing Bao doesn't recommend is becoming a Mr. Bao.

And now some picky stuff --

1. The story starts with a car accident, to explain the real world scars on Hu Ge's face he got from a tragic car accident that nearly killed him. But I didn't know that until deep in the series. And so I was confused as to why Bao's face had those scars in flashbacks the occurred before the story's car accident. These needed to either be digitally removed, or explained away regarding a childhood bully who beat him senseless. It was lazy and jarring to leave the scars there.

2. Li Li's last words to Bao are her name. She says 'Li Li' and then runs up some stairs. Huh? Normally her departure might have inspired him to say 'Li Li' as in he had something more to say to her. It demonstrated to me that as amazing as this goodbye scene was -- and totally worth rewatching -- WKW still didn't quite nail this scene as I suggested earlier. Like the scars, it was just sloppy.

3. The series starts slow. Despite the appearance of a frenetic pace, it introduces a ton of characters and it takes -- I don't know -- 5 to 7 episodes to become addictive.

OVERALL: drop what you're doing and watch BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI. It's an extremely special experience.

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