Reviews

One of the best short dramas I've watched with the "transmigrated into a novel and returned to the 1970s" premise. While this concept has become quite common in Chinese short dramas, this one stands out thanks to its engaging story, solid pacing, and likable characters.

Unlike many of his previous roles where he leans heavily into comedy, Li Meng Ran plays a much more serious and mature character this time, and she does it convincingly. It was nice to see a different side of his acting, and he carried the emotional moments well.

My biggest disappointment was the female lead's magical necklace. It had the potential to become one of the most interesting aspects of the story, but its special dimension and abilities were barely explored or used in meaningful ways. It often felt like an afterthought rather than an important part of the plot.

The ending also feels a bit rushed. Once the conflicts with the village villains are resolved, the story wraps up very quickly without giving enough time to properly conclude the characters' journeys. Still, that's a common limitation of Chinese short dramas, where runtime often forces the finale to move at breakneck speed.

Read More

I'm Glad I Got to Live at the Same Time This Series Existed—and Experience It Every Week.

I've been waiting every Saturday for this series, and now that it's over... I'm surprisingly at peace.
I have no regrets.
This is one of those rare dramas that kept making me smile, scream, admire, laugh, and even worry every single week, then gave me an ending that felt completely satisfying. I don't desperately need a Season 2 because the story already gave me everything I wanted.

What impressed me the most wasn't only the romance. It was the directing.
The camera work, sound design, music, expressions, breathing, silence, action scenes... everything worked together to create emotion. There were so many scenes where I simply thought, "Beautiful." Not only visually beautiful, but emotionally beautiful too.
The acting deserves so much praise. Their eyes can act. The chemistry feels incredibly convincing, and every intimate scene serves the emotions instead of existing just for fan service. I honestly think this series has some of the best-directed intimate scenes I've ever watched. Every look, every pause, every breath felt natural.
The revenge story was another highlight. I love smart characters and stories where people solve problems intelligently instead of forcing drama through stupid decisions. The final revenge was satisfying, well-earned, and made me feel, "Yes... this is exactly how it should end."

Of course, it isn't perfect.
As someone who also read the manhwa, I definitely noticed that many scenes had to be cut to fit only ten episodes. Sometimes I wished certain moments had more room to breathe, and I missed seeing more of Sun's intelligence from the original work. That was probably my biggest disappointment.
However, I also understand the challenge of adapting around ninety+ chapters into only ten episodes. Instead of trying to copy everything, the series chose to focus on atmosphere, emotion, and visual storytelling. In many ways, I actually prefer the drama's execution over the manhwa. The directing elevated so many scenes beyond what I imagined while reading.

What made me happiest was the ending.
They got their happy ending without losing themselves. They stayed wonderfully chaotic, clever, and completely true to who they were from the beginning. Their relationship didn't change their personalities—it simply let them face the future together.
That was exactly what I hoped for.

Thank you, Payback, for making my weekends something to look forward to.
RAK MAK MAK KHAA~ ❤️

Read More

Peach and Me — Four Episodes for a World That Needed Twelve

Fans wanted to see more of Thee and Peach, but I do not think this was really the kind of “more” we were asking for. Me and Thee had already completed their romantic journey. Thee and Peach had fallen in love, survived all the exaggerated misunderstandings surrounding them and reached their wedding. A sequel therefore did not need to place them back at the centre of every conflict. It needed to show what happened to the large group of people whose stories were only beginning when the original series ended. Instead, Peach and Me gives us four pleasant episodes that feel more like an extended special than a proper continuation. Officially produced as a four-episode sequel by GMMTV and Gemmistry Studio, it reunites the original director, Nuttapong Mongkolsawas, with Pond, Phuwin and the wider ensemble from Me and Thee.

Of course, Pond is still hilarious. Comedy comes so naturally to him that even the smallest expression can become funny without making the scene feel forced. He has developed into such a strong comic actor that I genuinely believe he could eventually build a successful solo career in comedy films or television dramas, even outside his partnership with Phuwin. Phuwin remains exactly what Peach needs to be: calm, grounded, easy to love and almost impossibly beautiful. His quieter energy gives Pond the space to be excessive without allowing the comedy to become unbearable. Their contrast continues to work perfectly, and their chemistry makes it believable that these two men are now comfortably married.

The problem is that Thee and Peach no longer needed to be the entire story. Main characters need supporting characters, especially once their own romance has already reached a stable conclusion. A strong sequel could have transformed Thee and Peach into the glue holding several new stories together. Their marriage could have become the emotional centre of the series while the people around them faced changes in love, work, family and responsibility. Lookplub and Mira were beginning to develop an interesting connection, but everything happened too quickly and too easily. Their conversations suggested two women with very different backgrounds who could slowly learn to understand one another, yet four episodes left almost no space for uncertainty, conflict or genuine romantic progression. The possibility was introduced, lightly explored and then almost immediately resolved. Tawan and Aran also deserved more. Their relationship could have grown beyond another quick romantic development by showing how both men changed individually as well as together. Tawan still needed to prove that he had matured, while Aran needed space to decide what forgiveness actually meant for him. A complete sequel could have allowed their professional lives, insecurities and relationship to evolve rather than treating them as another couple requiring a fast conclusion. Rome and Mok had perhaps the strongest potential of all. Rome taking control of the Arseni family creates an entirely new power structure, while Mok must decide whether he can remain beside him as a bodyguard, friend and partner. The series briefly addresses the danger surrounding the succession, including an attack that injures Mok and forces Rome to confront his feelings, but the conflict is resolved before it can become the foundation of a larger story.

That leadership change could have connected every storyline. Rival factions could have threatened the family, Rome could have struggled with the responsibility inherited from his father, and Mok could have faced the consequences of protecting someone he also loves. Lookplub and Mira could have become involved through the mansion and its security, while Tawan and Aran could have been drawn into the chaos through their work. Thee and Peach would still have remained essential. Thee could have tried to protect his younger brother while learning that leaving the mafia world does not erase his family responsibilities, and Peach could have become the person keeping everyone emotionally connected. Their marriage would have shown that falling in love is not the end of a story; life, family and danger continue around them. Most importantly, none of this would have required abandoning the comedy that made Me and Thee special. The kidnappers could have been completely incompetent, rescue plans could have collapsed through ridiculous accidents, and Thee could have treated every family crisis like another melodramatic lakorn. The danger could have been real while the execution remained funny.

That is what makes these four episodes so frustrating. The ingredients for a full twelve-episode sequel were already present. GMMTV had several popular couples, an established mafia family, a leadership transition, unresolved relationships and an audience actively asking to return to this world. The production did not need to invent an artificial reason to continue the story because the side characters had already created one. The original Me and Thee consisted of ten episodes and used its supporting cast to make Thee and Peach’s romance feel like part of a much larger world. Peach and Me reduces that same world to approximately three and a half hours, leaving several potentially substantial plots competing for attention.

The weakness is therefore not the cast or the technical production. GMMTV, Gemmistry Studio and Nuttapong Mongkolsawas preserve the same comic tone, visual polish and character chemistry that worked in the original. Gemmistry is still a relatively young production label, with Me and Thee and Cat for Cash among its first completed BL projects, so its catalogue remains too small for firm conclusions. However, the studio has already demonstrated that it can support polished ensemble productions; here, the limiting decision was the format rather than an obvious lack of production capability.

The early audience figures also suggest a slightly less enthusiastic response than the original and it reflects my own feeling that the special is enjoyable without reaching the original series’ impact.

Final Thought

I cannot give Peach and Me a bad review because I still enjoyed returning to these characters. Pond remains an exceptional comic actor, Phuwin gives the chaos its necessary calm, and the entire cast is too charming for the four episodes to become unpleasant. However, finishing the story is not the same as developing it. The fans did not simply want four more episodes of Thee being dramatic and Peach lovingly managing him. We wanted to return to this entire world and discover what happened once the main romance was no longer the only reason to keep watching.

A full sequel could have used Thee and Peach’s marriage to unite the stories of Lookplub and Mira, Tawan and Aran, and Rome and Mok. The mafia succession could have created danger, comedy and emotional growth for everyone without damaging the warm identity of the original series. Instead, GMMTV gave us a half-hearted continuation despite having enough characters and ideas for something far more ambitious. Four unnecessary episodes could have become twelve excellent ones, and that missed opportunity is far more disappointing than anything actually shown on screen.

Peach and Me remains cute, funny and perfectly watchable. It gives the characters a final goodbye, but it also proves that their world was not ready to end. The potential was there, the cast was available and the audience was waiting. The only thing missing was the decision to tell the larger story.

Read More

The ML in Boyfriend on Demand was transplanted into this show...

If you liked the ML in Boyfriend on Demand, this show is like that if Boyfriend on Demand’s ML was transplanted into this show and continued on. The actor that plays these ML roles in both shows literally had to do no homework. That flat, monotone, and reserved character appears again! It’s the same character in a very similar work / business environment. Additionally, both dramas revolve around AI nonsense Korean dramas have embraced.

Anyway, as a romance, it doesn’t offer anything new or original. I love the actress who plays FL but this character was not it. For the most part, she’s fine, but some of her decisions and reasoning would frustrate most viewers, including me. Don’t even get me started on her ex. I wanted to stop watching because of how dumb and annoying the brief love triangle with her ex was. I was also annoyed FL in the beginning had some comedy written into her scenes but gradually disappeared.

The second couple is whatever, I’m not really a fan of some handsome guy suddenly appearing in her life just minutes after an extremely embarrassing breakup. There’s also some discussion about an age gap, but in reality, they are only four years apart, unlike the significant age gaps of 10+ years seen in other shows. Honestly, I enjoyed watching their scenes because she’s pretty and gaining popularity along with more roles.

Setting aside the romance and characters, the business/workplace storyline is quite standard and nothing that sets it apart. The abusive boss remains abusive throughout, with no one taking action until the very end. Overall, it is fairly average but enjoyable enough for me to watch until the end.

Read More

I Finished Payback and Couldn't Stop Thinking About It

I honestly wasn't planning to talk about Payback this soon, but after finishing it, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

What surprised me the most was the chemistry between the leads. From the very beginning, their dynamic felt intense, emotional, and believable. The story is filled with tension, revenge, secrets, and power struggles, but beneath all of that is a surprisingly emotional journey about trust, healing, and finding someone who understands you.

One thing I really loved is that the characters feel strong and layered. Nobody feels one-dimensional, and the emotions hit exactly when they need to. The acting was excellent, especially during the more emotional scenes.

Payback is not a fluffy romance. It's darker, more intense, and keeps you invested from start to finish. Definitely one of the dramas that stayed on my mind long after I finished watching it.

Read More

Please insert chemistry here

On paper, the story had potential.
The pacing is deliberately slow, the atmosphere is calm, and the cinematography clearly tries to create something intimate and reflective. But somewhere along the way, the drama forgets that a slow romance still needs one essential ingredient: believable emotional connection.
The chemistry between the two leads was almost nonexistent. Instead of making me root for them, many of their interactions felt awkward, stiff, and surprisingly uncomfortable to watch. Romantic scenes that were clearly meant to be intimate often had the opposite effect—they felt forced, almost as if the actors themselves weren't fully convinced by what they were portraying. Rather than butterflies, I found myself feeling second-hand embarrassment more than once.

I also struggled with the pacing. I have absolutely no problem with slow-burn dramas—in fact, some of my all-time favorites take their time developing the relationship. But there's a difference between slow and static.
Here, entire episodes passed with very little emotional or narrative progression. Characters exchanged long looks, sat together in silence, or had conversations that felt deliberately vague, yet I rarely felt those moments carried enough emotional weight to justify how much screen time they received.

Both protagonists remain emotionally distant for so long that it's difficult to truly understand them or become invested in their journey. Their motivations and inner conflicts never feel fully explored, making it hard to connect with either of them on a deeper level.
Perhaps my disappointment comes from the fact that I could constantly see the potential. The premise wasn't bad. The atmosphere was there. The visual direction was strong. But none of those elements mattered once the emotional core failed to land.

Read More

Uncomfortable

The story is a bit convoluted with two parallel storylines, the actors’ relationship (toxic) and the characters’ relationship (toxic).
The acting is mediocre at best and the chemistry absent. But the reason I dropped is because it’s so Wang Yibo/ Xiao Zhan coded it’s to watch like one of those sleazy AI edits.
Same hairstyles, clothes and the actors were chosen for their passing resemblance from certain angles (not their skills). It’s too obvious for it to be a coincidence. Wherever you stand on the WYB/XZ ship, it’s cringeworthy and uncomfortable.

Read More

don't bother.

i think my overall rating might be generous. anyway, i wasted my time watching this a couple of weeks ago. it was not it.

the first male lead was truly pathetic until he had a change of heart when he almost lost his chance. he let projects at work dictate his life and invade into his personal time. the former brings to light a festering issue in japanese work culture. regardless, the person who had seniority over him abused him and he just took it? fear and anxiety are understandable + reasonable / valid feelings. however, he was working over twelve hour days give or take for what months? years? then when kai entered his life, it began to have meaning and he had a real shot at actually living. he promised kai they would attend that festival together then gets bullied into prioritizing work. then he blows kai off for a month to finish a project that would have been completed if he was not there. superiors know how to make things happen just like how they expect grunts to do the same. watari did not deserve kai.

honestly, the intimacy [sexual or romantic] was just wack. some of the earlier scenes like with the relief to allow watari to sleep because he was so stressed out from work were good or funny. the kissing was boring. viewers got more chemistry from the opening credits with the characters than the actual body of work.

i quite liked nomura kota's portrayal of a defeated person who had been so disappointed with life that there were no expectations of others. he felt like a character that was true to himself and uncaring of the perception of others. he lived authentically because he was at his wit's end. otherwise, this body of work was too lacking and too short.

Read More

A Love Letter to Love Between The Lines ?

Okay, can we just take a moment to collectively swoon over Cheng Xing Xue? Because honestly? This man was BORN to play Xiao Zhi Yu. He doesn't just act the CEO role—he inhabits it like it's his second skin. The man is so dashing I had to pause every five minutes just to recover. And that manly sex appeal? Sir, please. My heart can only take so much.

His micro-expressions are everything—one raised eyebrow, one tiny smirk, and I'm literally kicking my feet in the air like a teenager. If you haven't seen him in My Boss or My Starry Love, what are you even doing with your life?? GO WATCH. And don't even get me started on Wow the World—seeing him be all sweet, shy, and quirky off-screen? It's like finding out your grumpy boss secretly rescues kittens. Adorable chaos. I'm manifesting his next project gives him ALL the justice he deserves. 🙏

Now, Lu Yu Xiao... girl, I owe you an apology. I wasn't familiar with your game. I didn't really vibe with her previous dramas, but as Hu Xiu? SHE ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS. I want to be her. I want her confidence, her style, her everything. She's officially on my favorites list, and I'm about to binge her entire filmography like it's my new full-time job.

The plot? Imagine a warm hug on a rainy day, but make it a Cdrama. Comforting, low-stress, and blessedly free of those annoying tropes we all pretend to tolerate. No amnesia? No noble idiocy?? We LOVE to see it.

And the OST?? I'm literally downloading it as we speak. My neighbors are about to hear these ballads on repeat whether they like it or not.

10/10. Would cry, laugh, and giggle like a fool again. 🥰

Read More

Payback — When Sex, Power and Revenge Share the Same Currency

I have watched many BLs advertise themselves as revenge dramas, only to forget about the revenge as soon as the romance begins. Payback never makes that mistake. It is one of the strongest revenge BLs I have seen in a long time because the love story does not interrupt the darker plot. Sex, ambition, corruption and revenge are all part of the same system. The Thai drama adapts the Korean Payback manhwa by samk and Fujoking, with Lee Yoohan becoming Sun while Yoon Jay retains his name. Sun enters the entertainment industry after learning the truth about the betrayal and death that destroyed his family, while Jay secretly holds considerable influence inside the company and offers the access Sun needs to complete his revenge. The official uncut version is rated for adults, and that tone is evident throughout the production.

What interested me most was the way the series presents sex as another form of currency. Powerful people can exchange roles, protection and professional opportunities for access to someone’s body, while young performers are left trying to decide whether they are consenting or simply accepting what appears to be their only route forward. The explicit scenes are therefore not unnecessary additions created only to attract BL viewers. They are part of the corruption the story wants to expose. At times, the series is almost soft pornography, and with Min Thanakorn I honestly did not mind. The production is clearly aimed at a young-adult-to-adult audience, and pretending these characters exist inside an innocent romantic world would have weakened the story. The sex scenes are physical and erotic, but they also reveal who holds power, who is trying to regain control and who sees every relationship as another transaction.

The entertainment industry depicted here may appear exaggerated, but its basic mechanisms are not difficult to believe. The Harvey Weinstein cases and the wider #MeToo movement showed how powerful people could connect professional advancement with sexual access, silence and fear of retaliation. Even years after the movement became internationally visible, industry research continued to show that many workers doubted powerful offenders would actually face consequences. What makes Payback particularly interesting is that it places male performers inside that system. It is already extremely difficult for women to admit that someone exploited their ambitions or professional vulnerability. For men, expectations surrounding masculinity, strength and supposedly constant sexual willingness can create additional shame and make disclosure even more difficult. Research into male sexual victimisation repeatedly identifies stigma, fear of disbelief and masculine stereotypes as barriers to reporting.

The series places that discomfort directly in front of the viewer. These men are not only selling performances, faces and carefully constructed public identities. They are surrounded by people who believe their bodies can also become part of the business agreement. This is not a romance filled with hearts and flowers; it is a revenge story set in a world where intimacy, ambition and exploitation have become almost impossible to separate. Comparing the live-action adaptation with the manhwa makes the strengths and weaknesses of the casting much clearer. Min is remarkably close to how I imagine Lee Yoohan in reality. Fujoking’s Yoohan is lean, sharp-featured and emotionally guarded, carrying guilt and anger without constantly displaying them. Min has that same controlled coldness, making Sun appear as though every movement has been considered before anyone else enters the room.

Min Thanakorn is also incredibly beautiful, but his appearance is honestly the least important part of what he achieves here. His performance reminded me of the cold, brilliant investigators often found in Chinese police dramas: men who rarely show emotion but always seem to understand the situation before everyone else. Sun’s revenge never feels impulsive because Min makes it look like something he has carried, studied and refined for years. He understands how to act through stillness. He rarely needs to raise his voice or create exaggerated expressions because his eyes, posture and breathing already tell us what Sun is thinking. The same control makes the explicit scenes work. Min does not simply rely on nudity or choreography to make them erotic; the desire begins in his face and body before anything physical happens. At 26, Min already has extensive performance experience through idol training and televised competition programmes, and that familiarity with cameras is visible in the precision of his close-ups. Payback proves he is not simply a performer trying acting as another career extension. I can easily imagine him succeeding in crime dramas, psychological mysteries and films where a character’s intelligence or danger must be communicated without constant dialogue.

Toptap’s casting becomes more complicated when compared directly with Yoon Jay from the manhwa. In Fujoking’s artwork, Jay is broader, more physically imposing and visibly more mature than Yoohan. He carries himself with the relaxed arrogance of someone who knows he owns the room, while his smiles can feel playful, possessive or vaguely threatening depending on what he wants. The original Jay is not merely a rich sponsor who helps Yoohan. He is unpredictable, shameless and slightly frightening, with enough power that the reader can never be completely certain whether he will protect Yoohan or become another danger Yoohan must survive. The licensed novel even introduces him as an eccentric man whose apparently ridiculous behaviour hides much more dangerous secrets. Toptap is 22, while Min is 26, and the difference matters because the younger actor was asked to embody the older, more experienced and powerful character. Toptap is handsome and performs the emotional and intimate scenes well, but his naturally softer presence rarely communicates the physical or psychological authority associated with the original Jay. His age and youthful screen image are documented even though DramaBL’s profile had not yet incorporated that biographical information.

This concern was already visible among readers when the casting was announced. Several fans questioned the missing height difference, Jay’s younger appearance and the absence of the intimidating, imposing aura established by the manhwa. After watching the completed series, I understand exactly what they meant. The adaptation effectively reverses part of the original visual power dynamic. Min looks like the more mature, dangerous and controlled man, while Toptap often appears like the softer partner standing beside him. That does not destroy their chemistry, but it changes Jay’s position in the story. Instead of feeling like an unpredictable force capable of overpowering Sun, he sometimes feels more like Sun’s lover and financial supporter. Someone such as Ngern Anupart or Net Siraphop might have created the mature, physically dominant presence associated with the webtoon character more immediately. Even Boss Chaikamon appeared more threatening during several scenes than the man supposedly controlling the entire entertainment company. Toptap was not bad, but Min’s authority was so strong that Jay struggled to feel like his equal. That imbalance gradually transformed the whole series into Sun’s story. Everyone else felt like a supporting character attached to his revenge, while Jay mainly became the man closest to him and the person sharing his bed. This is quite different from the manhwa, where Yoohan and Jay generate tension because both men are dangerous in completely different ways.

Shogun Paramee provided some necessary softness and remained as naturally charming as usual. His presence prevented the production from becoming emotionally exhausting without undermining its adult tone. I am now even more curious to see him in Not Yours, whose international uncut premiere is scheduled for September 26, 2026.

The adaptation may not reproduce every part of the original character balance, but it understands why the revenge story works. It keeps Sun’s guilt, determination and complicated relationship with punishment at the centre rather than reducing the webtoon to sexual scenes. The explicit content receives considerable attention, yet the production never completely loses the corruption, betrayals and professional power games surrounding it.

Final Thought

Payback understands that a successful revenge drama cannot become afraid of its own darkness. It uses the BL relationship as part of the corruption rather than an escape from it, asking whether desire can ever be completely free when careers, money and influence control every decision. The comparison with the manhwa also explains why the casting produces such an uneven result. Min captures Lee Yoohan’s appearance, coldness and internal control remarkably well, while Toptap softens Yoon Jay into a younger and less intimidating figure. Their physical chemistry works, but the dangerous balance between the original characters becomes far less convincing. Fortunately, Min is powerful enough to carry the entire adaptation. He makes Sun’s revenge feel more important than every other relationship surrounding him, while his beauty, restraint and extraordinary command of the camera turn an already strong character into the centre of the production. Payback is unapologetically sexual, morally uncomfortable and far more interested in power than conventional romance. Most importantly, it never forgets why its main character entered the entertainment industry in the first place.

Read More

A story within a story, double the fun!

Two drama's in one, what a treat! This was so good!! The story was very different and very well written. The production did a good job, the only bad thing about this drama was the dubbing. I think the emotions would have come out even better without the voice dubbing.
I love how the screen gets smaller when the drama is filming, that makes a clear distinction between film and "reality".
The visuals and music were beautiful.

All the actors did a great job, i was surprised it was the first role for both leads.
They had great chemistry and good kisses. In the last episode we got a great kiss with a bit of tongue! The NC scenes were well done.

I highly recommend watching this great drama.

Read More