Reviews

The FL ruined it for me

Things I loved

1 The premise. It was exactly what I love. Tropes don't bother me at all and I love particularly the Friends to Lovers trope. I don't mind clichés, I'm looking forward to them and I don't even mind if I can guess the next scene. Yet this disappointed me and didn't give me any of the feelings I was hoping.

Things I liked

1 The ML. He's handsome, and he's not a bad actor. I haven't seen him in any other dramas so my experience is limited, but I liked him here although I feel like he hadn't much to work with. Maybe the role wasn't made for him either. Something was missing.

Things I disliked.

1 The fact that I didn't care for any other character. None.

2 The lack of chemistry. I didn't find they were good together, not as friends not as lovers. I was thinking all the time: That would be great if another actress was with him.

3 The FL character. I didn't hate her, but i's true that you had to try to like her. That's a shame because I'm not someone who dislikes bubbly and cute female characters. I just need them to be also relatable and sympathetic even when they are spoiled. I love spoiled characters by the way. She wasn't that. She was just mean spirited and too abrasive to like.

Things I hated

1 The actress. It's not so much about her character but about how bad an actress she was. She wasn't cute, she wasn't beautiful, she wasn't talented. That resumes the whole thing. You have to have at least something to make me watch. Mostly talent since the beauty is on the eye of the beholder and I can get past it. This role asked for a bubbly or cute or witty actress.. she didn't pull any of it.

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Adaptation that lived up to expectations

An adaptation that is made right, it exceed my expectations, especially the 2nd half of serie, it leveled up the drama, minlee as sun was perfect casting, incredible performance, his micro expressions were enough to tell us whats his character feeling, toptap Did so wall as jay, i have only praises, shogun, fuaiz, jirapat and alm cast delivered an incredible performance, the chemistry was on point, storytelling, character development, sun's journey toward revenge or more correctly, toward healing was entertaining to follow, i had so Many emotions watching his character, the dark side of story was as shocking and disturbing and it intended to be, revenge was delicious, i had my fun watching the downfall of all them evils, the ost and directing was great, i loved ending, it was well rounded serie

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Probably one my most favorite special episodes

Absolutely loved the special episodes. Enjoyed every minute. Although we didn't get to see RomeMhok and TawanAran's wedding.. atleast we kinda got some closure to their stories.. I do wish we'd get to see MiraPhub's story😅😅 I am really interested like how that'd go. Overall it's just beautiful.

I think the cameo of the gen 2 pairs was much better in the specials than the main series. My favorites being ForceBook and JuniorMark's cameo. Junior really just gave his all and Mark just lost it at the end🤣🤣. Force looked soo damn hot as Thee🤭🤭🤭 Loved book's reaction when Thee came it🤣🤣🤣

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a solid series until the last two episodes.

this is another series that i have been screaming, crying, itching, & throwing up to watch, figuratively. i made the unwise decision of watching the first five episodes after they released then i made the grueling decision to wait to binge the final five. it was agonizing, to say the least. i would say this show went from pretty good to fairly decent. i think i was a tad generous with the rating because i liked the series but objectively the rating is probably lower.

the first eight episodes were ironclad. episode eight being the breakout because of the fluidity and numerous intimate scenes. toptap & minlee delivered in episode eight. the bus scene was hilarious and gut-warming. the reluctance of sun, his worry for jay, and then his eventual submission were displayed well. also, i resonated with the audition scenes regarding suicide and both jay's / sun's reaction + interpretation of what that meant. sun was clearly not a bad person but a good one who made horrible decisions in order to care for his family. i think it was interesting how sun was so traumatized by the result of his actions that he was okay with being used and abused, as long as others were not. i am glad he chose to live his life, in the end.

unfortunately, episode nine and ten were rushed. i have never read the source material but it was still evident. the pacing was just way off and things were not concluded properly. to give some examples, who actually murdered pawinee [songphon partially admitted to it but we never saw the murder or how it transpired]. why was bank suddenly out of his career with no repercussions or explanations? how did the corruption even unfold? why did wave randomly appear again but in death due to an overdose? who is responsible for the killing of the gray haired former executive in the car [MDL, please credit all talent in a work] out of nowhere? i could ask more questions, which is not good.

when adapting from manwha, these thai creatives need to take into consideration how to properly consolidate, if need be. they also need to ensure they have appropriate air time for adapting. this rushing throughout or at the ending is a terrible habit that basically ruins the overall score and effect of the story they are attempting to showcase to the audience. i also noticed that whoever was responsible for translating payback into english did an awful job which is unacceptable for paid users. more importantly, the themes of sexual assault in this are grossly unacceptable but most would not comment on that considering the leads are attractive.

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Believe the Hype—Payback Deserves Every Bit of It

I went into Payback without reading the original manhwa, so I can’t compare it scene by scene. However, from everything I’ve heard from people who have read it, this adaptation stayed true to the source, and honestly, that’s impressive.

From the very first episode, I was hooked. This is one of those dramas where every department understood the assignment. The writing, directing, cinematography, costumes, soundtrack, and overall production quality were all excellent. There wasn’t a single episode that felt like filler.

What stood out the most to me was the acting. Good acting can make or break a drama, and this cast absolutely delivered. Every actor fit their role perfectly. The heroes made me root for them, and the villains were so convincing that I genuinely hated them. That’s how you know they did their jobs well.

I remember getting close to the finale and thinking, “How are they going to fit all of this revenge into one last episode?” Somehow, they pulled it off. Sure, I had a few moments where I thought, “I might have done this part differently,” but overall, the ending worked, and I left feeling satisfied.

I never once regretted watching this drama. All 10 episodes were worth my time, and that’s something I don’t say often. It stayed engaging from start to finish without dragging on.

I’d recommend Payback to just about anyone—even if you’ve never watched this kind of drama before. If you enjoy strong storytelling, great directing, and performances that pull you into the story, you’ll probably have a great time with this one.

I also hope to see more of this cast in future projects because they proved just how talented they are here.

One last thing: I honestly think Payback deserves a higher rating than it currently has. In my opinion, it’s not overhyped at all. It deserves every bit of the praise and recognition it’s getting—and maybe even more.

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A Love Destined by Fate

Blossoms of Power is a drama that skillfully blends political intrigue, strategy, and romance, but at its core, it is a story about emotional survival in a world where power comes at a devastating cost.

From the very beginning, the narrative stands out for the intelligence of its protagonists. This is not just a love story; it is a constant game of chess, where every move can determine life or death. The female lead is strong, resilient, and deeply human, while the male lead’s physical fragility contrasts sharply with his sharp, calculating mind.

Episode 33 is, without a doubt, the most devastating point of the series. It marks the moment when the story shifts from political tension to something intensely personal. His supposed death is not just a plot twist, it is an emotional rupture. Her grief feels raw, quiet, and painfully real. There are no grand speeches, only the weight of loss, loneliness, and the feeling that everything has been taken away without warning. It is an episode that leaves a lasting impact because it forces the audience to experience that grief alongside her.

However, this is also where the drama begins to show some weaknesses in its execution. The decision to have him “die” and remain absent for years works well as a narrative strategy, but the emotional consequences of that choice are not explored with the same depth. Her suffering is immense, she endures life in the palace alone, gives birth, and raises their child for four years by herself. This builds a heavy emotional foundation that deserved a more thorough resolution.

When he finally returns, the drama opts for a reunion that feels somewhat rushed and less confrontational than expected. While the happy ending is satisfying on a symbolic level, it lacks the emotional intensity that such a situation would realistically demand. Given everything she endured, a stronger reaction, filled with anger, hurt, and questioning, would have felt more authentic before moving toward forgiveness.

That said, the ending still fulfills its purpose. The image of them walking together with their child, away from the political chaos, represents everything they fought for: a peaceful, ordinary life. It is a calm and gentle conclusion that contrasts beautifully with the turmoil that defined most of the story.

Overall, Blossoms of Power is an engaging and emotionally impactful drama with compelling characters. Despite some shortcomings in the final emotional resolution, particularly in the couple’s reconciliation, the journey is absolutely worth it. It is a story that resonates not only for its tension and strategy but for its portrayal of love under extreme circumstances, imperfect, sacrificial, and ultimately resilient.

Rating: 8/10

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Good

After spending two years searching for this drama, I finally got the chance to watch it. I'm also glad I didn't set my expectations too high, because while it's good, it could have been even better.

What I loved most was how deceptive the first episode is. It makes you think you're about to watch a romance about a teenage girl obsessed with an ex-convict, but suddenly everything spirals completely out of the protagonist's control. The forbidden fairy tale she created in her own mind gives way to a far more dangerous reality. The man who initially seems like nothing more than a quiet drug dealer turns out to be willing to do absolutely anything to carry out his revenge—even using her as a pawn in his plan.

And the way he does it is genuinely disturbing to watch. I felt deeply uncomfortable during several scenes, yet I was completely hooked by the way the story keeps escalating. Every decision makes the situation worse, turning everything into one massive snowball of consequences. I also really enjoyed the dynamic between the two leads: he constantly tries to manipulate her, while she refuses to give in and ends up making all of his plans much harder to execute. Their power struggle works incredibly well.

Overall, it's a solid drama. I really liked both protagonists, and even the police investigation manages to stay engaging without becoming repetitive.

That said, there are some flaws that are hard to overlook. The biggest one is the runtime. The drama is simply too short, which prevents several important plot points—especially in the final stretch—from being properly developed. Some events feel rushed and leave noticeable plot holes because there's not enough time to explore them in depth. I couldn't shake the feeling that the story had some excellent ideas that deserved a few more episodes to fully reach their potential.

Even so, it's a gripping romantic thriller that kept my attention from beginning to end. Watching everything gradually spin out of control is incredibly entertaining, and there were plenty of moments when I was genuinely anxious for the characters. Despite its shortcomings, I really enjoyed the experience.

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Finally caused payback!

The journey of Sun (Minlee’s character) was beautiful. It shows how grief is often not visible and that there’s numerous pathways. Not to forget the acting was amazing, especially because the one scene he acts out is jumping (committing suicide) but it was portrayed so beautifully you couldn’t help but feel it was real.

The chemistry between the two actors was also amazingly shown and it fully consumes you to the point you feel inclined to watch the next episode quickly. The casting for this series was amazing!!

Not to forget Director Arthur, who starts off cold and you slowly see different sides of him. The way they slowly show him changing throughout the episodes with how he treats Sun is beautiful.

The last episode was beautifully written in the sense they started it with Sun finally getting his closure which had me to TEARS within the first few minutes. The way each character gets the ending they deserve but not all of them believe they should’ve received it.

Although this series had many twists and turns, moments that made you feel heavily empathetic. It was really well written with massive props to the characters!

Would definitely recommend!!

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Altra serie pronta ad andare nello scatolo.

Questa serie io me la ricordo quando è uscita. Poi non ero ancora abbastanza avvezza e quindi non la aveva ancora vista, però posso dire? Grande trauma e sono felice di averla vista ora che sono un po' più adulta e matura. Insomma, tutto questo per dire che questa serie va nello scatolo delle serie da vedere almeno una volta nella vita, ma come dire, una volta basta e avanza.
La storia parla di Shin che vuole vivere il college. Incontra qualche amico e vuole che sostanzialmente la sua vita sia pulita e lineare, fino a che non è più così. P'Keng è un suo senior, una persona che dovrebbe essere una sua guida, una persona che Shin dice, di cui potrebbe innamorarsi, una persona che però diventa il suo più grande incubo. Quello che mi è piaciuto di più di questa serie è che si parla di quello che è successo, la VS, e questa lascia un segno indelebile, non come in alcune serie odierne, dove il consenso è un po' così e nessuno ne parla o dove anche se succede un'effettiva violenza, ecco che nessuno ne parla e tutti amici come prima, a meno che questo non sia stato fatto da un cattivo della storia. Qui P'Keng, non è il cattivo che tutti si aspettano, è una persona che ha tanti problemi, ma che all'inizio ci viene presentato come un buono, come una persona che appunto ha dei problemi familiari e con un tipo di internalized omophobia, ma che di per se si comporta bene con Shin. Poi il NO il perde il suo potere. Perde il suo NO verso il suo migliore amico. E il NO di Shin verso di lui. Il potere del NO viene meno ed ecco che la storia prende una piega tragica. Che finisce con le modifiche che Shin ha fatto su sé stesso, non diquelli che hanno fatto partire la valanga. Quello che succede alla fine della puntata 2 non è altro che l'evento terminale di distruzione della valanga che però comincia con quella foto di Shin e Keng, che porta ad una serie di evnti che causano le modifche nel carettere di Keng e in quello che fa. Keng all'inizio non è una persona intimente cattiva, come potrebbero essere altri personaggi che compiono il suo stesso atto, e questo forse è il problema. La storia di The Effect è quella di come un singolo evento porti ad un elenco di altre cose che non solo non sono fermabili, ma sembrano nemmeno non evitabili. Devo fare le mie più sentite congratulazioni agli attori, che sono stati fenomenali, sopratutto James. Il finale aperto poi credo sia la cosa migliore della storia, chi finisce sotto quell'auto: Shin che dice che è cambiato, ma che questo cambiamento sembra solo una maschera e che rivede l'uomo che gli ha rovinato la vita, o Keng, che si ritrova davanti all'uomo che gli ha dato una letterale uscita gratis di prigione e a cui ha rovinato la vita. Una bella serie, ma da scatolo.

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