Reviews

Sad that looks trumps acting skills

Dropped. Couldn't get off into it. I tried and watched up to 3 episodes. Just not for me. The problem with this MDL site, people vote higher if it's their favorites and based on looks. Even if my favorite actor is in a badly written drama, I will not rate it high, and I will drop it. So many dramas, especially thrillers, get the lowest ratings, but silly romcoms get the highest. I just find this site hypocritical and voting and reviewing fairly is something that doesn't exist here. I don't know if some people are lonely and they latch on to romcoms so they can live in a fantasy or what. It's weird. I like some romcoms, but this one isn't good. My opinion, not anyone else's

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this show did not know what it was trying to be

I wanted to like this show, I really did. I have been in love with JuniorMark ever since I witnessed their amazing chemistry in Perfect 10 Liners. So naturally, I expected to see something similar here. Fortunately, the chemistry was still intact but unfortunately enough, everything else was falling apart.

This show started off somewhat promising. With a premise like this where fake love, real marriage, money extortion and scamming is involved, one would naturally expect some kind of angsty big reveal where everything blows up and the characters each face the consequences of their actions as deserved. But none of that happens here. Tim is already failing to follow his initial plan and falls for Pai by episode 2. Which was pretty off putting considering they could've shown him struggling with his feelings, he acceots it pretty fast. When it didn't happen, I thought the more satisfying part would be when Tim gets exposed but instead after the much awaited reveal, the show goes downhill so fast it gets painful to sit through it.

Pai was hurt but not hurt enough, Tim was trying but not hard enough‐ none of them could reach to a level where Pai's pain could devastate me or Tim's redemption could satisfy me. Infact, he did not seem to get a redemption arc at all. He showed no remorse, no guilt, no regret. All he did was be silly and giggle at Pai's misery which, to my absolute surprise actually cause Pai to be done sulling and go back to Tim again, like, are you kidding me? That man broke your trust atleast take your time. Both their characters lacked depth. If Pai could show the rage and hurt that someone in his position would actually feel, and Tim could beg on knees to be forgiven because that's what you should do when you scam someone and break their fucking heart while also claiming to love them, this show could've been way better.

I won't talking about OhmPoon at all because I did not care one bit about them or their story.

The worst thing is that JuniorMark did a good job. They weren't asked to do anymore than what they did. Both of them have the potential to give devastating performance but no one demanded that. The director was certainly satisfied with the half assed storytelling. I wasn't.

I really hope JuniorMark get projects that do justice with their potential as well as chemistry. They deserved better.

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|A Quiet Love in a Loud Era|

Let me be upfront with you: if you're coming into this drama expecting hot kisses, intense skinship, and a slow burn that eventually burns — lower those expectations significantly. But if you're willing to let a drama settle into your bones like a warm, quiet Sunday morning? Love Story in the 1970s might just leave a mark on you.
*The Story & Setting*
The 1970s backdrop is genuinely one of this drama's greatest strengths. What really elevated it for me were the real historical footage inserts woven throughout — those moments gave the story an authenticity and emotional weight that most period dramas only wish they had. You feel the era, not just see it. The storytelling is healing in nature, slice-of-life in pacing, and deeply human at its core. It's not a love story that dazzles — it's one that quietly grows on you.
*The Couples — Because There Are Really Two Stories Here*
Let's be honest: Qu Hua and Fang Mujing are the real stars of this drama, at least romantically. Their journey had a rough start, but Qu Hua as the devoted, ideal-husband second male lead who never wavers? Absolute perfection. Their skinship was notably better than the main leads, their chemistry was more visible, and their love story felt more emotionally satisfying. They didn't just overshadow the main couple — they ran away with the whole drama.
Feni and Muyang as the main leads were a different kind of love story — quieter, more restrained, more healing than passionate. Their romance is not for the skinship-hungry viewer (I say this as someone who deeply felt that absence). The slow burn here is not the enjoyable tension kind — it is extreme slow burn. We're talking survival-mode slow burn. Their love is believable, but it rarely ignites on screen the way you want it to.
A special mention for the Linmi and her husband arc — that storyline had a frustrating setup (being pushed into marriage to make room for her brother is a lot to ask), but they genuinely grew on me over time. Not a highlight, but a solid emotional thread.
The Shortcomings
Yes, we must talk about them.
Skinship and romance heat: The main leads' physical affection is almost non-existent compared to even the second leads. For romance lovers, this is a real struggle.
The extreme slow burn: This drama tests your patience repeatedly. It is a marathon, not a sprint — and not always a rewarding one in the romantic sense.
Certain characters: Feng Lin and Linmi's family members were genuinely grating at points. The kind of characters that make you want to skip scenes.
The ending: It left me wanting considerably more. Not a bad ending — just one that felt like it stopped right before fully paying off.
The Acting
The performances across the board were strong, and that's a big part of what kept this drama afloat through its slower stretches. The cast brought sincerity to their roles, and the emotional moments landed because of that. Qu Hua in particular is a character I won't forget easily — a beautifully written and performed male lead who deserved every scene he was in.
Final Verdict
Love Story in the 1970s is a deeply healing drama with a gorgeous historical setting, standout performances, and a second couple love story that alone is worth the watch. But go in warned: this is not a romance-first drama. The main couple's love story is understated to a fault, the skinship is minimal throughout, and the burn is slow enough to make even patient viewers squirm.
Recommended for: healing/slice-of-life lovers, fans of historical C-dramas, people who can survive extreme slow burn — but go in with your eyes open and your expectations calibrated.
Watch it for the era. Watch it for Qu Hua. Watch it for the real footage inserts that remind you this was once someone's real world.
Just don't watch it for the kisses. 😅
Reviewed by TheDramaticDentist | MDL Rating: 8.5

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Sweet, but confusing and repetitive

It starts off with a clear, over-the-top romantic tone, but as it goes on it becomes quite confusing. The story doesn’t always flow smoothly, and at times it feels like scenes don’t connect properly, which made it harder to stay fully invested. The main dynamic can be cute in some moments, especially when things slow down, but overall it ends up feeling repetitive without much real development. I kept waiting for it to go a bit deeper or at least become more coherent, but it mostly stays on the surface. It’s not terrible, just a bit messy and hard to follow at times.

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better condensed plot than s1’s mess

after the mess that was s1, i was looking forward to the redemption in s2, as i think s1 would have done well if it weren’t for sae ron’s tragic dismissal from the show.

s2's 7 episodes were packed with intention and it was much cleaner; easy to follow. the plot is predictable, but it makes for entertainment.

i loved the fight choreography! i can tell everyone worked hard to practice their scenes and make a rewarding visual. i also loved the contrast in geonwoo's and woojin's emotional tendencies that balance against the harshness and ruggedness of the show overall. the show does a great job in breaking through that hefty masculinity and making sure the tenderness in the main characters and some side characters are still prevalent in each episode, and no one calls them weak for showing it.

i absolutely did not enjoy the explicit sexual assault of the man on the massage chair, and with the way it was written, the audience is to assume this was partly done for giggles, but i did not see it that way. it was a blatant threat of forced sodomy and in the graphic way the fight scenes are shown, i don't necessarily think this specific scene was needed. other than that, i had no other issues with the violence. possibly just personal preference for me.

all in all, it did a great job of telling a story, connecting its characters, and providing adrenaline to its audiences.

i'm looking forward to s3 if it happens, but if it doesn't, i wouldn't be all that upset either way. also this would undoubtedly not pass the bechdel test but i wonder how many women were involved with development.

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101% Love

i've been following por & teetee for a long time and i couldn't have asked for anything more as their first series. yes they are good actors but their chemistry together is one of the best i've seen as a thai bl watcher for the past 7 years. you can feel the sincerity through the screen in all of duangqin's romantic moments. they're a couple who genuinely care for each other, in ways that heals my heart and makes me feel warm.

i throughly enjoyed the osts and i'm also glad they gave us the full performances instead of cutting those scenes out cause i loved seeing their tpop idol sides shine through. all the little details like the cute background sfx (pipipi qin tetete duang has been stuck in my head), the bgm choices, the editing style, outfit choices, locations, were all so well thought out honestly. yeah there's few things that weren't too great like the side characters stories but i didn't mind how they wrapped it all up. jamie's friendship with duang and qin is my most favourite thing ever.

overall if you just love a feel good uni romance series then i would recommend giving it a watch!!

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Nothing New or Interesting to Offer

This series brings nothing original or interesting to the saga. It's unclear why the characters deserved Nanno's punishment when most hadn't done anything to deserve it in the first place. If anything, it brought out their primal instincts, causing them to act that way, but in that case, it wouldn't be karma as the series tries to portray it. At times, it feels like Nanno only does things out of malice and not for a good reason, like in the school renovation episode.
On the other hand, Becky as Nanno feels forced. Instead of creating her own Nanno with original characteristics that could have been used, given that it's a reboot, she decides to act like her predecessor, which makes her feel fake and annoying to watch at times.
If this is what a reboot was for, I would have preferred they continued with the original storyline.

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Bound by Duty, Driven by Heart

This story follows Cai Zhao, who grows up in a world divided between six “righteous” sects and the Li demon sect they are constantly at odds with. Her aunt is introduced as a legendary fighter who sacrificed her power to stop the demon sect leader rampaging due to a dangerous martial technique. Though she succeeded, she endured years of suffering afterward, slowly dying from the consequences of losing her power. Witnessing this deeply shaped Cai Zhao, who admired her aunt above all else and internalized the belief of fulfilling your duty, that the elders and the “righteous path” must always be followed.

Cai Zhao is later sent to the prestigious Qingque Sect. Its master once loved her aunt and, out of affection, promises to help Cai Zhao grow stronger and fulfill her aunt’s wish that she learn martial arts. Another expectation is placed on her as well, she is meant to marry Zhou Yuqi. Her life is basically entirely planned out for her.

But on her journey to Qingque Sect, Cai Zhao and her family rescue Chang Ning, a young man whose father and clan were just wiped out. He barely survives and is taken in as well. The sect master, who also holds affection for the Chang family, offers him a home. However, Chang Ning quickly proves to be far from trusting. He manipulates people, lies, is revengeful in general and subtly draws Cai Zhao closer to him.

As their relationship develops, another man appears claiming to be the real Chang Ning. It is then revealed that the man we’ve been following is actually Mu Qingyan, the missing heir of the demon sect, presumed dead after Nie Zhe seized power. The Mu clan is known for following their hearts, but that same nature led Mu Qingyan’s kind-hearted father to be betrayed and killed. Mu Qingyan himself grew up neglected and mistreated, then losing the one parent who truly cared for him.

Mu Qingyan is layered and complex, driven by revenge, a desire to reclaim what is rightfully his, and pursue his growing love for Cai Zhao. He manipulates those around him, including her, yet his feelings while intense remain genuine. Despite the rigid divide between “good” and “evil”, and the expectations imposed by their sects, he is determined to fight for what he wants, including Cai Zhao.

Meanwhile, Cai Zhao, more naive and idealistic, seeks the truth about her aunt and the past. She is swept into events, struggling between her feelings for Mu Qingyan (the only man who truly moves her) and the expectations of her elders and society.

At its core, this is a story about two young people challenging the burdens of the previous generation (entrenched beliefs, hidden truths, and unresolved pain). Even though it felt like it dragged at times, I have to admit that once the story came near its end everything began to click and come together as more reveals about the previous generation were made. Mu Qingyan wasn’t the only deep thinker in his family. While his father seemed largely untouched by this mindset, Mu Qingyan arc closely mirrors that of his uncle. That’s what makes the “generation to generation” theme so fitting for this series, both were mistreated as children, lost a parent/guardian they deeply cared about, faced constant rejection, and grew to be self-reliant, cunning and paranoid. They both tried to reclaim what was theirs from birthright, manipulating those around them without regard for the consequences, exerting revenge, even though they both had genuine feelings for their fated ones. It’s a really strong and tragic parallel.

The question is, can this new generation break the cycle and choose differently?

The acting, especially from Zhou Yiran, is excellent, subtle and nuanced. While many supporting characters fall into typical superficial stereotypes, the leads basically carry the series as the pacing feels dragged out.

I also want to give a shout-out to whoever handled Zhou Yiran’s styling, because he was basically in a new outfit every episode after the first few. His wigs and hairstyles were very well done, especially when you compare it to some of the questionable looks male leads get in other dramas. That’s one thing you can’t take away from this series. Also, even though the female lead had a more limited wardrobe as a disciple, she was always put together nicely. On top of that, the sets were stunning and the cinematography was consistently on point.

To conclude, I really appreciated the themes, the blurred line between good and evil, societal expectations, obedience to elders, and the struggle to follow one’s heart. The ideas are compelling, even if the execution could have been much better.

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Xu Kai is no longer an idol drama actor

If you like Xu Kai as a romantic drama actor and only likes lovey dovey lemon squeezy stuff for example Falling Into Your Smile then this drama is not for you. But if you like the idea of a man doing anything for his love. Anything to keep her alive, then you must watch this. There is a hint of ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ or what’s that Hollywood movie with Nicolas Cage where his character and the girlfriend were both crooks - it’s a car related drama - but in a good way. Or like fast and furious 😆
Plot, Story build up, Acting, Pacing, Screen Time, Cinematography, Costume everything is so on point. If anyone finds a fault with this then it can’t be helped. I guess not everyone can be pleased 💯

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Duang With You is one of the most beautiful shows I've ever watched! The story, the production, the actings, the cinematography, everything was beautifully delivered and directed; the cast, everyone was so well chosen, they delivered so well and brought to life their characters in the greatest way possible and DuangQin were portrayed in the most natural and beautiful way ever. Even if the overall story and relationship of Duang and Qin is described as 'Not The Best But Still Good', an ordinary love that grew special because of each other, all those said things made this series far from just ordinary. This series has showed and taught a lot of things, just from the love story of DuangQin but also the friendships and bonds shown in it. Duang With You is totally a series you would rewatch again, and again, for multiples times, and even over the years! For anyone watching it for the first time, enjoy!

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I was hooked from the first episode

I will never stop praising JuniorMark's acting. Everyone should watch and learn how a couple should look and treat each other. There's more to portraying a couple than holding hands, kissing, and calling it a day. Their performance made me truly feel their love for each other and took me through a lot of emotions in such a natural way. Mark didn't even need to speak to make me burst into tears. They did such good work they made me ignore the bad script, but whatever. I would say this has become the best work I've seen from them so far.

And of course I don't want to leave OhmPoon out because they were just as important and protagonists in this series. I started watching this show because of JM but thanks to that I got to know them, their first time working together as a pair, and I was really surprised by how good their chemistry was. There were scenes where it was simply impossible not to laugh; they were like the spark of the series.

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wdym no more Duang with you ?

when I say these roles suited teetee and por to a tea I mean it. I was in love with there chemistry and was always looking forward to each new episodes with them. the way they really brought these roles to Iife made me so happy! and I wanna say por can sing like an angel omg! like his vocals are soo soo good like he is such an amazing singer and I’m glad this role was able to highlight that for him! the way teetee was able to make Duang just enough funny and cute to not make it cringy is truly a talent! and the way he was able to flip between Duang being all cute and funny to serious and flirty was just amazing. north and wave did really well portraying there charters as well. the friendship they showed was amazing and like I really love Duang and them as a friend group like those are the types of friends you would have fo life and I truly loved there dynamic. when Otto came on screen as Marvis he brung it. like omg he ate. like I might be a bit bias but I love Otto so much and like he is truly stunning. tbh I’m so sad we didn’t see more of north and Otto but from we got I loved it. I loved each and every one of the characters in this and they all did so well making there characters come to life on screen and I’m so proud of them. I truly can’t wait to see all of them in any and all future projects! I will miss waiting for new episodes on Saturday as that would be the highlight of my Saturdays. imma miss this show soo much🥲🥲🤍🤍

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