Reviews

Familiar rebirth no revenge story but the twists made it more enjoyable

I was recommended this drama by a reddit friend. I watched the other version first then this version, both on the same day. There are distinct approach to the third act. I had not seen dramas by any of the three actors (minus Love and Strife because Tang Shu Ya played a supporting character whom I did not recall). I must say I enjoyed this drama more than version 1.

What I liked:
1. ML characterisation - Unlike version 1, ML here was active & started walking in third act. He went on a peace mission. I liked his protectiveness over FL.
2. Romance - The romance arc was better told in this version. I was surprised by the confession. There was warmth between the couple and yes, a kiss. There was also tangible threat to the couple's relationship which they successfully overcame.
3. Storytelling - Balanced perspectives from both FL & ML. They were not overshadowed by the main antagonist. I also liked how the drugging and punishment scenes were implemented. I was surprised by the connection between rebirth and SML. Good use of flashbacks.
4. Supporting characters - The emperor was surprisingly fair - he punished his selfish son. I also liked the Crown Princess and servants of ML & FL.
5. Styling - I liked the outfits worn by the cast especially FL's purple attire.
6. Acting - Good performances by the cast with Tang Shu Yu giving ML charm & presence.
7. FL characterisation - She was smart especially when the antagonists schemed. I also liked that she was self-reliant post-rebirth.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonists - Jing Chu was a scumbag for the mistreatment and harassment. The green tea was annoying and narcissistic.

Favourite scene
The confession

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LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION

Why is nobody ready to be chaotic? why are we so tame? whats going on? Why is everyone so concerned about the others feelings?

Only Friends: Dream On was the long-awaited sequel to Only Friends, and I was extremely excited for it. It was one of my most anticipated dramas of the year, but ultimately, I feel it wasn't as good as it could have been.

The Actors vibes and setting where all there for a messy season but somehow the writers downplayed everything.Don’t get me wrong,I enjoyed the show. The drama on and off the set, the lying, and the catfights were all very entertaining, but it still felt like something was missing. While this acts as a standalone sequel rather than a direct continuation, it is set in the same universe, so I can't help but compare it to the original. Personally, I think the first series was much better. In Dream On, I felt like everyone was trying too hard to be a "good person," which misses the point of the Only Friends brand. Nobody seemed to want to be a chaotic force of evil.

The show was far too tame until about Episode 7. It might sound crazy, but it wasn't nearly as toxic as it needed to be. Everyone kept trying to do the right thing, which honestly bored me. Even when they introduced Boston to the mix, I thought, "Yes! Finally, the drama has arrived!" only for everyone to reject his advances. Then, when someone finally gave in, Boston suddenly decided to grow a conscience?
This isn't supposed to be a heartfelt drama; it’s Only Friends. We are here to see a mess! When Dean and Arnold went into that forest, I nearly threw my phone in excitement because I expected cheating and characters with zero moral codes. Instead, the writers chose loyalty. In any other show, I’d applaud that, but here? We want horrible people making bad choices. Think back to Top and Boston in Season 1 they didn't just cross the line they obliterated it. That’s what kept us on the edge of our seats.

The Couples
Despite my gripes with the plot, the couples were solid. Here is how I ranked them:

1. Jack and Dean: They take the cake for me. They were the epitome of ex-lovers, second chances, and messy mistakes. There is something captivating about their dynamic.

2. Arnold and Tua: They were sweet and heartwarming. Falling in love with your best friend can be the best or worst mistake of your life, and they definitely made the best of it.

3. Rome and Raffy: The definition of hot and cold. While I didn’t love their relationship as much as the others, their physical chemistry was easily the best in the show.

For the side charcters Timmy was my absolute favorite. He showed up for everyone, took his job seriously, and never missed a beat. Even though he wasn't involved in the drama, he always ended up being the one to break up the catfights.

Then there was Pete he was adorable, but I couldn't take his "schemes" seriously because he looks like Theodore from Alvin and the Chimmunks. He definitely needs help, tho

The cameos also made my heart melt. Seeing Top and Mew, and Ray and Sand was amazing.

Final Thoughts
Overall, I liked the show. It has an active plot and a sensational storyline, but it felt too safe for the level of "crazy" I expected. I wanted hardcore backstabbing and deeper drama and more meaningful intimate scenes. The drama was good, but it didn't quite live up to the expectations set by the trailer. It’s still a good watch and a must try show, but I just wish it stayed a little messier.

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Enjoyable Drama with Flaws

This drama is something I actually enjoyed watching among the recent dramas ( binged it fully actually).

The Acting was solild from everyone not just ml or fl. I liked the ML family members acting but the flaw on it was like it felt like they cut off some portions of the family members scene among the last 5 episodes but still the Acting was solid.

The Ost which I most of the time wouldn't care but on this one it was actually good.

Eventhough i am hater of the last episode/last min being couple - this one didn't felt like it - well they were like a couple from episode 11 along but the romance is more like subplot so no romance likers can rest assured

The Main Story was so predictable but I like how the ml and fl released the evidence to public rather than prosecution cause the culprits are chief judge and a law firm lawyer so I liked it they released it but it kinda faded it Short compared toother ghost stories but other ghost stories were really good.

Finally this drama has lot of flaws which I can like list em down - for example the ml being able to represent dead people, or getting access to buildings, or finding people details, or going to a mulimillion law firm building electrical line area to cut off power etc but you have to pay no attention to it cause you shouldn't dig deep into logic in Ghost Dramas.

But Overall it's a great drama among the recently released dramas as most of the dramas were kinda shit these days but this one is not bad. Good Luck 47

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I’m a fan of Hou Minghao, but it turned out to be a really enjoyable rom-com.

My only criticism of this show is that even when angry, no one would kiss with their eyes wide open and staring blankly like that, while completely freezing their body and posture. It just looked entirely stiff. Even the camera rotation didn't help make it look romantic. That said, I'm still rooting for him [ Xiao Hou ], as he's probably gotten much better at kissing scenes by now.

According to the novel, the female lead is a radiant, dazzling beauty—the kind who looks stunning in vibrant, bold colors or a striking red. The male lead, on the other hand, is the reserved type—a brilliant and cunning strategist who lived a solitary life and never once considered marriage.

Their story begins with him investigating something, but as he finds her endearing and amusing, they gradually grow closer. He is quite the mastermind, though; he didn't just get close to her, but cleverly won over her entire family.

Once he is captivated by her liveliness and vibrant spirit, there is no turning back. He falls head over heels, becoming utterly obsessed and doting on her to the extreme. He pampers her constantly, wanting to shield her from any hardship—even though, when the situation calls for it, she is more than tough enough to handle anything. While she is hopeless at domestic chores, she is a formidable warrior with exceptional martial arts prowess.

They are truly a perfect match. He never feels that her straightforwardness or her bold, high-spirited nature is embarrassing; instead, he admires and takes great pride in her. She, in turn, deeply respects his scholarly side—his mastery of literature, poetry, and painting—only to discover that this elegant scholar is also a hidden master of martial arts.

In their relationship, he possesses every skill she has, plus all the scholarly talents she lacks. When she worries about being "suitable" enough for him, he reassures her:

"This is more than enough. In this lifetime, you shall marry only me, and only once. No one in this world is a better match for you than I am."
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Watching it as a rom-com makes you root for the male lead. You feel a sense of "playful frustration" for him because he’s fallen for such a spunky, feisty girl. In reality, Rong Xia (the male lead) is subconsciously bored with his lonely life. Despite his hidden agenda to investigate his family’s history and navigate the political shifts of the new Emperor, he secretly fell for Hua Hua almost from their first meeting.

As he grew closer to her and her family, he found her charming, funny, and refreshingly authentic. Beyond that, she is skilled in martial arts, resilient, and fiercely protective of her loved ones. If it wasn't her beauty that captured him, it was certainly her goodness and distinct character. Even though he usually maintains a cool and poised exterior, he is clearly amused and deeply endeared by her. The way he teases or tricks her—sometimes like an older brother playing with a ten-year-old sister—really highlights how much he adores her.

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Visual Feast, completed with bromance and romance blast.

At first, I did not plan to watch this. Because, even though I like Tian Jia Rui, this drama has Ju Jing Yi. I have bad experience with this woman acting skill. But, the review is very good, so I gave it a go. I am glad I give this drama a chance. Ju Jing Yi really is excellence in this drama.

There are two pairings in this drama. The first one (Wu Shi Guang and Wu Wang Yan) is more mature while the second one (Ji Ling and Lu Wu Yi) is sweeter and tragic. As trademark of Gui Jing Ming drama, this drama is such visual feast. It is very pretty: the costume, the makeup, the camerawork. The drama opened with detective theme arc. This arc bored me a bit, but understandably needed to introduce each main characters. At this point, I kind of disliked everyone. Wu Wang Yan is too cold and stiff. Lu Wu Yi is too flirty to my liking. Wu Shi Guang is just you everyday rogue warrior. Ji Ling is just childlike. I have my trepidation that Ju Jing Yi would just perform like she always did in her previous dramas.

But, started around episode 7, when they showed Ji Ling in his Dragon God persona, I was sold. I have soft spot toward Tian Jia Rui ever since his performance as Gong Yuan Zheng. But, his performance in this drama is in another level. His presence is so captivating. I could not help myself in getting more interested in his story line. Moreover, Ju Jing Yi performed very well in her romance scene. This is my first time liking romance scenes of Ju Jing Yi. Both of them look so cute together. I think this drama really prove that Tian Jia Rui is not only good in bromance, but in romance also.

The story continue with quest after quest to collect the Dragon God's power. These arcs should have when they fleshed out Wu Shi Guang character. And they really did. But, I don't know, something is lacking. I have read people raving mad about the screen time; that Tian Jia Rui is Guo Jing Ming favorite. But, as I watched until the end, the screen time of both of them do not differ that much. We need to remember, this is Guo Jing Ming. This director has this hobby to give all his characters sob story. But, as I see with his other projects, not all the actor/actress can capitulate on these sob stories. Only the one that can truly riding the wave of these sob story will have "success" in Guo Jing Ming drama. I have seen it with Ice Fantasy, My Journey to You, Fang of Fortune. It does not matter, whether you are main character or support character, the law stays the same.

The plot twist in the end is very delicious. Also, I love it when all four main characters prioritize the greater good instead of being selfish in the name of love. Finally, a "sane" drama!

Acting wise, my high rating is for both Tian Jia Rui and Ju Jing Yi. I applaud them. I starts to get tired of Chen Du Ling acting. I get that she always portray her character in "holier than thou" manner. It has been that way since Till the End of the Moon, Mysterious Lotus Casebook, Fang of Fortune. Zheng Shun Xi acted well, but I cannot sense something that can stir my heart.

OST, this drama is truly divine. I like almost all the song.

Overall, this is a good watch. But, if you are fans of Zheng Shun Xi and Chen Du Ling, perhaps you need to enter with caution. Screen time, you can say no one really dominate the other. This is truly a drama with 4 main characters.

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A solid watch

A solid story that is acted well.
I loved the cases though they may seem pretty brutal for a historical c drama but thats the whole point. They didnt shy away for explaining the horrors of the crimes.
The pairing of the main couple was perfectly done... the dialogue exchanges and the progress of their relationship was well paced and not too dragged out. And they somehow continued to have chemistry throughtout usually i feel things get bland after the main couple get together but this was just perfect in this series. Also importantly the characters kept their personality and temperament even after dating each other.
For the second couple i do wish it was a bit more understandable as they were calling each other as best bros until one point..

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Adorable is the word for it. Bonus the insane facecards of the cast

It's cute in the right way,,, like the character interactions are on point, The friendships fabulous and absolutely enviable.,
The main couple are a different breed of adorbs. i can't with them really..... Though Duang may come of as little cringe at times but it's part of the charm. Qin was beautifully written and played..
Acting great (especially for new actors).. the detais on point.. the scenes beautiful (my favorite is the bus stop scene where Duang walks Qin home for the first time)
The second couple = BOMB .. i wanna see more of their chem.. the last episode did give them more screen time.


I do wish the ost could be a little bit more enjoyable... especially for a music based series. but i love the cute bgm (teeteeporpor and duang qin ones) that they played throughout.

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This drama had me locked in from the first episode. The plot was genuinely really interesting, and even though survival/thriller dramas are getting more common, this one still managed to feel intense and fresh.

The acting was honestly one of the best parts for me. Everyone felt believable, which is super important for a drama like this because if the acting is off, the tension completely dies. But here, every reaction, every breakdown, every suspicious look actually felt real. You could feel the panic, the fear, the desperation, and it made the whole thing way more immersive.

Visually, this drama looked really good too. The dark atmosphere, the lighting, the way certain scenes were filmed, everything added to that creepy, trapped feeling. It had that cold, unsettling vibe the whole time, which worked perfectly for the story. Some shots were genuinely so pretty while also making me stressed at the same time, which is kind of impressive. Not to mention how breath taking every single one of the actors were. Insane cast, really!

The plot twists? Yeah, they got me. I thought I had things figured out multiple times and then the drama basically laughed in my face. There were several moments where I had to pause for a second just to process what happened.

The only reason it’s not a 10/10 for me is the ending. I can’t say too much without spoiling anything, but it just didn’t hit the way I wanted it to. After all that buildup, I wanted something stronger or more satisfying. It wasn’t terrible, just one didn't exactly expect it, and i'm not saying this in a good way

Also, for me personally, this isn’t really rewatchable. Not because it was boring at all actually the opposite. It’s super engaging the first time because of all the mystery and suspense, but once you know all the twists, I feel like a lot of that magic is gone.

Overall though, I’d definitely recommend it if you like psychological thrillers, mystery, and dramas that keep you stressed in the best way possible. Just prepare to lose sleep and trust absolutely nobody.

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Twists, Turns, and Total Talent

First off: what a performance by Ryeo Un! I have seen him in other series, but in this one, he yet again shows his incredible talent for acting. He was outstanding. His role required him to never reveal his final motives or thoughts until the very end, and he embodied it so well.

The character forces you to look at your own moral compass: What would you do in this situation? How would you judge him?

The acting from the rest of the cast was fantastic as well, especially Sung Dong-il and Keum Sae-rok. The cold stare of Chae Jeong-su, the Chaeum Medical Group chairman (played by Kwon Soo-hyun), tells you immediately that he is not one of the good guys. The story is very well-written and unfolds beautifully until the very last episode. I enjoyed every minute of this series—it is definitely a must-watch!

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Promising Start. Terrible Execution

This drama was frustrating because she was still bully and kept getting slapped by eldest brother. She should've thrown hands more at all of them. They refused to believe anything about her until the last 2 minutes and the drama spent way too much time rehashing same old conversions. Not to mentioned, she pushed the brother out of the way to be impaled by a metal rod. How dumb. They were literally the reason she suffered and died in last life. If you aren't gonna be vengeful, at least ignore their ass and let them suffer. The only reason I gave this 4 stars was because I like the actress. That's it lol

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This show is a masterpiece!

This series is one of the most wonderful pieces of television I’ve seen in a long time. It manages to portray the full spectrum of human experience with warmth and sensitivity.

The lead actors deliver performances that are nothing short of extraordinary, as their characters come across as so authentic that my heart breaks for them when they are struggling, or I cheer for them when they are together.

Every supporting actor in the phenomenal ensemble cast, also bring depth and authenticity to their roles. So much so, that so far at least, I don't even dislike the antagonists. As the title states, we are all trying here, and you are left feeling that they are only human and are probably struggling too.

The direction is deeply attuned to the emotional undercurrents of each scene, the screenwriters ability to weave complex, human stories with clarity and nuance is nothing short of wonderful and the directors vision to take that screenplay and create this programme is inspiring. Genuinely. I love it so much I’ve rewatched every episode multiple times while waiting for the next.

Even the casting director deserves special praise; the casting is so precise and thoughtful that every character feels indispensable, and intertwined and you are rooting for everyone one of them. I hope they always remain friends and have some version of the 8 club in real life.

This show deserves every award coming its way. Well done to every single person involved.

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Beautiful love story.

Love beyond the grave ❤️
The concept of the drama alone was already beautiful, but the execution made it unforgettable.

He Simu a 400-year-old ghost king born without the five senses. She could neither see, hear, touch, taste, nor smell, yet she had always been fascinated by the mortal world and secretly longed to experience what living truly felt like. Despite carrying the burden of a throne she never even wanted, there was still this deep curiosity in her about life itself.
Then she met Duan Xu, a young general who, after everything he had been through, only wanted to unite the seventeen prefectures of Liang and finally live a peaceful, normal life. But fate clearly had other plans for both of them.
What started as He Simu’s curiosity about his sword a long-lost spiritual artifact that somehow chose an ordinary mortal as its master slowly became curiosity about him. And eventually, she discovered that he was the only person in 400 years who could give her the five senses.

She experienced every single sense for the first time through him. Her first touch was him. The first voice she ever heard was his. The first thing she saw was his face. Her first experience of smell, taste, warmth, sound, everything was tied to one person.

And somehow, while she was learning how to live through his senses, Duan Xu was also learning how to appreciate life through her reactions. Watching her experience ordinary things with so much joy made him see beauty in things he had always taken for granted.

That was what made their love story feel so emotional to me. She made him feel alive by simply living for the first time.

How could he not fall for her? This stunning ghost queen whose every movement, touch, and presence completely drowned him, yet she remained almost unaware of the effect she had on him. And how could she not love the one person who became her entire connection to the world?

The most painful and beautiful part is that by the end, he was willing to lose all his senses for her because, to him, watching her live had become enough. It was like she taught him the beauty of life, while he gave her the ability to experience it.

Even though the ending was heartbreaking, him dying and following her as a spirit after losing his senses, still somehow felt fitting for a love this sacrificial.

He Simu genuinely made me appreciate my senses more, the little things we experience every day without thinking twice about them. And Duan Xu made sacrificial love look so effortless and pure.

Honestly, one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve watched in a long time.

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Simple rebirth no revenge story but romance was underdeveloped

I was recommended this drama by a reddit friend. I felt like I had seen Ma Ying Lu drama before but I am not sure. The FL and another ML were unfamiliar to me. Overall it was an ok watch - drama was missing a few things.

What I liked:
1. Eavesdrop - I liked this scene as FL managed to evoke sympathy within that first episode. It reminded me of Penelope-Colin Bridgerton story at the start of the book (she deserved better).
2. Acting - The actress who played FL and Ma Ying Lu's performannce caught my attention. Her acting was natural. MYL's aura overshadowed the other ML.
3. Styling - I liked the outfits worn by the cast. Even that servant who was scapegoat for bratty Prince An Yi.
4. Supporting characters - I liked ML (Ninth Uncle)'s guard / servant. Hid naivety was endearing. I also liked the emperor for being fair.
5. ML characterisation - I liked that he stood up against those who bullied FL. I didn't expect him to alert the emperor immediately.
6. Length - Less than 2 hours.

What I disliked:
1. Antagonist - Crown Prince was pathetic for harassing FL when he didn't even like her as a person. He was given too much screentime. His sister was bratty and their childhood friend who could be his fiancee was annoying.
2. Romance - With ML being comatose most of the drama, the romance was severely underdeveloped. I wish there were more scenes post-confession. Even though they were respectful and nice towards each other, sadly there was no kiss.

Favourite scene
The restaurant close to the ending

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