Reviews

THE BEST NON-BL BUT ACTUALLY A BL DRAMA OF 2024

BEST COUPLE OF THE YEAR 2024 and ahead is SKYNANI...one of the best acting ever in both of their career. They did their best and their chemistry was out of the world. I'm looking forward to their upcoming drama in 2025 called WU. I manifest it to be a BL series as this series was bromance, but it still broke our low expectations for a bromance and satisfied us to the peak.TBH it was a ROMANCE drama of two boys without a kiss. I loved it. As a pro-BL watcher, I can tell that some of the BL actors do not have any chemistry that these two bromance couples have. Their chemistry is at its peak. Must match drama.
IMINA SKYNANI

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Just Amazing.!!! Go and watch it...!

The storyline, the acting, the characters, the visuals, the ost, everything is amazing. The chemistry between the two mcs Saint and Shin is literal perfection. Two ex bestfriends turned enemies and the tension between them is just🤌. I guess they wanted us to ship these two from the beginning and my God did they succeed..I loved whatever was going on between them and the ending made it clear that they are soulmates. Even side characters played their roles well. Never thought I would like a gmmtv series but here we are. Also this might be the only series that I am definitely going to rewatch because I miss them already.


They are both very down bad for each other but one is like a Yandere and the other one a Tsundere lol.

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I like reborn for revenge stories so I gave this a try.

the casts were all good looking and pretty and all had decent acting.
the leads had good chemistry. (they had some good kisses!!)
the editing felt choppy at times and some episodes starts in a new plot point without any build up but this is common in short cdramas with 5minutes long episodes.

overall it wasn't bad but could've been a lot better!
38 episodes were too much. they could wrap up with 25 or so episodes.
the last 10 episodes were just stretching the story for nothing.'
I don't mind cliche tropes but they tried to insert too many cliche into the drama that it felt writers had a checklist, I'll list a few none-spoiler ones bellow:
-drugged fl
-orphan fl
-love at first sight
-rich ceo ml, poor fl
-protective ml... with a hint of red flag.
-bully coworkers (it was very very short)
-cheater ex
-annoying 2fl
-fl cries a lot
-love triangle (the guy was good actually)
there were few more but I don't want to spoil the drama much so I'll leave them for those interested to see for themselves.
thank god they left out the kidnapping trope!

from the start of the drama it felt like fl would take matters to her own hands and deal with those who wronged her but to be honest fl couldn't do much by herself and most of the time ml was letting her use him to deceive others.
Also I don't call fl dumb but I don't categorize her as smart either.
so don't expect a smart, calculative and independent fl.

I didn't notice the ost much while watching.

I would've rated it 7 or 7.5 if the last 10 episodes didn't drag as much as they did. also ending was a bit rushed as well.
All that said, I don't regret watching this drama. it was an okay watch to pass time but I won't re-watch it in future.

In conclusion:
*if you are not used to the short cdrama format, the editing and jumps between plots might bother you a bit.
*It's a cliche fest so don't expect something ground breaking.
*there were few scenes of SA e.g. ep12 & 13 (so proceed with caution if that bothers you)

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Iffy beginning & happy ending

A super fluffy (& at times cringey) story of a man { Bi Wen Jun } who’s considered “perfect” & a woman { Wu Xuan Yi } who’s… well, not.

The big tropes are all here:
1) Opposites attract - the highly successful, confident, “cold” ML & the friendly FL who’s more timid which hinders her success.

2) the Misunderstanding - she witnesses an incident involving him & judges him unfairly.

3) Controlling parent - despite being an adult, FL’s mom still forces her to the dentist to fix her “flaws”.

4) Love triangle - FL had a one-sided crush on SML for years. SML & ML are friends. ML likes FL, but now SML is back & realizing he does too.

5) the Separation - a plan was set before they got together & now they must be apart. A fight happens, they make up, he goes & she waits for his return.

Honestly, I didn’t really like the FL at first. Her initial treatment of ML didn’t make a good first impression & she was a bit too TSTL at times, imho. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ Once she matured some & accurately cluing into the world around her, my opinion started to change. By the time the Leads got together, I liked her for him. And I always liked him for her.

He’s my kind of person. Not open with everyone, he prefers just a few close people which causes others to think he’s aloof. But he treats other all with kindness & patience, even the FL when she’s a brat to him. Not quite sure why he fell for her, but since he helped change her into someone I could stand, I’m thankful he did . 😉

They’re a very solid couple. They don’t let things fester nor get into petty fights. They’re very affectionate with great chemistry & swoon worthy kisses! 🔥🫠 So while the beginning made me really frustrated, I enjoyed it after they finally became a couple.


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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-


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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- F(r)K : 15💋
- 2G : 17 👩🏻‍❤️‍👨🏻
- BU : Nope 💍

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amazing

The series is fantastic. It kept me on edge until the very end. I really liked the roles of Jack and Joker and grew even fonder of them through this series. The two first met at a bar early in the series, and it was clear from the start that Jack had a certain fondness for Joker. Joker, on the other hand, was disappointed in himself for lying and falsifying his exam results. He desperately wanted to prove himself to his parents, but they failed to appreciate his efforts. Joker engaged in theft primarily to get their attention, but also because he believed it was the only thing he was good at.

Unfortunately, at the very beginning of the series, Joker let Jack down by giving him false hope that he had been approved for a loan. In reality, Joker had stolen from the bank, which initially led to Jack being blamed. Eventually, Joker couldn’t handle the pressure and confessed to his parents about his mistakes and how he truly felt, but it was too late—by the end, the police arrested him.

Five years later, we saw the main characters again—Joker was out of prison, reformed, and eager to make amends. Jack was working for "The Boss," who collected people’s debts, including Jack's. Gradually, Joker became part of Jack’s small circle and tried to make amends between them, helping him break free from working for The Boss, whose reputation was dangerous.

The story also introduced Rose, who had taken a liking to Jack from the very first day they met—the same night Jack first met Joker at the bar. Alongside Rose, some of Jack and Joker's friends joined forces with one shared goal: to help them fight against The Boss, who sought to become even more powerful. Just when Jack thought he was finally free from debt and could live peacefully, his grandmother fell ill, requiring money for her treatment.

Meanwhile, Joker tried to mend his relationship with his father, who was a doctor. His goal was to convince his father to help Jack’s grandmother, but his father initially refused to communicate with him, claiming he had no son. Jack was forced to return to working for The Boss, who was even more ruthless this time and manipulated Jack into marrying Rose to gain her entire fortune.

Out of desperation, Joker broke his promise and decided to act alone. Meeting with The Boss, he was tasked with stealing a ring from Rose’s family—a ring that would give The Boss ultimate power. Once again, Joker was forced to steal in order to grant Jack his freedom. He teamed up with the rest of their group, and together they managed to execute the plan, but things spiraled out of control. Innocent people were harmed, and Jack discovered Joker’s betrayal. He didn’t even give him a chance to explain, telling him outright that he didn’t want to see him again.

The last two episodes were very intense. In the end, good triumphed, and The Boss got what he deserved. I’m grateful the series ended well because I had a bad feeling about it.

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Nakayama Miho

Update: I watched and wrote my comment a few days before the news broke out. I'm in utter disbelief upon hearing the news of Nakayama Miho passing away at the young age of 54. During the past couple of weeks I went into a binge-watch of all her projects from the 80s and 90s, she was a truly striking, talented and fun actress that gave a unique signature to all the projects she's been in. It's unfortunate what has happened and she will be missed dearly. Rest in peace, mama idol!

The drama mirrored the reality of its time with idols culture, ironically, nothing changed since the 80s. Given the setup, the formula was pretty clear with how things were going to be laid out. Each episode gave a focus to one of the characters while cycling through some jokes. Most of these episodes were alright in general but some of the running jokes lasted a bit too long. Take for example the constant interruption of the married leads' 'first night alone' which lasted for several episodes. In fact, they never showed that the leads were actually just sleeping together even after marriage, aside from being together in a bedroom. The female lead's age probably had something to do with that. Instead of wasting time on that and other similar things, they could've gave a reasonable showcase to how they met, fell in love and decided to marry. Anyway, the drama had good dynamics between the characters, nostalgia inducing OST and 80s vibes so it was decent enough.

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Mama wa Idol Reboot

Update: I watched and wrote my comment a few days before the news broke out. I'm in utter disbelief upon hearing the news of Nakayama Miho passing away at the young age of 54. During the past couple of weeks I went into a binge-watch of all her projects from the 80s and 90s, she was a truly striking, talented and fun actress that gave a unique signature to all the projects she's been in. It's unfortunate what has happened and she will be missed dearly. Rest in peace, mama idol!

Following the success or appeal (?) of Mama wa Idol (1987) the leads returned for another run, they even brought some of the side cast like the neighbor who still have her eyes on the male lead. In fact, the entire thing felt like a carbon copy of its predecessor, from the cast to the setup, story, dynamics, characters, jaded jokes, setting and production. They were seriously trying too hard to make it as similar as possible without offering anything new. Nakayama Miho is still trying to be a mother of children not of her own while suffering from the same interrupted intimacy trope in every episode. I couldn't find a single thing that might nudge this over Mama wa Idol, they should've aimed to improve over or at least not repeat the same mistakes.

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SUIKA!

This slice-of-life drama was a quirky concoction of midlife crises, emotional constipation, and nostalgia. It’s not going to set your pulse racing or redefine the genre, but it got enough charm to keep you interested, for the most parts. The story follows Motoko, a 34-year-old woman whose life got a kick in the pants when her friend absconded with 300 million yen. Then, there was a sexually frustrated manga artist, a melancholic professor, and an emotionally stunted young landlord. It was basically the setup for a comedic entanglement, but instead, you get slow-burning introspection with the occasional dash of the familiar Japanese absurdity. There’s something hypnotic about watching these women fumble their way to self-discovery, finding happiness in their mundane fractured lives. It had this warm nostalgic glow all over it but that couldn't save it from some inconsistencies and shortcomings. Particularly with its 2nd half where the drama already exhausted most of the personal stories around the housemates and what left was a lot of emptiness. There was an opportunity to dedicate an episode for the young landlord since she was the fourth wheel in the dynamic. Suika was the kind of drama that doesn’t try too hard to impress, and somehow that was its biggest charm. It wasn't revolutionary, but if you’re in the mood for a contemplative drama with a few laughs and a lot of heart, this one might be worth it.

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Surprisingly Good

At the surface, the drama explored the abuse cases as expected from reading the synopsis, however, the rabbit hole was much deeper than initially thought. Each episode peeled one layer after another with more haunting revelations up until the last episode. I was worried we would be presented with a superficial showcase of some traumas but the drama actually took its time with each of leads' struggles and constructed a solid story. Although it went off the rails a little bit at the end but nothing too outrageous. I would've hoped if the ending was more grounded but one can look at it serving a theatrical over-exaggeration for the final act. Moreover, the constant jumping back and forth between different periods could've been done better. The side abuse cases didn't hold up compared to what the leads were going through nor did they blend well with the story. Aside from the intense cruelty, that one menacing soundtrack caught my attention. It's the same soundtrack that was used in Silent Hill 2 (White Noiz) which is strange because it's not the same composer. It definitely gave the drama a unique signature that was absolutely chilling whenever it played, though they almost didn't use it in the last couple of episodes.

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Inconsistencies Hell

Amazing first episode that was masterfully crafted to kick start the story and prepare it to venture in all kinds of directions. There was a slight decline in the writing moving forward but it kept holding its own weight for awhile. That prison warden was quite the character. The OST was pretty decent. There was also some glaring inconsistencies like the alcoholic father suddenly becoming sober just to get to the next point in the story. However, the drama hit a major unsalvageable road block. Specifically at the beginning of the last 1/3 of the drama. It turned the drama into cheap vapid melodrama diminishing any merits it previously established for the past 8 episodes. The ending was questionable at best, it didn't really allow for real conversations to be had. It's really unfortunate after it had a very solid run before flipping the switch.

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Fed up with long lasting dramas ? Try this one.

I really didn’t expect enjoying watching this drama. First of all, because most of the actors were unknown to me and I also considered the story development to be superficial : each of the twenty episodes last less than 15 minutes.
On first day I watched the 11 first episodes. On day 2, I got frustrated : is the drama already over ? Just like that ? Oh my God, I am already missing the ML.
Of course, it is fast to watch but everything you expect from a good drama is in here : love, hate, jealousy, revenge, twist plots.
Now, FL and ML have not that much chemistry but ML‘s acting is enough to make you dive into the story and make you watch the drama till the end with great pleasure. I'm sure, whether you are a girl or a boy you will fall in love with Li Jiu Lin before the end of episode 10. Wanna bet ?
I really loved ML and FL relationship, you can « feel » their love, or at least you can believe in it. Not just because of the acting but also the filming. Some scenes are sensual but nothing as erotic as what you can see in western films. ML is really good at playing emotionally.
For this kind of production, with clearly no ambition to deliver a piece of art, everything is perfect : settings, costumes, scenes, dialogues, actors and soundtracks. Unexpected twist on episode 12… Almost shocked…. Noooo !
The storyline may be a bit stereotypal, progressing really fast (maybe too fast, with real shortcuts) but who cares when it comes to thrilling entertainment ?
You may not rewatch this drama, but you’ll eventually go and look for shows in which Li Jiu Lin plays.
Not that bad I guess.

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Fake Messiness

The drama started with enough intrigue to keep me curious for where it was heading. However, it quickly became apparent what type of drama this was going to be. Things were messy and over bloated with way too many plotlines that were forcefully connected to the mother's pregnancy to give the illusion of a grand story. Most of these plotlines didn't get the treatment they deserve and were brushed off hastily, take for example the younger daughter at school. On the other hand, the older brother story with the gang business and whatnot was just seriously stupid writing that didn't mix well with the overall story at all. The drama was also painfully filled with extreme cliches at every turn, scene and dialogue, which the Japanese consider mandatory for every 'family' drama. If we were to focus on the mother (and maybe eldest daughter?) then the drama is decent enough.

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Delusional Love

Surprisingly atrocious! To start, reading the synopsis would give you all the spoilers you need as it will play out exactly as suggested. Given the supposed 'moral' dilemma, the drama resulted to shifting genres at around episode 9 to diverge the attention from the characters' relationships when it reached a pivotal moment, which is why we ended up with a corporate corruption plot. This was the main reason why the plot crumbled under its own weight, because the writers couldn't follow through with what they created. Well, it was problematic from the beginning, there was simply little to no room to navigate such a set up for a story where the FL fell in love with her brother-in-law immediately after her sister's death. The plot wasn't particularly unique but other ones at least had a reasonable justification by utilizing a time-skip or concealed identity. All of that doesn't come close to the tone deaf ending where the entire cast were casually hanging out at the bar as the credit rolled.

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What's the point

I watched the whole thing without even knowing what's the point by the end of it.
Now it's not the first Japanese drama I watch that ends with a vague open end, I don't mind that and I'm fine with it but seriously this one isn't it.

The genre, romance and comedy are non existing, it's just a slice of life with barely any life lessons, just confused people thinking and talking about their failed relationship,
Do they figure out what went wrong? Nope
Do they learn anything from the experience? Nope not really.
Do we learn anything? Not even the slightest, it's really confusing.

I understand that the main theme here is adult relationships, they mentioned that many times but still it's about confused adult that somehow trying to understand what they want in life and in love and by the 8th ep and after one of the side stories character have a long monologue about marriage and kids they finds out that they will always be confused about life and there is no way you'll find your answer in life, you just have to life it come what may, well guess what!? EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!!! Thank you for teaching nothing.
For a "slice of life" drama it was not very eye-opening.
For a character like Mami, she is the most annoying character ever btw, she started off married, and she just keep complaining and acting like a Bi**h to her husband then get a divorce then end up together with her husband... Honey that's just married with extra steps, extra unnecessary and annoying steps, you are just a spoiled brat! Get over yourself!

For Mukai, my sweet confused boy, I totally and completely didn't sympathise with him lol like bro what do you want? They literally gave him many options, the one that want to have fun with no commitments, the one who want to be serious about marriage, a girl that wants the normal relationship with the typical steps, and another that want the full baggage, and you leave all that to fall for a girl that doesn't even want you and end up being the same as you were. And you say character development?? Bi**h where!!???

Long story short, My main problem with this is it felt like a loop, all the characters are at the same spot in their life - except maybe Kouki san- by the end of it.
Making me wonder why did I spend all that time watching it.

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Love? Never

The drama’s main plot revolves around a woman whose one defining characteristic is being perpetually sad. Why is she sad? Who knows! The writers certainly didn’t seem to. Maybe because the men in her life are about as reliable as a dial-up internet connection, or maybe it’s because the script was clearly written by someone going through a mid-life crisis and decided, “You know what’s relatable? Pain. Just… constant, nonsensical pain.” Nothing really makes sense, it was unbelievably dull as everything kept going in empty circles through the same events. Every man and woman were interested in the leads for some reason. Breakup was an expected element in such a plot but it was seriously poorly executed. It's the type of breakup you might see in an anime at the first slight misunderstanding, justified by a cheap trope rather than proper character writing. Why would their love be so great? The leads romantic chemistry has all the fire and passion of a wet sponge, it just couldn't sell the viewers on the long distance relationship and love. The drama was just a bloated, meandering, self-indulgent slog that mistakes misery for profundity.

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