2023

COMPLETED  [ Nov 22 - Jan 2 ]

damn I have a lot of thoughts. I generally liked the first ten episodes except for li xun being an asshole because the chemistry and also chen fei yu's acting was on point. also I had hope that li xun would "evolve". he did not evolve.

this is some of the lowest grade writing I've ever seen and a complete waste of the chemistry the leads had. I hated all the characters. it was horrible. and whoever wrote this novel/screenplay definitely should NOT be getting into relationships because WOW they have no sense of "toxic" means. none of the couples who got together should've ended up together. more specifically, the men are utter TRASH (minor spoilers ahead: except for painter dude who ofc, ends up single).

REVIEW

COMPLETED [ Nov 22 - Jan 18 ]

final thoughts

DROPPED 2/8 [ Jan 21 ]

I guess I didn't stick around long enough to know if I would enjoy this, but I wasn't really feeling it. the over-the-top slapstick humor was also not doing it any favors. the acting wasn't bad for a short series/K-BL, but wasn't that good either.

COMPLETED [ Jan 27 ]

do I have ndd???

what a mess. it was enjoyable enough in the beginning with the comedy and chaos, and then they tried to get all political and serious on me, and then they tried to ignore all the seriousness and become lighthearted again. and the leads, oml. I was literally face palming the entire time.

REVIEW

COMPLETED [ Jan 28 ]

pretty boring. 40 episodes is honestly too long for this drama. I was most interested in the shallow drama between the FL and nepotism girl which pretty much means everything else was too boring to grab my attention. the romance was cute at first, but slowly lost meaning and chemistry. this drama cements the fifth chance I’ve given Xu Kai. I think I can finally conclude with 99% certainty that I do not like him.

on the bright side, I generally liked how the handled the messages in this drama, except for nepotism girl.

DROPPED 2/12 [ Jan 28 ]

ngl I got whiplash from the second hand embarrassment in this xD. I just cannot deal with the fact that adachi is listening to literally all of kurosawa's embarrassing thoughts that I would just die on the spot if someone heard them. if I were adachi, I'd honestly feel so awkward that I would forever avoid kurosawa lmao.

COMPLETED [ Feb 16 ]

never thought I would find a misogynist cute and yet here we are.

thought the premise was really interesting! a misogynist falls in love with a misandrist. a man who hates women falls in love with a woman who hates men. a little bit tropey and cliche-filled, but it fits the tone of the drama.

got some "not like other girls" vibes from the FL though. the ML kept being like "you're unlike any woman I've ever met" and while I get that he had some bad experiences with women, it was annoying that he was like "all the women I met were selfish and horrible." it felt like the drama was implying the entire time that to be feminine was to be weak, self-centered, and irritating. being physically strong isn't the only way to be strong.

still, I liked how both the FL and the ML faced the stereotypes they held about the opposite gender. also yoo teo is attractive.

COMPLETED [ Feb 18 ]

FINALLY IT'S DONE

all I can say is that ling bu yi sucks and cheng shao shang gets so. boring. the chemistry in this drama is so flat it annoys the heck out of me. the plot itself is horribly written with zero intelligence and too much reliance on pure luck.

final thoughts

COMPLETED [ Feb 25 ]

absolutely gorgeous :'). the friendships were beautiful and the relationships were realistic and the side characters were the best. the conversations were so meaningful. and the scenery! absolutely gorgeous. plus the main romance was adorable. 

it's pretty slow-moving though, and there are parts that I grew a little bored, but it was still a beautiful journey nonetheless.

COMPLETED [ Apr 1 ]

the chemistry is pretty cute but it was lowkey kind of boring otherwise. there is no personality. there is practically no plot. the short length made it impossible to explore some of the ideas they brought up but also if it was any longer, I would have been lying face down in the dirt halfway through. also there was like,,, kissing asmr???

COMPLETED [ Apr 8 ]

kind of dumb in a way but still super cute. I thought it was pretty impressive how they kept me interested in the cases the whole way through, since I'm not much of a mystery person. leads were so cute and cringe at the same time, but it was enjoyable!

DROPPED 2/30 [ Apr 8 ]

actually, you might never know. maybe my love for jing boran and my boredom will transcend the urge to drop.

jing boran my boy i love you but PLEASE have better taste in choosing scripts. these characters are as bland as unseasoned rice porridge.

COMPLETED [ Apr 29 ]

hmm I liked it enough to finish it but I wonder if 7.5 is too generous. seo jae won was very well played by the actor, but I can't say the same about the actor who played ji hyun. he was just a little bit awkward, and his facial expressions felt so manufactured sometimes. the chemistry was there in a way but I can't really point out why. I feel like they did not have much beyond physical chemistry. but the way they looked at each other! I did like the complexities behind seo jae won's character, although I wish they explored it more. the ending also felt like one of those tie-everything-into-a-bow ending, and I feel like a lot of important things were left unaddressed. ALSO THE EDITING OMG. it was so weird. beginning to think i rated this too high xD

COMPLETED [ May 21 ]

it was interesting for a little bit (like the first few episodes) and then it wasn't. not sure what else to say. jing bo ran was a bit of a disappointment (can't believe i'm saying this), or maybe his character was a bit of a disappointment. got boring. relationship between mcs was not portrayed as close as it could have been, like honestly I didn't think they were that close.

COMPLETED [ May 29 ]

the angst kept me interested, but other than that it was mehh. reminds me of the three lives structure. main couple was cute?? kind of??? but also kind of boring idk. the plotline was not the strongest, honestly. the end was pretty abrupt, and there were a lot of loose threads in between. lots of potential for some characters that was never fulfilled. but also if they made it any longer i'd probably cry. not bc it's sad but bc GAH THE PAIN OF SITTING THROUGH MORE EPS you know. luo yun xi was actually very impressive in this though, but the eyeliner kind of threw me off lmao

DROPPED 6/40 [ Jun 3 ]

none of the characters really appeal to me except for maybe the main dude in black/purple or whatever, but he's also kind of annoying and lowkey manipulating the "good" princess to the extent that I, personally, would never forgive him. both sisters' acting is a bit too exaggerated for my taste. I was mostly just very bored.

DROPPED 13/40 [ Jun 20 ]

acting is exaggerated and mid. chemistry is barely there. humor is over the top and honestly not that funny.

COMPLETED [ Jun 23 ]

gun woo and woo jin are adorable in this and honestly made the whole journey worth it. I loved their friendship and loyalty to each other. it was a bit bloody and violent for my taste, but pretty interesting and kept me hooked. the fight scenes were cool. not a fan with the lack of closure on hyeon ju's storyline.

COMPLETED [ Jun 29 ]

thought it was the standard youth to adult, coming-of-age romance chinese movie. it was super boring in the beginning with so little chemistry because of how much they rushed through their relationship and the inorganic-ness of their moments. none of the characters were very well fleshed out, which I guess is sometimes the norm with movies bc of how little time they have.

the ending though omg. not anything I could have predicted, although i'm kind of dumb xD. it gave new meaning to the movie, and it helped me appreciate how well thought out the movie was. bumped up my rating by a good amount.

COMPLETED [ Jun 29 ]

I will not lie the romance did not work for me lol. I just could not see past the brotherly relationship they seemed to have. it felt odd idk. but I'm absolutely in love with seon yul and I have a soft spot for yechan. and mark.

REVIEW

COMPLETED [ Jul 4 ]

I LOVE THE HANBADA SQUAD oml. they deserve the world. this was law slice of life so of course I'm going to like it, since when do I not like themed slice of lifes. I somehow never got bored. each of the cases were interesting in their own way, and I really enjoyed watching the dynamics of the hanbada lawyers and woo young woo's "strategies" as they worked out the case. su yeon has my whole soul. and I absolutely loved how each character interacted with young woo (except for min woo obviously).

I do understand the limitations and stereotypes of eaw's portrayal of autism, however.

DROPPED 2/12 [ Jul 5 ]

the first episode was hilarious. but the extra focus on the police officer character and the murder case in the second ep got boring. the humor definitely died down in the latter half of the second ep. may pick up again since I didn't get to post coma guang yan yet :((

COMPLETED [ Jul 17 ]

it's definitely been awhile since I've loved a cdrama this much. I was so surprised too because as cute as youth dramas are, I've never particularly thought they were that good. but this drama, and I'm not even sure how, had a way of evoking such powerfully affectionate emotions in the watcher (or just me, maybe). the characters are lovable to an insane degree, and their friendship is so pure. maybe it was the nostalgia or the innocence, but I was literally giggling and kicking my feet.

recently I've been more into strong friendship bonds, so I did wish that their friendship was more focused on. it seemed like the romantic bonds were prioritized more, which makes sense both in a story sense and a real life sense. but please, please, please give me more of just platonic childhood fun TnT

final thoughts

COMPLETED [ Jul 18 ]

WOOOO I was completely addicted to this show, I will not lie. I just kept wanting to know what would happen next, and at the same time, I felt so comfortable with the characters. every one of them was weird, crazy, hilarious, but so strong. it amazes me how the writers were able to take such a grim situation with such terrible people, show how grim and terrible it was, but then also lighten it. by the end, I was in love with some of the (well not as far as the villains) villains' henchmen as much as the "good" characters (shout out to long dragon jang ryong woot woot).

the comedy was so well done too. they knew when to add it in and when to keep it out (i.e. the climax of kim hae il's healing journey). it seems like they don't take themselves seriously and lends to a lot of lucky situations, but it just works with such out of pocket, larger than life characters. the comedy was this drama's strongest suit imo.

roundhouse kicks were on point WHEW

final thoughts

COMPLETED [ Jul 21 ]

I am actually fully considering whether I have grown to dislike the romance genre after watching this drama. because the leads annoyed me so much by the end??? they were so obsessed with each other, and I was so unobsessed with them. I was cringing, actually.

cute, kinda. too long. can't believe I'm saying this, but too many sweet moments. I wish the leads would focus on people other than each other, but maybe that's just the antiromantic in me.

final thoughts

DROPPED 11/39 [ Jul 26 ]

it makes me nervous to confirm so soon that I'm dropping this xD but I see no reason to keep watching unless I have nothing else to watch. it's kind of being outshone by other currently airing cdramas (mlc, lyf). except for anle (love how flirty she is, but not sure how interesting her true characters is), the characters are boring and unlikable. the chemistry is so-so; I can see hints of it. this revenge plot has been done many times before, and in better ways than this. lowkey I'm interested in anning and the bodyguard but they haven't shown much of them. maybe i'll pick it up again once I hear more about them.

(usually I'd downgrade this to my workout drama to finish it eventually but I'm currently putting avatar the last airbender in that role xD)

putting some rating options here before I forget the vibes: 4.5-6 stars, narrowing in on 5/5.5

COMPLETED [ Jul 28 ]

idk really. lowkey went through binging seshes for this drama. it's so addicting and I couldn't stop watching it?? but at the same time, I don't even know if the plot was that good. didn't care much for the characters (except for cha youngjin wooooo brief interlude: I love how he is cold and calculating and yet softhearted at the same time, ambitious but fiercely loyal to good people. he is just so alskdfjaks). some of the acting was also a little meh, to be honest.

final thoughts

COMPLETED [ Aug 10 ]

cute! but oddly enough, boring. there was some adorable skinship and smiles in this one (episode 8 is this drama's saving grace :)), but I don't think I was ever fully interested. the main conflict lacked impact, I think. and maybe because they quickly became friends, we didn't get to see any of their relationship development. idk! I enjoyed those peaceful camera shots though, similar to blueming and to my star.

final thoughts

COMPLETED [ Aug 11 ]

cute... but oddly enough, boring...

I really liked the message – it's not about fixing your past, but living a life of no regrets so that you don't want to fix anything. it's about not forcing things, doing your best, and choosing things that make you happy.

it was entertaining in the beginning – kawi was crazy and made me laugh, and pisaeng and kawi had an adorable friendship. somewhere along the way it got bogged down a bit. maybe I just lost interest! the actor for kawi was really good though, I was pretty impressed.

COMPLETED [Jul 29 - Aug 13 ]

crazy quirky entertaining (especially our main character, chief kim). it was unrealistic, but it worked with the vibe and the drama's goal. I thought it was misleading that kim seong ryeong was "bad turned good"–imo he was always good?? or at least he made the transition really really fast. namgoong min slayed. lee junho slayed.

got boring at times. I wish I connected better with a lot of the characters :((

COMPLETED [ Aug 14 ]

I LOVE THESE THREE SO MUCH. they're so precious. I feel so robbed of domestic trio moments, though. why aren't there more domestic trio moments??

REVIEW

ON HOLD 1/16 [ Aug 16 ]

I started this because my power went out so I needed something I could download and watch on netflix, and I tried continuing it because I loved lee junho so much in good manager. maybe I need to give it more than 1.25 episodes, but I'm honestly bored and not in the mood for this. it seems like nothing new, and the dynamic between the leads is nothing interesting. leads seem boring too. are me and rom coms over? maybe.

COMPLETED [ Nov 3 ]

I LOVE

first of all the characters are just so *chef's kiss*. like the quirkiness, the badassery, I really love how unique each character was. it's actually a crime how little screentime hongshu got because that girl was so interesting. admittedly i did not like the fl much. she was a bit pouty, but I still love how she never backs down. would've liked her better if they did not create a romance plot for her and the ml.

the comedy was also on point. funny but not over-the-top. the plot itself was interesting, but I think I liked the journey aspect of it more than any of the scheming that was going on. I'm also not the biggest fan of the slow fight scenes.

overall it was slow-moving and witty and I loved it. honestly kind of a comfort drama. and the scenery is beautiful

COMPLETED [ Nov 24 ]

UHH is this the best workplace rom com I've ever seen um yes it is. I ate this up. the flirting the chemistry the push and pull. actually so good.

but even more than that I liked seeing how they grew as a couple, when all the mystery and facade disappeared and they tried to be real with each other.

also why is xin zi such a queen. and why was her love interest so cute. why were they so cute. it's actually so illegal that I like the first and second couple this much BUT PLEASE CAN DRAMAS DO THIS MORE.

only complaints is that the business plot was boring af because I didn't understand any of it. I wish they explained it better and made it more interesting. some of the conversations between the leads also felt so stilted like they were trying to explain deep things to the audience. still, I'm glad those conversations were brought up.

ON HOLD 1/5 [ Nov 25 ]

ran out of free episodes xD. seems really cute! I like seeing ryuji shy :)) plus the scenery is beautiful. nothing very unique though, I'm not sure if I'll ever pick this up again.

COMPLETED [ Dec 25 ]

very dramatic indeed. I feel like a lot of out of pocket things happened. also I personally think f4 was redeemed WAY too easily. thyme's friends were lowk acting like they didn't do anything that bad. like boy you guys sat back and watched as your friend tormented students for no reason. but okay.

but thyme in love ended up being kind of cute. and ren's relationship with gorya is an indescribable kind of beautiful, idk. also the humor was actually so good, I chuckled a lot.

shout out to my faves mj, glakao, and na ga :))

COMPLETED [ Dec 30 ]

finally got through the last two episodes after starting this in march TnT I lowkey don't remember anything I thought about this show except that I did not like it.

recovered thoughts:

• fl was cute but apologized too much and her lack of skill was kind of scary in the beginning
• ml is the classic tsundere and it gets old so quick. like why is he so mean it's not romantic at all
• emphasis on the not romantic at all

DROPPED 13/38 [ Dec 30 ]

umm so I'm also so bored with this show and there's like a 99.99999% chance I'm dropping it. all the reverse harem dramas are really not doing well on chemistry this year. fl is likable enough, she's smart and strong and unforgiving and I love her for it. zhang zhe, boring. yan lin, cute! but his relationship w fl is boring. ml whose name I have conveniently forgotten is so predictably boring I could cry. I thought he was supposed to be toxic?? but he seems like a piece of cardboard that just thinks very hard.

edit: dropped

COMPLETED [ Dec 31 ]

what a way to end the year,,,

I'm actually so confused in what way any of these people are attracted to each other except by looks. like these conversations are some of the deadest ones I've ever heard. the guys were so boring. some of the girls were so boring. I loved queens yeawon and soyeon though. yeawon actually served so hard and it's a crime how little appreciation she got on the show. like the rizz?? the wisdom??? the chaos??

I got so invested in the friendships lmao. shoutout to island trios yeawon, junsik, sehoon and soyeon, hyeongjoong, sehoon. it was kind of adorable seeing the guys cheer for sehoon and seeing hyeongjoong hand out advice to a bunch of people lmao. yeawon and soyeon ultimately have my heart <333

CURRENTLY WATCHING 34/39

IM SO BORED please help. xiaoyao has actually become the most passive, most boring FL in history. like at least she doesn't need to constantly be saved for the most part, but like... genuine question what does she do? does she do anything? her relationship with tushan jing is so dry it's like the sahara desert out here. her gege is a hot mess. only saving grace in this show is icon xiang liu who we bow down to.

i'm in this far though TnT can't stop now.

CURRENTLY WATCHING 13/16

THE BAND SLAPS. I understand the hype around yichan now. bro is so contagiously energetic, I love him. I also love the father-son duo. chungah is cute but that's about it. don't get me wrong though she's really, really cute. not the biggest fan of segyeong. i'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to write thoughts until I complete but that's okay intermediate thoughts

CURRENTLY WATCHING 7/10

CURRENTLY WATCHING 3/10