Reviews

BROMANCE or ROMANCE?! Absolutely loved it!

If you’re thinking whether to watch this series or not. PLEASE DO WATCH IT! This is by far the best drama from GMMTV this year. It felt like I was watching censored chinese bl drama lol with the amount of 'friend' love confessions and proposals that we got from Shin and Saint. The guys even say 'I love yous' at the end before cringing together lmao! Honestly love this new couple!

I do admit I had to be patient for the first two episodes but later the plot and story picked up really well and I was hooked on the series!
The casting was perfect! Both teachers Miss Jan and Mr Sung were great! Thats how all teachers should be tbh!
I can't think of anybody else playing Shin and Saint apart from Nani and Sky. These guys were fantastic with their roles. And our adorable Chedjan played by Mark Pukin was the best side character/angel boy anyone could ask for!
What I LOVED about this series was that all characters, MLs, side characters, everyone had good screentime and a lovely growth arc. We have Ken turning into a good boy, we have Shin finally being close to forgiving Saint for hurting him and abandoning him, we have Saint learning to take responsibility for his actions, we have Chadjen breaking out of his shell and making new friends, we have Peeta and Eve growing closer after their fights, we have the teachers getting better at understanding their students and not trying to judge them from first meetings. We have Saint's dad being the best parent, the principal and Ken's dad turning over a new leaf.

For me this series had everything, from love, bromance, friendship, hate, revenge, fights, drugs, gang war and more! And the directors and writers did a wonderful job with bringing on complex emotions and dialogues into the play.
And I have to say that Nani and Sky have become my new fav couple. Nani with his 'eye-acting' was fabulous. I don’t know how this guy can look so pretty while crying and being in pain. I only knew Nani as MJ from F4 and now Nani as Shin was something totally different! This guy CAN act and act he did!
Saint our cute big puppy with a gummy smile trying to make up to his friend for betraying him! Sky was very good with his role, and I'm so happy these guys are getting more recognition.
Waiting on the new 'WU' series! I'm sure it's gonna be wonderful!

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Seo Dong-jae's long con

Dong-jae, the Good or the Bastard is an outstanding first chapter about the journey of redemption of one of tvN’s favourite and most loveable, crafty characters.

Spinoffs can be a tricky business, especially when it’s centred around one character and all the others that you got to know and love don’t appear in the new show. But this kdrama it’s not only a great continuation but also an excellent stand alone, thanks a smart and dynamic script. The script writer also makes it a point to expand the world we all got to know in the first season of tvN’s Stranger, build conflicts and opportunities for character development, all with incredible resolution.

On the technical aspect, the score is fun and dark. A mix of genres with a milonga as Dong-jae’s life soundtrack: dramatic, hilarious, uplifting.

The cinematography it’s one of the best and most beautiful I have seen all year. From the choice of lenses to camera work, lighting and framing. Top notch from beginning to end.

Overall, I am incredibly happy with the quality production of this kdrama and, if you have the chance, I would absolutely recommend you watch it.

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everybody's dumb

I usually structure my reviews in positive points and negative points, where I try to be as objective and critical as possible, but I don't think I will be able to do just that with this one. No, this one is going to be pure rant and little else.
The disappointment is still too fresh as I'm typing this, but I don't want to wait to cool down before writing, because... I don't want to devote any more of my time to Gyeongseong Creature, honestly.
It's not a terrible show, I would like to make it clear; it has had its good moments and the first episode started strong, promising a thrilling and suspenseful trip in secret government structures and terrifying depictions of human experiments and the horrors of war and enemy occupation, but that didn't actually happen and I find more annoying things than great ones.
Reading the summary, I had expected a completely different plot, but that's on me for creating mental fan fictions before actually watching the thing. For some reason I convinced myself the monster (which had no human past, but came from another dimension) was haunting an abandoned hospital and built my own expectations from there.
But back to the review.
What really gave me the ick with this drama is how absolutely, utterly dumb the characters and the writing are. I will point out a couple of examples to clarify what I mean.
Let's start with the nature of the monster itself.
For 8/9 episodes out of 10 I thought the little germ they found in the glacier caused the mutation, but that bit was actually the humans. The najin solely makes the person an aggressive apex predator whose only want is to attack humans and eat their brains (basically a zombie, but without the rotten skin). They are faster and stronger than a normal human being and can heal from any kind of wound in literal seconds. The only weaknesses: fire and sunlight (but not really).
So why, WHY, even inject that mad scientist formula to begin with? You already have a superhuman, you only need to find a way to tame them. Why turn them into three-meter-tall monsters with tentacles and all of that jazz that you can't even keep in a cage? I understand those doctors are psychos, but they are just creating a problem where there could easily be none.
But I also understand they needed a disgusting monster for this show (it's in the title, after all), so I'll let it pass...
I mean, they could have omitted the part where it's the human-made injection that causes the mutation and blame it all on the najin, but let's not go there.
Other rather dumb behaviours can be found in the prisoners (and I feel bad in saying so, but it has to be said) and our protagonists.
So, you are a prisoner and you know terrible things are going on in the place you are being held in and nobody returns after they are taken from the cell, so explain me why
1) you eat and drink without a second thought the things your psychotic captors are offering you. I know you are likely starving, but you should also have some sort of survival instinct and a lot of trust issues given what you experienced. But, nope, just gulp it all down. The soldiers don't even need to hold you at gunpoint to force you.
2) WHY are you touching the weird spores flying out of the menacing and tightly sealed carriage pushed by soldiers covered HEAD TO TOE in protective suit? I was just about to scream in frustration when I saw that happening.
Now, onto our named characters.
You very secretly get into a dangerous and off-limits enemy base and you don't want them to know you are here. So is it REALLY necessary to kill those (already unconscious and taken care of) guards with a katana? Is it REALLY necessary to swing it freely around and above your head so that the soldiers standing guard in the tower can see what's going on and give the alarm? Don't think so but the writers decided it was, apparently.
At least they are consistent in making the characters dumb, I'll give them that. We got dumb villains, dumb heroes and dumb victims.
This show saving grace could have then been the horror part, but the creature itself lost its impact and horrific nature the moment it was fully and clearly showed. The CGI wasn't even that bad, considering it's for a Netflix k-drama, but I believe showing the monster is a common mistake many horror movies and shows make. After all, what is more terrifying than the unknown?
I only felt some kind of chill and anxiety during the very first episodes, when we still couldn't see the creature, just a confused shape hidden in the shadows and tentacles jumping out of nowhere. My imagination did the rest in creating a scary monster, but the instant they showed THEIR monster... it was all gone. I find it ridiculous more than anything and I even stopped feeling disgusted whenever it sucked brains with its tentacles. Which, admittedly, was the ONLY truly horrifying thing it did as the big bad monster of the show and the only time I looked away from the screen.
I truly believe with a better writing (and a little less wooden-looking FL) this drama would have been great and unforgettable, because the idea was good and the first episode very promising.
Instead we got something unoriginal, poorly executed and with underdeveloped characters. There was no built up to the experiment and the monster (although I liked the fact it was the mother our FL and her father have been looking for for ten years) and we're pushed right into the action minutes after meeting the characters. We don't get to know and care for them nor they get to know and care for each other – the love story between those two makes no sense, because how many interactions did they actually have, besides the ones where they are either fighting or running for their lives?
The more I write, the more frustrated and disappointed I fell, so I'll end it here.
I know I should watch season two to understand what was going on with the very last scenes of the season finale, but right now I really don't care nor feel like wasting any more of my time. In the future, perhaps – or I'll just go read some reviews with spoilers of s2 and spare myself another possible disappointment.

- Mei

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For Fans of the Friends to Lovers Trope

Fight for My Way is friends to lovers at its peak. The show spent time building up the friendship between Ae-ra and Dong-man so that it felt really believable that they had been best friends for decades. Their banter, jokes, familiarity, and teasing felt very genuine. Fight for My Way felt very different in its portrayal of friends to lovers because there was a lot of honesty and vulnerability when they were coming to terms with their feelings for each other. I loved that they were constantly saying little things before they got together about how the other was making their heart flutter or that they had the impulse to kiss. The two of them were navigating their feelings together and being very cautious about it because it is the most important relationship in their lives. The evolution of their friendship into something more was an absolute delight to watch and the show leaned into the awkwardness that would come with wanting to be romantic and physical with your very best friend in a very charming and endearing way.

While I did have some issues with the storyline around Ae-ra and Dong-man, especially their last minute breakup, most of my gripes were with the other storylines. They have two other best friends that are a couple and he just did not deserve her in any way. Seol-hee was wonderful, genuinely so kind, and seeing the way her boyfriend treated her was so upsetting. It felt like the show really let him off the hook when he did not deserve it. She could have done much better and I would have preferred seeing her storyline be about finding someone who really appreciates her and her getting the life she’s dreamt of. Dong-man’s ex was another character who it felt like the show took it really easy on. She was infuriating to watch and a lot of her behaviors were actually illegal.

The show would have played much better if they just wrote out the entire landlady storyline. It was not executed well and it was very rushed because they waited until the end to reveal anything. It wasn’t needed and it would have been better if they used that time to focus on other relationships in the show that did really work, like Ae-ra and Dong-man’s families.

I loved both Ae-ra and Dong-man individually as characters, in addition to their relationship. Both actors had great performances and fantastic chemistry. This is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a show with the friends to lovers trope.

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Chinese BL dramas are hard for me to watch I'm still not over Addicted from 2016! But after seeing so many TikToks about this series, I decided to give it a chance.

That being said, I have to admit I really liked the cast. The actors had amazing chemistry and looked stunning on screen. However, there was something off about the storyline. For example, Qi Lu’s parents’ behavior toward him was absolutely questionable and downright toxic, that’s putting it nicely. And don’t even get me started on Tan Yin’s relationship with the professor. Like, he reminds you of your deceased brother, but you’re romantically interested in him? That dynamic threw me off several times.

Then there’s the ending… those last episodes. They left me with no closure at all. The show builds up all these events and delivers a constant flow of bad situations, so you’d expect a satisfying, dramatic conclusion. But nope. The protagonists end up leaving and lying to each other. Then the series jumps to future clips, leaving viewers to assume they got back together. This is followed by a rushed explanation of seven years of their lives in quick text, capped off with just five minutes of happiness.

Again, while I love the cast, the storyline just didn’t work for me.

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The acting of all casts is 100!!!

A slow burn love story , from friends to lovers. I like the chemistry between main couple ; their micro movements make the scenes more beautiful. The fact that ML is really natural at his fighting scenes and horse riding makes the scenes really enjoyable. And also the interactions betwen SML and FL are noteworthy, waiting to see how the story unfolds later . It is amazing to see how the FL go through ups and downs yet grow as a business woman, fyi she is sharp which i really liked . I like the bonding between Ji siblings as well ; one weaves the silk another one dyes it, got all that knowledge passed down to them from their father. I love all the details that are shown here on how Dyeing Workshops are operated , very vibrant. Apart from all these, i am enjoying the series , not skipping a scene as supporting characters are also good at portraying their roles. But The AI face 3rd ML just feels weird sometimes as it doesn't match well with the scenes. Overall good !

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A real slow burn

I see a bunch of comments saying that this drama barely has romance in it and in my opinion, those people could not be more wrong. This drama is EXACTLY what I want out of my romance — quiet contemplation, and the ultimate slow burn of two people who just love spending time with each other and don't realize it's love until it's too late. I just loved the vibes of this entire show; it's quiet but bubbly and comforting, and there are characters that make bad decisions, but they're not portrayed as cartoonishly evil.

With that being said, however, I do wish this drama had subverted some of the cliches instead. Towards the end, there are miscommunication tropes that were frustrating; I prefer my romance to burn slowly as a result of "it was never the right time," rather than because a third character did something underhanded, and they also ended up doing the time jump reunion, which I always just hate, because it feels lazy and unearned. Without this part, I would've probably given this drama an 8. Still, the episodes before this are fantastic.

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Legally Yours!

This was an entertaining blend of drama and comedy with a refreshing plot (not a university BL).

Ryoma was an interesting character. He is a passionate lawyer with a very peculiar relationship with his succulents. He has that classic tsundere energy but deep down is such a softie. On the other hand, Haruto is charming yet mysterious, hiding his secrets until the last few episodes. Even though it was pretty obvious that Haruto had ulterior motives when he first contacted Ryoma, I couldn’t help but side with him. The suspense added intrigue, but I do feel like they revealed his secrets a bit too late, and what followed after , felt rushed.

The chemistry between the leads Ryoma and Haruto, was so palpable!
Their relationship was beautiful. The way Ryoma risked everything for Haruto and trusted him despite all odds against them was touching. It shows how pure and strong their love is. And Haruto, who initially approached Ryoma for his own reasons, ends up staying and going to great lengths for him. They both needed the calm warmth and unconditional emotional support the other provided. There were moments that gave me second-hand embarrassment, but it was filled with that perfect mix of laughs and swoon-worthy moments.

While their romance had its ups and downs, I do think the pacing of their relationship was a bit fast. But considering the 19-minute episode length, it’s understandable.

Overall, this was a pleasant surprise. Though it has its flaws mainly with pacing and some ambiguous character intentions, it still managed to keep me hooked with its great chemistry and decent comedic moments.
If you're looking for something light and fun, I’d definitely recommend it! It’s the kind of show that’s better binged rather than watching one 20-minute episode a week.

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started off good but went downhill

The story revolves around boxing, a former boxer who turned into a "KUZU" and an honest woman who gets involved with boxing to punch the kuzu.

The first 3 episodes were intriguing. the story started to build up and the leads chemistry was decent but suddenly the dark past started showing up and people turned very evil around the leads. Just in the middle of them becoming a real couple, everything got messed up.

I don't know why they decided to suddenly make the ML a stupid person. The FL is also so Hinged on the ML that her actions became nonsense. i hope the last episode clears the mess.

Overall, very very average and Cringe-worthy at times.

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Boring.

What I liked most about the entire drama was Jang Ki Yong’s smile. Unfortunately, the weak storyline overshadowed even the best acting. There were no truly happy or uplifting moments, and after the first three or four episodes, every character seemed lost, struggling with their own challenges.

I understand that life isn’t perfect and that ups and downs are a part of everyone's journey. However, dramas are meant for entertainment, and unless they are based on a true story, there’s no need to make the plot so unnecessarily complicated. To make things worse, they even messed up the ending.

Like many viewers, I had high hopes for the main couple. Despite their story being overly complicated by unnecessary consequences, I still hoped for a better or at least a satisfying ending. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. I don’t know how others feel, but the ending didn’t work for me, and it left me feeling unsatisfied.

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The Most Heartwarming Sports Rom Com!

FYI: I don't usually give such high reviews (for me, 10/10 means perfect), Soooo, 9/10 means smth!

I am so sad I've finished watching! 😭😭😭 It was so good!

Pros:
-perfect mix of sports, romance, comedy, cuteness, and growth.
-healthy relationship
-our ml actually has feelings! Like he cries sometimes and is cute! We need more mls like this.
-very inspiring
-themes of hard work will bring success, friendship, and support!
-show might seem long, but you'll wish it would not end!
-ost is was really good
-small note: the fl's bestie actually gives good relationship advice! (usually, I'll be like "nooo! don't listen to her!). The ml's bestie also gave good relationship advice 80% of the time (but it ended it up fine sooo)

Cons:
-one of the "bad guys", was given an arc where he fixes his mistakes (Coach Xiao). I personally believe that he isn't worth a second chance. Dude is a manipulating jerk (so is his sister)

Not sure which category to put this: they're kiss scenes were not the best (but not bad enough to complain too much), obviously a college drama, so they are quite more on the cutesy side. However, they're hugs and banter more than makes up for it.

Rating as I watched:
1-5 episodes: 7.50
5-14 episodes: 7.75
14-18 episodes: 7.25
18-25 episodes: 8.50
25-33 episodes: 9.00

I haven't really watched many sports dramas recently, because I just haven't really had many good experiences with them. I started this one with the lowest expectations to man (As, I watched the first 5 eps a few months ago and wasn't impressed. I was planning on quitting at ep 12 or smth. I just wanted to spend time doing smth) I later found out that this drama actually isn't bad. I kept watching and it kept getting better!

So, overall, I highly recommend this!

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