Reviews

How justice can be unfair and changed with a price

"One Ordinary Day" is a criminal drama about a young man named Hyun Soo, who's wrongfully arrested and accused of the murder of a girl he met the night before.
The story is about everything he's being through, all the process with the arrest, the trial, living in prison with other inmates and trying to survive in there.

Kim So Hyun's acting is really good. I loved the way he was able to express Hyun Soo's feelings about being accused of something he didn't do, you could see in his eyes. Even his naive way of trusting the police, who was trying to pin the murder on him.
I never thought Hyun Soo was guilt, the police only had circumstantial evidence, but they still went along with that and did everything to make Hyun Soo the culprit, even tampering with evidence. That's the funny thing, even in the end, when Joong Han discover the truth and finds the real killer, the prosecutor and the police still ends up the good guys, saying they continued the investigation... which we know it's a lie. They wanted to end the investigation and chose Hyun Soo to be the fall guy, not caring if he was really the killer or not, they just needed someone to blame.

Cha Seung Won's character is very interesting, but his characterization was bad, he looked twice his age. HAHAHAHA'
I know his role was that of a low-class lawyer, but even so, they didn't need to make him like that.

The drama also shows how the justice system is flaw and broken. The judge convicted Hyun Soo to life imprisonment and he was innocent. Even with Joong Han showing everything the police did, how they made him the prime suspect without any convincing evidence, how they never looked into anyone else, even the people in Guk Hwa's life and still, he was found guilty. It's really awful to think that someone could be rooting in prison for something he didn't do.

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A drama that was mostly good, but the ending is terrible

"The Brave Yong Soo Jung" it's a drama about Soo Jung, who lost her parents and her home at the same time. Fortunately she meets Jang Won, who became her adopted father and helped her grow up to be a bright woman. Her life is also entangled with Eui Ju and his mother.
Time passes and Soo Jung becomes a sales announcer. There she meets Woo Jin, a cold man who doesn't let anyone come in to close. The two eventually fall in love. In between them, there's Eui Ju, who's reunited with Yoo Jung as an adult and finds out that Woo Jin is his brother. Both of the brothers like Soo Jung, but she likes Woo Jin and also wants to use him as a way to make Hye Ra suffer, since Hye Ra and her mother were the people that stole Soo Jung's money and made her mother died.

Soo Jung's adopted father unfortunately dies by the hands of Woo Jin, Hye Ra and Kyung Hwa, she swears to take her revenge and comes back a different woman. Now, Woo Jin is married to Hye Ra and Soo Jung does everything to break them apart. Eventually Soo Jung and Eui Ju become a couple and they join hands to make the evil people pay for their crimes.

After this, the drama loses it's direction. Eui Ju learns that he has cancer and the couple's happiness is totally gone at this moment. Actually they didn't even had a moment to be a real couple, now that Eui Ju and Soo Jung are married, he's going to die? It's not fair. We only see Eui Ju suffering from the side affects of the tumor and trying to hide the truth from Soo Jung, who eventually finds out.
Yes, in the end Eui Ju is alive, but I think it's because the writers didn't have the courage to kill off his character and actually it would be better if they did that. This whole thing with him being missing and the amnesia, it was just lazy writing. It would made more sense if Eui Ju became health again or if he died.

Woo Jin was the best character, his transformation is one of the best things that happened in the drama. For him to realize that he was used and lied to his entire life, all because of his so called "mother". Woo Jin decided to become a new person, made Kyung Hwa pay and even used Hye Ra in the process.
Until the end I was hoping that Soo Jung's birth father would show up alive, because we actually didn't see him dying in the beginning, even Soo Jung's mother only said he was missing. I think the drama lost a really interesting plot twist with this.

The story is good and so are the characters, the development was going great, but the drama became confused basically at the middle and went downhill from there.

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A warm and beautiful story

"Kill Me, Heal Me" it's a drama about Cha Do Hyun, a man who has suffered a trauma in his childhood, leaving him with a memory lost and 6 personalities: Shin Se Gi, Ahn Yo Na, Ahn Yo Sub, Perry Park, Nana and Mr X. In a twist of fate, he meets Ri Jin, a psychiatric resident who becomes his new doctor, to help him in his daily life, as a way to stop the personalities from doing too much trouble.
With time, the two realize there's a connection between them in the past, since Ri Jin starts having the same flashes of images as Do Hyun and they seem to knew each other.

The truth is that Do Hyun and Ri Jin lived for one year together, as half-siblings, but that wasn't true, since Ri Jin's birth mother made up a lie with Do Hyun's grandfather. When Ri Jin's mother dies, Do Hyun's father locks her up in the basement and abuses the girl, her only comfort is when Do Hyun comes down to play with her. One day, Do Hyun can't take the abuse anymore and that is the day Shin Se Gi is born, his first personality, the one who burns down the house and allows Ri Jin to be set free. She's taken by Sun Yeong, who raises Ri Jin was her daughter alongside with her son, Ri On.
Ri On grows up and learns the truth about his sister past, he starts digging in the story to understands what happened. What he didn't expect is that Do Hyun and Ri Jin would met coincidentally, like fate wanted them to met each other.

Ri Jin and Do Hyun are a really cute couple, the romance is light but sweet at the same time. There's not much space to see them together as a couple, since the main focus of the drama is to see Ri Jin learning more and dealing with Do Hyun's personalities, trying to find ways to help him get better. I have to say the best scenes are when the personalities are involved, specially Se Gi and Yo Na. The humor is a great selling point of this drama!

The drama is really good, it's one of the best stories I have ever seen. The characters are amazing. I loved the way the drama developed the story with Do Hyun's mental problems, showing there's nothing wrong with that, it was his way to cope with everything that happened, even his own guilt and that we all need someone on our side, someone to help, to lean, to understand. It's a beautiful story <3

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What makes a person beautiful?

"Shadow Beauty" follows Ae Jin, a high school girl who leads a double life. In school she's bullied by everyone and called ugly by her classmates, but in the internet she's a famous influencer named Genie, changing her appearance.

The first to know her true identity is Ho In. In the beginning I thought he was interested in Ae Jin and that was truth, but not romantically. The other is Ha Neul, she's Genie's best friend but at the same time, she's the person who's bullying Ae Jin.
There's also Mi Jin, a new girl who strangely is exactly like Genie. That was a part of the drama that I didn't like. I was expecting until the end that we find out that Mi Jin had done plastic surgery, because it's not realistic that a girl who looks like Genie appears, specially because Ae Jin made Genie, she's not real.

Ae Jin is a normal girl, but we live in a society that finds people's flaws and uses that against them, so Ae Jin thinks of herself as ugly. She makes a fake persona, because in that way she could have people's attention, being called beautiful for the time in her life, the problem is that her real and fake life keep crashing each other.
The message here is all about accepting yourself. To life your life in a way that makes yourself happy, not thinking about how others see you and also not to obsess over social media, because followers are not real friends, you need to appreciate the people that are around you and that physical beauty is really nothing if you don't have a good heart.

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Justice is served

When you play a game of cards, the result is never 100% guaranteed. It can be predicted based on the moves the players make but it is never really absolute. It can change in the blink of an eye. One is expecting something and at the very last minute, the perceived unexpected happens and why? To show that a person’s life path can be challenging and though? If one climbs a mountain, through treacherous terrain, temperamental weather and conquering altitude sickness hoping to enjoy a spectacular view at the top and instead of a wonderful happy scenario see a cemetery, what is the point in climbing it in the first place?

It’s almost as if the production teams have felt the need to silently motivate the audience to keep going, keep watching the drama, building up the expectations that it would be worth it, fans would like it, and then delivering them tomb stones.

Blossom’s production team, fortunately delivered their unspoken promise that the view from the top of the mountain would be incredible. It was more than that, it was absolute perfection as the ending seemed crafted in the stars. Song Mo and Dou Zhao would truly be able to live happily together after going through the pits of hell with one another and for one another.

The deliverance of their wedding fairly early in the drama has allowed viewers to experience their marriage life for a significant number of episodes, something the majority of dramas tend to neglect in favour of unnecessary fill-ups that devalue the quality of the visual storyline and annoy viewers. Story quality over number of episodes worked extremely well as the 34 episodes perhaps minus one or two that could be condensed in the later stages of the drama were just right to tell a good story from beginning to end without dragging it to 40 episodes with boring material that would add nothing to the plot.

The story’s introduction was an epic masterpiece with Song Mo in a lengthy white/greyish hair, saving Dou Zhou and an orphan child from harm. His softness, empathy and kindness were as riveting as the fated arrow that later pierced through them, binding their life stories together. It was so unexpected and mind-blowing that made one thirsty for more and throughout its run, it did not disappoint overall. As they are pierced by the arrow, they fall through a large mirror, they travel back in time, waking up when they were children to start their lives again.

Song Mo is a strong man, a powerfully humble, righteous male lead with an unquestionable sense of justice and loyalty that has been betrayed by a number of people, particularly by his father, a duke who despised him in favour of his younger brother, an illegitimate love child whom he wanted to be his legal heir. To achieve that, he had no qualms in hurting Song Mo as much as he could, parading his public disdain for the son that took a beating for him in front of the army. But the father as wicked as he might have been was a known enemy. Song Han, the apparently soft studious brother, however, plotted Song Mo’s destruction without openly going against him. As it is often said, the worse kind of enemy is the one that is not seen and often the most dangerous one is a family member. The most intriguing characteristic of Song Mo is how, in spite of everything that he has endured from his father and paternal relatives his heart has remained pure and his honour has remained intact, shown by his commitment to justice and his determination to uncover the mastermind of his maternal uncle demise.

Dou Zhao is a phenomenal strategist who, contrary to Song Mo remembers everything from her previous life, working tirelessly to correct the mistakes that had been previously done and that have led to their demise. In the present, with the red line of fate intertwined with Song Mo’s, they embark on a journey of mutual assistance, trust and love that transforms them in allies and converts them into a loving husband and wife, together against the world, literally transcended time and space. Through her decisive actions Dou Zhao is able to achieve her goals and preventing her past from repeating itself. Despite not being able to prevent her mother’s death or her best friend from becoming her step-mother, Dou Zhao is able to move in with her grandmother, to grow up in peace, establishing profitable business ventures which gave her financial independence. She was also able to choose whom she married, accepting Song Mo marriage proposal and becoming his wife, instead of marrying Wei Ting Yu as she had in her past life and being poisoned by him and her sister due to their love for one another.

Blossom is full of twists and turns with various demises as the story progresses including Dou Zhao’s sister Dou Ming and Wei Ting Yu who not also marry one another in the present but also end up dying tragically and her step-mother who ends up living life paying for her sins, amongst other characters like Song Mo’s father, to mention a few.

It almost seems like whenever a supporting character’s arch has finished its purpose in the story, the person dies. Thus death serves both as an ending, often tragic and as a beginning to another uncovered plot, going on and on until the very end with existing personas i.e. Ansu, Dou Zhou’s childhood friend who is granted the title of princess by the emperor and a marriage with Song Han. She appears early in the story, then goes on with her life for a number of episodes without being seen on screen until the moment when she takes centre stage, second only to the male leads to propel the storyline forward as Dou Zhou’s sister-in-law, albeit higher-ranked. In her love for Song Mo, she stands by him, ignoring his distorted mind and sordid nature. A man who had no qualms in hurting another for the simple purpose of proving his physical superiority had a black heart and a corrupted soul, a consequence of his inferiority complex towards Song Mo. In the end, Ansu serves justice by ending her husband’s life, showing that there is love but at the other end of the spectrum there is hate and their combo is both fire and ice.

Yuan Tong / Ji Yong was an interesting character. In the first life he was a monk, in the second, a game-changer strategic healer mastermind that strived for power to implement the changes in the empire that he believed to be needed, and aimed for Song Mo’s death to be with Dou Zhao, whom he admired and loved to the ends of the earth, whom he saw as an equal, as the perfect match for him. Yuan Tong was kind and light. In contrast, Ji Yong was kind, conniving and grey. The first one wanted peace, and aimed for good; the second wanted peace and aimed for war, due to the perception that revolution was necessary and it could only be obtained by force. In the end he got what he wanted career wise, becoming the chief grand secretary of the new dynasty but he did not get love which has never been his primary focus anyway.

Overall, Blossom was a breath of fresh air without the recycled plotlines.

The leads did not meet up, fell in love, broke up and got back together at the very end or close enough to it as per usual troupe. They met, they became allies, they fell in love, got married, went through hell together, stayed lovingly together and had a daughter whom they saw grow up. There was no love-triangle at all as both Song Mo and Dou Zhao only had eyes for each other and they did not want to be with anyone else, nor did they tolerate any interference in their relationship. Kudos to them for remaining unfazed by whatever life threw at them, for supporting one another, for caring for one another and for portraying what a strong, solid, loving relationship ought to be like and for the happy end-game.

Ji Yong, while mentally in-love with Dou Zhao was more concerned with his professional goals than in actively pursuing her like many second male leads, but wait, the character could not be really considered one in the first place. Ji Yong was more like a chess player, where people like Prince Qing and Song Han were his pawns and like disposable pawns, they ended up paying the price for their misdeeds and justice was served, proving that, despite having the resources to achieve what they wanted to accomplish, those matter nothing in a battle between darkness and light, wrong and right, war and peace, hate and love.

In the end love should win and karma should be served. That is what happened here. Love won and karma was served without the possibility of redemption but then love and redemption is another story.

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A Must-Watch Drama That Redefines C-Drama Storytelling

As a fan of this director’s mini-dramas and familiar with the leads, I had this show vaguely on my radar, but wow—what a ride! This drama breaks away from tradition and delivers everything I’ve ever wished for in a C-drama. From the exquisite directing to the engaging characters, it’s a masterpiece through and through.

Directing and Cinematography:
The directing is stunning, with shots crafted with clear intention. There’s an artistry in how unspoken emotions are conveyed visually, creating a narrative that feels almost poetic. Every frame tells a story, and the attention to detail elevates the entire viewing experience, no additional voice narrating is necessary.

The Plot:
We start with a bold twist—our leads are at the end of their lives, poisoned and let down by the world. They connect on a profound, kindred level, only to die together. And then, just when you think it’s over, the story rewinds. The female lead wakes up in her childhood body, armed with memories of her past life. This familiar premise is brought to life in a refreshing way.
From the very first episode, you’re hooked. Unlike many dramas that rush through backstory in a few minutes, this one dedicates almost an entire episode to immersing us in the leads’ tragic past. By the time their deaths hit, you’re already emotionally invested. This makes their “redo” all the more meaningful—you want them to rewrite their fates.

The Characters:
-The Male Lead: He’s a brilliantly written character— just irresistible. Unlike the FL he did not keep his memories from his past life. A badass fighter unafraid to make difficult choices, he’s captivating from start to finish. Watching him fall in love with the FL and become a devoted husband was pure joy.
-The Female Lead: She’s smart, strategic, and compassionate—a true standout. It’s no wonder the ML (and others) are drawn to her. She is a badass queen!
Their chemistry is electric, and their relationship is everything I’ve ever wanted in a drama. They get married out of love (not duty!) in the middle of the series, and their relationship is free of miscommunication or unnecessary drama. They’re a true power couple and absolute #CoupleGoals.
-Ji Yong (3rd Favorite Character): A complex and fascinating character, Ji Yong is cunning, intelligent, and emotionally detached—but not evil. His ambition is understandable, and despite (appearing) to be on the opposite side of our leads, he’s impossible for me to hate. Knowing he gets a second chance also with his memories intact makes his journey even more compelling. Also, when his true intentions were revealed it made him the most interesting character in the show for me.

Palace Politics and Villains:
Though I’m not usually a fan of palace politics, the intrigue here kept me hooked. The villains are as twisted as they come, showcasing the theme, “No one can mess up your life like your family.” It’s painfully relatable and well-executed. Also, the showdown in ep.31 in the court kept me at the edge of my seat. And the finale is everything I expected it to be.

The Beautiful Happy Ending:
What truly cemented this drama as a favourite was the beautiful and uplifting ending. Despite the bleakness of their situation and the overwhelming odds against them, our leads stand together against the world, showing how love can transcend hate and bring light even in the darkest times. Their unwavering commitment to each other and their shared goal of a better future made the finale deeply satisfying. It’s rare to see such an authentic portrayal of love’s power, and it left me with a sense of hope and joy that I’ll carry with me for a long time.

Final Thoughts:
This drama came out of nowhere and completely swept me off my feet. The beautifully crafted story, unforgettable characters, and emotionally resonant themes make it my favorite drama of 2024. If you’re looking for a C-drama that delivers heart, depth, and an unforgettable journey, this is it.

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Unlike any other drama~

It was a new type of drama that sometime give off Vincenzo feeling; you know how he said at the end that "𝐈'𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. 𝐇𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐲. 𝐆𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐈𝐟 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭, 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞."

That's what we also see on this drama where a devil herself judges the evils,, this drama was so good at beginning but got ruined in the middle. Guess they just make it child's fantasy where the leads just lives happily ever after. But you know some story don't just get happy ending all the time, there are some couple who just don't end up together.

I would have loved it more if this fantasy drama was a bit more realistic.

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*𝑺𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓*
there were also some unanswered question like what in the world happened to real Kang Bitna (as she really didn't did anything sinfull to end up in a fake hell) also why Justita was given more time to spend on earth?

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Other than this two the drama is supub! It so intriguing & the chemistry between the leads are just find as wine~
A must watch for those who loves romance with thriller"

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"Love" and "desire" are two different things. ~ Tachibana Noa

Where to watch : "You Want Me To Steal You" on Viki

I had to watch it because of the poster (always appreciate such aesthetic/symbolism), and I knew it was going to be of quality, but what unfolded was deeper than I had anticipated. Although I have to say this was way too short, and I can only imagine how greater the manga must be, in terms of psychological analysis and emotional build-up. Actually, I finished it in one sitting and was left amazed. I did not expect the actors, etc. to be so good either. I was hooked from the start with Noa's scheming; a female lead like her felt so refreshingly unique. But the story truly captivated me during the confrontation between the husband and his wife. The acting, dialogue, and tension, enhanced by the camera movements, made the scene feel so real and raw, it was so well written. It was a turning point that confirmed this wasn't just about entertainment. I found myself feeling more than I expected, and not all of those emotions were positive. While I mostly enjoyed it, the experience is undeniably toxic and becomes quite messy in a serious way, so I can understand why some might not appreciate it. However, among the many cheap Japanese dramas with a similar duration (whether they involve cheating or not), this is a little gem.

(The drama is labeled as a thriller due to Noa, but it's more of a melodrama, so don't expect too much.)

Despite my apprehension, given how short manga adaptations typically turn out, the ending was perfect, beautifully tying everything together with a touch of irony: there are the fools, and then there is the winner. Was the winner truly the one at fault here? The answer is both yes and no. If anything, Noa ended up helping Kana and Naoya. The drama offers a subtle critique of Japanese society, touching on themes like work culture, marriage, infidelity, sex taboos, harassment (though no actual harassment occurs, the topic is frequently mentioned), and more. The workplace, portrayed as supposedly healthy with its opposition to overtime and harassment, ironically devolves into chaos where authority is undermined, and the team leader becomes an undeserving scapegoat. Another subtly addressed topic was the challenge of broaching the question of whether to have children, often brought up quite late, alongside the impact of work culture on marriage and the role of infidelity in Japanese society.

Compared to a workplace affair drama like Perfect Crime, this one stands out as a far superior production. While Perfect Crime offers a lightweight, barely engaging storyline paired with mediocre acting (not blaming the actors necessarily, there was probably only so much they could do and Dori Sakurada was really good in Kuzu no Honkai and Alice in Borderland) and low production values, Anata wa Watashi ni Otosaretai manages to excel despite its short format. Its compelling narrative, better performances, and higher overall quality set it apart as a much more satisfying viewing experience.

The main characters are sad, complex, flawed individuals. They make you wonder or want to scream at them. Noa, in particular, is fascinating. I really wanted to see more of her, the actress made her so captivating to watch. Thankfully, by the end of the drama, I was satisfied with the characters arcs. Although it is true that Noa remains more of an evil, enigmatic character, this is also why she becomes the main reason why you want to read the manga.

It's an excellent introduction to the manga, and I'm really hoping someone translates the manga soon. The most impressive is that they still managed to complete the story, even though the original source material was unfinished at the time of release (with maybe 10 volumes?). I wonder how much was changed. There's only so much you can do to nicely adapt a long story into such a short format anyway. However, it's still unfortunate that I didn't quite understand everything. Maybe it was just me?

To sum up, this is a unique and compelling story that explores themes of infidelity. Even if the subject matter is uncomfortable, it’s handled here in a mature and honest way.

I'm not too fond of the opening song, but I love the visuals, and I keep listening to the ending song. Interestingly fitting lyrics too. There is even a classical piece at the end of the last episode, bonus points for me. Generally liked the atmosphere and the soundtrack, especially with Noa's scenes.

P.S: Do check the covers of the manga!!! So pretty. They are all on Nautiljon (a french site but you should be able to access it) + different versions here : https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/1czafb9/slrequest_anata_wa_watashi_ni_otosaretai/#lightbox

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Write-up of the love square + extras :

Tachibana Noa : Smart, malicious, manipulative. Shows no feelings towards Naoya. Apparently sleeps with people for a gain. Is interested in human nature, not men. Unsure if she knew about Naoya being married (her asking is not enough of a proof). Her approach towards Naoya can be either for a gain, because she is interested in human nature or both. Plans the events at the beginning, but since no more of her POV is shown, like she said, we assume she gave up and what happens at the end is a coincidence (yet I'm still questioning it...). No idea if she was supposed to sleep with the man we see at the end, even though it is possible given her phone call with him in Episode 1. Ends up going to the USA instead of Hirano. Either she was chosen or she made a request herself. Really wish we had more of her POV, definitely the best character.

(Do correct me if I'm not remembering correctly, and if you have any other theories, feel free to share.)

Hirano Kyosuke : Likes cheating. Smart. Doesn't get caught. Gets outsmarted by Noa and gets caught. He had a wife... I guess he's still with her, no idea if he goes with her to the countryside. Didn't he say he wasn't having sex anymore with his wife at the beginning? Or that was Naoya? Anyway, not an actual bad guy despite the fact that he cheats. Self-aware and mature reaction at the end. I like him.

Aizawa Naoya : Loyal, naive, bad at communicating. Confirms he hasn't had sex with his wife for 2 years but it's her fault. Honestly a better person than his wife (not saying that she's "bad", she's the most pitiful out of them all but it's also mainly her fault)... Ends up falling in love with Noa.

Minaki Aoi : Admirative of his boss but also truly in love. I don't think he only desired her because she was married and because she's her boss. He wanted her happiness but she was a mess and even if he still loved her, she only changed for the worse.

Aizawa Kana : Distanced herself from her husband physically and emotionally, work being her only purpose in life. Ends up falling in love with Misaki but she becomes dependent of him. Insecure, competitive, selfish (not so much initially but she becomes more and more, especially greedy with Minaki, gets jealous too and becomes obsessed by him, understandable though, I was too), bad at communicating, shows culpability even though she didn't do anything bad to her employees (shows culpability later on too because she can't work well), hates them for it too but does get affected by it (I can imagine how it would be hard to stay professional with these two), doesn't get any better (actually gets much worse) with her private life becoming a mess and her being unable to separate it from her professional life, emphasized by the comeback of her old boss (whom she seemed to have a good relationship with) who highlights her lacking skills as an employee and as a team leader (at some point, she wasn't wrong anymore...). Noa really annoyed her (at the worst time possible too), and the fact that she did so much better than her with the 50 millions instead of 30 must not have helped when she understood that there was something going on between her and her husband.

The two female employees under Kana's subordination : One of the two films Kana and Minaki because she hates her boss and because she thinks Minaki is a victim. I obviously don't like them at all but I can't say it's not understandable... Kana was in the wrong there. (I don't care about the relationship in itself, I actually rooted for them (her relationship with Naoya was draining and I love the dynamic with Minaki), but doing all that at work, and not listening to him at all but only herself?)

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Lots of Potential, but Fell Flat because of it's Too Gloomy

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit had the potential to be a really thought-provoking drama with all of the themes it decided to tackle, but it really fell flat with its gloomy atmosphere and rushed ending.

The drama tackles the theme of sexuality in the 90s. They also sprinkled in some of the usual troupes of bullying, societal pressure through neighborhood gossip, and coming out. There was also a little bit of sexual assault thrown in the mix as well. Just by reading all of the themes, you can tell they are not happy themes at all. It’s all doom and gloom, and with only 8 episodes it’s hard to insert many happy moments. It seems like Mishima is constantly facing some sort of gloomy trouble that he can never catch a break to be happy. And this is what is missing from the drama.

Every episode seems to be gloomy with no happiness that we end up feeling bad for Mishima. Even the ending, which is supposed to show Mishima being happy, no longer struggling with his sexuality, is rushed and crammed into the last few minutes. Even his cross-dressing nature is lost that when Mishima is shown as a drag queen model, we don’t even know if it is actually him or not. It’s sad, since this could have been a good coming of age drama!

•❅✧❅✦ Themes ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit tackles many themes including sexuality in the 90s, bullying, societal pressure, neighborhood gossip, coming out, and sexual assault. The most prevalent is the reality of sexuality in the 90s and societal pressure through neighborhood gossip.

The drama focuses on each theme they try to tackle though gossip from the neighborhood. We then learn about the truth of the situation through the characters they are gossiping about. It’s really sad because on more than one occasion, the characters change their course of action after hearing the neighborhood gossip. Kirino can’t even live his life freely because his mother bends to the pressure of society and he doesn’t want to disappoint her. He even went as far as trying to run away, only to be pulled back because the neighborhood gossip hit his mother and she collapsed.

I could go on and on about each theme, but the neighborhood gossip really pissed me off while watching because it was so accurate to how the Japanese bend to the pressure of their social image, even in this day and age!

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Smells Like Green Spirit could have been a thought-provoking drama, but it kind of fell flat for me with it’s doom and gloom. Other people really seem to give it high regards, so I guess it’s good. Maybe I just have really high standards. Or I just found it too gloomy to see the positives of this drama.

Either way, I think the drama was nice, but it’s not something I would ever watch again. I honestly don’t even feel like reading the manga since it’s more gloomy than happy. Overall, it’s a decent coming of age story, but it’s really not for me.

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A Small Commentary on Working in a Black Company in Japan

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The drama itself wasn’t too special, it’s actually very forgettable. However, topic of being overworked in your job is what makes this drama more memorable than it should be.

Hiro and Kai are also very forgettable characters. There’s nothing great about them compared to other characters out there. Even the plot and execution is bland. However, since Japan has a problem with overworking businessmen and women, the topic is more memorable. Having a “knight in shining armor” come in to help you regain the humanity that was sucked out of your soul at work is a dream come true for most people who are slaves to their jobs.

The drama's storyline is literally about Hirokuni learning to regain his humanity through Kai and vice versa. It's a decent watch, but nothing is memorable at all. Maybe if we got to see more of the character's human sides, like Hirokuni and Kai being more lovey with each other., it would have been different. We don't get any of that until the end, when we get to see more of Kai and Hirokuni’s humanity and them acting more like a couple. otherwise it's just boring. Most of the drama is heavy with the dark subject matter on black companies, so a little more love and humanity would have made it so much better.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

The plot of the manga is very similar to the drama. The drama fleshes out the more essential scenes, like Hiro and Kai’s childhood, but the manga gives more context to the overall story and other minor scenes. There really are no big changes to the story overall.

While both the manga and drama are quite equal, I’d have to say the manga was better. In the manga, Kai feels human, while in the drama he seems emotionless. Kai was a normal guy with childhood trauma in the manga, while in the drama he seemed to be like a cardboard cutout with very little emotions. Kai is supposed to be cool when he reunites with Hiro, but he lacks emotion in the drama so he’s not that “cool” when he comes back.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Perfect Propose wasn’t as perfect as it could have been. In fact, the “propose” aspect was lacking. Kai coming back saying they are engaged was great, but there was no grand proposal at the end to bring it full circle. Yes, Kai mentions that what Hiro says at the end sounds like a proposal, but there is no grandiose proposal to call perfect. Overall, the drama was actually kind of bland and the acting didn’t help make it better. It wasn’t terrible, but it’s not a drama I’ll have on repeat anytime soon.

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Tried to Have a Conversation about Using the Gay Concept in Kpop, but Failed

First of all, let me say this, the drama was fun to watch and decently good. However, the main theme of the story, as stated by the characters themselves, is the "Gay Concept." As the theme is a big part of the drama, that can't be overlooked when reviewing this drama.
Furthermore, we have an actual Kpop group that may or may not be using the "Gay Concept" to promote themselves, participating and acting as all of the characters in the drama. This is why, the review will be a little harsher than it would be if we're just reviewing the drama based on the story itself.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

The story is about two idols using the "Gay Concept" for their promotion. The two end up falling in love as they promote together.

The story itself isn't too unusual, but it was a fun watch. I was looking forward to each episode and looking forward to when they would fall in love and get together. However, the story did feel rushed, but that doesn't take away much from the drama. What does take away from the drama is the fact that we have members of the Kpop group OnlyOneOf (OOO) acting as all of the characters in the drama. OOO is known for supporting the LGBT community, but since none of the members have come out as part of the community, many people see them as using the "Gay Concept" to promote... Which is what this entire drama and manhwa is about.

It seems like the drama was trying to criticize the use of the gay concept in Kpop, however, the drama was way too short to actually achieve any of their goals. There were way too many plot-holes and not enough time to actually get to know the characters or their motivations. All I really got out of this drama was idols falling in love(?) after doing the gay concept... We didn't actually get a happy ending either, just a confession.

•❅✧❅✦ Gay Business Performance, aka "Gay Concept" ✦❅✧❅•

Lately the Kpop industry is dealing with an influx of groups using the gay concept to push their popularity. While not outright making it their concept, Kpop groups still use gay fanservice to promote themselves. Even the actors, all members of idol group OnlyOneOf, use this concept; although, OOO seems to be more supportive of the LGBT community than the other groups that are just using the concept to fanservice.

It seems like the drama wanted to discuss the issue of using the gay concept in Kpop, but there was too many plots (and plot-holes), and not enough time to actually talk about the gay concept in Kpop. It's very briefly touched upon by Eden, who is reluctant to do the concept, and even the twitter comments in the drama refer to Lion Heart as using the concept for money; but there is no real discussion on the matter. Not talking about the gay concept in Kpop is really big waste of potential since it's a topic that is relevant and brought up on the internet every day.

Also, having the members of OOO do a drama on the gay concept is a little risky. OOO are avid supporters of the LGBT community. A lot of their music and music videos are about controversial topics like sex, inclusion, and sexuality, etc. While I think it's good that they participated in a BL drama, I'm not sure if a drama focusing on the gay concept in Kpop is a good choice for them, especially because it failed to deliver on the theme of gay concepts.

This drama could have been a very good conversation piece on the gay concept, but because the drama failed to deliver an actual conversation on the topic and just used it as a background, the members of OOO are kind of dissing themselves by participating in this drama. Maybe if a member or two came out as a member of the LGBT community then things would be different, but as it stands, none of them have, and the drama failed to deliver a conversation on the gay concept in Kpop. It's kind of hard for the members of OOO to defend themselves against using the concept if none of them are part of the community.

Please don't get me wrong, I think OnlyOneOf is amazing by focusing on topics that are highly underrepresented, but if someone who doesn't know OOO comes across this drama, they will assume OOO is being hypocritical.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Film ✦❅✧❅•

While the I haven’t been able to finish reading the webtoon yet, from what I read so far it’s good. It far exceeds the drama. The plot is the same as the drama, but there are no major plot-holes as of where I stopped reading. I will come back to rewrite this portion of the review if I ever get around to finishing the webtoon, but right now the English translation has stopped, so I can’t finish it.

However, I can say that the Webtoon is so much better than the drama. The drama is filled with so many plot-holes.

1. Jihoon's backstory and his scandals are not explained properly. We know he had dating scandals, but how is his ex-partner Hyunbin related to that. (They used to date.)

2. Jihoon and Eden don't really fall in love. They say they love each other, but we don't really get to see it on screen. We see more interaction between Jihoon and Hyunbin, more than we see Jihoon and Eden, so how they fell in love so quickly is confusing.

There are many more plot-holes in the drama, but these are the major ones in the drama

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Putting aside the "gay concept" aspect of the drama, I really enjoyed Bump Up Business, but was too short! I feel like I have to go read the webtoon to understand the story completely. There is only 8 episodes and each episode is about 20 minutes long. It's way too short. I really liked the concept of idols falling in love, but also exploring the world of idols using Gay Business Performance. Lately lots of idols are focusing on ships and gay fanservice, so I thought the drama would focus on that.

I would love to see a season 2 of this drama not just because I want them to finish the story of the webtoon, but also because I think the members of OnlyOneOf are great actors and I want to see more of them. .. Okay, another reason is that I want to see how they handle the Gay Business Performance aspect of the drama. OOO is known for pushing the limits and representing the LGBTQ+ community, so I want them to be able to finish this drama and use it as a stepping stone in their careers and in their representation of the LGBTQ+ Community.

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The heartwarming story struggles with its delivery, lacking clear direction

The drama’s main storyline is revealed episode by episode, which makes it difficult for a cohesive narrative arc of suspense to develop. It relies on the audience's attachment to the characters and their growing relationship, only to ultimately leave these elements underdeveloped. Unfortunately, the main relationship never fully blossoms into a love story—at least not on screen. The anticipated emotional revelations and romantic moments are more implied than explicitly shown, which I find to be a very odd creative choice. Even the dramatic revelations about Mu Shengs real identity, Liu Fuyi's guilt and Mu Yao's possession barely have any emotional impact. The rest of the plot simply isn’t strong enough to carry the series on its own, so as the finale approaches, the show regrettably becomes increasingly dull (but is still rather sweet).
The chemistry between the main cast is decent and effectively supports both comedic and dramatic scenes. Despite its flaws, this is the first drama in a while that I’ve actually managed to finish!

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This is a very nice romance miniseries. Eric Zhang/Zhang Yun Tao( as Fu Han Sheng) and Bai Yan (as Tan Wan Xing) are the leading couple on this drama. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life but the leading couple was really the ones that made the drama worth it. There is a case of mistaken identity, overuse of aphrodisiacs to try to control the ML and the leading couple doesn’t know the truth until the very end. The leading couple has great chemistry and they both will do what they can to protect one another. The realization of their true feelings for one another develops slowly throughout the drama’s duration but it is done well and nice to see. The one reason that is not rated higher was the ending; it’s a good ending but too rushed.

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The Unseen Complexities of Human Relationships

Please go watch this drama before reading the reviews.
This is one of those dramas that every person will have their own different opinion based on the type of life they are currently living. If your life is all sunshine and rainbows, you might have a hard time relating to some of these characters.

•❅✧❅✦ Story ✦❅✧❅•

At a glance, the premise of the drama is very simple, a meteorite is coming, so two exes reunite to spend their last days together. But the reality is different. Every character and their backgrounds add an extra layer of complexity that makes the plot even better. Masumi’s inner battle against his love for Ritsu, while Ritsu faces his past fills the main bulk of the plot. Ritsu’s issues with Meguru and Madoka fill up the rest, but the meteorite is really just a backdrop.

Ritsu learning to open up about his complicated past with his family makes us learn to enjoy his character that we all hated at the beginning of the series.

This drama is really about the complexities of human relationships that can’t be seen by the human eye. If you don't want to sit down and think about every character or every scenario that each other these characters face and read between the lines of what they are doing or saying, then maybe this drama is a little to psychological for you.

•❅✧❅✦ Manga vs Drama ✦❅✧❅•

The manga was very wholesome. It has basically the same plot as the drama but adds additional details to certain parts of the story. For example, when Ritsu and Masumi return from Hamamatsu, they discover the library was burnt down. Also, in the epilogue, the meteorite was blown away by USA and European missiles (but they still think Yuma did it.) They keep in contact with Meguru and Yuma (who is shocked that Meguru is a boy.) Ritsu gave up his business and bought a fixer-upper house in the countryside. He runs a youtube channel showing his progress on the house. He explains that he bought the house to prove to his loved one that he can stay loyal. Masumi quits his job to move in with Ritsu, once the house is done. The manga ties up all loose ends creating a complete story

The drama does a really good job adapting the source material. The drama took out all of the irrelevant scenes, while expanding on some of the scenes that needed more info. The drama handled Ritsu’s history with Madoka a lot better than the manga. However, the manga did better wrapping up the ending. The drama leaves the fate of everyone unknown with only hints that Yuma blew the meteorite away, but the manga expands on it, giving us a proper ending

•❅✧❅✦ Acting ✦❅✧❅•

All of the actors did an amazing job with there characters. While the main leads were amazing in their own right, each of the supporting cast members could hold their own and are just as memorable. Honestly, my favorite character is Meguru, and he is only a supporting character. That is how much impact he had on the story.

•❅✧❅✦ Overall ✦❅✧❅•

Bokura no Micro na Shuumatsu is a thought provoking drama. You’re going to either love it or hate it. At a glance, there is a slice-of-life element to it that makes the drama seem kind of slow at times. But there are also some sci-fi-esc scenes that make you question what genre you are watching. However, the heart of the story is the characters and their backstories.

If you’re not a fan of slow-paced and character driven films, then this drama may not be for you. However, if you love to dig into the backstories of each character, you’ll love this drama.

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