Completed
Divas Hit the Road Season 6
7 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
23 of 23 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Give it a watch and see if you like it for yourself

Prior to watching, I read comments that left me thinking that this season would pale in comparison to season 5. I decided to give it a watch nonetheless, and I would say that I still like this season a lot! I will just only comment on my favourites though:

Jin Chen:
My absolute favourite! I like how she's unpretentious and being her goofy sensitive self. She is so gorgeous and I don't feel she flaunts her beauty at all, always preferring to appear funny or self-deprecating.

Hou Minghao:
I don't know him before watching, but I find him to be very gentlemanly, always quietly sacrificing. Giving up watching the olympic table tennis though he was really looking forward, always carrying luggages, and looking out for Victoria and not wanting her to wait alone at the museum first. His award ceremony was quite underwhelming. I felt that he deserved more praise from the group. I feel that he would have appreciated it more than it being a funny award.

Deng Enxi:
Just a sweet, humble and pleasant girl to be around. She was really responsible with her role as tour guide too.

Tian Jiarui:
Jiarui has a great personality that can brighten up a room easily. He is extroverted and has high EQ. He is the kind of person that will know how to cheer you up when you are down. I can see why the girls in the group liked him so much. I feel that he got the praises that he deserved, and I'm interested to see his growth as an actor.

Rong Zi Shan:
I did not like him initially, but grew to like him more as he opened up, joked with the rest, and opened up to us his world a little bit. His growth arc towards the end was huge and cool to watch.

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Ongoing 5/12
The Heart Killers: Uncut
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
5 of 12 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Antiheroes, villains and wild beasts

Inspired by the comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" by English writer, poet and playwright William Shakespeare, the Thai BL series 'The Heart Killers' brings back four popular and talented actors: Kanaphan Puitrakul, Khaotung Thanawat Rattanakitpaisan, Dunk Natachai Boonprasert, and Joong Archen Wiraphakul, who play Kant, Bison, Style, and Fadel, in that order.
The series addresses themes such as love, courtship, disguise, deception and crime, while love arises both in the case of Bison and Kant, and in that of Fadel and Style. However, unlike Shakespeare's work, whose secondary plot serves as a counterpoint to the main plot, in the Thai series both stories balance and measure equally, that is, there is no preeminence of one over the other.
Directed by Jojo Tidakorn Pookaothong, the story is not set in the Italian city of Padua nor are we in the 16th century, but in Bangkok, in the present. Instead of Katharina, the main character, it is Bison, a young man with a boisterous, stubborn, disobedient and indomitable personality, but also famous for being attractive. This in principle would not have any mystery nor would it be transcendent for the series, except for the detail that the father of this young woman, Baptista Minola, does not want to marry his youngest daughter, Bianca, until Katharina, or rather, Bison, does not has found a boyfriend.
But the story, which has a script by Kanokphan Oraratanasakul, Issaraporn Kuntisuk and Fleur Irene Insot, known for writing 'This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans', will bring us other changes: instead of Baptista, it will be Bianca herself... or better yet said, Fadel, Bison's intelligent, handsome and responsible brother, who will oppose Bison having a boyfriend until he himself finds the right person to love.
Fadel, who is the complete opposite in character of his older brother, has never shown interest in any of the men who have disputed his love in the past.
Protector of his brother, Fadel scares away all the suitors who are interested in Bison, to the dismay of the latter, who has just succumbed to the charms of the handsome man... no, don't be hasty, he is not Petrucio, but Kant, a young man with a strong character and intelligent, who will have the courage to pretend to Bison.
The love, which is taking shape between the two lovers, will pose a serious problem: will Fadel accept Kant when he himself has decided not to allow his brother to have a boyfriend until his heart also trembles with passion?
Faced with this dilemma, Kant and Bison, who is devoted to annoying others, especially Fadel, will plan to find a suitor for him. And who wouldn't be a better choice than... stop there, it's not Lucentio, but Style, the happy and smiling automotive mechanic and Kant's best friend.
Style must fulfill the task of helping the two lovers as much as possible to get Fadel to accept Kant as Bison's boyfriend, so the three of them develop a plan: Style will pursue and woo Fadel until he makes him yearn for her him and in this way allows Bison to also have a boyfriend. But when Style sees Fadel he falls in love, and he will try to win him over, but to do so he will not have to pretend to be a Latin teacher.
But the most interesting twist in the story is that both Bison and Fadel are two hitmen. As you hear, dear reader: while the authorities are not clear how to respond to organized crime in the Thai capital, these two young antiheroes are a curious solution. These brothers are hired to murder drug traffickers, rapists, corrupt politicians, dishonest businessmen...
If in "The Taming of the Shrew" that would be the main approach of the work, the Thai series brings other ingredients. Of course, in both one and the other, various situations of entanglements and abundant witty dialogues await us in which verbal wit undoubtedly becomes the most forceful of weapons.
Owners and workers by day in a hamburger restaurant, Bison and Fadel are, by night, two expert shooters and assassins. While the first dreams of not spending his entire life chasing criminals, the second believes it is necessary to carry out, for life, his mission of exterminating all villains.
But who is Kant? Is he really in love with Bison or does he have a hidden agenda? Kant is a young tattoo artist who has a history of being a car thief. He was caught by the Police some time ago for this crime. In order to have his criminal record archived and even be lucky enough to see it disappear completely, he must complete undercover police missions. Otherwise, they could reopen their case and end up in jail, so Babe (Kenji Kanthee Limpitkranon), his younger brother, would lose his only protector in life.
In this way, Kant will be forced to be an informant and spy for the Police on the same parasites of society that Bison and Faude eliminate daily.
And it turns out that, at the request of Chris (Peter Tuinstra), the police agent handling his case, Kant will have to secretly investigate the brothers Bison and Fadel, suspected of being the two hitmen who have taken the law into their own hands.
It is interesting how the series rewrites the work of the Elizabethan playwright that deals with the theme of "taming a brave woman by her husband", giving it a personal touch that does not leave anyone indifferent. The dialogues are full of wit and the wordplay is remarkable. That's something I love about Jojo, who plays with language and shapes it as he pleases to create series considered true gems of the BL genre with insightful, intelligent and even cynical characters, as he demonstrated in 'Only Friends', 'Never Let Me Go', 'The Warp Effect', 'Our Skyy 2', 'Nobody Happy', among others.
It is also striking how instead of machismo, the submission of the woman to the designs of the husband, marriage and the struggle between the sexes that permeates Shakespeare's work, 'The Heart Killers' takes an unexpected turn to address topics such as crime, flirting and a pitched battle between different personalities or characters.
As in "The Taming of the Shrew," the Thai series notes the ingenious use of duplicates. The contrast between the two brothers, the two love stories, the day divided into two, the different dreams of Bison and Fadel about their futures, the two scenarios that will involve one the laborious life as a front in the hamburger restaurant and the other the crime, among others, all aimed at giving rise to an agile and continuous dramatic counterpoint that very effectively helps the two romantic stories intertwine in an effective way.
In addition to a battle between totally opposite personalities, 'The Heart Killers' is a battle between wits, all the themes: seduction, crime, the relationships between best friends and between the two brothers, the professional tasks of the protagonists, namely that of a tattoo artist, a car mechanic, a chef and a restaurant worker, all of this to give rise to a display of deceptions and tricks, and the winner is always the one who demonstrates the greatest practical intelligence in all matters.
Furthermore, 'The Heart Killers' is a series of transformations that relies on the conventional resources of intrigue comedy; disguise, deception and false identities.
As far as the characters are concerned, above all I would like to highlight the two brothers, since the contrast in their personalities is overwhelming. On the one hand there is Bison, who has a lot of character and does not always agree with what is said to him and, in part, likes to bother others. Meanwhile, Fadel is very serious, responsible, and has always managed to maintain his composure... until Style enters his life.
Khaotung is a convincing actor. He has had meteoric growth since his debut as an actor in the 2018 series 'Cause You're My Boy', in 2018. The construction of his character allowed him to deliver a performance full of subtleties, where Bison's surly and indomitable character contrasts with the moments of introspection and the decisions that lead him to confront his most intimate feelings.
First once again demonstrates his talent, that each role he plays is comfortable for him, despite the challenges, the volume of work, and the archetypal experiences that he has to express on screen, no matter how new they may be for him.
Both make up a dream ship. Their interactions are natural. They know each other well, after being a couple in 'Only Friends', 'The Eclipce' and 'Our Skyy 2'. On this occasion, not only are their sex scenes a gift for the viewer.
Joong Archen Wiraphakul's Fadel is the most important character in this rising star's promising career until today. In his social accounts, the actor, model and singer recognizes that the recognition and affection of the public is the greatest reward received, in addition, what he has been able to grow and learn as an actor and person during the process. I never imagined seeing him "masturbate" in front of the cameras.
But of the four, Dunk has the most growth from a role prior to this. To my surprise, his Style overflows with provocation, sexuality and impudence. As an actor, he has been able to increase his acting skills through training and giving his best in each project. His evolution as an actor is based on extracting valuable lessons from each experience to apply them in future projects.
In the series he had to face things that he had never experienced, such as harassing Fadel, speaking with brazenness and determination, adopting a much sexier pose than on previous occasions, no longer in a university uniform, but in a car mechanic's outfit, T-shirts and shorts and occasion clothes. He had to face situations he had never experienced and search the depths of his emotions to interpret them. For this reason, I consider that 'The Heart Killers' and Style have been a school in his life.
Dunk and Joong Archen are also two actors who have managed to get along after pairing up in 'Star and Sky: Star in My Mind', 'Star and Sky: Sky in Your Heart', 'Our Skyy 2' and 'Hidden Agenda'.
Only the first two episodes have aired. I'll come back later to update the review.

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Ongoing 26/40
Brocade Odyssey
6 people found this review helpful
by MargOh
7 days ago
26 of 40 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Refreshing story, great chemistry ad Strong Natural acting performance from main leads

I was so looking forward to this movie when it was first announced few months ago and it did not disappoint.
every movie that Seven Tan appeared, She became the character as she portrayed it so well and naturally.
I love this drama as it started slowly to develop the background stories, introduced us the cultural history of the Shu brocade and how much process it had to go through to produce one and how they are being treasured by the country. I love this story how Seven Tan and YeCheng interact with each other so well and naturally. They have such a great chemistry and comfortable with each other. Ji Ying Ying portrayed by Seven Tan showed how resilient and persistent she is to protect her mother and brother and also to avenge the death and misjudgment to her father. the story has lots of twist and it also showed the challenges and trials that Ji YingYing had to go through and Ye Cheng was there to protect her even from the start when he knew YingYing was already engaged. the original boyfriend made a big mistake of giving up on Ji YingYing thinking this is his way of protecting her. It was so refreshing to see how the main leads love each other and support each other. there were so many touching scenes that hit us and we couldn't help but feel their pain and cried with them. Seven Tan is so good in her acting that you cried along with her when her tears keep flowing down on her cheeks on those tear-jerking scenes. I have rewatched so many episodes so many times because they are really good and refreshing..

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Ongoing 5/8
Spare Me Your Mercy
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
5 of 8 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.5
This review may contain spoilers

Quite a surprise

I’m not going to write some crazy in depth review like a ton of people do for these shows. I’m simply just going to review this on my emotions and how I felt watching this. Personally I am not really a fan of mystery mixed with BL. I am the stereotypical BL lover meaning I love the high school, college and office drama. Given that I have seen almost every BL on Viki and IQIYI, I was just seething for something else to watch. It took my a good thirty minutes to decide if this title is going to be worth my time. But I ended up giving it a shot. So far, the chemistry between the two mains is so/so. I feel the connection they have, but it’s just been such a slow burn which I love and hate, considering the fact that I just binged the first five episodes and now have to wait to see the rest. I was not expecting to love the mystery aspect of this. I think the cliff hangers and the not knowing is really hooking me onto this. Well that and just the face that the mains are such eye candy, I’m dying for them to get together. But they are playing this mystery off so well, like I could even tell you what is going to happen next. I also really like the idea of how they are using such a controversial topic as the main hook for the series. It’s risky in the public eye, but they have done it so well. I really would recommend this series, and please pray I don’t loose it before the next episode comes out, the stupid preview for episode six has really got me going crazy.

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Completed
Smile Code
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
34 of 34 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

probably underrated

This was too long, but not a bad watch. A few weeks later, I’m finally done ahaha

- surprisingly, I wasn’t annoyed by the back and fourth, repetitive things, the issues between them, etc… maybe watching this over a few weeks help, none of this was really annoying to me like it would usually do.
- I love the ost so much (at this point it’s now even an argument 😂😂I say this for almost every drama)
- Both leads did good for the acting, I don’t really like ML’s actor for some unknown reasons ahah but I liked him here. FL’s actress is pretty good. I remember 2 dramas with her that I never finished, « Use for my talent » and « meteor garden ». the emotional scenes were well executed, the crying scenes also looked real to me
- I liked the romance between the leads, the development of their relationship. they both had their flaws and grow to be better. They helped, supported and loved each other very much. Their romance was pretty sweet, gave us good sweet moments through the drama. It took a while for officially getting together, but we got some good moments long before that. The kissing scenes weren’t bad and we got a few
- It was a lot focus on the leads which I liked (still a bit of filler with side characters though, I’ll get back to it)
- I loved FL’s mom so much. she was such a good character. Kind, sweet, understanding. I liked her conversations with ML and FL. Her advice too. Her scenes with the leads were really good, their sweet memories. She became close to ML almost like a mom, the portrait he painted of her and the like display with the pictures, I loved that. I cried when she died
- I liked the friendships
- the comedy show were not funny at all, maybe a few joke that actually weren’t bad, but very very few
- I was anticipating the second couple after few meetings with them and I was mad when I learned they didn’t even end up together (open ending) when I was what, maybe pass half way. But in the end, didn’t really felt anything. I was mad at her at some point. Anyway their story ended up being disappointing and annoying. we got almost nothing (think they didn’t get enough screentime to develop correctly their story or maybe it was how they wrote it). did we even get one good sweet scene of them while they were dating ? I remember nothing. we got a kiss, I think that was before becoming a couple ? The only thing I remember is that we only saw problems. The issues with her non biological parents, her job, her lying to him. I felt bad for him how he was trying to be more « suitable » for her (because her trash parents didn’t find him suitable for her, too low and wanted them to break up), working more jobs to get money, etc… She was suffering too, but at some point I was annoyed, she had no spine letting her parents control everything in her life, etc.. I never understand in drama when they have their trash controlling parents and in the end, « oh they are my parents, blah blah blah » nothing happens and they stay with them. Just like in Fireworks of my heart.
- FL’s boss and the guy (her ex that SFL worked with) : that was complete filler to me and wasn’t interesting at all in the end. It wasn’t written interesting. there was no point to give us that, it lead nowhere, except maybe them finally moving on ? That should have been removed from the story
- It was funny when ML came back and started to get better. He was like a changed man and we got some good funny scenes
- very minimal love triangle. At some point he annoyed me a bit because I was like « stop confessing bro, she doesn’t like you and you even know it », it tooked him what 2-3times before that was over. Still not really much happened, it was coworkers, friendship and seriously not much scenes just the 2 of them. Also FL only had eyes for ML since the beginning. here it was like love at first sight between the leads. His presence created some jealousy moments.
- no unnecessary problems between the leads in the last few eps that we get in some dramas. Their relationship was strong after they got together. No breakup, I think their was no problems between them (I forgot already ahah)
- I liked the last scene of the drama, the dialogue, love confession and proposal. that was a good speech from FL

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Completed
Calling from the Galaxy
1 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
48 of 48 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 2.5
Story 5.0
Acting/Cast 5.0
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Could have been a gem

I saw the trailer for this, and it looked insanely bad, so if course I decided to watch it. It's a mini dramas, so what harm?
I was greatly taken by surprise to find it hilarious. Every overused trope in xianxia was used and ridiculed. Even when they were being 'serious' the cast were sending a little wink our way, and it was delightful.
At some point however, roughly half way through, this little comedy, no budget drama, that had used it's shortcomings as strengths, decided to take itself very seriously indeed. The comedy flew out the window, the acting flew out the window, and left us with no option but to be held to notice, almost at gunpoint, everything lacking in this drama that the comedy has previously used to captivate us. The episodes may have been short, but this is still bloated at 48 episodes.
I thought this was going to be a little hidden gem, but alas, yet another disaster from xianxia storytelling. If I found out that there were two different directors for the first and second half of this series, I would not be surprised.

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Completed
Hierarchy
0 people found this review helpful
by dasha
7 days ago
7 of 7 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 6.5
Music 10
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

unlike everyone else, i liked it a bit.

while i do agree that this k-drama wasn't super insane or anything. here are the things i liked about it:

- we could see what everyone was doing and thinking and in think that's really cool
- we could see the personal improvement of each character and how they changed as the drama moved on. for example Jae-i's and He-ra's friendship, Jae-i's emotional state and fears improving, Kang-ha and Ri-an's feelings which were mostly relatable as Ri-an always loved Jae-i and also had a strong value of what he wanted in his life and how he was mature enough to show his feelings to his mother even though she didn't understand him and slapped him.
- the diversity such as the student dating the teacher who ended up to be the culprit and also the student with his principal mom.
- the production was very good
- compared to others I've watched its not the best but it's definitely a good one as its only 7 episodes so it definitely isn't a waste of time as others say.
-stable connections. if you paid attention to the characters you would've noticed from the beginning that Jae-i was never actually over Ri-an and that Woo-jin liked He-ra.
- happy ending for everyone.

i'd say just watch it for yourself and see because its very short and it could be quite interesting for you too.

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Completed
Because This Is My First Life
0 people found this review helpful
by SVEE
7 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 5.0
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Would've been a good movie without the poetical nonsense at the end.

First of all, I'd like to say that I have never written a review about a movie before no matter how good or bad the movie but because of this movie, I had to open an account just to write this review because what????

The storyline between the side couples Ho Rang and Won Soek. They needed to stop hurting each other and trying to make each other Happy at the expense of their individual happiness. He was trying so hard to make her happy but she either didn't notice his sacrifice or he didn't understand what she wanted and even when he Finally got it, he tried but he couldn't afford it. They needed space to understand each other's heart and they did well. I loved their storyline.

CEO Ma and Soo ji we're so adorable. He was really understanding and that was exactly what Soo ji needed due to the maltreatment and disrespect she faced at her workplace. Soo ji made me realize that life happens to your dreams and goals, life happens but it's up to you to stop running and face it when the time's right because your happiness lies in firing up your dreams not others dreams.

My problem with this movie is Ji Ho. Why would you do that to him? That was so toxic. At first, I thought there was a misunderstanding and she didn't understand his affection but before she left, she was told clearly (3 times) that he wanted to confess his love to her. If she needed space that was alright and she could've explained it to him and not make him suffer but she divorced him and literally told him she was never coming back just to go on a spa date and enjoy. He went into a depressed state, even sold his house and then she came back trying to act like nothing happened. The worse part was when he was expressing his justified anger and all she did was smile and said " Se Hee got angry; Se Hee told me he missed me" At that point i couldn't take it anymore.

The ending was too toxic and the poetical nonsense close to the end of the movie was absolutely irritating. Thank you

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Ongoing 40/40
The Legend of Taotie
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
40 of 40 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 7.5

should’ve aired a long time ago.

I think the main problem some may have is that this should have aired 4 or 5 years ago when it was originally completed. I remember waiting so,long for this I thought it was scrapped even after the trailers in 2023. this is my initial thought. This show now has to compete with others that has far superior cgi, sets, and costumes. it almost seems a but unfair at this point. As far as the story I’m hoping I can stay focused and not have to keep restarting the episodes. I will update once I watch everything.
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Completed
No Gain, No Love
1 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

Comedy meets heartfelt lessons in this fun twist on fake marriage and newfound family

‘No Gain, No Love’ is an amazing rendition of a rom-com done right. The classic trope of fake marriage is explored from a fresh, new perspective. Originally formed out of mere convenience, as the episodes run on, the leads’ relationship satisfyingly slips into what can only be labeled as a bright, bubbly romance. This transformation allows the leads’ true personalities shine strong, and reveal their most vulnerable and beautiful sides. The series manages to balance serious matters and romcom in perfect harmony, using this blend of genres to bring its hilarious and heart-touching plot to life. It offers its fun spin on fake marriage all while staying true to its core message: that family is not determined by blood, but is determined by the heart.

Inspiring, heartwarming, and brought to life with formidable acting, the characters are full of life, and their psychological growth is unarguably a significant part of the series’ forte. It is both refreshingly perfect and realistic as can be. Though the main characters’ true values and motives in life essentially stay the same throughout the 12 episodes, their decisions reveal that their mindsets have evolved into something much stronger, giving them the strength to find confidence in the actions they choose to take. The difficulties they face only strengthen their bond, making the chemistry they share even more appealing to the audience. Enhanced with mature romance, the leads’ relationship forces them to endure trials that make them step out of their comfort zone. Each difficulty they endure together allows them to see each other under a new light and gives them the opportunity to learn about one another in different contexts. Over time, they harbour strength and love in each other through these hard times, causing a strong and genuine connection to form—slowly but surely.

Though the plot is filled with events, the pacing of these exciting and enthralling happenings is perfect, though they could benefit from better closure. Each one of the storyline’s twists and turns all add up in creating a shift in the leads’ personalities, contributing to their growth. Once individuals who had fallen deep into the bad habit of letting their flaws dictate their everyday lives, they learn to free themselves, and the series ends on an inspiring note regarding this matter. Son Hae-yeong and Kim Ji-uk’s relationship is what fosters this growth, as it allows them to stray from the path of their everyday-life routines. Essentially, their initial connection is not only the start of a touching love story, but it also represents the commencement of their own exploration of self. The qualities they bring out of each other allow viewers to grasp a hold on their true personalities, and their depth crafts a sense of realisticness out of the unique relationship they share. This furthermore deepens the series’ essence, proving that love knows no boundaries and can be harbored out of even the most inconvenient situations.

The leads are depthfully crafted, with flaws made clear from the very start. Kim Ji-uk, the male lead, has a low esteem of self and undervalues his worth. This feeling of inferiority he has manifests itself through his selfless actions, his obsessive oath of keeping promises, as well as his nature of always setting his own priorities in accordance to those of the people around him. His relationship with Son Hae-young breaks his usual demeanour. When Son Hae-yeong enters his life, he lets her break into his bubble, and allows himself to crumble away from the strong and lighthearted posture he usually wears. For the first time, he lets someone bear the consequences of his presence, abandoning his fear of being a burden to others in a life where he feels he is only troublesome.

As for Son Hae-young, her long-time fear of suffering losses and consequently missing out on things in life subsides. The principles she had set for herself long ago don’t apply to Kim Ji-uk, who becomes the center point of her attention. Rather than weighing her loss when faced with situations, she starts making decisions for Ji-uk’s sake, acting in accordance to his own needs. This shift in her priorities represents the first time she puts someone, other than her own self, first. These steps that both Son Hae-Young and Kim Ji-uk take toward becoming better people simultaneously push their relationship forward. It may not be evident in the male leads’ case, but sharing your burden with your partner is more than self-liberating. It’s a healthy practice of care, because by voicing your struggles to your significant other, you are lending them your heart and growing your trust in them.

Through the side characters, ‘No Gain, No Love’ also explores the lives of orphans. With ease, the series manages to balance its lightheartedness with seriosity; showcasing the journey of individuals who try to navigate their life despite their past traumas and experiences. It highlights their determination to surmount their difficulties, as well as their will to make decisions that can be benefitted from rather than bring hell into their lives again. The series’ integration of these characters amidst its comedy invites an exploration of various themes; such as parental abuse, parenting, and tests common conceptions of both familial (with the orphan 'sisters') and romantic love (with a polyamorous relationship).

Because of the limits they confined themselves to, the growth of their relationship blossomed quickly and naturally. They convinced themselves that the love they shared wasn’t real, which let them sink into their vulnerability together without the fear of losing each other because of prejudices or judgement. Their fake engagement gave them the opportunity to explore what they truly seek in the world and how they want to seem through the eyes of others. As they spoke about their struggles openly without humiliation or embarrassment under the pretense of being a fake couple, they gave each other room to open up about their true desires in life—their desires that lay bare underneath the cover of their personalities that were crafted by their sad pasts.

Overall, the series is bright, though it ultimately tells the story of broken hearts and forgotten bonds. Interestingly, despite South Korea’s conservativeness, it didn’t steer away from delving into rather delicate themes such as abortion and modern-day femininity, and what this means in the context of marriage. These elements contributed to its depth, and helped shape ‘No Gain, No Love’ into the amazingly entertaining story it is.

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Completed
Fairyland Romance
0 people found this review helpful
by Pupusa
7 days ago
24 of 24 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
It’s been a long while since I watched a Chinese drama without fast forwarding or doing something else on the side. I forgot how nice it feels to float easily from episode to episode, buoyed by competent directing, writing and acting.

I'd love to see more work from this director, who firmly says no to ham and pretty posing, keeping it natural and believable. His style reminds me of Yin Tao, where the magic is in the tiniest of details. Peach Blossom Valley comes alive under his vision as an isolated and idyllic place with its own rustic culture and… lousy food.

The writers understand that every good romance also needs good character development. We have a leading lady who is learning to trust that people outside Peach Blossom Valley aren’t all bad. And we have a leading man who is learning to trust… someone other than himself. They don't try to be too cute and clever with the dialogue, relying on show rather than tell.

And show us they did. Huang Yi's large expressive eyes remind me of Vicky Zhao, while Wang Hong Yi plays his part with such control, conveying feelings with nano-expressions and the merest flicker of the eyes. His Zuo Jing Lun is so keenly attuned to Qing Qing's every move that you feel like his entire world revolves around her. It's interesting to note that Qing Qing falls in love with him twice, not because of how he treats her but because of how he treats others. Now that’s the kind of maturity and unselfishness I like to see in my romance heroine.

Like Peach Blossom Valley itself, this is a hidden little gem of escapism. It has a definite place on my rewatch list for Valentine's season.

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Ongoing 1/13
ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat
6 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
1 of 13 episodes seen
Ongoing 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

First Impression: ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Overall: the first episode had a good set up and I appreciated the lack of comedy sound effects that are prevalent in GMMTV's series. 13 episodes about 45 minutes each. Airing on GMMTV's YouTube channel as well as Netflix

What I Liked
- the set up was woven in well (with the interview and information about the band) instead of a blatant exposition dump
- Po's supportive friend
- how both Po's and Thame's past experiences shaped their current views of the situation
- production value/music

Room For Improvement
- the "I can explain" but doesn't explain/other person doesn't wait for an explanation

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Completed
Brewing Love
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10

perfect clichê story to take a break

I loved this from start finish
first episode is always to introduce the characters so it's usually hard to watch but I didn't see the time passing after it.

usually I skip cringe scenes but this one didn't give me the urge and I'll watch it again when I need a break from heavy themes or from life.
this drama has healed something in me, I'm a mix of both leads and it was nice to see how they approach each others feelings to create a good relationship
thank God there was no childhood connection
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Completed
Flower of Evil
2 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

Unforgettable and captivating show!

HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend!

To this day it remains the only kdrama that I have rewatched.
Incredible plot and immaculate acting!
I thoroughly enjoyed rewatching Flower of Evil despite knowing the essential plot twists. It was just as intriguing as the first time I watched if not better!

Enjoy!!
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Completed
Brewing Love
0 people found this review helpful
7 days ago
12 of 12 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Not a really realistic story, but a sweet & light romance

The FL (warrior) is responsible for the sales of a beer brand in Busan. To prevent the closure of her branch, she must convince a famous craft brewer (the ML - strange and empathetic) to collaborate with her company.

+++ Healing romance, very cute within the CL, super handsome & all-green-flags ML (Lee Jong Won) and Kim Se Jeong very credible as a warrior seller. No break-up, no love triangle.
+++ Lots of endearing characters
+++ Short format (12 ep) enough for this trope.

### A little "Dramaland" and "all good guys"

=> Light and fun series, to rewatch for Lee Jong Won
*********************************************************************
La FL (warrior) est responsable des ventes d'1 marque de bière à Busan. Pour empêcher la fermeture de sa succursale, elle doit convaincre un célèbre brasseur artisanal (le ML - étrange et empathe) de collaborer avec sa société.

+++ Healing romance, très cute au sein du CL, ML super handsome (Lee Jong Won) et Kim Se Jeong très à l'aise en warrior. Pas de break-up, pas de triangle amoureux.
+++ Bcp de personnages attachants
+++ Format court (12 ép) assez pour ce trope.

### Un peu Dramaland et un peu Bizounours

=> Light and fun, series to rewatch for Lee Jong Won

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