Reviews

Big love for my bamboo sprouts!!

What a wonderful show this was?? I had such a good time watching this drama over the last couple of weeks. Visually, it was incredible, and I just loved the styling and little details here and there. Such as when Zi Qi was invisible, and we could see Miao Miao’s hair ribbon being played with; or when they were sitting on the stairs, and all we could see were the marks their butts had left??

I just loved Esther and Yu Xi together, I cannot believe their chemistry was even better than in “Moonlight” (which says a lot because I LOVED them in “Moonlight”). They were both so fun on screen, and I loved seeing Zi Qi yearn and long for Miao Miao throughout the show?? I also loved our little Bamboo gang in general, and the friendship that they had! ??

Acting wise, this was great! Yu Xi has such great expressions, and his eyes can convey so much; truly, such a good actor!! And Esther was wonderful as well, she can act cute so naturally I love it so much! I also enjoyed the rest of the cast, I just wish the second male lead could have had more room to show his talents, I feel like he was a little underutilized to be honest. Regardless, I loved the cast, everyone had great chemistry and worked well with each other!?

The OST, cinematography and visual effects were also so, so good – this drama was such a feast for my eyes and ears, I loved it!! Although I have to say that it lost me a little bit after episode 23/24, but episode 28-32 were great again, so it’s fine. I will miss this drama now that I’m done with it … ??

Leia Mais

Knock Knock Boys – SASS, CHAOS, AND WHO GAVE THESE CHARACTERS A LICENSE TO LOVE?

Knock knock. Who’s there? A hot mess express pulling into Dysfunction Junction. Knock Knock Boys is the comeback series for Seng, post-scandal (yes, THAT one), and let me tell you, it’s got more drama than my group chat during my friend's boyfriend cheating on her. Buckle up.

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CHARACTERS: A HOTBED OF TROUBLE

First up, LatteAlmond. Yes, that’s their ship name, and no, I didn’t order it at Starbucks. Latte (Jaonine), aka "playboy of the year," spends his time collecting lovers like Pokémon cards. Dude is a manwhore, let’s not sugarcoat it. Living with three roommates—Peak (Best), Thanwa (Seng), and Almond (Nokia)—he makes a bet to help Almond woo his crush, Jumper (Pak). Easy, right? WRONG. Because feelings show up like uninvited party guests, and things spiral faster than my willpower during a sale.

Almond, bless his heart, is your standard shy, emotionally constipated softie. His one job is to pine over Jumper, but nope, he catches feelings for Latte instead. Bro, this ain’t To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. You had one mission.

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PEAK AND THANWA: CHAOS DUO IN THE HOUSE

Now onto Peak and Thanwa. OMG, this side pairing is more tangled than my headphones. They’re supposed to team up to overthrow Latte (rent money wars, y’all), but instead, they find themselves in their own rom-com from hell.

Peak? Surprise, he’s ENGAGED. To a woman. Yeah, my reaction: "I thought you were gay, sir?!" But plot twist—his fiancée has her own girlfriend, so it’s all good. Thanwa, meanwhile, has a psycho ex straight out of a true-crime documentary. This man was out here filming their sexy time (eww) and trying to sell the tapes (double eww). Sir, this isn’t Euphoria. Take your desperation somewhere else.

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THE PLOT: FRIENDSHIP, FEELS, AND WTF MOMENTS

The premise is fun: a bet to help Almond snag his crush leads to unexpected romance. Simple enough. But oh no, this series said, "Hold my drama juice," and threw in love triangles, secret pasts, and enough miscommunication to fuel a thousand memes.

Latte and Almond’s dynamic? Deliciously messy. Latte, the king of denial, doesn’t know whether to kiss Almond or run for the hills. Almond, meanwhile, is all, "Why are you hot? Stop being hot.". And I’m sitting here screaming at my screen, "Just make out already, you fools!"

But the real MVPs? Peak and Thanwa. Their subplot is the kind of chaotic side story you didn’t know you needed. From fiancées with secret girlfriends to psycho exes lurking like an unpaid intern, it’s a ride. And the love triangle? Messy AF.

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JAONINE AND SENG: GORGEOUS, BUT GIVE THEM MORE

Jaonine is a look. Like, if Bright Vachirawit had a twin who wasn’t trying so hard to prove he’s hot, it’d be him. His acting is decent, though occasionally awkward, but hey, he’s pretty, so I’ll allow it. Seng, on the other hand, is out here killing it, people are still salty over the “Fren and I kissed” situation, but can we move on? It’s 2024. Let the man live and act. Also, where’s the same energy for Fren? Toxic fans, please take a seat. Anyway, Seng proves he’s got range, and I’m here for it.

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SPICY SCENES: WHERE’S THE SIZZLE?

The trailer had me hyped for steamier scenes than a sauna. What did we get? A few kisses, two sex scenes, and a whole lot of unresolved tension. I mean, COME ON. If I wanted PG-13, I’d rewatch Love, Simon. At least LatteAlmond’s tension was entertaining, even if it didn’t deliver the goods.

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FINAL THOUGHTS: DRAMA GALORE

Me, watching the last episode: "This is why I have trust issues." But also, "I love this trainwreck so much."

The OST was cute, giving beachy, summery vibes that made me crave seafood and iced coffee. The acting? Solid, especially Seng. The plot? Messy, dramatic, and just self-aware enough to be fun. This series won’t win awards, but it’s perfect for binge-watching while yelling at fictional characters to GET IT TOGETHER.

Final rating: 9.7/10 for the drama, the chaos, and Seng’s redemption arc. Would I watch it again? Hell yes. Would I also scream at Latte to stop being a manwhore? Also yes. Knock Knock Boys is a vibe.

Leia Mais

Perfect plot with unpredictable twists!

It is a difficult journey of a family where you can see what happens when trust is lost and seeds of doubt are planted. It also shows how important communication is.

The most perfect plot that I have ever seen. I was hooked from the first episode and finished the drama in two days. I love how they reveal the truth gradually in each episode, and we get to know who the culprit is, or at least we think we do, as it is impossible to guess till the end.

Compared to other dramas where you can identify the culprit after a few episodes, in this one, it is impossible, and there is a new plot twist almost every episode. It makes your brain work and doubt everything you see. Hats off to the screenwriting, as it is flawless. Also, the director has done a great job of maintaining the suspense throughout the drama, and the cinematography and soundtrack are perfect. Of course, I cannot forget to mention the amazing performances of Seok Kyu and Won Bin.

I do not think it is too slow-paced. For me, it is perfect as it builds the atmosphere and slowly uncovers the truth. It is not like the usual thrillers where there is a lot of action and predictability.

I am disappointed that the rating is so low, and not many people talk about this masterpiece.

Leia Mais

How to be a badass and fucking awesome!

It's always interesting when a drama delivers quality in script, text, and acting, but this spin-off becomes one of those cases that go unnoticed by the public, and for a very prosaic reason: its limited distribution to the South Korean territory. The solution? Well, let's just say that many of us had to resort to "alternative means" to watch. How ironic, isn't it? A production that deserves visibility and yet seems to be content with obscurity.

Among the highlights, it is impossible not to mention Bong Shik, who turned prosecutor Cho Byeong Gun into an envious and delightfully over-the-top caricature. The actor delivered a performance that alone would be worth the episodes. In parallel, Baek SunHo, with his rookie prosecutor, had few scenes but was precise, offering a striking and objective presence. He wasn't the type of character to steal the spotlight, but his energy complemented the plot effectively.

As for the outcome, there is a certain subtlety that suggests a possible continuation. And honestly, why not? If the level of execution remains the same, it would be a pleasure to revisit this universe. Let's just hope that next time, the distribution barriers are smaller. After all, talent like this deserves to be seen — legally, preferably.

Leia Mais

Applaud to the Structure of the drama and how it ties into its Core message

I finished the last 3 episodes yesterday and I admit I cried a little and a lot of wows and surprises. There were something’s that were a little rushed (ex. Retrying the ending fight scene with the demon queen) but it’s not bad at all. It’s still fine the way it was executed and the message they are trying to convey to us. I think they wanted to focus on using one full episode to explain how the whole drama happened, the backstory that ties everything together. The techniques they used to tell the story is interesting and creative (even if it’s not new). They applied a frame story narrative structure on top of using metatheatre. I don’t know about you but that’s some sick techniques to use. It’s paying homage to literary writing (one of the oldest forms of narrative/literary techniques) and it’s intertwine very nicely to the core message of the story: who said things that happened in a story are illusions/fake. Reality mirrors tales and vise versa. It tells a tale of a person’s journey of learning to love himself first before he knows how to love someone else. Even if the journey might be questionable to you the audience it was real on every level to them. Who said stories are fake? (The literary part of me is screaming at how amazing this drama tied up. I screamed and wowed at everything else of course). Don’t get me wrong the message and techniques they used in the story isn’t new but because I made so many guesses in my head what they had in store was not what I expecting. That’s why this worked. It’s definitely a story better watching for yourself without spoilers (man I tried so hard dodging spoilers). My sister didn’t watch it and I would summarize the drama to her all the time. I was disappointed when she said it was cliched. Honestly you need to watch this drama without spoilers ?‍↕️The way the events unfold and the watching experience is what made this one special.

Leia Mais

Comfort Drama

Hometown Cha-cha-cha is the drama that made me fall in love with dramas. It wasn’t the first one I watched but it’s what turned me from someone who had only seen a couple to someone who couldn’t stop watching them. I’ve seen this show twice now and it’s quickly become such a comfort show.

HCCC is the perfect rom com. The first episode drew me in immediately, from their meet cute on the beach to the reveal that behind his aloof exterior, he was obsessed with her from the beginning. Many people hate on Hye-jin, but even though she does some cringey things in the beginning, I always liked her. Hye-jin is a woman who comes off as very cold and detached, often saying the wrong thing and offending people. However, she had a great heart and she would go to bat for the people she cared about; she had a strong sense of justice and wasn’t ever willing to compromise her morals. Chief Hong is pretty notorious for being the perfect boyfriend and that is very accurate. The man’s acts of service are legendary and all the clips that would show him spending his time doing little things to make her happy (the shoes!) were some of the best parts of the show. They had amazing chemistry and I wouldn’t necessarily call it enemies to lovers, but I loved their bickering at the beginning.

There is a love triangle but Lee Sang-yi was incredibly charming and formed a great friendship with Chief Hong, so it didn’t take away from the story. The second couple also had a very cute story arc. This show is the blueprint for a small town drama. All the townspeople are kind of kooky but all get developed personalities and I came to love almost all of them. Even though not a ton happens in this show, it never felt boring and part of it is that they devoted time to all of the characters, not just the leads. Other small town dramas never seem to compare to this one because I don’t feel the attachment to the town the way I do in this one.

The first time I watched this, I sobbed my way through the last few episodes with Chief Hong’s backstory. Kim Seon-ho had an amazing performance. It was quite a tone shift for this otherwise very sweet show but they had really built up the mystery of his backstory and it made me need to see what had happened.

HCCC had the perfect ending. It’s one of the things that makes this a great comfort drama. There is almost nothing that I don’t like about this show. I don’t know if it will ever get knocked out of my top 5 dramas. More of these types of shows please!

Leia Mais

Lost Potential and reason for headache!!!

This Drama started well I was invested fro first few episodes , but was struggling to finish till the end later. Some parts were really great like supportive friends group, chemistry between couples (there are 5-6 on how you count), supportive parents, some good quotes from writers. Well the list of things can be improved is much more long -
1. too many unnecessary characters and subplots
2. Editor was probably absent while they were making this series. many times I couldn't make a head or tail of what's happening so the headaches!!
3. Slow pacing of story , some non con photography

In short , its a one time watch if you like the actors as they did well on the part given to them , but guys please don't hate me if you get serious headache!!

Leia Mais

Un moment aussi doux qu’amer (mais surtout magnifique).

Wow, qu'est-ce que je viens de voir ? Comment ai-je fait pour ne pas me lancer dans cette merveilleuse aventure avant ? Je vais blâmer les tops kdrama pour m'avoir maintenue éloignée d'un aussi bon drama.

Ces 12 épisodes sont passés comme un film de 2 h. Honnêtement, j'ai trouvé ça trop court et suis actuellement dans l'attente d'une saison 2 (qui ne verra sans doute jamais le jour).

Ce drama raconte l'histoire d'un avocat spécialisé dans les divorces. Le fil conducteur nous laisse suivre les différentes affaires dont il est chargé. À côté, nous accompagnons les différents personnages dans leur évolution personnelle. J'ai trouvé la répartition des différents moments excellente, ce qui fait qu'on ne voit pas le temps passer. C'était très bien dosé.

On nous présente des personnages très bien écrits et qui savent faire vivre un drama. Aucun d'entre eux n'est inutile et ils sont constamment dans la pertinence.

Drama très touchant (j'ai pleuré à tous les épisodes), mais également miroir de notre réalité. La diversité des histoires abordées fait que tout le monde peut être touché. Mention spéciale aux deux enfants, les... problèmes d'adultes ne devraient jamais affecter la santé d'un enfant.

Leia Mais

Predictable, but still fun

Kidnap was a solid show that, while fairly predictable, was a fun watch. I did hope for a little bit more on the whole...yknow kidnapping aspect? But overall I enjoyed it and am very glad that GMM has announced Ohm and Leng as an official pairing after watching this.

Min (Ohm) works as an action stunt double, and with his sick brother, he's in need of some quick money. His agent sets him up on a job to earn a lot of money fast, but it involves kidnapping a rich kid named Q (Leng) for ransom. Min thinks this will be a quick job that he can forget about easily, but when he's told to kill Q instead, Min takes him and hides him. Naturally, Min is going to get in serious trouble if the client finds out Q is still alive, but keeping him quiet at Min's house isn't easy either. The two start to get to know each other and become wrapped up in the drama of Q's father's police investigation with mafia-like criminals.

Min and Q's relationship was very fun to watch develop, and I didn't think any issue was overly drawn out. I did think that pretty much every conflict in the show was predictable - it felt like we were going around in circles where Min and Q would take turns with the whole "we need to break up so you can be safe" thing. I also felt like this was one of the least convincing "poor protagonists" ever. You're saying you need money but you have TWO large houses?? I get he was trying to sell one but still, it felt a little off. Overall this show was a fun watch and the main couple had great chemistry. Even though I felt like it didn't do anything too new, I enjoyed it and am excited to see what Ohm and Leng do next.

Leia Mais

Somehow tiresome and tedious

Idk guys, it’s probably me and I TRIED but I just COULDN’T.

Everything about this drama was fine, technically. The acting was fine, it had a storyline that wasn’t drowned out by unnecessary NCs and it had conflict.
But by GOD it was so TIRESOME to watch. It was gratuitously melodramatic and unrealistic with barely any character development at all. The same conflict was repeated over and over again, so much so that I felt like I was trapped in a forever loop.
It also didn’t help that I kind of started to despise the younger brother. He was annoyingly persistent and selfish and almost kinda started to guilt trip the older brother into considering his confession. A little manipulative and creepy. It was unrealistic how his whole existence started and ended with his older step brother. He doesn’t have a life outside of his brother and his every thought is dominated by his brother. I understand that it’s probably supposed to portray this undying, idealistic type of love (obsession more like) but that’s why it’s either unrealistic or straight up frightening.

By the end I actively rooted against them. It felt like the story was trying to gaslight the older brother into giving the younger brother a chance. Ultimately, it didn’t feel to me like the older brother had the same feelings for the younger one. In fact, their dynamic reminded me a lot of the step bro couple from HIStory 4. Both younger step brothers were manipulative, persistent and obsessive, both older brothers were confused about their feelings and, what felt like, were led to believe that they are in love with their younger step siblings. Idk, I personally feel weird and awkward about this type of relationship dynamic, but those are my personal view and feelings about it.
I do kinda feel bad for giving it a 6 stars but it was such a slog for me to get through that I simply can’t force myself to give it more.

Another thing that bothered me was the love story between the younger sister and the older brother’s friend. He looked so much older than her and probably was and he saw her grow up etc so the first thought that entered my mind was that it’s plain old grooming. I was surprised that the older brother accepted their relationship relatively easily. He wasn’t happy about it but he also wasn’t as upset as I expected or would’ve liked him to be. If it was my little sister I’d probably seriously re-evalue my ‘friendship’ with that person.

Leia Mais

This had so much potential!

This is one of my first reviews ever, but I felt the need to write about this so bad.
The first couple of episodes were incredibly well done and enticing; however, it slowly starts the go down. The story started really interesting and the cinematography was incredible! The shots and the acting what really kept me going for this one. And I really liked that the story did not go in circles and issues were resolved as quickly (sometimes too quickly).
Yet the writing through the end was really upsetting. Resolving the issues that started the story was a great move but stretched far too long. It bored me so much. It was sad to see that such good drama was butchered with the writing at the end.
What really kept me on the show was the acting! It was truly a pleasure to watch the FL and ML (especially him) act so genuinely. Every time ML had blurry eyes, right on point, I had blurry eyes. I liked their acting, I would watch everything with them in it. I cannot praise this enough.
How I hope that one day I will be able to see not annoying acting with not annoying writing!

Leia Mais

Rom-com with a slice of life!

When I saw the teaser, I was hesitating whether to start watching the series or not. Because it seemed a bit gloomy.

Then I watched several few episodes and got hooked. I started the series because the fact that Shenyue and Linyi are well known as best friends. I wondered how will they act as a lover. And to be honest, it’s better than I expected.

Both the leads showed much improvement for their previous works. They recited the lines in a more natural way. And not to mention all the spontaneous reaction which I believe were ad-libs.

What I like the most about the series, though it’s rom-com, it didn’t get trapped in “dumb” storyline. All flowed really well.

Oh, and I like the acting of Zou Ting Wei and Ophelia Yang. They acted their character really well.

Leia Mais

"나 좀 싫어해줄래요? 엄청나게 끝간데없이. 아주아주 열심히."

It'll soon be a whole year since Lee Seon Gyun's tragic suicide. He is a great loss for the Korean and global film industries. As I watched the drama I couldn't help but realise that a person completely rotten from the inside, as he was portrayed by the journalists and haters, would never be able to emit that warmth and kindness he put into his most memorable role. I long hesitated to write any review at all for this drama because it didn't seem like it would be any kind of revelation to the viewers and its fans. But it just feels so unfair that the death of such a great actor is now forgotten and the world has moved on with all the horrible things that happen all the time. I am going to remember Lee Seon Gyun through this drama and I will have to rewatch it again someday because I feel like I should grow into it a bit.

Recently I've met a person whose warmth and character reminds me a lot of "ajeossi" Park Dong Hoon, and my mind returned to this drama again. May he overcome his struggles and live a happy and fulfilling life.

Also, a sunny summer is probably a bad time to watch this K-drama. It's not easy on you, so avoid watching it in distress, but the late fall approaching Thanksgiving will do.

Leia Mais

Cleverish plot with humor and some romance and mystery.

(I rate vertically filmed micro dramas on their own sliding scale). General spoilers below. Made me chuckle or laugh out loud multiple times. Overall smartly written and quite enjoyable and satisfying; left me with a smile on my face. Gu Ming Han's facial expressions as the ML are fantastic and so fun to watch (a large part of the high rewatch value for me).

I loved the premise and thought the show did a good job with it. It was fun and interesting that the ML could hear all the FL's thoughts, and the audience gets to hear plenty of the ML's thoughts too. Because the FL gets reborn in the body of a girl that was lazy and desperate for attention, it takes her awhile to change people's opinion of her.
The mysteries of who was behind what schemes was pretty quickly obvious to the audience, yet the leads figured things out at a believable rate and in a logical way (especially the ML).

Though this has a higher rating on my personal sliding scale, my guess would be that the ML may turn some people off. Because the overall tone of the show stayed light, I enjoyed this despite the ML acting like more of a d*ck than he needed to (with his words) for about 2/3rds of it (not sadistic, though there are choke holds very early on before he starts believing the FL is a different person than before). He does start to redeem himself and I can imagine him fully redeeming himself over time (we just don't see their life past their wedding). His actions improve fairly early on as he gets over his suspicions of the FL and starts to like her, but his words send mixed signals as he tends to mask his intentions; he'll protect her, but then make light of it. Two things I appreciated about this character that many in vertical dramas don't do: 1) It's a process, but the ML is willing to question his perception of the SFL and starts to put his guard up around her even before he fully believes she's as bad as the FL's internal thoughts indicate. 2) Later on, he recognizes in his own thoughts that he has some work to do to win over the FL because of how he's previously acted (though his words still take a while to catch up).

There are a couple moments of sexual tension, a couple suggestive lines, and a satisfying lip press kiss near the end. The FL shows and has thoughts about desiring the ML too. Happy ending with their wedding and another brief lip press.

All actors were good and fit their parts well. The SFL and SML have some psychological issues and try to murder multiple people to get what they want, but they stay plausible and believable (did not turn into caricatures).

Watched with good English subtitles on licensed channel @RomanticDramaTV (浪漫短劇社RomanticDrama) in Nov 2024:
https://youtu.be/crwP_GO0OYo?si=kc8O7c1IK5OQ43RJ

Leia Mais