Reviews

The Boss' Pawn Opera (Major spoilers ahead!)

I. The Good
It's a happy ending, albeit rushed. MXY plays his role as the yandere male lead (ML) with enough crazy in his eyes and ZCX is, as always, a beautiful, strong female lead (FL). I picked this up because I was lured by tantalising cuts on YouTube, each promising dog-blood melodrama and palpable sexual tension . Unlike Benny Benassi's song, this pushed me but did not touch me, and so I got no satisfaction.

II. The Bad
The drama teases an interesting premise, but fails in developing the story in any believable manner. The episodes require your mind to execute Simone Biles' level of gymnastics skills, because even dog-blood melodrama needs a slow burn and not an immediate Australian summer bush fire. The scenes are disjointed, and sometimes leave you to create stories in your mind to fill in the blanks.

We meet the ML, the son of a deceased mob boss, albeit the famiglia is no longer in the business. He is running from an ex-business associate when he sees the FL, a poor innocent nurse leaving work, and uses her as his cover. The ML promptly falls in love with the FL because of her nursing skills. We then find out that the FL's father is a policeman, and so was her deceased brother. So how can her family accept a shady son-of-mob-boss as a son-in-law, especially when he arrives at their modest residence with such cringey fanfare and arrogantly announces that he will be marrying the FL? To top it off, the FL is dating a puppy-dog childhood sweetheart, who agrees to expedite their marriage plans to thwart the ML's plans.

Not taking no for an answer, the ML proceeds to buy her time by donating large sums of money to the hospital employing the FL. He surprises the FL with a wall full of her social media photos, and tells her that he has plenty of resources to hunt her down if she runs away. Of course, the FL continues to reject him, telling him that he can't buy true love. Meanwhile, the ML's stepmother is trying to force him into an arranged marriage and the puppy-dog fiance's mother is aghast that her son plans to offend the ML by marrying the FL. The ML throws money at the FL, trying to make her fall in love with his deep pockets. Then he interrupts the childhood sweethearts' wedding and throws money at the fiance, to get him to walk away. The next day, the ML arrives at the FL's residence to throw money at her parents as bride price. He then finds out that the FL (somehow within the endless time of 72 hours) donated the money, resigned from her position at the hospital, and moved away. The ML tracks her father down at the police station he works at and having thrown money at the police chief, has the father arrested for corruption and bribery charges.

The FL runs to the ML to have her father released, and he agrees on the condition she marries him. Out of nowhere, the ML's stepsister runs to the FL's home to cause trouble, which is summarily resolved by the FL (what was the point of this scene even?). The heretofore unknown bridal makeup artist also gives the FL grief for unknown reasons, before being dragged out and punished (cruelly, one assumes). On the way to the wedding venue, the bridal sedan is involved in an accident arranged by the ML's stepmother, and the ML fails to rescue the FL from the burning wreck when he arrives at the scene. The FL's parents discover that the ex-fiance had somehow saved the FL after the accident, and that she was alive and well. However, the ex-fiance's mother demands that she leaves her son as the FL will cause trouble for her son. The FL must be cursed by a red string, because as soon as she leaves, the ML finds her while driving down some random road. He drags her kicking and crying back to the wedding altar, and blackmails her by strapping a bomb to one of the wedding guests. The ML finally marries the FL and brings her home, where she tearfully strips. Instead of pawing at her like a wildebeest, he gently covers her up.

One assumes that the marriage is not consummated. In the next scene, the ML's stepmother and stepsister are complaining about the expensive jewellery he had bought for the FL. He informs them that the FL is now the mistress of the household and household funds. Going for gold, the ML does not take advantage when the FL is in the bath and the next day, the FL's colleagues are praising her philanthropic husband for his good deeds. These 6 minutes are sufficient to brainwash the FL, and she rejects her ex-fiance when he comes to 'rescue' the FL. Their meeting is of course seen by the ML, courtesy of the ML's stepsister, and in a fit of jealousy, he breaks the ex-fiance's arms so that he can never paint again. Still jealous, the ML is about to force himself on the FL when she scrapes her hand on broken glassware, and he rushes her to the hospital, where she has the opportunity to find out that the ML had crippled her ex-fiance's arms. They argue, and the FL goes on a hunger strike. When the ML attempts to coax the FL, she demands that he apologises to the ex-fiance. The ML grudgingly goes to the hospital to apologise, and allows the ex-fiance to smash him over the head. This scene is (of course!) seen by the FL's father, who just happened to be walking by. The FL's father is so impressed with this one scene, that he teaches the ML how to make his daughter's favourite soup and persuades his daughter to forgive the ML.

The FL softens and visits the ML at night. She grows lusty after seeing his wounded forehead, and we finally get to see the ML topless. The FL spends a hot and heavy night with the ML. The next morning, the ML's stepmother and stepsister somehow catches the ex-fiance trying to sneak into their residence, and promises to help him 'rescue' the FL. While the FL is rejecting the ex-fiance, the stepmother fabricates a story of how the FL hates the ML so much that she refuses to have his child and is about to elope with the ex-fiance. Of course, the ML has never heard of planned pregnancies and communication, and rushes off to beat the ex-fiance. The FL does not want to visit her husband in jail, and tries to stop him, which is (of course!) misinterpreted by the ML. After 4 minutes of threatening to kill herself and then kill him, the FL walks off. The stepsister then sends some heretofore unknown slut to seduce the ML, who is violently rejected when the ML realises he only ever wants to have children with the FL. After the ML sinks into alcoholism, the stepmother and stepsister must have been deafened and blinded by the amount of Chanel they were wearing, because they proceed to expose their own crimes while the ML is crouched behind the very sofa they are sitting on. The ML awakens from his drunken stupor and has them tortured before tossed into the sea like a proper mob boss.

In another part of the world, the FL's father is apologising to his deceased son for accepting the ML. He later sees the ex-fiance visiting the grave and overhears the ex-fiance confessing to being the cause of his son's death. The FL's father furiously beats up the ex-fiance, but is tricked into turning his back and letting the ex-fiance smash him over the head with a giant rock conveniently placed nearby. The FL discovers her father's death and the ex-fiance convinces her it's the ML who killed her father. Abruptly, in the next scene, the FL is tied up and gagged, and the ex-fiance demands the ML to appear alone at some abandoned building. The ML turns up, and is surprised that the FL is unbound and well, holding a gun to him. The ex-fiance eggs the FL on to kill the ML, while the ML swears he did not harm her father. The FL is unable to shoot the ML, so the ex-fiance takes a pole to beat the daylights out of the ML. The FL tries to stop the ex-fiance, because she is so deeply in love with the ML, and while vomiting blood the ML has the breath to repeat that he did not kill her father. For some reason, the ex-fiance takes this opportunity to confess that he was the one who murdered her father, leading to the FL trying to shoot him at close range because apparently a gun cannot work further than 1 meter. The FL promptly loses control of the gun, and the ex-fiance threatens the ML with her life. Just as he is about to shoot, the ML ambushes the ex-fiance and satisfyingly punches him 5 times. The ML stops short of killing the ex-fiance, just before the police arrive and arrest the ex-fiance. The ex-fiance somehow manages to slip from the police's grasp (they should really hold people tighter) and grabs one of their guns. A 'bang' is heard, but neither the FL nor the ML was shot. Another policeman had shot the ex-fiance from behind. The end.

As you can see, a story is told in 96 minutes but what it delivers feels more like a series of disconnected scenes. It’s as if the director handed you a jigsaw puzzle full of favourite dog-blood scenes, but left out the mundane story-building pieces, forcing you to fill in the blanks with nothing but your imagination and a lot of wishful thinking.

III. The Ugly
Trigger warnings for: Violence and attempted sexual assault.

IV. The Verdict
Disappointing. I'm not even sure I can recommend this for a one-time watch.

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obviously not a romance-focused series

first of all i want to say thankyou for everyone involved in this series-yinwar, actors, director, producers, staffs, everyone. i might be new in this fandom (less than a month, i'm here after eps 9) but i'm very grateful and thankful i'm not late. big applause to yinwar, for believing in the story, potraying jack and joker, invest their own money..

it is indeed a successful series. hopefully i'll still be here to see them enjoy the view of northern light. hope to see more of their works, either as a partner or individually. a big thankyou as well for other actors and staffs involved. they made this series possible.

now i want to talk about things i remember. this is me after finishing the series earlier this morning hahaha. plot holes. it's something that's been bothering me. i can't mention every plot holes i found but for sure i'll try to read others' opinions and to see if i can find new facts to make this story whole in my head. maybe the first one is- the couple ring. people said it's the fake ring joker made during that robbery scene(?) i guess it's correct? but again, some plots aren't explained explicitly. sometimes i just don't have the memory nor ability to pick up all the cues and connect them. and some other plots that maybe i just don't remember the details well lol

i loveee the osts! no complaint ofc. acting? amazing. storyline? mindblowing. at first i didn't expect this series to be this heavy and action-focused but hey, they did it! at the end we only get some tiny bit of romance haha but for me it's pretty acceptable but ofcourse i want a bit more of romance, especially after everything jack and joker went through. i also love the character developments!

this is def my fav series of all time! i knew it even before eps 12 airs lol but yeah, highly recommended for people who want to watch bl but not too much romance involved, includes action and comedy as well! at least it's not too heavy because we can still laugh here and there between scenes lol

even though it might seems like there's not much of jack's pov, but for me, both povs are perfect. i love how they potray jack and joker in their own ways. jack struggling with almost everything in his life but still helping people instead of focusing on himself, and joker struggling to ask for jack's forgiveness, stealing while actually his intentions are good. their communication might not be so smooth but it's better than nothing.

so, maybe that's all for now. love the angst as well hahaha hopefully we can see more of heavy plot bl series in the future!

rewatch value 9.5 because it's on iqiyi and i don't think i can handle the stress of thinking about the whole plot lol

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I just watched ep.1 with all the cast a week ago and my experience was overwhelmed, I love everything about this series.
First of all, the casts , FK acting is alway fantastic ! their chemistry and everything, couldn’t stop watching them teasing each other for a week now haha. Also JD i’ve never seen nor watch they acting together before but in this series I really love the dynamic between them. I have so much fun when they appear on screen.
Wanna praise the production team too, they did great! The art production is on point, they truly put a lot of work in this series.
I really looking forward for the next episode and all the turns they will took(wanted to see bison turn bad haha).

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The cheesiness was too much for me but I ride-or-die for Jun

I came to watch Wen Junhui in a male lead role as a fan. The drama is a fluffy youth/coming-of-age romance drama where the male lead is the cold studious older-brother-like childhood friend but secretly whipped for the cute naive little-sister-like female lead.
The romance was a bit cringe and cheesy because it was pretty stereotypical. I think Junhui expressed hidden affection quite well but I understand some people may not like his character because Lingchao is quite reserved, withdrawn and deadpan, but imo that's what makes it funnier when he does out-of-pocket things for the female lead.
I actually like the second male lead a lot, his love was very sweet. I think the actors did well within the script they were given.

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A Gritty Crime Thriller Where Revenge and Corruption Collide

*Gangnam B-Side* (as of Episode 6) has proven to be a gripping and intricate drama, blending intense character development, dark themes, and a maze of morally complex choices. Set in the underbelly of Gangnam, it explores the dangerous world of power, corruption, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. The show does a great job of painting its characters as deeply flawed yet compelling, particularly with its leads, who are constantly caught in the tension between seeking revenge and protecting those they care about.
The central plot revolves around the criminal activities of Gangnam Trading, led by Joon-seo and various other powerful figures, including Choi and Tak. The illegal trafficking of drugs like Neon and the exploitation of escorts add a sense of urgency and suspense to the narrative. Characters like Dong-woo and Gil-ho have become somewhat tragic figures, driven by guilt, revenge, and a sense of justice, though often falling short in their attempts to protect others.
The pacing has been relatively well-balanced, with the first few episodes establishing key relationships and tensions, while episodes 4 through 6 really ramp up the stakes. There’s a delicate interplay of personal vendettas and larger criminal conspiracies, and the show delves deep into the emotional toll these secrets take on its characters. Episode 6, in particular, marks a turning point with a huge revelation regarding Gil-ho’s past and his identity, which adds another layer of mystery to his motivations.
The themes of power, betrayal, and guilt are consistently explored throughout the episodes, with each character’s arc being carefully developed. While the show can be dark and at times a little slow in its buildup, it rewards patience with intense moments and twists that keep the viewer invested. The cinematography, particularly the use of neon lights and the atmospheric tension of the scenes, also contributes significantly to the show’s tone.
There are hints of resolution in the near future, but with two episodes remaining, it seems that *Gangnam B-Side* still has plenty of dramatic developments to unfold. The final episodes are likely to tie together the fates of its main characters, who have been caught in a web of crime and vengeance, though it’s unclear who will come out on top in the end.
In short, *Gangnam B-Side* is a tense and thrilling watch that pulls you into its gritty world of crime and power, while exploring complex character dynamics and deep emotional stakes. If you're a fan of dark crime dramas that blend mystery with intense personal conflicts, this show is definitely worth a watch.

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This Show Gave Me Whiplash

This was the first series I've watched with these actors so I viewed it without the bias of being a fan of any of them.

Things this show did well:
Casting - Everyone really brought their characters to life and did well with what they were given. The leads had great chemistry. Grandma's actress really tied the whole show together with her charm and acceptance. Toi Ting's actress was cute without being annoying. The actors playing the friends were quirky and interesting even if the characters they portrayed didn't have much growth. I do have to call out the surgeon with shaky hands, though.

Acting: There were really great performances. It wasn't always great across the board, but I'd say on the whole that it was acted well.

Settings, Costuming, and Makeup: I thought the settings and costuming really added to the show. Not just Joke's costumes but also the costumes for the other characters. I felt like each character really would wear what they wore in their various scenes. I also liked that the actors weren't caked in makeup and looked more natural, unless it made sense for the character to be wearing makeup. Jack's home was really inviting and warm and contrasted well with the more posh locations.

Heart: The time, energy, effort, and heart that went into making this show really does come through. It's obvious that everyone gave it their all to bring this story to life. This isn't a show with more simple production like one with a uni/school/office setting. It is ambitious with many complicated scenes.

Things that didn't work for me:
Logic/Reason - It pretty much doesn't exist. Why did this thing happen? How did that thing happen? Where did the resources come from for that thing? How does the timeline line up properly? Don't worry about it and just believe that it did. Joke got hired as a makeup artist for a wealthy client who then happily showed this stranger daddy's secret treasure room? Believe. Characters ended up relocated out of town with little time or resources to get them there? Totally happened. These guys had the resources to make cool stuff when it's established everyone is poor and in debt? Believe. The whole scene in the bank? Just trust. Joke totally just got lucky enough to find the camera that Tattoo threw on the ground without his knowledge while he was hiding in the cooler? Sure thing buddy. It continues through the entire series. Shows with elaborate schemes and heists are so much more enjoyable when they make somewhat logical sense.

Lack of editing - Ever read a really long fan fiction and start feeling like the author needs an editor to reign them in and tighten up the story? That's what this show began to feel like after a while. There were episodes that were movie length and could have definitely used some editing. The entire show is nearly 15 hours long and could have been trimmed to make it more concise and impactful. I'd start by trimming the fight scenes. There were way too many, they went on for too long, and they were so unrealistic you'd think the characters had super powers with the kinds of beatings they took and just kept going.

Identity - This show couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Comedy? Action? Heist show with a clever mastermind? Romance? Social commentary? Heartwarming family drama? It tried to be all the things, and as another reviewer said, all the tone shifts didn't work. Yes of course, shows can blend multiple genres together, but there wasn't good blending. There were some pretty brutal and dark scenes in this show that came without warning. The comedy was also not the kind of comedy I find funny.

Continuity - My brain gets hung up on continuity errors and won't let go, so the scene where Jack is cleaning the Joker Thief symbol off the garage wall really stuck with me. There were other places where continuity was lacking, but that one was the most egregious.

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I came for the romance but the side characters frustrated me so much

I happened upon a random Youtube clip of this drama which made me absolutely bawl my eyes out and want to watch this drama. I can say that the best parts of the drama are the vulnerable scenes with only the main leads as that's where we see the actors' good chemistry and skills.
The story has a good premise (basically a pandemic but with zombies) and I did read some of the webtoon it is based on. The side characters make really stupid decisions which I know is supposed to illustrate the classism between the more rich tenants and the poorer tenants in the apartment building, along with other personal issues the characters have, but goddamnit this is a zombie apocalypse and these people don't have a single ounce of logic. The main leads are officers so they use their power to boss around the tenants for the safety of the community, which can be considered abuse of power, but these people are so stupid, I can almost excuse this.
Overall, I would say watch this if you like zombie stories or a couple who are ride-or-die for each other, and maybe skip some parts by reading summaries.

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Dorama interessante que pecou no excesso de episódios

É um dorama bem dinâmico, com personagens interessantes e com uma história cômica e leve.
Nos primeiros episódios estava com dificuldade de me prender à história, mas os episódios foram passando e a história começou a ficar interessante. Não é um dorama com muitas reviravoltas, plots complexos e dramático. Mas sim, um dorama mais tranquilo, com bastante comédia, voltado em destacar a amizade, companheirismo e amor entre os personagens.
Tem vários casais que se formam, os romances são leves (nada de triângulo amoroso ou enemies to lovers) e destacam a cumplicidade entre eles.
Para mim, o dorama poderia ter terminado no episódio 26, no reencontro dos protagonistas no mundo imortal. Até aí, a história foi coesa, interessante e sem episódios enrolados e desnecessários. A partir daí, acho que já não tinha mais coisas para acontecer, e percebi que começaram a encher linguiça para completar os 40 episódios… sem falar que no episódio 26, teríamos um final perfeito, já no ep 40 tivemos um final em aberto e muitas coisas desnecessárias aconteceram.

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saí desse desidratada

"Para as coisas que já se foram, para um tempo já passou, eu quero dizer um adeus atrasado. Adeus, juventude. Adeus, Ssangmundong.”

Eu fui assistir esse aqui já sabendo que ia amar, mas agora eu posso afirmar com todas as letras que: Reply 1988 é uma obra prima.

Eu não tenho adjetivos pra descrever tudo o que eu senti assistindo esse drama, e tudo que eu falar ainda vai ser pouco. A palavra mais próxima talvez seja "aconchego", como um abraço apertado ou de um carinho no colo da mãe.

Esse drama é belo em todos os sentidos, especialmente na forma realista dos dilemas pessoais que cada personagem enfrenta, a simplicidade nas relações... cada detalhe é perfeito.

Não teve 1 episódio que eu não me emocionei, porque é tudo tão sensível e tão real que é impossível você não se apegar e se emocionar como se não fosse um familiar ou seu amigo próximo. Todos os personagens são tão apaixonantes que, pra mim, não teve nenhum núcleo familiar mais ou menos interessante que o outro, eu queria conhecer mais sobre cada um deles!!

O elenco todo é incrível, sério, que elenco bom! Em especial eu dou meus parabéns pra hyeri que conseguiu interpretar uma das protagonistas mais amáveis, divertidas e cativantes que eu já acompanhei (te amo Deok-Sun!).

Acabou e eu queria mais, 20 episódios foi pouco! Eu assistiria 40, 60, 100 episódios se todos tivessem essa mesma essência.

Se você gosta de sitcoms como eu, assista reply! e se você não gosta de sitcom, dê uma chance pra reply, vale muito a pena!

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A thrilling funny steamy masterpiece

So first of all I wanted to say Jojo has done a wonderful job for this first episode. Literally from the get go you will fall in love with the series m, the set up, the background music and the cinematic views. First Khaotung are literally gems! Like tbe chemistry is as hot as a sizzling pan. From the expressions to the acting, I cant ask for more. Especially Khaotung giggling like a teenage girl inlove lol, loved that! And Joong Dunk are soooo precious in this! I am loving to see Dunk improved a lot!! And he is killing as Style! And Joong is so handsome in that grumpy role! I read the book as well and the first episode seems sooo well done! Can’t wait for more!

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