completed《2023》

A war film at core. From the very beginning, the main goal of Shin has always been to be the greatest general under the Heavens - and to achieve that dream, he has to join the war and rise from the ranks. In short, the sequel focuses on Shin and the war between Qin and Wei. The two other main leads, Eisei and Karyouten, barely appeared on screen and the story of the trio’s (budding) friendship took a step back. This sequel was basically more about warfare - after all, Eisei’s dream of unifying China has already kickstarted. It is time for Shin to learn what it truly takes to be a great warrior.

Speechless. The last two episodes did that. The duality is that one scene had the most intense, jaw dropping fight in all two seasons and then the longest and sappiest in the next. Still, the mind-fuckery outweighs the preachiness.

This season is not solely about the games anymore. It delves into the characters, their backstories, ideals, and motivation—a perfect build up for the conclusion. Because for such a crazy and out of this world premise, the ending made the most absolute sense.

Simple, sweet, and lovely. No toxicity, no love triangles, and no family, school, nor economic problems created for the sake of having drama. This was a story purely about the main leads.

Both male and female leads were smart (rank 1 and 2, respectively), lovely people with actual personalities. Be it as friends, lovers, or something in between, there was not an ounce of shyness or awkwardness throughout their relationship. There were second leads but their budding feelings were cut off by the main leads themselves early on. Best part - the second leads actually listened and remained great friends with them. Misunderstandings were rare and even if they had one, it was never prolonged; they were easily solved within that episode. The story spanned for about ten years (with a generous epilogue set in later years) yet it did not feel slow or rushed at all. Because true to its title, time was indeed just right.

The thing about this is even if there was no drama between the main leads, it was not boring. They did not need any big romantic gesture to elicit emotions from the viewers. Watching them interact was like watching two best of friends interact in daily life, growing together as individuals and as a couple. Not exactly cavity-inducing, but rather calming. Like a therapy.

Simple, wholesome, and adorable. My School President is a high school BL that actually feels like it is set in high school without making it the awkward phase in their lives. It captured the essence of high school life - the good, the bad, the friendship, the unrestrained emotions, and most importantly, the fun.

The two leads, Tinn and Gun, had such a natural and lovely chemistry. They were so comfortable with each other and well-aware about the progress of their relationship. Their ability to understand and process their emotions is way ahead than what the average drama couples have.

As for the biggest downside of the drama, definitely the length. Like I mentioned above, this was a simple story. Nothing groundbreaking or whatsoever in terms of the plot, so there were struggles in finishing episodes with ~70-80 minutes of running time.

Not as intense as I wanted to be - I wanted more confrontation, more rage, but it did make sense given how the characters work. Each and every one of them, no matter how small the role was, remained consistent until the end. Moon Dong-eun simply set everything up, she did not have to get her hands dirty; it was everyone’s greed and betrayal that brought disaster upon themselves. And they deserved it. The ending they each got was the best ending they could get because dying was the easy way out.

Slow but surely. This was a revenge that had 18 years in the making - and it showed. Brilliant and twisted without ever losing its focus. Crazy entertaining too.

The ultimate mind game. One of the rare dramas where I could never predict the motivation or which side the characters are on. Not one, not two, but all three male leads are equally as cunning as each other, each holding significant power in Nanqing wherein their loyalty lies - which makes them more vicious and fearsome because every little thing they do has a purpose, no matter the means.

But then - this drama is so serious and unserious at the same time LOL it has elements of science-fiction and comedy, yet they never felt out of place in the overall tone of the drama because the modern (or mythological) concepts are well incorporated into the story. Bizarre, but very much intriguing. Complex, but brutally brilliant.

Calming and healing, but also made me ponder and feel desolated. Maybe it’s the warm color palette, the dialogues, or even just the overall atmosphere of the drama - either way, it hurt real good.

More of a survival/time loop than a horror. But make it cute. Cute and gory.

No plot, just vibes. And I vibed so hard, I just wanted to curl up and cry after finishing the movie. That air of loneliness hit too close to home. I rarely say this but I see myself in the main character.

This is simply a story about human interaction and connection. A story of spreading kindness and warmth without asking for anything in return. It’s both heartwarming and bittersweet at the same time.

The drama that had me giggling, screaming, kicking my feet - and reliving my teenage years. The is a drama that had me, someone who experienced a rather simple and uneventful but contented high school life, feeling represented. No social, economic, or self issues. No angst. No toxicity. This is THE epitome of a youth drama.

Not to mention, it has THE perfect final episode. Not rushed, not slow, and not just a fanservice. A perfect goodbye not just for the drama itself, but also to the characters and their youth.

Something about this drama feels so lowkey and organic. Romance is mature, healthy, and just overall lovely. No misunderstandings, no angst, and no unnecessary drama or hijinks. It’s simply a romance - a good and a comforting one at that.

[rewatch] + upping my initial rating from 8.5 to 9