Watched 2024

14/10/24 

The comments warned me it would be bad and though I don't think it's nearly as horrific as people make it out to be, it's not good either xD I was honestly hoping it would have a lot more girlbossing (I think the poster was fairly misleading in this regard) and the harem thing was... meh. Poorly executed and overall underwhelming. I liked the plot weirdly enough, despite it's shortcomings, though the ending was a choice, lmao. Idk, it was okay. Maybe I'm too used to mid-to-shit mini cdramas

Recommend: ▲▲△△△ | ❌ 

• Used for the Color Challenge, Miniseries Challenge, PTW Challenge, Spring Cleaning Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

16/10/24

Boy was I excited for this one. So excited I even watched it RAW. The beginning was giving with the whole dancer ML and matriarchy setting, I was having so much fun but around the midway point it lost me. It switches from focusing on the matriarchy world to focusing on a zombie apocalypse which honestly, was dull as hell T-T The leads are seperated and ML goes from being a pretty dancer to yet another mundane copy-pasted warrior... ugh... Quality was what's usual for these low-budget cmovies, maybe even a little less but I didn't care-

Recommend: ◭△△△△ | ❌

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

15/10/24 - 21/10/24

So bad it's good type of deal. I'm ngl, I think most of the cringe is very intentional and I actually thought it was hilarious in it's campy nonsense. It's pure comedy with only 3 serious episodes in the end. Overall, very low budget but fine for what it was 

Recommend: ▲△△△△  

• Used for the SPOOKTOBER Challenge, r/CDRAMA Challenge

22/10/24

A fairly typical disaster film. I honestly didn't pay much attention to the details but even then I could tell there were plot holes. The CGI was pretty good as was the action and thrill. The characterization however, much like the plot, left quite a bit to be desired. Everyone dies and I still found myself not giving a crap, lmao. Overall, fine for what it was (mostly mindless action) but could've definitely been better. 

Recommend: ▲◭△△△  

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

22/10/24 - 23/10/24 

Better than I was expecting tbh! I really enjoyed a lot about this despite its shortcomings (mostly that ending). Good RR <33 and it truly was lovely to see bbg ml again being bbg. The kind of show you don't have to think about too hard 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, PTW Challenge, r/CDRAMA Challenge.

25/10/24

Only watched it for a challenge but I ended up enjoying it more than I thought I would XD Actually made me laugh quite a bit despite its simplicity. Would've likely enjoyed it more if I didn't have a migraine that made me have to rewind a lot to read the lightning speed subtitles

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△  

• Used for the SPOOKTOBER Challenge, r/KDRAMA Challenge

27/10/24

Watched this for Spooktober and regret it... the trailer looked so cool but the movie itself was honestly awful T-T 

Recommend: △△△△△ | ❌

• Used for the SPOOKTOBER Challenge,

23/10/24 - 28/10/24

Even amidst the bland kdramas, in the already super bland kdrama thriller section, this was incredibly bland. That's not to say it was bad, it was alright. Good enough for an easy watch but definitely not as good as people claim. The action scenes were very nice but the thrill just wasn't there. Nice and refreshing that the lead is a genuinely badass woman though but wtf was that ending...? Talk about lackluster 

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△  

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Miniseries Challenge, Drama Discovery Challenge, MDL Exploration Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge, r/KDRAMA Challenge

29/10/24

Outlandish and over the top. Got quite some giggles from me. The plot is so unserious, they don't even try and I gotta respect it. Obviously nothing wow but a simple quick and easy funny watch.

Recommend: ▲△△△△ | ❌  

• Used for the Miniseries Challenge

29/10/24

Honestly wasn't expecting it to be so good! Very solid all around. Spooky but not too spooky, good acting, beautifully shot and a simple but satisfying story! Such a treat!

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️

• Used for the Thai Watch Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

29/10/24

An intriguing movie with a unique narrative style. The story is told from multiple perspectives and all are unreliable narrators. In the end, it's still not clear what *truly* happened. Everything from the shots to the production quality to even the CGI was very well done and I truly appreciated the eerie mythology inclusion! 

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

04/10/24 - 30/10/24

Woooo boy. Okay, only watched this cuz my mum convinced me and yeah, there's a lot to unpack. This drama has a lot of things to love but also a lot (arguably far more) to absolutely LOATHE! My main complaints are the following: Lyu Buwei, conflicting messages regarding feminism, inconsistent characters, Lyu Buwei, that atrocious ending, the entire second arc (Qin State), far too many characters overstaying their welcome, literally not a single moment to breathe, Lyu Buwei, that godawful love square that goes on entirely too long, Lyu Buwei, Doctor Yin x that one excuse of a man, Lyu Buwei, the constant Haolan bullying, miscommunications galore, the lack of lengthy character moments, Lyu Buwei, the super rushed romance between Haolan and Yiren and also Lyu Buwei... As for things I DID like: Yiren, the absolutely stunning outfits, the shots, locations, etc, the consistent upbeat plot, a lot going on, the overall acting, a lot of strong women, and ofc, Yiren <3

Recommend: ▲▲△△△ | If you can handle the drag... 

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Drama Discovery Challenge, Mandarin Challenge, r/CDRAMA Challenge.

30/10/24

A visual work of art. Art direction done RIGHT!! Oh my GOOODDD, everything about this movie was STUNNING!!! The sets (design and all), outfits, aesthetics, and even CGI were soooo whimsical and surreal! The plot was admittedly a bit confusing but I still enjoyed it a lot! 

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, A-Z Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

31/10/24

Hated it so much it put me in a bad mood. Boring crapfest

Recommend: △△△△△ | ❌  

• Used for the A-Z Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

31/10/24

The overall pacing was kinda... slow? Like I feel like it would've been better for a minidrama or something? Overall, not bad at all but not the ball of laughs or the masterpiece people claimed it was xD

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, SPOOKTOBER Challenge

03/11/24

Confusing, inconclusive and it turns into a music video at the end??? It being short isn't an excuse for the extremely confusing and lacklustre narrative, like the synopsis is super misleading cuz none of that is actually mentioned in the film, lmao. Production quality was pretty darn good though. 

Recommend: △△△△△ | ❌  

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Movie Challenge

06/11/24

A very solid action/thriller with good action and thrill, very epic car chases, compelling characters (+++strong female lead, found-family AND accidental-child-acquisition) and a solid story all wrapped up with a proper thrilling OST that has you hooked. Really enjoyed

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Every Genre Challenge

08/11/24

A cute romcom with good comedy and an interesting premise. Not very deep and a bit lacking in certain aspects (especially the ending) but overall an enjoyable watch!

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Every Genre Challenge

01/11/24 - 10/11/24

Not your usual minidrama. A solid and interesting revenge story with good subversion of tropes. Two strong leads, no damsels in distress, a balance of strength between the leads, villains getting their due, impactful and meaningful messages, mature (albeit a bit rushed) romance, a satisfying conclusion and a very solid production quality! I have no complaints!

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, A-Z Challenge, PTW Challenge, r/CDRAMA Challenge

16/11/24

Boring. Nothing happened, the shots were dull, the story was nonexistent 

Recommend: ◭△△△△ | ❌

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Movie Challenge, Actors Watch Challenge

11/11/24 - 20/11/24

A solid mystery thriller with some standout themes and moments. Definitely didn't love it as much as I thought I would but it was an enjoyable watch, especially so the beginning and the end (unfortunately the middle was draggy and kinda dull, especially with how little SML and FL did, lol). I liked the exorcism scenes, the unusual antagonist and the bond between the trio (throuple-core). 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Drama Discovery Challenge, r/KDRAMA Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, WHY NOT? Challenge

23/11/24

A light and super simple watch. The total watch time is a lil over an hour but the series formatting makes the story feel not as thorough as it could've been. Regardless, the fluff and comedy was on point and exactly the simple feel-good watch I needed. 

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️If you ever need a fluffy and nonsensical watch

• Used for the Color Challenge, Miniseries Challenge, r/CDRAMA Challenge

24/11/24

A short, okay watch. Not much happened tbh but I did like the beginning and the cat xD

Recommend: ▲◭△△△ | ❌

• Used for the Thai Watch Challenge

24/11/24

Best ad I've seen in a while. It was soo cute and so short too. I definitely would've watched a drama version of this no problem 'cause it was actually super fun. Loved the dynamics between the characters

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the Thai Watch Challenge

26/11/24

It was not nearly as cringe as I thought it would be, tbh. FL actually plays a semi believable historical person and I loved her outfits. ML was also honestly refreshingly cute. A shame it's so short and just an ad but other than that, nothing standout at all

Recommend: ▲◭△△△ 

03/10/24 - 26/11/24

A bittersweet slowburn mystery story about generational trauma and how it manifests and ends up affecting the future generations (and ultimately how one can break free from it in order to protect those they love). The story was very poetic, sometimes to the point of losing the story in said poetry. The story itself was fairly solid but not without issues, it was weirdly slow despite being short, sometimes to the point of being tedious and certain things were glossed over or only ever implied (and the over reliance on flashbacks was irritating at best). The shots were beautiful, despite being a mystery contemporary drama, I loved the cinematography. Characters were good but a lot lacked further development (child actors were incredible btw), I especially liked ML's dynamic with FL but all dynamics were interesting, tbh. Overall, a touching story and a lovely watch. 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Drama Discovery Challenge, Every Genre Challenge

28/11/24

A simple and fluffy watch about gender roles, feminism, family, acceptance and gratitude. The stories are brief but heartwarming. Each househusband has a struggle he must overcome, usually with the help of his wife. The wives aren't very developed but I blame the runtime for that. Would've been great if it were even double the length so each husband could've had 45-60min to really shine. Regardless, a very enjoyable watch. Glad I finally got around to watching

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Miniseries Challenge, PTW Challenge, Spring Cleaning Challenge, WHY NOT? Challenge

29/11/24

A little bit oversimplified. The drama is movie length but drama formatted with a lot of characters which kinda leaves everyone only slightly developed. Still, it was an endearing watch with quite some funny moments (and also some terribly embarrassing ones, my god). Overall, an okay watch but I really liked the campy and out-there aesthetic. Only in Japan

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△

• Used for the Every Genre Challenge, WHY NOT? Challenge

01/12/24

An interesting watch set in a rather realistic matriarchy transitioning from (recently) being a patriarchy. The story was noticeably trimmed of more depth, things kinda happen quickly and with little explanation but it was still very interesting. 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲△ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Back to the Past Challenge, A-Z Challenge, PTW Challenge

02/12/24

Two introverts with a crush trying to communicate with each other! Loved the direction and how the characters only exchange like maybe 5 words total with each other. Everything else is this subtle game between them trying to get the other to interact first! Absolutely loved it! 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲▲ | ✔️

• Movie Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, 12 DAYS of DRAMAS

03/12/24

An easy fluffy romcom for the holidays! Nothing too deep, it was light and wholesome with an endearing romance and some stunning locations! 

Recommend: ▲▲▲◭△ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Actors Watch Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, 12 DAYS of DRAMAS

29/09/24 - 06/12/24

Ended up enjoying it a lot more than I thought. Has to be of the most satisfying stories out there. Opened a lot of conversations about various 'taboo' topics related to sexuality and the sort by portraying them in a tasteful and realistic way and it was super refreshing! All the characters were well-written and I love how they were all flawed but it was acknowledged! The only downside was that the dialogue felt more like quotes than actual human interactions xD

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, Color Challenge, Actors Watch Challenge, Thai Watch Challenge, MDL Exploration Challenge, Every Genre Challenge

09/12/24

Very impressive spy thriller. A lot of thrill, clever characters, angst, whump paired with a beautiful track and very impressive cinematography! A visual masterpiece! Loved the snowy setting which extended for the ENTIRE duration of the movie! Also kinda interesting that all the women outlived the men... Hmm

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Mandarin Challenge, 12 DAYS of DRAMAS

xx/xx/24-11/12/24

Still as good as the first time. Such a well-made miniseries about gender norms and feminism from the perspective of role reversal! One of my all-time favs. Funny comedy, pretty aesthetics, fun role reversal, good characters and a quick and coherent narrative~ Sadly a pretty bitter ending :(

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the r/CDRAMA Challenge

13/12/24 - 14/12/24

An impressive grandiose epic that was entertaining, fast-paced, thorough, well-crafted, well-written, and visually both impressive and beautiful! The visuals were out of this world and the commitment to the craft was immaculate! Felt a lot like those old classic films that were so carefully crafted but with updated visuals (and admittedly more CGI xD).

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲▲ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Mandarin Challenge, Legendary Tales Challenge, PTW Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, 

13/12/24 - 14/12/24

Cute and pretty good for a commercial but nothing worth watching unless you're craving a quick fix of fluff with pretty bad acting T_T 1st story was not bad, 2nd story was okay, 3rd story was kinda grating.

Recommend: ▲◭△△△

• Used for the Thai Watch Challenge

16/12/24

Adorable, cute, fluffy and heartwarming. I definitely enjoyed the unusual family/friendship dynamics and how natural they all felt. The stories were interesting and well done and it just made me feel happy and fluffy inside~ 

Recommend: ▲▲▲▲◭ | ✔️

• Used for the Color Challenge, Miniseries Challenge, 12 DAYS of DRAMAS

22/12/24 - 18/12/24

Most characters were flat and underdeveloped with only really the exception of ML who was overall fairly serviceable. The stakes felt painfully low despite actually being very high and the villains were embarrassingly underdeveloped, not to mention plot threads that went nowhere/were inconclusive and only ever idiotic decisions being made by both the heroes and the villains alike. I watched a good chunk of it at x1.25 speed and it basically changed nothing xD Definitely had interesting themes and messages and I did appreciate the girlboss x malewife thing ML and FL had going on (even if their romantic scenes were weirdly executed) but overall, not painfully bad but not good either. 

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△

• Used for the Color Challenge, Actors Watch Challenge, r/KDRAMA Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, 

26/11/24 - 22/12/24

Oof, what a rough one. Draggy and melodramatic plot but still somehow able to keep me hooked throughout the entire run (sure, at 1.25 speed). The production quality is... underwhelming. Though some details are carefully shown (like fetching herbs, making medicine and making bombs) other, much easier to show things are kinda glossed over (like the bindings always being loose or very cooperative dead people xD). The acting leaves a lot to be desired but was still tolerable to me. I do believe SML was the better actor across the board. The plot was alright but not all that tight. The ending left quite a bit to be desired too. 

Recommend: ▲▲◭△△ | Despite it's shortcomings I still think it's an interesting watch

• Used for the MDL Watch Challenge, A-Z Challenge, Thai Watch Challenge, Every Genre Challenge, WHY NOT? Challenge