lovely vampire GL show

okay, let's get it out of the way: yes the show is short. I also wish it was longer. but I rated it based off what it is, not what I wished it would be, and I think it's a pretty solid 7, maybe 7.5

if your only requirement is that there's GL, you won't be disappointed (tho of course, there's no kissing or outright terms used, but this is still a cdrama after all). there are five (or six) important characters and all of them are women with interesting and intriguing personal connections to each other. the show has humor, fluff, angst, drama, magic, violence, pretty much everything you could ask for. the visuals are also very beautiful, not just the costumes and set design, but the camera work as well. and of course the actresses are all gorgeous

where I think it falls a bit flat is that there are some moments that could have been great angsty moments that were instead used for comedy. I also wish that we could have gotten a bit more character backstory before the last episode, but I also think the way we were given it was very interesting, so I'm not too mad. there were also times the acting felt a bit shaky but I'm a lot more willing to forgive that in a web series

over all, very fun show with lots to give any viewer, I definitely enjoyed watching and I think others will too <3

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crying weeping sobbing etc

-Stefon voice- this show has it all, glorious romance tropes, infuriating politicians, beautiful scenery and vfx, multiple female characters with great depth, at least three hotties with a bodies, and a happy ending.

Okay all jokes aside, every time I started to think maybe the show was lacking a little big or lingering on something a little too long, I was swiftly proven wrong. Dylan Wang and Esther Yu are absolutely amazing in this, though I also want to give a shout out to all the actors playing the other leads and side characters -- truly so many characters felt fleshed out and real in their emotions and reactions. The relationships between them grew over time in a really interesting way, and it's so fun to look back at the start and see how much they've all changed.

Amazing, amazing work. I think one of my only real gripes is that I love Changheng too much for being the other guy in the love triangle :sob: -- edit, I forgot about this but I also didn't love the complete tone shift about DFQC's dad, I'm not against him being forgiven but I wish it had been handled better.

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solid adaptation

when I first heard about this show, I got super excited by the premise and immediately binged the entire webtoon. and I *loved* the webtoon, it completely caught my attention and made me more excited to see the show. I started watching when it aired but ended up taking breaks through the watching of it for various reasons, so I'm only now finishing it

I think this is a pretty solid adaptation, though of course it's not perfect. there are things about the original story that were changed to fit the small screen -- I wish that they had kept the original story, but by the end of the show, I had learned to appreciate the changes. it feels like an au and that's okay (I'm gonna be upset about doyoon losing his plot forever tho)

one thing I didn't enjoy was the sound of this show. it got better by the end but it def wasn't perfect. there were weird sound effects and the songs came in and out clumsily enough that it was noticeable and took me out of the scene sometimes. however, one thing I really loved was all of the call backs. every time they ran together while juicy played was like a breath of fresh air and it was incredibly sweet

the last episode had me absolutely bawling, I didn't expect it to go there (by the time I watched it, I've honestly forgotten the exact ways the webtoon ended) but it was done in a really nice way. I love seoha and jieum together so much

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delight BL - exactly what I wanted from others

old fashion cupcake is, as my headline says, exactly what I wanted from other BLs and honestly, other jdramas I've seen. this show was heart-felt, with our main characters striving to take care of each other and learn more about themselves at the same time. they both feel like real people, with a real history with each other

I'm usually not a fan of age gaps, though at 29 and 39, their ages lend themselves to a really fun sort of angsting without making them feel (to us, the viewers) that they're uneven in some way. (though how they, the characters, feel is a little different :3) I really enjoyed the mental journeys both Togawa and Nozue went through over the course of this show, and how their relationship grew from coworkers to friends to more. there were lots of scenes that had me smiling or laughing alongside them, and other scenes where I felt their confusion or sadness

honestly loved this show, though I'll admit the first episode is probably my least favorite. I didn't expect to enjoy the "let's pretend to be girls" thing as much as I did, it added such a fun layer to their interactions!!

I already know I'll be rewatching in the future

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amazing follow up

This is a very easily binged show, not just because of the length but because it's just so entertaining. I'll admit there were times I was confused, especially when it came to the hallucinations and dreams and when those were over, but that was kind of the point I think!

Anyway, this was such an interesting follow up. While I liked the first season, this definitely feels like they found their footing and know where they want to go and are making their way down that path, rather than just setting stuff up. There was so much development, so many things we learned about the characters that have really helped flesh them and the world out more, plus we got even more gorgeous visuals and costume designing. The music really amped up the tension in several places and I liked some of the effects they used, and the qi/cultivation looked just as good as before!

Idk if there's gonna be a season three, but if there is, I will definitely be watching

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very sweet movie

I absolutely loved this movie. I saw a gifset of a scene on tumblr and it looked right up my alley, so I hurried to watch it, and tbh I'm going to recommend it to my friends, because this movie was great

The romance is very sweet and caring, and the ML is one of those types said to be cold and unfeeling but is actually quite tender. The FL's growth feels very natural -- her confidence takes steps forward and backward at times, and I really appreciated how it was both affected by and affected the plot. The climax scene was amazing, and the ending was very squee-worthy hahaha

The visual effects of the powers are super cool, it never disappointed me. Also the colors of this movie are gorgeous, be it the scenery or the clothing, just an overall beautiful movie

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Not perfect but so good it doesn't matter

I think, like any other kdrama, there are times this show drags a little or is a bit weak in the story. The ending is quite controversial (but rest assured, Seri and Jeonghyeok both live). On the whole, it includes a lot of tropes (which I think is fun, but may not be everyone's cup of tea). Also, admittedly I didn't care about the secondary ship for a long time.

Despite these things, the experience of watching and the emotions the show gave me are so good that I'm still rating this a 10.

My favorite things:
- the commitment to portraying North Koreans as people -- it's hard from across the world to get a sense of what life is like there and this show really took care to show that to the audience
- the character development!!!!! for literally everyone (except her brothers and SILs & CCG I guess lmao)
- the found family of it all, the boys never failed to make me happy or cry or both. the love they have for each other and RJH and Yoon Seri make me tear up just thinking about it god
- the romance, the fate, the love that stays strong despite the many interfering circumstances
- the humor tbh this show is very funny when it's not making you bawl
- I actually like that everything doesn't wrap up into a neat little bow. the fact that they persevere anyway is touching and to me it feels like peace after the storm

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cute but the idea is better than the execution (critique in review)

I saw other reviews calling this the best BL ever.... I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree.

This was a very cute show with an interesting premise, definitely worth a watch & not too long so you won't be wasting your time. The main couple are adorable and the first few episodes especially had me laughing over and over again. The other characters are fun too, with their own traits and quirks, and there's even a whole woman who isn't treated like garbage at any point. On the whole, it's a sweet, fluffy show with low stakes and easy to binge in a day or two.

-- critique below:

But I do think there are some problems; for one thing, the acting is a bit lackluster. To me, Adachi never seemed to like Kurosawa the same amount that Kurosawa liked him, because he was played so straight faced and awkward. Which can be done really well, I love that character archetype but on him, I just couldn't feel the depth of his emotions most of the time. On the other hand, Kurosawa was literally just a love interest robot most of the time. I liked the scenes where his insecurities were touched on, but I wish there had been more depth given to him beyond what we got. As for Tsuge, he was way, way, way over acted. And Minato was barely acted at all.

Also, I just didn't care about the second ship... at all. They felt out of place together--and again, I love the opposites attract trope. But the two of them just didn't have the right vibe. I'm still unsure if they were meant to be like, sort of enemies before Minato found out about the cat? And how that completely changed Minato's opinion of Tsuge? And why Tsuge insta-loved him from that moment on? I was generally more interested in Minato, too, who we didn't get see that much of unfortunately.

(Also also, yes, there was really only one female side character who was important for more than one or two scenes. I loved Fujisaki-san but she was a plot device for the main couple to feel jealousy and then to give them advice. I wish we could've had more for her, or more women.)

Finally, this is my first Japanese BL so I wasn't sure what to expect to see in terms of visual romantic stuff. I really enjoyed the hand holding and the laying in bed scene, but I can't lie, I definitely felt kiss baited. I didn't let that affect my score because I understand it might be normal for JBLs, but... I am kind of sad we never got to really see them kiss except for the forehead kiss.

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not super scary but still fun

I don't usually watch horror movies but I gave this one a ty and I don't regret watching it, though I wouldn't say it's like, cutting edge horror. There's everything you need in a ghost story: lore, deaths, ectoplasm, the cyclical nature of time...

There are some twists that I guessed somewhat early on, and some questions asked sooner than they pop up in the movie itself, but I was still really surprised by the truth in the end. I spent the whole movie second guessing my guesses, so even when sometimes the scary scenes weren't terrifying me, I was still hooked onto the story.

I want to point out the cinematography and lighting -- this movie utilizes both in really interesting ways! Scenes shot on an angle, or following the character's face rather than the "action" so to speak, the lighting differences to show different time periods, all of the flashlights giving cool shadows, etc. The scene where Wen-yao is alone and it was like the lights went out in the world was especially cool.

Also, the acting! The characters really felt like annoying college students at first, and then like young people filled with primal fear (well, maybe not Sung as much lol). They all did a really great job, though I gotta point out Yu-ching especially. Her scenes hit really hard.

It was cool to see pieces of dialogue kind of foreshadow things, too. Def want to rewatch knowing the ending and see how that changes things!

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made the mistake of not checking the tags

(Vague spoilers only)

This movie was great -- wonderfully acted, so beautiful, so funny, emotionally resonant, and just really heartfelt. However, I made the mistake of not checking the tags here on MDL; I just saw the movie on Netflix and thought it was going to be a cute romance. And it was, but it's also a tearjerker for sure and Netflix didn't warn me!! I don't even know the last time a movie made me cry this much. Not even just the ending, but other moments throughout, whenever Bora cried it was like I was crying too. Everything about Woonho's story made me cry, and I'm tearing up right now just thinking about it haha. Their actors were absolutely amazing, though I thought Yeondoo's and Hyunjin's actors did really well too. Bora's dad was a really fun addition and gave levity when it was needed.

Definitely worth watching but bring tissues.

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easy to enjoy

I really appreciated the way this show included tropes without making it way too cheesy. I loved the slow build romance and how the growth of feelings between the female lead and the two male leads really felt natural, especially for a character who has never dated before. I enjoyed the friendships between all the different characters, the sibling bond between Nan-do and Yoojin, and even for someone like myself who doesn't care about business intrigue and sabotage, those parts kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen!!

While at times the plot got a little confusing, the cast was able to maintain my interest really well. I'd love to rewatch and get to see their characters grow and change all over again.

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nice addition

It's hard to rate this special because it felt like just another episode of the show, which to me isn't necessarily a bad thing. I guess I don't know why it was a special and not just the last official episode but whatever, it is what it is. The acting was cute, I liked seeing jealous Minoru. Tane was, as always, absolutely adorable and a highlight of the show. I also enjoyed getting to see more of Yutaka and Tane bonding, and Minoru being dumb haha

Overall it was just... cute, nothing much to say about it really without spoilering it. I didn't feel like I wasted my time watching it but it's not like required viewing because nothing super important to the story happens in it

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wonderful show

there's really not much I can say that hasn't been said already, and nothing I wouldn't (or haven't already) managed to express via fanfic, so I'll just say this: this is an absolutely amazing show, it's very entertaining, not without faults but nonetheless worth a try if anything about it seems interesting! as I'm writing this review, I'm watching the donghua because I don't want to let the story go

admittedly, there are times the acting goes over the top and the show is restricted in what it could faithfully show from the novels due to censorship, but overall this is an interesting, varied retelling of the real story. wang yibo and xiao zhan are perfect for their roles

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heartfelt and very sweet (minor spoilers)

Our Dining Table is a great mix of fluffy and emotional. The way their relationships (Yutaka and Minoru, and also Yutaka and Tane) grew from strangers to friends to honestly family was so touching. I loved all the hints we got of the relationship between Yutaka and Minoru growing, and getting to see them figure out how to be there for each other and communicate was really nice. The angsty moment they had was delicious too

Tane was such a bright spot, I loved every scene he was in. He was acted really well, not just when he was happy but when he was sad and sick too. I also really liked Mr. Ueda, he was funny and such a matchmaker, but when he did have more serious scenes he really nailed them. The memories of Mrs. Ueda were really touching too

I really loved everything about this show except that the actors had no chemistry when they kissed.... That one part was super awkward lmao and kind of disappointing! But everything else was so good that it didn't really hinder my experience much

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manage your expectations

okay disclaimer, yes I'm a kpop fan, no I'm not a lyon (nothing against the group, I just haven't even listened to their music yet beyond the music shown in this show, so I have no particular feelings one way or another)

this show has a TW for attempted SA (nothing graphic but it is done to main characters)

I enjoyed watching this show. was it perfect? no. it had a budget of $15 and a dream but considering what they had, I thought the show was fun! other reviewers felt like they were reading off the script -- I never particularly felt that way while watching, maybe a bit looking back but idk I just didn't notice anything like that. clearly these guys aren't skilled actors but I thought it was fun seeing them gain a bit more confidence as the show went on, especially the main two guys. there were some moments they had that I thought were pretty good, honestly -- you can see that they have chemistry together. they did kiss only one time, with multiple fake outs/kissblocking moments happening, which... was a bit frustrating! but like my headline says: I was managing my expectations. I've seen much more produced BL shows have zero kisses so I'm taking that one we got as a win. (it helps that it was cute)

there were definitely parts where the writing felt off (such as the end where a character says he's going to stay for a while, then immediately turns out not to be with no explanation?). I also noticed the bgm would come on and off really abruptly at times and it was a little distracting

while I didn't mind the 15 minute episodes (*cries in 5-min episode Chinese GL shows*) I wish there were more episodes total, maybe 10. the relationship is a bit of a fast burn and it would've been nice to see more of the emotional build up, or emotional fall out of some of the things that happened in this show. relatedly, I really didn't expect what I thought would be a cutesy BL project have serious topics like toxic relationships, scandals, SA, etc in them. it was a nice surprise for me bc while I don't mind cutesy BL, the more drama the better

my fave trope they included was definitely the protective sunbae/hyung/group leader + sunshine/naive dongsaeng!!

would I rewatch? maybe. honestly I would be more interested in seeing another project done by this group, this show felt like their first steps into the acting world and I saw potential in them to get better and do bigger and better things in the future

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