Reviews

Ring of Deception, Heart of Truth

I feel compelled to write a review even though I have never written one before.

When the Phone Rings is a brilliant K-thriller with romantic suspense at its core. The show masterfully weaves a complex web of chaebol intrigue, kidnapping, blackmail, and murder. Fans of the genre won't be disappointed.

The cinematography is top-notch, capturing the contrast between the empty, luxurious apartments and the bustling workplaces. The autumn and winter scenery adds to the show's visual appeal.

The chemistry between Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin is undeniable. Their interactions are unforgettable, and their performances have won hearts globally. They deserve widespread recognition and awards for bringing to life characters that resonate with fans worldwide.

Episodes 11 and 12 were controversial for some, but I found them satisfying. They explored the characters' emotions and motivations, tying up key storylines in a way that felt true to the story (especially the novel) While some viewers were unhappy, I appreciated the complexity and closure these episodes provided.

Some of the criticisms surrounding these episodes often feel unnecessary and misplaced. Good storytelling should surprise and challenge us, and "When the Phone Rings" does just that. We should appreciate the depth and effort that went into creating such a complex storyline.

The only aspects of the show I didn't really like were how unrealistic some scenes were. For example, Sa Eon surviving the first fire, Hee Joo falling off a cliff without getting hurt, and Do Jae recovering from being beaten, stabbed, and nearly drowned. Those moments required a lot of suspended disbelief.

Additionally, I felt that the execution could have been better. The opening of episode 10, for example, was confusing and felt like a trick. There were too many imaginary scenes that left me wondering what was happening.

I also found the plot twists to be somewhat predictable. Maybe it's because I was actively reading comments and theories, but I was able to guess some of the surprises. However, there were other moments where I had to rewind and rewatch to fully understand what was happening.

All in all, this drama's phenomenal success owes much to the combination of a compelling storyline, brilliant cast, and top-notch execution at every turn. Its global adoption speaks volumes about its unprecedented quality and wide-ranging appeal.

I highly recommend "When the Phone Rings" to anyone who enjoys fun storytelling and K-dramas. However, if you're not a fan of K-dramas or clichéd storylines, this might not be for you.

I'd give When the Phone Rings at least an 8.5/10. However, I'm adding extra points because I was totally immersed and fell in love with the lead couple. Even now I think about them and I miss them so much.

Warning: This drama is addictive. Proceed with caution!

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A cringy script by confused writers

A cringy script by confused writers

What was advertised? An intriguing drama with a strong FL.
What I got? A cringy script with multiple personality disorder.

I love time travel stories and couldn't wait for this drama. Instead of being entertained, I lost 40 hours of my life that I will never get back.

The writers/director/creators of the show couldn’t figure out what the male lead’s character should be. Is he a good guy or a villain? This wasn’t one of those shows where the ML changes from an anti-hero to a hero. His horrible actions seem completely out of character at times, but he’s not presented as a villain. Those actions are excused because supposedly they were a result of how much he loves the FL.

The FL’s actions are also completely out of character at times. She switches from a strong and independent woman to someone willing to be a victim. She’s also a damsel in distress too often.




Spoilers ahead:

The show couldn’t figure out:

(1) Does the ML respect the FL and wait for her consent? Or, is he a predator who is happy to force himself on her? His attempted sexual assault in episode 25 seems completely out of character for someone who says he’ll wait decades for her.
(2) Is the ML a wonderful, supportive, and confident man who cares for women’s rights and is OK with the FL taking the lead? Or, is he a jealous and possessive jerk who wants to literally kill any man who likes her?
(3) Is the FL a strong, brilliant, and independent woman who doesn’t take BS from anyone? Or, does she suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, and talks about having a child with the ML after he tries to sexually assault her?


I went from liking the ML to hating his guts. Until episode 25, he is mostly shown as a supportive partner who respects the choices and intellect of the FL. When she says she needs more time, he says he will wait decades for her. He already has.

In episode 25, he grabs her by the neck and forcefully kisses her. This is not one of those “forced kisses” that are supposedly steamy. She is so repulsed that she claws and leaves scratch marks on his neck to get away. Does this make him stop? Nope. He throws her down and tries to sexually assault her, holding down her arms so she can’t fight back. When she finally manages to get him off her and tells him what a scumbug he is, he suddenly changes his tune–kind of. He forcefully hugs her and tells her he couldn’t help himself because he loves her so much.

Does this make the FL–an independent, brilliant, and proud woman–want to divorce him on the spot? Nope. She accepts his non-apology apology and talks about having children with him. The scene ends with them lying next to each other in what is supposedly a romantic moment where they’re watching the stars together.

It was cringe to the millionth power.

I’m disappointed that Netflix didn’t include a content warning for sexual assault.

I always read tags on MDL and do keyword searches even if I get spoilers because I don’t want to watch abusive behavior passed on as loving or romantic. Alas, nothing came up when I searched for abuse or sexual assault. I’m grateful for the commenter who called out the attempted assault in episode 25, but they used the words forced kiss, so it didn’t come up on my search. In the future, you can bet that “forced kiss” will be one of my keyword searches.

I don’t know about you, but most people watch shows to be entertained–not to feel cringy afterward.

I know my overall reviews round up to 3.5, but the OST and strong performances by some of the actors can’t justify watching this BS. Save yourself 40 hours of your life and find something else. There’s no shortage of content out there.

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It pains me to say this...

As a fan of women in period costume, and a big fan of Gap, who has been looking forward to this series ever since it was first announced, it pains me to say that The Loyal Pin royally sucks :(

Don’t get me wrong, it looks much better than Gap did, with the ravishing sets and dresses you would expect of a big-budget period piece, and a cinematographer who knows how to compose a shot...and can even hold the camera straight! Freen and Becky do their best with the material, and skillfully showcase a wider range of emotions than in their previous work.

But you know what Gap never was, for all its flaws? Boring. It had personality! Quirks! Camp! A dumb sense of humor! And as pointless and silly as the conflict often was, there were at least characters you cared about involved in it.

The Loyal Pin gives us zero reason to care about Pin and Anin except that they are gay and in love. And hey. Sometimes that's enough. If this were a film, or a short miniseries, I wouldn't need much more reason than that. But this is a 16-episode drama. There is ample time for character development. The first few episodes at least gesture at some personality types: Lady Pin is the straight-laced obedient one, and Princess Anin is the headstrong hellraiser who knows what she wants and will do anything to get it. That’s fun! The best moments in the series come during Anin’s increasingly over-the-top seduction attempts, when there’s something approaching tension between the two of them.

Then they confess their love—in quite a lovely scene, actually, probably the high point of the series for me—and it’s all downhill from there. Any semblance of personality these characters once had is obliterated. Who is Anin? She’s a girl who really loves Pin. And is also the princess, I guess. Who is Pin? She’s a girl who really loves Anin, but then is forced to marry someone else, and is sad about it.

That’s it. That’s the story. There isn’t enough substance here to sustain eight episodes, let alone twice that many.

Even in the early episodes there are warning signs of the snoozefest to come. When Anin is scheming to make a laughingstock of her rival Master Kuea, it’s a perfect opportunity for some conflict: What if her plotting backfires? What if Pin thinks she’s going too far, and they fight about it? The screenplay blissfully swoops past this possibility. It’s as if the creative team heard some criticism of the relationship in Gap, and responded by surgically removing not only the faintest trace of toxicity, but any source of friction between the leads altogether. Sure, the yuri is wholesome, but at what cost?

It’s not just the leads who are lifeless archetypes. The screenwriter is perversely determined to make each character into the blandest possible version of themselves. Master Kuea could be a fantastic “nice guy” villain, if we ever had any idea what was going on in his head. Instead he comes across as kind of a hapless dork with no clue what he wants. (Which, admittedly, is a real type of guy, just not an especially riveting figure in a drama when he’s supposed to be driving the conflict.) Aunt Patt’s tragic backstory is squandered, and makes her behavior in the present day more confusing than compelling. The elder brother has his edges so thoroughly sanded down he might as well be sawdust, while the playboy brother threatens to have some interesting flaws (for a moment I almost thought a member of this fictional royal family might be portrayed in a less-than-flattering light!!) but is revealed of course to have a heart of gold in the end. I’m not even sure why the mom exists tbf. And don’t get me started on the servant characters, whose lives apparently revolve entirely around helping these two noblewomen get laid. Nam played a similar comic relief role in Gap, yes, but her character in Gap had a life of her own. Here she is wholly subservient to the princess, and to the plot. I can’t say I was expecting searing class critique from a drama sponsored by the Thai government, but still.

The only side characters of any interest are Lady Uangfah, who provides a scene or two of classic sadgirl longing, and the other girl who is thirsty for the princess whose name I forgot. Both characters are tragically underutilized, and if you think the script is ever going to deal with or acknowledge the fact that the princess gets assaulted, prepare for disappointment. That might introduce some complexity to the story, and we can’t have that.

Look, I’m not anti-fluff, or anti-spice. In 2024 we were blessed with the very fluffy 23.5 and the very spicy Affair, both of which I enjoyed. On the surface TLP might seem like the best of both worlds: it’s got fluff and spice in spades! But what’s missing is the spark that makes you actually want to watch the characters interact with each other. When Wan and Pleng finally take the speed train to Boinksville, you cheer because a series of soap opera circumstances have conspired to keep them apart for their entire lives despite how absurdly horny they are for each other. When Ongsa and Sun are cute together, it’s satisfying because we love to see a walking anxiety attack snag a baddie. When Mon and Lady Sam hook up, we are reminded of how much Sam has opened up, and how much confidence Mon has gained. Why am I supposed to be rooting for Pin and Anin, when all I really know about them is that they are two attractive rich ladies who grew up in neighboring mansions?

The answer, of course, is that they are played by Freen and Becky. And therein lies the problem. Gap wasn’t made to satisfy an existing fanbase. The creators may not have been artistic geniuses, but they knew they had to lay the groundwork to make you care about Sam and Mon. The Loyal Pin was created for legions of FreenBecky fans who will watch anything with FreenBecky in it. (I don’t mean that disparagingly: I’m one of those fans!) And it was created, let’s be real, for two reasons: to sell merchandise and promote tourism. It’s a 16-episode advertisement, starring the world’s first GL superstars as mascots. And while exporting photogenic lesbianism to stimulate the economy is a unique strategy for sure, and might work out great for the economy, I’m not convinced it’s great for art, or for lesbians. I only hope that Cranium, Freen and Becky’s next project, is more than another cynical marketing ploy.

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"Our Youth" - Minase Jin

I honestly have no words. I wish I could do a cool one-liner that puts all my feelings into one, but honestly, I don't know. All I can say is "wow." This is like trying a food and knowing it'll be your favorite from the first bite. That's how I felt when I watched the first 2 episodes. I remember telling my friend, who is now watching, that I had just started this but I knew it'd be in my top 5 jbls. This is just THAT show. I lowkey haven't written a review since "The Trainee" ended (September) but I just have to for these cuties!!

In a tiny sum up, the story: Minase Jin is what a parent would call "perfect," with good grades, stays out of trouble, and overall just well-behaved, that is until Hirukawa Haruki steps into his life. This entry led him to find out a pretty personal secret about Hirukawa, which brings them closer, maybe a bit too close.

What did I like? Wow, there's a lot. Shall we make a list?

1. Characters: Honestly just both of their stories alone are great, especially Hirukawas, and them coming together makes a pretty good mix.
2. Chemistry? Well it's definitely there!! I don't care about what others say, there was TENSION.
3. I read other reviews, and with the cinematography portrayed, I felt extremely immersed.
4. As well from a review, the mention of waves and boats. A quote I have from the 10th episode is said from Minase Jin. "And I let the boat carrying the letter go into the sea out of my hands as the wind takes it. That letter sails into the deep sea. " Honestly, I just love the comparison.
5. The loyalty of the two..oh my gosh?? "Even if we can't get married, I will always be by your side." Haruki Hirukawa, can you be MY husband??
Honestly, to name everything I love, I'd have to go back and watch every episode and write down each and every one of my thoughts. But Our Youth has brought out a feeling in me that I didn't think many could reach.

In the later episodes I also realised they called each other by Jin and Haruki, when in the earlier episodes they called each other Minase and Hirukawa, which I found cute. The fact they do that from when their teenagers to adults? I love them. As well as how the "novel" of the letter was Our Youth. That means what we just watched was the letter, right?

Anyways!!!

The only con for me is the special episode. The fact they didn't ACTUALLY tell them they were dating made me sad, but that's okay!! Same with the marriage. Maybe someday we'll get another special episode of their marriage when it becomes legal in Japan. But for now, we can only hope!

To wrap this up, I honestly really wish I didn't have to. I'm gonna miss dreading every time I had to wait for the next episode. When I first started watching, it had 5 episodes out, and I caught up all in one. I started at 10pm (mind you, I have school) and watched every episode to catch up. Then when I found out the 5th had came out that day, I was quite sad to have to wait. But, now I can just rewatch when I'm feeling down. Anyways, I'm really going to miss these two. I know some may disagree, but I loved these two a lot. Would definitely recommend!!

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Starlit? More like gaslit.

The show started quite promising. It is a Chinese-Korean talent search basically with quite a big pool of talented trainees (and some not-so talented ones thrown in the mix) from various countries. The issues started early in the first episode which only worsened in the second nor did it get better in the episodes that followed. There are great moments like epic performances or when coaches would interact and provide guidance/help. However there was not enough to redeem the show. Unlike most survival shows that aired before 2024 the Starlight Boys voting process requires you to essentially buy in order to vote. There are tiers of how many times you can "light up" your favorites and this is based on your active subscriptions. There are other options all of which requiring a purchase. Thus you can say fans bought spots for every single one of the debuting members of Polarix.

In terms of talent, if this is not the only survival show you have seen through, there is quite a disparity in skills among the members which in my opinion should be one of the initial concerns for their management. This can be the team's primary challenge yet one cannot discount the fan's displeasure for the resulting lineup that could be the straw that will break the camel's back. Hopefully their management will take these hardships and turn them into a positive driving force for Polarix.

I don't know and cannot fathom who Starlight Boys was created for. The show was derailed and its premise lost quickly. I love music and K-pop. I survival shows for the teaching moments, funny interactions, and trainee camaraderie. I respect hard work and ambition. But I found myself dropping this show. However, to be fair and in order to write this review, I watched every single episode, highlight, etc.

Starlight Boys was a SHOW. It really was down to its core. It threw around beautiful words like Polaris and Guider but its significance and meaning was lost as early as the first episode. As I write this, the world has kindly rated the show a 6.6.

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Our Youth: A Symphony of Love and Transformation

Every now and then, a series comes along that doesn’t just entertain but leaves an indelible mark on your heart. This series is one of those rare gems. From its heartfelt storytelling to its impeccable adaptation, it’s a triumph in every sense—a radiant 10/10.

The narrative is beautifully crafted, weaving themes of love, growth, and self-discovery into a tapestry that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. The characters are wonderfully complex, and their relationships—messy, tender, and profound—are brought to life with such authenticity that they leap off the screen and settle into your soul.

What sets this series apart is its warmth. There’s an emotional honesty here that’s hard to come by, a kind of raw yet tender intimacy that wraps around you like a soft blanket on a cold day. It’s not just the romance that shines, but the entire emotional spectrum—from joy to heartbreak, from longing to fulfillment. The series understands that life and love are never simple, and it embraces the imperfections with open arms.

The acting is simply outstanding. Each performance feels effortless, yet brimming with nuance. The chemistry between the leads is electric, their stolen glances and fleeting touches saying more than words ever could. This is acting at its finest, where even silence speaks volumes.

While other countries often hold back due to cultural conservatism, this adaptation feels fearless. Japan's ability to stay true to the source material without diluting its depth is a testament to their storytelling prowess. It’s a rare gift to see a series so unapologetically embrace the beauty of love in all its forms, breaking barriers while staying rooted in authenticity.

For those who have experienced Love in the Big City, this series will strike a similar chord. It has that same magical essence, that same ability to leave you breathless despite its occasional imperfections. But where Love in the Big City warmed hearts, this one ignites them, sending butterflies racing through your stomach as it takes you on a journey you won’t soon forget.

This isn’t just another BL drama; it’s a celebration of love, life, and the courage it takes to be vulnerable. It has firmly placed itself in my top 5 of all time, and honestly? It deserves to be in yours, too. An unforgettable masterpiece that will linger long after the credits roll.

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