2019: Dramas Completed ✓

Completed this a while back but I can still remember the last episode had me in tears especially towards the end. The drama overall was mostly predictable but I still liked how the story flowed. There was good supporting cast notably Natsuo's siblings who were likeable. I have never seen Oguri Shun looked so young before. I have some mixed feelings about the way Domoto Tsuyoshi's character was written, it felt a little uneven and there was some overacting with his more dorky/overbearing moments. Also he came across at times like a childish adult which some may find lovable but I didn't like it so much. I liked him more when he was serious and that's when I could appreciate his acting. Romance was kept subtle J-drama style :)

This was a noisy and frustrating drama...I get that it's a family/romance comedy but it felt excessive with things blown out of proportion. I had to suspend belief on how the leads got together...it was just too unbelievable, Watching Takenouchi Yakuta in his role was the only reason that made me see through this drama and I was content just watching him. The female lead didn't come across very convincing in her role. It had some good moments here and there but my main gripe was the rest of the interfering characters (the parents on both sides...) and the flow of the story was uneven. There was a lot of pushing and pulling in all directions and going round in circles. It's a shame because there was potential in the story and it would have been more enjoyable if they had toned it down and the direction was better executed. I went in with my own expectations but it left me feeling quite underwhelmed. 

First half had an intriguing premise with a good build up but second half loses momentum and consistency. There was little in the way of character development except for Baek Kyung. A lack of progress on story plot and some unanswered questions but I still managed to enjoy it overall because the character interactions were interesting and there were some fun moments. A good range of cast who acted well despite the weaker 2nd half. I went in with little expectations and I was surprised how much I enjoyed the first half given that I don't watch much teen/high school dramas. I can see why there has been mixed reactions and disappointments especially for those who expected more or something different. I'm still glad I gave this a try even though it didn't leave me fully satisfied. The characters were memorable which was the strong point of the drama. Watch this with low expectations and the chances are it will be enjoyable. For me I felt like it didn't deliver it's full potential and became like a bunch of K-dramas where they start strong then become progressively weaker. In my opinion it is overrated with it's current score.