jum11
The writer excelled in characters and moments. So many gripping scenes and beautiful lines. But I'd say she was not as strong in overall plot points or pacing. There were plot threads that didn't come together seamlessly or at all. There were times characters seemed to service the plot rather than the other way around. There were re-used plot turns. The final climax, especially looking at it with some distance from the emotional overload when I first watched, was cliched. It was a slow, subtle show and should have had a more subtle final act.
That said, those are smaller points for me. These characters will live with me for a long time. This was so gorgeously shot and expertly put together. The soundtrack was perfect. And the healing theme is refreshing and uplifting.
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Flawed premise makes this a watered down and forgettable addition to the lovely OG romance
What I thought it did well:- The first ep was SO funny, legit this writer knows how to do comedy.
- The writing of the scenes on a micro scale was good--fun and funny and romantic dialogue, moments that were moving, etc
- The FL is GREAT in this, she goes all in on the ridiculous and it works so well
What didn't work:
- It's just too flawed of a premise to have a couple from another show who already got together, fall in love again in a short show like this. Here is why it didn't work:
----We already got a very moving and 12 episode long romance between these two characters, and it didn't really change anything from the OG. So it just cannot compare for those who saw NGNL and it will seem weird and rushed for those who didn't.
----In NGNL I adored Lee Sang Yi as Bok Gyu Hyun the 2ML in that story, but as a lead in this story he plays essentially the same character, but without the weird quirks and human flaws that made him interesting in NGNL. So he is very bland here. And he HAS to be, because it would be weird for JaYeon to fall in love with someone who wasn't essentially Bok Gyu. This is all only made worse by...
---- Having en extended opening (like 20 mins!) with HJH and LSY (who played another 2ML who was a friend of HJH in NGNL) as the MCs of the OG webnovel was such a mistake, cause man they had great chemistry AND it was so fun to see them both as completely new characters. Much more fun than seeing the same characters that already fell in love in another story.
This would have been much better as:
- 2 episodes showing us the web novel story with HJH and LSY as the MCs
- A 12 ep drama with brand new characters
It was short so I don't really regret watching it but I would have been fine having never seen it.
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It's Okay to Not Be Okay
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A heartfelt, fun, moving drama.
There are shows that have the golden trifecta of excellent writing*, directing and acting. A show can still be good with two of the three, but the best shows will always stand out in all three areas. And this show not only excelled at all three but brought so much more to the table.Here are some of the things that make this show even a step above the rest--
1. Characters that have so much depth and have real emotional arcs. Each of the three main characters has real depth and real growth throughout the series. (Sang Tae is an absolute stand out, one of my favorite characters and performances in years.) The characters are imperfect--at times good and bad, at times kind and cruel, at times cold and vulnerable. They slowly learn and grow from their interactions with each other and with others around them, and at the end of the show you almost can't believe how far they've come since the first episode. And this isn't just for the main characters, there is growth and arcs for almost every side character as well.
2. The timely focus on mental illness. All our main characters struggle with mental issues and trauma. Also the show explores a variety of mental illnesses in many wonderful side characters who also have growth and attention. It doesn't shy away from the scary and ugly side of mental illness, but also handles each character with a lot of understanding and compassion.
3. The unique tone and color of the show . So many dramas have good storylines and directing and acting, but they lack a certain cohesion in the visual storytelling. This show had such a distinct and unique flavor. I wish more k dramas would put in the extra effort to establish that.
4. Romance that enhances rather than dominates the story. Something I really loved about this show that you don't see in romantic shows is how the characters grew from and interacted with so many of the other side characters. It wasn't just the main couple having all of the dramatic moments or always being the one to help or rescue the other, each of our main trio had a whole cadre of people they opened up to, learned from and got help and support from. It was really wonderful and realistic, and made the sweet romance all the more beautiful. I would argue that the relationship between all three of the leads was the real main romance of this show, and it makes it so much more meaningful.
5. Great balance of light and dark. There were times each episode I laughed out loud. Times I sighed. And times I wept. The pacing was perfect--they were able to seamlessly switch from lighthearted and fun to serious and deep. You really get a little bit of everything with this show.
This show really felt like a breath of fresh air in what's becoming a somewhat stale K drama scene lately, especially in romantic dramas. One of the best shows of the year, by far. Will remember this one for a long while.
*There was one storyline that was very sloppily resolved. I knocked a half point from the story for that, but it almost seems like there's something there (actor scheduling conflict, etc) that messed that up because the writing for the rest of the drama is near perfect. It's also not really that important to the main character arcs. It's just strange and confusing, though, and I'm still scratching my head about what lead the writing to go so wrong there. I only affects maybe half to one episode and not even all that much. It's just a weird blip in an otherwise really wonderful show.
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An addictive, super-romantic drama with a superb OTP
There is a lot of hype for this show. As a romantic comedy/drama this show hits out of the park and deserves that hype. It's addicting, fun, hilarious, melodramatic, romantic, and has writing that if inconsistent still attempts to be somewhat thought-provoking and character-driven. And the main pairing is one for drama history.If you're expecting anything other than that, this will fall very flat for you.
Watch this immediately if you are looking for:
- Painfully dreamy ML
- Heart-fluttering romance, high chemistry, sweet and touching love story
- Humor, fun, something to binge/be addicted to
Skip this or save it for a slump if prefer stories that have:
- Plots that are super coherent/tight
- Engrossing/realistic character arcs
- Though-provoking explorations of ideas/ themes
Here are the elements broken down:
SUPERB----
MALE LEAD: The absolute highlight of this show. Sun Jae is the ultimate "lovable loser." On the outside he pretends to be cool, logical, and independent, but on the inside he is a clingy, cringy, dork. He will steal your entire heart. Played pitch perfectly by Byeon Woo Seok.
SECOND MALE LEAD: Tae Sung re-invents the definition of second male lead syndrome. In any other drama I would have been rooting for him over the ML. I expect to see Song Geon-lee leading a drama soon, he stood out in every single scene he was in.
ROMANCE/CHEMISTRY: The main couple oozed chemistry out of every pore. The longing looks, the cute interactions, the sexual tension. Your heart will flutter, then it will break. you'll scream, you'll cry, you'll jump for joy and throw things at the screen for them.
BROMANCE: The ML with is various homies (including Tae Sung) had such natural, fun chemistry. Just as engaging as the main couple romance. I loved every scene he had with his bros.
HUMOR: 10/10: I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The writer put them all in such ridiculous situations, played by a cast of actors who all had fantastic comedic timing. So many memorably funny moments.
MUSIC: The sountrack is top notch, including the songs sung from the band in the show.
GOOD---
FEMALE LEAD: For most of the drama she is funny, quirky, cute, fiesty and compassionate. But there are a few eps where she is so frustratingly stubborn and clueless in service of a poorly executed plotline that I came to dislike her for a while. I adore the actress on the whole and think she captures the soul of Im Sol well, she has to cry almost every episodes and cries so convincingly and with such heart. But there were times when she pulled the same facial expression over and over (she had a very overused wide-eyed look of clueless surprise quite often, for example).
MEH---
SIDE CHARACTERS/PLOTS: There were some funny moments involving the MCs families, but for the most part they had nothing to do with the main plot and seemed like filler, I had no real connection to any of the family. I started fast-forwarding through most of them by the end. The acting was serviceable but none of them stood out especially.
CHARACTER ARCS: While they went through a lot, I didn't see that the characters actually grew or changed much in any particular way. 2ML had a small arc, but it was glossed over and he was not used as much as he could have been. The characters have the same exact personalities and tendencies in the beginning as in the end, although there were many touching moments of realization and character moments throughout. Just no strong overall arcs.
MIXED---
PLOT
- EPS 1-8 (9/10) - The first 8 eps are full of intriguing twists and turns and raise a host of questions about the meaning of memory and fate.
- EPS 9-13 (5/10) - The middle episodes are dominated by an unnecessary and repetitive almost wholly unrelated crime storyline that drags and makes the characters act in uncharacteristic and frustrating ways. There are some cute and funny moments, but the romantic plotline became fluffy filler and the story completely loses its thematic center and meanders sloppily along.
- EPS 14-16 (7/10) - The story finds its footing again towards the end, but never really pays off the questions or ideas raised in the theme at the beginning of the show, even if it does somewhat try and close that loop. The romance tension fires back up at this point as well, and the ending is satisfying if nothing spectacular.
100% worth a watch if romantic comedies are your jam.
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