This review may contain spoilers
"You owe me emotionally"
It has been a rollercoaster ride to follow up these broken characters from young adults with painful scars of their past, to the adults that bear secrets to uphold the way they chose to live their own lives.The highlight of this drama it has to be the bond and bickering between Soo Hyun and Yeo Jun. How these two helped So Bin, making the three of them become an inspiration to many others who crossed their paths in character development.
"Can't you love me?"
Ji Hoon has really engaged into his character Yeo Jun to the point that we can really see the pain and neglect from his sorrowful stares and feel the agony he has tried to hide for most of his life behind fake smiles yearning to be loved to fill the void of loneliness. I don't know how to explain it but he seems so soft looking and yet can depict such a tragic character.
"I lived many years in darkness due to my father's physical abuse.
I'm all better now. I'm in the light."
Although mostly all the characters have their troubles and painful stories, the trio we have come to love and support through this Journey have more similarities than all the others. Yeo Jun, Soo Hyun and So Bin all share family problems. Although different and the same, they all have been through childhood suffering in their own way by those predicaments.
Yeo Jun being a victim of an abusive father, Soo Hyun having to step up as the older son and provider to help his mother and younger brother after his father passing, and So Bin with her parents divorce and knowing her mother left her behind cutting ties. It all leaves scars running deeper in their souls and slowly defined their personalities all through the course of their lives.
"If someone ever says awful things to you, it means that person is hurting inside."
It is not easy to rely on others and much less to share personal pain. Having a traumatic experience can also mess up our memories as a way to cope with the pain, we create walls as a mechanism of defense, only those who come close enough to knock them down and sustain the fall are reliable. I am glad that these three complete strangers from the first episode have come closer and learned in some hard but valuable way how to manage that, and be there for one another.
Developing a close friendship, a loving relationship and strong brotherhood.
Jun Wan always seemed more than met the eye, emotionally closed he had more secrets to hold than anyone. I only hope that he too breaks free from that habit, from their abusive father by saving the ones he loves and cares about, his mother and brother and finds valor in himself. For such a young kid to be willing to sacrifice his life and happiness so that his brother has it own was commendable, although it did not work as he thought it would. By pushing Jun away he only created a wall between them isolating the other, it has also caused him pain when Jun should have a strong pillar for support he found himself alone.
They all were lonely living in the shadow of their father.
Mi Joo and Young Ran are two characters that I really like in terms of development and that are fresh in dramas. Their bonding is pure and amicable and not as usually rivals tend to be that at some point in the story it turns sour and petty. Not, these two, they are both strong female characters that despite their differences and being total opposites still manage to become supportive friends and rivals when it comes to love. Kudos for that, it's a rare sight be it in real life and drama land.
Mi Joo seemed like a spoiled brat in the first episode but revealed to be a misunderstood and naïve character with a pure heart, still I must say, the courage she mustered for a confession, facing a rejection and accepting and still wrapping it all up by letting go it was honorable and this should be an example of a healthy way of moving on.
The character that I still have trouble warming up too has got be Chang Ki, now he is not bad and I for sure love his interactions with Jun when it comes to jealousy. But overall as a best friend, there was always something about him that lacked. I haven't read the webtoon yet, so I have no idea how it goes there. If he had any clue that So Bin had a crush on him like in here he seemed to have and yet he still engaged in pointless relationships or should we say nightstands that were hurting her.
Although claiming to be her best friend and always there, that is just an excuse. Because in the end their friendship shouldn't be measured by the years they've known each other, but by how they were there for each other. In the end So Bin knew more about him than he knew about her, that he even neglected that she appeased him in his own tastes because she liked him when he truly believed that she liked the same things as well.
Only when she become unavailable on his radar did he deemed her to be the missing piece in his life and that important? Only then did he brought the topic that her mother asked him when he was a child to look after her. Was he living with that in his conscience and not being able to confess any feelings he had, being afraid of losing their friendship in case things went sour?
If it's like that then he and Young Ran are on the same boat by having crushes on their friends.
Nevertheless, that's the reason these two bond as well in their rough times they learn to rely on each other and show an unlikely and inspirational bond to overcome their own troubles. I enjoyed their scenes and advices, it's relatable.
I really am fond of the main characters, and the moments that move me more definitely are the scenes with both Yeo Jun and Soo Hyun. I have been rooting for these two to get to know each other and pass the strangers mark to having a close bond and friendship and I am really content with the development so far. No one can measure who bears the most pain there, both are still suffering, but the best thing now is that they are no longer alone. They have each other. The fact that Jun calls him hyung is proof enough of how they matured and surpassed the barriers they had ever since the first meeting.
"I've become an adult who can share his true feelings, thanks to the people who love me for who I am."
The acting of the cast is good. I like most of the cast in their roles.
Bae In Hyuk and Park Ji Hoon are enjoyable to watch, the first being playing two polar opposites roles in two different dramas. Here being a poor and broke student, quiet and reserved, while on My Roommate is a Gumiho being the rich playboy who redeems his ways when falling in an unrequited love. Quite the promising young actor of this new generation.
The same goes with Park Ji Hoon, from idol to actor, he has talent in both. What I love most about him is how he conveys the emotions in his characters, they couldn't have chosen a better for this role of Yeo Jun other than him, he has the cute and soft look, while conveying the hidden emotional scars in his lonely tears. I am looking forward for more roles with him, he seems to get better and better and he truly dedicated himself to embody Yeo Jun in many lenghts.
The OST is pleasant to hear. The main theme, Talk to Me by Ji Hoon is so catchy that I find myself going with the flow. Rothy and Han Seung Yun song Pum is also nice to hear. And of course it wouldn't be a youthful OST without having Punch here.
I recommend, either you have read the webtoon or came to see this blind as I did. Its okay.
There will always be main differences and preferences on both sides, but the journey is always the same.
And remember,
"You can write your own ending to your story."
Therefore don't despair in your own struggles, where there is darkness there is also light, create your path at your own pace :)
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Too much romance instead of development.
At a Distance, Spring is Green. My first thoughts? The poster looked like something from a 2010's show, which isn't bad but seeing a yellow haired male lead made me just not like Park Ji Hoon's (Yeo Joon's) look at all. But, I started liking his look later on in the show.Just a note, I have never saw the webtoon before so this is solely based on the drama itself.
CHARACTERS/STORY
MALE LEADS
Yeo Joon and his family were brought into the limelight in starting episodes, but after that, where are they? Yeo Joon's current family problems are faded into the background after introducing it one episode, and we just kept getting flashbacks. Until they decided to bring back his family problems second to last episode. Beside his family problems, Yeo Joon isn't that bad of a character.
Soo Hyun, not bad either but not my favorite. Soo Hyun starts warming up to Yeo Joon the last minute, having some/barely any scenes with them. I just don't really know what to talk about him.
Chan Ki, boring! And they at least try to redeem his character soon in the story, He barely gets screen time. And if he does, sure he has his haha moments but that's it.
FEMALE LEADS
So Bin, not gonna lie, after seeing Kang Min Ah in True Beauty I was pretty excited she'll get her own main role, but her character's a bore. Don't get me wrong, it's not like she's just standing their all episodes but she's just a bore? Too nice maybe? She does have a backstory to her past but that's only for 1-2 episodes in the middle of the show.
Mi-joo, boring. I won't lie, her character COULD'VE been better with some screen time and development, we barely know anything about her to even declare if she's good or not. Only thing I know is that she has good fashion sense. She also had to many scenes "drooling" over Soo-hyun. But I'll give props to screenwriters for not making her some cocky rich girl as I thought she would've been.
Young Ran, maybe the most interesting? But not really also because lack of screen time, all we know is that she's Soo-hyun's longest friend, she's strong physically, and that's about it.
SOBIN AND YEO JUN'S ROMANCE
I personally think they're romance was pretty cute but took too much screen time to develop most characters. Talking about you the most Mi-joo.
SOO HYUN'S LOVE TRIANGLE
What an annoying triangle I've ever seen. One is to scared to admit their feelings and the other one get's too hook up on Soo-hyun thinking they know everything about him while barely having any interactions with him.
SOO HYUN AND YEO JOON'S BROMANCE/FRIENDSHIP
Love, love, LOVEEE! IT! I recommend you stay to watch these two if you don't like the romance part, although some episode they barely get any scenes at all with each other.
ACTING
The acting was great! Not enough to give a 10 though but great!
MUSIC
Loved! I mostly have a lot of them on my playlist.
WILL I REWATCH?
Specific episodes only.
SUMMARY!!
This show was amazing at first to me, what was missing was character development/likability in a lot of characters, wasted scenes with So-bin and Yeo Jun's romance, Soo-hyun's stupid love triangle, and again. WASTED SCENES! Although my rating isn't that high I do recommend that you check this out as it only has 12 episodes, I think it should've had 16 or just more time duration!
They're other things I would've talked about like Mi-joo and Soo-hyun's interactions, Jun-wan and Yeo Joon and more but I think you'll make your own opinion on those once you choose to watch it or not.
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Very beautiful drama with a disappointing fact.
This is a very beautiful drama with different povs of life and worth a ONE TIME WATCH. Before I review the drama, I am citing reasons why you should definitely watch "At a Distance, Spring is Green" :1. The very rare trio chemistry between Park Ji Hoon, Bae In Hyuk and Kang Min Ah
2. Warm & slow romance between Park Ji Hoon and Kang Min Ah
3. Beautiful and unique brotherly relationship between Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk, that you see in no other Kdrama
4. Deep and meaningful storyline with plenty of things to learn from and analyze about
5. This is more of a healing friendship story where the lead characters despite of their type of relationships and personalities, help each other in growing up as persons
LET'S REVIEW-->
STORY:
The drama is a coming of age campus storyline just as it's synopsis says, based in Myung-il University and mainly involves 3 characters in their early 20s who in spite of their age stratification become close due to circumstances and uplift each other while moving forward in life. The lead trio consists of 2 MLs and 1 FL among which one ML is paired up with the FL while the other ML has a subtle or we can say minor love line in the drama. But the drama primarily focus on the chemistry of the lead trio, life values and realistic problems in personal as well as university life. It is deep, beautiful and meaningful from so many aspects that it makes you cry at many instances; not just for the sad events and heart-touching moments, also for the way the characters value life and love. The story also focuses on the youth related problems that students in their early 20s face, such as poverty, mental health, academics, etc. but disappointed how another major problem of young people, i.e. LGBTQIA+ issues has been subverted from the original story and ignored as if it never existed.
As most of us know this is a webtoon adaptation of "Campus Life" which originally has 3 seasons; 1st being focused on the campus life plus lead couple chemistry development development, 2nd being the love story between one of the 2 MLs and another ML's older brother and 3rd being the unlikely warm brotherly relationship between the 2 male leads. The 3 seasons of the original webtoon has been summed up into a single season drama though the story is primarily focused on the season 1 and a major change has been done with the webtoon's 2nd season BL storyline. They introduced an extra female character in the drama to couple with the 2nd ML excluding the minor BL part of the original story. It's a bit disappointing tbh but understandable since they had to make it a cable drama and we all know South Korea's stance on homosexuality and the limits of the industry to produce BL dramas or even feature gay characters in mainstream dramas.
PLOT:
Let's be honest that this drama doesn't have a very extraordinary storyline. I mean to say that most of the things are the old usual events that we have already seen in a lots of campus kdramas. But what matters is how they execute & represent them old stuffs and how the cast performs. And I think this dramas has been able to do a very good job in that regard.
I AM very happy with how they've focused on the trio chemistry throughout the drama which is very rare in Kdramas. All 3 of them went from being strangers to department mates to very close friends who love, care and respect each other while trying to motivate each other from every aspect.
The lead couple chemistry is warm as well where Yeo Jun and So Bin fall in love under unlikely circumstances. Although it happened at an unexpected pace but I guess it's because they've only 12 episodes in total. But overally, romance in this drama is something interesting. I mean to say that this drama could have ben entirely okay off the romance part. What I also read somewhere is that So Bin and Yeo Jun are not even couples in the original webtoon.
What's more intriguing in this drama is the very amazing brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun & Soo Hyun which stands out as a rare kind of friendship you'll ever witness between 2 male characters in any Kdrama out there. It is portrayed on the same level as the lead couple, rather I would say that it dominates the lead couple's storyline but nevertheless, as I have already mentioned the major focus is on the Trio relationship.
HOWEVER, Soo Hyun's love story is a very stupid thing in the drama. Considering how female characters have been created to get him a girl, the writer has done a poor job in writing their characters as well the plot development involving these 3 characters. Also, the mean lady professor who didn't treat his students and peers well, changed overnight and started giving relationship advices to her students, wth!
CAST & CHARACTERS:
This is not a very high cast drama as most of the actors are in actual rookies, even the lead characters are somewhat less experienced considering the number of dramas they've done and it has also has many new faces. YET, I would say everyone has done their jobs appropriately here, even the minor characters has done well with whatever they were given.
Special mention to the lead trio ofc for they had proper character development and growth in personality which obviously happened because they helped each other in the due course. Park Ji Hoon has been doing good in his acting careers for years and this role of Yeo Jun has been well played by him. Bae In Hyuk, though not that new to the industry did a nice job but honestly I didn't expect him at first to be doing a good job in playing a cold yet sorted senior character. Kang Min Ah's previous characters have been somewhat similar, this drama also brought forward a different side to which she reciprocated well with whatever acting skills she has acquired so far.
HOWEVER, I feel the major characters other than the lead trio were of less essence. I mean that's a given since they're supporting roles but still I think it could have been better. Not knowing how the characters have been penned in the original story, I think the drama screenwriter kind of did a poor job in drawing them. Hong Chan Ki's character is at ok level but Young Ran being the closest friend to Soo Hyun didn't have much to do. Mi Joo, the extra character created for the drama to pair up with Soo Hyun, is totally useless. I am not at all enraged because Soo Hyun's BL storyline with Yeo Jun Wan was changed but I honestly think Mi Joo's character went to drain with nothing to offer. They should have rather kep soo Hyun's character single in the story and that'd have been better tbh.
DIRECTION AND SCREENPLAY:
Direction is actually good being directed by a somewhat young director, thus giving out fruitful results. Execution of the script with a moderately paced screenplay editing makes it even more pleasing and catchy to watch. Arrangement of events as well as organising the OSTs and background scores have also been done properly.
OSTs:
The OSTs are actually very beautiful which add extra essence to a drama which is so deep and so meaningful. "BOM BOM BOM" by Punch, "Talk To Me" by Park Ji Hoon himself and "Way" by Chancellor are some jolly & catchy numbers whereas, "Then & Now" by Huski and "We will be not all Together" by Rothy & Han seung Yoon are heart touching and soft tracks... I love the later 2 so much.
UNIQUENESS:
The best reason you should watch this drama is the unique brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun (Park Ji Hoon) and Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk). It's not the usual bromance you see in other kdramas where they're either fighting or clinging to each other. The 2 characters literally went from being strangers to senior-junior to best brothers. The way the development of the warm as well as beautiful bonding between them has been shown is rare to find. Even though they found each other annoying, they eventually warmed up to each other despite a huge difference in their personalities. It was as if they were seeking each other's presence in their lives. Yeo Jun who has always been deprived of love from family and looked for affection all his life AND Soo Hyun who has always been strong yet secretly looking for someone to lean on; finally find each other to rely on and end up proving how well they deserve to be good brothers. I am always gonna remember their affectionate relationship.
DISAPPOINTMENTS:
But let me also express my utter disappointment about this drama too. Apart from the poor side characters and the stupid extra female characters, I am still in denial about how the BL storyline was completely dumped into the trashbin. It's somewhat understandable that the Kdrama industry has it's limits because of the Orthodox Korean society but many other Kdramas has put efforts and tried to bring change by featuring LGBT+ characters too. Then why not a university campus drama which has 90% young characters in their early 20s as well their youth problems have been portrayed? Not just in the society, LGBT+ issues are also one of the major problems in modern day campuses. Even though the BL storyline involved one of the MLs, they could have kept it that way in order to bring a positive change and set an example for others. If they thought that no prominent actor would want to play a gay characrer, they should have looked for someone who would do this with an open mind, even if they were less popular. After all that was a minor storyline and it would have been easier to execute but still!? But they totally failed in that regard rather decided to completely remove that part. In another way, it's fine if you did but why would you create a stupid character to compensate that and get the male character a partner? I mean it's not a big deal for a character to end up single by the ending of drama. Firstly, subverting the homosexual characters then altering someone's sexuality from gay to straight; both of these facts enrage me a lot. This is another example why I think Korean netizens as a society and community is just pretending to be progressive in some aspect while they ignore and reject other major ideas which are actually important for someone's rights and happiness, due to their narrow-minded thinkings. I am both angry and sad at the same time though I will always simp for the lead trio chemistry.
So to conclude, overally, this drama and it's story are really beautiful and you should try watching. If you don't care about the original story and okay with the negative change in it's storyline, it's okay and you can go ahead ad watch this. Even I have not read the webtoon but as someone who admires the originality and also someone who himself identifies as homosexual, I am equally disappointed with the change as much as I love it for the warm vibes. I might come back to this sometimes because of the warm scenes and cry watching them, especially the scenes of Yeo Jun (Ji Hoon) and Soo Hyun (In Hyuk). It has many things to learn from which will make you relate and think about your own life, your personality, your lifestyle, your relationship with others and your way of loving ang giving away affection.
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Inspiring paired with remarkable friendships & bromance
This drama was quite a spontaneous watch and grabbed my attention due to Bae In Hyuk starring in this series. It took me a while to grasp something compelling and unique about the series that stood out from other coming of age and youth dramas I have watched in the past. In the end, I flipped to the other side of the coin and found myself enjoying most aspects of the show as it was inspiring and admiring to watch. Arguably, there are minor problems that the drama brings, which will be discussed below. This review is based upon the fact that I have not read the webtoon, thus my judgments will only be about the drama alone.As mentioned in the plot. the drama revolves around two male protagonists that have two very contrasting personalities and lives, but both have their struggles that they individually deal with. It is an atypical story about the hardships of today's youth whilst they are at university. If you are a heavy-watcher of youth dramas or web dramas - like myself - then this kind of story would be very familiar to you. Unlike web dramas based around this theme, however, this drama did bring some surprising depth and storyline contrasting to what you would normally see from a university-based drama. It touches upon serious issues that include poverty, anxiety, trauma, and physical/emotional abuse. One thing I enjoyed about this series is the feelings and vulnerabilities that are expressed with the male characters in this society. The series is centered around two male protagonists was a splendid choice. I found it admiring that the show made it distinctly clear that one can suffer from their own worries, besides having financial problems which means that each problem should be validated. The life lessons that derive from the struggles that the characters faced were remarkable and endearing.
I found the romance story to be satisfactory and lacking development a little. I think the drama could have benefited from developing the friendship more than the romance. It is quite a cliche with how they miraculously meet. Albeit on the plus side, the friendship developed between the couple was cute and the relationship itself was nurturing in some way. The writers decided to include a love triangle, a reoccurring theme amongst K-dramas. I felt like it would have been better to have not included it in the show as it does not add any value to what was already a compelling storyline
The series builds on a stereotypical image of toxic rich families which is an ongoing theme that takes place within many K-dramas; I have grown tired of seeing them, but I liked the slight twist to it.
Overall, the story was surprisingly intriguing to watch as each episode progresses. It can be predictable in some instances, but in others, the drama will bring you a few surprises as well. The pace of the drama was great , but I wish for the drama to find a good balance with developing the friendship between the two male leads and having a great romance story across the cast involved.
The writers of the drama did a fabulous job in showing two contrasting characters who are dealing with immense sufferings in their life, but from two different sides of the spectrum: one that is in need of money to make ends meet and one that is in need of affection due to the loneliness that derives from an unloved family. Soo Hyun has a very reserved and cold temperament, whilst Yeo Jun tries to portray a cheerful and bubbly exterior. As both make their way through this ambiguous and strenuous life, they happen to grow fond of each other and find healing in one another as their friendship develops. But this was not smooth sailing at first. The character development between Soo Hyun and Yeo Jun is notably incredible and phenomenal. The chemistry that the two friends have along with So Bin is touching as well. Both Bae In Hyuk and Park Ji Hoon displayed their character's emotions terrifically and I am thoroughly impressed with Park Ji Hoon’s acting seeing him for the first time in a role.
So Bin is an innocent, socially anxious, and assiduous character. At times I do feel as if she lacks depth compared to Soo Hyun and Yeo Jun and was merely serving as one's partner once her little story was over. Nevertheless, I enjoyed her character development. As always, I am impressed with Kang Min Ah's acting, and seeing her act in diverse roles in her previous projects, she did well in portraying So-Bin.
Young Ran was the tough, sociable, and strong one out of the bunch. It was lovely to see Eunbi as well for the first time in a role.
Mi Joo as a character was anti-climatic and poorly written. Her lack of backstory and development, plus the obnoxious writing of her unrequited love was unbearable to watch.
Chan-Kin. The child-like and playful character was notoriously known as So-Bin’s best friend. Again, even though there was not a lot going on with the character, I did like his willingness to develop and the backstory behind his friendship with So-Bin.
And lastly, Professor Song and Professor Park. I enjoyed their talks and interactions with the students, paired with their perspectives on youth for them when they were in their 20’s. It was quite fascinating. At first, I did not like Professor Song, but after getting to know her character more, I grew fond of her.
There is not a lot of songs that accompany this drama, but I do like all of them and fit well with the series. The one I will highlight is Rothy & Hang Seung Yan's collaboration. This song is beautiful and melancholic that includes amazing harmonisation. A true masterpiece. Another favourite would have to be Park Ji Hoon's 'Talk To Me'.
To my surprise, I could see myself watching a few episodes of this drama again. Despite the sensitive issues that are tackled in this series, I do find this a comfortable watch for a rainy day.
To conclude, this is not an all-time favourite of mine, but I would have to say that it is one of my favourite youth dramas, setting aside the negatives that it brought. If you are a casual listener to Park Ji Hoon - like I am - this drama will for sure get you to know him more beyond just an idol. If you are a massive fan of youth dramas and the cast that are lined up for the series, then it is worth adding this one to the list. On the downside, if you are looking for a great romance, then maybe this is not the drama for you.
Overall, I would highly recommend you watch it for the incredible friendship that encompasses a beautiful message about friendships, bromance, and inspiring life lessons that accompany this. I happen to find myself missing this series as it is coming to an end.
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Must Watch!
This is a perfect korean drama to watch. It has good amount of comedy, friendship and romance. Its perfectly done. I want to thank the writer for writing such a beautiful story about youth. This drama not only showed the positive side of youth but also also showed the darkness of youth. Everyone of them had a dark side in their life. Overcoming the hardship is all about youth. I was amazed by the acting of baeinhyuk. He is such a good actor. And the way he portrayed the character was so perfect. Park jihoon was also good. I loved how beautiful their friendship was. The last episode was too beautiful. Two different people of two different background having different problems in their lives met and their relationship was not good. But the way they overcomed it and became happy in their own lives and solved their problems because of the existence of each other is so overwhelming. Baeinhyuk and park jihoon are the real heroes. The OST was beautiful tooWas this review helpful to you?
Should You Keep A “ Distance” From This Drama?
There is undeniably something poignant about the plot premise of ‘ At A Distance, Spring is Green’ as the series pursues the soul-searching quests of our tritagonists trying to guide themselves through friendships, love and their own personal conflicts in different ways.
Yet in between the vivid spring palette scheme of director Kim Jung Hyun ( Secret Garden, Legal High) ‘s cinematography , ‘ At A Distance, Spring is Green’ doesn’t escape from the realm of scrutiny either. The divergence from the original storyline by conservative production channel KBS ( including changing platonic friendships to romantic pairings and even a character’s sexuality),unsurprisingly has sparked a lot of controversial debate over the handling of characterisation and plot throughout the drama.
However against the more heated feud surrounding the drama’s storyline , our main cast offered refreshing performances as their onscreen personas . Idol and former child actor Park Ji-Hoon delivered a beguiling performance as Yeo Joon. Throughout the drama we learn more about Yeo Joon away from his cheery and fake facade of similes. Foregrounded as a byproduct of an oppressive and dysfunctional family consisting of his older brother Yeo Joon Wan( Na In Woo), as well as his parents Cha Jeong Joo ( So Hee Jung) and Yeo Myung Hoon ( Kim Hyung Mook). One of the major drama subplots surrounding Yeo Joon’s family did undeniably have some surprising twists, but this subplot was sadly underdeveloped as a consequence of the predominating screen time into Yeo Joon’s “ romance” with So Bin ( Kang Min Ah).
It wasn’t the case that Park Ji-Hoon and Kang Min Ah had terrible onscreen chemistry. Kang Min Ah is a brilliant actress and she certainly helped to convey sweet moments between their onscreen personas ( one of the loveliest scenes of the drama being when So Bin gave Yeo Joon a hyacinth). However, the plot often seemed to struggle with conveying a symbiotic and mutually respectful relationship between these two characters with Yeo Joon (in early episodes) manipulating So Bin’s feelings, and then So Bin happily going out with someone who infringed upon her self-respect . Aside from diverging from the original webcomic the pairing between these main leads was similar to So Bin merely acting as an emotional band aid for Joon’s emotional wounds; quick to slap on top in order to make their relationship seem “ soulful”, yet often
resulting in a one-sided investment of only So Bin hearing out Joon . Whilst in the later storyline Joon did arguably “ support” So Bin, this was in a fairly manipulative manner towards humiliating someone who caused her to get into a tricky scenario rather than trusting and listening to So Bin and working out their problems together. Instead whilst it is understandable that Joon needed some respectful boundaries with So Bin ( and vice versa), it provided a sense of distrust within their relationship by Joon often considering Soo Hyun ( Baek In Hyuk) more as a “trusted” confidant than So Bin throughout the drama.
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However arguably one of the most enjoyable feats of the drama was Yeo Joon’s gradual relationship with his older brother Yeo Joon Wan ( Na In Woo) and then of course his friendship with Nam Soo Hyun. For the former, Na In Woo was really dynamic at capturing his persona Joo Wan’s stoicism by his expressions rendering something which is “ more than meets the eye” in early scenes. His heart-rendering journey from being the “ estranged” and “ heartless” brother of Joon to expressing his actual worry and emotions as truths come to light was one of the few beautiful moments of character development in the drama . However the ultimate show stealer was of course Joon’s oddball friendship with Soo Hyun.
Ironically this gradual “ blood brother” bond was more intriguing at times than the predominating relationship of Joon with So Bin, as a consequence of being able to contrast and present the characters for all their flaws and strengths. In Hyuk is captivating as second male lead Nam Soo Hyun. A distinctly subversive character; he doesn’t beat around the bush about Yeo Joon being used for his money, his irritation at Yeo Joon sucking up to him and also acknowledges his own social stigma of being " arrogant" on campus whilst struggling to play a fraternal and paternal role for his brother Nam Goo Hyun( Kim Su Gyeom). However one of the biggest problems with Soo Hyun came from (controversy aside), his lacking focal investment with his equivocally intriguing backstory being disregarded in favour for the “ romantic” moments of the drama.
The “ romantic pairings” present in ‘ At A Distance, Spring Is Green’ seemed to provide an ultimate foil at times to greater development with our characters (especially in regards to our female characters) , with the biggest elephant in the room being So Bin.
Respectfully whilst we do get to see insights into So Bin’s life through her interactions with roommates Wang Young Ran ( Kwon Eun Bin) and Gong Mi Joo ( Woo Da Vi) , her " crush and best friend" Hong Chan Ki ( Choi Jung Woo) and some abrupt glimpses into her ” difficult“ past, there’s little to truly put together about So Bin’s greater sense of purpose in the drama . There is the evident argument that whilst Yeo Joon and Soo Hyun represent the problems of loneliness and economic injustice, So Bin is supposed to show the “ average Korean student”. However unlike her counterparts So Bin rarely has this greater calling towards why she was even studying in the first place, her sense of personality outside of her interactions with her roommates, classmates and romance also and being able to have a more profound backstory . Arguably there was a quick passing comment by So Bin that she wasn’t entirely sure about her future and we did get to see abruptly little snippets of So Bin’s past catching up on her , however, perhaps if the series had gone more into So Bin’s reasoning either to ” prove everyone wrong“, her struggles with feeling motiveless or if this was previously rooted from academic or social pressure in her backstory , So Bin would have felt less like a “ emotional band aid” for an enforced romantic pairing, and more of a sentient individual.
This was also a case and point problem with the " unrequited feelings” of Gong Mi Joo towards Soo Hyun. It wasn’t necessarily that Mi Joo was an unlikeable character. In fact actress Woo Da Vi was brilliant at portraying an otherwise paper thin role of the ” superficial rich girl” . However for a major proportion of Mi Joo’s character arc, she was often fractious by her “schoolgirl crush” as well as her motiveless and unhealthy obsession over Soo Hyun. If Mi Joo had tried to understand more about Soo Hyun beyond “ he gave me the drink at the convenience store and is good looking” by asking Young Ran ( and perhaps acknowledging at least their different outcomes), maturing slightly after her previous breakup or even being able to venture more into her backstory, then perhaps Mi Joo would have felt like a well-rounded character. However, it was tiresome to once more see the second female lead be stereotyped as “ pitiful” and “ needy” before being disregarded nearly entirely when she wasn’t “ necessary to the plot”.
Arguably one of the few female characters in this drama who was given justice for a major proportion of the early storyline was Young Ran. The best friend of Soo Hyun who proves herself to be a supportive and a down-to -earth friend, it is disappointing that the show did not take more time to invest in her character arc aside from playing match maker and her seemingly “ unseen” future . The ending overall was a little underwhelming to say the least- not bad per say, just failing to wrap up key character points and moments.
So is ‘ From A Distance Spring Is Green’ actually worth watching? It is evident to see where this drama has its own alluring appeal for certain viewers by really good casting , beautiful cinematography and the portrayal of hard-hitting issues ( such as abuse, bereavement, economic and academic pressure ) in an attempt to take off the audience demographic’s rose-tinted glasses associated with youth. On a more pessimistic note, it is evident to see how this drama struggles with mixed-criticism by viewers with the adapted storyline straying away beyond recognition from the webcomic, mismatched pacing in parts ( due to the investment in lacklustre pairings) , the “ mismatched” main pairing ( which dominates a high proportion of screen time) as well as stereotyping certain characters into mundane one-dimensional roles , diminishing from fortified character development as well as more original takes on the youth genre . Overall certainly not an unwatchable drama but perhaps not as impressively original, or well-crafted as viewers were anticipating either.
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Friendship is enough, is there a need for romance?
"My smile is not fake anymore, what took my mask away?"Disclaimer: I haven't read the webtoon yet so this review is solely based on drama.
In the first few episodes... you'll encounter a lot of tension between 2 male leads that definitely gives you the feeling and vibe, 'is this BL?' so let me clear this question: No it isn't. It's not typical youth drama, it tries to be different in many aspects adding some twists that are usually not seen in this type of drama, making you wonder about many things.
As of the first impression of Joon, I didn't like him at all (really at all lol). Loved his character development throughout the drama.. it wasn't out of nowhere or abrupt it was slow and natural. He got friends and love from them that he deserves. And not to forget he found his 'real smile.' Soo Hyun.. haha he acts oblivious and clueless many times, but he is adorable at the same time. I liked the change in his personality too, how he becomes comfortable around friends, having conversations even okay with getting help when it's needed. It's pleasant to see.
What I enjoyed most in the drama was the interactions, tension in the initial stage between Joon and Soo Hyun, the development in their friendship how they start to rely on each other, trust each other... the most pleasant time! Seeing Na In Woo was a surprise for me (I don't really check many things before starting drama lol)... ah I wanted his more interaction and relationship development with Jun maybe I would prefer it more than his time with So Bin :')
Romance ah the most uninteresting part of the drama, it has already many other things to handle lol (no offense it's my opinion) it is out of nowhere, it's like someone slams the door on the face as says yeah now leads like each other apparently for no good reason, you have to find why they like each other? Okay, so I get it about Joon as he is someone who is in need who hasn't been loved by anyone... so it's kinda acceptable for him to bit hungry for love. But what about So Bin, why the heck she likes him? Plus she is like one of the most important characters (Apparently one of the leads having poorly written) who gets really big screentime is the most uninteresting (or boring) character, yeah she has her backstory and all but still, she doesn't have her own identity or even personality, at the end of the day her role in the show becomes only as of the love interest for Jun. Maybe they had shown big character development in her or she even made some less stupid mistakes.
And this isn't only about Joon or So Bin why everyone should have their own love line, coz it's drama. Ah, I would have liked it more if it has shown friendship more other than bombarding too many love stories (Not to forget that love triangle lol).. other than triangle the trio of leads (only as friends) would have been the best scenario.
I don't have a problem with casting, not a very superficial level but we are getting decent acting. Everyone did an okay job portraying the characters. Especially I'm impressed by Park Ji Hoon's acting (It's my first time seeing him) especially with crying scenes he did a great job.
The soundtrack is really good.. our main lead is the singer, of course, we are getting ost sing by him 'Talk to me' (말만 해). 'Bom Bom Bom' (봄봄봄) by Punch is really refreshing. Bom/Boom '봄' means 'Spring.' And not to forget the duet of Rothy and Han Seung Yun 'Hug' (품) it's a soothing match with the drama's main concept. I liked the color palate specifically as it fit the theme of the drama.. spring! with really good cinematography.
I liked the fact it tries to show some social problems, sensitive topics without being over the top.. how they solve their problems overcome the traumas, but it tries to show many things in a short amount of time, it doesn't get draggy but a bit overcrowded I'll say. Drama isn't really like what the poster says it has different shades with being a bit dark also mysterious not losing its refreshing touch.
I don't rewatch so it's just a random number lol
In the conclusion, character development in some characters (not all), how they overcome their problems is my most favorite aspect of the show... it does have many problems if we ignore some poorly written parts and characters, it can count as an enjoyable show for sure!
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Yeo Joon is for sure the star of the show, the most interesting and well portrayed character. They did a good job with his introduction and character development. It was gradual and realistic. We witnessed him try to fight his demons alone, still learning how to open to others, even as the drama got closer to the end. Park Ji Hoon did an amazing job acting - some scenes giving me real goosebumps.
That said, it was disappointing to see just a little of the screen time used to explore his relationship with the family, seeing how it defined who he was and how he acted for the majority of his life... so for it to not have more importance in the healing aspect was a bit... weird?
Soo Hyun might be the main character, but he did not get enough screen time as one. With that, his character development is nowhere near as well written as Yeo Joon's. It was not as organic and natural. He was one of my favorite characters, so I was a bit sad with the fact there wasn’t more focus placed on him.
And then there is the issue of Soo Hyun being straight in the show, when he is gay in the webtoon - truly hate it. It’s infuriating. They could have not given him any love line and use that time to develop his character more. Some people can ignore that, but some people would not pick up a show that is straightwashing characters, so do with this information what you want.
Last but not least from the three heroes of the show: Kim So Bin, who technically could have worked as a main character, if she would be well written and incorporated into the story. She got a good character introduction, they set up some nice conflicts - both internal and external… but then did nothing with them. Her existence revolves around Yeo Joon - she is there for him to like, to make him want to change, to save her…
She had enough screen time for an amazing development, it was just not given to her. Even almost at the end of the show... she is there to be saved by Yeo Joon after making stupid decisions and not being able to say no... by now she should have been more than that.
Young Ran and Mi Joo showed a realistic portrayal of "love rivalry" between friends. As much as I dislike the love triangle and how unnecessary it was, I still appreciate it gave us a good representation of female friendship.
That said, as individual characters... I find it sad most of their arc is focused on unrequited love as if they don't have anything else going on in their lives. Especially with Mi Joo… girl needs a hobby or something.
For a show that is suppose to focus on healing, realistic portrayal of college life and growth… The lack of consequences characters faced is staggering. How they resolved some of the conflicts involving the seniors was simply unrealistic. Sorry, but you cannot make a character that unlikeable and then for no reason say “well… maybe they are not that bad after all” - yes, yes they are unless you give me character development which would make me believe they are not trash.
Honestly speaking, I went into the drama without reading the webtoon, ans started reading it only half way through the show. Was hoping for friendship, and romance as side plot. Sadly, the romance was the center of the directing, getting the most screen time out of all plot lines. By the end, they started to pair everyone up, was it really necesary?
If you want to watch it only for bromance after reading the synopsis, don’t bother - just check fanmade videos on youtube. Otherwise, there will a lot of skipping scenes ahead of you.
Overall: I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy even a second of At a Distance, Spring Is Green. Some aspects were great, but some were annoyingly bad. It’s a good drama for a younger audience, far less tragic and serious than the first two episodes present. As long as you don't expect a masterpiece, and are willing to forgive some underdeveloped and forgotten plot lines, you will enjoy it. The production value is obviously high, and they use the university setting well. Not to mention great summer vibes OST.
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Unfulfilling youth story
I wrote this as a comment before but I decided to put it as a review too and see how my opinion changes after the drama ends.It's painful to watch because Jun and Soohyun's story develops in such a much deeper way, they're literally always there for each other when they need someone the most - like they have said, they keep showing each other their worst and what they want to hide the most, both Jun and Soohyun have had outstanding character development thanks to each other, the time spent together and experiences lived. Sobin is sadly an accessory of the ML that literally doesn't contribute anything to his growth. She's surely done things for him and has helped him be more open, but most of his growth is thanks to what he's learned after spending time with Soohyun and growing together.
Soohyun's entire development is thanks to Jun and how Soohyun himself has become more open in front of him. I just really don't see how there's room for a het romance between Sobin and Jun when their relationship is absolutely shallow and simple.
It's also painful to see how dull and poorly written every female character is. Sobin had a backstory and something going on for her but ever since Jun helped her overcome her childhood trauma there is nothing else to make her an interesting character on her own. Like I said, every action of hers at this point simply leads to something related to Jun, showing she's nothing more than a plot accessory of the ML even though she is "the female lead."
Miju is completely shallow, not because of her personality but because everything they made about her is simply having a crush on Soohyun. She lacks any type of depth and character trait, all her screentime is just her having a ridiculous crush on a clearly uninterested guy that has way too much to deal with his life to be even thinking about a relationship.
Youngran is probably the most interesting female character only because she has a personality other than liking a guy, but her screentime is little and she doesn't do much either in the show. Still, her biggest trait is having a crush on her childhood friend too, so it's not like she's properly written or built either.
Chanki being on the drama poster is ridiculous since they don't even give him enough screentime or, again, other personality than being the FL's childhood friend who realizes a bit too late that he also liked his best friend back, which makes no sense anyway because even if you like someone you wouldn't be dating *that* much and doing your friend so dirty even after knowing she had a crush on you (this doesn't make any sense to me).
I can't say I'm not disappointed with the way this drama is developing because I really liked it at the beginning and sadly (and naively) hoped for a romance between the two male leads, but they keep simply bating us and making us believe they will develop something between them, even though their relationship is a lot more interesting than any other character or relationship in the whole drama.
I'm not even talking from a webtoon fan because I didn't read the webtoon (I did see some caps just to confirm it's actually BL), but from a viewer who has eyes and clearly knows that the story between Jun and Soohyun is much better than anything else. I'm not even getting into the fact that they completely stripped a the sexuality off a main character and how the erasure of LGBTQ+ in adapted dramas do a lot more damage than kdrama stans seem to think, I'm literally just complaining about the development of the drama itself as a story on its own.
I was excited at the beginning and liked it a lot, but this week's eps really showed a drop in quality.
-- UPDATE --
So I just finished it and confirmed that many things I wrote above were spot-on and pretty much predicted how this drama would make me feel: unfulfilled.
The way the conflict between the brothers resolved was the most boring and predictive thing in the drama. Jun is supposed to hate his brother because his memories tricked him into thinking that it was his brother who used to beat him up, but it was actually his father. Okay, I understand our memories can trick us and distort our past, affecting our present. That part totally makes sense and I wouldn't complain if they hadn't done Junwan's implication so lazy and mediocre. You're telling me a 10? 12? year old boy told his younger brother that he didn't have a family, traumatizing him forever, just to "protect" him? Wouldn't it have been easier if he just... protected his brother? He could've told him the same thing, that he didn't have a mother or father but he had a brother to rely on, the two of them would've been able to get through the abuse of their father and pressure of their mother in a much better way. This part alone didn't make any sense. On the other side. they left Junwan's story in the vast. Jun told him to live his life from then on so the writers took him off the show.
Jun's reactions were so weird too. The fact that he just kept screaming all the time and had a very scary and aggressive reaction all the time was a little bit off-putting. I can't say it's completely random because I understand that's completely part of someone's trauma, but it kind of put me off sometimes. Also, the fact that his mom never apologized to him or anything at all... Trash.
I don't really want to get into much detail but among the many things that bored me about this drama and made me feel like it was a waste of time was how poorly written the female characters were in this show. None of them had any depth whatsoever other than liking a boy. Sobin had some background story but once her boyfriend helped her overcome her childhood trauma, suddenly her little story disappeared and she became nothing more than The Male Lead's Girlfriend. Every one of her scenes was either with Jun or about Jun (after ep 7. sort of). The last 3 eps could've gone without her with no issue because the writers simply didn't care about her at all.
Also, the way they completely took Miju off the show as soon as she decided to get over her crush is so incredibly mediocre. She started liking Soohyun because she saw him ONCE working, he picked up something she dropped (as it was his job), saw him 4 times more, confessed, got rejected and suddenly her whole world came to pieces. The way she literally told Youngran he was "her everything" even though she new virtually nothing about him other than being a smart sunbae in the business department? That was soooo shallow and unnecessary. Her character was the worst and not because she was a bad person, but because the writers literally gave no fvcks about her after a while either. They based her whole personality in having a crush, so when she decided to get over the crush they plainly and simply took her off the screen. Outrageous.
As I said before, Youngran was the most interesting female character, but even so the only personality they gave her was Having a Crush on her long-time friend. At least they didn't completely remove her from the picture and actually gave her another friend (glad they didn't actually start dating but just stayed as friends) to get over her crush with and show some growth.
I will never stop complaining about how this drama did Jun and Soohyun so dirty. I get it, it's KBS, it's a major TV channel, it aired in prime time, Korea isn't so open to LGBTQ+ stories, the original webtoon doesn't develop a romantic relationship between the two, etc, etc. Yes, all those points are true, but it doesn't make it any less annoying that the whole show could've had more depth and been more interesting if they developed a romantic relationship between these two characters. I can settle with the fact that they were good friends and cared for each other fondly, helped each other grow and all that. I was a cute sight and I won't say I didn't enjoy their friendship. But it would've been so much better, interesting and definitely riskier if they went with a gay romance that wouldn't hurt anyone.
The only way I won't feel robbed and like I wasted 12 hours of my life in this is by thinking that Soohyun was implied to be gay. Wait, I have arguments! Well, first of all, he had two female love interests and chose none. Okay, it may mean he was just not interested, but it's kind of rare to find things like this in a kdrama. Second, Soohyun did admit he liked a person in that field trip. Although the question explicitly said "lower your finger if you like any *girl* here, he rejected the two girls he could be interested in (because he obviously was not into Sobin), so my conclusion is that he actually had a crush on Jun but would not act on it because 1) they're friends, 2) Jun has a girlfriend, 3) he's way too busy with his life to date - of course, this could also be applied to explain why he didn't accept either Miju or Youngran, but this is my coping mechanism and one must do what makes them happy. In my heart, Nam Soohyun is gay in the drama too.
Overall, this drama had great potential and it hooked me well with the first 5 eps, ep 6 was ok but from ep 7 onwards it just got more and more boring. I won't lie, I watched the last 3 eps in 1.5x because it was very lame and boring, especially since they resolved Jun's trauma in such a lazy way that made me simply not any more interested in the show. I fininshed because I love Bae Inhyuk, Park Jihoon's acting was pretty good, and I came this far and good or not, I got invested in the story. However, I will mark it completed here and hopefully forget about it because it was incredibly disappointing.
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also the ost of this drama was incredible
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A healing experience
Let me just start by saying that I rarely write reviews (I think my last review was for Mystic Pop-up Bar last year lol) but this show, especially the three main characters, have won a very special place in my heart so I couldn't not write my thoughts on AADSIG.I honestly started watching this show without properly reading the summary; I had only knew this was based on a webtoon and after I watched the teasers I decided to give it a shot and boy am I grateful I did.
This has got to be my personal favorite kdrama of 2021 so far (and I'm not sure another show could top it). Don't get me wrong, AADSIG is by no means perfect, but I can't help but love this show with all my heart even though there were some things I wish were changed or added.
What I loved the most about this drama was how realistic it was in showing the struggles common people go through every day. We see different characters, each with their personal story and each one carrying a burden that makes them feel suffocated and like they can't go on. The most beautiful thing for me was to see how all these broken characters came together and with time, patience, understanding, and love they were able to help each other realize they were not alone, that it was okay to rely on others and that even though life is hard, the sun always rises after a storm and people can overcome their difficulties.
I felt I could perfectly relate to these characters and to the struggles they went through. Watching this show was a healing experience for me because through the characters I was able to see parts of myself I don't want to think about many times. Especially with So Bin, I felt deeply connected to her because I'm also an extremely shy person who can't stand being in the spotlight. Particularly I could understand her when she struggled so much to get closer to Yeo Joon and she felt scared that maybe he didn't want her to get closer to him. I'm also an insecure person who many times thinks I'm bothering others (even though I "know" they love me), I find it difficult to get closer because I'm afraid I'm being a nuisance or I'm intruding or overstepping. And the fact that I could see myself in her was one of the reasons why I felt disappointed that the show didn't give So Bin more room to grow, they didn't develop her character in more depth. I wish they'd showed more about her past, more about how she dealt with her insecurities and overcame her anxiety and fears, and more of her and Joon simply being honest and open to each other (particularly him) and helping each other grow and overcome their wounds. Sadly, that's the main reason why I can't give 10 stars to the show.
Nevertheless, the depiction of friendship in this show has got to be the most beautiful I've ever seen in kdrama, especially between the two male leads. And I know there are many people who were hoping this would be a bl but I just need to say I'm glad it wasn't because I think not everything needs to be about romantic relationships (be it same or different sex). In the society I live in, men are raised learning that talking about feelings, being vulnerable in front of someone else and showing you emotions are things they shouldn't do because "these are things that women do", so many men just suppress their feeling and bottle everything up and they have a hard time confiding in their friends about emotional matters, in fact, it is not "well seen" if they do that. So seeing Joon and Soo Hyun listening to each other's problems and supporting each other emotionally just gives me so much happiness because I think that's what friends should do, that's what friendships should be like (and we know that between women this is common, but between men, it isn't). So I was pleased to see such a healthy and positive representation of male friendship, they really went and said f*ck toxic masculinity and I'm LIVING FOR IT.
Finally, the acting of this show was simply BRILLIANT. Props to every single one of the cast members and especially the main trio. This was the second time I watched Bae In Hyuk acting and I completely fell in love with him. This was my first time watching Kang Min Ah and she did amazing, I think she's such an outstanding actress. As for Park Ji Hoon, I had seen only one other project of him but I hadn't realized the depth of his acting talent. This boy CAN act, he's incredible, definitely my favorite this time, I particularly enjoyed the emotion he conveyed during those scenes where we saw his trauma, especially that one scene in which the two bullies get into a fight with Soo Hyun because of the group project and Joon tries to stop them. His performance simply blew my mind. I'll definitely be waiting for these actors' next projects and I'll be rooting for them, there's already a spot reserved for their characters and them in my heart.
Thank you to all the cast, production team, and staff who worked so hard in making this beautiful drama. I'm so grateful I found this show when I really needed it, now when I'm going through a hard time for not being sure of what future holds for me. Thank you to these precious characters for giving me so much comfort and making me feel safe and at peace with myself. Thank you for reminding me that not having all the answers to everything is okay, that I don't need to be in control of everything that happens in life, that it is okay to reach out for help, that I should treasure those who are close to me, and that no matter what, I can overcome whatever challenges and difficulties life throws at me, with the help of those who love and care for me.
I'm uploading this without really proofreading, so I apologize for any possible mistakes I may have made. Thank you for reading this far, and I hope that wherever you are, you never forget how precious and important you are in this world.
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It is worth watching
When I started watching it, I didn't know that story will turn out to be this good. It was an intense and light drama at one time. I don't feel like waiting before watching next episode. I am binge watching this. It highlights an issue that, at an age, all of us might have felt, i.e, biased parents or unjust siblings, however in this drama family is way too toxic and annoying. I initially felt that male lead (Yeo Jun) was psychopath but i was wrong :). He is such a sweet guy who is being tormented. Both leads are so cute and they suit each other a lot. Their acting made it more realistic and interesting. The drama is about college students, hence we can relate and understand the story well. Although I have not finished watching it yet I couldn't help writing a review. The romantic scenes, true/fake friendship and family drama, it was a perfect blend of everything that I can expect from a drama. Moreover, I loved its OSTs.Was this review helpful to you?
