"Why transition into a tearful melodrama genre all of a sudden?"
+ It started kinda promising.+ It was funny and I am a huge fan of bickering between leads. Both leads have a nice humour and are likeable.
+ Besides the leads, we also have 2 employees in the café, which are pretty much likeable. Also the people in the office are nice, but the main focus is really on the leads, which I liked lot.
+ The ost is really beautiful.
+ It's short, so I don't have to endure too much and it's still kinda watchable, BUT:
- Towards the end it was just so frustrating to watch. T_T The obstacles just got copy and pasted. If it was solved on the FL side, it appeared on the ML side. Yeah, wtf. :'D How can a drama with this length be so freaking annoying?!
Things, I disliked:
- Unnecessary lies. I hope everyone out there would handle the situation with the ex differently! Otherwise, don't you dare to call yourself a friend.
- annoying ex, who also leads me to be annoyed of the FL, because: why can no one talk clearly in this show?! I can clearly see how many thoughts rush through their minds, but communication can't be found, lmao.
- second female character whose whole personality only consist of one thing. I won't spoiler it, but she doesn't talk about much aside of this. She is so pushy and uncomfortable. This has nothing to do with "I won't hold back, because xxx" It's just straight up: "I don't want to read the room, because I don't care about others anymore. I just care about me, so deal with it, why should your feelings matter, LOL."
- Unnecessary time skip at the end. Yeah, sure, we need more obstacles to drag the frustration. /s
With the negative points, the show felt dragged, although it is pretty short. I would not say that you miss something, if you'll just pass here. It was okay, but it was nothing major cute, fluffy or romantic, which would have balanced the criticism. I laughed some times, but there were definitely shows that turned me more often into a gasping, squeaking fangirl than this one.
Btw: The Headline is a quote from the ML in Episode 9 and describes my thoughts on the SFL in such a perfect way, that I just had to use it. :'D
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Lacks Heart
I was tricked! The storyline sounded like it was /right/ up my alley. It was cute, promised me fake dating, AND friends to lovers? I was so ready! The top reviews were also very promising despite the actual rating being a bit low (+ I actually liked the main cast!). But really, this just wasn't it.While this show had a really cute, albeit cheesy, storyline, it just had no heart. I found myself fast forwarding through SO MUCH. Emotions were lacking, chemistry was nonexistent, and everyone either seemed like they were over or underacting. Some had zero emotions, some had a bit ... too much for what the situation called for. The tropes and cliches were a bit too much (like y'all, there were some WILD storylines just casually thrown in and barely addressed or properly dealt with) and there was absolutely ZERO nuance. I sometimes like cheesiness, sometimes that's /exactly/ what I'm looking for (I enjoyed True Beauty, okay?) but this was like the sad nacho cheese from a vending machine or something (do they exist? If they don't just imagine it does and it's the equivalent of what college campus coffee vending machines are to actual coffee). Poor decisions were made all around. I'm not sure what I was expecting but, I repeat, this wasn't it.
Thankfully it was short so it was easily binged and crossed off but I would not recommend and wish I had passed on this one.
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The only reason this doesn't have a higher rating is because of the DREADED prolonged lack-of-communication plot device that makes me want to rip my hair out every time it appears in dramas...
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I admit that I was turned off by the concept. I hate the idea of an "ugliest time of the week" for women, which is what the title refers to. The story also starts off making the female lead seem pretty pathetic, so that was a turn off as well. However, Jin Ki Joo & Hong Bin have immediate great chemistry, and instantly the story went from annoying to super sweet and charming once Jae Won and Eun Woo re-meet.
There are many cute swoon-worthy moments overall, and even with such short episodes, and a cheesy premise, I really felt like I was watching a relationship develop.
The rest of the story involves a jerk of an ex, which was well played by Ahn Bo Hyun, because I couldn't stand him. There's also a female second lead who rounds out the "love square", and a surprisingly likable character played by Kim Hye Ji. The love story uses many of the standard kdrama romcom clichés, but because it's an abridged romcom none of the tropes overstay their welcome. So maybe it's predictable, but it's also entertaining. It's the perfect binge watch length, so I could definitely see myself watching this drama again. It also doesn't feel like a long series of commercials, or music videos, which I was also afraid of.
If you don't expect great depth, or a truly unique story, I think romance fans can really enjoy this one. If cuteness makes you cringe, then this drama really has nothing to offer you. For me, it came right on time, delivered exactly the kind of light story I hoped for, and in spite of myself, I will no longer think of Wednesday at 3:30 the same way again.
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just watch it
By far the best short k-drama I have seen, how the story unfolds, the relationship between them, the secondary characters, absolutely everything fits, it is really incredible that in so few and short chapters they have been able to transmit so much.It really hurts me to see how people who put a 10 rating on dramas like "Love O2O" and "A Love So Beautiful" come and give it less than 8.
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Cute!
I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. The dates he planned for her were wonderful and they were so sweet together. He brought out the best in her and her smile just lights up the screen. I’m glad it wasn’t any longer than it was, but I still felt there were wasted opportunities. The usual separation at the end - why didn’t he answer all her calls and messages? The separation was unbelievable and pointless and them finally getting together in the last three minutes, I really felt cheated, especially since they were so cute together.Was this review helpful to you?
The plot is a total drama romance cliche _: FL gets dumped and her best friend try to help. SO you'll probably guess the ending by the end of 1er episode .
But it is actually an asset since the show is short, there is no tiresome complicated narrative!
This story is very entertaining, pleasing to watch.
The performances were good with a nice environnement. I also have to add that there were not many product placement in this one, which tend to be annoying in a web drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
"Close Enough to Take Baths Together" (Yoon Jae-won, English sub)
I never knew before, apparently there was a research like the one mentioned in the drama! It amazes me how the Korean entertainment industry cleverly picked up a theme based on a real study to put into this cute and light rom-com story. And it aired on Wednesdays at 3:30PM in the Korean TV channel too, how funny! So the plot is straight at first since both ML and FL understand each other situation: Eun-woo wants Seung-kyu back, and Jae-won wants to confess to Na-yeon. To win over the ex the OTP make the Wednesday 3:30PM project, in exchange of Eun-woo letting Jae-won stays temporarily at her home. The project is fun at first, but then things get complicated....LIKE
- Really a cute story. Even the details of the project are romantic to implement into our own dating ideas
- Nicely done editing with intertwined flashbacks in high-school and the break up event, and side stories
- Good screenwriting. Witty conversation, especially when bickering
- Good cinematography, especially for the project scenes
- Good acting of the actress Jin Ki-joo, and her acting skill keeps improving. Since this short drama she has played in good-rating dramas like Misty, Come and Hug Me (Main lead), and The Secret Life of My Secretary (Main lead).
- Good acting of the actor Lee Hong-Bin, especially since he is actually a K-pop idol. Not sure why he did not contribute to the OST.
- Eun-woo is not far older than Jae-won, as both were at the same high-school during flashback scenes. So for viewers who don't like noona romance, the age gap is not cringey.
- Their chemistry is cute and their character developments from friends to lovers are natural, since they are childhood friends meet again and live in the same house.
- The making the ex jealous scene at the office is hilarious
- Eun-woo's office apparels are pretty
- Jae-woon teddy bear apron and the teddy bear slippers
- Second breakup scene is dramatic
- Cute OST songs, and the actress Jin Ki-joo sung "Spring"
DISLIKE
- The side couple (the cafe employees) story is not necessary
- Sometimes Jae-woon smiles are not natural, like he was trying too hard?
Overall, it's a light-hearted rom-com you can binge-watch in about 4 hours! (15 episodes in 15 minutes each)
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This review may contain spoilers
For a Quick Endorphin Boost
This is a fluffy little macaroon of a K Drama. It was endearing without ever venturing into slapstick or cringe humor, which is my personal sweet spot. While Wednesday 3:30 PM is my first K Drama that was clearly written around product placement, (sans the one exception I go into below), it was well done and didn't detract from the story.I was on the fence the first few episodes because it had that tonal whiplash thing going on--you know, where something funny happens, and then suddenly cuts to a big catastrophe, which is then magically solved with no lasting consequences. I decided to try waiting it out, and I'm glad I did. The tone evened out as the show settled into its groove.
The general premise is simple, but no less compelling for it. The female lead (FL) gets dumped and tries to get her ex back by pretending to be in a relationship with her outgoing childhood friend. Our male lead's (ML's) there for her during a series of her roughest moments, bringing warmth back into her life.
While I liked the general story arc, I wasn't a fan of some of the specifics, namely trying to get her ex back by looking better than other women when they are collectively vulnerable. (According to a central theory in this world, women are most exhausted and unattractive on Wednesdays at 3:30 PM. The FL's and ML's idea is to go on dates then so she'll look prettier than everyone else and her ex will regret breaking up.) Even though we're not supposed to root for the couple that's broken up, introducing the idea that lasting relationships could so easily be swayed made everything else--even the couple we're supposed to root for--feel so much more tenuous. And that leaves me, the viewer, feeling insecure in a way that kills the happy buzz.
Luckily, after episode 3 the focus shifts, when the story becomes more about our couple "not" falling for each other. The product placement also becomes more about every woman feeling their best during a rough time, which felt much healthier (in a still very capitalistic, consumer-y way).
All-in-all it was very squee-worthy. I love me a sweet and thoughtful ML and a banter-filled relationship, which this delivered on. A very pleasant 3.33 hours.
CW: death of dog (ep. 4), unnecessary 1-year time jump in last episode
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This review may contain spoilers
Could have been better if it was longer
7/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean drama with 10, 17 minute, episodes.
Seon Eun-woo (Jin Ki-joo) was dumped by her boyfriend Yoon Jae-won (Hong-bin Lee) and enlists the help of her childhood friend Baek Seung-kyu (Ahn Bo-hyun) to make a series of internet posts documenting their fake romance. During the course of their "project" they start to develop feelings for each other.
I have a hard time with these shorter ones as often the story is not well developed. This had some cute moments but overall was just okay.
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Pretty decent
Once in a while I need to watch some short dramas too; this one was quite decent and cute.My main problem was the plot: it could have been written much better; I know there wasn't enough time, but still. The main leads had chemistry. Her ex-boyfriend was annoying and it would have been great if he didn't get that much screen time. The male lead's love interest was bland. Too rushed the ending.
The OST was cute but I wouldn't rewatch it that much. It was fine but many plot holes to make it addicting. It's a good way to pass the time though.
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watch it when you need something short, cute & light-hearted
I really enjoyed it a lot & it made me wonder why didn't I watch it sooner but a huge part of me is glad that I didn't watch it before. This was perfect for my current mood. Lately I don't feel like watching anything so I needed something short & light-hearted that doesn't require too much thinking but it's not too stupid or cringey. After spending hours finding something to watch this caught my attention & I decided to just give it a try. I was hooked from the very first episode & completed it in one sitting.I loved it a lot. Ofcourse the plot has nothing new to offer & it's predictable most of the times but it never bores you. It manages to be exciting & refreshing even with all those cliche kdrama tropes & I think the credit for it goes to both the lead actors.
This definitely deserves a watch. Saved it for those days when you don't feel like watching your usual heavy kdramas & need something light-hearted. This will serve as a quick dose of romance & will maybe uplift your mood. :)
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