Riko
Paris
Underrated : a classic plotline including a refreshing level of emotional complexity
This is pretty much my first positive review of a romance-in-college c-drama, as I would usually rate those with a 7 or lower.There's absolutely nothing interesting about the plot or the side characters. (Just like in almost every other similar c-drama out there).
The surprise of this c-drama rests entirely on the impressive range of emotions displayed by both leads and specifically by the ML, who originally plays a cold and smart "typical" c-drama ML.
The ML is only cold for about 4 episodes. Very far from the stoic face and arrogant demeanor of most emotionally impaired ML, he actually shows an impressive range of facial expressions and various shifts in moods. To the core, he's only scared and resentlful , and his defense mechanisms get in the way of honest communication but he is very aware of the issue and actually tries to solve it. I truly enjoyed the way the ML's internal struggle with his own feelings was depicted.
For both leads, scars from childhood play a role in their current behavior, which is a common plot line in many dramas (and in real life), but I found it subtly handled for once. The ML wasn't beaten to near death but experienced insecure attachement to a parent. The tension between parent and children is well articulated, the mother wasn't a horrible person and neither was the son, but scars remained and I liked that the ML was able to articulate his hurting.
Like a real human, he was sad, anxious, uncertain, joyful, coy , flirty, sulky and everything in between. But he struggled with means of expression.
This was a fairly well executed exemple of struggles between an avoidant attachment type of person (ML) and their partner.
The FL tries her best to understand him but gets confused and angry at the contradictory signals and all the pushing away, and rightfully so. She was patient but not in an overly naive way and was smart enough to also articulate some of that. Ultimately, each had understandable reasons to resent one another at times, and I'm fairly impressed that, for once, the misunderstandings weren't completely illogical.
There are still some parts of the plot that felt very forced for purposes of narration, the ML did play the super hero saving the damsel in distress a few unnecessary times. The other characters did not interest me at all, the university setting was almost irrelevant.
Ultimately, this drama doesn't get a lot of things right but doesn't get it wrong either and nails it on the emotional complexity (compared to other c-dramas of the same genre). For this reason, I would truly recommend to give it a go without expecting any anything.
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Not for people who dislike age gaps and straightforward romance
Everything has already been written. I think it's purely a question of personal taste. Here are the two things that didn't work for me :- Age - gap : I was very worried about that aspect. To be fair, it was handled rather professionally and there was no reciprocity until the FL was an adult. But it still is a bit on the edge for me. 19-24 is not huge in theory and a 5 years gap is pretty common later on in life. But people change A LOT during those specific years. I am 24 and would personally never consider looking at a 19 yo coming out of highschool as anything else but a young adult who has a lot to learn, no matter how "mature" they present. It would just feel wrong to me.
The ML has treated the FL like a little sister for 10 years and even though they weren't always together, they still were close enough to have each other's phone number and occasionally text. The shift in the relationship almost as soon as she becomes an adult is a bit abrupt for me.
- the ML approach : once the ML quite suddenly decides that he's gonna go for a 19 yo, he gets very blunt with his approach. And it makes sense, he's honest and clear about his intentions and it's probably the best way to straighflowardly break the existing walls between them. I personally don't like this style at all, it's a matter of personal preference but he came off as too pushy and rushed for me.
Other than those two major contention points in the story, it's a very well made, peaceful love
story. So if you don't mind the age gap and the straightforwardness, it's worth a watch.
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Too blend for me
Hmm... I don't really know how to even comment on this drama.The plot feels very 2013-like. A competent office-worker who can see the future when she kisses people, and her cold but very smart boss who actually suffers from over sensitive senses and childhood trauma ... I would end this sentence with "and obviously they fall in love" but it didn't even feel like they did.
The cast was originally very good, yet somehow in this drama, I wasn't very impressed with their performances. I don't know if the characters were difficult to bring to life or if the directing was lacking but everything just felt artifical.
I think one of the main problem is the lack of character development. I know that 12 episodes is short but I found it quite weird how easing into a relationship didn't change any of the leads' behavior.
The ML is tragically stoic all along but not in a natural way, more in a kdrama dramatic way.
Some people are introverts and blunt and come off as cold and I would empathize with that, but in this role, the ML just looked like he didn't have any emotion at all most of the time. He would say sweet things to the FL towards the end but I could not sense the sweetness and love or chemistry through the screen.
The FL and her ability do raise the interesting question: do we trigger our own fate or in the contrary, are we simply unable to escape it no matter our course of action ? But because they didn't try to make this show a philosophical piece, that question isn't fully exploited by the script.
But again, main problem is : lack of chemistry. Even lots of physical contact cannot fix that. I know they were trying to portray a more mature relationship, less fluff, and I actually really like that angle, I usually prefer more realistic portrayals. But no matter how mature the script is, love still has to pull the heartstrings somehow, even through the most stern parts of it sometimes, such as mutual respect and understanding. Yet, I didn't feel anything.
The second lead is also a very overseen version of the desperate ex boyfriend for a number of episodes. He lacked originality or deepness of character in my opinion.
And then the mystery subplot which was teased throughout the drama but left aside to develop the romance, actually really kicks in the last two episodes, which felt quite rushed.
There's a lot of things in this drama that don't work for me : the plot, the emotions or lack if it, the acting ...
It's not tragically bad but there's nothing to be excited about.
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An office-romance parody gone wrong
This story was, in my opinion, purposefully turned into a parody of office romances.For example, the actors are totally overacting certain facial expressions for comedy, and the classic employee-and-her domineering-traumatized-child-boss backstory is also extremely cliche.
And it could have been a brilliant parody considering the cast but parodies are a very hit-or- miss kind of project.
The main actors have shown their ability to portray nuances in multiple other dramas and yet, in this drama, the comedy was very blunt and cringe. This would have been totally fine if it was well directed but the mix between forceful comedy and traditional romance was just not well balanced.
The story is also ridiculous, but here again, it's a choice : The unbelievable trope of the "normal" employee and the domineering almost caricatural boss falling for through unrealistic plot twists , he obviously had a tough childhood and obviously is forced to get married by his grandfather. Very very cliche.
And it could have been an incredible parody if it had that one special element differentiating the story from other classic office romance dramas.
Brilliantly aligning cliches is not enough to create a satiric story, an off-beat original element was needed.
So all I got was out of this was a LOT of cringe-worthy moments and a little bit of disappointment with how the actor's talent was misused.
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Incredible leads but a weak plot
I believe this drama needs to be divided in 3 parts- The Military and medical aspect
- the romance
- the investigation against the "bad guys"
So there's a mystery/thriller plot, a romance story and an observation of soldiers and doctors in extreme circumstances .
The Mystery is worth in my opinion a 4/10 at most. The "bad guys" didn't have a clear purpose from the beginning nor did they have a smart way to accomplish things. There's loopholes and uncomprehension because the story was not crafted in way it could last for 40 episodes. The acting was also a bit weak on that part. So basically, the red thread linking events and fueling the drama just wasn't there. The pace was a little draggy as well. Once I realized that, I decided to watch the drama without considering it has an actual beginning and end in terms of plot. It's a succession of situations that are well captured (the budget definitely helped here) with really good acting from the leads.
The leads are very emotionally intense actors, i knew from the beginning that they would give a mature vibe to the story. And they didn't fail to deliver.
The habitual opposites-attract dynamic in c-dramas is between cold ML-bright FL both being very immature and lacking communication. This drama chose the fiery FL- chill ML as a duo dynamic and I'm so glad it did.
The romance is a little slow burn because of the realistic concerns they're facing as adults but their flirting was really on point. They communicate, are super sweet, fight sometimes but sort it out. Honestly for me, these are the best love stories.
So I would give a 9.5/10 to the romance aspect.
The third part is those long scenes of military operations and medical practice. Tbh these were fun at first and I understand that the goal is to show that both leads have an intense work. But after a while, it looked like a recruiting ad for Chinese military and doctors . Too much of it. Too much about chinese military pride.
But the military brotherhood offered a good comic relief especially in the beginning and then tears at the end (but I wasn't emotionally involved to feel affected by it, because the pace made me loose that intial interest). I actually laughed a lot watching this show. I also regretted that they didn't use the comic brotherhood as a weapon to lighten the investigation plot and make it more dynamic as well until the end. So I would still give it a 7.5/10
Overall it is very difficult to give it a definite notation. It depends on how you decide to look at it. If I had to give it a grade for its overall story, i would have to give it a 7 because the main "bad guys" are terrible and the plot is too intricate without being smart enough. But I really enjoyed this show because of the lead's dynamic and characters while skipping a good part of the investigations. So I still very much recommend it.
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Really good performance from both leads
The scenario is not really a fresh concept in itself : a surnatural being coming to earth and relying on one human to get used to "earth life" and then, they obviously fall in love.But a few details made the difference here.
- the FL is not helpless, just unaware of certain rules. And she learns fast, is always very careful of how she acts around others and tries her best not to be a burden. I really like the fact that they wrote a very sensible and intelligent yet bright character for her. She's independent and likes to explore on her own, just like a cat.
What made her character good is also Gia Ge's amazing performance.
I think she did a really detailed job with her body language, micro expressions and sounds to act like a human-cat without making it weird either. For example the way she moves her head when she pays attention to something is more cat-like than human-like but it's too subtle to feel like a forceful detail.
- I also like the fact that they managed to describe very accurately the world of an introvert (the ML) without making him a lonely and hurt wolf. He has a complicated past but accepts the situation and I think that makes him more realistic than the typical forever-wounded-but-saved-by-love ML.
He appreciates his independence, is an easy going yet complex character and the bromance with his best friend is really natural and fun to follow.
But none of this would have been possible without the performance of Ren You Lun.
Everything in the way he talks or moves totally embodied the character . And that's why this already-seen concept works here. The story is impossible but the characters are so well portrayed by the main actors that they make it believable. I didnt doubt a second that Ren You Lun was in fact Chi Yan, which made him realistic and therefore made the whole story "believable".
There are a couple of downsides, some parts were a little artificial. As a person who has felt abandoned many times and who had doubts about being vulnerable again, it wasn't really clear how the ML suddenly got over his worries and decided to date the FL .
I also really liked the twist towards the end but the last 4 episodes had a little bit of a weird rhythm because the romance is pretty much resolved at episode 20/21 and then the rest is a rush through the other plot.
Some solutions brought towards the end were also a little bit forced but this is a c-drama so compared to others, it still flows pretty well.
Overall this is a very sweet romance with a very good performance and chemistry from the leads. I almost didn't use the +10sec button, which is RARE with c-dramas.
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An amazing start but a disappointing second part
I got really attached to this show because the first 10 episodes were absolutely incredible.But i have to admit that i spent the rest of it just speeding through the story. Hence the final rating. Which im still conflicted about.
First part : 10/10
Second part : 5/10
- the characters were classic c-drama cliches for the most part. And its very confusing because the main leads are very different. They're more mature, more realistic, portrayed with much more care and subtlety than the rest of the charcters. So as long as it focuses on them, the show is amazing but the side plots and interactions are pretty blend and mainstream. Its like the main leads story and the rest were not written by the same person.
The FL is strong-willed but calm and resilient and she doesnt loose her independence and personality even when madly in love unlike many c-drama heroines.
The ML is not the typical save-your-princess guy, he cares about her so much and shows it but leaves her space to be and breathe and that's extremely rare in a c-drama.
-THEIR CHEMISTRY is out of this world. Its absolutely crazy, i did not cringe at all because while having many sweet moments, it just seemed to obvious and relaxing.
The FL didnt end up with wide eyes and a surprised face captured in slow-motion eveytime they had a physical contact.
- Now the problematic part is the story.
The first part is absolutely adorable. The way they meet and discover each other and get closer is extremely sweet and its also a real friendship before being a love story. The FL is portrayed as being very strong willed and honest even at a young age and they both have a very moving sincerity towards each other.
And there's a little bit of "them against the rest of the world" vibe .
But a lot a cliffhangers left unanswered in the highschool part don't really get a follow-up in the second part of the drama.
Their love story is actually steady , which i liked . They did not go through 4083 beak ups and plot twists and im glad they didn't because it usually makes the story totally unrealistic .
BUT if the romance is steady, then you gotta have a story.
And I've looked for it but im still not sure where it's supposed to be. Its nice to see a sweet couple on screen, but you don't need 28 episodes for that.
For the most part, they go to class and date. That's great and you could somehow say that it might be more realistic that way but because it only includes a few years of their life, we don't really get to see growth and real relationship hurdles. And it found it boring .
So an amazing start, a crazy chemistry but no story in the second part, so i kinda felt disappointed.
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The rom-com is not the point of this drama
The main theme of this drama is not the love story between the main leads, which is why you won't get to see that many heart fluttering moments.I was pretty bored for the 2 first episodes, I wasn't sure where the drama was going, there was no character development.
If you're looking for a good romcom drama, I found this blend on the romance and comedy aspects, and I felt like the romcom was almost a cover-up for the important part.
In my opinion, the interesting aspect is the second plot hidden behind the mainstream romance.
It's about the impact of new technologies and personal data collection from a woman's point of view and how sexism and girl-shaming can be spread though those technologies even though they're supposed to embody progress within our society. And more generally how new technology can impact negatively our daily life.
The ML is the "good guy" because he's out of this overly connected world, which allows him to question things from an outside point of view.
It also depicts all the subtle injustices women can face in daily-life, like not being recognized properly for their work etc...
And above all, this is a BRILLIANT representation of how some people are not inherently bad people with bad intentions but are still unable to see how scary and invasive their actions are in a relationship, and when confronted with it, they throw back the emotional burden on the other and victimize themselves instead (daily gaslightning at its finest).
It's a form of emotional abuse but a very faint one and above all, a socially accepted one, which leaves victims often unheard.
This drama does an amazing job at depicting how gut-wrenching it can feel and how wrong it actually is. The real victim ends up feeling guilt and shame.
Because the seriousness of this show is at first hidden behind a pretty common kdrama storyline, i would not recommand it to people who just want to enjoy a fun drama since the romcom part is actually almost boring.
However, its a very subtle and well-made story if you digg a little deeper.
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A new season meeting every expectation
Once there's a hype around a plot and a show, immedialty the second season will face an intense scrutiny from the public. And season 2 went above and beyond my expectations.Stranger season 2 is more political, at least at first. And i absolutely love the fact that they tried to oppose Hwang Si Mok and Han Yeo Jin in their job position.
They could have setteled for a repetition of season 1 but took a huge risk instead by changing the pace of the drama (a little slower at the beginning), the theme (more political) and the dynamics of the characters.
Some people seemed bothered by the settling of the plot who might have been slower since the drama doesn't start off with a crime and an investigation but more a legal and political face-off.
In my perspective, everything made perfect sense. This plot allowed new characters to be introduced in the story much more smoothly because you get to know everyone before the question of who is suspect and who is not arrises.
The writing is honestly mindblowing. It kept me on the edge of my seat during every single episode, it made sense, was well paced, and for once, i actually genuinely WONDERED who the real culprit was. Amazing and compelx plot twists.
After 3 years, i fell in love again with the characters (so happy that a major part of the cast from S1 was back + new and interesting charcaters).
And there were fewer sweet HSM /HYJ moments since they were not officially in the same team but the chemistry is a 100% there and you can actually feel their bond and trust strengthen despite all the obstacles.
The acting is, as always, on point.
I can only recommend this show and the first season of it as well, hoping for a 3rd one to get closure on certain questions left unanswered.
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The hockey aspect was poorly used with little research on the sport, I didn’t really get to feel the intended brotherhood between the members of the team or the suspense of competition. The cross-dressing thing was not believable at all... and the characters seemed to have only one expression, the FL is startled and the ML just mischievously half-smiles at her.
Basically Darren Chen’s smile might be the only reason to watch this drama.
It can also completely empty your head but wasn’t good enough for me to watch it fully so I skipped most of it.
I’d say it’s a drama you can binge watch while pressing the “+30sec” button, while you’re waiting to find a better one.
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Cliche but amazing chemistry
I found the plot cliche and even quite ridiculous, everything is made to create opportunities for the male lead to save the " girl in distress", too many slow mo forced kisses and hugs, a genius cold guy and a cheerful cute girl following her dreams ... nothing to see there.
BUT , the actress playing Nuan Nuan was amazingly good are portraying her character. She has a very expressive face and totally embodied the cheerful girl without making her annoying. I was very pleasantly surprised by her performance .
On the other hand, the actor for the ML role didn't look very comfortable in the cold guy part but got way better after opening up to Nuan Nuan and becoming a sweeter guy.
There's a LOT of lovey dovey moments, maybe too many, but i I didn't find it as cringey as other c-drama, the chemistry between the main couple was very natural and believable.
I I actually would recommend watching for the lead actress performance and the lead couple chemistry but that's about it.
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Predictable but super entertaining
The first 2 episodes didnt really get my attention but once I was finally hooked, I absolutely loved the ride.The plot is not very original, even with the other dimension concept, it's something that has already been done. But despite its lack of originality, I found the story very well paced and written. Even though I already knew what was coming, I still very much enjoyed watching each episode and the process of finding the criminal.
For the romance part, some said it was only subtle but I disagree. It's not a romcom and you dont get to see the whole "fall in love" process but instead you understand how much they belong to each other and are already each other's family mainly through the ML memories. I found it maybe a little exaggerated for drama purposes but very moving at the same time. And I love how respectful the ML was to seo kyung from the other world, how he loved her without forcing his memories on her.
It was a breather from all the romcoms in which the ML pretty much forces his feelings on the FL
The ML actor carried this whole drama because the writing totally emphasises his perspective and introspection, I would have maybe liked to explore a little more the other characters, they were too simply depicted in my opinion.
Overall, i found it very entertaining and the OST stays in your head as well; the whole concept of the butterfly effect and how every action has a huge impact on a possible future was well used too. So as a big mystery/crime drama fan, I recommend!
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The first 7/8 episodes are pure sweetness. We witness the way a woman who's used to the fast pace of a consumer society adapts herself to a slower life focused on essentials and community. And far from all her obligations as a buisness woman, she discovers herself again, her capacity to trust and to love.
The leads are incredibly good at mixing the sweet and sour of an impossible romance and remind us of the existing reality : a nation devided in two. The comedy glimpses are also a much needed and well introduced relief, often brought by the hilarious secondary characters.
But at some point, towards the middle of the story , it felt like each episode was put on repeat.
She has to leave, but they don't wanna be separated, the bad guy comes at them, he saves her, they cry. Next episode, repeat.
For 6 episodes or more, i felt like the main characters had only one facial expression : crying, and only said one thing : "i dont want you to be hurt because of me, live well. "
There was no real storyline or at least the one from the beginning got kinda repetitve and lost its purpose.
I got into this drama without expectations at all and was mind blown by the beginning, thinking i found the drama of the year and got so disappointed toward the end.
I think it's still worth watching, at least for the beginning and also for the side characters who remain very entertaining.
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It' a very smart drama, the plot has enough consistency to be interesting, and the twists are very well thought but explained clearly and simply enough to keep the viewer in the loop.
You dont need to even remotly like or know about baseball to like this drama, because the point is not how players throw a ball but how to keep a team together.
It wasn't too slow and even though the story could have gotten repetitive, it didn't.
The acting was absolutely amazing, i also particulary like the leads who are, in evey drama i've seen them in, talented and versatile.
I loved how the "bad guy" wasn't the embodiement of evil like usual, but more a career-driven buisnessman with a childhood trauma which screwed up his sense of priorities and who had to think about money first 'cause that was his job.
A very human, entertaining and well played drama !
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There were a lot of chatacters but they all had amazing potential in a war and politically tensed context.
The first part of the drama, bascially the first 20 episodes were really light and fun, and the chemistry between the leads was amazing and hilarious.
The cross dressing part was also much more realistic here than in any other drama ive seen.
The second part of the drama focuses on the war context with a very patriotic propaganda which i would have been fine with if the plot actually had a focus.
I felt like the drama was teared in bits and pieces with a little bit of romance mainly embodied through the love triangle that i found incredibly annoying,
the scattered events only showing that chinsese are good and japanese are bad,
and the side storyline of each character which kinda got lost in the sauce.
I couldnt get through the entire drama, the scattered narative with only patriotism as focused outline of the story bored me. Which is super sad cause the two main leads did an amazing job and their personal dilemma and will to protect their loved ones facing a war context could have been an amazing development from light to dark times in the drama.
I think its still worth watching for the actors performance and chemistry, but i got frustrated when i lost interest.
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