Great Sci-Fi Idea But No Character Growth.

GENERAL SPOILERS below.
What the hell was the point of what they went through? The relationship arc could have been the exact same even if there had been no cyber lover. You could just jump from 7min into the movie to the last scene because the characters are pretty much emotionally and psychologically at the same point regardless of the stuff in-between. "Happy ending" my foot. *They didn't re-learn to love each other, didn't even put any effort into doing so*, but somehow they're back together at the end anyway. Mutually grieving the loss of their happy early days does not equal a good reason to stay together.

I wasn't able to root for any of the characters because they were unlikable without enough reasons/examples to make it understandable why they were that way. I did end up feeling the most pity for Wen, but that didn't translate into liking, and I really couldn't understand the last couple of choices he made for his own sake at the end.

The ideas in the movie are definitely new and intriguing. That's what kept me watching all the way through. Unfortunately, the exploration of themes felt shallow to me. The main characters started, stayed, and ended sadly reminiscing about the beginning of their relationship. They were stuck regretting that their relationship was no longer like that *without actually doing anything or taking any steps to make it better going forward*. Even at the end! Lots of regret but very little shown of their growth (individually or as a couple). That's what frustrated me the most about this story.

The sci-fi stuff does require a lot of suspension of disbelief but they do an okay job world-building their own rules with what's possible.

The timeline is so unrealistic. It took 2 days to "love" a cyber "person" with no real personality of their own; he was like a 1-dimensional puppy. The story jumps around abruptly and simultaneously doesn't give enough build-up to either the past human relationship or the current cyber one.

There are some hot intimate moments and there is kissing and making out. Unfortunately, the intimacy lacked emotional depth, so it felt flat and unsatisfying to me.

The audio track was really low quality. Most of the time it sounds like listening through a phone call or under water, especially whenever Wen played music. It's bearable, but definitely noticeable. It's so bad I'm wondering if it was an issue with where I streamed it from or if it is indeed the original sound? (Found on GagaOOlala Nov 2023).

Other than the idea of the plot and the decent acting, this felt like a waste of time.

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Cute & Character-Focused.

Four 45min Episodes. Acting 8.5, Story 6, Script 8, Chemistry 8, Music and Cinematography 8, Recommendation Value 7, Rewatchability 7.

So cute and sweet (and some hot moments too). Characters actually feel like high-schoolers for the most part. The focus is on the relationship between characters. While there is vollyball training, it is not a typical sports story (they only play one warm-up match).

All actors seem very comfortable with each other and there are a couple of sweet yet impassioned kisses. Even though there's not much plot the series was engaging (I did not fast-forward through anything). Both the main couple and secondary couple (step brothers) had me invested in them. There's light angst but medium tugging of the heart-strings and it's happily resolved.

I will likely re-watch at some point.

Same screenwriter as We Best Love, My Tooth Your Love, HIStory2 Right Or Wrong, and HIStory1 Obsessed.

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Slice-Of-Life About Parenthood And Love.

The story was more slice-of-life and NOT about a college student/professor taboo. Their dynamic was really that of equals (there was a good balance mentally and emotionally between them). Overall it was heart-warming and I found myself smiling frequently. I highly recommend for one watch, though I won't re-watch often.

A sweet story about parenthood, love, family, self-acceptance, courage, and determining priorities.

The 7 yr old girl is actually written like a 7 yr old! No contrived lines that sound like an adult. And the actress is great and sincere in her role. Her interaction with the two leads is lovely, natural, and endearing to watch. There were no cringy, forced saccharine-sweet moments in the story, which I greatly appreciated.

The two leads were good and well-matched. A small caveat is that although they did feel drawn to each other, the sexual chemistry between them was a bit flat. That didn't detract too much though as the romance of partnership was more central to this story than sexual attraction. There are a couple of ok kisses and a decent intimate scene.

The friend of Fei Sheng Zhi deserves a mention too, she was great, both in how she was written and acted. I enjoyed watching her facial expressions whenever she was in a scene.

Nothing really memorable about the cinematography or music.

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Toxic But Engaging As A Fantasy.

General spoilers only. Extreme obsession. In reality, hugely toxic relationship dynamics. As a fantasy, it was engaging and surprisingly emotional. This was very much a story of "the mind says no but the heart and body say yes". The fact that the obsession was kind of mutual, the character that I liked (Shao Yi Chen) got what he wanted, and the ending was sweet, helped mollify my unease with the way this fantasy was told.

This was superior in every aspect of production to the first two parts of History1. The screenwriter (and director) is different for this one and it shows.

The acting was great and tugged at my heartstrings a lot more than I expected. The story grabbed my attention and held it, and the acting of the lead quickly got me invested in him. The music fit perfectly and enhanced emotions and tension. I did not fast-forward through anything.

The two leads were very comfortable with each other and their physical and intimate interactions were very intense. If you like the fantasy of forced-seduction, their scenes deliver spectacularly!

I'll likely watch again at some point, but it will probably be a while.

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Beautifully Produced, Medium-Heavy Psychological Exploration.

Recommendation value 8-9 if you're in the mood for something uniquely interesting, thought provoking, and beautifully done. *It feels more like a psychological thriller than a romance BL!* It's not perfect, but it's different, hooked me quickly, I enjoyed the whole thing, and I will definitely rewatch. General spoilers only at bottom of review.

Story/Script 8, Acting 9 (Yoo Jun was a 10 & story is from his POV, Hur Hyun Jun was a 7), Cinematography/Lighting 8.5, Editing 10, Music 9.5, Audio 10, Chemistry 5 (leads fairly comfortable with each other but attraction feels more like best friends than love interests), for intimacy there was a lot of close physical proximity, some skinship, and flat kisses, Angst level (mostly resolved) 9, Rewatchability 7.

It's a fast watch with eight 15 to 16 minute episodes. Given the time constraints, I think the story did a decent job building the connection between the leads. It definitely could have benefited from more time, to give more weight to their deepening bond, but there was enough there to elicit an emotional response from me as the series went on. Yoo Jun as Yeon Woo is the main reason for this- he got me invested in his character very quickly with his captivating performance!

I was especially impressed with the visual and audio editing. It was seemless, perfectly enhanced scenes/emotions, and created a cohesive feel. Certain parts of the audio track (music, silence, or ambient sounds) would subtly crescendo and decrescendo within scenes to emphasize certain lines of dialogue, create/build tension, or underscore emotions. Sometimes the part of the audio that swelled was brief and sometimes sustained, and it all seemed purposeful. I thought it was really masterfully done.

GENERAL SPOILERS

Trigger warning for suicidal thoughts and attempt.
It is a hopeful ending for the leads.

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College Slice Of Life About Insecurities & Opening Up To Others.

Recommendation Value 9.5, Acting 10 (everyone was good, especially the leads), Angst Level 8 (resolved), chemistry 9 (Actors were comfortable with each other. Some skinship, a few amazing/emotional kisses, and a brief but lovely lead up to a love scene shot in silhouette), Cinematography/Lighting 9, Music/Audio 5, Rewatchability 5 (for personal reasons), No suspension of disbelief needed, character emotions & psychology made sense.

Another reviewer said it well: an "empathetic and observant slice of life story." How insecurities accumulated growing up can impact the psyche and in different ways for different people. Beautiful emotionally and acted very well but it resonates a little too much with my history so I don’t see rewatching this often. That's why I'm ranking it a little lower in my personal list even though I would easily, and highly, recommend it.

The interactions between characters is the focus more than the plot is. The dialogue is written well and has a realistic flow to it. Pretty cinematography and lighting. Music was okay; not memorable but nothing distracting.

GENERAL SPOILERS
The last scene between the main character and his mom is especially powerful. Also loved his interactions with his sister throughout; very realistic. Made me cry a bit in happy relief the last episode. Feel good ending though I wanted it to last longer and show more of their lives.

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Sweet. Don't Take Too Seriously And Enjoy.

Simple, sweet, light. It made me smile a lot and I ended with a big smile and lingering warm feelings.

A lot of suspension of disbelief required, especially around the stalker and the avoidance of going to the police. That was ridiculous, but the show never felt too serious so I was able to shrug off the awkward things and enjoy the series.

Though I would have enjoyed more time for the story to unfold a little more organically, for six 20min episodes, it surprisingly didn't feel unsatisfactory. It was a little awkward in spots jumping time to progress with the story but that was easily shrugged off.

The acting was good but the show also didn't require huge depths of emotions. Han Hyun Jun as Ji Woo easily kept my attention even though I personally wasn't visually attracted to him. He did a great job with some subtle yet deeper layers of feeling in the last episode that produced a little emotional angst (that gets resolved). Kim Tae Hwan as Ro A was a good match with him though I was wishing for a little more intensity in emotional expression the last episode. That didn't diminish the feel-good ending though.

There's some skinship and physical closeness throughout. The kiss at the end is not very animated (a step above a dead-fish-kiss) but it lingers and the body language of the leads gives it emotional intensity.

The secondary characters were good in their roles

The music was fine and didn't distract. Nothing special about cinematography, lightning, or dialogue, but nothing cringy either.

There were two bits that made me laugh a lot. The best was in Ep 1 with the tongue-in-cheek use of opera music while sharing a drink; clever and hilarious.

I could see rewatching this at some point.

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Hated Ji Ho Joon Then Fell For Him!

Spoiler only at bottom of review.
Ep 1-2 were written overly dramatic and a bit goofy. Ep 3 I starting liking the characters. Ep 4-6 were a 10/10! Ep 8 felt rushed and hastily wrapped up so it didn't end quite as strongly as I'd hoped. Still very satisfying overall and I will rewatch.

The confession scene actually had me tearing up and crying (rare). It was so sincere and poignant. No big scene or flowery speeches made, just taught with all the emotions that would be present in real life, followed by the relief and gentle awe/joy of reciprocation. It was beautiful.

I loved how the two lead character's competitiveness continued to be a part of their interactions even as they went from enemies to friends to more. Instead of just being used as a plot contrivance at the beginning, it transitioned from hostile to playful and continued as part of their dynamic. It felt realistic that way.

Chemistry was great and skinship and kisses felt natural. Kim Ji Woong was especially good at creating tension with physical proximity. And his eyes became more and more expressive as his character's feelings grew.

I liked how the story balanced the power a bit from the team-leader/intern dynamic with a building-owner/tenant situation. And once they had called a truce, Ji Ho Joon and Seo Jae Yoon worked very well together. I liked how the series showed their respect growing as they watched and interacted with the each other on their projects.

The soundtrack was pretty and fitting when I noticed it.

VERY GENERAL SPOILER of the ending:
The total lack of communication from one side in Ep 8 was was a little frustrating and kind of felt like lazy writing for plot contrivance.

The end solution for the familial/social/work concerns made some sense, but because it was laid out and glossed over so quickly in Ep 8, it didn't feel like a realistic resolution, which slightly reduced the satisfaction of the ending for me. I didn't get the time to feel fully re-grounded in their happiness before the credits rolled. But the last scene was funny, cute, hot, and sweet so I just replayed that a couple of times, lol.

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Well Done, Simple Sweetness

Great. Sweet and cute. Well written, acted, and directed. Definitely worth a watch. Story is simple but still holds up to an occasional re-watch. Quite satisfying and left me with a smile.

Watch past the last title page in each episode for another short scene.

The actors were comfortable with each other and had great chemistry. Their characters are believable as two young men in love. The uncertainty, flirting, skinship, and kisses are all very natural. The kisses are realistic and look like the characters are actually feeling through them.

Lee Seong Gyu was very charismatic. He also did a fabulous job realistically portraying the anxiety and a panic attack associated with the fear of his love interest once again disappearing on him. He successfully tugged at my heartstrings.

A little angst, that was mostly light, and everything was resolved well. The length of the story felt just right (eight 30min episodes)

Music wasn't memorable but wasn't distracting either.

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Very sweet, slow-burn (even though only 5 episodes)

Almost perfect!
The acting was awesome, very natural. Both actors were nuanced in facial expressions, tone of voice, and body posture. It was a joy watching them interact as their characters.

The show had a positive message and multiple thoughtful and memorable quotes.
There were a few comedic moments that made me legitimately laugh out loud.
Music was unremarkable, but didn't distract either.

The story felt a lot more rushed in the last episode than it had in the previous four episodes. For this reason, I wish they had made it six episodes. The ending wasn't completely satisfying because of this, in my opinion, and brought my rating down. I think it still has high rewatch value though.

SPOILER ABOUT ENDING:
... ... ...
After all the tension and build-up, having their first *mutual* kiss at the end interrupted left me feeling frustrated and disappointed, lol. I wanted that sweet resolution to go with the relief and happiness.

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Healthy relationship dynamic, Good for one watch, Toki is the best.

(General spoilers only.) The only highschool-teacher story I've seen (so far) with a truly well-balanced dynamic. How their strengths and weaknesses line up made them equals and they grow together. I found it sweet, endearing, and non-cringy. This is NOT a sexually charged, passionate, or taboo-focused story.

Overall light, sweet and easy fun that's good for one watch but isn't that memorable (except for Rintaro as Toki).

I really liked and greatly appreciated that Toki and Sahara communicated, supported/encouraged, and TRUSTED each other. They both had character growth and thrived with the attention and care of the other.

FYI: Japanese highschools are 3 years, so Toki being a second year student is equivalent to being a junior (third year) in the USA.

Rintaro as Toki was awesome and always fun to watch. Toki is bigger-than-life yet acted with nuance. Though Toki is wild in the physically over-dramatic Manga-style way (and often funny), multiple aspects of his personality and approach to things are admirable and even mature for his age. He is a 'doer' and doesn't think too deeply, yet he is thoughtful and puts effort into understanding others. He came across as an actual highschooler with a good heart who was a 3-dimensional character and not a caricature. He's sincere, straightforward, and totally lovable.

General Spoilers below.

There was an obvious balance in Toki and Sahara's personalities and their relationship that made their age gap a non-issue (for me anyway). Especially since they consciously kept their interactions PG, and Sahara had them wait until Toki graduated highschool before verbally making their romantic relationship official. There is a brief lip press at that time.

I mostly didn't mind the time spent on Sahara's past because it highlighted the differences between Nekoto and Toki and further demonstrated why Toki would make a good partner even though he's younger.

What I didn't like:

Takumi as Sahara was okay but not compelling. I liked him but didn't fall for him. He didn't do anything poorly, just didn't have much charisma and felt a little flat in his acting.

The school play bit made me cringe hard. It wasn't necessary and felt like pure contrivance to get an oops-kiss moment. The only thing that made it better than a trip-and-fall accident kiss was the humor of bigger-than-life Toki trying to act demurely as Snow White.

The end felt super rushed. There's a time jump, happy ending scene, and it's over. In that regard, I would have preferred less time spent on Nekoto to get more of Toki and Sahara (or even more of Todo's story since he kind of gets left out after halfway through).

The past connection was a simplistic, cliched, writing cop-out for tying things together. At least it was obvious from early on that it was coming due to little flashbacks and wasn't a complete surprise in the last episode as it is in so many shows.

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Adorable And High Quality.

8 min 30sec short film. General spoilers only. Relatable because it perfectly captures a growing crush, nervously feeling things out, and awkwardly/cutely confessing. Naturalistic acting and good chemistry. A satisfying ending and I would easily watch more of this story or these two actors together. There's not much to it but it's well done and thoroughly enjoyable.

The production value is really high for such a short work. The cinematography is purposeful, as are the music choices, and both visual and audio editing.

On Strongberry YouTube channel. I have to say they are very consistent with great quality content!

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