Reviews

My favourite drama for sure !

I love the fact it's a cuter version of "Addicted" ! To be honest, I don't like the first version, it's too violent and I didn't understand a thing (especially because the actors look alike, I couldn't tell them appart).
At first, after watching the trailer of Stay With Me, I didn't want to watch the series because of the accident (I'm traumatised by sad endings). But I kept seeing shorts of Su Yu and Wu Bi and I actually enjoyed it so I forced myself a bit to start at least the first episode and I absolutely loved it ! I mean, I love enemies to lovers. ? In 2 days I watched all the episodes that were already out (18). ? And even if it's quite long (24 episodes), this drama hypnotised me !
What I like the most about it is the chemistry of the main characters, the way they look at each other is perfect ! We can totally see that they love each other as lovers and not only as friends. Since it's a censored version I was afraid it would look like a bromance and nothing else but absolutely not ! In addition to the chemistry, there are scenes kinda sus (like when Wu Bi apologised to Su Yu, the way they hold hands says it all) so we can definitely understand they are boyfriends, Duo Duo shipping them and making them dance together (it's so cute ?) and this beautiful scene in which Su Yu says he loves the "sea" (?) and many more details ! I was so surprised they could film kisses by the way ! I like the plot twits, I could understand the story better and some of the characters reactions. And talking about reactions : I love Wu Bi's jealousy and possessiveness, it's so funny to watch ! ? The scenes with Ye Wanying (the fights) shows how much the main characters love each other, it's definitely the kind of plot I like !
Then comes the ending, I thought it wouldn't be the very last episode so I was a bit disapointed but I learnt not so long after the end of the series that it would be a second season with a happy ending and I'm sooo happy, I can't wait for the year 2025 !!! So much passion and cuteness in one series ?

PS : Sorry for the possible mystakes, I'm not a native :,)

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just enjoy the scenery, if only for a short while

I had to drop this show after Ep26. There are so many good shows to watch right now. This is not one of them. Watch it only if you want to see Cheng Yi and Zhang YuXi pose in designer clothes. I usually have hope that a show based on a novel should have a higher quality story but this drama likely didn't do it justice. It's my first time seeing Cheng Yi in a modern drama, but I'm afraid his talent couldn't fix this mess of a script. I started to believe his tears were real: not because of his character experiencing a life-altering event, but because he was stuck doing this show. Zhang YuXi has had better roles, but her talent is where it is.

Tropes fly off the shelf within the first 4 eps: bad 1st meeting, stuck together on assignment, suddenly falling in love while having a bandaid applied, staying up all night to nurse a fever. I wondered how will this show make it to 39 eps when the tropes run out. Our heroes do dangerous humanitarian work, braving guerilla militia without scuffing their shoes, while the poor villagers they serve act as props to line up smiling and waving gratefully as they leave. The scenery shots of the Southeast Asian water villages they visit are gorgeous. Wait, is this a travelog or a serious medical/war drama or a fashion show? I tried to just enjoy the scenery.

I've read mention that this show combines 2 novels. If so, it sure wastes a lot of time. An entire episode is spent on the leads trapped in a rock crevasse doing nothing more than just sitting there. The FL's traumatic past is revealed but it's treated like a side note. Sloppy editing abounds. The story gets a bit more interesting by Ep8 with post-trauma recovery, family succession struggles, love triangles and evil mothers in law. Many long shots of ML's angst without really telling us what's actually going on in his head. 39 eps should've been plenty to develop all the characters and their arcs but we just get long silent shots instead. So the only thing you can do is just enjoy the scenery.

Another thing that bothers me is how few actors are able to accurately portray medical/academic people. Not to mention the set details: a high end hospital's rehabilitation unit has no grab bars in the bathroom, zero wheelchair accessibility, and staff that let you fall down on your face repeatedly while taking you for a walk. But who needs details.

I'm at HSK-1/2 level Chinese and I could understand most of the dialogue, which tells you something about the level of writing. This meant seeing adults talk (and act) like 12 year olds, or older parents talking to their adult children as if they were 12. This is too much. Ep26 is as far as I'm going to make it on this drama, and it's already further than I wanted.

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Thanks for side story

I liked the drama only because of side story .
A man has fallen in love with a lady .The lady loved someone else. Due to some reasons she had to spend time with him . A tragedy had occurred because of it the man life was in danger and somewhere the lady was responsible. So she took responsibility to cure him .In this journey an accident had occurred and the man insist of improving ,his mind turn into a new born baby . Then she slowly slowly helped him to walk, to eat and to talk and this way they had a good bonding . Again a tragedy had happened with her and such circumstances had occurred that she had to marry him . Slowly slowly she came to know the truth of her family massacre and the man's family was responsible of it . This is the reason they separated . Things were improving but the guilt made man not to accept the lady . She accepted the reality and they separated . Again an accident had occurred and he sacrificed his life inorder to save her . she sacrificed her youth to save him. And she started living in solitary. And after some days they both getting week and she was the verge of death . This had shown upto 26 episode. If the story end up here then a big disappointed.
Thanks to side story which gave the happy ending .

What i missed in the drama their chemistry . They were good together but they don't have a single scene where they accept each other feelings and spent happy moment .. they spent a good times when he turned into a child.

What i like about the drama is the male lead acting.
He was just amazing. I enjoyed watching his acting.

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I adored this!

This show is definitely fluffy and not meant to be so serious. It's intentionally cheesy nature is a trope I also love, so if it's not your thing you may not enjoy it. I agree with others that it was a little slow, but it still kept me engaged and I had a positive experience and would definitely rewatch it.

Every couple (especially the main) sold TFFFFFF out of those NC scenes! It took me so off guard since this was such a fun and silly show. ? but I loved it. ? It was also more realistic, like no "sexy" room or sheets, just your ordinary cat print bedding. ???

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"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

She just got married when her father committed suicide after the failure of their company. She and her mom were left with amount of debt and constantly harrashed by loan shark to collect the payment but thsy really are broke . Her husband , a doctor who came from upscale family was forced by his mother to divorced her because she doesnt want her son to shoulder the responsibility of paying the debts of his wife's family ( so where is the for better and worse??). Since the husband is mama's boy and got no balls to stand up for his wife to his mother, so he divorced her.

To make the 24 episodes story short, she found a new love, younger than her but really really love her. He is a son of the company that his father wants to collaborate in their business in which he put all his investment to the point that his father also taking a loan to loan sharks people to open another branch oversea but ML's company rejected him in the end and caused her father to end his life.

It's an easy to follow drama and I enjoyed it
Minus the controlling freaks mothers and annoying 2nd FL who has a one- sided love to the ML.

The amazing chemistry between the ML and FL ? definitely loved it! You have to pass 14 episodes first before the romance happens . But the kiss and their lovey dovey scenes to me really makes up the some draggy parts of the show. Both ML and FL are super good in their kissing scenes and you're talking in asian typical drama , you can rarely see a real open mouth kissing , but this drama is one of those just few dramas i saw that has a real not statue or fish kiss but an open lips kissing which actors very convincing to the viewers that they are into it in their
role .

I loved both ML and FL strong and not easily to be tricked by people who chased after them for their love. ML is firmed and very straightforward to 2nd FL that his love is only for FL and will never change.
FL , once she was dumped by her ex , she never go back to her no matter how he is trying to get her back. He really regretted big time. When he dumped her and let his mother manipulated him , the ex- wife was really loved and treasured by ML. As the
Saying goes
" One man's trash, another Man's treasure".

The story has a pot hole, there's a break up in one episode in the last 3 episode but it was resolved in the next episode. Although the ending is happy ending but at the same time a cliff hanging but I enjoyed overall.
You have to watch it for yourself to know what I mean.

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Simple, sweet, and lighthearted

A simple story about a boy who had a crush on another and fell in love as they got closer and became friends. There's a little backstory about Amane as to why he acts like that. I understand Ryuji's struggle to express himself and how he feels.

I like how Ryuji handled Amane's confession. He takes the confession seriously and gives it a lot of careful consideration. He never ran away and always took Amane seriously and listened to him. They have good communication and no misunderstandings throughout the series. Their love story is so simple yet lovable.

The actors did a great job portraying their characters. I'll definitely be rewatching this.

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A very HUMAN story right when we need it.

The weight of words and actions in this show is amazing. Not just in spoken word but every time they're using sign language, the character puts the entire weight on it. It is so comforting yet so heartwrenching at the same time. The cast and the performance is exquisite, to the point I'm just riding along with the characters and not thinking "Oh, the actors are amazing!"

Ha Yi Chan as a character has so much depth, both as the adult and the teenager. Him learning sign language just to be able to communicate with Chung Ah, out of curiosity and kindness. And then being able to watch the exact moment he falls for her like Ha Eun Gyeol narrates is honestly a feel good moment. The way his character grows to hear Chung Ah through her own words is amazing.

Chung Ah as a character is done PROPER justice by the actress [I forget name, my bad.] The expressions, the weight her actions carry and the story she has all on her own ties the entire thing together. I haven't been so taken by a character in a long time.

Ryeoun as Ha Eun Gyeol and Seol In Ah as Choi Se Kyung ground the show as the time slipping characters. the great part about these characters is their individual motive.

Each character has motive or rather grow into their own. It's a really refreshing portrayal of a teenage drama, even if it's in a cliché plot tree. The story carries enough heart to make the characters absolutely steal the show.

It's a MUST WATCH!

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It’s Ok, but the series was better

The movie/series: Although the storyline is basic, the script was well executed. It was not overly dramatic and gave a more realistic viewpoint about the LGBTQ+ community. The actors did a wonderful job portraying their characters. The cinematography and graphics were great. The series wisely used all of its screen time. The opening and closing credits for the series was very cute and fun to watch.

The movie: On the positive side, they did add a few new scenes. Overall, the move version was not as good as the series. This is why editing is very important. They did a decent job editing it into a cohesive movie. However, they made poor editing choices. The main problem for me was key scenes were cut from the series. I’m assuming this was done for timing purposes, but I felt most of the cut scenes helped with the relationship and story progression. There was also many scene placements that was changed throughout the movie which didn’t help.

Random Notes:
The series was another BL office romance from 2023 that a really enjoyed watching. I just wish the movie version retained the same magic the series had.

I strongly recommend watching the series version. The added scenes were cute, but does not compensate for all of the cut scenes. As for my rewatch value, the 1 is for the movie version. The series is definitely a 10 value.

The movie didn’t clearly mark the college flashback scene which was 4 years ago.

The colors are not as vibrant in the movie version. The picture appears dull.

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The story was heartwarming and it unfolded beautifully without any unnecessary theatrics. While it may not be my usual cup of tea, I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. It was a good binge-watch, but I don't think I would revisit it. Overall, it was a sweet and simple romance that left me feeling content.

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Boring ML and obnoxious FL

I thought I'd give it a go but the first episode just couldn't keep my attention. Nothing about the story or the male lead made me want to keep watching. The FL, on the other hand, was obnoxious and annoying. I get that she's going through something, but with every word that came out of her mouth my desire to strangle her just kept rising. On top of that, the ML was basically a wet rag come to life, who didn't stand up for himself no matter how nasty she was to him. Say what you want but her shoving her feet on her lap for him to put her socks on like a spoiled princess while she's staring into her phone is not a great basis for a relationship. I'm sure she gets better and the writers would have certainly made sure to give her a tragic enough backstory for us all to pity her later on, but getting through that episode was - for all those reasons - an impossible task for me. The 8,0 rating this show has has convinced me that this site has lost its mind.

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I'm posting this comment for some friends from BOD.

NOTE: this review was used as a thread while watching the drama with friends. So, you can get our live reactions to the drama in the comments zone.

Production: cheap. The direction looks between weekly and daily drama. Which is nothing to be ashamed of, as the visual quality of these dramas has definitely improved in recent years. I just assume that the budget is limited. As for the actors, I dont see them often, and some of them are more regular of the sitcom/makjang with 50+ episodes. A few familiar faces and names used to support roles. Especially Jin Ji Hee (from Penthouse). Anyway, there are still good actors.

Episode 1.
First ~20 minutes. Disparate. Avalanche of scenes and characters, difficult to link. Lines of exposition under your nose and worst: people talking about other people you've never seen, and about situations that still don't mean anything. Impossible to memorize or concentrate.
And to nail this in a coffin: no catchy or dramatic scene; apart from the gallery director's shout-out to her assistant Madame Oh and Yu Ra looking at Se Hyeok cam. I had the impression that I hadn't watched anything, that my mind was elsewhere, and that it was so painful that I didn't feel like watching again to take down the information I could only miss.

An incomprehensible misstep coming from the writer of "Feel Good to die", whose exposition was good, and the first scene excellent. By the way, I rec this drama in the comedy-fantasy genre (no romance).

However, things quickly work out like a miracle. The writer insists on repeating names and links. Normally this would be cumbersome and annoying, but here I really needed it. Good scenes appear: people looking at the heroine's painting, their acerbic comments, then the meeting between FL and ML.
It's done, the drama is on track, and the rest of the episode gets better and better. Auction scene, accident, hospital. Funny wink with the big white truck. Like to say the drama will subvert or parody makjang tropes.

Episode 2.
The heroine's change of attitude is not credible. She changes completely.
But hey... I'm not picky, I'll accept that and see what happens.
The rest is a straightforward story, obstacle after obstacle. All focused on the main character. So, of course, it works very well. Everything is crystal-clear, and there's no difficulty in situating the characters as there was at the beginning. The pace is fast, and scenes enough dramatics. It's OK!!
A few clichés with the ML, but again, it all works. It seems naive, but even the romantic scenes are good. It's ultra-easy to watch and understand. No mining, even the flashbacks are laid out naturally. I hardly see any hidden tricks. It's classic, popular storytelling with the aim of giving pleasure to the audience. If you like the drama, thank the screenwriter first!

Episode 3+.
The drama is fun to watch. It focus on the main story without loosing time on side-plots, what I like a lot.
It's 12 episodes but 1h15 each. What is a 15h drama, close to the regular x16 one hours ones.
The attitude of the FL becomes more credible, as she's struggling more with her old-self.

Even with low budget, the director can sometimes paint beautiful scenes and aesthetic:
For example the scene in the night bar with very vivid colors, magic lights, reflection in mirror, blurry effects.

It's not a drama we can take too seriously (and I guess it's not the intention of the writer).
But I find myself involved regularly when it's enough dramatic. A bit like in The Penthouse.

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Not a bad drama

I'm glad I did not let the negative reviewed sway me into giving this drama a pass.
It's a good time, even without alcohol (joking).

The story was ok, leads also, and it's an easy watch without too much angst because even if some cliffhangers are nicely done, you can guess not much will really happen and no one is in real danger.
The romance was ok and it was all due to the ML and FL chemistry.

Thinking back, I think the story was told wrong, the back and forth in time was not made at the right time (or in the right episodes) so you start to understand the vision a bit later (I would have liked them to set up the premise and everything right from episode 1). Spend more time in Joseon instead of filling with some below-average side plots that were useless if I'm honest.

Still a good watch, but no rewatch value

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