A Love So Beautiful (2020)

A pleasant but ultimately unsatisfying adaptation

This Kdrama version of a well-known Cdrama is a retelling for tweens that softens the male lead's character while over-infantalizing the female lead. In this remake we have a series that could easily be rebroadcast on Nickelodeon or the Disney Channel. Whether or not you like it might depend on which male lead you prefer -- the Kdrama's or the Cdrama's -- or whether you can tolerate the Kdrama female lead's lack of maturity as she gets older and enters into adult life.

While from the beginning the Kdrama version of 'A Love So Beautiful' has a male lead, Heon, who is quite likeable, his counterpart in the Cdrama starts off as very hard to love, and who must face and acknowledge his own deepest flaws if he has any chance of prevailing in the end. The Cdrama scene where this acknowledgement finally happens is one of the most powerful in the entire series, and is all the more moving because we know how far the male lead, Jiang Chen, has had to come in order to get there.

Because the Kdrama's Heon starts off so nice, there is little distance for his character to travel as he faces his own shortcomings -- shortcomings which, of course, are minor in comparison. Unlike the Cdrama's Jiang Chen, Heon is not troubled by abandonment issues that have caused him to develop an almost impervious layer of emotional armor. Instead, Heon comes off more like a guy who's just a little too shy and needs to come out of his shell.

I know many viewers will prefer this non-threatening kind of male lead, and who am I to say they're wrong. However, in making Heon so comfortable from the start there is much less of a reason for him to strive to better himself. Nor does he help us to understand the reason for his unwavering dependence to Sol Yi. Heon is a character who, after all, we're meant to believe can't live without Sol Yi. Unfortunately, because Heon's eventual redemption in the Kdrama is less necessary than in the Cdrama, it's also less impactful, and deprives the Kdrama of an essential emotional turning point. We never really learn who Heon is or why Sol Yi's love has meant so much to him.

As for Sol Yi, there are two issues: (1) she is perky and over-animated to the point of constantly maxing-out my Cringe-o-Meter, and (2) from the get-go the actress who is cast in the role looks too mature to play a high-schooler. This impression is made even worse by the way the director has Sol Yi constantly exploding with child-like exuberance, squealing with delight at little provocation.

If this is the woman that Heon can't live without, I wish the series would make more of an effort to show us why. As it is, his approach to Sol Yi has a brotherly vibe that it never quite shakes off. In fact, toward the end when he kisses her on the lips it feels uncomfortably close to watching someone kiss his own sister.

Kim Yo Han, who plays Heon, is a K-Pop idol. He does a serviceable job in his acting debut and is cute enough to inspire the fantasies of viewers who wish they could have their own Heon in their lives. Enjoyment of fictional media -- be it books, movies, or drama series -- usually involves some degree of identification with the characters, so with such a handsome and cuddly leading male I can understand why in some corners the Kdrama version of 'A Love So Beautiful' would have a lot of appeal.

The other actors cast in the major roles fit the toned-down nature of the series very well, and are worthy counterparts to the characters in the Cdrama version.

The Korean remake of 'A Love So Beautiful' is worth a look if you want something fluffy to fill your time between other, better-scripted and better-directed dramas. While I have to admit that I was disappointed by it, I can see where it will provide some pleasant companionship for viewers who are more romantically inclined.

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Botched remake

Unfortunately, this remake failed to deliver the sweet cute chemistry and heart that the original C version did.
I loved the C version and was so excited that they were going to remake it in Korea, but I think they really miscast this. And the director did a poor job of giving the story some heart instead of the typical cringeworthy deliveries.

The main problem was the FL. She was trying too hard to appear young. If you ask your parents to give you an impression of a 3 year old, I bet it would be the same as the FL's acting. No idea why they casted her as there are a lot of other actresses who have natural aeygo that could have played this role. And then there's the problem with the ML. He looked too young and did not make me believe he was the smart studious type. And together, frankly it was clear that she was the nuna and he was the dongsaeng which makes it hard to believe in their characters. They pretty much had zero, if not almost uncomfortable chemistry for most of the drama. It wasn't until the very end that it got a little better and I think a large part of that is because the FL dropped the whole toddler act. To be fair, I do see potential in both of them...I just think they need to take baby steps instead of leaping to fill shoes that are too big.

I also thought the 2nd ML did not have any charm. I didn't find him very likeable where in the Cdrama, I would go back and forth between the male leads. Even if I didn't compare to the original, I would not have liked this drama. It's way too cringeworthy. I had to skip a lot of the scenes that made me want to vomit. It's interesting though because the script is almost the same and I did not feel that way at all with the Cdrama which I've watched a few times. Amazing what miscasting and bad direction can do.

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A Love so Fluffy and Beautiful

This show is not to be taken seriously. The softest adaptation I have ever watched. Watch it with an open and fresh mind. Where it is like looking at a scrapbook of their love blooming over the years.

I have watched the original Chinese version of this drama four to five years ago. And for sure, this is toned down in a lot of ways. Too many scenes not putted into to this version for it is shorter, and made for Korean viewers. And at times, it felt like a lot is missing, as well as confusing. Not too much unnecessary drama, and the characters actually seemed more close compared to the original. Everyone was just happy with no sort of problems in the world, no conflict, sugar-coated if you might add, and not many may like this sort of drama, but I do. Although the casting choice when it comes to the main couple seems off, I did used to think it would not work, but they pulled it off with their smiles in my opinion. And I can't stop smiling along with them.

Jiang Chen (chinese version) is more stoic, and may seem a bit arrogant. But he is an awkward snowflake we know and love.
Cha Heon, (korean version) smiles a lot more. He shows it, although he's shy about it. We can see that he's struggling between his choice of words when speaking to Sol-i. His friendship with Jinhwan is adorable, and he found a mutual understanding with Dae Sung.

Xiao Xi (chinese version) is a bit more clingy. And like a child, prioritizes her feelings a bit more than others. But, with her positivity, she can conquer anything. Including his love.
Sol-i (korean version) is a toned down of the original, but her cuteness is bubbling within her smiles. She seemed calm and never gets really angry. She never plants any negative emotions on others.

Others may say that this is the disappointing adaptation, but for me, when you say disappointing, I think of Nodame Cantabile's, Naeil's Cantabile. Because although the cast looks the same as the original, and funny, it's kind of disappointing in a lot of levels. Especially, putting Park Bo Gum as a poor second lead that will eventually break your heart. And there's a reason why the original is successful and has a special episodes and two movies, is because it was light, beautiful, and informative. Not too much unnecessary drama.
Or The Liar and His Lover. Joy was beautiful, and Lee Hyun Woo was stunning. But the female lead's character is in a lot of ways annoying. She may not know it, but she's leading at least two or three guys on. When in the Japanese movie, she's calm, understanding, and loved the main guy wholeheartedly from the way he writes his songs.
That are just two examples. Yet everyone has their own opinion when it comes to what's good and what's bad, so go figure.

I guess I'm just really tired of any unnecessary drama and the female lead thinking she has the upper hand of the relationship when in reality, you should just think about it and/or talk it out. So if you want a toned down, short, fluffy, and light drama, then you can watch this with your hearts desire. It cheered me up, them being cute and all making me feel really single. It's a lovely drama and I think Yo Han did a very good job despite it being his first acting experience.

So if you think this drama is too light, then this is not a show for you. Don't write hate comments just because you didn't like it, it's just not really your cup of tea. Drop this cup, despite it being short, don't waste your time. and watch a really complicated drama where all of the main leads suffer. No hate, just love.

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A sweet but rushed love story

Let me start this by saying that the chinese original is probably one of my all-time favourite chinese dramas, and being a mostly kdrama fan, i had high expectations for this remake. I think anyone that watched both versions would agree that the kdrama is a disappointment, and is simply a less-dramatic, more innocent and rushed version, showing only the highlights of the original story.
Expectations and comparisons aside, this is not the type of drama that i would enjoy. It felt pointless, with everything mostly centering around the main leads innocent love story. And sadly, i didn't feel much chemistry between them, especially with the endless time skips that made most advancements magically happen. It didn't feel like there was enough build up.
The acting was definitely not very lacking, but i just didn't understand the characters. Most relationships, especially the second lead's fondness of the FL, felt forced and unnatural.
Nevertheless, watching this lightheartedly made it an overall cute and entertaining watch.

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An adaption with its originality

The Chinese version of "A Love so Beautiful" has been one of my favorite Asian drama for years. While watching the Korean version, I could not stop thinking about the original version. Although it has similarities with its original story, this drama is full of its own sweetness and beauty. The cast is composed by many young good actors and actresses, this is a great opportunity to other talented people gain visibility. The episode is shorter than in the original version, because of that it is shown its elementary's characteristics and the most important things of the story. I am excited for the next episodes.

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Light and fluffy, unlike the Chinese version...

This drama is ideal for those who want to de-stress by watching some light romance with a happy ending.

Unlike the Chinese version, the male lead is soft and smiles all the time and the female lead does not bury herself in her insecurities. In the Chinese version, the male lead has to overcome the flaws of his personality and his essentially unsociable nature, plus embrace his feelings for the girl and grow to the point of expressing them. He even has to accept that his own unwillingness to face his feelings comes from his loneliness and sense of abandonment. He always expected, in the back of his mind, that she would leave him once she really knew him and so, in that sense, he was not surprised when they broke up.

Similarly the girl in the Chinese version suffers a lot more and we see more of his story being shared with her, especially related to his work and ambitions; we also see a lot more of her influence on his decisions, something I felt was not that clear in the Korean adaptation. Neither of them seemed to change much from school to adulthood in the Korean version and I felt that nothing very significant occurred in their growth arc from episode to episode. Whereas the couple in the Chinese version changes a lot from teenage to adulthood.

That said, the Korean version is pretty sweet. Unlike others I did not think the girl looked too old. She was cute and so was he - even with all that powder on his face - and they did a pretty okay job of the roles they were assigned. If you like angst and melodrama, I recommend the Chinese version. No tissues needed for the Korean one.

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So good, and made positive changes from the original.

First let me say that I was a bit nervous going into this drama because I had liked the #Cdrama original, and was afraid it might not be quite the same. But, for me anyway, this version was even better because it improved the things that I had found lacking in the original. I even went back and rewatched part of the original to see the differences.

1st: The pacing is so good in this version. Both the #CDrama and the #Kdrama are 24 episodes long, but the #Cdrama episodes are about 45 minutes long and the #KDrama episodes are about 22 minutes long. That helped speed up the pace of the drama and got rid of some of the things that I felt made the story drag in the #CDrama. However, it didn't change the story much and in fact seemed almost the same. A few plot points were slightly adjusted, but nothing major or anything that changed the story.

2nd: In the #Cdrama, I liked the female lead, but she was just too immature at times. This female lead keeps all the cuteness of the original, but lets her be an adult as well.

3rd: The Male Lead is cold and aloof in both dramas, but I found myself smiling more at the lead in this version. It's like the director made more of a point about allowing the audience to see the ML's feelings even when the Female lead is totally clueless. He's not cruel in any way (where in the #Cdrama, some of his choices can seem that way)...he's quite simply awkward and it's fun to watch him trying to figure out what to do...even when he makes a poor choice, once he figures it out, he tries to fix the situation if he can.

The one thing I wish had been given a bit more focus is the Female lead's love of drawing. It's important to the plot later in the drama, but not included much in the majority of the show. So when it becomes a plot point, if I hadn't been familiar with the #CDrama, it might have been confusing. In this version, her talent is shown at times, but more in the background...which was a bit disappointing.

Overall though, I really really enjoyed this drama.

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This Vs. Original?... I prefer this one

I love both version. But I'm being honest with you guys that I prefer this version than the original. About the story... I can't say anything about it because it's just the same storyline and scenes so I'll give both version each 1 point.?

Next is, what I like more about this version is Kim YoHan portrayed the character Jiang Chen from original more sweet and caring... as it should be. I just realized that Jiang Chen from original looks like more toxic rather than being a "cool" he doesn't even smile and it feels like he is not that serious about her. ( Sorry if I offend someone..i love the actor I'm just criticizing the character not the actor peace.? ) While the character Cha Heon from this version is much more adorable and sweet. His character is the ide boyfriend that everyone's wishing for.

Secondly, before this series came out I'm just thinking if they could beat the original soundtrack ? Like... the ost from original became so popular and hit. still one of my all time ost fave from cdrama!
But after listening to all ost from this version... I'm falling ?? Especially the ost from intro (Loveable) and the wedding dance scene song. It's so cute and fluffy like what the drama feels like???.

Third, this version is much more funnier and sweet. It fill up the voids from the original version. It's kinda feel rushed for me maybe because I already know what's going to happen.

That's why I prefer this one than the original.

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Fluffy and Light hearted!

Honestly, I did not have much to expect from this drama as I had not seen the original Chinese version and by reading its synopsis and looking at its screen time I assumed it would just be light-hearted, cute and easy to watch and nothing more- and that’s precisely how it was.

You know when you are watching a few k-dramas at once and they all tend to get heavy at a point? Turning to one that is just sweet and stress-free and leaves you smiling is the perfect in-between delightful solution. This drama is exactly that.

Something that most people point out and I do agree is that the age gap between the leads is apparent. It however gets better as the show progresses and I for one got used to it. It’s also true that the FL acts too cutesy during the school days and there is a fair share of moments that make you cringe- but again, I got used to this. It helped that I never took the show too seriously.

If you do decide to watch this and like me haven’t seen the C-drama version, you have nothing to compare it to and will thus enjoy it. There is nothing groundbreaking happening in this drama but sometimes 20-30 minutes of fluff is just what you need!

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Not Good Enough

The Korean Remake of the Chinese hit drama " A Love So Beautiful " fails to deliver, as it was too short and too cheesy.

The story centers around high schoolers who are feeling the first specs of love. The first part of the drama is actually dedicated to their youthful years and, failing, however, to pass down a nostalgic feeling that most of the school dramas do, especially when they are placed in the past. The second part of the drama focuses, on the other hand, on their adult lives and that's when the drama starts, with the main relationship being tested and sometimes skips that weren't handled smoothly.

I guess the main problem that this drama faces is its short episodes. They try to have small cases per episodes, but the actual story can't be developed properly due to that. Another minus that appeared was the cliche of many situations that arose. From the old camera work to the cheesy romantic gestures, but, especially, to the female lead's reactions to everything that were beyond childish and ended up being annoying, the drama is just too predictable and not because its a remake. Come to think about it, the original was closer to the melodrama premises, with a focus on their adult life, family problems and more grown up drama. On the contrary, this one is more immature and gets boring easily.

At least the side characters were interesting and added some entertainment here and there when it was needed. The performances were pretty good from everyone in the cast as well.

So, overall, 3.5 out of 10.

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My Honest Opinion is I like the Korean version better

Okay, before everyone bites my head off here are a few reasons
I think the Korean version takes out certain scenes that weren’t needed like when the ML tried to make her jealous in the original (it was a part that wasn’t needed at all honestly) the Korean version also added a couple scenes that I thought were very well placed also.
Like when the ML actually fed her when she was feeling down and let her cry again on his sleeves (this did not happen in the original I checked ?) about not getting into college it was a very cute and well placed.

My opinion the casting was so spot on but her best friend in the Korean version is so pretty, again my opinion ?
I’ve seen a couple of dramas/web dramas with the FL. So joo-yeon and she’s always been very cute so I think she fit the role perfect.
As for the ML ... Kim Yo-Han I know he was first place in the produce x 101 and it’s to bad about what happen to that group because they would of been super popular and were very talented. So I hope he can become a very successful actor but he also fit the ML part great.
As for the the supporting roles they all seem to do the original cast justice.

Will all that said and done this is my opinion and I know people are going to be negative or not agree which is fine but if you actually have seen the original version and compared it to the Korean version it’s very similar and people should be happy that you can rewatch this very cute drama either with the original or the Korean version and enjoy it.
If I had to choose which one I like better it would be the Korean version

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