To My Star Season 2: Our Untold Stories (2022)

Grumpy/Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Breakup/Reunion

To My Star the original had to grow on me, eventually becoming one of my favorites of all time. To My Star 2 was not that show for me.

It’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong. The acting is excellent, really quite flawless. But sometimes too realistic for this genre (and me, one of the last hold outs who can’t take ITSAY), in that I felt their (especially SeoJoon’s) pain too much. Even though I identified strongly with JiWoo. If you have any kind of empathy for the complexities of desperate personalities trying to make a relationship work this show will hurt to watch. If you fall too far into feeling like either JiWoo (me) SeoJoon (lots of other people) you will fall into disliking one of the main characters (probubly JiWoo). And it is really difficult to watch a couple you loved seeing get together, seriously breaking up, in a realistically cutting way, lashing out and hurting each other an everything, and then whole heartedly struggling to come back together again.

The directing is really good, but the characters motivations are sometimes intentional obfuscated and the flashbacks felt manipulative. Well done, but I did feel a little jerked around, and like I was meant to wallow and dwell in the pain a little too much. Like all Kdramas of this type, the weight is given to the maudlin not the happiness. Although the use of doorways as transitions to the past/future was really well done. Like the original, the narrative is messy and sometimes difficult to follow.

So should you watch it?

If you like angst, wallowing, and realistic relationship struggles in your BL, watch this. If you prefer fluffy comforting BL, avoid like the plague. For me the pay out was not sufficient to the pain. I enjoyed the performances, directing, and chemistry - the leads’ comfort with each other is unprecedented in Korean BL, but that’s not enough for me to rise above the pain of the narrative.

RECOMMENDED WITH SERIOUS RESERVATIONS

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I liked it but....

So, I didn't like where this season went but I have to say it did have a lot of depth to it and it did tackle a bunch of issues that exist in relationships. The gay and straight ones both. I just fell in love with the character Seo Joon in season one, so I was devastated when Ji Woo left. I felt Seo Joon's pain like it was my own. Congrats to Woo Hyun. As for Kang Mon I'm not sure if he really acted well or not because I was too into the story. I keep hoping Ji Woo would go see a psychotherapist. I guess Kang Mon did do well. Again, very strong story with secondary's being just as strong and relevant. My only issue is the reconciliation. I really didn't see the point when or where that change occurred or what triggered it. I also actually thought there was too much damage to the relationship. Again, I'm just happy that Seo Joon was happy in the end. Shout out for the little girl and to the CEO for best supporting actor/actress in this series.

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Possibly the best BL I've watched

Very honest. The writers didn't hold back, and they gave us a painful, complicated, genuine, character-driven story to chew on. Unlike with (admittedly lovely) fluff, if there's a happy ending, it will be well-earned.
The pacing was perfect, they didn't rely on any stupid editing gimmicks or forced drama, the acting was impeccable, the cinematographic choices made sense and added to the scenes, and the writers had a firm and loving grasp on all their characters.
This story is not easy, but it may help you grow as a person. I love it. Actually my first review got deleted, but I love this season so much I found the patience to rewrite it.
You can't know this, reader, but I'm excruciatingly critical. I have no complaints, though, so hopefully if you're on the fence, that helps you leap over it and dive right into this experience.

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A technical review of the screenplay

I just don’t know why people don’t understand that this series was poorly written. Before you start attacking me, I am fine with you liking this series for whatever reasons – maybe it made you think of your own relationships, or about the complexity of relationships in general. It is enough to like this series just for the chemistry of the two mains, the OST, and the acting. That’s all fine. It just doesn’t take away from the fact that this is written very poorly. There are innumerable technical flaws with the writing and they occur consistently all the way up to the end.

I know I’ve mentioned it before but let’s just look at the restaurant, again. First of all, there is no way that this restaurant would ever have been financed [and as we know, Ji Woo had no money to finance this himself]. No banker would look at Ji Woo’s business proposal and think that it might be a good idea setting up a ritzy Italian restaurant in a small Korean village. As the banker I would also ask Ji Woo what experience does he have in business, because this doesn’t just involve being a chef. Restaurants are one of the riskiest businesses, so as the banker I would already be wary of financing anyone, let alone this proposition set forward by Ji Woo. If we get past that, how is it that Ji Woo stays afloat with no customers for a year? Why doesn’t he even try to drum up business, doing some advertising, and possibly mending fences with people in his community, as well as changing the menu to accommodate the palate of the local inhabitants? The ingredients are super expensive for this kind of restaurant and he would have to pay for rent, and utilities. How does he stay afloat? Where is the staff at this restaurant? When he finally does get business how is he able to be the cook, the waiter, the dishwasher, and the cashier for every customer? I’ve run this kind of business, and I’m telling you that that is impossible. The example of the restaurant I’ve been talking about here is just a concrete example of a flaw in the writing and should give you an idea of the sloppiness that is endemic throughout this screenplay.

Now a lot of the other issues in this screenplay are open to interpretation and I’ve been going around in circles talking to people about them. Here’s the unquestionable flaw with how various issues like mental health are raised and dropped in this series without explanation or without any reasonable follow-up. In a good work of literature you develop your themes and your characters constantly and there is no confusion unless specifically intended by the author for artistic reasons [oh, I can already see some people saying there was artistic reasons for this nebulous mess]. You shouldn’t have to work and struggle to figure out what is going on and what a character’s motivation is. It’s like when a chef prepares an intricate meal but no one has difficulty understanding that it’s delicious. The chef has done all the work for you. Here, we are constantly working to figure things out, and that is the problem and why it is not a good screenplay. Let’s talk about the mental health issue. First of all, does Ji Woo have something like severe depression? There is no backstory that explains this to us, so we can’t ever be sure. Before his parents died, did Ji Woo suffer from depression or did he get it from his parents dying, like a form of PTSD? Did this possible mental illness affect his relationship with Seo Joon? What is the resolution of this possible mental illness after they get back together? None of these questions are ever answered, and leaves you constantly guessing as to the character’s motivations. People were speculating that he has a reason for abusing Seo Joon because of his “mental Illness”, but we are left wondering at the end whether this is due to a mental illness or him just him being an asshole. There is no conclusive explanation for any of this and it is central to the story because we never know why Ji Woo acts the way he does. Why is he nice to everyone other than Seo Joon? Really, people with mental illness are not going to be so selective in who they treat well. I never really know who Ji Woo is and the only personality trait I can clearly understand about him is that he is a little shy. If I was in a creative composition class, I would be given an F for the development of this character, and since he is the central character that would sink my whole work into the ground.

What about Seo Joon? I understand that he is totally in love with Ji Woo and would give his right arm to find out where he went, but he strangely neglects to go after him. Anyone in a committed relationship would tell you that this would never, ever happen. Let’s assume that Seo Joon’s connection to Ji Woo is incredibly strong, and something akin to a parent’s love for their child. Just imagine instead of calling 911, and scouring the streets every night for your kid, you send them some text messages, saying that you missed them, and hope they are having some nice cake, at least, for their birthday. This is just such aloof behavior on Seo Joon’s part, and it makes you think he just doesn’t really care, but at the same time you know he is desperate to find Ji Woo by other things, like how he finally sends someone out to search for him in the crazy way that he does, stopping all work till he gets what he wants from his boss. Why does Seo Joon forgive everything that Ji Woo does? Where is the backstory that tells us that Seo Joon has always been a saint, a little Buddha hiding away in the movie business? That seems like it would be an interesting story to explore - like how many lives has Seo Joon saved with his indefatigable kindness? I’ve just never seen this character trait developed so I’m always surprised by it when it comes up.
There are constant questions of all the character’s motivations and who they are. As another example: the girlfriend. Why does Ji Woo’s girlfriend want to get back together with him? Didn’t she ever figure out that he was gay? How deep was their relationship? Is this the only person she can think of to have a relationship with, and why are there no alternatives? I can never figure any of this out. The little girl who becomes attached to Ji Woo like he’s her father, but why? He doesn’t seem like he’s very good with kids, and is certainly cold with virtually everyone. Why does she suddenly run away from everyone? What kind of trauma does she have in her past that causes her to act out like this?

Let’s talk about proportions, weighting, and structuring. This series has eight episodes of angst and the drumbeat of it is constant, followed by 2 episodes of fluff. It is frontloaded with endless seeming conflicts between the Main Leads, with no development, save one moment when they momentarily reconcile after finding the young girl. In many good screenplays we see a lot of dynamic progressions between the characters. This is very stimulating and provides a lot of the entertainment in a given fictional work. This screenplay, instead, focused on the same scenes of vitriol and fighting continuously. Seo Joon attempts to reconcile with Ji Woo, and Ji Woo pretends he doesn’t care about Seo Joon. This scene is repeated in endless seeming variations for eight episodes. This is totally uncreative, and very, very tedious to watch. Why are there 8 episodes of this and only 2 with a totally different kind of screenplay? And why are there two totally different worlds in this one screenplay that seem almost entirely disconnected? If you think this is common, you are mistaken. Even in a fairytale there is continuity, and the dark undertones of the past are not forgotten as they are here.

Throughout this series, the viewer has to constantly work to figure things out, and no resolution of things is really complete or satisfactory. The conclusion of a year long conflict between two people is usually not decided in a quick two minute conversation. Sometimes it is, but it is usually not. The viewer needs an explanation as to why, in this particular case, a two minute conversation suffices to resolve the year long conflict. We might have some clarity on Seo Joon’s side, but what causes Ji Woo to suddenly become amenable to making up? The former 8 episodes are moving the audience hard in the direction that these two are no good for each other and should break up, but we have no counter for this and so we feel Ji Woo’s explanation is just too weak. He seems to have been affected by some texts he read. We instantly think to ourselves, but Seo Joon did many far more persuasive things to convince him that he loved him so why do those texts even matter? Let me pose an alternative. We needed something more dramatic here, like Seo Joon saves Ji Woo’s restaurant from financial ruin, or he saves his life somehow, then Ji Woo sees the light, but a few texts like I hope you had a yummy cake for your birthday? Is that what finally breaks through to him? For most of us it is not enough, and that really is indicative of weak writing.

If I was in a creative writing composition class, I would give this screenplay an F for poor research, poor character development, and illogical plot construction. I would give it very low marks for any artistic consideration as well, because there is nothing beautiful about the use of language here, or any deep symbolism. In describing any art work you can take a dispassionate look into the framework of the piece and appreciate it intellectually and not through your emotions. This is the best way to tell whether it is a good piece of art or not. I find many people on here are not doing that at all, but just running to conclusions based on a desire for this to be good, rather than looking at its parts and analyzing them. But what is the point of beating you over the head about this? Do I want to just belittle the people that like this? Not at all. I want you to enjoy good art when you find it and not waste your time on the things that are not close to being good. I would like people to spend their time looking at a Van Gogh painting rather than the doodle of a five year old, and this is my only point in criticizing To My Star. Good luck to you finding better series in the future.

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An Emotional Rollercoaster

The sequel to To My Star delves into the not so pleasant aspects that could come from a relationship. I think it was important that it showed that a relationship is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. Life doesn't work like that. To My Star explores doubt, miscommunication, pride, guilt, and sorrow in a way that is engaging from start to finish. It may not be the direction that people wanted the second season to go in but I think it is important to show the more realistic aspects of a relationship.

If you think that all relationships can remain perfect at all times, you are terribly mistaken. To My Star shares a story that is more close to real life. But, if you are lucky enough, despite all of the obstacles you may go through with a significant other, you can overcome them and come to understand each other more through the pain you have both endured and come out on the other side stronger than ever together.

One thing that I loved the most about the overall conflict that was presented in this show is that it highlighted that every break up doesn't have to be for some grand reason. A lot of relationships may run their course or go through a rough patch simply due to little things that accumulate over time. Feelings change and people change and that's okay but what isn't okay is to run away without communicating with your partner about how you feel. Ji Woo had a hard time pouring out his feelings which ultimately caused more strife between him and Seo Joon that could have been avoided. But, the thing is, there are a lot of people out in this world like Ji Woo who run away from there problems and have a hard time saying what is on their minds so I don't fault him for that. You live and you learn and I am glad that a character like that is shown on screen. Seo Joon was fighting tooth and nail trying to get Ji Woo back and some say that he was fighting too hard and that he was too desperate and should have let him go sooner. But, all I saw was a person who didn't want to give up on the person that he was in love with. So what if he looked crazy. If you think a person is worth it, I don't see anything wrong with fighting for the person you love within certain measures. He ultimately decided to give up and let Ji Woo come back to him when he was ready which I think was for the best in their situation. I am glad that they ended up back together in the end despite everything.

Ji Woo and Seo Joon are two totally different people with different communication styles yet despite the pain that they both went through, I could still feel the love that they had for one another. It was still palpable. The chemistry was still there and the love for sure was still there. Relationships go through pain sometimes but I think it is ultimately about how you choose to resolve problems and come back from the pain that matters. It may take a little while but if both partners vow to understand each other more and change some of there ways to better the relationship, then they can move forward together again. Sometimes pain can lead to growth is how I viewed Ji Woo and Seo Joon's relationship.

On another note, I will end this by saying that I enjoyed this season very much (probably more than season 1). It had a story line that was very gripping to me and one that had me theorizing and thinking about it long after an episode would go off. The cinematography and locations were beautiful to witness and the characters all served their purpose well. I would definitely recommend all to watch this but just know that it is not the most lighthearted watch ever but it's still worth it!

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Jawdropping, but can be conflicting at times.

‘To My Star 2’ is truly a work of art for the most of it, but there are some plot digressions that mar clarity of communication (in terms of how the drama panned out).

Brace yourselves, for this review will be a long one.

*I don’t usually write reviews for any drama, but this was just too good (or should i say the last two episodes were good enough for me to consider writing this review -_-)

I have sorted out by review in terms of: Plot/Characterisation/Scriptwriting/Chemistry & Acting/Believability/Music & SFX/Editing/Props/Visuals/Dressing (wardrobe)/Mood/Atmosphere/Impact on Audience/Rewatch Value/Overall

Abbreviations:
HJW = Han Ji Woo (Kim Kang Min)
KSJ = Kang Seo Jun (Son Woo Hyeon/Hyun)
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*PLOT:*

Many have said that the plot is rather simple, with endings they can probably predict, but I feel that the plot had some attempts at being complex as well. This BL focused on taking what was hinted at in S1 & brought that idea forward in the following episodes.

For instance, in the first two episodes alone:
1) HJW’s past gets revealed: that he has an ex, who becomes one of the side characters relevant to the series later on. This extends from what we know about HJW in Season 1.

2) When KSJ had to do his job as a celebrity. The emphasis that he is a celebrity makes the plot more impactful, because of how HJW responds to it (it’s overwhelming for him, hence he leaves to not hurt KSJ, and hopes to revert to his old self without being overly dependent on KSJ like he is now). If you have watched the drama in totality, you will know that the two of them do get to wiggle around what is comfortable for them as partners, and they have decided to meet each other where possible. This also gives the two personal space if they need it, which is very well thought out.

I believe every bit of the story was directly contributing to S1 adequately. Scriptwriting was interesting too, with meaningful dialogues between the two. Some significant moments are in KSJ’s response:

1) When KSJ attempts to understand and “interpret” HJW, even knowing at times when HJW is mad, he would turn to organising things, trying to be neat and tidy.

2) This is even brought out in Ep4 when HJW, severely bothered by KSJ, turns to vacuuming the floor.
-> This illustrates a very consistent characterisation that follows throughout, which is great as it does not disrupt the flow of the story itself. From this, it elucidates that the two definitely connect with each other, while also facing a sort of “disconnect” from one another, one where they do not know how to better express themselves (especially for HJW).

My critique on the plot:
- At times, it can be rather underwhelming. Some plot digressions just do not flow. Like what was the motivation? What was the incentive of launching a story about Seo Joon? Or rather, how did it take one year for Seo Joon to find Ji Woo's hometown? Surely a superstar has better capacities than that?
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CHARACTERISATION:
This series touches on a few different ideas:

1) how characters respond to each other, and how they shape the personalities they have

2) how HJW&KSJ suit each other VS how they don’t suit each other (at the start when HJW was struggling to express his feelings)

3) KSJ, being extroverted and HJW being introverted
->does make a difference to the storyline too. The drama explores characterisation through how HJW solves his issues alone by not letting KSJ meddle in any of them, contrasted with above and beyond KSJ never giving up and constantly trying to intervene in HJW’s life problems—all of which are significant as they allow the viewers to grasp what kind of relationship dynamics exist in their relationship, as well as how they are like as characters in the drama.

4) KSJ’s bubbly personality (likely emboldened by his role as a celebrity, so I would assume he’s more comfortable and open) is seen from how he can engage the elderly with ease, all the more giving input to how he is as an extroverted puppy for HJW too. Adorable! The characterisation is consistent once again~ since one would expect a superstar to be charming and alluring.
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*SCRIPTWRITING*:
1. Some portions of the scriptwriting in Ep5 was rather confusing, as HJW reverts to his old ways of being a jerk and being nonchalant to KSJ (even berating KSJ for his cooking abilities!). I did appreciate some aspects of Ep5 though, such as how sassy KSJ and HJW’s ex (Sung Yoon) can be to each other, as if they are still fighting over HJW. It can be seen that they both care for each other since they are in the same plight—being HJW’s ex.

2. KSJ appears to be heavily sacrificing for HJW, who does not reciprocate that act of sacrifice back. It is frustrating as a viewer to interpret which direction the plot aims to go, but I do understand that this only further elaborates on the complexity of relationships: both parties need to put in effort to make sure that it works out well.

3. Ep 7’s script writing was amazing. We finally get insights on why HJW is acting so nonchalantly, and the director has allowed us viewers to evoke pity for HJW to some extent! In Ep7, the writer calls it quit with inducing suspense, finally giving us HJW’s backstory and how they relate to his present self. I will admit some scenes do seem dry, and I do have to bring myself to watch them in case I miss out anything. Can I just say whatever that was mentioned in Ep7&8 directly compliments the title of this drama “Our Untold Stories”? That’s so accurately named!

4. Ep 9&10: A beautiful work of art. Plot progression was extremely nuanced, with many impactful lines such as:

“Human stupidity has it’s limits (implying KSJ will not be stupid to keep chasing HJW)”
“When life gets hard, I’ll come to you (a line repeated from previous episodes)”

5. And, this particular chunk of lines in Ep 10:
HJW: “Then you (KSJ) too. Don’t have frequent calls with others. And don’t laugh. I’m (HJW) the jealous type. I won’t let you do it.”
KSJ: “All this time, you acted like it was nothing”
HJW: “I’ve been holding it in all this time (his jealousy). Had I say it, I was afraid it would affect your job”.
-> These few lines are particularly impactful to me as they show the caring nature of HJW, one where he sacrifices his own feelings to ensure KSJ’s career is not put at risk. Stunning. Amazing. Jawdropping. Everything in the last two episodes were explained so thoroughly.

Overall, good story plot and linkages to the previous episodes!
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*CHEMISTRY & ACTING*
I have never had an issue with their acting at all, in fact what was presented was a very genuine, deep love of how the two cannot survive without one another. The idea of pure, puppy love of KJW contrasted to the hidden caring nature of HJW’s complements their relationship and chemistry, making it a ton more believable. The acting is not exaggerated, what is shown is what is taking place. It feels very comforting to watch them and both of them play their roles with excellence. There were some slips with other characters, but not too unbelievable to mar clarity of plot. The two’s chemistry, on the other hand, is CRAZY GOOD. One can see the complexity of the relationship and how KSJ is dependent on HJW.

Some instances of good chemistry in the relationship:

1. KSJ wrote a whole song to HJW’s ex (telling her to stay away from HJW)and sang it in front of her (and the villagers), that was some power move and dedication.

2. HJW can simply not hide his feelings for KSJ again & takes the initiative by kissing him in EP4, falling in love with KSJ all over again :) cute!

3. When KSJ said “(he’ll) work like a bee… why is he (KSJ) so harsh to me” this line was particularly impactful to me as we see the desperation in KSJ’s words alone.

4. As KSJ helps to pack up boxes in Ep5&6, we see HJW get absolutely lost in his own world (zoning out, staring intently at KSJ). We see in such acting how HJW actually feels towards KSJ. His harsh, brutal words do not speak what his heart wants to say.

5. The name of the restaurant “I’m waiting (for KSJ?)” and HJW keeping his old phone, and KSJ’s shirt and are good pieces of evidence to attest that HJW has (discreetly, secretly) not been able to get over KSJ. The keeping of his belongings sounds like a message HJW wishes to convey to KSJ, about how he probably cannot bring himself to let go just yet—especially when the last he has of KSJ are his belongings. The message is just disseminated in a very indirect fashion.

6. When HJW tries to tell KSJ to “not be too friendly to the villagers” and “that there was no harm in being careful”. His caring nature is shown here again!

7. Ep7&8 acting was INCREDIBLE. The tears that fell off HJW’s face, the micro expressions and the look of melancholy painted on HJW’s face because of his now monotonous & mundane lifestyle without KSJ was extremely explicit! Loved the acting!

8. kissing scenes in the last two episodes amplifying how they depend on each other to survive
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*BELIEVABILITY*:
Generally believable because:
1.Drama explores the actor’s daily life, the chef’s daily life and how they go about their job, even making ample time for each other once their day jobs are done (as shown by how HJW goes to KSJ’s shoot and KSJ wants to “make out” in the dressing/makeup room Ep2).

2. we get to see how jealous KSJ can be in ep3&4 when HJW’s ex arrives, even asking his manager to check it out, it’s a very logical approach to the plot, making it a ton more believable especially for someone so “clingy/needy for love”like him, which is lovely!

3. Notwithstanding, in the later episodes (Ep5&6), the links are not as explicit. For instance, the mention of how HJW’s parents left him and thus he ghosted his ex, and then ghosted KSJ later on in another relationship. This assumes a problem that lies with HJW, and the plot justifies it in that way, which is where I find fault with it. How a person behaves should not be justified because of what past they’ve had. A comparative example: Being part of a serial killer’s family (for instance) is not a reason for their children to be serial killers too. Similarly, just because HJW was not well brought up, does not give him any reason to behave in such a childish manner—one where he does not speak his mind about what went wrong, how KSJ can improve, or bring himself to say anything constructive.

4. Point 3 aside, the writer pushed the believability portion even further in Ep8 where we find out TB CEO’s (Pil Hyun) honey is actually the reporter from S1! (Yoon Seul) I loved that their chemistry went even further haha :)

5. Their believability is off the roof in Ep9&10! The two explored their relationship in a very mature manner, and they are so playful it's adorable.
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Music & SFX: No issues, music was used appropriately. Some songs were soothing and suited the mood at the relevant timings (was quite apt)
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Editing/Props/Visuals & Dressing/Setting/Atmosphere, Mood:
I will have to make a brutal statement that I did not fancy the editing this time. Some transitions to the next scene seemed abrupt, and time stamps were disjointed for sure.

As for props, like the green screen when KSJ is taking professional pictures, the phones when they make phone calls to demonstrate certain plot digressions, THE RING THEY BOTH HAVE ON THEIR RING FINGER, the gifts, were all useful.

The other side characters are also important in showing the intricacies of KSJ’s career—that it is not a one man show (e.g. KSJ being depressed, his agency is affected too). Moreover, use of the appliances and things HJW owns are sufficiently testament in showing his role as a chef. Rather useful props to add effect.

Visuals & Dressing: I loved their use of outfits this time around. Finally a BL that has more budget to accommodate different outfits for HJW, who initially used to only wear the same outfits in the past, is now turning to someone with good fashion sense because of KSJ! We get to see how the two have grown to change when they’re with each other. I also particularly like the scene where HJW is on a bike trying to look for KSJ, it is a very important reminder of what he misses so much--the memories he has had with HJW.

Mood/Atmosphere: Perfect! Nothing was awkward or cringe about the show in my opinion. Everything felt real, serious and pure.
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Impact on audience/Impressions: I think this BL alone through its first two episodes has left a very long-lasting, lingering impression on me. I was able to understand what being a top star like KSJ entails, while at the same time, how someone who is so silent and yearns for love as a cook (HJW) can behave when he is not able to do “couple-like” things with KSJ in public. For instance, in E1/E2, it was mentioned that HJW was pissed because he “could not go out walks with KSJ because he was a celebrity” and this left a huge impact on me all because it made me realise that a celebrity’s reputation is so fragile and fluid, and hence evokes pity for HJW. This BL paints a very realistic picture of what life is probably like for real life celebrities too, and all the more we should respect their privacy. So, insightful ideas portrayed. Furthermore, the line where the drama says “the one with more feelings has to put up with the other; be the one to adapt” holds pretty true in this story, and helps the viewers understand the plot further. KSJ, being the one with more attachment to HJW, ends up being the one trying to find mitigatory ways to be more likeable to HJW; at the expense of his own reputation.
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Rewatch Value: I will most definitely be rewatching some episodes of this drama. This drama has been a whole train ride for me. The plot development was extremely good as we get to see that KSJ’s relationship with his parents are not great, giving more insights to how everything in the drama are related and also a more in-depth understanding of their personalities and the role they play in the drama. Acting was extremely good, you can see how professional the two main characters (especially them) were in playing their role to be true to what it was intended to be. However, in terms of 'rewatch'.. personally I will stick to watching Episodes 1 and 10.
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I have also written detailed reviews for Episodes 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10. You may take a look for a more in-depth review of the episodes (Ep 6 and 10, especially)!

Overall, a fantastic BL drama. Top in my charts for now! Thank you for taking time to read this review, do provide feedback if you can since this is my very first review!

*Side note: realised this review is 2621 words long. Bless you for making it all the way here hahaha, have a good day!

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Gives you insomnia and breaks your heart but totally worth it!

This season was the definition of pain. It was really heavy, but I respect the realness and how mature it is. This is a story about love not about how to be a perfect human being. You don't choose who you fall in love with. when you love someone you have to accept them the way they are, and handle their trauma, low self-esteem or whatever that makes them do stupid things. Real love is WORK , trying to fix the issues, and helping your partner to be a better person. I don't think the ex story line was necessary, but after all I enjoyed this season a lot. The acting was perfect. Their chemistry is crazy! and I think season 3 is a must at this point. it will make us appreciate this season more. Since we aren't really sure about JW if he will leave again or if the relationship is strong enough to last. Seeing their relationship getting stronger in a third season will make us believe in them more, and we'll know that everything they went through in this season was worth it . There are many good BLs out there but this one will always has a special place in my heart.

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A masterpiece!

This show just hit the feels that I didn't know I would/could ever experience. Even though it hurt and it was a tough story to tell it was remarkable storytelling. It took you on a journey of self discovery that showed you the complexity of insecurities and the love you have for someone.

Both leads down a profoundly EPIC performance conveying many different emotions.

There is no one issue that I found with this story. I love how it was consistent and had resemblances to season 1. So much attention to detail that you miss on first watch.

It was just a beautifully told story.

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FINALLY a good bl sequel

PROS:

- the cinematography!!! you can definitely tell they got more budget & creative direction for this season because some shots literally fucking stunned me, they were gorgeous!!! they went full film d’auteur for this one & I couldn’t approve more, this is my jam!!!

- the characters, and especially kang seo joon. like I just love this character so much??? everyone in this show fucking WORKS, but kang seo joon is like this cartoon-y character who also feels so real & he’s just really fucking amazing.

- I love the writing & its realism. this sequel made me realize that even the original season had a deeper aspect to it compared to other kbls, a sort of looming feeling of mental health issues & other problems, even with a happy ending. and in that way, the writers perfectly continued that story & gave us more context as to who both characters are as people, and I think the writers did a great job underlining the possible problems in their relationship & playing on their differences. I feel like this sequel worked when all of the others haven’t because the writers stayed true to the characters & story they wanted to tell. obviously season two has a different tone & setting, yet both seasons really work together, whereas it’s usually really not the case.

- the chemistry & acting just work. I don’t think han ji woo’s actor is the best actor & the more emotional scene wasn’t the best imo, but apart from that this pairing just works really well, and overall the acting is very solid. even with all the issues between the characters, the chemistry between the actors makes you care about this pairing a lot more.


CONS:

- v angsty, and I know that this is not what some people are looking for in this sequel, and in that case I would skip this one out. or just binge it all in one go bc I guarantee you, binging the first 8 eps and then having to wait a week for the conclusion like I did was HELL.

- I think han ji woo is a very interesting character that I really like, but since he’s been the driving factor for every drama & break up this couple has had, and he’s very cold & everything, in some moments it was really hard to care for him. there was literally a point in the show where I felt like these two were better off broken up, and I’m not sure that’s exactly what the writers wanted. so I think they went a bit too far with ji woo’s cruelty in certain moments, when it should’ve been slightly more push & pull rather than one hurting the other repeatedly if that makes sense.


WOULD I REWATCH IT: maybe not on its own bc it’s very angsty, but if I rewatched the original show I would definitely follow it with season two.


CONCLUSION: FINALLY a sequel that is not disappointing!!! I despise second seasons, but here I’m so glad I gave this one a chance, despite not even knowing how it was gonna end! This just proves me that you can introduce angst, break ups and challenges in a sequel and still make it good, and I’m just really happy that one of my favorite 2021 shows actually got the sequel it deserves <3

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I loved the first season, it was short and bubbly and there was this remarkable chemistry between the leads… the second season though, blew me away! I thought about this series a lot, it affected me so much that I wanted to know other peoples opinions on it and I started to spend time on twitter and even reddit lol, which is sth I honestly dont do at all. I have read lots of theories even came up with my own. I dont even know…the last time I was affected this much by a series with was game of thrones i guessXD

Anyway i liked how detailed it was, the acting, the cinematography, soundtrack everything was perfect imo. I do agree with some people saying the ending was a bit rushed and the angsty 8 episodes were was a bit unfair and Seo Joon forgave Ji woo way to easy. Yeah, I also think Ji woo should have realized he made a mistake by ep 7 onwards maybe? So that we would have 3-4 eps of him begging Seo joon to take him backXD jokes aside I do think that he should have made his motives for break up and how he felt during that one year of their relationship more clear to Seo joon. But I guess I am ok with how it ended, we had lotsss of fluff! Everyone had their closure. I would love a season 3 but I dont think it will come…

Ugh I kinda feel empty now that is over and I dont think anything will come close for a while:(

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Even Better Than The First Season

When the first season came out, it was instantly one of my favorite BLs. I loved the characters' chemistry, the story wasn't bad and the acting was great. I really only had one problem with it: the series was too short and because of that, we didn't really get a chance to explore the characters to my satisfaction. We only got snippets of their past here and there but nothing that really showed us why Ji Woo and Seo Joon became the people they were.

That's why I think this season is even better than the first. It's shedding light on concepts they introduced in the first season, "tying loose ends" so to speak while adopting more mature themes of heartbreak and loneliness and the roles people play in a relationship, all the while giving us a bit of fanservice of their domestic life together. Each episode fills my heart with joy and anxiety and as I watch the back and forth between Ji Woo and Seo Joon, I end up loving the series even more.

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