Business as Usual (2025)

watch at least thru episode 3 (watch suggestions)

Overall: I was not impressed with the plot or characters in episode 1, but I enjoyed seeing their different perspectives and them struggling with what was holding them back. Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed and I might modify this review based on the special episode. This is based on "Eul's Love" which I haven't read and I reviewed this series on its own merits. 6 episodes about 25 minutes each. Note there are sometimes important extra scenes after the initial end credits. Aired on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41031c-business-as-usual ; GagaOOLala (not in the Americas, Europe, Oceania, Japan or South Korea) https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/5233/business-as-usual-2025-e01 ; Line TV in Taiwan ; Rakuten TV in Japan ; Heavenly in South Korea

Watch Suggestions (to skip a lot of poor communication, have it be in chronological order and focus more on the leads' sweet moments)
- episode 2 watch 6:30-20:30 (past)
- episode 3 watch 4:15-16:25 (past)
- episode 1 watch beginning-4:45 (past)
- episode 3 watch 22-2nd (present)
- episode 4 watch 3:30-4:10 and 11-end (present)
- episode 5 watch 9:40-13:35 and 15-22:40 (present)
- episode 6 watch 21-end (present)

What I Liked
- intimacy in episodes 1 and 5
- sweet moments/their relationship development in the past
- how they each saw the same situations very differently, I don't think that a character saying he couldn't remember a phone call was gaslighting, sometimes we don't remember things the same or remember them at all compared to another person, this isn't always intentionally malicious/gaslighting
- appreciated the realistic bed head in episode 5
- production value

Room For Improvement
- disliked plot drama where a 5 minute conversation would have cleared everything up, very cliche plot point in episode 1
- what happened around 11-12 min in episode 1 was too long (keeping this spoiler free for now), should have been 1/4th of that
- episode 6 was extremely rushed, wish they actually hadn't shown the final scene because going into my next point...
- I am not convinced that they will be in a long term happy relationship, though Kim Min Jun recognized his insecurity, he basically admitted that it would cause problems in their relationship in the future. I think his insecurity will destroy their relationship at some point.

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Nonsense As Usual

So did Min Jun smile in this drama? Mfker walked around like he was allergic to happiness, like he loved being miserable and having a sad background story about his first love. Dude was out there acting like woe is him and heart break was made specifically for him. Give it a rest, Susan. Cuz what even was his problem towards the end? Jin Hwan a better person than me though, I'd have gotten on that plane. Go be incompatible in the corner with your foolishness.

And was I supposed to be happy for that airport scene? Literally this is what happened word-for-word. No, really, come see nonsense.

Min Joon: "You know, too. You and I are really incompatible. We will fight and get tired again. And we'd be worn out each time. You think everything would be possible now. But what if, I keep bringing up the past and ask why you acted that way angrily? Similar things keep happening. No one would be okay with that. And what if you keep doing that to me? I know myself well. I won't be able to stand it. You know how it'd end. And I know, too. Choi Jin Hwan. First love needs to be left as a memory. Stop. Please let me be free now. Please, just get out of my sight."

Jin Hwan: *confessing his love, begging, trying to reason, pleading.* Nothing works, he gets dumped, heart broken, he packed his suitcase, quit his job and decided to leave the country.

*Min Joon hears about it and runs to him at the airport. Cue a montage of their moments together and a sad song.*

Min Joon: "Choi Jin Hwan, what's with you? You changed your number and tried to disappear? You bastard. You and I are really incompatible. That is why I'll fight as many times as it takes. Even if you get tired, and beg me to let you go, I won't let go of you, okay? I know everything and I'm mad at you. I know things would get boring and obvious, but I like you so much that I'm going mad. I like you. So, don't go. As long as I am with you, everything is fine. I still like you."

Me: Thunder fire you and your ancestors' goat.

Cuz was that supposed to be romantic? I was making a face the whole time, rolling my eyes and just... why child, what even? Nonsense dey for some peoples backyard. Make someone's son come disturb my peace with this kind behaviour, na slap he go chop. Fool.

Listen, I liked the overall drama. Misunderstanding like this can happen, so I was enjoying the plot when the misunderstanding happened in ep1, I was like, oooh drama, sign me up. I was happy when they both found out that they've simply misunderstood each other. Enjoyed the in-between of getting to know how they got together, how they both loved but were shy, scared and didn't communicate enough so their first loved ended miserably for them both. Nice plot and drama, give me two more.

So yeah, after everything was cleared up between them, I was ready for these two to handle things as the adults they were, instead Min Joon acted like a broken spoon and decided to go with the annoying, childish, approach. Wth is your problem Susan? Like, why you causing unnecessary drama, Bob? So you got dumped one time, so what? Dude let his 2am thoughts won over his rational thoughts, and decided to frustrate us with his nonsense. Child if you don't go sit somewhere.

And, is the theme for this year's k-bl dramas misunderstandings? I wonder if the writers had a meeting and decided to frustrate us, while they laughed over soju. Cuz, again, why?

Anyway, a decent drama, give it a watch, it had its charm, but overall, the ending could have been done better, instead of whatever that was.

Once again, I say, k-bls needs to step up this year, like, why are you on the floor? It's only May.

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