Love & Bid Farewell (2024)

Love, Obsession and Control: A Thought-provoking Thrill

My final rating for this mini-drama is 8.5, the highest I give to shows in this category. In essence, it's a perfect 10 for a mini-drama. I was blown away by how masterfully it tackled heavy themes like toxic relationships, obsession, and the blurred lines between love and control. The story is dark, intense, and engrossing, with a narrative that's both captivating and thought-provoking. The angst was palpable, and the narrative's unflinching exploration of toxic relationships left me spellbound. Honestly, I've never encountered a story as dark as this in C-drama world.

The male lead is a masterclass in toxicity, showcasing a level of manipulation and emotional and physical abuse that's terrifying and it's wild to see how far he'll go. His behavior is a massive red flag, and it's chilling to think that people like him exist in real life. But what sets this show more apart is the female lead's character. I applaud how she refuses to forgive him, even when he tries to guilt trip her into feeling sorry for him. Her determination to avenge herself, unwavering resolve to reclaim her freedom and never back down, even when he saves her life to guilt trip her, is a testament to her strength and resilience.

The acting in this show is top-notch, with performances that are raw, realistic, and immersive. Main leads bring incredible depth to their characters, making it effortless to become fully invested in their stories. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, and their portrayals of complex emotions are both convincing and haunting.

The ending, while slightly watered down from my ideal conclusion, was still satisfying and impactful.
And let's not forget the OST – it's pretty good, perfectly capturing the mood and atmosphere of each scene.

This drama is a must-watch for anyone who's ever wondered what a genuine red flag looks like in a relationship. It's a cautionary tale that vividly illustrates the nightmare of being entangled with someone who's masterfully adept at manipulation and control. Be prepared for a few sleepless nights and a thought-provoking, unsettling experience that will linger long after the credits roll! It's a tough watch, but it's worth it.

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Dark, toxic love with obsessive & abusive male lead

What the hell did I just finish watching, was my first thought as the end credits rolled. This is the darkest and most disturbing cdrama I’ve ever seen. You are not only getting an angsty, toxic love story but a full on psychological thriller.

The drama is about the female lead who pretends to be a Princess to avenge her family and the male lead, a Prince who is mysteriously scheming behind the scenes.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
- Love-hate relationship. In fact it’s more of a lovers to enemies trope.
- Beautiful aesthetics and cinematography.
- Strong-willed female lead.
- The epitome of red flag, toxic, obsessive, abusive and pretty much psychotic male lead.
- 1000% angst. Check the trigger warnings below. Nothing is sugar coated here and not many can stomach it.
- Republican era cdrama vibes but in historical style.
- Fantastic acting from the main leads. I watched this for He Xuan Lin and she didn’t disappoint with her fantastic aura on screen.
- Hot kisses (only those that were consensual). The male actor looks like a great kisser.
- Sped up politics/revenge. The focus is on the love story so the actual plot stuff is kind of glossed over.
- A very fitting ending that brought me to tears.
- A big contrast between the first and second half of the drama. After ep 12 the plot turns 180.

OVERALL:
Horrible things happen in this drama and yet it’s written well for the most part. Only the last few episodes felt quite draggy. I loved the aesthetics and the female lead as a character. My big complaint is that I didn’t truly understand why the male lead became so deeply obsessed and toxic with her but who knows, I might have missed that detail. Anyway, to be honest if I knew how dark the story would get, I probably wouldn’t have even started it.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Disturbing scenes of abuse, r*pe and forced kisses.

FAVOURITE QUOTE:
“I hope you never meet someone like me again” by the male lead.

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