Last Summer

LJW and wrong script selection habits

I really really really want to watch it but nooo. I CAN’T.
Every time when I saw LJW is in the romcom I’m getting excited. But every time scripts are problems. It is the second time he chosed wrong script. He has a lot of potential he is a great actor but he selected wrong script. He needs to change his agency or should wabt to changed script.


Does the FL ever grow up even a little? Her character is so annoying. If Lee Jae Wook weren’t in this drama, I would have dropped it immediately. The way her character is written is just awful. He lost his twin brother — how is she somehow more dramatic and regretful about it than the person who actually lost family? She never asks why he acted like his brother. It’s like she constantly needs to be the center of attention.

And her ex-boyfriend… wow. How did she ever date someone like him? Her standards dropped so much. You can’t even compare Baek Do to this guy.

Baek Do is trying to protect her. He thinks she wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. But she’s always looking for someone to blame, and Baek Do is the one who ends up taking all of it.

I want to watch LJW, but not with this kind of script. His potential is so, so high, but the scripts he gets are always problematic.I really really really want to watch it but nooo. I CAN’T.
Every time when I saw LJW is in the romcom I’m getting excited. But every time scripts are problems. It is the second time he chosed wrong script. He has a lot of potential he is a great actor but he selected wrong script. He needs to change his agency or should wabt to changed script.

I also feel sorry for the FL. She’s still a relatively new actress, and she has to act out this messy character. She can’t even show her real potential because of the writing.

I just want to watch LJW in a smooth, well-written romantic drama… 🥹

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Worth a look.

Feb 2026
I admit I watched purely as a fan of LJW, although the story did intrigue me.

The story is centred on happenings within the leads' families, and also between the lead characters themselves, which shapes their future.

We are also introduced to friends and work colleagues, as well as family, as the story unfolds.

I got a bit confused at one point, as there is a lot of going back to various points in time, as key events are recounted when reminiscing (for both positive and negative reasons).

I found the FL character really annoying in the early episodes, but she did mellow, and grew on me.

I thought a key aspect of the story, in terms of her relationship with the 'distance brother', was somewhat overdone, and it frustrated me.

Other characters were ok; the distance brother's female colleague was yawningly predictable ~ a plot line that has been overused, and is frankly outdated.

I liked the lawyer, Seo-hyuk, too, who was pretty cool and knew when to back off gracefully.

I akso liked their friends, couple O Seung-taek and I Seul, but was very disappointed in how their plot line was handled ~ it made it seem like disability is not something able-bodied people should, or rather could, live with.

It actually angered me. I felt like the drama was making a statement about physically able people having to make too great a sacrifice, to love someone disabled.

That might be the case for some, but given how too many dramas show S.Koreans' attitudes to any disability as far less than in a favourable light, it would have been refreshing to see a mixed relationship of that type, portrayed as strong and successful.

Certain aspects of the plot got dragged out, whilst others might gave been made more of. There were some very emotional moments, as well.

Overall it was a decent watch, and I love LJW's acting ~ he can captivate me enough to keep me interested in most stories, although this one did manage that alone.

I liked his chemistry with CSE, and neither the actress nor her portrayal of the FL character, were the norm.

Not disappointed I watched it, at all, but probably not one I'd revisit.

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childhood to adulthood journey and the friends to lovers trope

If you enjoy the childhood to adulthood journey and the friends to lovers trope, this drama is worth checking out.

It’s an easy watch overall, with a decent cast and a storyline that has potential. However, some parts aren’t clearly explained, which makes the plot feel a bit messy at times. It also seems like the show tries to cover too many genres, causing it to lose focus and making it unclear what story it’s ultimately trying to tell.

As for the twins, there isn’t a strong enough distinction between them, so it can get confusing figuring out who’s who in certain scenes.

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Story told in reverse so she was too cold and unlikable for too long

My rating (of the 5 episodes I watched) 7.5/10

Review

I understand why this drama has its fans. If you enjoy slow-burn stories centered on emotional healing, flawed characters, and gradual personal growth, this may be exactly what you're looking for.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.

I'm not someone who frequently drops dramas. After watching well over 400 drama series, I've learned that if I'm still not enjoying a show after giving it a fair chance, it's usually better to move on. Before I drop something, I almost always look at reviews from people who finished it—not for spoilers, but to get a sense of the overall tone of the remaining episodes. If the aspects I'm struggling with continue throughout the drama, I don't feel the need to spend several more hours hoping it becomes something it's not. Time is valuable, and I'd rather spend it watching something I'll actually enjoy.

One of my biggest hurdles was the way the story is told in reverse. Sometimes that storytelling style really works, but other times it can make characters difficult to connect with because you don't yet understand why they're acting the way they are. I think that's exactly what happened here.

Not for me, and anyone that has the same taste in series I do, but I think there are drama fans that would find this enjoyable.

Spoilers

The female lead came across as unnecessarily cold and mean toward the male lead for the first several episodes. I know the drama slowly reveals the reasons behind her behavior, and by around episode four it was finally starting to fill in the backstory. Unfortunately, by that point it was simply too late for me. I'd already struggled to connect with her, so learning the explanation afterward didn't really change how I felt.

I looked into whether the pacing changed later in the series because I was hoping it would pick up. From what I found, the overall tone really doesn't change. The female lead eventually softens and becomes much warmer, but that doesn't happen until close to the end. I just wasn't interested enough to wait that long for the payoff.

I was especially disappointed because I really enjoy the male lead actor and have liked just about everything else I've seen him in. Knowing he was starring in this drama was enough to get me to start watching, and I was genuinely looking forward to seeing him play the twin later in the story. Honestly, that was almost enough to keep me watching. Almost.

One of my biggest frustrations was the female lead's professional storyline.

She becomes determined to tear down a wall, despite virtually everyone with experience in hydrology and flood management warning her that it's a bad idea. Instead of reconsidering, she tears down part of the wall at her own house to prove her point. The result? It causes even more damage than she expected and floods her home.

At that point I expected her to step back, reconsider her position, or at least acknowledge that maybe everyone warning her had a point. Instead, she simply doubled down.

That storyline made it even harder for me to connect with her because it felt like she refused to learn from the consequences of her own decisions.

Another issue I had was the timing of the twin reveal. I felt like the drama waited too long to tell the audience that the male lead had a twin brother. Many synopsis reveal there is a twin, so delaying that information in the actual story didn't feel particularly effective to me. It could have added some spice to the early lag if you had main guy playing twins. At least something interesting. But, it wasn't revealed that way, in any significant measure up to episode 5.

While the female lead came across as someone with a chip on her shoulder who was angry with everyone, the male lead came across as calm, mature, patient, and level-headed. Because I never warmed up to the female lead in those early episodes, I struggled to understand why they were supposed to work as a couple. Their personalities felt completely mismatched to me.

For me, though, one of the biggest requirements for a good drama is having characters I actually enjoy spending time with. By episode five, I simply didn't find the female lead likable. She wasn't just cold toward the male lead—I struggled to see her being particularly warm or enjoyable with anyone. Since the story revolves so heavily around her, that made it difficult for me to become invested in anything else that was happening.

The slow pacing only made that problem worse. Instead of feeling intrigued by the mystery of why she behaved the way she did, I found myself growing more frustrated with each episode. By the time the drama finally started explaining her actions, I had already checked out emotionally.

After deciding to stop watching, I read reviews from people who finished the drama. I found plenty of viewers who loved it, but I also found plenty of others expressing the same frustrations I had with the pacing, the characterizations, and the fact that the emotional payoff didn't come until much later. Reading those reviews confirmed my feeling that the overall tone of the series simply wasn't going to change in a way that worked for me.

For me, Last Summer wasn't a good drama because it never gave me characters I wanted to root for or a story that kept me engaged. Real life already has plenty of frustrating people making questionable decisions. When I watch a drama, I usually want to spend time with characters I genuinely enjoy and want to see succeed. Unfortunately, this drama never gave me that, so dropping it at episode five was the right decision for me.

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I don't know if I have faith to keep watching . .

This is patriarchal romantic tropes at their worst. The main female lead is clumsy, incompetent, irrationally emotional to the point of endangering her home and her life, in poor mental health but not seeking any help for it, has a weird ex boyfriend stalker,. . . .just indignity after indignity and not one action or decision that you can take pride in.

Then!! In sweeps handsome, at the top of his career male lead, chiding her for handling everything so poorly and offering to help . . . and she in a fit of pettiness refuses and ends up in over her head *literally* anyway. You see . . . he was right all along. She doesn't know what she wants or needs- but he does. Everything she plans goes wrong, everything he plans goes right.

The only positive of this drama is unlike Love Next Door (which had some similar overlapping premises), Lee Jae Wong plays an adult male who is ready and able to be in a relationship. He is concerned, protective without being overbearing and does not act like a child with his first crush ( a problem with many dramas with similar premises).

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Interesting backstory, but reunion felt too manipulative

I think the way the two lead characters were written may make sense for people going through loss, but it just feels uncomfortable to watch. I think they were going for a bickering enemies to lovers vibe but I'm not a fan of the way they did it. The way the ML came back in to her life and planned it out felt a bit too calculated and manipulative. If he had just showed up and been around her and said he wanted to work through things then that's one thing. But he deliberately sabotages the house sale at the last minute instead of just saying he didn't want her to sell it. And then there's a city project she's been trying to do that he thinks is flawed and instead of telling her what he thinks is wrong, he goes to all the citizens and convinces them it's a bad idea. And he also sues her for rights to the house with no intention of winning, but rather just drawing it out so she has to interact with him. And then he pitches a project to the mayor that he's prepared for a year and then says he won't do it unless she works with him. So she gets transferred by the mayor and there's nothing she can do. I'm sure that all this interaction forced her to confront the feelings she's been avoiding for years, but the way he went about it felt so controlling and hard to watch. I think the final straw for me was that after all that, she has a playful water fight with him at the end of episode 4 and decides to stay with him until the end of the summer. The backstory they had wasn't bad and there's plenty of ways they could have had emotional and intense confrontations that force their feelings out, but the way they went about it was too manipulative for me to care what happens next. With this story, I genuinely don't want the leads to end up together and I'm pretty sure they will. So even though I usually force myself to finish dramas I've started, I've decided that I have free will and don't need to watch this

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Eu realmente gostei! Gosto da temática desse drama.

Foi uma surpresa muito acolhedora para mim. Gosto de dramas que tratam de questões emocionais de forma construtiva, explorando sentimentos reais e resoluções sinceras, e esse faz exatamente isso. Ele trabalha com temas que facilmente se conectam à nossa vida: o hábito de guardar ressentimentos, de engolir emoções e, muitas vezes, de sempre priorizar o sentimento do outro enquanto deixamos os nossos de lado.

Algo que me conquistou logo de início é que essa sensibilidade não está apenas nos protas. Ela se espalha para o casal secundário e para toda a trama, criando uma história envolvente e cheia de camadas. Cada episódio traz uma pequena conclusão, mas logo desperta uma nova curiosidade e isso me prendeu do começo ao fim. É aquele tipo de drama que te faz querer assistir “só mais um episódio” porque você sabe que existe algo para entender, eu acho isso MUITO legal.

Chorei bastante, especialmente nos episódios sobre o irmão do prota, na parte da resolução envolvendo o irmão, então… Foi emocionante, profundo e, ao mesmo tempo, leve. E é essa leveza que torna o drama tão agradável. Ele não é cheio de pesares, intrigas exageradas ou maldades gratuitas. Mesmo quando a prota parece um pouco irritante no início, rapidamente fica claro que seus sentimentos são genuínos e compreensíveis. Afinal, ela vivia um relacionamento baseado em apenas 21 dias juntos por ano, precisando lidar sozinha com um turbilhão emocional e ele também.

O romance é doce, gradual e respeita o tempo de cada um. Eles se bicam mas no fundo é sentimento PURO (fofos)

No final, não senti pontas soltas. Tudo foi bem amarrado, bonito e gostoso de acompanhar. Para mim, foi leve, emocional na medida certa, envolvente e perfeito para quem gosta de histórias com profundidade, mas sem carregar o coração. Vale a pena!!!!

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Un été plein de souvenirs… mais vide d’émotions...

“Last Summer”, c’est l’histoire de ces étés de jeunesse qui te marquent à vie... ceux qu’on croit anodins sur le moment… avant de comprendre qu’ils ont tout façonné. Ici, on suit Song Ha-kyeong, la voisine de la "maison siamoise" un peu bornée mais avec un cœur immense, qui grandit chaque année aux côtés des deux frères jumeaux Baek Do-ha et Baek Do-yeong. L’un vit aux États-Unis, l’autre en Corée, mais pendant 21 jours chaque été 🌞, ils se retrouvent tous dans cette fameuse “maison siamoise”, qui devient leur petit monde hors du temps.

Ha-kyeong grandit en se chamaillant avec Do-ha, ce “summer guest” qui débarque toujours comme un typhon dans sa vie… et qu’elle finit évidemment par aimer en silence 😊. Puis les années passent, ils deviennent adultes, lui est un architecte ultra talentueux, elle, elle travaille dans l’urbanisme, mais un incident survenu deux ans plus tôt a tout fracassé entre eux 💔. Depuis, ils vivent avec ce passé suspendu, rempli de non-dits, de blessures et de sentiments qu'ils n'ont jamais vraiment affrontés.

Sur le papier, tout est là pour me plaire... la nostalgie, les regrets, les fantômes du passé. Le drama baigne dans une ambiance douce, brumeuse, dès l’épisode 1, ont sent que quelque chose s’était cassé… et que ça n’a jamais vraiment guéri. Mais malgré ça, pendant les deux premiers épisodes, je regardais sans vraiment comprendre le "pourquoi ?!?", et où on voulait m’emmener 🤔.

On est clairement sur deux âmes blessées, l’une qui fuit la chaleur humaine, l’autre qui la désire désespérément. Et franchement, l’idée était plutôt belle... mais dans les faits, je trouve que le drama tourne en rond. Les flashbacks reviennent encore et encore sur les mêmes éléments... l’été, l’astronomie, la maison... au point que ça a fini par me lasser. Là où j’aurais dû ressentir de la nostalgie, j’ai surtout ressenti de la répétition… et ça m’a complètement sortie de l’émotion 😮‍💨.

Côté acting, je ne peux pas dire que Lee Jae Wook est mauvais, mais son double rôle ne m’a pas convaincue... J’ai souvent eu du mal à différencier les deux frères , alors qu’ils ont grandi dans des pays différents et auraient dû dégager des énergies bien distinctes 🤷🏼‍♀️. Même constat pour Choi Sung-eun, elle ne joue pas mal, mais son personnage n’est pas mis en valeur. Je comprends la souffrance d’Ha-kyeong, mais certaines réactions m’ont semblé trop excessives, presque forcées.

L’histoire principale trouve sa résolution assez tôt, ce qui ont rendu les derniers épisodes franchement inutiles à mes yeux... 🥱 J’ai eu cette sensation constante d’un drama "brouillon", qui ne sait jamais vraiment s’il veut être une rom-com, un mélodrame ou autre chose, mais une chose est sûre, j'ai trouvé que c'était mal amené... Je n’ai pas ressenti grand-chose, ni pour le trio, ni pour la reconstruction du duo principal. Certains personnages secondaires, comme l’avocat ou la collègue architecte, m’ont paru totalement dispensables... leur présence n’apporte rien, et s’ils n’avaient pas été là, ça n’aurait rien changé à mon visionnage 😅.

Au final, les seuls personnages qui m’ont vraiment touchée sont le couple d’amis secondaires, dont l’histoire était mignonne… et Subak 🐶, clairement le MVP émotionnel du drama 🫶🏻.

Bref, c’est vu, mais ça sera vite oublié. "Last Summer" ne restera pas dans ma mémoire ✌🏻

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Love, Growth and Healing

I just finished this drama and I really enjoyed it. It’s slow-paced, and I guess it could be boring for some people, but for me it was worth every moment. The characters grow a lot and gradually start opening up to each other, which was so satisfying to watch. The romance is super sweet and cute, and even though it’s calm, it leaves a really warm and comforting feeling. The supporting characters are well-written and the performances are strong, making the story feel genuine and heartfelt. I definitely recommend it if you enjoy emotional, thoughtful dramas that focus on character growth and meaningful relationships.

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Sombras do Afeto, Quando Crescer Dói Mais que Amar

Last Summer é um drama sobre parar de correr — da dor, do passado, das escolhas não feitas. E talvez aí esteja tanto sua beleza quanto sua fragilidade.

A história acompanha os gêmeos Baek Do Ha e Baek Do Yeong, separados ainda na infância pelo divórcio dos pais. Do Ha cresce nos Estados Unidos; Do Yeong permanece na Coreia. O reencontro anual acontece sempre no mesmo ritual: 21 dias de verão, uma casa geminada, silêncios antigos e uma vizinha que cresce observando, sentindo e engolindo o que nunca foi dito.

Song Ha Gyeong é o eixo emocional da narrativa. Criança, adolescente, adulta — tudo nela é contenção. Medo, raiva, abandono e solidão moldaram os muros que ela ergueu para sobreviver. Ela ama Do Ha desde sempre, e foge desse amor com a mesma disciplina com que foge de si mesma. O medo maior não é perder — é ser vista de verdade.

O drama acerta ao contar sua história de forma não linear. As informações vêm em fragmentos, quase como memórias: incompletas, seletivas, às vezes desconfortáveis. Last Summer pede paciência e presença. Ele avisa: histórias têm passado, e só quem fica até o fim entende o todo.

Mas nem tudo amadurece no mesmo ritmo.

Apesar da proposta sensível e dos muitos layers emocionais, a conexão com o casal principal é irregular. Há um certo infantilismo emocional que se estende além do necessário. Repetições de conflitos, hesitações circulares e diálogos que giram no mesmo lugar acabam diluindo a intensidade que a história poderia alcançar. Em alguns momentos, o espectador entende o que os personagens sentem muito antes de eles próprios perceberem — e a espera cansa.

Do Ha, já adulto e arquiteto talentoso, ainda parece preso a um lugar emocional juvenil, enquanto Ha Gyeong, embora profunda e bem construída, repete padrões de fuga que poderiam ser tensionados de forma mais ousada. O resultado é um romance que existe mais na promessa do que na combustão.

Ainda assim, o drama é honesto consigo mesmo. Ele sabe que seus personagens são imaturos, quebrados, presos a histórias mal resolvidas — e a narrativa não romantiza isso o tempo todo. Pelo contrário: aponta, provoca, expõe. Há camadas de dor compartilhada, sentimentos nunca explorados e um peso silencioso que atravessa cada cena.

Last Summer não é um drama para quem busca química arrebatadora ou grandes viradas emocionais. É um drama sobre tempo, sobre o que não se disse, sobre o que ficou suspenso. Um diamante bruto — bonito, imperfeito, que talvez precisasse de menos polimento repetido e mais coragem emocional.

No fim, fica a sensação de uma história que tinha tudo para doer mais… mas escolheu doer devagar.
E, para alguns, isso basta. Para outros, deixa saudade do que poderia ter sido.

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