What is motherhood?

It's been a long time since I've rated something a full 10 out of 10 but wow. The amount of emotion I felt watching this and the amount of tears I shed...this drama has immediately skyrocketed atop my list of favorites.

The plot and pacing were perfect. There were absolutely no filler moments and even when we were following other characters like the biological parents or the detectives, I felt like more was being added to the story (and to my stress).

Every character is extremely three-dimensional and well-written, and through the way they were intertwined we were able to see the different ways in which "family" could be formed or broken.

The best part of this drama is its moral questions — questions about whether Soojin's actions morally vs. legally, about cycles of abuse, about parenthood and its responsibilities...there were so many scenes and moments of dialogue that were really thought-provoking.

But the best part of this, undeniably, is Soojin/Yoonbok and watching their relationship develop into mother/daughter. It was beautiful, it was heart-wrenching, it was PAINFUL. But the chemistry between the actresses was top notch and the acting performances were amazing.

Thematically I absolutely love that this is a female-centric drama, and I would recommend everyone — literally everyone — to watch it.

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Fantastic characters trapped in a drab plot

Those first few episodes started out, quite simply, very strong. And then they started to add a bunch of different elements and the final result was a huge cast that was trapped in a story that just tries to do far too much.

From the very beginning I knew that Do Haeyi would become one of my favorite female leads of all time. It wasn't just that she was so fun and bubbly, but also that she was full of paradoxes — She's fun and bubbly but also straightforward, hardworking, prideful, and VERY realistic. Her personality is so relatable and I loved her dynamic with all her family and friends.

I even quite enjoyed the love triangle because it was very clearly about Haeyi's values and choosing between money or love.

As the episodes went on, it just...lost the plot. Parental and class issues are great topics and it was really where the drama shined. I think it could've done completely without the thriller subplot because it always teetered on the line between being an actual legit thriller, and something that was not so different from any other youth drama with an annoying saboteur character.

The love triangle also got so insanely draggy; it was like Groundhog Day seeing the FL reject the SML, just to have him say he's okay with one-sided love, just to go back to chasing her and getting upset when another rejection comes.

Add to the mix THREE side ships (two of which I marginally care about and one which I thought was a waste of time considering how many scenes they got) and I just felt like we were getting bits and pieces of subplots but never the full story. Everything felt half-baked and we barely got to see any cheering.

In tidbits this drama has fantastic scenes and great lines of insightful dialogue that will make you think. In the last two episodes, I absolutely did cry my eyes out when the story returned to the issue of money and life's priorities, and it made me think that it was such a shame that the drama veered away from that and decided to focus on a love triangle and treat it like a random kdrama FL trapped between two MLs, both of which I did not care for.

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Right Person Wrong Time

The chemistry is hands down the best part of the drama and I think the show did a fantastic job of intertwining historical events with the personal story of two people who just happened to meet and fall in love with each other during that time. The first few episodes were more lighthearted and fun, and even as the story became heavier and life became more difficult, I felt like we still saw the soft moments between the two leads, the stolen moments of safety and comfort. It really felt like two people against the world.

Maybe my only gripe with this is the ending. I have no problem with the plot itself, but pace-wise it felt like a rushed and forced tragedy and the aftermath wasn't explained well either.

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The tragedy of being "too late"

Even though this movie seemed like a general rom-com, the more I think about it, the more it's the kind of movie that grows on you. It really reminded me about having to be responsible towards your own life, filled me with a lot of hope, and finally made me think: Remember that life is short.

What does it mean to be in a time loop? It means having unlimited time, getting unlimited chances to make the right decision, to right the path you are on, to prevent regrets. Say Yes Again on the surface is saying all these, which is not too different from other time loop movies.

The two leads acted decently and I really felt the excitement of their honeymoon period while also noticing the differences in their characters: One was more realistic and practical, and the other was more carefree and easy-going. From the ML's perspective, this was his coming-of-age story and it was a little silly but also very relatable.

But it was the last 10 minutes that really flipped everything upside down. Though it was a little rushed, I really enjoyed the premise and intent behind it, and it not only tugged at the heartstrings but made me think twice about my attitude toward life.

I often think to myself that one of the most tragic phrases in the world is "it's too late," and at its core that was the meaning behind this movie.

雖然這部電影看起來只像浪漫喜劇，但我越來越覺得它耐看。它提醒了我要對生活負責任，也讓我充滿了希望，又好像跟我說：記著，生命短暫。

時間循環有什麼意思？就是給你無限的時間，給你無限的機會做最好的決定，把軌道修正，避免後悔。【再說一次我願意】在表面上就在說這個，跟別的時間循環片一樣。

兩個主角演得還不錯，讓我感受到蜜月期的興奮可是也讓我看得出來兩個人的性格差距：一個人比較腳踏實地，另一個比較瀟灑。從男方的角度著就是他的成年故事，有點搞笑可是也很有相關性。

可是電影最後那十分鍾把世界完全顛倒轉。雖然是寫得有點太匆忙，但真意我還是很喜歡，不但能動人心弦也造成我對自己生活的態度再次思考。

我經常自己想，世界上最悲傷的一句話就是「來不及了」。【再說一次我願意】的內涵意義也就是這個。

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Comforting but a little disjointed

This was pretty cliche but that didn't prevent it from being a really fun and comforting watch; this was one of those school-setting films that I absolutely love for its nostalgic factor. The romance was very innocent and heart-warming, combined with the coming-of-age element it was just a really feel-good watch.

I do think there are some cuts that are confusing — it's as if important scenes where characters communicated were cut out and I had to fill in the blanks on my own (which is surprising considering that this movie has quite a hefty runtime for its genre).

The acting is a little stiff sometimes and in those moments this really feels like an idol movie (a movie where it feels like the primary reason for its making is to show off a singer's vocals instead of telling an actual story), but with that being said, the OST 100% holds up and the songs and vocals are impeccable.

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My comfort characters

This is one of those cdramas I really wish were longer because from start to finish it was just so solid and I really wanted the side characters to have bigger subplots.

Overall, there's not that much about the characters dreams or career ambitions — it didn't bother me, but it surprised me because that's often a topic that youth cdramas really double down on. Instead, I really loved the emphasis on family and friendship throughout the show — this is slice-of-life as its best; the topics it covers are really relatable and moving, it's heart-wrenching sometimes but stays very realistic.

I also just really loved the relationship between the two leads; they had a few ups and downs but Tan Song and Cheng Zi really embody why my favorite trope is friends-to-lovers. The support they had for each other throughout everything, the way they understood each other's little quirks, the way they talked through little conflicts, and the teasing and joking around...it was just a really healthy and fun relationship and this is one of those couples that didn't at all at more boring after they got together.

There's not really much of a plot but I didn't need one. This is one of those coming-of-age dramas where you just grow to love spending time with the characters, no matter what they're doing.

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Fun and inspiring, a little bittersweet

This was actually so great.

I really loved the relationship between the leads. The backstory added a lot and wasn't overdone, and even though they butted heads it was playful and they never crossed that line. I really loved the little will they-won't they dynamic (of course knew they would) but it's this little period of carefulness and tension before a couple gets together that I always love the most and this drama showcased that really well.

Overall, the romance was just so mature. Despite their silliness, when it really came down to it, they communicated and supported each other through tough times, and I just absolutely love a drama without any unnecessary misunderstandings or breakups. The relationship was just so healthy. With gaming dramas like Go Go Squid where the FL isn't a gamer, one of my key complaints was that the drama always sidelines the story of the FL's professional growth. I definitely felt like the female lead's role in this wasn't as important as the male leads, but the way they handled her arc and gave her character agency to be someone outside of the gaming world and outside of the team was actually a pleasant surprise and probably one that I hadn't really seen in a drama like this before.

The second lead couple was less serious but I still also really liked watching them. Individually they were great characters and together they were entertaining.

Another great part of gaming dramas is probably the friendships and that absolutely shined in this show. I really loved seeing how all the side characters had their own roles in the story and grew as characters, even the ones I expected would just be comic relief. It was just so fun to see the team come together and become friends and see how the underdog story came together, without swerving too extremely into subplots, but still giving side characters their time to shine.

The friendships in the backstory was wonderful too; it really showed the e-sports industry as a whole and helped with the depth of characters' histories in flashbacks.

I always really love the theme of following your dreams, of taking risks vs. playing it safe, of humility and learning, etc. in these sports dramas and this was no different. At its core this feels like an underdog story — the male lead is trying to make his comeback in a rookie team that no one believes in — and I was worried it would be too cheesy if they won everything. But the drama showed this really well too, and I loved seeing different issues that the team had to overcome, and how even then it wasn't all sunshine and roses at the end but they had each other. There's some bittersweetness in there, but overall I just found this to be a really fun and yet inspiring and comforting drama. Would highly recommend, especially to those who liked Falling Into Your Smile.

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Cute but unbalanced

This is probably one of the better written plots in a modern cdrama that I've seen — I truly felt like the story about HSY's was really cohesive as we met different side characters and figured out how each of their roles played into it. The part about chasing your dreams, about regrets, about life's priorities, and about memories and holding grudges — all of that was really powerful. I liked the second ship's plot too and how the main plot tied into them. Some different K&K characters had their little subplots as well (it wasn't very much but we got a really clear sense of their personalities).

The main couple is SO cute when they're together; it's funny because it's usually the opposite for me (I care more about a couple before they get together and then they get boring) but in Go Go Squid, I absolutely loved seeing her bubbliness and how the ML gradually became softer as well. The K&K Team and their teasing added such a fun dynamic to their relationship as well.

But while the main ship was cute when they were together, it was kind of unfortunate how uncute they were when they weren't. From the start, I felt like the "love at first sight" part was really cringey and awkward, and the female lead was crazy and obsessive with how she followed around the ML and tried to bypass rules when he clearly showed that he wasn't interested.

After that, the "disapproving parent" trope was really annoying in this one because of how the ML ended up being super rude to the FL while she still continued to chase after him. In certain situations, I appreciate the unfiltered character who is not afraid to still love despite being hurt but I really think that at some point you should have some pride and self-respect. This part dragged on for a lot longer than I wished and the way it was "resolved" felt a little unsatisfying.

Individually, I also felt like the ML's backstory and characters were so fleshed out, the female lead kind of got the short end of the stick. Yes, we knew she was a smart computer science major and an internet singer, but none of her subplots were cohesive like the ML's; instead, they just seemed to appear or disappear randomly, unexplained, and her future felt like a throwaway sidenote as it was told to us offhandedly. I really wish her character got a little more depth.

The gaming part was okay to me but I honestly found it difficult to understand what was going on in competitions (compared to Falling Into Your Smile, where I felt all the anticipation and stress of every match) and for that reason, I didn't really feel the high stakes that the drama was trying to show.

Even aside from that, I thought the leads were SUPER adorable when they were together, and this was a pretty fun watch.

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Short and sweet

Short and sweet, I feel like this drama packed in just the right amount of information for the time it was given — but I can't help wondering what might have been and how much more we could have gotten if only the drama was a little longer.

At its core, the drama is perfectly formulaic longtime friends-to-lovers, and I absolutely love the trope of one person yearning for the other in silence for so many years. And it came across extremely well, especially in the earlier episodes.

The vibe was slow and comforting; this drama just feels like a cozy winter watch if you want to feel your heart flutter.

It wasn't really until the last episode did I really start feeling like I wished this drama was longer. They did a great job subtly weaving in the characters' careers but I wanted to see even more of it. I felt as though time spent on another love interest (who we knew had no shot) was kind of unnecessary. And there are some school flashbacks that absolutely stole my heart that I wanted to see more of, some late night heart-to-hearts over rice wine that I wanted more time with, and overall just more exploration of why becoming lovers felt like such high stakes for them.

Still, this is a really good watch — unproblematic, safe, cozy, comforting, warm — it's just everything that makes for a great all-in-one binge.

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Healthy rom-com

I was really worried that I wouldn't enjoy this because it's vastly different from what I usually watch — more slow-burn romances.

But this was actually such a good rom-com. It tackled a lot of issues but did it with amazing subtlety, all while keeping the humorous tone really consistent. I thought this movie did an amazing job with showing what a healthy relationship looked like, and of portraying BDSM relationships. The characters were open and honest with each other, and they were just so refreshing to watch.

There are little tidbits of social commentary like about sexism in the workplace and insecurity/self-esteem that I thought were incorporated really nicely as well.

Overall, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel second-hand embarrassment at some scenes, but I'm happy to say that this was a movie that did its job really well and embraced the rom-com formula.

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Scarily real and dystopic

I love this type of dystopia — seeing how humanity responds to unexplained disaster and following our few main leads trying not only to survive but also to change the world.

With that being said, I think this drama hits the first part almost perfectly and the second part not as much so.

The premise of this drama alone is so interesting and enough to get a 7 from me. I know there's been a lot of complaints about plotholes and the rules of the universe changing but I've been pretty lenient on those, since the drama addresses them directly by discussing how this was intentional. I feel as though this is going to be one of those shows where the world-building requires some sort of suspension of disbelief first, and once you get over that it'll probably make the viewing experience a lot more enjoyable.

The second, part, the characters, was unfortunately the part I had more trouble with. The characters that we followed were not necessarily likable and I kept questioning their decision-making. It didn't help that it seemed as though the subplot of each character ended right when it felt like it should've started there. We skipped over the most interesting arcs of our characters and revisited them after they were over. I appreciate the lack of plot armor and generosity of the body count, but it piles up like a huge mountain of lost potential.

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Thoughtful and heart-breaking

Wow. This drama is pretty much flawless, from the acting, the plot developments, the pacing...everything just felt so real, whether it was showing grief, anger, relief, determination, fear, etc. Every scene of this drama was just so filled with emotion, whether it was a fight scene or just a conversation between two friends.

I'm usually not a huge fan of ensemble dramas because characters are covered unequally but that wasn't the situation with this drama at all. Every character was super fleshed out, both in terms of how they were linked to the shooting and who they were generally as people. I still had my favorite subplots — Li Da-Chih and Sung Chiao-An were undoubtedly the two most intriguing characters with the most unique relationship dynamic, and seeing their character development happen so realistically, so subtly, so painfully, was amazing.

If you're the type of viewer who wants answers (this drama introduces some questions about the shooter's motives) then this might not be satisfying for you — but if you let this drama to do what it's meant to, which is focus on the aftermath and the grief and the emotions, then this is an amazing watch.

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Beautiful and un-cliche

It's been a long time since I enjoyed a serious movie this much; going into this I had been worried that it would be pretentious and boring, but that wasn't the case at all.

In fact, I felt like the plot never stopped moving, the story's pacing was great, and the movie actually took me by surprise in many scenes. I thought that something was going to happen and the movie was going to go the cliche route, but they didn't and instead I watched something that felt much more realistic and emotionally-charged, rather than needlessly dramatic.

We're given just enough information about every character and situation to make us emotionally invested — it really feels like we're given a intimate peek into the tensions between family members.

Cinematography was beautiful as well; overall, the tone of this movie is so nostalgic and warm. I was surprised that there were some parts that were truly funny, albeit a little bittersweet. I won't lie — it stressed me out a lot in many places, but that was partly due to my misplaced expectations. Go into this without any preconceived notions and you'll find yourself in love with it, I promise.

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Wholesome but confusing

I had heard about this drama being really wholesome and healthy beforehand and that was indeed what I got. I really liked the eccentricity of the main leads — their dynamic was awkward but comfortable and it was really different from all the other dramas I'd seen. I especially really liked the main male lead and the way he handled family situations and conflict was just really unique.

If you're looking for a plot-driven drama though, this isn't it. It was very character-driven. I don't have a problem with that, but there were also a lot of side characters I just didn't really care about, including the second ship.

Overall, I just felt like aside I started clicking less and less with the characters; I do chalk this up to the writing style, as something about the way every character talked just was very confusing and obscure. They discussed things in metaphors and it all just kind of went way over my head. I wasn't sure what they were talking about and it made the drama kind of meh to me.

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