ltspada

My rating is a 9/10

Let me start by saying I didn't read the webtoon, I did not watch the series and I have no plans to watch or read more than just this one movie. Why? Well, I heard that the subsequent seasons are sort of like the ever after part of Cinderella and I prefer to stop at happy. I don't need to see the soap opera. And I think, based on other reviews I have read, that if you what this all by itself, and enjoy light easy romance then you might like it Dig deep, watch the others and you might like it less.

I really enjoyed Best Mistake 1. This is exactly the kind of light, fluffy teenage romance that I can sit down and enjoy without needing it to be complicated. It is predictable, but honestly, that isn't a criticism when you're a serious fan of romantic tropes. Sometimes you know exactly where a story is going, and you still have a great time getting there.

I especially liked the premise. Yeon Doo (female lead) picks a random boy's picture to use as her fake boyfriend in an attempt to get someone who won't leave her alone to back off. Unfortunately for her, she happens to choose Hyun Ho (male lead), one of the most popular and intimidating boys at school. He is understandably furious when he discovers what she has done, but what starts as an annoyance gradually turns into something neither of them expected.

I loved Hyun Ho. He has that classic tough-on-the-outside, soft-and-warm-on-the-inside personality, and I thought it worked particularly well here. I also liked that it took him some time to realize that his feelings for Yeon Doo were becoming genuine. It made the romance feel more natural than if he had immediately decided he was in love with her simply because she was the female lead.

I also really liked Joo Ho (second male lead). He was cute, sweet, and believable enough as an alternative that I could genuinely see Yeon Doo ending up with him if Hyun Ho weren't around. That's what I want from a second male lead. I don't necessarily need to want him to win, but I want to understand why the female lead could choose him. He accomplished that.

I thought the drama also handled the teenage relationship appropriately. By the end, Yeon Doo and Hyun Ho are together in a way that feels like two teenagers actually being together—holding hands, kissing, going on dates, and enjoying one another's company. It doesn't turn into some overly sexualized version of teenage romance, which I appreciated.

There is also just enough drama to keep things moving without turning this into something heavy. The school setting, friendships, misunderstandings, jealousy, academic pressure, and romantic rivalry all fit nicely into the story without overwhelming the central relationship.

Other viewers have similarly described the first season as cute, light, and enjoyable, with several noting that the youthful romance and familiar school-drama tropes are a big part of its appeal. Some reviewers did find the pacing and love triangle underdeveloped, but those weren't major problems for me.

Overall, this was just a fun watch. It doesn't pretend to be something profound, and it doesn't need to be. If you like school romances, fake-dating situations, bad-boy-with-a-soft-heart characters, second-lead competition, and predictable romantic tropes, this is exactly the kind of drama that can be a lot of fun.

Spoilers

I loved the basic setup of Yeon Doo choosing Hyun Ho's picture as her fake boyfriend. It is such a ridiculous teenage solution to her problem, which is exactly why it works. Of all the pictures she could have chosen, she somehow picks the picture of the school's intimidating troublemaker. And then she has to deal with the fact that the person she pretended was her boyfriend actually knows about it.

Hyun Ho's initial reaction was completely understandable. He didn't ask to be involved in her scheme, and suddenly everyone at school thinks he is dating her. But I really liked watching his attitude toward her change gradually.

He didn't just see her picture and suddenly fall head over heels. At first, he was irritated by her. Then he became curious about her. Then he started caring about her. Eventually, he realized that he actually liked her. That progression made his feelings much more enjoyable to watch.

And I really loved the way Hyun Ho's tough exterior slowly gave way around Yeon Doo. He could be intimidating and rough with everyone else, but there was clearly a much softer person underneath. Especially when it came to her. That is one of my favorite romantic tropes when it is done well—the guy who looks like trouble but is actually incredibly protective and caring toward the person he loves.

I actually preferred Hyun Ho's blonde hair. I know the black hair was part of his character development, and I understand why they changed it. But aesthetically, I thought he looked better blonde. I also understand that, culturally, bleaching or dramatically dyeing your hair when you're an ordinary student can signal rebellion in a way that is somewhat comparable to how tattoos once carried a stronger rebellious association in American culture. So the hair change made sense for the character even if I personally preferred the original look.

Joo Ho was also exactly what I want from a second male lead. He wasn't so wonderful that I was desperately hoping Yeon Doo would dump Hyun Ho, but he was genuinely likable. I could see why she would like him. If Hyun Ho weren't in the picture, Joo Ho would have been a very believable choice for her.

That is what makes a good second male lead for me. He should be a legitimate possibility rather than someone the audience immediately dismisses because obviously the female lead could never choose him. Joo Ho gave the romance that extra little bit of tension without making me unhappy about the eventual outcome.

One of my favorite storylines involved Yeon Doo's wish for Hyun Ho. Instead of asking him to do something romantic for her, she wanted him to do something that would actually benefit himself—improve his grades.

I thought that was really sweet because it showed that she wasn't just trying to change him into the kind of boyfriend she wanted. She genuinely wanted something good for him.

And the situation that followed was also very believable. Hyun Ho goes from being a student who normally gets terrible grades to suddenly getting a 100, so naturally the teacher suspects that he cheated. I actually liked that. It would have been completely unrealistic for the teacher to simply say, "Congratulations!" when his performance changed that dramatically overnight.

But then Yeon Doo gets the opportunity to stand up for him, and I thought that was one of the sweetest moments between them. She wasn't just defending her boyfriend because she wanted to protect him. She believed in him and wanted other people to recognize that he was capable of more than the reputation he had developed.

That also ties into what I liked about their relationship overall. They weren't simply attracted to each other. They gradually started seeing qualities in each other that other people overlooked.

Hyun Ho wasn't just the scary, rebellious guy everyone assumed he was. Yeon Doo wasn't just the quiet, studious girl who needed to be protected. They each got to see more of the person underneath the reputation.

I also really liked where they ended up. The story doesn't suddenly turn them into some overly mature adult couple. They're teenagers. They're dating. They hold hands, they kiss, they go on dates, and they're happy to be together. That's enough.

I actually appreciate that more than some American teen movies that seem determined to make teenage relationships much more sexually explicit than necessary. This felt appropriately youthful and innocent while still allowing the romance to be satisfying.

And yes, it was predictable. I knew where this was going. I knew Yeon Doo and Hyun Ho were going to end up together. I knew Hyun Ho was going to fall for her. I knew Joo Ho wasn't ultimately going to win.

I didn't care.

If you enjoy romantic tropes, predictability isn't automatically a flaw. Sometimes the fun is watching the story hit all the beats you came for. Best Mistake 1 does that very well.

There are certainly places where the story could have had more depth, and I understand why some reviewers found the love triangle underdeveloped or thought the pacing could have been better. But those weren't deal-breakers for me. This was never something I was watching because I wanted a complicated examination of teenage psychology. I wanted a cute romance, and it delivered exactly that.

For me, Best Mistake 1 was light, sweet, predictable, and fun. Sometimes that is exactly what I want.