The good: Slow-burn romances and character development that remains painfully (but realistically….) incomplete. The bad: Awful pacing in the final 2-3 episodes.

You will notice that the romance develops a little slower in Step By Step as compared to most other series. The series has gotten some mixed reviews for being slow-moving and boring. However, some fans have lauded the storyline for its accurate portrayal of real life romance – often a “step-by-step slow burn”. 

There is some tension that constantly burns in the background, but the show keeps to a realistic pace that lets the relationship build naturally. 

Unfortunately, the pace takes an odd turn towards the end as gaps start to emerge in the narrative. This is particularly pronounced for the second couple – they had a mildly interesting dynamic at the beginning that got me excited, but their story seriously went downhill. Despite the longer-than-usual episodes, it still feels as though some parts were abruptly cut out.

For an emotional rollercoaster like Step By Step, some of the emotionally intense scenes felt forced and all over the place. But Jeng, played by Man, really carried the show for me. He absolutely nailed his role and I hardly think anyone could have done a better job.

Full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2023/07/13/step-by-step-2023-bl-review/