This drama is so full of raw emotions that I don't know what to do with my life anymore

*SPOILERS ALERT - DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DIDN'T WATCH THE ENDING*

I tend to avoid sad/bittersweet endings but I succumbed to the tentation of both actors. The story seemed also original (with so much focus on the court maids) and oh boy do I have mixed feelings now! It was certainly a roller coaster of emotions.

Even not knowing the history or novel behind the drama, I thought the "meet-cute" from the beginning of the drama was inevitably meant to falter and be replaced by the cruel reality of a doomed love between a king and a court maid. The director really didn't shy away from showing the viewers the very different personnalities of our 2 main characters. For exemple, the king's possevive behavior first shown in the library scene when he nearly chokes her was the start of a relationship based on a power imbalance that's not often represented in other historical kdramas (well at least it wasn't the case for the few i have seen).

The actors were all amazing, I think it's the first time I even cried for the more "villainous" characters (the king/San's grandfather, his aunt and her stepson, the head court lady who only wanted to protect the court ladies...). Moreover I wasn't bored at all and it's quite exceptionnal for me, I even wished the drama was longer (20 episodes).

I saw a few comments saying that Sung Deok Im didn't love the king and I dare to disagree. Her actions showed well enough that she had very strong feelings for him but she knew very well that the price of her love would cost her everything (her freedom, friends, daily activities...). Even if San didn't hesitate to show his affection toward her, she knew that his nation would always come first (he even refused to save her a few times because that would be against the rules). So can we really blame her knowing that ? It's not a fairytale story, their love can be considered beautiful but is mainly sad and cruel. Like she said in the drama: she would lose "everything" if she agreed to become his concubine and in a way she really did (it depends on how the viewer interprets the ending but even so, it's the truth that her freedom is entirely taken away from her = "gilded prison").

Saying that, it doesn't mean I didn't cry my heart out during ep 17. I was a literal mess when I finished the drama at 3 in the morning. I think the characters and their stories will haunt me for many days to come… Concerning the final minutes, I will say that all of it was a bad dream (no need to prove me wrong, I know that the final dialogue tend to prove the contrary but I will die on this hill. My mental health definitely needs it lol) The thing that « comforts » me in this regard is the fact that Deok Im doesn’t say « I love you » back to the king : if it was all in his head as a last dream before death, I think San (well his subconscious) would have « forced » her to say it because this is the thing he wanted to hear the most. So the fact that she didn’t say it makes me think that it was really her and not a mere figment of his imagination. I also found it weird that when we encountered the « first » dream scene, the director didn’t show us what made San seemed so lost and afraid. He doesn’t even explain his reaction to Deok Im. So (and excuse me for the maybe cheesy comparison) I will say that it was like the scene in the last Twilight movie when the whole final battle is in fact just a vision of a possible future. San chose to stay with Deok Im because he remembered the pain he endured in this dream. Maybe he will succeed in changing the future, or at least some events, or maybe not. But he will clearly try to « protect the woman he loves until the end », unlike his grandfather.

The only think that I regret was the quick succession of events in the last ep, I wish we could have more scenes of them « happy » or at least officially together between all the heaviness and sadness. The death of the crown prince was so cruel, even more so because the flashback of his birth was shown after the scene in which he passed away… Well I suppose that if we assume all of this was mainly a dream, then the desire to see them happy isn’t really needed, because the viewer can imagine the rest as they wish starting from San waking up from his dream/nightmare.

To conclude, I really hope our 2 actors can work again together in the future. A drama with the reincarnation trope based on Deok Im’s line « If you see me in the next like, I hope you will pass me by/pretend not to know me » would be perfect (with a clear happy ending this time pretty please).

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Cheer up is a perfect title for this drama, no doubt about it !!

Well I really really liked this drama, and I'm very glad I watched it despite so many reviews/comments saying it was horrible ! To begin with, the acting was top notch (the FL in particular was fabulous) and I loved everyone in this little group of friends (Hae Yi's family and Sun Ho's mom too !!), it was also funny and some parts made me tear up even, and honestly I didn't expect that but it was for the best because some important life lessons were addressed : while it is "only" fiction, the messages can still greatly resonate with the viewer behind the screen (it was the case for me at least).

I admit I didn't know what to expect from the whole "cheering" activity. It's the first time I see it represented in a drama (quite different from the american style and very enjoyable after all) but the OST was AWESOME and the energy among the team was so sincere and spontaneous, you can definitely see the actors 100% enjoyed themselves and worked very hard to make it work.

Of course I also think the love triangle went on for way too long, but even then, I couldn't hate Sun Ho and I still liked his character in the end (I started watching this with the endgame couple already in mind lol so it was surely less frustrating for me). Moreover all the couples were extra cute and the friendships even more so !! I also loved that there wasn't any unwanted jealousy between the female characters, it was sooo refreshing. Finally, and unfortunately, I agree that the mystery part wasn't very thrilling, but I can understand why it was added. Maybe 12 episodes would have been more suitable for this story, but it was still enjoyable from start to finish.

All in all, despite some small flaws, Cheer up is a lovely drama full of energy, youthfulness and love in all its forms ! That's why I encourage you to give it a try :)

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It feels like a romantic and hilarious play "remade" into a period drama

I’m so glad I waited until it was almost finished to watch this drama!! I didn’t expect to like this drama so much, and frankly, at first, I only wanted to watch it because I fell in love with the main lead in Destined with you hehe. And in the end, while I still love the couple in Destined with you with my whole heart, I sadly admit the plot wasn’t very convincing… But here, with The matchmakers, the only “default” I could find was the very end of the drama, because we didn’t get to watch them exist as a "real" couple, and I just wanted it to be LONGER, one small scene would have been enough for me, but I assure you it’s just me nitpicking. :')

In fact, the plot was surprisingly good. While I expected to get bored in the middle of the drama, it didn’t happen once and I think the whole cast was perfectly chosen. I can’t find a single character that didn’t convince me, even the villains were great. The main couple was really cute together and I was glad to see such good character development, especially coming from the ML. The FL was also awesome, and was an original character, since it’s not often a widower is shown in a drama, much less acting as one of the main protagonists. Apart from that, she was also resourceful, a quick thinker, and overall, a very lovable character. Her pairing with the ML worked really well, even if their chemistry wasn’t “all fire”, it was still believable, especially considering their respective past and circumstances. I don’t know the actress’s age but she really convinced me, and I hope to see her again soon. For her counterpart, what can I say except that Rowoon quickly became one of my favorite actors at the moment. But of course, everyone has their personal opinion on the subject, and I respect it. I also like the fact that they successfully defied “fate” to be together, and the last episode was pretty satisfying in this aspect. Furthermore, the humor in this drama was exceptionally well done, and I agree entirely with other commentators here that made a comparison with Shakespeare’s plays. A big thank you to the screenwriter who did a wonderful job with the dialogue. At first, I didn’t know what to think about the “breaking the fourth wall” scenes but they rapidly grew on me, and it certainly made the drama even more impactful.

Moreover, the cinematography is another part of this drama’s quality. It was exceptional and the décor in general deserves an award or something like this. It added even more to the story and anchored the characters into a fairytale-like environment. Talking about the characters, I found this drama particularly exciting in terms of secondary characters, because, like I said in the beginning, there wasn’t even one character that I didn’t find interesting to watch and the chemistry between our main group is clearly palpable. And big kudos to the king! He was capable and funny; it’s not often I encountered a king as interesting as him. And finally, the OST they used complimented the story very well. So, what’s not to love?? Ah, maybe the subplot between the older splinter and the Crown prince wasn’t very necessary but at least they kept things pretty “light” fortunately. Maybe they should have introduced them as platonic soulmates instead of romantic soulmates? Well, in any case, this is just a drama so I will not read too much into things lol.

All that to say that I will definitively miss these characters and this story. I also wanted to give a proper review to a drama that deserves it, despite the mediocre score that it ended with on MDL… I hope watchers won’t be too scared about the ratings here and would focus instead on the positive comments, please give it a try at least!

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It could have been a new favorite...

****BEWARE OF SPOILERS****

Honestly this drama is an enigma I couldn’t quite decipher… It had a grip on me that not many dramas have but sadly there were some “less positive” things going on there too. The start was very promising and I thought “omg the chemistry is already off the charts, the story seems original with elements of fantasy and mystery mixed here and there and the FL is also quite relatable, it’s gonna be awesome!!” and frankly it could have been an 9/10 or even a 9.5/10 but sadly the plot itself couldn’t keep up with what it wanted to create in the beginning.

For starters, let’s talk about the bad things. I’m sure many people will share the same sentiment as me but I clearly expected more magical elements in this story, because the first 8/10 episodes were full of the book of spells, the owner of the wooden bow, the shaman, the books of curses even but then it was barely addressed in the end…? The magical things happening were indeed very real since the ML’s sickness miraculously vanished, but for the rest it’s more of a supposition than a certainty. Let’s take the love spell for example, of course, I think that the ML already had feelings from the very beginning and the spell was just a catalyzer for what happened next. But surely the fact that we didn’t get a clear answer from anyone concerning the working aspect of this spell will deter many people from liking this story like they should: “their love wasn’t real”, “it was forced and the FL took advantage of it” etc. etc. Also, the “villain” was so disappointing to me!! Of course, the actor was doing his best but the reason behind his character’s actions was clearly undeveloped, at least for my taste. I was so sure that there was something even more “dangerous” hiding in the shadows but sadly it proved me wrong and all I was feeling in the end was dissatisfaction. It did get a little repetitive also, but I guess they couldn’t make time to add another subplot to this.
Another aspect of the drama that made me quite perplexed was the secondary characters… To this day, I still strongly dislike the FL’s colleagues: they were very mean to her since the beginning just because she was around beautiful men and honestly, I didn’t even notice their “redemption arc”, if there was even one. I wanted the FL to put them back in their place one day but sadly it never happened. Apart from that, their respective characters are just irritating and not even funny. I expected the FL to develop meaningful relationships with people that treated her right for once, but with the exceptions of the ML, the SML, and the little boy, it felt very empty and superficial. I also didn’t understand the purpose of the ML’s friend, who was close with his mom, since she didn’t even divorce her husband in the end. Another disappointing thing!! The ML’s father was always awful to his wife and we are meant to believe in his mini depression after her announcement of wanting to divorce “for good”? I expected her to divorce her horrible husband and live her life like she wanted, I didn’t even care if she got in a relationship with the ML’s friend or not frankly. But no, the writers made him cry a little and of course all the abuse was forgotten! Pfff… And let’s not talk about the SFL, she was just insufferable!!

Now that I vented a little, I can talk about the good things. The thing that first comes to my mind is the amazing chemistry between the main leads. Sometimes, the chemistry wears off a little when the couple is finally together but fortunately it wasn’t the case here! And honestly, I think I fell a little in love with the ML but hey who wouldn’t? His acting was on point and his looks were pretty dreamy too!! The leads were so sweet together and their bickering in the beginning was pretty funny and entertaining. And I loved the story behind their past lives!! It was so well done and I couldn’t help but cry a little… I’m sure you know what I mean if you already saw the drama. I wanted so much to see even more of their past together, or even how the ML continued to live after the “event” … The FL was also very interesting to watch and was perfectly relatable to a few of us I’m sure… Her absolute need to find her own group of friends/family but being rejected by those around her was a little hard to watch at times because I could perfectly see myself in her. I’m glad she could stand up for herself in the end. As for the SML, he remained pretty enjoyable till the end, so that’s a bonus, and fortunately I didn’t have second lead syndrome! Moreover, I want to give my big thanks to the production team and the crew behind the cinematography because it was beautiful and also a big reason as to why I liked this drama so much despite its flaws. The OST was pretty great too, that’s why I already bought the album lol.

Maybe if you read this “review” till the end, you are currently wondering why I still chose to give this drama an 8.5/10 despite all the flaws I cited in the beginning… Well that’s simply because the leads took my heart with them and I couldn’t wait to watch their interactions each week. The general atmosphere was also very nice and appealing and some secondary characters were great (the little boy, the ML’s funny colleague, even the grandma was interesting). I only regret the fact that the plot didn’t give what I expected it to give in terms of villains and characters’ relationships… I think I will even rewatch it when I’ll need a little boost of serotonin one of these days. So yeah, I’m gonna end this review here and just cry in a corner because I already miss this drama and its characters.

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Finally a RomCom with a perfectly good ending !!

* SPOILERS ALERT *

For starters I know this drama had quite an explosive start with the first 2 episodes: first the Africa controversy and then the scene in which the main lead chases the female lead in the restroom. For the Africa part, when I first saw the scene "live" and like many other people I was thinking "well they should have handled that better" and even now I agree that their approach can be viewed as problematic. With the drama now finished, I personally think the writers didn't want to "target" one country in particular, in order to not offend anyone but it backfired and frankly I can understand why others were angry. For the chase scene, likewise, I could perfectly understand why some viewers were shocked by it. If this happened in real life, of course Han Byul should have reported him immediately to the police (I would have 100% supported her in this process) but we need to keep in mind that this is only fiction, even though I agree this scene wasn’t necessary and they really could have done better without.

Now that I talked about the not-so-great things, I can talk about the GOOD things, and there are many! First is the fantastic chemistry between all the cast and especially the main couple. I can’t believe some people thought there was no chemistry between Han Byul and Tae Sung. Even at first when they were more on the “enemies” side they had amazing chemistry and even more so when they became a couple. I even thought at times that they actually fell for each other while filming lol. The only thing that quite puzzled me with this couple was the very hard feelings they seemed to have for each other at the start of the drama. For Han Byul I could understand considering her past experience but with Tae Sung it was a little more hard to believe… At first he seemed to resent her because she kinda “forced” him to leave the country and do charity work but then we learn that he apparently already liked her at the time (even if he wasn’t aware of his feelings) and also at the end of the drama I thought I understood that he actually wanted to leave the country because of what happened to his best friend?? It was a little confusing. But hey I can work with that.

Now for the other couples, I actually really liked the fact that the writers decided to keep the viewers guessing as to what couples would be endgame. There were so many possibilities lol. On a more negative note, I wasn’t really invested with the young actors, like don’t get me wrong, their scenes together were really funny but I honestly don’t know why they fell for each other in the first place. And sadly I don’t think the actor playing Yoo Na’s love interest was adapted for this role, but again it’s just a personal opinion. And for Yoo Sung and Ho Yeong, I admit they were cute but some of their scenes were just cringe, the constant patting on the head and the childish behavior of Ho Yeong was a little hard to look at. Apart from the romance, I also loved the friendship between the cast: the girls’ trio, the blooming bromance between Tae Sung and the lawyer, his friendship with both his manager and assistant… I can’t talk about them all because there were many but it was really refreshing and captivating to watch.

I also want to talk about the humor in this drama. I honestly didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did, because I only read the synopsis and didn’t watch the trailer beforehand but omg some scenes were just hilarious. Of course it might not be the case for everyone but for me it really checked all the boxes. And the many cameos were absolutely delightful to watch! The music was also a major bonus point. Some scenes were enhanced by the music choice and timing, and the little “animations” were also a nice and funny touch. On the other hand, some episodes were much more serious, especially in the second part of the drama with ep12/13, but it is very understandable with its context. Unfortunately, to a be a part of this world doesn’t mean that all is always pink, glitter and unicorns and the writers and director did a fairly good job in denouncing the not-so-pretty behind the scenes. Keep in mind that they could only show a little of this “dark side” at the risk of flirting too much with the melodrama/tragic genre. That’s also why I loved this drama so much, because despite talking about some serious themes, the show still has this “heartwarming and funny” aspect to it, but it also doesn’t fail to bring tears to your eyes at some well placed pivot points.

Honestly I didn’t expect to find myself attached to these characters so quickly. Of course 16 episodes was the right choice but I wouldn’t mind at all if they suddenly decided to add 4 more episodes to it, that’s how much I loved this story and the characters because I wasn’t bored at all! And it’s so rare for me to find all the different arcs and characters interesting until the very end. Of course I wasn’t in love with absolutely everything (like the young actors couple mentioned before) but they still made things intriguing, and even if I wasn’t as attached to them as the rest of the cast, their scenes were still funny to watch. And I will admit that my eyes were tearing a little at the end of episode 16, not because it was sad but because I was at the same time happy and melancholic about how well the story ended. And that’s now the end of my review! On a final note, big kudos to everyone working behind the scenes. They’re working in the shadows but I think this drama did a good job in bringing them to light.

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A romantic story like no other

Honestly, I don’t even know how to begin this review. Considering this drama is divided in 2 parts, it is quite hard for me to judge only the first half of such a beautiful and angsty drama. BUT I think it deserves all the love it is getting and I really hope that the rumors surrounding the ending of part 1 will not deter other viewers to at least try watching it.

!!!!!! SPOILERS INCOMING BEWARE !!!!!! Not even a proper review, more of an “essay” regarding episode 10 lol

Of course, I understand why many were confused and disappointed about the ending (for a moment I was too) but like I said before, it is only the first half of a story with 10 more episodes airing in October and the love story between the FL and the ML isn’t finished at all, I would even say that it didn’t fully begin yet. I feel like the character growth of the FL will be even more obvious in part 2, moreover considering the fact that the FL at the beginning of part 1 and at its ending is no longer the same person already. Of course, she has flaws and it shows but the ML isn’t perfect either! I think they both have their rights and their wrongs in the events following the ML departure to follow the Crown Prince.

I don’t exactly know how much time passed between his departure and his return but how is a young girl, who became against her wishes the new head of the family, supposed to take care of a bunch of people on her own? Even so, she clearly said many times to the general that she couldn’t and wouldn’t love him like he did. She even thought, like all of them, that the ML was dead! But then, he returned, and she wavered of course, because it was very tempting to leave all her responsibilities behind and follow the man of her dreams (literally!). Unfortunately (or fortunately), this story isn’t all about the lovey-dovey stuff, they are living in times of war, with famine and violence knocking at their door nearly each day, so it was perfectly rational of her to choose to stay with her family and friends.

I also saw some comments saying that her letter toward the ML was awful but I believe that it was a brave choice coming from her: she told him that she didn’t love him enough to follow him, but it was the perfect trick to make him “forget” about her, and to live on with his life, completely devoid of regrets or sadness. They will meet again for sure, but for now, this is the ending of this uncertain relationship, in which neither is fully committed to the other, because there are more urgent matters that need to be dealt with first (like the war for the ML and the need to protect one’s family for the FL).

It's not a good look for me but, watching the final episode, I was ready to throw hands with the FL for seemingly toying with the ML’s feelings like that. Then, after calming down a little and doing a serious introspection, I couldn’t stay mad at the FL, because despite her somewhat childish and harsh character, she still risked her life many times to protect her family, all alone at that! And to throw this fact away just to follow a man she doesn’t know very well (even the viewers don’t have a clue about his past, how is she supposed to know that he is 100% truthful?) it would have been very stupid (in my opinion).

On the other hand, I don’t have much to say about the ML, he is perfectly dreamy and his lines always make my heart melt like snow under the sun, but he’s still a total mystery for now, and I really hope his past life will be addressed correctly in part 2. The appearance of a potential “SFL” made me worry for a little bit, I can’t lie, but honestly, I don’t think the ML have any space in his heart left for a woman other than the FL. I could be wrong, but considering the very beginning of episode 1 when he’s surrounded by soldiers on the beach, he clearly loves her still. Now, will it have a happy ending or a sad one…? I want to believe some theories about them living happily even after but my brain is already telling me to wake up and already prepare for the worst lol.

The only downside about this first part is the weird editing, making it hard to follow the story and its specific timeline. For example, during episode 10, the FL and ML meet a few times during her wedding’s preparations, but for me it felt like they met 3-4 times during the same night, even if logically, it would make more sense if it all happened during the course of a week or so. Also, the editing isn’t very well done during some scenes: hands aren’t positioned the same in different angles, the same motion is repeated at different angles, and sometimes little “zooms” are added in, which made me quite confused. Maybe part 2 will be better in this aspect. So yeah, that’s all for me guys!! I will certainly watch part 1 again before part 2 airs, and maybe I will add some other thoughts in this “review”.

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A very cute romance (but warning it's kinda a slow burn for the FL)

Ok so let's be clear from the start this drama wasn't a masterpiece but I still wish it was longer because it did its job pretty well for a short drama.

For starters, the first 2 episodes were weirdly hard to follow (the subtitles were moving too fast because the characters were talking very very fast for some reason) but fortunately it was much better in the next episodes and I began to truly enjoy it then. If I am being honest, the whole show is carried by the ML. I already saw the actor in Cinderella and the 4 knights and I really wasn't a fan of his character so I started this drama without expecting too much but his acting here definitely changed my mind. I wish he did some other romance/modern drama or maybe a more villainous role, it seems he would be great at it !

Like I said before, the story isn't very exciting or new and is full of clichés (super rich and mean guy falls for a pretty and gentle girl) but it still worked ! The chemistry was present and I also liked the FL since she dosen't let the ML bully her or change her ways because of him and it's always a GOOD thing to watch. I know some people didn't like the fact that she fell in love with the ML much later than him (even if it's implied) but well sorry not sorry I 200% love when the guy is clearly madly in love with his love interest and is acting a little pathetic because of that lol. I live for the "angst", the longing, the worrying, etc etc, especially when it's all coming from the guy (and don't worry it's a happy ending of course).

It sure would have been great if we had more time with them being an official couple, but since the drama was 95% all about them, I guess it wasn't really necessary in the end. Saying that, it's a shame the secondary characters weren't really developed and so their relationships with one another felt very one dimensional. Still, with only 20 episodes of 15 minutes each, a majority of the characters were quite likeable.

In conclusion, if you don't have high expectations and want to see a "high end" crush developing (mainly from the guy's perspective) without any breakup happening then give it a try !!

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A true romance in a fantastic fantasy world (and a feast for the eyes)

** SPOILERS ALERT **

This drama is the one that made me realize that Chinese drama are definitively worth watching. I admit I'm not an expert because I only watched a few of them but I often felt like the production and acting weren’t very "high quality" in those I began to watch and then fast forwarded at x2 speed or ultimately dropped... But in Love between fairy and devil, the production team did an amazing job, in terms of the cinematography and editing, the costumes and set, the CGI, and of course the acting. I don’t really know about the budget that was put in this drama, but it was definitively an amazing experience to watch, because each scene felt like an artwork on its own. Even the intro/outro are worth watching! A lot of thought went into the production and the costume department (each set of the drama is stunning, the Moon Palace for example is the one I loved the most). We could see and feel the cultural difference between the fairy people, the “demons” (from Heishi city, I apologize if it’s not spelled correctly) and the moon people and so the world-building didn’t feel like an afterthought. It’s indeed very satisfying to watch and explore, especially as an international viewer who isn’t very familiar with China’s legends and culture. The thing that also made me fall in love is the soundtrack, it’s not often that I’m so captivated by the music in a drama but here, the intro wasn’t even finished that I went on youtube to search for the song.

Now for the story, it’s exactly what I want in a romance/fantasy drama. The premise is maybe a little bit cliché for some (the big bad villain falls in love with the cute and kind girl) but even though I absolutely love this trope on its own, in this drama the trope was reinvented and handled very well! The “fall in love” part was so natural and didn’t appear all at once, whether it is from the FL or ML side. I love fluffy stories in general and here the fluff was 100% present. But not to the point where it becomes cringey and hard to watch. Again, the feelings between the FL and the ML appeared progressively and naturally, and despite the curse put on the ML, the viewer didn’t doubt his feelings for one second because the screenwriter and the director knew exactly what to do to make subtle references in terms of editing and also in directing the main actor: his smallest gesture toward the FL had meaning, even at the start of the story. I’m saying that because in the first episode, in which the FL sees the ML for the first time and “falls” into his heart (she suddenly is transported into a desolate place, covered with snow with a frail looking tree), she had already put her mark there, because at her touch, the tree began to grow and that’s what made the ML feels for her, even at the very beginning. This metaphor was maybe overlooked by the viewer at the beginning (it certainly was for me haha) but it held all its meaning when we finally understand that the tree represents in fact the ML’s love force. The poetic meaning behind those subtle references was what made the relationship between the FL and ML so easily acceptable and “shippable” for the viewer.

Furthermore, the actors were also fantastic and made all of this truly work. The chemistry between the FL and ML was of course off the charts and the chemistry between all the cast was also perfectly handled. The secondary characters all had a story of their own and it wasn’t hard to like the majority of them, apart from the fairies’ supreme lord who I thought didn’t have much substance to his character… But oh well, he wasn’t the main focus so it’s not very important. I also liked that the drama took the most from its actors’ talent. For example, the “body switch” scenes between the FL and the ML were so well done, I just couldn’t believe what kind of self control and talent one has to have to succeed in these kind of scenes without making the viewer uncomfortable. But here, I just had to laugh because the contrast was so intense and we truly had the impression that they switched bodies: the mannerism and their way of speaking were perfectly reproduced by their counterpart. Of course, I can’t talk about the actors’ talent without mentioning the angst in some scenes… And well all I can say is that I cried multiple times, I just couldn’t stop myself. Despite the sadness of these sequences, I feel like they were necessary to the story because it reinforces the deep connection and love between the main leads. Their love was equal and they each sacrificed their lives for the other… What can I say, I absolutely adore those kind of stories in which the feeling of love transforms and incites to do and be better to your loved ones and even to yourself. And in this drama, it was definitively the case: of course the ML had the most incredible transformation, but the FL also had a pretty impressive arc (especially when we consider the final episodes’ events but I don’t want to spoil too much so I will stop here in case someone who didn’t watch the show read this comment).

All in all, I think the best thing about this drama, despite not being very action-driven, is that it doesn’t leave the viewer feeling bored because all the feelings and relationships are enough to entertain and satisfy. And that’s a real success for me, someone who doesn’t like when the drama is longer than 25/30 episodes. I will just say that the middle part of the drama, when they’re in the mortal world, was maybe a little too long for my taste, but it’s only because I didn’t really like the idea of the fake weddings lol. And I will finish by saying that the ending could have been longer. It makes perfect sense in the context of the story of course, however I wanted to see a “real” wedding taking place in the final scene, even 1min would have been sufficient. But that’s just me nitpicking, the ending is happy enough that I definitively feel satisfied after watching 36 fantastic episodes, I just wanted to see even more of them. xD

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The main core of this drama is the characters' relationships with one another, not revenge

I actually loved this drama. Despite the mainly negative comments here I wanted to try because I like the main actors and it didn't disappoint me because ALL the cast did in fact an amazing job! And the chemistry between the FL and ML was simply out of this world omg. I know that many didn't like the FL (even after her "redemption") but I loved her even at the beginning of the drama. Of course she was wrong but the actress did a really great job in portraying her character, I just couldn't hate her. This was so appealing for me because of the cast: the main couple of course, the 2ML (if we can call him that), the secondary characters (the ML's family and friends, the students) I quickly became attached to all of them.

The plot isn't the most realistic or intricate but I didn't get bored at all so that's a real success. Keep in mind that it's a romantic comedy so don't expect a revenge story like My Name or John Wick. It was funny and some important messages and themes were mentioned, it was really well done and provided a nice contrast. Some scenes were indeed quite touching. I saw someone in the comments say that a part of the OST reminded them of an action drama/movie and I agree. It was sometimes overly dramatic but I loved it lol.

In conclusion, give this a try if you're in the mood for a romantic comedy with amazing chemistry between all the actors, plenty of fluffy and funny moments, mixed with some really poignant thematics (the pression students meet in school, the corruption rotting the school's environment, the power of family love and what it means to be a good teacher in today's society...)

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A true romcom and a delight to watch

* SPOILERS ALERT*

We need more of these romcom in which the characters don't encounter evil monsters absolutely determined to destroy them 24/24 ! It's a real breath of fresh air when one isn't in the mood to watch something heavy and/or too complicated. Indeed, one of the positive aspects of this drama is the lack of unnecessary "drama" (well at least for 90% of the show, I'll talk about ep11/12 later).

Firstly, I think the clichés were handled very well considering the original material is a webtoon, the writers and actors did a wonderful job to make it work. The story is cliché (mega rich CEO falls in love with a hardworking and kind employee) but the outcome was still funny and pleasant to watch (I admit I can't get enough of these kind of stories lol). Talking about the actors, they were amazing !! I think I fell in love with the FL as much as the ML did haha. Their chemistry was here, no doubt about it ! The 2nd couple was pretty cute too but sadly I was a little less invested with them, I don't even know why... The actors were great and their story-line lovely and yet it fell just a little flat for me but I enjoyed watching them nevertheless. The secondary characters were funny for the most part (FL's family, ML's grandpa) but I found the FL's coworkers a little more "cringe" (? is that even the right word ?). Mostly the guy in her team, some of his scenes were a little too much for my liking but overall it was still watchable. Also the OST was AMAZING ! The only music I didn't like was the intro's song, it didn't work for me at all but of course it's not a serious matter.

Now to talk about the downside of this drama... The last two episodes were a complete mishmash of all the clichés that I (and many others) hate. Of course the grandpa is against their relationship, and of course 2FL's dad is also against their relationship ! I'll say ep11 was a little bit better compared to ep12 because it still had (kinda) the funny and wholesome vibes that we had in the beginning. But ep12 was so disappointing. Why did the writers think it was a good idea to reveal a sudden illness in the last 30 minutes of the LAST EPISODE ?? I really thought we were protected against these type of clichés nowadays but alas it was just a stupid and naive hope from my part. Of course the main couple had to part ways because the ML had to leave for the US to find a cure for his grandpa * intense eye roll * during a whole year no less !! And of course the writers wanted to play with the viewer's heart all the way till the end kinda making them doubt if all will end well. I absolutely hate those kind of tricks/endings !! The romance is the main focus of the show (like 80% no joke) but still the writers thought "oh hey you know what's a good ending for this drama ? Why don’t we force the main couple to separate for a year and have them reunited in the last 5min of the last episode ? And we need to make the viewer think that maybe the ML cheated on the FL for a good laugh of course ! Also we can’t show the reconciliation between the FL and the grandpa because it’s not very important actually lol” * intense eye roll intensifies *. At least the main couple was still in contact during their physical separation, I give all my thanks to the writers for this small act of mercy. Besides that I read somewhere that all the deleted scenes put together could add like 4 more episodes and if that’s really the case then I’m real stunned and angry at this choice. I just don’t understand the need to halfheartedly give the viewer a happy ending in the last minutes. The ending is a very important thing in my way of appreciating things and if it’s given to me like a second thought, like it’s not a big part of the story in itself, and also considering the fact that this one is a ROMCOM, then I will be left feeling disappointed and grumpy and that’s why I *only* give this drama an 8,5/10.

I’m gonna end this review here because I don’t want to ramble too much. On a last good note, I definitively found this drama enjoyable and addictive and I will miss these characters very much. I’m really glad the show received the success it had because it deserved it. I’m also kinda hoping for a bonus episode but it’s not very likely to happen so all that’s left to do now is to listen to the OST in a loop and re-watch my favorites scenes !

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A great romantic comedy to pass the time !

*SPOILERS ALERT*

Well I was hesitant to watch this at first because of the rating and comments here but I really liked it in the end ! It's not the first time that I end up liking shows with "bad rating" on MDL so I'm not really surprised ^^'

I'm a sucker for the reincarnation trope so it hit me right in the feels ! The amount of longing and angst was perfect and it had many funny moments too (especially the female lead's parents they were awesome ! I really liked her friends and coworkers too) I didn't have any second lead syndrome so it was a bonus point, even if he was quite funny and interesting as a character I couldn't help but root for the main lead. It's true that the main lead seems cold and stone-faced at first but his character development soon shows that he's in fact quite funny and gentle.

Sadly I was a little more perplexed with the female lead. I don't know if it was due to the actress or the character (it felt like her character here was a copy and paste from her role in Lucky romance) but I had some trouble understanding her, especially in the last episodes. I mean I could totally understand her perplexity and anger when coming face to face with a man she dosen't know (at least in this present life) who made her fired from her last job, because he apparently had feellings for her and wanted to be close to her (I can honestly say that if it happened in real life to me I would have been freaked out too) so I can understand the slow building of their relationship. I loved it even because I'm a sucker for longing, especially when it comes from the male lead xD BUT why make the 2 last episodes entirely focus on the "marriage VS not marriage" talk ? Maybe the writers didn't have anymore ideas to fill up the last episodes but at least make it make sense ! I coud understand her if she thought that getting married will lead to tragedy again (like some sort of superstition) and I honestly think marriage is essentially just paperwork nowadays : you can totally live with someone without getting married, have children if that's what you want and be happy like that. But then why make them exhange couple rings and have them organize a ceremony in front of their family and friends ? With the flowers, the clothes, the promise, the kiss ? I don't know I felt like it was in disagreement with the whole "marriage isn't necessary to be happy" talk, that's why the last 2 episodes lost me a little. I also thought that the actress was a little too stiff in kissing scenes but it's a recurrent problem in dramaland it seems.

Moreover I would have liked it better if we had an insight in the male lead's family. We met his mother at the beginning of the drama then she disappears entirely. We learn that he has 2 older brothers at the end, but that's it, the show doesn't offer more info on them. It was a little disappointing to not show the 2 families encounter each other, I think it would have been better to dedicate maybe episode 15 or 16 at this but that's just my personal preference and it dosen't mean that I didn't enjoy watching this drama ^^

I also liked the fact that the female lead works as a webtoons' producer, it was a little different and I liked all the glimpses at the authors working (especially the young female author who works on 18+ webtoons she was hilarious haha) and the OST was pretty great too !

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For a seemingly simple story, this drama was a very pleasant surprise!

Well well well would you look at that... another crush in my collection ? Say no more !!

As always, I didn’t expect much about this drama at first, mainly because I wasn’t familiar with the actors in there, also because I didn’t quite know what to expect about the story of a widow fighting crimes at night. And now I have to admit that it was a surprisingly good execution and I’m going to miss these characters very much.

For starters, the FL is truly unique, I don’t think I ever saw someone like her in any k-dramas I have seen since now. She’s gentle, funny, smart and knows how to fight! For real! And she doesn’t forget how to throw a punch just because she needs to be saved by the ML lol. Also, her character stays consistent until the very end and that’s very pleasant to watch. Well, I guess there wasn’t much time for any “real” character development but it didn’t bother me much. Seriously I understand that women can be “strong” without being able to fight but I also dig it 100% when they are represented like this.

Another show stealer in the drama is of course the ML. Oh my my! Even if it wasn’t labeled as a romance, I dare say that it was one of the best chemistries I ever saw in a k-drama. This man is one fine specimen that’s for sure. And I sincerely hope the actor will get more recognition from now on: firstly, his looks are phenomenal (he’s truly dashing in the historical genre) and secondly, his acting is also very on point (his eyes omg!!). I’m going to keep a watch on his future projects that’s for sure. Again, the chemistry between the main leads is truly a joy to watch, despite not having many “touchy touchy” moments between them. All of their love was in their eyes and in their actions for the other, especially for the ML. Ahhh I’m swooning all over again.

Concerning the secondary characters, they were all entertaining in their own ways, I especially loved the FL’s maid and another character that appears later in the story but shush that’s a surprise for later! The only downside for me was the main villain, he was kinda stereotypical and didn’t offer as much charisma as other villains in my opinion. But still, it worked pretty well. Another thing that I liked about it is that there wasn’t any misunderstanding that went on for too long (I don’t even think there was one if I remember correctly) and that the tone of the drama was the same, from beginning to end. Surely, it is not a surprise that the drama gets a little darker towards the end, but fortunately the change wasn’t as extreme as other series in this genre.

In a more "negative" note, I guess the ending was a little too abrupt for my taste, even if it was still satisfying for the most part. I just wish we had another episode to tie things up pretty neatly and dive even deeper in the characters relationships when “all is good”. Why k-dramas can’t do an impair number of episodes is beyond me! 13 episodes would have been perfect… Oh well. Apart from that, the cinematography and OST were quite good, even if the latter didn’t make a very strong impression on me, it was still in adequation with each change of atmosphere in the story.

Hum, what else is there to say? Go watch it if you like badass and smart female characters, swooning and gentle MLs, engaging secondary characters paired with a “simple” yet gripping story that is very effective. Avoid if you don’t like fun (lol).

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Very good but alas the ending is a different story

* SPOILERS ALERT *

Like I said this drama is pretty amazing… until the last ep. For starters, the cinematography is wonderful, especially the scenes at the beach in the flashbacks (I wish I could live in a environment like that lol). The documentary-like format didn’t bother me too much. It was original and added a little something to a story that would have been maybe a little too plain without it. The only downside was the confusion it made me feel at times. I didn’t really understand how they could communicate with each other : I guess the producer/spoke person each time relayed to the others what one of them said ? I think there was an app or something like that too but yeah it was definitively confusing especially in the first episodes. Also, there was a scene that perplexed me a little in which Jae Won spoke directly to the camera then the focus widens and we see Eun Oh with Jae Won still in the background but there’s no cameraman with him. It was like the crew etc were invisible the whole time lol. But despite these little oddities the format grows on you and you learn to appreciate it.

I was also agreeably surprised when I realized there was a good amount of humor mixed with the more “realistic” vision of life and romance because I thought it would be kinda depressing considering the synopsis but not at all fortunately. I absolutely loved the bond between the 3 childhood friends and their interaction with everyone else. In fact I liked every character in this drama. All 3 “couples” were great together but they weren’t defined entirely by their romantic relationships (but bear in mind that romance is at the center of the drama). All the actors did an fantastic job and their chemistry was off the charts! I don’t want to spoil too much because the journey is what makes it really special. But if you want to watch this, just keep in mind that all of these characters have flaws. Their decisions sometimes doesn’t make sense at all but hey I don’t think that us viewers always choose the most logical decision in our lives. So that’s why I could relate to their problems even if it was a little frustrating to watch. There’s also a little redundancy that sometimes alter the pacing of the story but the cinematography makes up for it. I was just so amazed by the beautiful shots and beautiful actors/actresses that I didn’t really care in the end. The OST is also a big factor in making all of this work, I simply loved all of the songs and they were perfectly chosen.

* BIG BIG SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING *

Now for the final ep… I just didn’t understand. Why was there a sudden focus on the cop and his (childhood ?) best friend turned actress ?? Even tho I liked his character, there was no reason to add a love interest for him in the last ep. Like yeah they were kinda cute but I felt absolutely nothing watching them together. In fact I just wished the focus would shift again to Kyung Joon and Rin I. So many questions are left unanswered between them ! What was the letter written by KJ’s grandpa (or uncle I don’t remember exactly) ?? Why was it important ?? And who was the man who answered when KJ called Rin I ?? Are they really done when it seemed like they were so madly in love with each other ? Why did the writers decide to keep these things a secret when we were even shown how Eun Oh and Jae Won met each other in the past ? I thought for a moment about a possible season 2 but it doesn’t seem likely… That’s why I’m a little frustrated with the ending, it just felt different than the rest. Although I’m of course very happy our main couple is endgame and reassured about the fact that there’s still hope for Gun and Sun Young in the future.

To conclude it was still very good and I will give this drama a 9/10 for ep1-ep16 and a 7/10 for ep17. So for the entire drama maybe an 8,5/10 ? It seems fair because I still enjoyed the ride and the quality (production, music, actors) was overall exceptional. So watch this if you like flawed and realistic characters, amazing chemistry, tales of friendships and overcoming hardships and a very good amount of cute and swoon worthy moments.

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It was cute !! And the acting/chemistry was top notch

* SPOILERS ALERT*

If you liked "Are you human too ?" and "I'm not a robot" then you will definitely like this one ! In fact I preferred this one over the other two, I don't really know why it just clicked more with me. And if you like when the guy is pining/longing for the FL then this drama is also perfect for you ! I love this trope and it was 100% present here.

For starters the acting was perfect. I admit I began watching this drama because of the ML (I already loved the actor in "Tunnel" and "To all the guys who loved me") and here he was just so cute ! Well this adjective describes more the AI version to be honest but even the human version was pretty cute sometimes, despite his bad boy behavior. In fact, he did an amazing job in acting the 2 versions of him. It was uncanny how he seemed so innocent and gentle in one scene (AI) and more rude and "thuggish" in the next (human). But well they're the same essentially so you'll see that the roles can be reversed sometimes !

Now talking about the FL, I didn't see any of her previous works depiste "A year-end medley" and "While you were sleeping" (and I can't really say I remembered her in these roles) but here she really made her character stand out. She is just a lonely human being who longs for affection, exactly like the ML (even if he doesn't admit it at first). However I will give you an advice if you plan to watch this drama: prepare to see the FL cry a lot. I guess it makes sense in her situation but it was just a little too much for me (still watchable though). At least it doesn't make her a damsel in distress because despite all her crying, she still fights for her loved ones (within her own limits, she's not a superhero). The secondary characters were mainly pleasant (the FL's mother and friend, the ML's sister and coworker) but nothing too extraordinary.

The only downside for me was the last 3 episodes. It focused much more on the "confronting the villain" part than the romance part but I'll say it's understandable given the other genres of the drama (SF, drama). It was still enjoyable of course but I wish we had 1 more episode to appreciate the couple "officially" together. The writers gave us a "one year later" trick and it did its job for the most part, I just wanted more of them because I loved their dynamics and chemistry. The OST was pretty good too. Even if it's not really memorable, it still worked well and didn't disturb my focus.

In spite of my little disappointment in the way things were handled at the end, it was still a satisfying ending and I don't regret watching it. I hope you will give this drama a chance because it deserves to be more notorious and loved.

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Amazing OST + cute romance and friendships + great character development

*SPOILERS ALERT*

I thought it was pretty nice honestly ! Perfect after a heavy watch like many people in the comments said. Yes it's cliché but I think it was pretty well done. The relationship between the band members, the romance, the OST (like seriously it was amazing !), the cinematography were all great. I admit I wasn't very convinced with ep1-2 but the story eventually succeeded in drawing me in.

The only downside for me was the final ep. I think the whole kidnapping thing should have been left out to better focus on the "happy ending" between the couple. I'm not satisfied with a 10 secondes reunion in which the leads just stare at each other tearfully... Well I guess it could have been worse but I really don't understand what the writer thinks when they decide to incorporate a romance in their story (moreover a romance that takes the majority of the screen time) and conclude the relationship between the 2 characters with a lackluster and abrupt conclusion... (yes I'm very salty about this type of ending that shouldn't exist in any romance production, even if it's to give us a more "realistic" vision).

Apart from that, if you want to watch something light and sweet, with some funny moments and great relationships (and character development !) then go give this a chance! Also to be more precise, I didn't watch any other "idol" drama like Imitation and the like, the only one I watched was Dream High and I don't think we can compare the two. So maybe this drama isn't something very enjoyable/new for others but it worked pretty well for me.

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