This review may contain spoilers
childhood friends to lovers; bland, but perfect ending
i waited for it to finish before finally watching it. i went into this as a fan of both jung somin and jung haein, so i was able to finish it despite being slow in the middle.i also spoiled myself a little about how it ends, because fans have been theorizing that bae seokryu was probably gonna relapse and it's not gonna have a happy ending. fortunately, they gave this a good ending.
i was surprised and very satisfied with episode 16. most dramas struggle to end a good storyline, but this one has the perfect finale. heavy spoilers below:
1. bae seokryu and choi seunghyo - these two deciding to postpone their marriage in the end made me happy. it made sense that they wanted to focus on their careers first, and to wait for their best friend to come home from her work overseas. contrary to popular comments, i liked it better that they didn't rush their marriage. i hate it when all k-drama writers think that marriage of the main couple is the only recipe to a happy ending. IT ISN'T. i also felt disappointed that choi seunghyo wanted to get married almost immediately after they got together, but the plot between them communicating each of their perspectives about marriage is perfect so they were able to write it off great
2. jung moeum and kang danho - their love story is so cute! i think it's general consensus that in most k-dramas, the 2nd couple almost always have the more interesting storyline compared to the main, and i have to agree. these two are just so cute! esp when they're all bonding together with yeondu
3. the lavenders (the neighborhood's moms) - i normally hate it that k-dramas focus more on the side characters than the leads, but this wasn't it. i loved the dynamic between the moms. they banter, hang out together, and are there for each other when they need help. i also like how they handled the end, where two of them are fighting, and they tried to resolve it among themselves
4. the dads also forming a friendship lmao so cute
5. bae seokryu taking over her dad's restaurant. this was hinted in the last episodes, and i was gonna be heavily disappointed if they didn't pursue this plot. i theorized that choi seunghyo was gonna buy and build the restaurant for bae seokryu, but i loved it even more that it was the dad's idea. it made it more special
i debated not finishing this drama a couple times, especially in the middle where things felt really slow. but the cast is star-studded and full of talented actresses and actors (esp the main leads who are two of my most favorites in the industry) so i had to see it through. i'm glad i finished it. it's definitely not rewatch material, but i loved the last few episodes.
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one of my favorite rewatch
the only k-drama that i repeatedly streamed! i watched this on kissasian, on local tv, and on my laptop when i downloded it.what i like about this is the characters are both mature, but they can't help but levitate towards each other. it also discusses important topics, and the side characters are as interesting if not more than the leads. it's a shame what happened to the main actress and actor in real life. now i feel awkward when i rewatch it lol
still a classic! this is one of the main reasons why i got back into k-dramas
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suprisingly an easy watch
i have been out of the loop with k-dramas for a while now. i stopped watching about a few years ago and have only missed watching IU in dramas this year so i gave this one a try since it was fairly short. i'm aware that it had multiple issues while airing, and that both leads even had to apologize for some trivial things i could not care about. but it was okay!things i liked:
- the relationship was mature, and they didn't have unnecessary miscommunication. i guess since the drama is so short, if they suddenly add something to break them apart on the third act, it will ruin the experience altogether and i'm glad they didn't go down that road.
- the side characters, especially the palace maids and attendants, are hilarious and i love their relationship with the royals. i especially find both secretary do and secretary choi funny. i like the switcharoo that happened and it definitely made the episodes so much more fun.
- i'm glad the queen mother had a redemption. she of all people really needed it.
- iu's role somehow reminds me of the past roles she had. it seems like she's being typecasted, but i don't mind. i like most of her character e.g. in scarlet heart or in hotel del luna. i like how she's a strong character who also has her weak moments. her relationship with her family is one of the most realistic portrayals of complicated familial relationships i have ever seen, including her banter with her older brother. i'm glad they gave us that.
things i didn't like:
- quite predictable plot, e.g. the "big" reveal in the end. from the very start, you can very much feel that they're setting up the villain, so it wasn't a surprise at all for me.
- byeon woo-seok's acting is good, but i get why people say he has the same-face syndrome in some cases. he cries, but only his eyes are lonely. the rest of his body language doesn't seem to follow suit. maybe that's why the chemistry between him and iu can be a bit on and off in some cases. i can definitely see him matching more comedy-heavy dramas than serious ones. his comedic timing is golden, and that's where he shines the most.
- plot is almost a copy-paste of some of the famous historical dramas in the past that tackles the same thing, but with 12 episodes, i doubt they can do much anyway.
overall, highly digestible episodes! i was able to finish it in one day. hilarious watch, and definitely a good palate cleanser after watching something heavy. it's a shame iu won't be coming back to lead in hotel del luna 2.
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