enjoyable rollercoaster

This is one of those well-produced dramas with large cast. The story will keep you glued to your seat as it doesn't drag. Also... no one is dubbed :) The ending is very satisfying too.

I had zero expectations, thought it's another cheesy drama but first few episodes had me hooked already. The story is full of twists, when you think you had it figured out, suddenly there's a new developement you didn't expect. I was worried about the lenght, usually 30+ episodes dramas tend to drag and be full of fillers but this one is very well-paced. You get to know the characters well, and the world they live in is fleshed out properly. Yea, often the logic goes out the door, but I consider this drama to be bit on the scifi fantasy side so I don't mind. One good thing is the characters have flaws, and grow as the story develops. There's conflict and all that. The main villain is very comedic so the viewer might forget his atrocities...

The comedy in idol dramas tends to be very hit or miss for me, but this time? All the comedic scenes fit the story well and add extra flavour. I would laugh a lot while watching. There were also scenes more on the melodramatic side, that did felt out of place at times but it's not a big deal. I enjoyed the story for what it is. The romantic element didn't overshadow the main story, and wasn't even the main core of the story imho, which is rare in this type of dramas. Love became a motivation for the characters, but there was so much going on at the same time.

The cast did a great job, and no one stood out negatively (to me). Yea, there were rough spots when it comes to younger cast but it wasn't grating. The older cast did a great job, everyone did their best and it shows. Music was okay, nothing to wrote home about.

Overall, this is a must watch if you enjoy more comedic, light yet larger than life stories with a lot going on. There are many characters and story is fast-paced so you won't get bored. This drama was a very pleasant surprise to me and I had a lot fun watching.

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quirky and unpredicatble

I had 0 expectations when I started this drama, and the first episode alone had me floored.
I know a lot of people might compare it to Goblin, and as far as I know that drama writer was involved in this project as well. It does have a similar feel, but the story and characters are all new.

The story is very interesting, and unfolds slowly episode by episode. I couldn't really guess what's gonna happen next. It has some weak moments as the diety characters are bit juvenile, but at the same time this is a lighter drama so I don't mind. The whole destiny making aspect is well-executed and serves a s acore of the story. There are many twists and turns too, and there are no filler episodes either.

The cast is full of rookies, actors who still hasn't had that one hit work. Some you might know from webdramas, some have played minor characters in bigger projects. I'd say the casting is spot on, and acting is overall good. Male lead might come off as "wooden" but at the same time his character is on more... colder side? So it makes sense. Everyone in this drama has time to shine and their characters get enough screentime too.

Music in this drama works well to set the mood, I really enjoyed it. I like most of the songs, the OST is really good. Overall the production value of this project seems to be pretty high for a shorter drama. The cinematography is well-thought out and art design too is very pleasing.

I'd say this is a perfect short drama to watch during a lazy weekend. The story requires bit more focus but overall it's still a more light type of story. There are no villains or anything like that. The main villain is fate, I guess. I see this drama as an exploration of what a story really is and can a destiny play out on it's own? It's surely a drama that won't bore you.

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naive but compelling

This is one of those typical motivational japanese. A new hire is a total noob in her job but as story progresses, she gets better and finds her strenghts. It does seem at least tiny bit inspired by movies like 'Devil Wears Prada'.

This drama presents a more sugarcoated version of reality. It might cheer you up after a hard day at work, but at the same time you can't help but notice how idealistic it is. Good workplace dramas are hard to pull off. Here I could surely notice the scriptwriters attempts to make it work. Ultimately the somewhat unrealistic portrayal of how it is to work at fashion magazine hindered all efforts to make this one a standout. I might sound cynical and jaded, however I still enjoyed this drama for what it's worth. I guess while watching you just gotta switch off that part of brain that would notice stuff like that?

One thing I liked at the start were the cliffhanger endings, but at one point they became tiring. Some plots in my opinion were dragged for a bit too long while others were underdeveloped. Romance did play a major part in terms of storyline, but the drama itself mostly focused on workplace stuff. As adorable the main couple was, I felt ultimately parts of their story felt bit cliche. However fluffy the love line was, it was bit weighted down by uneven pacing and 'misunderstandings'.

Cast did a good job acting out their characters, no one really stood out negatively. Everyone matched their characters and brought them to life successfully. While sometimes the motovations behind certain actions/decisions were unclear, you can't really blame the actors for script's flaws. Nanao sure embodied her role perfectly.

The theme song, Luvbias, is a major highlight. It suits the drama very much and compliments the story.

It's a cute, well-produced drama. Despite the bit delusional approach, I enjoyed watching it and I sure will remember it fondly.

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profound

This is one of those slow, slice of life japanese movies. It's a genre not everyone likes, while I personally am always looking forward to watching this kind of movies. Hence I might be tad bit biased.

The movie is about a teenage girl who gets confused about her life. Her family is going through changes and her crush on boy next door seems hopeless. She suddenly befriends a strange grandma, and that causes her to rethink her whole life.

There's not a single thing I didn't like about this movie. It's paced very well, the story unfolds slowly but you can tell it was well thought-out. The fantasy element surprisingly fits the whole mood of this movie.
While the story doesn't seem like anything new, the execution makes it stand out. Stories about teenagers often seem juvenile and disconnected from reality, but this movies successfully manages to combine both hopefullness of youth and uncertanity of adulthood.
One thing I think is worth noting is how this story seems to be 'in the middle'. By that I mean the movie shows only portion of characters' lives, they don't seem to be like paper dolls created just to tell this story. Their life is happening pre and post the story being told in this movie. We aren't shown "everything" and have to guess, which adds to this aspect.

I'd say give it a watch if you are in a mood for a mellow slice of life story. I didn't expect to like it so much, it probably will become one of my comfort movies.

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keeps you guessing

This is one of those webdramas that gives you something to look forward every week. As much 'one episode per week' webdramas can be flustrating, this is one of those that made the wait worth it.
I would even go as far to say it's a very underrated gem among the sea of webdramas.

The story isn't something very new, even the 2008 setting was done before. However the less cookie-cutter approach was what I enjoyed. There are conflicts, twists, family issues and all that. Sometimes the pace is bit slower, but it picks up especially at the end - the last episode? Excellent. This drama really keeps you at the edge of your seat sometimes, the moment you think 'oh i have it figured out'... the story takes another turn.

Acting is mostly okay. The cast seems to be all rookies, so it's expected there will be some rough moments. However female lead really shines and was perfectly casted. Honestly if her character wasn't so well-acted, it could be annoying to watch. Also the actor who played Jihan was a stand-out. He nailed playing a misunderstood student, who just wants to feel accepted. I'm looking forward to watch him in more projects.

2008 wasn't that long ago, but the world has changed a lot. A lot of details in this drama are spot on, even costumes and makeup makes sense. They say good art design is invisible, you start to notice it when it's less stellar. Here the 2008 setting is believeable and seamless. You can tell the budget wasn't super high, but the crew did a great job. Sometimes I forgot it's a new drama and not something shot 10 years ago.

Overall, it's a drama worth watching. It's surprisingly engrossing, and Probably half (if not more) webdramas are set in school, which can be offputing. This one stands out to me because to me it's slightly more rooted in reality. Waves of 2008 nostalgia are a nice bonus.

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fluffy and light

As much as this drama got promoted, I wasn't expeciting anything groundbreaking. The premise is simple and school setting is nothing new.

The story hits all the expected spots and is well-paced. However it ends up being a victim to common webdrama tropes and cliche. The leads' acting was decent enough to overlook how cheesy this whole thing is. At the same time it's a shame such well-produced drama with actual budget is just another forgettable fare.
The story it bit juvenile, there isn't really much of character developement. Apart from second male lead everyone retains their high school attitude and carries it into their adult life. The 'current time' plot seemed to be underdeveloped, as if it was an afterthought.
The male lead did a good job acting, and I was looking forward to see him after his role in 'Single & Ready to Mingle'. Female lead's acting is okay, especially given it's her first acting I don't have much complaints. The chemistry between them was bit lacking though.

OST is full of known names. The songs are actually good and suit the webdrama. The sheer amount of songs made it seem like it was OST for 16eps drama. The music is one big plus this drama has, even though the whole "school band" theme is somewhat under-developed.

Overall, it's a barely average drama. It might cheer you up on a rainy day but won't change your life. It's an easy watch with a decent production value, but overall it's nothing to write home about.

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interesting and well-executed

This webdrama stood out to me because not only it imagines possible future but also shows less sugar coated version of teen life. A lot of webdramas take place in school setting, however the story can be a hit or miss. Here the school setting is crucial to the story, and it's not just a background.

The story was surprisingly full of twists and turns, and I couldn't really predict the direction it would go. It's almost as if the channel 찐엔딩 wants to make less obvious stories their trademark? All their past webdramas would leave the viewer scratching their head.

All main characters were well-fleshed out and had their own obstacles to go through. I liked the acting, I have no complaints. Both leads had good chemistry and that worked well to make their characters' dynamics believeable. Heejae is not a typical webdrama character to me, I liked that she had obvious flaws. Sidae's character was similar to what the actor played before but at the same time, he does a great job each time so I don't mind. Heejae's mom is a very polarizing character, at one hand she is very hard on her daughter, but at the same time she has her reasons.

I really liked the music. Shin Jihoon is a very underrated singer, and I'm glad to hear her music so prominently featured. The songs really suited this webdrama and elevated the mood.
Another notable thing is cinematography. There is no oversaturation or weird filter, everything looks realistic. The colour grading is well-done, everything is cohesive. The school rooms seem to be cold, but the little corner our leads make is warm. I liked this attention to detail.


Overall, this is a webdrama worth watching. To me, the story was engrossing enough that I couldn't wait for new episode every week. It's not fast paced so it might not be for everyone, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It's not easy to imagine the future and make it believeable. I command the cast and crew for making such thought provoking webdrama.

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compelling but disappointing

Disclaimer: I have read the novel but haven't seen the older adaptation.

This is one of those dramas that have flaws but you still keep on watching. The story is rather interesting. Even though unrequited crushes plot are dime a dozen in dramaland, this one features a female lead who uses her affection as a driving force. Actually pursuing relationship with her crush isn't really a priority for her. It still happens as the drama progresses, but the way it develops is also full of twists and turns.

One of the things I liked a lot was the OST. Rarely I go out of my way to listen to songs featured in dramas, but here the music really works for the story and sets the mood.
Another was the friendships featured in the drama, especially between Luo Zhi and Baili.

The acting is pretty decent, everyone seems to be on a similar level and the big ensemble cast works well together. Majority of characters grow as the story progesses, and character developement is very prominent. The amount of ill-willed characters is sometimes overwhelming though.
Both leads did a good job as "two geniuses" and I pretty much have no complaints. Especially female lead is a more composed, calm type of character that can be hard to find in dramas, and the actress nailed it.

The story is right up my alley, so I'm obviously biased, but I liked it. Yes, it drags and is flustrating sometimes, but it more or less makes sense. There are cliches and also plots I wish would get less screentime though.
The idea of male lead being someone worth yearning for 15 years isn't easy to translate onto screen, and I felt like excution of that was lacking. At the same time, the novel isn't really about him being a perfect guy, but just someone the female lead likes for what he is. She likes him for him, but for a watcher it sure can be confusing.

One major gripe I have is pacing. As much I understand why there were new plots added to the original story, I wish (especially at the ending) that wouldn't come at cost of original novel plot. This is a decent adaptation that more or less emulates the feel of novel, but at the same time I wish the ending chapters would get more screentime. The beginning part could be compressed into less episodes of you ask me. Also all the flashbacks, present in every episode, had me fast forward. I'm really not a fan of rushed endings either...

One thing for sure, this drama is not for everyone. It's slower and abudance of "villains" can be tiring. I enjoyed it for what it is and had good time watching, but at the same time, I'm not sure if I would wholeheartedly recommend it to just anyone.

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charming but lacking

This webdrama stood out to me because of the fortune telling part. I like themes like that and was excited to see how it goes.
Female lead's father is a fortune teller, and she is told she will meet 3 guys this year. But has to choose wisely as only one of them will make her life better.

I liked the overall feel of this drama, but there were quite few plot holes. We don't even get to know Namjoo that well, she is just someone obssesed with boys, doesn't even seem to have a job or anything. The other male characters have more depth to them, but acting is lacking a bit so it's hard to root for anyone really. The male friend was the most likeable one to me, as the male lead was.. just there. I don't know if he was directed to emote that way, but I just didn't feel much chemistry between him and the female lead.

To me the main highlight of this webdrama was Eunjoo's father. It's easy to overact when your character is so larger than life but the actor really pulled it off. I liked his scenes a lot, he added a lot to the series.

Last episode ended with a cliffhanger, so I guess we might get a second season? It feels off to rate it now, given the story is still not finished yet.

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okay follow up

I liked the first season enough to look forward to One Fine Week 2. How the writers will approach "star dating a normie"?

One things I liked about first season was bit of twists and turns narrative that kept you guessing. But in second season they changed it up and things weren't up to debate much. It starts on a similar note, but as plot progresses, it kinda loses the spark.
The variety show setup is repeated, albeit the setting is changed and it does affect the story a bit. Idols are filmed 24/7 instead of having a crew around, which at the end of season starts to generate plot holes. What will they do with the footage of idols openly beefing or main characters being together?
The narrative highlighting struggles of being an idol is continued, but served more as a plot device than focus of the story. Yes, it's an important part still, but I felt like it happened in the background and real focus was the romance.

There are new characters. As much as I liked the acting of Woohee and Lee Ki Taek, they were just kinda there. Woohee especially, she was the helpful friend but that's it. Lee Ki Taek did a good job, I liked him in In Seoul and seeing him again was nice. His character was more developed, even though he lowkey felt into the second male lead cliche. He was more like School 2015 Gong Taekwang or Heirs Youngdo, the type of less approachable guy who magically opens up to female lead.
The two villains are bit cartoonish to me. Most of the time I wanted to skip their scenes but knew I needed context if their schemes come to life.
One thing is sure, I did felt the flustration from male lead. His relationship took a hit because of his idol status, and he didn't know what to so. However the chemistry the couple had last season was barely there? Maybe that was the point, as they were supposed to be exhaused by circumstances.

The pace picks up at the end, but in general I felt the story could be told in 6-8 episodes instead of 10. It lags a bit, and when a new episode dropped, I kept finding myself forgetting the plot of last episode. I just wasn't as engrossed in the story to remember every little detail or refresh the page to see if new episode is up.
As a stand alone webdrama, it's average. As a follow up, it's bit disappointing. It's not bad, but it kinda misses the mark. If you liked first season, give it a watch and see for yourself.

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bittersweet young love

I had 0 expectations for this one, and was pleasently surprised. Maybe the story is nothing new, but it's still a good, quick watch. 12 episodes without much filler.

Most of the story is set in 2008, with flashbacks to current time. I liked how well-placed the 2020s scenes were, and also we could get a tease of what happened to the characters after they graduated. Still, not that much was told, so whatever was happening in last 2 episodes still had me surprised. The pace of 2008 story isn't perfect, I felt like the misunderstandings were happening too often and honestly I felt flustrated at times. Still, every episode had enough developements to keep me glued to the screen in anticipation. The final story developements weren't easy to guess either.
As much as I don't care for "ugly duckling" stories, this one had female lead question her makeover in a refreshing way, at least to me.

The acting is good, the real star is the music to me. I enjoyed hearing again all the songs that were hits back in 2008. The art direction is also pretty nice, they nailed the aesthetic of that time.

I'm pretty sure a lot of people might end up complaining about the last two episodes, but as much as I was lowkey mad myself, after thinking.... it made sense. People miss chances all the time, albeit we watch dramas to escape that sad reality. The last scene was a nice wrap though.

Watch this drama if you don't mind slice of life approach and you like high school growing pains stories enough not to get flustrated at teenagers' choices.

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poignant tale about what it means to be alone

This is one of those dramas that make you really question your life choices. It's a slow, down to earth story. While male lead is comfortable being alone and finds being on his own fulfilling, the female lead can't seem to stand being alone and even eating alone makes her uneasy.
Modern society still can't make their mind up when it comes to loneliness and this drama challenges that. Is being alone miserable? Or can it be a concious choice? Do we really need a company? Is there really a void to fill?

I didn't expect to like this drama as much as I did. There are parts of the story that dragged on for too long for my liking, which affects my score. There is also a questionable PPL from MLM company, but I tried my best to ignore since it's not a central part of plot. Also there were parts that weren't really realistic, but in general it's fine by me - it's a drama after all :) Not gonna lie, the last few episodes surprised me with some developements. For a slower paced slice of life drama there weren't any filler episodes either.
I liked the "interview" interludes and how each episode ask you a different question regarding stuff such as marriage or life choices.
Music plays big part in how the story is told, and gives the drama a cozy, mellow feel. I find myself often listening to the songs featured, especially Maybe Maybe by The Chairs.
The acting is good and believeable, compliments the story and no one seems out of place.

Overall it's a drama worth watching. It has flaws, but at the end I don't mind them as much. I will go back to this one for sure.

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love and sex in Playlist Cinematic Universe

This webdrama reminded me of It's Okay To Be Sensitive. Both are about current societal issues regarding sexual education or gender equality. Growing Season seems to be a part of Playlists' somewhat more mature drama lineup, along with My Fuxxing Romance or XX.
This drama tries to be serious and show less cookie cutter side of life and romance, but after 5-6 episodes it inevitably turns into typical fluffy webdrama. The beggining plot about main characters preparing a group project is overshadowed by 3 main couples and their problems. One plus is having young adults as leads, as webdramas focused on teens can be very hit or miss. This drama has more R rated content, so older characters are a must.
Pacing is also bit off, first 3-4 episodes drag some plots, then things shuffle fast to another draggy episodes and then rushed ending arc.
Acting is okay, nothing to write home about.
One of the couples is a co-habitating one, and I was bit irritated by how the characters seemingly had progressed, but it was written in a flustrating way. Other two are actually fun to watch, I liked them both.
Growing Season tries to be a bit of educational, more realistic webdrama but that aspect falls flat after couple of episodes.

Watch it if you wanna see an easy to digest typical Playlist fare. Everyone has perfect makeup and trendy clothes and colours are saturated. There are multiple easy to spot PPLs and episodes are perfectly tailored to grab your attention for 10-20 precious minutes. Everything ends well and it's another good day in Playlist cinematic universe.
It's less sugary than their other dramas and conflicts are more down to earth, but what drags it down is the writing.

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student falls in love with a tutor

Short webdrama about a girl who has a crush on her tutor, and how it develops.
It's not bad but also nothing special. The story follows typical route, and while ending is satisfying, it's predictable. The female lead's personality isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially at the beginning. It gets better while sadly that's the only character who isn't cookie cutter 2d type. Male lead, as charming as he is, is somewhat restricted by how 2d the writing is.
Good things about this drama are acting and music. It's a cute and fluffy drama to watch when you are feeling sad or bored, however it won't change your life or anything.

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somewhat realistic workplace story

Workplace webdramas are tricky. Usually they either focus on romance or the comedic elements too much, but this one stands out to me. It focuses on how one can become disillusioned and disappointed by reality of working everyday. Even if you land your dream job, it's never easy.
This webdrama excels in many areas. Story, pacing, music and acting are all good. Another bonus is leads having good chemistry. Even the PPL isn't that jarring, as it fits well into the story.
It's good watch for anyone in their 20s, just starting their career. It's easy to get discouraged when you first face the hardships of entering workforce. This drama cheered me up and I hope it does the same for you :)

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