1000 stars out of 10 star rating
At first I watched this for Mix's visual and acting from Fish Upon the Sky and didn't expect much out of this series, but the first episode captivated me right away. After the end of each episode, they include inspirational quotes which really matches with the theme of the series because it delves into self-discovery and humility. I usually watch series for romance as well, but Tian and Chief's interactions were like dessert whereas the plot, suspense, and character developments were the main course. Tian's journey to finding his passion in life was motivational and moves your heart with how well they directed and edited scenes comparing his past and present situations. Please give this series a try and may it help those who are also in a slump like Tian who needed a sign!Was this review helpful to you?
It's iconic, not mainstream
Crying over spilled milk is no use, but sometimes feelings are hard to suppress and you end up bawling your eyes out like a child. Well, this Kdrama was similar to that experience but in a good way because it was the first time I ever cried over fictional characters and how well written this series was. Episodes one and two focuses on introducing the main characters by showing the audience their differences in personalities which is the fun part seeing them go from bickering to tolerating to loving one another. Then, the patients from the OK Psychiatric Hospital are welcomed on stage sharing the series with the main cast and you will honestly fall in love with them all. Although there are some scenes which make you want to grit your teeth and point fingers at the characters, everyone goes at their own paces and matures towards the end of the series making it all worth it. The pacing is not too slow or too fast either!I knew I was sold with this series when the third episode made me swallow back tears because of the powerful emotions expressed and anecdotes they teach ranging from loving yourself, letting go of the past, forgiving others, and being selfish for your own happiness. Also, no spoilers, but whenever something happened to the main cast or patients, the director and scriptwriter were geniuses for shifting back and forth using the present and past characters as a reflection to show how far they have gotten. Deep down everyone is still a child even though we all grew up physically and it isn't bad to cry, whine, make mistakes or say, "I'm not okay", and that's what this series teaches us about.
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Don't Miss Out and Watch!
The second season focuses more on character developments for everyone and fleshes out the side characters more than season one which makes sense because S1 was setting up the characters, setting, etc. Although S2 revolves around a misunderstanding as the driving force of the plot and miscommunication, it can be frustrating and confusing BUT please bear with it and don't hate it! It's explained along the way and if you can push through some cringy lines Shu Yi says, it's worth it!Bonus:
When you reach episode 4 (time stamp is 25:57), click on this Youtube video and continue!
[[ https://youtu.be/Oum7pXW4OoA ]] <----- this was the deleted scene which was supposed to follow after, but it did not make it to the cut because of the limited time. It shows Gao Shi De explaining and reassuring Shu Yi about the misunderstanding more, but even if you don't watch it, the story flows well so don't worry!
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This review may contain spoilers
"While you were changing, I was too"
Although I do not like time skips or movies, I still highly recommend this! I loved how we got to see Yi Soo's pov at the end and when she narrated, "While I was with you and saw you changed physically everyday, I didn't realize I changed too". Not only did this movie taught about beauty being from within (personality, morals, etc), it also showed how people's goals, attitudes, and feelings change as well even if they are not physically evident.Also, I love how their romance goes beyond just a heterosexual boundary. Towards the end Yi Soo is seen kissing and smiling as the many different appearances Woo Jin held approached her. It gave so much representation to pansexual and demisexual folks who fall for the person / soul instead of gender / sex or appearance. I don't want to necessarily put a label on their relationship since this movie is about loving who you are, but it was still touching to know love was able to transcend beyond gender, age, and language barriers.
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Life Changing Drama
I highly recommend this drama! I have rewatched the first season four times now and the third time was with a friend. I literally convinced my friend to watch this with me because it was THAT good. Honestly I titled this review as life changing because I was never one to watch BL dramas since it usually has awkward acting. However, this drama actually made me realize there can be good BL dramas out there and this is one of them!Reasons to love and watch this:
1) The nostalgia of pinning and chasing after your first love is expressed in this drama so perfectly. As Sam (Gao Shi De's actor) said in an interview, "Viewers had commented they like the drama because of the feelings it reminds them of pursuing someone romantically".
2) It is SUPER wholesome and sweet. The actors have a lovely bond and connection with one another and they even said in a magazine interview they would flirt off-screen to get used to their characters! Now that's true dedication and passion.
3) If you love enemies to lovers troupes, then this will definitely be your cup of tea.
Please give this series a try and I hope you will love it as much as I did!
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