Reviews

Something about this drama felt amazing and fantastic, I couldn't stop watching it.
It had a good amount of martial arts, humor and a great story line. This is only the first season!

Fan Xian is the main male lead of the drama. He is a smart, sarcastic, and cunning man. He knows how to speak his way out of things, he also have great martial arts skills. Did I mention he's quite funny as well? :) I just love his character so much! The actor did a wonderful job in playing this character! His subtle expressions are hilarious. XD
Aside from trying to find the love of his life at first sight, cancelling his engagement or..not cancelling it, Fan Xian has assassins coming after him day after day. The drama focuses on Fan XIan trying to figure out who is behind all these assassins, figuring out where he's from, and staying alive to be with his beloved Wan Er.

Uncle Wu Zhu (or should I say Xiao Zhu Zhu LOL♥) is the handsome protector who helped raised Fan Xian and was also a servant of Fan Xian's mother. Lets just say his martial arts is very monstrous. He is like a ninja, he comes and goes without making a single sound which can annoy Fan Xian - quite funny to watch. XD I really like his character for some reason, aside from the obvious handsomeness haha He is strict and mature albeit there were times when he went loose and either spoke like a teen or a tiny bit like a psycho due to memories that were triggered.

Wan Er is your typical fairy-like female lead. She's very elegant, and cute. She also likes chicken legs, and that is also how she met Fan Xian, unknowingly. She does not have much of a presence in this season, because she barely has any scenes. But she is an important figure in this drama because she's the daughter of a princess. However, this drama focuses majority on Fan Xian and his journey to solve the mysteries behind murders of his friends, the trunk that belonged to his mother, and assassinations. Wan Er is there only when Fan Xian went to visit her and other issues that involved her family.

The main villain is the grand princess and her nephew(s).S She's in charge of something that once belonged to Fan Xian's mother. Lets just say she doesn't want to let go of it.
However, she is not the only villain, there are many people who wants Fan Xian dead, including those who pretended to be his friend.

If you're watching this drama cause of Xiao Zhan prepare to be disappointed because you'll only see his actual face in the last 8 episodes or so. I assume he will be a main in the next season as his character is not what we think he is. Personally, I still enjoyed the drama without seeing much of Xiao Zhan.

Other characters worth mentioning is Wang Qi Nian, he's a chubby middle aged man but is a useful friend of Fan Xian. :) He joins Fan Xian in majority of his journeys. Fan Xian's sister, Fan Ruo Ruo is quite an interesting character, she's very smart and quick witted but can become clueless and slow(?) when it comes to Fan Xian. Its like she idolizes her big bro. But she can be dead serious when it comes to disciplining their little brother. I quite like her personality trait than Wan Er's.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. Its funny, and has great martial choreography. I didn't expect to love it so much,. it's one of my top two favorites of 2019!! Definitely recommend if you're looking for something fun to watch.

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"Study Group: The High School Drama That Packs a Punch (Literally!)"

Introduction:
Imagine a high school where the hallways are a battleground, the bullies are next-level villains, and the only way to survive is to hit the books and throw a killer punch. Welcome to Study Group, the drama that’s equal parts heart, humor, and high-octane action. If you’re tired of the same old high school tropes, this one’s here to flip the script literally. It’s like Weak Hero Class 1 met Cobra Kai and decided to throw in a study session. Trust me, you’ve never seen a school drama like this before.

Story:
At first glance, Study Group seems like your typical underdog story: Yun Ga Min, a lovable but academically challenged student, is determined to turn his grades around. But here’s the twist Yuseong Technical High School isn’t your average school. It’s a breeding ground for future gangsters, where fists fly faster than test papers. Ga Min’s solution? Form a study group. But this isn’t your average group of nerds it’s a squad of misfits who can throw down just as hard as they can solve equations.

The drama masterfully balances intense action with heartfelt moments, tackling themes like perseverance, friendship, and fighting for what’s right. It’s not just about surviving high school,it’s about creating opportunities in the most hellish situations. And trust me, the stakes are high. From corrupt teachers to ruthless gangs, every episode is a rollercoaster of emotions and adrenaline.

Characters:
Let’s talk about the squad because they’re the heart and soul of this show.

Yun Ga Min (Hwang Min Hyun): The ultimate underdog. He’s the guy who’s terrible at studying but refuses to give up. Oh, and did I mention he’s a martial arts prodigy? Watching him switch from a clueless nerd to a total badass is pure gold. Hwang Min Hyun nails the role, bringing both humor and depth to Ga Min’s journey.

Lee Han Gyeong (Han Ji Eun): The teacher we all wish we had. She’s not just there to grade papers, she’s on a mission to reform the school and give these kids a fighting chance. Her chemistry with Ga Min and the group is heartwarming and inspiring.

Pi Han Ul (Cha Woo Min): The resident villain with a cold, calculating demeanor. He’s the kind of character you love to hate, and Cha Woo Min delivers a performance that’s both chilling and captivating.

The Study Group: From the bickering twins Lee Ji Eu and Lee Jun to the adorable duo Kim Se Hyeon and Choi Hui Won, every member brings something unique to the table. Their bond is what makes the show so special. They’re not just friends—they’re family.

Special shoutout to Ga Min’s mom, who’s basically a martial arts queen. Like mother, like son, right?

Cinematography & OST:
Visually, Study Group is a feast for the eyes. The fight scenes are choreographed to perfection, blending over the top anime style action with gritty, realistic brawls. The camera work is dynamic, making every punch and kick feel impactful. And let’s not forget the CGI when Ga Min unleashes his uncle’s forbidden techniques, it’s like watching a live-action webtoon come to life.

The OST? Absolute fire. Tracks like Backpackers and Let’s Do This are pure hype, perfectly complementing the show’s high-energy vibe. The rap-heavy soundtrack adds an extra layer of coolness, making every fight scene even more epic.

Overall Impression:
Study Group is the kind of drama that grabs you from the first episode and doesn’t let go. It’s a perfect blend of action, comedy, and heart, with a cast of characters you can’t help but root for. Whether you’re here for the jaw-dropping fight scenes, the hilarious moments, or the emotional depth, this show has something for everyone.

If you’re a fan of shows like Weak Hero Class 1 or Boyhood, but want something with a lighter, more comedic touch, this is your next obsession. And even if you’re not usually into high school dramas, give this one a shot, it’s anything but typical.

Final rating? 10/10. Study Group isn’t just a drama; it’s an experience. So grab your popcorn, turn up the volume, and get ready for a wild ride. Trust me, you’ll be hitting that “Next Episode” button faster than Ga Min can throw a punch.

TL;DR:
Study Group is a high energy, action packed high school drama with heart, humor, and a killer soundtrack. It’s fresh, fun, and full of unforgettable characters. Don’t miss it!

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The correct title: Heesu In the Background Of Class 2.

I loved Hee Su and Seung Won, but if we actually gathered all their scenes it would be the length of a fan made youtube video. They were both sidelined getting supporting characters treatment in their own story.

And no, I do not only mean romance wise. Which characters got more elaborated individual stories presenting them outside of their love lines? Chan Yeong with his Tennis arc and Ji Yu with her music. What about Hee Su and Seung Won? Nothing. I’m sorry, but if you describe the plot of the drama to someone, Hee Su perfectly matches the typical second male lead - in love with the male lead, trying to win him over just to give up when the female lead shows up. Ending up with the female lead’s best friend.

No amount of pretty poetic narration done by Hee Su will convince me he got the proper treatment as the main lead of the story. For me, these lines sounded great, like out of context motivational quotes since the episodes often did not focus on his perspective enough to validate their existence. I mean… even the last episode could not have been all about the mains, we also needed a montage of the love story of the second leads.

If I was to rate just Hee Su and Seung Won, it would be a good 8. They were sweet and fun to watch. The misunderstandings actually seemed realistic for their age. The low key pinning was great. Seung Won was just calm perfection - so many of his simple few words amazed me - the simplicity with the greater message behind them was just right.

But then we have Chan Yeong and Ji Yu. I would not even be that mad if they were not just so painfully boring both as a couple and as individual characters. But to take away from the gay couple, to focus on this mediocrity is just a crime.

Maybe because their characters did not have much to offer, the acting also felt mid. Ahn Ji Ho though - amazing. The hesitation around his crush, the glances he kept stealing, the anger and the frustration when certain things came out to light.

The production value was obviously a lot better than many other k-bls - the bigger budget was clear. Can better production quality save uneven writing? Probably not.

Overall, disappointment. I was one of the people who was not initially angry about the straight couple, but I was still naive thinking they will stay in the sidelines complimenting Hee Su’s and Seung Won’s story. I did not expect them to come to the forefront and stay there till the end.

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Simply one of the best...

So good, so good, soo good... This drama may be about people sleeping, but is sure to keep you wide a wake and on your toes as you binge it... The first episodes are packed with humour as well as heart heartfluttering flirting, fun and twists of fate, twist of umbrellas, twists of the arm... Showing all from exploding busses (ok 1), to domestic abuse and hubby love. Watching glimpses of your future when you sleep may not only save your life but will also shorten the runway in to love... or make you run scared... heck why not both?

As the show progresses the darker and deeper tit gets, the suspense and issues rise... (not that there weren't any in the beginning) and though the plot has lots of side stories they all come together, mixing genres without making a mess! Impressive right?

The show has an overall good and valuable message, about learning from ones mistakes. The characters are not only gorgeous for the eye... they are lovable interesting and not the least bit flat, as each story and character is properly dealt with and shown from several angels, ok not all but most of them. ..

Watching this for the first time will definitely surprise you and probably have you guessing, watching it for the second time you will probably notice a lot of details you thought were insignificant the first time around, and watching it a third time will probably just make your hart flutter, but this is just me guessing since I have actually only seen it twice.

In numbers:
Bingeabilaty: 10
Annoying elamnts: a few but they can be overlooked
Fluff: 10
Visuals: 10
Acting: 10
Side characters: 9
Fun: 10

So if you have yet to have seen this masterpiece go watch it, if you have seen it before go rewatch it...

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Huge failure in the writing

WHAT I LIKED:
-Ra Ra : little princess lost in the world. She is naïve but optimistic and she would tell you bluntly what is ok and what is not. She has an adorable cheerful personality and she slowly shows a mature side of herself.
-Jun: a mysterious but kind guy who does his best to survive by himself but also to help everyone around him.
- The great chemistry between Ra Ra and Jun
- Ha Young and Seung Gi : usual friends who become lovers. They are cute and friendly people
- The women at the hair saloon: crazy women but warm and funny people
- Grandpa: a kind person who helps them all openly and also secretly. I liked his background story
- The head of detective agency : the most fun of them all.
- Dr Cha : I really had a problem with him at first as he was weird with Ra Ra and tried to woo her. He became more likeable though.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE:
The writer managed to portray very endearing characters with their interactions describing a lot of love and care from one to the others. It made the general athmosphere nice, fun and heartwarming. But the problem is that the writer never knew where to head to. There is no clear plotline and it navigates from a situation to another situation which are either cute (grandpa story, Jae min's story) or confusing (Ra Ra's father's death, stalker story), or irritating (fake cancer, fake wedding) until the final episodes with silly useless revelations and a ridiculous ending.

The writer basically never managed to tell a story and was mostly leading on the audience to manipulate it and extort emotions from it. Lame.

MUSIC: It was ok

REWATCH: Why rewatch? Don't even watch.

OVERALL : 10 for the main characters. 2 for the story. Overall: 6. I clearly don't recommend this drama. It is a waste of time.

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Something good, something for the summertime

This was a beautiful show, sadly i feel it was overshadowed by more popular shows airing at the same day such atoats and wbl.

The first 4 episodes were okay but nothing too exciting imo, i think towards the past 4 episodes the show started to set its foundation and it worked well in the end. Now that ending was skeptical cause that build up only for it to end because of a podcast was lazy writing but you gotta have something right. Actors were really good at their roles, i felt really emotional with both of them especially son oh and wow his dancing was great really wish he gets to shine more in bigger kdramas. Hong really did a good job too, his smile is so amazing omg i literally couldn't.

The one thing id say i didnt like about this show was the pacing was much more slower in the beginning than towards the end. But overall a really cute and good show i want to see more of them ik future k dramas.

7X KISSES PEOPLE LETS CELEBRATE THAT

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The family that slays together stays together!

House of Ninjas was an entertaining mix of action, humor, and conspiracies with a little romance thrown in for good measure. Three generations living in the same house can be a source of stress on any family, especially for one that has a dark secret.

After a mishap on a mission six years before, a family of ninjas may live in the same house, but they are all going in their own direction. Dad Soichi runs the failing family sake brewery and wants his family to lead a normal life. Mom Yoko is a bored stay at home mom and shoplifts in her spare time. Daughter Nagi is frustrated and puts her own spin on theft. Like his dad, son Haru wants a normal life and spends his nights refilling vending machines and having dinner in the same place so that he can be near the young woman who has her daily meal there. Retired Grandma Ninja keeps an eye on everyone, especially the youngest, Riku. The ninja code puts a crimp in Haru's love life when he is reminded that he’s not allowed to date just anyone, especially a comely reporter. When a rival ninja family reappears, the family will have to pull together to help save the nation.

House of Ninjas had a good balance of humor, romance, and bloody fight scenes. The ninja battles were entertaining and well choreographed if you don’t look too closely. The grannie-on-grannie ninja action was a hoot. The characters could make some inexplicably poor decisions at times. Apparently, ninja families are bad at interpersonal communication. When the going got tough, the family did pull together and have each others’ backs-literally. Each of the actors portrayed their characters well, glum Haru, mischievous Nagi, inquisitive Riku, and two parents who got their groove back. Throw in a deranged cult leader who thought he was god and you have everything you need for a fun ninja, excuse me, shinobi ride.

If you’re looking for a completely serious and blood-soaked drama, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a funny satire of ninjas, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a full-blown romance, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a ninja drama with high stakes, some light and dark humor, family drama exasperated by the ninja code, and a nice little romance, this could be worth a try. I found it compelling and entertaining, with some flaws.

15 February 2024

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My Day (2020): A Messy Yet Popular Pinoy BL Series

“My Day” isn’t for everyone. There are those who hate the series and there are those who like it. It was campy, it was farcical. Actually, it was a mess. And yet, because of the exciting chemistry between the lead actors and the exquisite kissing and making love scenes, “My Day” has become one of the most popular Filipino (Pinoy) boys’ love (BL) series worldwide.

“My Day” had a formulaic plot/storyline revolving around the love story of Sky, a determined culinary arts intern and his demanding food company boss named Ace. The overused enemies to lovers trope, rich and poor/middle class characters falling in love with each other trope, and Freudian excuse trope were employed on this series. “My Day” tried to show how the two boys struggled with and triumphed over personal and relational challenges. Ace had his daddy and mommy issues while Sky had his gender identity and sexual orientation questions. But among the many problems of this series were depictions of crude characterizations and ludicrously improbable situations. There were stereotypical portrayals of a bitchy (ex-)girlfriend and comic relief effeminate gays. Other than the sexist explanation that she’s a bitch, no character background was provided to help explain Moira’s criminal behavior. As for the gays, the issue was that they were limited to being a comic relief without character depth. An example of an unconvincing situation was the entire dognapping fiasco which was ridiculous and silly. There were abrupt character changes and illogical character developments. These were especially true for Ace, Ace’s father, Sky’s bully classmates, Moira, etc. There were no proper build-ups. Relationship developments, including those of Ace and Sky, Ace and his father, Ace and his mother, Sky and his father, etc., were also rushed.

Screenplay had cringy, long, repetitive, and unrealistic lines. There were also some objectionable dialogues (e.g. Jelai flirting with Jam that bordered on sexual harassment, Jelai castigating Marianne for wearing short skirt, etc.). But I do commend “My Day” for showcasing Filipino languages other than the Filipino Tagalog language.

Acting was generally uneven. There were supporting cast members who were good but there were those who were horrendous. While there were scenes wherein Aki and Miko were ok, there were also scenes wherein they made unnatural vocal, physical, and emotional acting choices. They need to work on their vocal intonations and facial expressions. There were too much shouting and ugly crying. They were often betrayed by the lack of authentic emotions from their eyes. But since they’re still newbies in acting, these shortcomings were understandable. And besides, their exciting chemistry compensated for these weaknesses. They didn’t have good dramatic scenes together but they did have great romantic, sexy, and steamy scenes together. The kissing and making love scenes of these handsome lead actors were hot and sexy. I liked that they’re normalizing guys kissing and making love intensely and passionately in Pinoy BL series.

Budget-wise, “My Day” was almost akin to Filipino drama series (teleserye) and Thai BL series. A lot of expensive-looking set designs, numerous product placements, and the long list of people in the post-credits illustrated just how well-funded this series was. Production design was largely ok. Set designs during the premiere and Ace’s birthday were quite good. But there were also some missteps. The set designs for the supposedly prestigious international cake competition looked cheap. And production design during the finale was just average. Although simple techniques were used, cinematography was mostly decent. Editing was uneven. The soundtracks especially “Hindi Ako Bibitaw” (I Will Not Let Go) by Paul Ramirez were ok.

All in all, I would only recommend “My Day” to those who love exciting chemistry between the lead actors as well as exquisite kissing and making love scenes, who don’t mind if overall, the series is a (hot and sexy) mess.

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There is a reason why the tragedy tag is there. The setting of this movie itself is during war, in a war camp where all sort of people is there. The good and the bad people, the honest and the one with ulterior motives.

The story itself is unique to me. Usually, movies in a war setting are heavy on tactical or political but Swing Kids focuses mainly on tap dance. When I watched the trailer, it got myself thinking too how did this one ended up as musical movie? The music was necessary to accompany the tap dance. I don’t really know much about American music during war times but it is pleasant to hear. The movie focuses on the hero, Kisoo and how he fell in love with tap dance. How tap dance changed his life, the consequences he got when he accepted his love for tap dance from his fellow countrymen and enemies, and the dream he wanted with his talent. It was a beautiful journey to watch his character development. The other characters are necessary for this development, one leads to the other, and another, until they completed each other. And these characters will be tested on their ideology and loyalty; either to be freed physically or to be freed mentally.

Do Kyungsoo is so incredible in this movie. The way he talked in North Korean accent, the way he potrayed as a bully and the most important is the way he tapped dance. It was so beautiful to watch his character. The second lead for me is the character Jackson. The actor, Jared Grimes, is really into his character, I am so impressed. Jackson is the person that introduced tap dance to Kisoo. The relationship between them is so beautiful, it transgressed language, skin colors and ideology. Park Hye Soo’s English is wonderful and she certainly can tap dance; while Oh Jung Se and Kim Minho completed the comic relief in this movie.

The movie started with a good humor here and there, and later it changed into a serious tone due to a major event in the movie. But the beauty of tap dance is featured in the movie from the beginning until the end. The director is clever to use music as the momentum, mostly the pacing of the shoe’s tap itself, and there are some scenes I literally held out my breath, the tap dances in this movie are that good.

I would love to rewatch it again in the future. This movie is certainly different from the others. Recommended.

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Sweet and Understated

STORY:
Though this drama doesn't really bring anything new to the table in terms of story, it has a sweet, understated vibe to it that made for an enjoyable watch. And while it premiered in 2021, I felt like I was watching something from five or six years ago, but the warm feelings of nostalgia were nice and comforting. Second Chance brings not the annoying ex-girlfriends, obnoxious fujoshis, and slapstick sound effects that seem to inundate more recent Thai BLs and instead takes us back to that feeling of discovering one's self and one's first love in the midst of emerging adulthood.

There are three main stories here: Paper and Tong Fah, Chris and Jeno, and Near and M, with the main focus being on the first two. I do think the writers were ambitious in attempting to deliver so many plots given the number of episodes, and, as much as I adore Near and the actor who plays him, I agree with others who said that his and M's storyline could have been left out due to the miniscule amount of screen time and development, in favor of advancing the other couples' plot lines. But that said, although some parts of this drama felt rushed and/or underdeveloped (and at times I felt like I had missed something), there wasn't a lot of filler fluff, and I do think the writers tried to devote every minute they could to advancing something, for which I'm appreciative.

I also just need to point out that the scene in episode three where Tong Fah and Paper are dancing in one of their bedrooms is one the best I've seen in a BL. So raw and vulnerable—got me all in the feels—and I applaud the actors in evoking those emotions.

ACTING/CAST:
The cast overall did a nice job portraying their characters, some better than others, but none were terrible. Each character was charming in his or her own way. Even the antagonist was devilishly alluring and made me really intrigued to know his (and Jeno's) backstory. The actors had good chemistry with one another, both as friends and love interests, and there was a natural ease about their interactions with one another.

OVERALL:
Do I recommend? Yes, totally. It's short and sweet and hearkens back to the BL days of old which was (perhaps surprisingly) a nice break from the more loud and chaotic Thai BLs we've been seeing lately. This gives me vibes of Love Sick and I Told Sunset About You (note, for the latter, I said vibes, not production quality, so don't compare it on that end lol), and if you're a fan of those and the feelings they give you, I think you might like Second Chance.

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Chinese dramas are often neglected in this whole kdrama wave. But this one really deserves attention.

I have to admit 39 episodes are somewhat of a challenge. But after ep1 the director made very efficient use of cliffhangers. Hence, you'll just watch on and on and the 39 episodes just fly by!

Story: A beautiful Chinese time traveller story. Qing Chuan gets zapped back to the Qing dynasty. And we follow her meet the great Emperor and his numerous sons. The story is full of love, hate, revenge, intrigue!

While the emperor's sons struggle for favour in court and for the position of crowned prince Qing Chuan is right in the middle of it all.

I loved how all the Princes were portrayed with different characteristics, worries, goals, dreams, faults. Over the course of 39 episodes there was room enough to develop every character. And while we start out hating some and liking others, the story convincingly takes us to other perspectives, different problems and we may just change our minds about some of them or at least find it harder to judge them in terms of black and white.

The actors were doing a great job. Every single one of them did a brilliant job. Yang Mi (Qing Chuan) was probably my favourite character. She was able to portray Qing Chuan so well with all her different facets.

Feng William and He Mickey were just unbelievable. Playing the two may male leads (8th and 4th prince) they excelled at playing intrigue, ambition, hate, cruelty, love, cold heartedness, softheartedness ... the whole range really.

But the Royal Consorts, Princes, Ministers, Eunuchs, Palace maids ... deserve merit as well. This drama was huge. Not just cast wise. But also as far as locations and sets were concerned and the costumes were so detailed and beautiful. The directors and producers put a lot of effort into this drama and the result truly reflects the passion they must have had making this series.

Sometimes the scipt was just a bit lengthy. And the intrigue was getting slightly out of control. In some episodes you can really feel the artificiality of the script. With the Qing Chuan Doppelgaenger, I really feel that was not a necessary episode.

Anyhow I thought all the tiny side stories of some characters were well interwoven with the plot and made the whole drama richer and more complete.

This was my first Chinese historical drama and I had to get used to the difference after being used to historical k dramas. All in all I think i like chinese traditional clothes better than the korean but that hair ornamentation... phew must have been really heavy. I also liked that the females here were all far away from being silly, naive and spoiled. They were all very believable characters.

A must watch for every one who enjoys historical dramas!!!

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I NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!

Man, this short film deserves MORE attention, this is such a treasure. I think strongberry has a big potential series to produce with this, seriously. If someone from this company read this PLEASE do a big series, with a big time of episodes, to develop the story, show more of the Korean culture, food, people, make a Korean dear John, idk, make something big and good like this short film. The actors are very talented, the story is good and makes me curious and makes me want more. The soundtrack is good too. please give fujoshis a good show we deserve after a lot of shorts films and medium dramas. 

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People who watched the first season should know that Age of Youth (2) is a  slice-of-life drama about five flatmates living under one roof.  AoY to me was always about the realistic portrayal of friendships. We see how the flatmates stand by and support each other through their individual difficulties. It's really different from most K-dramas which tend to use same-gender relationships as a sort of fan-service. In AoY, all the interactions are natural, not over-exaggerated and not amplified. It's exactly like how I imagined friendships to be (I have no friends, jk). In short, it's an accurate depiction of how friends are like in real life, and as a viewer it's easy to relate to.

There are a couple of cast changes in the second season. In particular, Park  Hye-soo was swapped out for Ji  Woo. I think a lot of people disliked the character. I do agree that she's a lot less likable in this season. Rather than attributing this to the new actress, I feel that the writer has gone slightly wayward in her characterisation of Eun-jae. Or perhaps as viewers we are more partial to the meek Eun-jae than the transformed Eun-jae. I think the scriptwriter probably wanted to show character growth, but the execution was unfortunately not up to par.

Kang Unni is also out of the picture at Belle Epoque, with Choi Ara playing the  new-comer Jo Eun. I liked the introduction of Jo Eun. I thought her character was really interesting, especially her "friendship" with Ye-ji. They also briefly touched on homosexuality, although the topic was quickly brushed over.  After I watched the finale though, I was really confused as to what this "friendship" was to each party. I would really like them to elaborate on it. Anyway, I thought this was a nice touch and they probably could have explored the plotline a little more. I don't really care for her romance with Seo Jang-hoon though. I don't dislike it, but I didn't think it was a highlight. This is just personal and from the comments I've seen, most people quite like this couple.

Ye-eun's loveline is the one I liked most (other than the Song-sung couple that is). I don't know how Onew* would have been, but I feel that Kwon Ho-chang was perfectly cast. And nerds are always endearing. His relationship with Ye-eun is like a reversal of power compared to her previous relationship. In any case, I felt that they were really cute.

Yoon sunbae is the glue that holds the house together. She's seemingly aloof on the outside but she's really taking care of everyone else, and not getting appreciated for it. I don't like the job she was given in this season. I thought that with how they had emphasised so much on her struggle with jobs and internship they'll hand her a job of a higher perceived social status. I'm not saying that working at an entertainment company is bad, but it's certainly no where near the top of my "dream jobs" list. Also, I personally do not follow Kpop and all, so I'm really indifferent to the storyline with the idol group which was cast aside. It's alright, but I think this could be done better.

This season though, the spotlight is on Song Ji-won. I don't think I need to elaborate further on how fantastic her character is. Her story was the focal point this season, and provided some insight on how her personality came to be. I think a lot of people may feel that her storyline didn't get closure, but I thought it was the best way to handle the situation. Because if everything went perfectly, this wouldn't be called Age of Youth. I still like her interactions with Im Sung-min. *SPOILER ALERT* I really do hope for another season just so  we can see them get together. There are hints since the man holding the girl's hand in Ep13 is clearly Im Sung-min, but I would like their relationship to be more explicit and not just implied. *SPOILER ALERT*

In summary, I think AoY is an awesome drama. In the first season my attention waned towards the end but this season I sat through the whole drama, catching up on episodes as they air. I rate the sequel a little higher than its predecessor, though it may just be the freshness playing on my mind.

EDIT: Corrected name of original actor for Kwon Ho-chang.

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Chills

I literally get chills on my body whenever I think about this drama, week in week out and unsuspectingly we get wrapped up in the world of Mouse thinking mouse as always been the prey so this will be no different. This drama showed us the different side of Mouse the prey we think it is and then on the flip side the predator it as always been . We have a victim who gets stronger and is hell bent on revenge, another victim who tries her best to move on with her life, a victim/genius who can't provide any significant help and instead gets all the blame, a perpetrator who everyone loves and adore. The first half of this drama present things to us in a way that you can't help but have mixed feelings about the second half. Mouse you have ruined my critical thinking ability forever. The casts are excellent ❤️

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