Reviews

Wang He Di and Chen Yu Qi the best couple in this drama !

I started watching this drama because of the lead actor Dylan Wang, whose films I've been watching recently. And it turned out that this drama is one of the best I've watched in recent times, despite the many cuts they had to make due to censorship!
Nice plot, although the beginning and the first episodes in the palace are too long ... it's good that then they moved the main characters outside the city and they could continue the development of the relationship.
The main couple is incredibly cute! They both had very good chemistry, it was felt as their love developed. Dylan Wang as Xiao Duo, at the beginning as stiff, unavailable, but with humorous moments, gradually under the influence of Bu Yin Lou, he turns into a sweet, in love man who wants to protect his beloved with all his might. He can joke, flirt and those beautiful scenes when he stares at his beloved BYL with his beautiful unusual eyes, something fantastic, I love this couple! I really regret that the censorship cut out so many nice, romantic scenes with them! And there was so much positive emotional charge in these scenes!
Chen Yu Qi also played very well, she was intelligent, clever and cheerful. Her relationship with the lead lead was fantastic. They supported each other. I didn't know this actress before, but I really liked her. I hope they will play together in another drama someday.
The secondary characters also did very well. Fans that the plot also had a lot of funny elements, it did the whole drama well.
I lost the most nerves because of the character of Murong Gao Gong, the one who was initially undervalued, unsuccessful and fixated on memories of a girl who once helped him in his childhood, a prince, and then a cynical, psychopathic emperor fixated on an imaginary unrequited feeling for his childhood savior WAS. Ruthless if anyone opposed him. Peter Ho played it so well I wanted to strangle him. It's a pity that he took revenge on the main characters until the very end.
I didn't like that the solution was rushed and in the last episode. Fortunately, it worked out well for the main leads. But there are no scenes between the two main leads after they split up and the final scene ends with the main leads running out of town, but it's unclear if they ran out or not because the episode ends here. I know there was a scene of the main leads out of town on a hill in a beautiful romantic setting, and I don't know why they cut it. This scene would have ended the whole thing beautifully. So I am sorry about that. I recommend it for shaving.

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My Mini Back-story:

Jung Woo-Sung is a must-watch actor. His versatile performances are hard to come by these days.

So if the storyline seems intriguing AND I get a chance to watch him deliver, I'll take that as a nod to dive into the fresh pool. Jung Woo-Sung always has something special to offer to his audience/fans.

Storyline:

Padam Padam has to be one of the most original scripts up-to-date (at least from all the Korean dramas that I've watched thus far). I love how the series does not look down on its' viewers. In other words, the plot doesn't go around in a continuous loop. Most, if not everything, gets resolved and there's no hiding/bickering between characters for too long. Hence, it doesn't make the viewers angry. The main character is very straightforward/honest, so perhaps that explains why the plot doesn't stall also.

The pacing of Padam Padam was just a tiny bit slow for me. However, I don't know exactly what they could have left out, since I believe most of it was necessary. Perhaps, it's just me who finds it a tad slow paced for my taste (especially near the end).

So what does this series have to offer?

a) Pathos driven. It will pull at your heartstrings whether you like it or not. I didn't cry, but I know people who did.

b) Sense of humor/comedy. The comedy nicely contrasts with the emotional/seriousness. There's quite a lot and it's incorporated together really well. It doesn't feel forced. I actually even laughed out loud at some parts (especially the bantering between Gook Soo and Kang Chil).

c) Family Relationships. There are a lot of heart-tugging/tender relationships (especially b/w a father and son, and son and mother).

d) Friendship. I absolutely loved the bromance between Kang Chil and Gook Soo. Those two are my favorite 'pairing' from this drama.

e) Very Romantic. Our two leading stars are not afraid to express their emotions on-screen. They looked sublimely natural together. Love the small/big romantic gestures. It doesn't feel cheesy either.

f) Strong dialogues/writing. This obviously enhances the series' quality.

g) Originality. Like, I've mentioned above.

h) Unpredictable. It's actually quite unpredictable, since there's an element of fantasy involved.

j) Fantasy. There's a touch of supernatural which I was hesitant at first, but it worked nicely. I wish they would have delved more into the 'chicken mutant'.

i) Crime drama. Not your typical gangsters. Phewww!

k) Realistic. One of the most realistic Korean dramas out there, despite it being marketed as a melodrama. The poor characters actually wear the same clothes multiple times. No characters are super 'evil'. Many themes (hope, will, and miracle) relate to our modern society/life. Even the locations and reactions from the characters are realistic. In fact, realism is probably the series' strongest point (aside from the great casts).

Each episode doesn't feel like a separate episode. It rather feels like a whole storybook told from the POV of the protagonist, Yang Kang Chil. And thankfully, he's a well-rounded/flawed character.

Acting/Characters:

I enjoyed most of the characters. I wasn't on the edge of my seat rooting for them, but I am glad that I went on such a wonderful/heart-warming experience with them.

My favorite characters are: Kang Chil, Gook Soo, Mi Ja (Kang Chil's mother) and Min Hyo-sook.

You grow to love these characters as you understand their motives/reverse-psychology tactics. Their reactions are very realistic and each character has distinct qualities which makes them unique. I despise when characters are just written to support the main characters’ existence. Padam Padam is definitely not one of those cases.

Without a doubt, Kang Chil’s character stood out the most. He’s such a heart-warming character. He has lots of flaws, thus many ranges of emotions. Probably every emotion that exists can be seen in his character. The reason why Kang Chil is such an expressive character is largely thanks to Jung Woo-Sung. His face contortions and smiles don’t require words to back up his character’s (Kang Chil) unique thoughts. I can’t remember the last time I saw a character with such huge range of complex emotion. Jung Woo-Sung has never failed to amaze me (perhaps in Athena, but that wasn’t the actors’ faults). He really understands his character well and it shows A LOT.

Gook Soo is also an amazing character (too bad Kang Chil is hard to beat). I love his innocence / contemplation of what is a miracle or not. He’s like the archetype of Kang Chil. In a way, they both bring out the best in each other and it is indeed rare to come across such a strong bromance. They truly stick to each other through thick and thin. Kim Bum has improved A LOT from the last time I saw him in Boys Over Flowers. When I first saw him in BOF, I never thought of him as manly, but he has definitely changed my mind. He’s also a very versatile actor. I can’t wait to see him in another project that will do him justice like this one. He’s a young actor that should be used to the fullest potential (like Kim Soo Hyun).

Mi Ja is the epitome of a caring mother. She often uses reverse psychology because she doesn’t want to show her weakness. And I love how she’s so brave / strong even though she’s a single mother. Definitely love the relationship b/w her and Kang Chil. It’s also rare to see a bonding mother-son relationship in K-dramas. The closest one that I’ve come across is Will it Snow on Christmas?

I don’t know why, but I just love Hyo-Sook’s presence. I admit that I wasn’t too fond of their countryside accents at first (shallow me!), but I grew to like hers. Her conversations with Gook Soo were also tender / cute. She really brightens the mood whenever she appears, which is nice for a change.

On a side note, since Ha Ji Min plays a huge role as well, why not talk about her? I personally thought her character, Ji Na, felt unoriginal for me. She's your typical Korean drama girl. I was hoping for a more in-depth characterization b/w her and her father. It wasn't a huge deal in the end though.

Nonetheless, Ha Ji Min played her character beautifully. If a less experienced actress played her role, I think it would have been hard to watch, since Ji Na isn’t a very interesting character to start. The thing that stood out for me the most is how Ji Min reciprocates Woo-Sung’s actions/love. They felt so natural together that it was hard not to believe that they aren't more than just friends in real life. Ji Min and Woo-Sung are probably one of the best/most natural on-screen couples I’ve seen. I’ve already mentioned in my review of The Princess’s Man how I like it how couples give the same amount of effort in the relationship (HATE when the man does everything). And they did just that, or they even went beyond it! One look/one touch, sparks were flying all over the place.

Music:

Originally, the songs didn’t peak my interest, but as the drama and its’ characters pulled me in, I started to take notice.

My two favorite songs are “You’re a Fool” by Brown Eyed Girls (JeA) and “In Order to Live” by Noel.

“You’re a Fool” matches so well with Ji Na’s perspective. The melody pulls at my heartstrings.

On the other hand, “In Order to Live” fits the mood and it makes me palpitate whenever it comes at the end of the episodes.

These two songs make you feel like you’re living a part of these characters’ lives.

The other songs were nice, but they didn’t stand out.

Bonus:

It took me awhile to get into the way it was filmed. First of all, it was shot like an actual film.

The backgrounds/scenes look rather gloomy for my taste. Though, it gave it darker/grittier atmosphere which complemented the tone of the drama. Hence, I slowly came to appreciate the cinematography. It added realism to the storyline.

Did I mention that Woo-Sung and Ji Min look beautiful here? Honestly, beautiful, beautiful couple! Not just in the looks department, but the way they cared for each other.

Love the addition of Tengie!! I'm an animal lover, so maybe that's why.

Overall:

Loved it! Padam Padam is a well-rounded drama if you’re looking for a melodrama that’s realistic (does that make sense?). Not only is it realistic, but the characters are thoroughly fleshed out (with a few minor missing). I loved the concept and the twist of fantasy.

If you’re a sensitive person, you might want to carry a box of Kleenex with you while watching this. Padam Padam excels at bringing one moment of sadness followed by a moment of happiness. The mood transition happens quite quickly, but it’s plausible (can’t really explain it until you’ve seen it). My mom actually cried while laughing at some point (no, she’s not crazy).

It’s quite uplifting and inspirational too. So if you’re looking for a change/originality in K-dramas, be sure to give this a chance. You won’t regret it.

It's not the type of drama that I would watch over right away, since some parts were kind of slow (for me at least).


Overall rating for review: 9.5/10

Purely for entertainment: 9/10 (Why not 10 instead? Padam Padam is a spectacular drama, but I did not obsess over it)

My Dramalist rating (avg): 9.25/10

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WORST ENDING EVER

After watching the 1st episode i thought they might abolish whole spheres and go military basement or something i thought may be some of them may die and i might cry after seeing those moments. actually don't feel a thing even after watching the whole class die .
After knowing that CSAT got cancelled the 1st person who got into my mind is yeong soo and after he gone crazy i thought I feel really ba- ,then this assault happened . I thought he may die because of this and their friends may remember him in good way and feel bad for him. but he f**king killed the whole class. I feel bad for those two who left alone .but they should have shown more fighting scenes and more adventurous things than emotional scenes because 90% of part 2 is all about emotions even though this is action drama.lol.I think if the radio didn't break they might've known that CSAT didn't cancelled because those science students already left there group so they didn't know what happened later . 😮‍💨 I shouldn't have given 10/10 for part 1.
And that ending credit scene 😮‍💨😮‍💨 why that song 😮‍💨 after that shit .

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" Some Feelings are bound to disappear and some Feelings are destined to be Long lasting. "

Hello 👋 Everyone. This is my first review, so first of all thank you for reading this. Shine On Me ✨️ was a cute, fluffy and slow burn drama which I liked so much. Song Weilong and Zhao Jinmai did their best in portraying Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang 🎉. Personally I liked Nie Xiguang's positivity and her charmness. I also liked the warmth and gentleness of Lin Yusen.

Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang :

They are the light of this drama which kept the drama engaging throughout. Lin Yusen was a top tier neurosurgeon who was unfortunate to mess up with his hands in a accident which kept him away from medicine for two years. He had that accident on the way to meet Xiguang ( it is a misinformation ). Due to this there was a misunderstanding between them for few eps then resolved later. His love was really pure ❤️ which was shown when he chose Nie Xiguang again eventhough he thought that she left him after his accident ( misunderstanding ). And of course, I have to tell for the viewers that he won't have much screentime at the first few eps due to FL's college story but after that we get to see him throughout the drama ☺️.

Nie Xiguang was a Business school student who had a crush on Zhuang Xu, a top student and was the tutor to her cousin. She eventually confessed and turned down but she didn't wanted to give up on him. Later due to a misunderstanding she moved on from him and met our ML. After graduation, she joined Shuangyuan Photovoltaic where she met Lin Yusen and gradually they fell in love. I have to tell that the period where Lin Yusen pursued Xiguang was especially sweet. I loved it.

Guangyu Photovoltaic Co. Ltd ( formerly known as Shuangyuan ):

This is a firm based on the production and distribution of solar panels. This part was so informative about the solar industry such as BAPV [ Building attached Photovoltaic ] and BIPV [ Building Integrated Photovoltaic ]. I really appreciate that they kept this drama realistic with the timeline when solar industry bloomed in China.
After meeting NXG, LYS realized his dreams of the medical field and moved towards it while NXG directed Guangyu towards development. Their personal growth in their fields was really worth watching.

Lin Yusen's Family :

Lin Yusen's mother was a nice character who was supportive with his decisions and his step father who gave space for him and his mother. I actually felt sad for LYS when I heard his father has passed away.

Nie Xiguang's Family :

First of all, when I hear the word NXG's family the first character comes to my mind is Jiang Rui ( Nie Xiguang's cousin ). I liked him very much. He was really supportive and protective of her as a brother. His mother portrayed a wonderful women entrepreneur in the business world and the ultimate shipper of our couple. Absolutely, I am obliged to tell about NXG's mother Jiang Yun who was a second favourite character in her family. After getting divorce from NXG's father Nie Chengyuan, she spent her life carefree but later her realization on the influence of others comments were wonderful. Especially, she was also supportive to our couple. Her bother and Jiang Rui's father was also a nice character. The only character what I disliked in the whole drama was NXG's father for his foolishness to go to the con artist friend ( Qian Fangping ). And the scene where she spoke heartbroken to her father for doubting her without second thought made me cry 😢.

OSTs :

The OSTs of this drama was beautiful 💕. My favourite ones were :
1. You Are The Sun In My Life - Lu Yuanyi
2. Coming For You - Zhang Hao

Conclusion :

This drama was a great drama for me. The only thing I disliked was the abrupt cuts from one scene to another. Overall this drama is a 10/10 for me 🤗. I want to conclude with one of my favourite lines in the drama :
" No, It’s not about choosing. I would always end up with him. "

I want to describe the drama as :
" The Delightful Journey of Sunlight ( Nie Xiguang ) and Forest ( Lin Yusen ). "

Once again Thank you for reading this review 💖.

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One of the Best Dramas I have Watched

The drama is an emotional rollercoaster. Every episode is a thrilling ride full of twists and turns which keeps you on the edge wanting more.
The romance is sweet and just enough given the setting.
It has a lot of interesting characters each having a story to tell and everyone's story arc is carved out with perfection.
This drama make you smile, cry, excited. It also talks about a lots of issues during that period.
It an amazing drama that you would definitely wanna rewatch.
There are no filler minutes forget filler episodes in the entire drama.
I feel every characters storyline is made meaningful.
The actors do a great job in making you fall in love with their characters.
The OST is good. I initially started the drama because of Lim Ji Yeon as I don't usually watch historical dramas but I am glad I did
100% Recommended

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The idea is better than the execution

This series is a hot mess, to be honest. I was looking forward to it for a while before it aired. I like the cast in other things and I really was excited to see a bit more frankness and reflection on the toxic aspects of the BL industry. I have been watching BL dramas intermittently for years and I really hate the romanticisation of assault and rape as well as toxic fan behaviour in response to fan service. I so wanted this to be an intelligent exploration of the importance of respecting boundaries and consent both on- and off-screen and how taking fan service seriously can really objectify the actors in a way that hurts. This series sort of gets a third of the way there I think.

The plot is a bit messy and fragmented at times. The focus is generally on the lead couple and their relationship. However, their relationship evolves at an odd pace. Nubsib being in love from the beginning was kind of annoying to me, I prefer a bit more evolution personally. Although the first scene with them both is genuinely well-performed. Gene seemed to be attracted but unsure and that never fully went away or evolved into something more secure. Consent was really well-explored with them and a constant communication in their relationship which is rare in BL and I really did like. But, to be very frank, there was often little else to their relationship. There was mutual attraction and respect, but minimal evolution and growth. Although the child actors performances were genuinely excellent, the history of the characters and their shared childhood is an overused trope and was executed poorly, in a very ‘info dump’ kind of way.

The acting was inconsistent and I think some of that is about the script itself. The script had minimal meaningful dialogue and the character development is poor. There were several times where Nubsib is asking Gene to listen to him and then proceeds to say nothing. It’s stupid and impossible to act properly. The dialogue was not character-driven and was often more about saying something about the industry which made it feel fake and preachy, rather than raw and relevant/human.

The villain of the story should have been the industry with toxic production staff being controlling and manipulative for money and fans crossing the line over and over, hurting their faves in the process. We do have some of that, particularly towards the end. However, there is also Aoey, who is clearly unwell and is extremely toxic. His character is necessary, his characterisation is not. It feels like cowardice to create a villain out of him because it means fans can see his character and call him the villain, rather than see the villainy of the fans in the series and reflect on themselves and their fandoms. There are too many villains. It dilutes the message of the toxicity in the industry and is a much weaker plot device that is overused throughout the story and makes it unnecessarily melodramatic.

The sound design and soundtrack was often irritating and distracting. There are times when sound effects and music are not only unnecessary but also damaging to the scene. If it adds nothing to the tone or mood, or if it distracts from the tone or mood intended, don’t use it. Loads of post-production sound and music does not make a bad story, script or scene better, it can only do that to a good scene, it can always make it worse.

This series really is variable. The final episode is really good. But a lot of it is unnecessary, draggy or distracting.

If you watch BLs it is definitely worth a watch, there are enjoyable parts and it is somewhat educational. You might skip or speed through parts, to be honest, but I still think it has some valuable stuff to say, even if it could have been said better from a storytelling point-of-view. However, if you don’t I think you could safely give this a miss.

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Potatoes might save the world but they couldn't save this drama !

I’ve been hyping this show like it’s the second coming of comedy gold - raving about how a drama set in a potato research lab turned into my weekly dose of chaotic fun. But as they say, don’t count your damn potatoes before they sprout.

Turns out, all that initial charm? Just a smokescreen for a half-baked storyline. The strong character sketches we were promised early on quickly dissolved, leaving behind personalities so watered down, they twisted themselves out of shape just to drag the plot along.
The writing has been inconsistent for ages - barely throwing us crumbs of actual plot while drowning in slapstick. And I let it slide because hey, at least I was laughing... until I wasn’t. When the humor dried up, all that was left was a messy script and characters who lost their spark faster than a firework in the rain.

Mikyung? Sis gets mad at Baek Ho but barely flinches when her ex - the walking red flag who trashed her life - shows up. Like, why are we reserving all the cold shoulders for the guy who’s actually on your side, and giving your villain-era ex a free pass? Where’s the wrath? The fire? The “watch me burn your memory to ash” energy?

And the side characters? They were elite as chaotic roommates - a comic relief dream team. But instead of letting them thrive in their lane, the writers decided to toss them into emotional subplots no one asked for. For what? To fill 20 more minutes of runtime? Peak mismanagement. They deserved better. We deserved better!!

As viewers, we got roped into a subplot that actually had depth - convincing, well-executed, promising. Only for it to get tossed aside with the most lazy, nonsensical exit imaginable. It’s like the writers got bored halfway through and hit “wrap it up” with zero remorse.

The ending? Don’t even get me started. It disappointed me in ways I don't have the energy - or desire - to unpack. Just know it felt like betrayal with a smile. And I am mad like very mad !!

In the end, it wasn’t the plot holes or the slapstick that ruined this show - it was the forced friendships and unnecessary reunions that nobody asked for. You had the perfect romcom recipe, and you still managed to burn it. Bravo.

I barely have anything else to say, so I’ll just wrap it up like this:
Watch it for the laughs, the chaos, the absurdity - whatever floats your boat. But don’t make the mistake of hoping for a satisfying payoff. Drop it whenever you feel like it, guilt-free. That’s that.

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Yearning for Better Endings

The drama started off on a great note.. Their first meeting being chaotic again.. I thought this season would include some thriller elements but it didn't.. I dont remember why i even thought that..

This season started off with their reunion scene but it just didnt feel right.. FL clearly saw him when she kicked his ass in that room.. But she didn't recognise him?? She had to watch the cctv footage to finally realize who he was?? Just didn't make any sense to me..

Bae Hyeon Seong really surprised me with how good he was.. I am equally impressed by the scripts he chooses or are chosen for him.. Throughout this drama he was outstanding..

Another Flaw.. The Detective who was supposed to be following him only found him after the accident.. Where was she before that?? There was no way for her to find him so quickly if she was not already following him.. And she knew about the abandoned building as well.. That's another stupid mistake..
One more.. After escaping from the cops he went straight to his house.. I mean are the police stupid enough to ignore the house of an escaped suspect?? Seriously?? Shouldn't that be the first place they secured?? He was there for over an hour easily.. And then the detective.. She came alone?? To look for an escaped suspect?? And then all at once nobody cared about him and his connections to the assault and murder cases??
If I’m going to nitpick.. There were several flaws.. Compared to season 1, this season had a lot more mistakes..

In season 1 I felt she should have killed Kato instead of Ichiro.. If she had done that.. Maeda wouldnt have been able to build this empire or even be alive for that matter.. Well.. I suppose they wouldnt have had enough material for another season if that had happened..

" Do you know why hell is a dreadful place??
Because it never ends..
He and I couldn't be friends.. So I decided to become his hell instead.. "

Claudia Kim's back again.. Another powerful performance in her brief screentime.. She really was obsessed with the Jang Tae Sang.. And i dont know why her character is listed as Guest role in MDL.. She had support role.. More screen time and impact than typical guest role..

In Season 1, both Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee didnt outshine each other in terms of their performances.. They were equally good.. But season 2, Park Seo Joon truly outshines everyone..

" I don't remember when but everything started to fade away..
Why I'd been fighting, What I'd been fighting for, And even my rage..
I couldn't overcome a certain yearning..
I existed but I wasn't living.. I missed her.. All I wanted was to see her..
I wanted to embrace her and hold on to her..
Just once would be enough if it meant I could see you.. If it meant I could hold you "

Ep 5 was simply the best episode of the season.. The yearning.. The fighting.. The emotions.. Just incredible..

Something I noticed in the first season is that the creatures were influenced from The Stranger Things but chose to ignore it because it wasnt too obvious.. But this season they made it too obvious and evident that it was heavily influenced..

I was really disappointed at the fact that they didnt show us how she ended up in that river with shenshin at the end of season 1?? They should have addressed it this season because it clearly doesn’t make any sense.. I am still curious..

I am not satisfied with the conclusion.. After 69 years of yearning.. They are separated again?? If there is another season.. I might change my rating for Season 2 to an 8.5.. But for now it just doesn’t feel right.. Kdrama writers continue to falter with their endings.. Season 1 was definitely better..

Overall Season 2 had its moments.. It ultimately fell short of expectations.. Particularly in its ending.. The follow up seasons of dramas are supposed to tie up the loose ends but this just leaves me with more questions than answers.. I Hope there is another season..

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A lot loved it, me, not so much

After all the hype, I thought I'd give this one a try. I'll be honest, I have difficulty watching shows about mental illness, but I especially have a hard time watching shows in which mental illness is not addressed. I felt that either the writers really dropped the ball on this, or just grabbed onto something that would further the storyline.

The cinematography was beautiful. I loved the different camera angles, looking up, looking down, etc. Costuming was lovely, especially for Seo Ye Ji (think IU in Hotel Del Luna).

Oh Jung Tae as Moon Sang Tae - his portrayal of autism was wonderful, even down to the smallest movements of his fingers. I don't follow Korean award shows, but he deserves an award for his performance.

Kim Soo Hyun as Moon Gang Tae - his performance was very understated and powerful. There were times that I could almost feel his exhaustion with his life. His love for his brother was lovely to watch. As an actor Kim Soo Hyun tends to always play parts where he doesn't have much facial expression, and this time it really worked for him. He was able to convey so much with just his eyes, and when he cries? My breaking heart!

Here's where my problem with the show came in: Seo Ye Ji as Ko Moon Young. They allude to antisocial personality disorder, but I didn't find anything redeeming about her character, and she wasn't able to bring anything to the table to make her likeable. She was displaying classic sociopathic tendencies ("I want that") that were very scary. I get that we are all broken in some way, but I didn't buy that he could love someone that messed up, especially with the all-consuming job of being responsible for his brother. When she got the haircut, I think that's when we were supposed to see a change in her, but by that point I wasn't able to get back from my dislike. What about counseling? What about medication?

The twist with the mom was interesting, but very implausible.

I did like the ending, and I liked how the autistic brother was able to bring so much to the table to build a family with the other two.

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Short and sweet!

Aww it was such a pleasant and heartwarming story that there's a still on my face as I just finished it and here to write review so I can convey my emotions properly. It was short in time but not in content, in just 8 episodes of mare 16-20 minutes give you a lot pleasure it's short but properly executed, the cinematography, acting and the music is topnotch.

You explore a lot, in every episode you see a different story, different emotion and it's very interesting and fun too watch, I won't spoil you anything but I can definitely assure you that you'll enjoy every minute because of it's uniqueness . So it's great watch I had great time, you won't regret it watching....

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Fun Watch, Bad Writing

Was this series easy to watch and have great chemistry? Yes. Was the writing good and did I like the characters? No.

This series was really entertaining if you just turn off your brain and watch without thinking much but the second you sit down with it, you realize how toxic many parts of this was.

I hate most of the time when people say stuff like this, but if Pat was a man she would have been the villain of the story because she was SOOO TOXIC and OBSESSIVE to an unhealthy level. Her character was one of the main flaws of this series but somehow I still rooted for her? So maybe that's an issue on my part lmao.

Pat was also horrible with boundaries and some of her advances came off very creepy and bordered on SA. I also don't understand why GL series still have characters kissing the other when the other is almost black-out drunk, it's 2025, we can do better.

You also couldn't pay me to care about any of the side characters, especially Nam. I was so close to dropping this series at one point because Nam wouldn't leave Pat & Prem alone and it was just getting repetitive and annoying.

However, I would recommend watching this series to most GL watchers just because of how entertaining it was. Despite my complaints, I was sat every week for this mess and I feel like this would be a very easy binge. Also the leads had great chemistry and I hope to see them in a future series with better writing.

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This turned out to be a big dissapointment. I have to say that I really love the idea of the Joalert. Before it was aired, when I read the plot I thought that it was indeed a cool idea and that it would be a great drama. I was thinking that the love alert would have many paths to take( you could make a romantic story or go from romantic to something really fucked up). Indeed, they do throw in some protests or mass suicide or a rapist but they were just a few seconds from a long time of basically nohing.
I see no sense in Jo Jo s family story and trauma. It s true that I haven t seen until now in a drama a kid that survived that kind of a thing but, again, it had almost no connection with the story. Scenes must mesh together but in Love Alarm they are like different stories put blindly together. The evil cousin and aunt, her difficulties and how the cousin kept saying that she killed her parents were ABSURD.
How Sun Oh stole, really stole his best friend s crush was a really bad move, it s hard to love him after he did that as a character. He s lucky that he is better looking so it makes you forget how childish and unacceptable his actions are. I understand a love triangle but that usually happens after each guy crushes on the girl but kinda not knowing about the other or they are enemies. In the end only they fight over her. Here? As soon as he hears about Hye Young s crush, Sun Oh goes immediately and kisses her because??? On what basis did he fall for her? He didn t for fuck s sake. It s something that leaves you stupid. Like what the hell did just happen?
What s the purpose of the scene where after the accident she couldn t contact him and went to his house and everything? I found it useless. Just time lost that could ve been replaced with some full of sense scenes. And after that the breakup. Why? Why?? Jesus.
I really liked Deok Goo though.
Another thing is the 8 episode release. Again. Why? Can t we have it the old kdrama way with 16/ 20 or whatever? I really hate the Netflix involvement here.
In conclusion this is bad. Really bad. I m not sure if I ll watch the sequel (if there will be one). God, I m so upset over it

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highly overrated

First, I don't like that every couple in a BL has to be BL couple... How stupid is that?
Second, the last two episodes are extremly rushed. While 8-parters are nice to binch-watch, they do nothing if the story does not fit.
I did not read the webtoon, so I can only review what I saw.
And the story is a mess and unbelievable. Only Ji Ho Geun and Kim Jung Ha made me believe in their characters. From bully to lover was unblievable as well in just one episode and to cast an idol for a main role was just a financial decision.
The last two episodes where rushed as f, for a better understanding at least four episodes have been needed,.

While the premise of the show started strong, the story falls of a cliff. The kisses shown were mostly just touching lips which is lame. "Song Joo Ha" could have kissed on the cheek to convey his feelings. A kiss on the lips would have not been needed, but maybe the director/writers thought the do need fan-service.. Also Han Tae Yi forcing himself was a stupid thing to do, especially when he does have feelings for Seo Do Yoon. While the first six episodes are ok, the last two are a total mess. Song Han Gyeom looks "gay" -(but which idol doesn't?), he does not fit his role at all. Sometimes you can feel he tries but his own personality is in stark contrast to his role and he does not manage to do it. With all the 10 ratings of several people I think they are fans of eyecandy but not thinking about the story which is maybe because our world gets more and more superficial. And to make all couples gay in a BL, is not what a good story needs. If they had only focused on only one couple the eight episodes might have fit. For me this series is disappointing especially because the first two episodes are the best and the last two are the worst.

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I stumbled across this show on Youtube and I have to say, it's scary how well Youtube knows me ...

I absolutely adore this show! In the beginning it felt very much like the stereotypical Asian young-love-drama (e.g. how the two protagonists meet), however, it's done in such an over-the-top way that it's ironic and funny again.

The story is very light-hearted with almost no drama, and definitely no melodrama. The characters are well designed and wonderfully flawed - all of them. Even the male lead (who often is portrayed as flawlessly perfect in dramas) has a number of weaknesses that are believable. Sure, some of those are a bit cliché (the anti-social science genius with an 187 IQ but no idea who the Four Heavenly Kings are; neither in mythology nor pop-culture), but it's still done in a fun and adorable way. A great part of the show is actually about Gu Weiyi trying to eradicate his weaknesses in secret in order to appear cooler and more appealing to Situ Mo. These are often shown in little extra scenes at the end of (almost) each episode and are absolutely fun to watch.

I had a few miniscule issues with the show though, the biggest one being the portrayal of the rigid and overall nasty "Haigui" (=Chin. slang for people who return to China after studying abroad). According to most C-dramas, Haiguis are usually arrogant and aloof. Since I've seen this so often I guess there must be an iota of truth behind this stereotype, though I believe if you're an arrogant Haigui you probably were arrogant before going abroad ... The level of rigidness the Haigui in this drama displays tops even the infamous German rigidness - take it from a GBC ;)

Oh, and lights ... I've seen way worse, but still: PLEASE TURN OFF THE LIGHTS WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM! And if you're working at a laptop, and all the overhead lights are on already, do you really need to turn on another desk lamp? #SaveTheEnviroment

Sorry, I got side-tracked ... Here are my top 3 reasons why I recommend this show:
3. All characters are well-crafted and have their individual flaws that they try to overcome, which makes them all the more loveable and relatable. And like in real-life, there are no cartoonish evil people.
2. Since I am horrible at detecting on-screen chemistries, I'll say this instead: the two lead actors work very well together and are visually a cute couple. What's also great is the way they used some of these actors' features like the immense difference in height between the two for comic relief.
1. It has one of the funniest love-confessions I've seen so far, although you'll have to wait till EP 11.

Wow, I wrote way more than I intended ... if you made it this far, THANK YOU very much for reading! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get a Roomba and name it Yuanyuan (find out in EP 7).

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