Reviews

I am so glad that I decided to watch this drama. I initially ignored it, because of my indifference to baseball, but high reviews won me over, and I slowly fell completely in love with it.

There are plenty of dramas about bffs falling in love, or how living together can turn into romance. The premise itself is pretty standard, but unlike other dramas that I've seen, this one doesn't just jump from strictly platonic to romantic love with a sudden revelation & a kiss. This one explores all the complicated in betweens, and conflicting/confusing emotions, that can come up when a relationship changes from friendship to possible romance. There are also no scheming exes, malevolent parents, debilitating diseases, social class barriers, or major "scandals" thrown in to add more excitement to the drama. It doesn't need any of that. Lee Jung Jin & Soo Ae's performances alone are enough to keep the story exciting. There is also a great supporting cast with interesting love (or lack of love) stories of their own, and a great overall theme about maturing into adulthood.

Maybe the fact that I've had a similar opposite sex friendship plays a role, but Hyung Tae and Nan Hee relationship really resonated with me, plus they had great chemistry. This drama took it's time realistically portraying their close friendship, and they are also had their own separate romantic storylines, which made the pace a little slower than a typical Kdrama romcom. I thought the slower pacing was perfect for telling this kind of story, and lots of humor kept it from feeling like it was ever dragging. It also helped to build anticipation. I honestly enjoyed every episode.

There were a few parts of the story that I think could have been handled a little better, but I think the writers did a really good job juggling different stories without losing focus on the main couple. I think the only weak character was Sung Ah, who after being mentioned so often in the drama, should have had a bigger presence when she finally appeared. I know she was meant to be portrayed as an outsider, but compared to the rest of the cast, her character bored me.

I also have to mention how weird it was to see a young Lee Tae Sung in this after seeing him recently in Rooftop Prince. It makes me appreciate his acting range, considering how different each role I've seen him play has been. He's a real sweetheart as Jung Joo, Nan Hee's much younger boyfriend. His character is the only one that really has anything to do with baseball, so this should not be thought of as a sports drama. Baseball is just used as a metaphor for relationships in a way that kinda reminded me of the movie "Love & Basketball". You don't have to like baseball to appreciate this drama.

Overall, "9 End 2 Outs" was a pleasant surprise, and I will definitely rewatch it. With all the cliché drama romcoms out there, this one certainly stands out. It's funny, and touching (though not a tearjerker), and I highly recommend it to anyone in the mood to watch a good romance unfold.

*I swear I didn't give this mostly "9"s on purpose : )

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Well I have seen this for almost a year now....but I recently stumbled a tribute video about this movie on youtube, I thought at first it was an ok movie but when I watched it again My rating goes higher.

How many of you guys Jdrama lovers who just thought of one day you walk away from home go to other places where theres no one that know you? well Im one of those, actually watching drama is just my one way of escaping reality.

The story is about a girl who just came out of prison and being like that is not a good thing specially in japan, you will be treated different and not just you but also your family.....she just felt nobody understand her and she's just a burden so she left, making one million yen in each places she goes then repeat the process again and again.

Its a relaxing movie to watch, the scenery is great from beach to farm to shopping district. There are moments where there are no background music and all you can hear is sounds....waves, wind, walking etc. so yes its one of those slow japanese movie so its not for everyone.

Two main actors I like are in this movie aoi yu and moriyama....IMO these two actors are the best showing emotions without talking and aoi yu for me is the female moriyama LOL. This movie has open ending...and I really like open ending in a movie, cause with that we have our own interpretation so our attachment to the film will continue even after the ending credits and this movie has a great ending credits song that really embodies what a ending credits song/music is suppose to be, which should bring the feels that summarize what you just watch. THE FINAL KICK!!!

Check my Blog for other reviews & other JDramas stuffs. (｡◕‿‿◕｡)
https://thatjapanesedramaguy.blogspot.com/

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An under rated drama with interesting storyline

This has some romance but it is very discreet and more to do with a girl named Chun Tumi’s journey to become a litigator in ancient times. The production is actually quite good as it looks to be low to mid budget.
There are humorous moments but what kept me interested is the logical way Tumi argued her way out of difficult ancient court proceedings and upheld the law for the common folks .
The storyline is devoid of troopey characters ( a big plus) and the storyline is interesting.
Originally I started watching because I really like Fan Zhi Xin in “The lethal man”! Want to check him out in a period drama.
He was simply outstanding in that short drama. His two co stars here Jun Jie and Sabrina Zhuang made the story came alive.

The attraction is the storyline and also decent directing. Even though there are no kiss scenes ; somehow the romance came through and seemed ok for this drama. I would like a Season 2 to wrap up and progress the romance between main CP.

The bromance between Lord Han and Lord Kang is quite heart warming. It has been awhile since I enjoyed a low keyed romance drama! Enjoy and I would recommend this for anyone looking for something different from your normal rom-com.

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This one is a dark, painful movie with two story arcs that interconnects one another. The first, which is the main story that moves the entire show, is a forbidden relation between a highschooler and a housewife who can't have children naturally. You might've think that they do it for the sake of the housewife to bear her a child, but there are more intricate story beneath it. The second, which is not as interesting and more painful to watch - not because of poor production but more to the fate of the character, is about the highschooler's friend whose his life impacted by the relationship.

This movie contains explicit sexual intercourse in some parts, so for those who can't take it are advised to stay away from this show.

The first part is an awesome demonstration of storytelling that enough to warrant it a score of 9. Some may find it confusing with non-linear story line structure, but I find itself better at explaining what happened. While the first is really good, the second falls behind due to abrupt changes from the first arc without good transition in between. It also gets bogged down by meandering and too depressing story of the hardship the character (Fukuda) has to suffer. After Fukuda's problem is solved, the story shifts again to the highschooler storyline, much to provide him a solid conclusion, when he gets a motivation to move on out of the mess he left behind.

About the acting, some actors stand out while others are not bad. The actress playing the housewife deserves an accolade for her awesome emotional play, from vivacious to destroyed, fouled up person only in single character. Nagayama, who played as the highschooler, might be a bit too old but it was impossible to cast an underage actor to play the role. He once again proves that he is talented and very underrated.

The music serves the story pretty well but it doesn't stand out. I found that rating the overall score of this movie is hard because of its uneven technical accomplishment, leaning between 7 and 8. However, I finally settled with another low-end 8, pretty good overall but not that good either.

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When I finished this drama…I cried a lot. This drama is based on a REAL STORY and words can't express how sad it was. The entire cast were GREAT. Yamada Ryosuke (Sasaki Ryohei) did a very good job! He is so talented and this drama proved it!! Also I really loved Yasuda Nurumi (Moeko) ’s interpretation! all the actors seemed really a family, the atmosphere was really touching and familiar! But I think that one of the main POINTS of this drama was the masterful interpretation by Yamada. He impressed me a lot!
And another important point is THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Ryohei's family is strong and united. No matter what, in every situation Mom, Dad and brothers were beside him and supported him!
Ryohei's friends are normal guys who admire Ryohei. but when he starts to feel bad, they lose the right path. They feel insecure and powerless. But thanks to the strong bond between them and Ryohei, they will be able to overcome their fears and help Ryohei to pass his time serenely.
There isn’t any OST in this drama, but the background music is appreciable.
I really recommend this drama. And prepare your handkerchiefs, guys.

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An all round ambitious work. (However, 'beautiful' is different...)

"Three Sisters" has won numerous international awards. 12 to be precise. But I'll say it right away: it's overall rather painful to look at. It's even painful to the point. Again and again. So true-to-life that it even hurts some more. Some might seem crass being focused that intensely. But at the same time it's not that crass, actually. It is the normality shining through behind the story, that is almost the most painful part of this KMovie.

Three sisters, each in their unique way coping and trying to live with the pain that forces their souls into a corset from which they don't know how to free themselves. They live with their trauma. Are alone, captured within their traumatic past. They don't talk about their trauma. They are emotionally rather surviving than actually feeling alive. They are still trapped in their unresolved past today, because they don't recognize or acknowledge the corset as such. But as long as that doesn't happen, they can't put it off and thus learn to approach life, experience life without a corset...

Haunting portraits of women! So intense that the pain reaches the audience, as vicarious emotion so to speak. Fantastic actresses. An excellent KMovie in all aspects... lighting, scene, shot, cut, etc. too... An all round ambitious work. (However, 'beautiful' is different...) About a topic that is one worldwide. About a topic that is also a big one in South Korea with such a strong patriarchic family hierarchy. A trauma that far too many people on this earth learn to endure. Have to cope with one way or another. Suffer from for the rest of their lives. Being ashamed of it. Yet, actually rather being ashamed of themselves. Because they can't explain the incomprehensible in any other way. Thus they remain trapped in the ineffable.

No movie for every mood.
Yet, when the time is right, then definitely worth it.





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Spoiler alert:
Here the unspeakable is spoken out at last. There is an unexpected showdown that has it all. Something that is liberating. Yes, it hurts, again – just like cold fingers starting to feel the warmth… True enough, healing is a process. (Life hardly becomes smooth&easy overnight.)
Acknowledging the corset. That is the first step. Feeling it, joggling it. This is the next step. Then get on the trail of your own feelings. Find some expression for it. Surrender to your vita and what you sur-vived so far. Let go of the corset, by now being grown and old enough to stand by your side. Grab your inner child´s hand and allow yourself to be who you are, embracing the feelings you have. All of them. The anger, helplessness and desperation, too. Be proud of who you are. Daring, step ahead. Longing to be. Being free to be. Being palpable. Being. Sharing. Communicating... giving life a second chance...

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A soulful & powerful drama. Just beautiful.

Let's talk about the casts with their characters first.
- Namtarn successfully played Ginney, a compilation of annoying yet adorable character lol. Lazy, hotheaded, talkative, complains, loud, aggressive. But her sincerity & pure heart wins my heart. One of the most memorable moment is when she has another chance for job, & a huge one, & when Fiat tells her it'll be on the night of the blood moon, she's that excited! Excited to help Tet to switch back, instead of accepting the job!! This short scene is just WOW, shows us how selfless she is. Anyway, i won't forget her style of sleeping, eating, & going upstairs. It's faaaar away from being an elegant lady, but it's really Ginney's style! So natural, lol.
- Alek successfully played Wat & Tet. Seeing Alek as Wat is really disgusting, but when he becomes Tet, it's like the beast turns into a charming prince, a prince that lives a helly life. Yes, his frustrated expressions are just wow. I also like his way of crying. One of the best moment of him is when Ginney is at hospital after shot. How he's upset that much to Wat, and worried that much to the point he cried silently, his emotions stand out! Alek did an excellent job for this.
- Also great job for Krating. A handsome, charming, calm Tet turns into wild Wat, the only bastard among all. But.. Surprisingly there are some things i like about him. His way to confront K'Thanapob & Dr Sunai with harsh words (but right to the point) & gestures is so effective that it's able to 'wake them up' from their wrongdoings. Also his gradual changes to be a better guy. When he's growling, deep down inside he doesn't like something but he realizes he HAS TO DO that for the sake of others. Here he learns a lot about thinking of other people. Another thing, all this time Kul (who used to think him as Tet) take a really good care of him. And when Ginney's at hospital, he finally realizes about what Ginney & Tet do to each other. That's love. He learns about love and sincerity from Kul, Ginney, Tet.
- Bua is perfect to play Kul, a woman with strong will, principal, smart, calm. I agree that her way in rejecting Tet's proposal is too straightforward in front of many people, but i also agree with her saying 'love isn't enough'. Yes, in reality, to make a relationship lasts long, it doesn't need love alone, it also needs trust, commitment, communication, etc. I also love her way in treating Wat, firm, fierce in elegant way, lol. But this effectively makes Wat obey her in EVERYTHING.

Now let's talk about love stories among them, i like it all, except for Ginney-Wat of course, he's just ungrateful for everything she did. Seeing them is stressful, hopeless, like no bright future for them.
- Ginney-Tet. I already loved them since the beginning when Tet's still cold. It's just funny seeing her being aggressive towards him & he looks shocked, awkward. Also when she's lazy to do everything and he's strict to her to do everything instead, lol. The development of their feelings are that natural, flowy. The chemistry of them whether in lovey dovey scenes, funny, or bickering ones works very very well!!! I also love how they fulfill the needs of each other naturally. I'm melted watching the last eps when Tet smiles that brightly to Ginney. He's that happy with her. OMG, every scene of them gives me goosebumps. Hats off for Alek-Namtarn. Oh, also, my most fav kissing scene of them: when they're rehearsing the drama & when she gives cake to him. It's that emotional & deep.
- Tet-Kul. Although they're separated in the end, i love how they end it realistically. It's not simply bcoz of Ginney. But started from Ginney, Kul gradually rethinks about her relationship with Tet, rethinks about how other people see Tet-Kul as couple. Tet learns about it either. I also like how Wat sees Tet-Kul relationship, that they're too similar, so no one will give in.
- Kul-Wat. They started it bad, Wat has deceived Kul at first, but after some of agreement between them, Kul can see & feel that Wat can do certain things that Tet can't do: listen to her for everything, not to force her or manage her life. Combined with her knowing him living a pity past & seeing him gradually change to be better, Kul finally feels sure that Wat is the right one for him. She hasn't loved him deeply yet, but she's sure she will. From this, we can see that when she meets someone that's right for her, although just for months, although not deeply in love yet, she'll be ready to live the rest of her life with him.

Overall, love the whole storyline, great! The body swap doesn't stand alone, but it leads us to other conflicts: family, birth secret, love life, drugs, etc. Yet this body swap is also destined to solve all those problems. All are connected, well written.
Also love the ending. Some people might think it's a bit draggy. But i'm glad they make everyone comes to an understanding. Everything is clear between Ginney-Kul, Kul-Tet, Thanapob-Wat-Tet, Sunai-Wat-Tet, Thitiya-Sunai, Thitiya-Wat-Tet. It's a happy ending for everyone.
Thanks for the production team for making such great lakorn. The cast itself is already great! Plus they explore the emotion of every character, combined with good lighting, atmosphere, backsound, deep dialogues. They make emotional scenes more energetic, but in elegant way, not too much as i've seen in a melodrama.
About switching body back or not, it can be realistic for both decision. And i agree with their mom. Intendedly crashing towards each other doesn't guarantee they'll back to their bodies. It can lead them to death instead. Just accept the fate. However, i'm wondering if they switch back, curious to see Krating with Namtarn. But actually their chemistry is also good as Ginney&Wat when fighting each other, lol.
However there are some questions for me, but other reviews & comments have already told it. And i don't really mind.
Oh, special credit for the wedding video&photo. I didn't think they'd put it after the last scene. Seriously, it looks REAL, like seeing Alek-Namtarn & Krating-Bua's marriage. Watching them talking in that video is just like they're talking in real life.

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Frustrating watch with a lot of Bitterness and only a drop of Sweetness

Subjective Gut Rating: 6.75

Wow.. this is a frustrating watch. It’s called “Bittersweet Love” but it’s full of bitterness with only a drop of sweetness. I don't even know why I did not drop this drama. It’s like I was hate-watching it. The episodes are around 30-35 minutes, so they are not too long that I can’t tolerate.

When you read the synopsis, the drama sounds quite interesting, but also feels like the plot of a vertical drama. Nonetheless, Xiao Fan is forced to marry into the rich and powerful Bei family and ends up being the secret lover of his brother-in-law. Sounds fun right? Wait till you get to know these characters.

First of all, our lead main character, Lu Xiao Fan. He’s the biggest damsel-in-distress, pushover and doormat. You see where this is going, right? He’s so frustrating to watch that I just want to slap him and wake him up. Grow a backbone already! I can’t spend 8 episodes seeing him moping around with the same sorry and weepy face. Yes, he is unloved by his family, and was forced into a very difficult situation. But still, the writing could have been better to show some progression and growth in his character. But no, he’s frustrating all the way until the end when he magically becomes the smartest guy out there.

The other male lead, Bei Lu Qing, is the rich and cool guy on the block. He’s rich, powerful and intelligent. He is always scheming and many steps ahead of everyone. He’s hot too, but he’s just as frustrating. The narrator doesn’t go into Lu Qing’s inner thoughts and there are no inner dialogs. Therefore, all we see is him trying to do little things behind-the-scenes for Xiao Fan, and never verbalizing it. It’s not like he’s so shy that he can’t speak up. He just chose not to. The drama could have spent a little more time on his struggles on dating a guy and the control his family had on him. That would have given us some plot. But it’s just a casual afterthought. This paints a bad light on him, as he just seems uncaring and emotionless.

The lead’s main relationship is based on miscommunication, or no communication, and lust. Why Lu Qing fell for a weepy boy like Xiao Fan is beyond me. Is it because he’s cute? Is it because he just wants to have an urge to protect a sad puppy? On the other hand, does Xiao Fan even like Lu Qing? Is it just a reaction to someone who threw him a bone and showered him with just a little attention? Are they just obsessed with each other but there’s no love in their relationship? I don’t mind having all these questions in the first half of the drama, but eventually, by ep 12, I should know, right? Did I miss it? When they are lusting over each other, the sexual tension was good. Their kisses aren’t bad either, but could go a little further.

Additionally, there are so many irritating, annoying and hateful characters in this drama. My friend commented “Bittersweet Love” is like a Chinese lakorn. She’s so right. This drama is full of evil family members. Xiao Fan’s family treats him like dirt and only uses him for their own benefit. Sure, most poor families in China are like that. It’s how real life forces you to make those decisions, but that doesn’t make the drama enjoyable.

I enjoy a dark and angsty drama with a toxic romance. I thought this would deliver as it has an interesting premise. But the writing is lacking. I never read the novel but I felt that the novel must have dived into many of my questions and criticisms and give a better description.

I see many highly rated reviews for “Bittersweet Love” and unfortunately, mine is not one of them. Maybe it’s just a ‘me’ problem that this drama just doesn’t do it for me. Maybe I am not analyzing this drama correctly and am being superficial. Whatever it is, this can either be a frustrating watch or a very enjoyable dark and angsty one for you.



Drama Completed: 8/16/2026 Review #713

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Why can't we all have the love we think we deserve without judgement

Just freshly off watching it; I'm writing this with the feelings still in my heart. The story will break your heart to pieces, seeing Jia-han and Wang Po-te(Birdy) struggle with their feelings in a world where their love was just seen as a sin; As we see with a builled boy for liking boys and police going after a harmless man fighting for his right to just be. A great example of right person, wrong time.
The acting was amazing; They had me bawling my eyes out while feeling their pain and heart racing at their chemistry.
The music was also amazing, in fact I have 'Your Name Engraved Herein' on repeat as I write this in my feelings.
The movie was so good it had me wanting to go back and watch it all over again once it was done. One thing's for sure; Won't think of wǎn ān the same.

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So I'm watching Faith right now and I liked Kim Hee Sun in it so I wanted to see some of her past dramas. It also didn’t hurt that I like the 2 lead males in this and I know the 2nd female lead from other projects…

Story: I wouldn’t call this a melodrama but its not a romcom either. There are a ton of light moments (due to the softball team’s antics), heavy angst mix with tears (romance), evil doings (2nd female lead), bromance turned rivalry in business and love (both male leads), and some new plot developments within the last episode. While I thought this was well written (not that predictable and never boring), some impatient people might be turned off by the slow pacing.

Acting/Cast: Both female leads had more to work with acting wise and they had to bring on the tears and also experienced mood changes. I like Yoon Se Ah because she does play a lot of evil characters in most of her dramas but she has a way of making you feel sympathetic for her as well. For the 2 male leads I like their acting styles cause their kind of laid back. They both had chemistry with Kim Hee Sun and honestly I would have been fine with either of them ending up with her in the end.

Music: It was all over the place and sometimes I didn’t understand why they chose the score for certain scenes but I thought everything was pleasant to listen to while watching the drama.

Rewatch: This was a very easy watch that I breezed through so its something I would consider watching again but not for a while cause the plot wasn't that exciting.

Overall Smile Again is a more realistic sports drama mixed with a bit of basic drama elements.

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