Reviews

“Even if you failed yesterday, even if you crumbled today, another tomorrow awaits us”

And we did crumble so many times watching this show - all the tears, all the frustration, all the healing after. This show is a long journey and even though at times exhausting, it’s so worth it.

What I really loved about Mental Coach Jegal was the complexity of the characters. The flaws were not just random setbacks - they all had a solid explanation and served as an amazing character development arc. I liked how the show kept reminding us that what we see is neither the beginning nor the end of their journey - they had their own struggles in the past, they have their own motivations for the future, and what we see is just the present self that keeps changing.

It’s like that for Je Gal Kil,Cha Ga Eul, Park Seung Ha, Lee Moo Gyul. There is more to these characters than we initially think. I honestly enjoyed the majority of them from the start, and even Goo Tae Man was impossible to hate.

That said, the character I found difficult to accept at first was Park Seung Ha. I honestly found her more unlikable than the bad guys themselves. It was too hard to ignore the lack of professionalism in her previous conduct in her professional life. The drama is magical though, and I started to appreciate her more and more as the story progressed, and her past actions, while not excused, were explained in a way that I could move on and see her for who she was - a flawed human being, like the rest of the characters.

I think that's the overall positive aspect of the drama - it's rich in different contexts and (both internal and external) factors that influence the characters, and the solution is not easy to find, since no one solution can solve all the problems.

Then we had the villains and antagonists - some better, some worse. I feel like the main villain was underwhelming in terms of the lack of depth. With all the characters being so complex, he just did not fit that picture. As if the last stroke of the brush in a masterpiece was done by a 5 year old child.

Then we have Oh Dal Sung - trash, the truest cockroach of kdramas. At some point I was not even frustrated or angry about his character, I was just tired. I wonder if there was any other way to deal with his story without hurting the overall quality of the plot and other characters’ arcs…

That said, for a show that is focused so much on the internal fights and struggles within the characters’ mentality and approach, the writers did quite a good job with presenting the villains that overall did match the plot and pacing. Although some were more of a plot device, not individual characters, I still found a certain value in the way they were written.

About writing - I don't think I've ever watched a drama where I really wanted to write the quotes down. I’m more of an “appreciating in the moment and moving forward” type of person, but here - the narrations and dialogues were so well written I just had to pause the scene many times and type down the words to share with others. They just hit all the right spots and were relatable on an indescribable level.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵. 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦.”

Big picture wise, Mental Coach Jegal addresses many important issues, both specific to the sport related environment, but also the things everyone can experience in their lives. I am amazed how they managed to make it all logical and have a significant impact on the plot and the characters. Without going into any details, the various traumas and issues the characters had to face, different ways they all dealt with them, whenever victims have any responsibility in what happened to them and how they should or should not handle the aftermath, the lack of support, inadequate support, shame, psychological issues - there are so many themes and topics it’s impossible to write them all down. And I honestly feel like the majority of them were dealt with proper respect and maturity from the writers.

To the acting. Jung Woo is a master of chemistry. He truly made a perfect team with each and every character. There was not one interaction he had that felt boring or flat. He could talk to a tree and I would find it the most entertaining thing ever. Him and Kwon Yool are a duo I will miss for weeks. The way he found a perfect balance between the comedy and seriousness, how Jegal was both eccentric and relatable. I am truly amazed.

I expected a phenomenal performance from Lee Yoo Mi and it is what I’ve got. I started the show because of her and I was not disappointed. She perfectly embodied the idea of someone being both vulnerable and strong.

All the rest of the cast did an incredible job. I cannot think of one performance or scene that was lacking in any aspect.

The production had a similar effect on me as the writing - I could not stop myself from screenshotting. I especially liked the use of the wide shots - they often looked like beautiful paintings.

All that said, the drama was not perfect, even if at times it felt like it is. Few things that could have been improved and can be seen as flaws.

First of all, Je Gal was introduced as a famous mental coach and writer. He was not a nobody, he was like a celebrity. But his fame was downplayed and non-existent after just a few episodes. I feel like him having rather high social status would be an issue for the plot to unfold the way it did, so that fact was just… ignored and removed from the equation.

Rather poorly done transition between the leading genres/plots. At first the show was more or less a sports slice of life with comedy. At some point it changed into a political drama with comedy, and that transition was not done smoothly. You can literally tell which episode is the turning point and it’s a clear cut deal. I did not mind where the plot went, it made sense. I was bothered with how it was executed.

Not utilizing enough “No gold medal” club. I feel like they either should have been even more in the background, or more prominent. They were neither the supporting characters, nor just a filler background - somewhere in the middle that I could not get attached enough to truly care about, but also not insignificant to just accept whatever happens to them. Since I loved each and every character in that group, I did wish we had seen more of them, especially in the middle part of the show.

Some questionable relationship developments I could do without. While they made sense character wise, I also felt like they were not truly needed plot wise. I could understand why they happened, but I also asked myself - did it have to happen?

To sum it up - it was not a perfect show, but for me it was close to perfection. By the end, I was so attached to the characters I honestly feared the day the show would end. I was not ready to say goodbyes.

I think a great show is not a perfect show, since these don’t exist, but one that makes you ignore/forget the flaws. They seem so insignificant compared to all the positive aspects, you just don’t mind them. Mental Coach Jegal did it for me. And I’m known for complaining about the most minor details ever. Mental Coach Jegal had some convenient solutions by the end, but I can’t bring myself to lower the rating, even if some aspects were not perfect in my book.

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the dream husband is getting married

I really enjoyed the first season of this show and understand it is not everyones cup of tea. Cutie Pie to you is a bite-sized drama to watch after the first season. It takes away all those traits you hate from the second season and sums it up into all the fluff and just a bit of angst that makes this watching experience more sweet than sour.

I am a fan of Zee and have been since his first drama, and man watching this makes me so happy for him. Zee is living the dream truly, his job is to act besides NuNew... NuNew is not only adorable, he is a rookie actor and has a calming voice and I can't hate him or his character. He stands as the cutest lead in BL for me, he can do no wrong.

Lian and Kuea are getting married and preparing but there are obstacles. In the end I know love will win and I am here for all of it. I can't really complain about a drama made for the fans that is giving us more of what we love. The only downside is that I feel that I am watching on some actual intimate moments between Zee and Nunew because they are a couple. Zee is so down bad for him, whenever he is in a scene with Nunew I sit there and thing "man, this guy is really good at acting". Whenever Zee looks at Nunuew he REALLY looks like he is in love, so that is why I must remind himself that he is. Lian is too good to be true, so that might be a sore spot. Lian is an actual perfect husband, through and through just watch the show. Lian wears suits all the time, he is so in love, he is a thriving man and I love to see it

I am anticipating their new drama to see the different roles they can do. Zee and Nunew can act in love but can they do the whole enemy to lover? I will wait anxiously to see. So far this drama Zee is so down bad in every way and I can't blame him.

I get the complaints about this being pointless. What were you people expecting from a special? It was created for them to get married and had the fluff that I desire so much. Again I will never complain for a series made for the fans, it didn’t waste my time. This drama isn’t anything amazing but it’s not offensive- it did it’s job and that’s why I rated it averagely.

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A masterpiece, not just among BL dramas."

I don't watch many BL dramas and have little experience with them, so I compare this one with other favorite Asian dramas : it's an excellent show and shouldn't be confined to the BL category. The acting is top, especially from the actor Up, who, for me, is a revelation in Asian cinema. The plot is also not overused—where else have you seen a main character, a Top one, who is in love with another for half the series (even in hetero dramas, the male lead rarely loves someone else)? There were some plot holes, and the acting of support characters was so-so, but the main couple and the love line between them is incredible, awesome and very captivating. The intimate scenes were top. Before this, I had watched more modest dramas, but I really liked everything here.
As for the plot: Ming is an abuser and far from a positive character, but I was rooting for him from start to finish. The actor outperformed his partner, or perhaps Poom's character was just more modest and had a less complex role.
Thank you production for this great and incredible show.

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If you are familiar with the Hong sisters you pretty much expect a decent amount of crazy weirdness but this drama definitely went above and beyond with insanity! Loosely based on the story Journey To The West it felt less like an epic adventure and more like a disaster film. Now don't get me wrong there are some pretty great things about this show that make it interesting and somewhat addictive but not enough to redeem all it's unusual faults. Suffering from a slew of production and broadcasting issues this drama is the poster child for why some shows need pre-produced!

Story: The main story line is a complete convoluted disaster. If it hadn't been for the interesting characters and addictive sub plots this drama would have flopped hard! As with most Hong sisters dramas the main story line is almost completely overshadowed by the romantic sub plots. This usually isn't an issue for a fluffy rom-com lover like myself but considering this is an adaptation it was very poorly executed. There is an abundance of plot holes and over use of prop gimmick instead of actual story and character development. The saving grace are the interesting/entertaining characters and romantic/comedic sub stories, something the Hong sisters do very well. There are also some pretty great ideas and moments scattered through the crazy mess of a story but as a whole the story never delivers in a satisfying way beginning to end!

Acting/Cast: This has to be one of the best cast dramas i've seen in awhile, and that is a complete shame! Instead of making use of the great talent at hand production chose instead to rely heavily on props and an assortment of unnecessary sfx to sell the story. There are probably a lot of people who have negative things to say about the actors based on the poor development of story and character instead of actual ability of the actors. I honestly think they did the very best in a bad situation.

Music: The best thing about this drama is definitely the soundtrack, it's great! I have several songs downloaded to my playlist and listen to them daily now. I highly recommend checking them out even if you decide to skip the show.

Re-watch value: Very low for me. If I do it will be with the help of my trust fast forward button to get to the sweet and fluffy stuff.

Overall: This drama is mostly disappointing for me. It started out plagued by production and broadcasting mishaps and just kept on skirting by week to week from there. I fully believe it has some really great thought behind it which could have made for an epic drama but the execution was just so lackluster. A drama like this truthfully should have been pre-produced instead of filming to broadcast due to the abundant amount of story complexity and special effects needed. I believe that much of the cringe worthy mediocrity of this show can be attributed to a "just to get by" attitude adopted from unrealistic production constraints. It has great characters and very memorable moments I'll not soon forget but the lack of real substance to the sweetness leaves you feeling unsatisfied, what a shame!

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Skip it till they make it.. or just watch the main couple

To little good to make up for the bad but oh what a romance... as this is another one of those dramas that is just so hard to rate as it offers some of dramalands greatest pebbles of romance while boring the viewers by giving away the couples screen time to boring workplace plots...

9⭐️ for it's main couple who have great chemistry, fun interactions that balance the line of depth and playfulness. Watching these two flirt is a pleasure for the eye and soul. Watching them communicate and use underlining meanings is pure magic and joy... They are human, they are fun, they have issues and we the viewers get to watch them grow and so on.

7⭐️ For to the friendships, and the way they show issues with other men, offering us some good and important lessons but then ruining them by not really seeing them through and making them fall flat. No to mention how gold diggers are portrayed and the whole conversation there it feels like they wanted to say something progressive but ended up making a mess and shaming a bunch of women...

4 ⭐️ For the workplace whatever plots, not very interesting and wasting my time... between the parts that I actually did want to watch.

So what can I say watch it for the romance but feel free to skip all the stuff in between it really just takes up space and is a waist of time.

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I loved this drama so much!!!!!! Season 2 was highly better as the previous one. I ship Eun Sol and Do Ji Han so please dear director make them to a couple in season 3! And if its about couples don't skip Jang Cheol with Seo Yeon ~ 10/10
I RECOMMEND SO MUCH!!
I feels like I've never seen better series than this before. I love Baek Beom he is so rude in a cute way. He's get out..... I love them ???? Dr. Jang never could eat his meal in this season. I don't know why others says that Sally is boring and annoying, I love her more than Stella! This season is more serious than first one and I appreciate it. Do Ji Han, Jang Cheol/K and Yang Soo Dong are my favorites. Love you Oh Man Suk and Minue ❤️

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Only Friends Dream On is pure emotional chaos and I loved every second of it

I went into Only Friends: Dream On expecting chaos, drama, and emotional damage… and somehow it still exceeded my expectations. This series really feels like a beautiful disaster in the best possible way. GMMTV took everything fans loved about the original Only Friends universe — messy relationships, toxic attraction, heartbreak, jealousy, and intense chemistry — and turned the emotional tension all the way up. What makes Dream On so addictive is that nobody is completely innocent. Every character is flawed, emotional, selfish, vulnerable, and painfully human. One moment you’re screaming at them for making terrible decisions, and the next moment you completely understand why they did it. The writing keeps you emotionally trapped because every relationship feels unpredictable. The chemistry between the cast is INSANE. EarthMix brought so much emotional weight to Jack and Dean — every scene between them feels loaded with unresolved feelings and history. Meanwhile, AouBoom and JossGawin added their own flavor of tension, longing, and heartbreak that made the entire friend group dynamic feel explosive. Nobody is safe in this show emotionally. I also loved the theater setting because it mirrors the characters perfectly: everyone is acting, hiding feelings, performing for others, and slowly falling apart behind the scenes. The “Romeo & Romeo” storyline was such a smart metaphor for doomed love and obsession. It made the emotional scenes hit even harder. And honestly? This series understands BL fans who enjoy emotionally messy stories. It’s dramatic, spicy, chaotic, frustrating, heartbreaking, and impossible to stop watching. Every episode leaves you stressed but desperate for the next one. That’s the magic of Only Friends: Dream On — it doesn’t try to give you perfect love; it gives you complicated love that feels dangerously real.
For me, this is one of those BLs that stays in your head long after the episode ends. A total emotional rollercoaster — toxic, tender, and unforgettable. 🔥

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This review and rating are only for the BL side story of Won Seok and Ho Dol

'Love With Flaws' is a rarity: a full-length Korean drama featuring a bonafide BL side story. The m/m relationship between 20-something Won Seok and uni student Ho Dol develops as a slow burn over the course of the 32 episodes, and it is only during the final episode that we learn that the two are actually a couple, but it's during that final episode that we also hear Won Seok's older brother use the word 'love' to describe how Won Seok feels about Ho Dol. They even get their own little happy ending during the montage that ends the series.

Generally speaking, 'Love With Flaws' is a romantic comedy, with the comedic element pitched at a level that might remind you of the American TV series 'Shameless'. Like in 'Shameless' the characters in 'Love With Flaws' are larger than life. Their behavior is often outrageous, but also like in 'Shameless' there are moments of drama and tenderness that stand out in bold relief against the humorous backdrop.

This is part of what makes the character of Won Seok particularly interesting. Won Seok is the gay middle brother of the female lead, and as 'Love With Flaws' progresses it turns out that he's the one exception to the outrageousness of the other characters. Throughout the series he's never held up for ridicule or embarrassment. In fact I can't recall any instance where Won Seok is placed in the kind of madcap situation that requires him to make a fool of himself -- something that every other major character does at some point (including Ho Dol). Won Seok is always taken seriously.

In the first episode we see that Won Seok's job is tending bar at an upscale gay lounge in the city. He and Ho Dol first meet when university student Ho Dol ventures into the establishment for the first time -- a rite of passage that many gay men will recognize from their own coming-out. Ho Dol is almost overwhelmingly nervous, and after Won Seok realizes what he's there for he serves him a beer at no charge and tells him to drink up and get lost. (Ho Dol ends up leaving money to pay for the beer anyway, but leaves the beer untouched.)

A few weeks later, when Won Seok's youngest brother needs a tutor for school, the tutor that the family hires turns out to be none other than Ho Dol. The surprise meeting between Won Seok and Ho Dol in Won Seok's home is played for laughs, with Ho Dol assuming that Won Seok's siblings don't know that he's gay and that Won Seok will want to get him fired as a tutor in order to keep his secret safe. By this point we've seen that the family actually does, in fact, know that Won Seok is gay, and that they have absolutely no problem with it. Ho Dol's misreading of the entire situation is handled with broad humor, but there's no denying that Won Seok doesn't help matters when his reaction to seeing Ho Dol on home territory is to remain cold and unapproachable. This only manages to feed Ho Dol's fear that Won Seok will be out to get him.

Things between them begin to change when another closeted gay uni student (who we've earlier seen pursuing Won Seok only to be rebuffed) spots Won Seok and Ho Dol together on campus. He mistakenly thinks that Won Seok is romantically interested in Ho Dol, and for revenge on the two of them he subjects Ho Dol to a cruel prank that results in some humiliating video footage of Ho Dol. The video gets posted online, outing Ho Dol to his fellow students and anyone else who happens to see it -- a list that eventually includes Ho Dol's family back home.

When the humiliated Ho Dol suddenly stops showing up to tutor Won Seok's younger brother, Won Seok goes back to the campus to confront him over leaving the job needlessly. He then follows Ho Dol to his lecture hall, where he sits with him and puts on a public display of behaving like his boyfriend. The ensuing scenes are particularly gratifying as Won Seok takes Ho Dol's side (literally) and afterward harshly confronts the closeted student who'd pranked him.

I won't give any details about the turn of events that ends up bringing Won Seok and Ho Dol closer, but suffice to say that the scenes that follow the campus confrontation provide Jang Yoo Sang (who plays Ho Dol) with the opportunity to show us that his acting chops aren't by any means limited to comedy.

Eventually we also learn of the dark moments that occurred during Won Soek's own coming out, and once this revelation occurs it puts much of his earlier behavior in perspective, including the stand-offish treatment he gives to Ho Dol at the outset. Perhaps Ho Dol reminds him too much of himself at a younger age, when he struggled with his own sexuality and made some very bad choices. After enduring so much and seeking to put all of the unpleasantness behind him, the sudden appearance of the confused and timid Ho Dol must have shaken him -- especially since the kid was turning up at both his place of employment and his home.

While Won Seok and Ho Dol do eventually end up in a relationship, I have to admit that when I first watched the series I didn't expect that to happen. I thought instead that Won Seok would end up mentoring Ho Dol as he finally meets someone at the university. Initially, of course, there was no relationship between Won Seok and Ho Dol at all, not even a friendship, and while this can be a starting point for the 'opposites attract' trope, what did manage to develop between them at first felt a lot like it had a 'big brother' vibe to it. Fortunately, the series does end up showing us the ways in which Ho Dol also makes a (very) profound difference in Won Seok's life. The underlying theme of redemption through love flows in both directions.

I've come this far without mentioning the untimely death of Cha In Ha, who plays Won Seok. In some ways it has ended up casting a tragic shadow over 'Love With Flaws', and I've wondered if this could be one of the reasons the series is not often mentioned when BL-friendly dramas are discussed. Cha In Ha's death occurred while 'Love With Flaws' was first airing, and at the time there was some speculation that the broadcast might be halted out of respect. I'm glad it wasn't. He is truly wonderful in the role of Won Seok, and this along with the fact that the role was part of a groundbreaking BL side story in a Kdrama makes 'Love With Flaws' a fitting memorial to his art and his humanity.

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After i read all the terrible comments on this series i was really not sure whether i should start this or not.
Since i am a big fan of Sports in series i had to give it a shot!.

Let me start about the cast which is totally build of new actors from which it is the first drama they made.The acting was So-So and you could clearly see that some of them are still lacking.

The story is about a player Kang-San who is struggling his ways trough the bad era to become a successful basketball player.In the very first episode its starting of pretty good and tempt you to watch more episodes.Right after the first episode its becoming insanely slow and very dramatic,so much that its clearly not only about basketball anymore but about powers of the japanese goverment.Finally after the first 4-5 episodes the ball starts rolling and you get some basketball action which where i was waiting for.It was a very short happy time i can tell you and it went back into the pace of Govermental powers and betrayal.In that part i was very dissapointed and this series lacks allot of sport action!
However it still became kinda interesting at some point and was worth to follow trough with it and also became kinda fun to watch from episode 5 on till the end i would say.I enjoyed it atleast.

The romance in this series isn't as bad as in the comments i read but WAYYYY TOO DRAMATIC! The people cry way to much and at some point you get really sick of the over dramatic reactions and that is then exxactly the point where the acting was not so good.Its really irritating when someone Talk-Stop-talk,wait3sec and talk again!.The first few times you wont notice this but at the end of the series you will get irritated a bit and just wanna skip that part.As end-result i would say its a bearable romance but i wouldn't wanna see more of it.

I'm not going to spoil any of the series and i wont but the ending! OMFG!
i dunnow whether you would call it an ending xD.So i would highly suggest you watch it yourself and decide upon it haha.
I know the series was cut-down to 18 episodes and would leave out some after-part,but they could have atleast putted some effort in finishing it of which they clearly didn't i am not sure whether they ever will continue this series or just leave it as it is.

Conclusion: For the people who cant decide to watch it yes or no? i would say just watch it because it ain't as bad as the people say and for sure have some enjoyable time in the series however if you are looking for hardcore basketball action just stay away from the series and try to watch a good sports-anime!.

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one of the few positive responses. i loved this drama A LOT!

Honestly, this drama DIDN'T disappoint. I have decently high expectations for dramas, and this drama was absolutely amazing for me. I found very little complaints, but I really enjoyed watching this drama. Never have I been SO obsessed with a drama before. I'm sure everyone has their own expectations and opinions though. I watched this drama because of my brother, he recommended it to me. I was supposed to watch it when it was done airing, but seems not. I never regret waiting for it to air or watching it before I was supposed to. I was instead, grateful that I decided to watch it.

The acting was absolutely amazing. Seo In Guk portrayed emptiness in Myul Mang before he met Tak Dong Kyung, and it just seemed like his world lit up when they started dating. He did it perfectly, from beginning to end. Park Bo Young also did a brilliant job, portraying a character with limited days left before she dies, who ends up making one of the biggest risk of her life. While Shin Do Hyun, Kang Tae Oh, and Lee Soo Hyuk didn't have as much screen time, they did a decent job. I liked Cha Joo Ik and Lee Hyun Gyu's brotherhood and Na Ji Na's relationship with Tak Dong Kyung's family.

The OSTs were out of this world. I liked every single one, from Part 1 to Part 7. They reached top tracks on my Spotify, and I guess that shows something. The music and sound effects were really nice. I liked how each song kind of showed a certain part of the drama. Breaking Down by Ailee showed when there was tension. Love Sight by TXT showed happiness and it played on their dates and sweet moments. U by Baekhyun played the more sad, sweet scenes. I Wanna Be With You by Gummy plays like U, sad and sweet scenes. All of My Love by Davichi is more towards happy scenes, where the couples are just together, enjoying their time. This is Love by Sondia plays during the 2nd lead scenes. Distant Fate by Seo In Guk has that really sad sound and I guess plays during the emotional scenes. But anyway, I really love the OSTs for this drama!

One complaint, yes I only have one. It is that the 2nd lead storyline is kind of poorly developed. Yes, Na Ji Na ends up with Cha Joo Ik in the end, but it was a little confusing. Maybe not confusing, but it could get boring at times. In the beginning, Na Ji Na really needed to get her feelings sorted out. The kind of jump with the love triangle between ep 1-14 and ep 15-16 was kind of like a "wait wtf happened." But anyways, this was a minor complaint of mine.

I would recommend this drama to anyone who asks me, as I personally LOVED it. I've read others reviews and majority of it are a 6.0 or lower, but it's okay. I don't mind ratings or other reviews, because I understand everyone has personal preferences. I just know very well I love this drama a lot, and yeap, I think that's all iIhave to say.

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They had me for the 1st 13 episodes, then they lost me, and never got me back.

I am sorry to anyone who chooses to read this review. I do not think I'll be very coherent.

The best way to explain this drama from my experience watching it would be 'Pretty Aesthetics, Boring Plot.'
Here's how I watched this show -
🍉I consumed the 1st 13 episodes in one day like a woman starving.
🍉Watched episodes 14 -23 with the feeling that something was missing.
🍉Skipped episodes 24 - 28 to watch episodes 29 and 30.
🍉Skipped episodes 31 - 34, fast-forwarded through episode 35, and the finale

My thoughts about the characters
🌞NXG - I think she was a decent character. There's nothing about her that's particularly outstanding. She's a simple girl just trying to navigate life and find where she truly belongs. Her only 'fault' is that she comes from an extremely rich family. This inadvertently makes life harder for her, largely due to the jealousy of those whom she unfortunately considers friends. There's also her terrible taste in men (one man), but more on that later.

🧑🏻‍⚕️LYS - He is perfect, which makes him boring. IMO, he was the most interesting when he was in basically one-sided conflict with NXG. I genuinely disliked him and wasn't rooting for him till the balcony to hospital arc with NXG.

His beautiful face and long legs were not enough to make me disregard his bullying and abuse of power towards NXG. His reasoning - which held no water btw - be damned. Once he apologized and changed for the better, I did forgive him for it. But I never forgot. He eventually became the perfect textbook boyfriend. Fantastic for NXG, a snoozefest for me

😤ZX - He was draining, OMG. Self-pitying, self-hating, insecure, and so, so mean to the supposed love of his life. I spent most of my time on this show wondering why NXG liked him in the 1st place. Was it all because he was tall and (they thought) he had a pretty face? Coz, honestly, he had no redeeming qualities.

When they were in college, he would insult her with every word that came out of his mouth. He didn't believe her when she got wrongly accused, nor did he stand up for her. Let's not forget how he made her walk in heels coz he didn't want to pay taxi fare for both of them. She could've simply paid him back.

He also never said 'sorry,' not that it'd have made up for anything, but that's the bare minimum he could've done. For example, when he found out the truth about the interview call situation, he sent her good research materials for her thesis. Thoughtful, yes, but where was the actual 'sorry'?

Here's a note I wrote about ZX after ep 12

"Ep 12: Now we finally get the back story of why he was always so mean to her. I feel sad for him that he's this heartbroken because of his unwavering trust in Ye Rong. However, I'm not that sorry for him.
I cannot forget how cutting his words were. How they've always been. And sure, Ye Rong lied to him and those around him coz of her insecurity, but that doesn't negate the fact that
1. He liked NXG but never made a move to ever ask her about her side of the story. His blind belief and willingness to stand on the sidelines as she was insulted and slandered is his fault
2. He also never made his stand clear. He knew both Ye Rong and NXG liked him. But he was always in the middle like an idiot. Never outrightly choosing one. He'd side with Rong, but never quite enough to fully claim her. Never correcting her when she loudly claimed him b4 everyone, but never giving her the security she needed

Sorrows, sorrows, prayers to him."

Clearly, I hated the man, but found him interesting. No other character elicited such strong emotion from me.

😒Ye Rong - All I'll say about her is that jealousy truly makes you such an ugly person. I mean this literally because I only realized how pretty the actress playing Ye Rong was in ep 35. I hope that she became a better person after moving to Shenzen. That she never found some other poor, innocent girl to cut down with her words, simply because she never felt like she was enough. Like she couldn't measure up to whatever one-sided goal she had in her head.

About the story in general
I really loved the story in those first 13 episodes. I think the pacing and conflict were great, plus NXG's new experiences from college, moving on to adult work-life, and friendships kept things interesting. However, once the conflict with LYS takes a back seat, the plot loses its momentum.

They are pretty, they communicate, work together seamlessly, and their immediate families love them - they are perfect, and I was bored out of my mind. My mind couldn't help wandering as nothing about the story was holding my attention anymore.

Random Thoughts:
🤔One gripe in other overall sensibility of the plot...: What do you mean that someone went to school, got a degree in finnace and you move them to administration?? Why was everybody okay with that? I know it's a drama, and forced proximity had to be applied to make the romance grow.
However, my brain refuses to compute that no one found it odd or complained about the blatant misuse of power. I'd rather they'd fired her than that. Like, would you move a marketing graduate to engineering? Someone from procurement, to admin, or HR? Engineering to sales? Finance to the legal department? That shit pissed me off the entire show.

🏂🏾Oh, another thing, did anyone think that the Changbai Mountain arc felt like a super drawn-out AD? Lowkey, I felt like it was a govt sponsored AD. Something interesting about that arc is how they incorporated a 2024 trend in that episode where LYS & NXG's cousin were competing. The editing style showing how cool they were is very much reminiscent of a video I saw back in 2024 on Chinese netizens taking pics on snowy mountains

🍊That juice they (mostly the women) kept drinking during gatherings, which was another very obvious AD, reminded me of Minute Maid. I don't even like those juices, esp the orange flavour, but now I'm craving some

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House of Bluebird is your typical morning Korean drama which follows a near perfect role model sort of protagonist. Kim Ji Wan is good looking, smart, and has a strong sense of justice. However, as usual, he is also poor, jobless, with no proper educational background. Simply put, he is a perfect human being except for his poor status.

On the other hand, Jang Hyeondo, his friend is the opposite, a not so perfect human being who comes from a rich household, and is the son of the president of a large company.

The story mainly revolves around these two households and the complex and hidden past history between them.

While the story is rather stereotypical, and is played out mainly for the shock factor as with most morning dramas, it is executed rather well, and this is testament to a very strong main cast. In fact, it was this main cast by which I first decided to watch this drama.

Lee Joon Hyuk, probably most well known for his appearance in Stranger, plays the protagonist, and while he doesn't have much wiggle room here as he plays a rather boring, dense, yet perfect human being, he has some noteworthy highlights in the drama.

Lee Sang Yeob, I only really remembered from Running Man, plays the typical spoilt rich kid, and acts as a great comedic relief in all situations. His character development throughout the story is a focus throughout, and is probably the highlight of the entire drama. His acting, while sometimes over the top, may just be a result of the role and genre he's been put in.

Kyung Soo Jin, who I briefly remembered from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, plays the role of almost a support role, as her story barely has anything to do with the overarching plot. That said, her story, romance aside, was probably the most relatable and had the most tear jerking moments for me personally.

Chae Soo Bin, who I saw on I'm not a Robot and Where Stars Land was probably my biggest reason for starting this drama. She plays the role of a very cheerful and strong sort of character, who bottles up most of her sad feelings. She is probably the biggest victim and most affected character of the plot.

The best moments in my opinion were not in the main story, rather it was the cute interactions between these characters, and the funny moments unravelled as a result. Each character each has a loveable trait about them, despite how frustated I was at them as part of the overarching plot. I was especially surprised by how much I liked the character of Jeong Soo Kyung, Hyeondo's mother.

The story does suffer from a lot of pacing issues, and some plot holes, but this is what I expected from a morning drama. It didn't get too complex in my opinion, and I thought it was rather well executed throughout. What it was though was a nice, relaxing watch, with some enjoyable and funny scenes stacked throughout the middle of it to keep me interested enough to finish the series.

The music was great in my opinion, with some recycled one hit wonders, and a memorable main opening track (probably because I listened to it 50 times.) I found myself laughing out loud at the overexaggerated dramatical music on some scenes, but I didn't really think that was a bad thing. The OST in general is superb.

All in all, this drama is probably not for someone who's expecting the next amazing concept or script. It is a generally light hearted, feel good, funny, over the top, and relaxing watch for people who need a break from the usual intense, or typical rom-com genre. Coupled with an amazing cast, I would definitely recommend this for people who want an intro to the morning drama genre.

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Atypical Journey with 'Atypical Family

"Atypical Family" is a paradox in itself - it presents a family that seems ordinary on the surface, yet the drama is anything but typical. It brims with unique concepts, shifts paradigms, and consistently breaks the mold. The heroes deviate from the standard hero archetype, the female lead is not your usual damsel, and her family, too, is far from ordinary. The male lead possesses one of the most unique, and indeed, atypical powers that I've ever seen in the realm of Kdramas!

This drama weaves a therapeutic narrative, laden with suspense. It keeps you on tenterhooks till the last moments, maintaining its unpredictable charm even in the last seconds of the final episode. It’s the kind of drama that you don't just watch but experience.

What began as a time-pass during a meal, turned into a captivating, then heartwarming, and finally an incredibly rewarding journey! The brilliance of the writing is evident in the flawless time-travel sequences, a concept that is notoriously difficult to handle well.

The direction is commendable! The melancholic vibe, reminiscent of the "My Mister" color palette, and the stunning OST – I'm obsessing over it! "Atypical Family" is so refreshingly different that it has set a new standard in my over two decades of Kdrama viewing. It's a travesty that it's not drawing the attention it deserves. Perhaps it appeals more to a mature audience?

Each episode outdoes the last, and the female lead! She's a revelation! Every time she sheds a tear, it tugs at my heartstrings. Her acting prowess is commendable, and she's a vision of beauty. Overall, "Atypical Family" is a must-watch! It’s a beautifully atypical gem that breaks stereotypes and sets its own rules.

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Character Settings of Strong Male and Female Leads !

When I heard this novel would be adapted to drama and the casts are Yang Yang and Zhao LuSi, I knew it would be a good drama.

I read the novel many years ago and quite like the character settings of the strong male lead and female lead. Since the novel was very famous in those years, many novels after that imitated this setting. The author wrote this novel in her early stage, so it's not her mature work. The storylines and plots in the novel are fragmentary. That's why the drama has to add a lot of political plots in it to make it rich and complex. If the director and screenwriter didn't leave halfway, this drama would be on another higher level. Anyway, it is still a good drama worth to watch.

Yang Yang is very picky in choosing drama, so the next costume drama would be 5 years later...... ? His looking is spotless, the 'Ceiling of Chinese Costume Drama'. And Zhao LuSi finally collaborated with an actor matching her looking. This combination is my dream of costume drama!

I love the strong female character in a drama! The strong is not only in spirits but also in physical strength. She can protect herself and her surrounding people. There are two best strong female leads in my heart. One is Bai Fengxi/Feng Xiyun. The other is Zhao Jian (in 'Young Blood'). They are both strong, smart and interesting from beginning to end. The male lead is not everything in her life, with him, is just like 'a strawberry on the top of a cake'. Without him, she still has the ability to feed herself and survive in the world.

I think the purpose of the drama is to deliver the idea that throne is less important than people and peace. And you have the right to choose the life you like, instead of others expect you to be. Everyone cares about different things in life. BFX and HFX think each other is the most important thing in life. That's why they made the choice in the end. Although the end is not perfect enough, I believe they will find solutions and live in happiness.

Overall, after this drama, I'm afraid all the costume dramas in the future would rarely have this perfect male and female settings, healthy and equal relationship plus the dream actor & actress. If there are, that would be a treasure! ❤❤❤

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Amongst all the dramas of 2020, Birthcare Centre is a breath of fresh air. Short enough to binge in a weekend with powerful performances by every single actor in the show, its wacky enough to not take too seriously (which you already might've figured out given its setting in a plush rich people post natal recuperation centre and high school-esque social hierarchy) yet serious and heartfelt enough to genuinely convey important issues plaguing new mothers that rarely get talked about.

PROS:
-Hilarious mix of different genres: you have romance, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, historical/mythological etc. There are so many different elements of everything you love from various genres that its a treat to watch them all come together and create a mess (in a good way, for the most part...)

-Strong performances and diverse characters. You have your sanctimonious prick mothers, your 'screw authority' mothers, your 'we're not in Kansas anymore' confused as hell mothers and so much more, all played wonderfully by their respective actors. I'm dying to know how they fare!

-Relationship building: I loved how they portrayed relationships (both romantic and platonic) in this TV show in a realistic way. I especially love how they handled the 'will they, wont they' romance side plot of one of the mothers in the centre and dealt with it keeping in mind her personality and life. I hate it when dramas pull a 360 on a character's personality just to ensure a happy ending, but I think her ending turned out happy in her own way.

-Ending for the mothers- all ended very nicely and some, honestly, even abnormally. By the end, our main character got a happy ending that SHE wanted to get as a woman and didn't endlessly sacrifice herself for her child.

-And that is my final pro: the message that mothers dont have to endlessly sacrifice for their child to be a good mother.

Now...CONS (oh boy):

- Every mother shown in this drama has a significant other raising their child with them which is far from realistic. I was quite annoyed, to be honest, because this drama wanted to show "different kinds of mothers" but eventually ditched that in favor of cutesy romance (which is... fine, but done all the time).

-(I cant believe I'm writing this) Too much time spent on breastfeeding: uhh, okay, I'm not a mom (I'm in my early twenties y'all I need to graduate college) but I do understanding that the decision between breastfeeding or formula is super important. Totes, I get it. But to spend 3 episodes...oohing and ahhing over it...yeah, excessive as hell. Especially when there are other equally barely talked about topics that are addressed towards the end of the drama like post partum depression that need more screentime. Which brings me to...

-I really, REALLY wish they spent more time on post partum depression. If breastfeeding is the golden eldest child of this show, post partum depression is the neglected and pitiful stepchild that no one pays attention to. They relegated discourse about the problem to literally the last 15 minutes of one episode and then poof, almost nothing in the next.

- There was such a mish mash of genres that it was everything and nothing at the same time. It didn't know what it wanted to be and after a point became annoying.

- They barely did anything to redeem sanctimonious prick mother. She may be actually a very nice person, but I think the writer forgot that this is a very low-stakes drama about a bunch of mothers set in a birthcare centre: way she talks down and demeans any mother who doesn't go above and beyond for her child like she does, she can almost be considered an antagonist because of the direct opposition she poses to the main character. You have to actively try to get the viewers to understand her motives and see where she is coming from- you have to create a complex character without providing convenient outs and excuses like "husband bad".

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