This review may contain spoilers
Let me start by telling you all that this is a bromance, not a romance.The story starts off really well and then just turns into something that isn’t romance or friendship. There is no affection showed and hardly anything romantic ever happens. Not even a date or movie or romantic meal.
The last episode was possibly the biggest let down. The ending was, for lack of a better word, blah! It’s not about skinship, the lead characters behaved like they liked each other but not like boyfriends. Tine cried like a baby over something that was hardly serious. Sarawat was bold and consistent, but Tine had zero trust or faith. One hug and the world ended for him? He ran straight into the arms of another man? Refused to listen to reason. That’s a middle school drama, not college level drama. Oh and the high five ending was just so bland. Gah!
Phukong was so desperate he wanted Mil even if he was only a second option. Mil would try to date Tine if he won the contest or would have to date Phukong if he lost. Wow! How romantic! That’s who’s dream? That’s sad and pathetic, and no one deserves that.
Thank god for Man and Type. They were the only characters that made me happy. The one true couple in this drama.
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Mood: Niceeeee, mehh, okay...
The number of letters in each word that my title bears, is how I felt throughout the show. I know that's a funny way to interpret but I don't think the drama was that biggie to become very serious about. Skillfull FL living a pathetic life, talented ML living in shadows, him coming to rescue the FL, a tragic past surfacing, temporary breakup, etc. and then a happy ending.Produced by 'Blitzway Studios', "Love All Play" is a melo-romance cum sports drama which, natively titled as 너에게 가는 속도 493km (literally, 'The Speed to You is 493km). Written by Heo Sung Hye and directed by Jo Woong, the show was broadcasted on KBS2 while internationally distributed on Disney+.
The story follows the journey of a badminton company YUNIS, primarily focusing on bonding and relationship between the members, particularly the leads who go through thick & thins of life off the court, as a reflection of choices and decisions. The major plotlines of the story include the development of love lives between several couples as well as a huge accident of the past involving the leads. Notably, the drama doesn't really have the sport of badminton as it's major device, so don't expect to see a lot of it.
Park Tae Yang (Park Ju Hyun) was a former badminton prodigy who had run away for years following bribery rumours. Park Tae Joon (Chae Jong Hyeop) was naturally attracted to the sports who despite his skills have never been serious about himself. Yook Jung Hwan (Kim Moon Joo) is a star badminton player in the national athletic team with a huge fan-following. (Lee Yu Min) Seo Ji Hye is a member at Somang Bank badminton company. Park Jun Young (Park Ji Hyun) is Tae Joon's sister and a former badminton star.
In order to avoid any further spoiler, I am only mentioning the familiar faces in the show, which include: Jo Han Chul, In Gyo Jin, Lee Seo Hwan, Choi Seung Young, Jo Soo Hyang, Jeon Bae Soo, Lee Ji Hyun and Lee Doo Shik. The acting was okay-okay in overall though many of the characters are very unlikable.
Plot development...The plotline never had a goal to begin with, nor I was expecting, but the first half tended to focus on chemistry development between different couples, esp the leads. It was fluffy, cute and radiated smiles, as a basic romance story should. Similarly, the court scenes involving stupendous matches were surely revering, and I understand why most of the people including me, ended up expecting more of it, throughout. Unfortunately, the makers had different plans, which they'd been subtly indicating from the beginning though that was quite arduous to notice.
It becomes both slow and shoddy as soon as the 9th episode, where a major twist takes place. The thing that I hated the most was the dragging and exaggeration of a particular matter, involving a past accident, for 4 long episodes. No, it wasn't a slowburn segment and not like they were sticking to only that but for the whole story, it was needless to showcase the overstated emphasis, as if it were the main plot device; this lengthy portrayal was annoying. However, I was glad, the last 4 episodes escalated back to the original form and the recovery to damage was carefully done, to an extent, if not entirely. The way things changed in 13th episode was mesmerizing and 14th episode was a mixed bag of everything.
Toxic parenting and it's consequences: these 2 are the most takeaway home notes from this drama I believe, though the portrayal was frustrating and angering, bcs it should be. Let's not forget that reality is even worse. Burdening your child to aim and achieve to the highest point and attempting to extract out your happiness from that, and then latter turning that into obsession, these are very toxic. Blackmailing, gaslighting, forcing, emotionally abusing, sabotaging them from inside, etc. that we saw in this drama were in fact, shown for longer period unnecessarily, but let's learn from that too.
Having watched only 2 previous works, I am not really familiar with Heo Sung Hye jakkanim's writing patterns, but in easier words, I didn't like one and the other one which was lovable, became sloppy by the end. Coming to this drama, while I believe, they were able to draw a plotline which would be appreciated, with elements put forward with clear intentions, at the same time, they failed to establish any memorable profundity in the characters and bring the best out of them. The pilot episode that started with nothing noteworthy to offer, slowly turned into lots of court scenes, followed by the basic romance, which was cute. The very interval of the drama (ending lf 8th & beginning of 9th) enmarks the start point of a shoddy job. I can't say it was turned into a trash, but I didn't like it. The remarkable job is, in fact, done in case of dialogues; comforting, healing, motivating, inspiring and striking, each at their times.
Seemingly rookie director Jo Woong PDnim is, in fact, the maker of 2 heavily-plotted dramas, proving his worth in the job. However, "Love All Play" as a mild and basic drama with nothing remarkable, didn't suit his usual expertise, at least that's how I personally feel. I can't really specify any particular flaw with the direction of the show, but it bothered me at times, how certain things were jotted down and affixed and even annexed to represent the foregone stories of the characters. Otherwise, things like screenplay, screen-editing, scenario setup, etc. has been moderately handled. There is no extraordinary camerawork and no essence to cinematographic tools. The modern urban and suburb setups were greatly fitting though.
Composed by Park Se Joon, the OSTs, however, have aced the list. Truly, they are fantastic, mesmerizing and very much likable to a great extent. There are 10 OSTs in total.
# "There, There" by Baek a Yeon is melancholic softbeat track depicting regrets of letting someone go.
# "Secret" by Yun DDanDDan is a jolly track of first encounters and arcane feelings of love.
# "Flyin" by KEVIN that starts with an intriguing prelude, is a jovial song showing fluffy and cute moments in a relationship.
# In Jinho's touching soft voice, "Keep This Momemt" is a song of expressing your fondness.
# "When the door opens" by JT&MARCUS is used as the opening theme song which is an overwhelming track about one's passion and love for what they do. It's awfully energising and encouraging.
# "The distant future" by Jeon Sang Keun is a melancholic track depicting lingering affections and the pain of parting ways. The lyrics is so heartbreaking.
# "By your side" by 451 is a reminiscent track and got a very shooting melo.
Other tracks are...
# "Don't walk away" by LISA
# "Something" by SongSun
# "Time" by Park Janghyun
# "My own season" by Park Ju Hyun
# "Diamond" by Yong Hoon
# "Here you are" by Lylian
What i liked...
# The relationship between Tae Yang and Tae Joon as couples, from childhood friends to lovers, was something you can't help but fall in love with. The way the chemistry and bonding between them grew close and the way they supported each other, pushing their partners up the ladder, was both fun, emotional and gladdening at the same time.
# On that note, Junghwan and Yumin couple was also cute and fun.
# I can't say there is any definite sign of bromance here, but the bittersweet interaction between main leads, as well as thw guys in the show was fun. The same goes with the bonding between the girls.
# Seungwoo, the character had me intrigued from his very first appearance and though he didn't have an extraordinary journey or granding ending, it was gratifying and relieving to just see him.
# The slice of life elements incorporated came unexpected. Yeah! Most of the Kdramas has soft and meaningful sides to them but the show definitely goes beyond the typical amount. It was mainly reflected through the character thoughts of Park Tae Yang.
# Oh! The dialogues... I never thought this show of basic essence will have such provoking and thought-inducing dialogues that could be relatable to many of us. Kudos to the writer for this.
# The visuals have definitely been served and 80% was carried out by Chae Jong Hyeop, without any doubt. It was flitting to see so many young and handsome guys with athletic physique and their sports tracks, haha.
# Many points about sportsmanship that's been thrown shades upon, were absolutely applauding. From victories to celebration, loses to failures, from injuries to retirement and from an athletic spirit to mental health issues, everything has been portrayed in a positive light.
What I didn't like...
# The worst thing about the show was 9-12 episodes. These 4 long episodes were the most frustrating and angering as the writer attempts to drag a case throughout. I admit and understand that the particular incident and it's consequences were an important part of the story, but it felt unnecessary to give it the screentime it didn't deserve. It could have been 14 episodes if the matter persisted for only 2 eps.
# The character arcs for even the main roles weren't very prominent and impressive. PTY and PTJ exhibit some shades of naturalness and modernity but I feel that wasn't enough. The sloppy sketches and insufficient exposure led to the downfall of some while some others weren't even enjoyable.
# I understand this wasn't entirely about the game, badminton, but I would have loved if it were. Having watched another badminton drama recently, which wasn't really entirely about the sports but had lots of it anyways, I couldn't help but compare it with that. Also, the matches in the first half fueled my expectations, just to be crushed in the latter half.
Final remarks... I honestly won't say it is an underrated drama or a must watch thing, even so it did feel decent and is smoothly executed. The first half (8eps) was surely amazing, followed by 4 episodes that went downhill while trying to exaggerate one event unnecessarily, and then the last 4 episodes did give some relief by doing some post-damage recovery. It's q fair one time watch and should be given a try when you're craving something light.
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screaming, squealing and swooning.
oh my god what have they laced these episodes with! simply can't stop watching them. from the very first scene, the cinematography is breathtaking. i really love the setting of the show- winter aesthetic never fails to deliver. also, shooting abroad with the snowy backdrop was legit one of the best decisions made. it doesn't feel like watching 30 episodes. everytime an episode ends it feels like it's over so soon. everything is made so well to make it look like watching an extended movie, you'll find yourself casually transition to next and next episodes on autopilot.acting:
as expected, both Leo Wu and Zhao Jin Mai deliver standout performances. Wu Lei is the best on screen boyfriend for the year. oh boy, the way he's hopelessly in love and expresses himself with his entire being is simply adorable and incredibly sexy at the same time. he plays his character with so much nuance. man he conveys a range of emotions with just his eyes and even when he's just... there, he makes his scenes so impactful. i haven't seen many actors that have this much captivating aura tbh.
Zhao Jin Mai's acting is equally commendable. she brings grace and authenticity to her role with subtle gestures. impressed by how she delivers her dialogues being expressive and realistic at the same time. overall they complement each other so so well. best duo of the year istg.
together their chemistry is top tier. I've not found a single scene where their chemistry is below perfection, its always sizzling. their interactions elevate the entire mood, there's like an invisible magnetic pull beutween them- like every glance loaded with unspoken intensity and sparks fly. forget butterflies i get the whole damn fireworks going on. Yin Guo and Yi Yang have this chemistry that's not just seen but felt and resonates.
lovable side characters:
also it's a huge bonus that the side characters aren't boring or annoying! Jiang Yang, Meng Xiao Dong and Wu Wei in particular stood out to me for being incredible support characters that we don't usually see in dramas.
• Wu Wei has this soft aura around him who's easy going, supportive and the kinda person you can always count for being by your side. when he was genuinely happy for Yi Yang and sheds happy tears on hearing about his comeback, wow that one scene showed how much he truly values and supports his friends.
• Meng Xiao Dong is prolly my fav of them all (no surprise there). he's hot, wears suits, has this cold unapproachable aura and hot (oh i mentioned it already nvm). he's the scene stealer in this show for me.
• Jiang Yang seemed cold at first but soon turned out to be a sweet guy who also goes beyond limits for his friends. i don't think he's much appreciated but man is the one who was persistent to bring Yi Yang back to court.
• also honorable mention to Xiao Tian who we saw more in the beginning and towards the end of series and was the first shipper of main leads lol. he's got this bubbly personality that automatically makes you smile.
i could go on and on about all the characters as well but if you haven't watched yet, I'll let you witness it firsthand. I'll just say it's hard not to love the characters- mentioned or not. they all have amazing chemistry and it truly shows how close their friendship is. they've picked just the right actors for the right roles I'm so satisfied. this cast really had actors that can act well. i could also say the same about the actresses but one stood out to me in particular- the actress who played He Jia (He laoshe's daughter); she was simply excellent with her delivery and micro expressions. unfortunately she wasn't highlighted much in the series but her performance was hands down the best among anyone here.
final words:
i can't say it's perfect, this show definitely has its own flaws. i would say there are some scenes that seems to not fit in with the pacing or overdone or even unnecessary at times. also I believe some scenes (like intimate ones) were cut off due to censorship. also I'm a little disappointed with the screentime of side characters, i was hoping to see more of other couples as well. but truly it can be overlooked by everything else that made up for it- like the stellar performances, mesmerizing soundtracks, not to mention the overall aesthetics, that combine together to create a cozy atmosphere that seems like a warm hug on a cold day!! it was such fun experience watching and swooning in the comment section (shoutout to angela who couldn't keep her excitement in like many of us and was so relatable with her timely comments). bittersweet to say goodbye to this show and hoping to see the cast in future works. snowstorm may have passed but it's always in our hearts ❤️
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To love and be loved
The King’s Affection is one of three sageuk produced by KBS this year, following River Where the Moon Rises and ending right at the start of The King of Tears, Lee Bang Won. It is also one of eight sageuk set during Joseon Dynasty, as well as nine overall to be aired this year. 2021 truly has been inundated with a number of K-historicals and fans of the genre are all the better for it!This firmly belongs to the fictional romance variety, the likes of Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung, Love in the Moonlight and the more recent Lovers of the Red Sky as well as the currently airing The Red Sleeve, albeit purportedly based more closely on historical records. The thing with romance-centric sageuk is that there is generally a wider scope of themes being depicted, in addition to the love story between the leads.
In this case, they include palace politics, melodrama, comedy and a fair amount of “fluffiness”, while commonly established tropes are added into the mix for good measure, comprising childhood connection, contract marriage, crossdressing or gender bender, found family, love triangle, and the star crossed lovers. So if you’re in the mood for a sageuk that isn’t too heavy in terms of historical accuracy or the seriousness of the politics but with enough light-hearted moments mixed with a dash of heart-wrenching events and a big dose of passionate romance, then this is definitely one to consider.
The drama tells the story of a pair of royal fraternal twins who switch places, with the female becoming the Crown Prince in her brother’s stead before eventually succeeding the throne, hence the appropriately given title for the drama. Along the way, the “King” develops affections for one of her subjects, amidst the intense political rivalries between various factions in the palace. Further complications arise to the already precarious situation in the form of dysfunctional family dynamics, forced marriages and murderous antagonists who are hell-bent on furthering their nefarious agendas.
The screenplay by Han Hee Jung, who previously wrote Gunman in Joseon, is adapted from the manhwa, Yeonmo (연모) by Lee So Young which was serialized between 2011 to 2014 and revolves around the fictional King Namjang but with references to real life historical figures from the late Yejong to early Seongjong era of the Joseon Dynasty. This is the first work from directors Song Hyun Wook and Lee Hyun Suk that I have seen.
Being a pre-produced drama that began principal photography in April, filming finally concluded in late November, halfway through the drama’s airing schedule, due to a number of delays caused by Covid infections to the crew and a fire that reportedly broke out at a filming set. Yongin Daejanggeum Park, the iconic MBC film set for historical productions, served as the primarily filming location along with several other famous landmarks and notable locales. These include Minsok Korean Folk Village in Yongin, Sangdangsanseong Fortress in Cheongju, Gwanghalluwon Ojakgyo Bridge in Namwon-si, Jeongseon-gun Doroni Pond (Gangmujang Pond), Itaesarangbawi Rock in Geochang-gun (Gangmujang Cliff), and Andong Seaside Film Set.
What I Liked
The production values are obviously very high and reflected not only in the nationwide filming locations but also the quality in terms of the visuals presented. In addition to the cinematic feel to the atmospherics courtesy of the excellent cinematography and post-production effects, the aesthetic art direction as well as the beautiful elaborately designed costumes certainly enhanced this aspect significantly as well. There is quite a fair bit of slow-motion immersive and “romance-themed” framing. I truly appreciated this approach to the visual language.
The direction as well as editing absolutely complements this aspect of the storytelling because the entire drama takes its time allowing certain key moments and scenes to breathe and leave a memorable impression on viewers. Although nothing to write home about, the action sequences and the choreography for the sword fighting appears quite decent for the most part and progressively intensifies as the story approaches the climax.
The grand scheme of the overarching plot and the conclusion. As soon as I had read the synopsis (which is rather spoilery, by the way), I knew that the conclusion to the story was going to be limited to only a handful of options, some of which probably would leave viewers somewhat distressed. Without spoiling it, I will say that the outcome of the story surprised me a little but in a good way. I also think that the drama ends as strongly as it starts, with episode 19 a particularly thrilling rollercoaster of emotions and adrenaline rush.
As far as the characterizations are concerned, the FL, her grandfather and the ML’s father stand out for me. Especially during the more serious segments of the plot development pertaining to the court intrigue. Each of them is extremely grey and buried beneath the many layers that they have embodied into their persona that sometimes I, as a viewer, become unsure of which mask that they put on is the "real" them. After years of pretending to be a man, the FL probably does not even know what it means to be a woman anymore, until her affections have been awakened by the very person whom she first developed feelings for, as a child. Physical attributes aside, her demeanour is utterly that of a royal Crown Prince.
The Left State Councilor, Han Ki Jae is a man who will stop at nothing to preserve his political powers, including his own flesh and blood. At times, the villainy of this character is truly awesome to behold. Likewise his retainer, the cold blooded and ruthlessly efficient Jung Seok Jo. If Han Ki Jae is Emperor Palpatine, then this man is Darth Vader. But beneath the facade of unrelenting malice lies a truly conflicted and tormented individual who knows deep down that he has sold his soul to the Devil.
The performance by all 3 actors for the aforementioned roles are the highlight of the drama for me. Park Eun Bin is absolutely phenomenal. This lady has so much potential given her track record for compelling portrayals in recent times, and her iteration of the gender bender is one of the best I’ve seen. Yoon Je Moon provides the perfect delivery of the antagonistic grandfather and politician of the Joseon court, where his subtly expressed passive-aggressive undertone imbues an added dimension to the depth of the characterization. Bae Soo Bin is much more action oriented given that he portrays quite possibly the best swordsman in the drama, Jung Seok Jo. In addition to the physicality and despite being a man of few words, the nuanced microexpressions on his face say it all, really.
Apart from the impressive trio, Bae Yoon Kyung’s Shin So Eun is noteworthy considering that she lacks screen time because she steals the scenes whenever she does make her appearance. I have to mention the child actress, Choi Myung Bin. Out of all the child actors I’ve seen this year, and there have been many, I do think that her portrayal of both Lee Hwi and Dam Yi is the best. Of course, at 13, she’s considered quite mature but her duality in depicting two vastly different characters, one of whom is male, sold it for me.
The soundtrack is very good, and I wouldn’t expect anything less. If there is romance involved, one can be sure that the music will no doubt play a major part in tugging at the heartstrings with emotional love ballads, of which there are plenty in this production. In this aspect, TKA definitely does not disappoint. My personal favourite is the main theme by LYn, which gets significant airplay via the infusion of countless MV scenes of the lead couple.
LYn (린) - One and Only (알아요)
Ro Woon SF9 (로운) -No Goodbye In Love (안녕)
Baek Z Young (백지영) - IF I
SUPER JUNIOR-K.R.Y. - Shadow of You (그림자 사랑)
An Da Eun (안다은) - I Believe
VROMANCE (브로맨스) - Hide and Seek (숨바꼭질)
Haeyoon (해윤) of 체리블렛 Cherry Bullet - Full of You (티가 나)
Room for Improvement
As much as I have waxed lyrical about the positives, TKA is not without its flaws but on the whole they aren’t overly detrimental to the storytelling. I think at times, particularly midway through the story, the fluffiness probably receives slightly more attention than is perhaps necessary. As a result, cuteness overload features prominently as fillers, where the leads behave out of character and out of place with the setting. Adorable but ridiculous at the same time.
Rowoon, portraying the ML Jung Ji Woon, has the physique to match the action scenes well. His chemistry with Park Eun Bin, as the only CP in the drama, is quite apparent and their scenes together are pretty convincing. My only gripe is the emotive aspects of his performance. Park Eun Bin appears the more superior performer and it truly does show, IMHO. The same goes for the other supporting cast of Nam Yoon Su and Choi Byung Chan as Lee Hyun and Kim Ga On respectively. I’m actually rather intrigued by the character of Kim Ga On, who I wish could have been more fleshed out because despite the potential of his backstory, his character arc never fully materialises into something more than the stoic persona throughout.
As far as the other supporting characters are concerned, Lee Pil Mo as King Hyejong, the FL’s father, appears somewhat inconsequential to proceedings before eventually becoming a mere plot device to the overarching plot. The character of the psychotic Prince Chang Woon who has a penchant for unmitigated violence, played by Kim Seo Ha, is clearly a cliche and written to be nothing more than an OTT antagonist. He comes across as a cartoon character whose only job is to provide angst and cringe. Meanwhile, Jung Chae Yeon has the unenviable task of playing the annoying airhead and occasional comic relief, Noh Ha Kyung. That said, the character is rather pitiful and I actually feel sorry for her in the end, which is a credit to the actress’ interpretation of the role.
Overall
The pros outweigh the cons, and I have absolutely enjoyed Park Eun Bin’s performance here. The story also provides an acceptable closure, much better than I had initially anticipated. The King’s Affection ranks as one of the better produced romance sageuk that I have seen this year.
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In the beginning, I liked that they provided a fresh musical spin on the Candy/Jerk pairing trope, and gave their second leads their own distinct personalities. But all of that seemed to break down somewhere around episode 10 or so, when the drama started focusing on one frustrating trope after another, rather than playing to its strengths: the acting, the music, and the lighthearted comedic tone of the show in general. I would have preferred better character development of the second leads, emphasizing more comedy rather than drama, and of course, more music.
I would only recommend watching if you are a fan of any of the main or second leads or interested just in the music, because the actors did an excellent job with the material they were given. Eun Ji was perfect as Chun Hee (and to be honest, should be required to sing in all of her future dramas, because her voice is just amazing), and Ji Hyun Woo did a great job fleshing out his character in a way that felt more three-dimensional, in spite of his actions early in the drama.
I don't have any plans to rewatch this, as it was frustrating enough the first time. Watch at your own risk, but fast forward through the angsty scenes.
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slice of life done well
Overall: this is a slice of life series set in 2005/6 and follows the characters from age 16-18. The writer is the same writer as Addicted (and the book it's based on). The plot/characters are extremely similar but I'm going to rate this on its own and not as compare/contrast. 24 episodes 30 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala & Viki.BL, Censored BL or Bromance? the answer becomes more and more apparent as the series goes on, I really hope that "lip balm" was brand new lmao
Content Warnings: past murder, attempted murder, attempted rape, sexual assault, torture, mutual bullying/pranks, violence/fights/beaten up/punches, blood, manipulation, intimate partner violence, side couple under 18 and over 18, non con picture taking/posting/cyberbullying
What I Liked
- clear characters/motivations (and showed realistically why characters' feelings towards one another changed, showed why the cousin made the decision that he did)
- showed why Wu Bi was immediately interested
- Wu Bi was impulsive/hot tempered but he did apologize for his actions (later in the series he says that he acts tough but is soft hearted which is true)
- sweet moments
- some funny moments
- happy Wu Bi did that to his uncle
- episode 3 fight scene was not realistic but it was super fun
- Wu Bi and Su Yu clearly communicated at the end of episode 4 and several times during the series
- production value (some really beautiful use of light and reflections)
Room For Improvement
- should have taken out that whole bizarre doctor playing/injuring thing with the kids in episode 4
- nonsense things: could have given the thugs a reason to target Su Yu (like his dad owed them money), also no one called the police with a group of thugs running with weapons in broad daylight? the guards just walked behind Wu Bi, how did Wu Bi know it was that 1 guard out of all the guards
- I disagree with Su Yu's dad, not all parents love their children and even when they love them, if they are awful people then the children do not owe them love in return
- the dubbing, especially with that Taiwanese character
- not a fan of the song with the little girl singing
- the series covers 2 years and it felt a bit choppy at times/more like vignettes
- the green screen at the beach
- although I understand the ending is true to the book, a second season is definitely not guaranteed and that's not a good way to end a series (maybe they could have made a short special episode in case season 2 didn't get made or something)
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This review may contain spoilers
Not Just Good, But One of the Best
If you are looking for:- a simple but heartfelt romance with emotional depth
- charming leads with excellent chemistry
- polished execution and pleasing aesthetics
- intimate scenes that feel both sensual and emotionally grounded
then this series may be for you!
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Things I like
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(1) The Creative Direction
This series has many strengths: pleasing visuals, an endearing cast, a consistent musical identity, and, of course, a main couple with undeniable chemistry. TeeTee Wanpichit is especially charming as Duang, bringing so much warmth and energy to the role that it becomes easy to stay invested from start to finish. Por Suppakarn also gives Qin a strong presence, making him compelling even in his quieter and more guarded moments.
But if I had to give one special shoutout, it would go to director Nathawat Piyanonpong. A series like this may look simple on paper, but making a straightforward love story feel this engaging requires both vision and execution. The emotional beats land, the romantic progression feels natural, and the series never loses its charm. Without strong direction, a plot like this could have easily felt ordinary. Instead, it feels assured, intentional, and consistently enjoyable.
(2) Qin’s Growth
For a while, I found myself wondering why the series was titled Duang With You. By the final episode, the answer becomes very clear. The title is not just about Duang being physically by Qin’s side, but about how deeply Duang changes Qin’s emotional world.
This works especially well because of the contrast with similar moments in the earlier episodes. By the finale, Qin’s happiness feels open, genuine, and closely tied to Duang’s presence. He is no longer the cold, guarded person who chose distance and emotional restraint. Instead, he becomes someone capable of vulnerability, honesty, and mutual love. Por Suppakarn does an excellent job portraying this growth, especially in the crying scenes, because Qin is not simply written as a cold male lead. He is a character shaped by pain and a difficult past, and that gives the role much more depth when he finally allows himself to feel and receive love.
(3) The Intimacy
For a series that feels this heartwarming and straightforward, I honestly expected the intimate scenes to be fairly basic or brief. That was clearly not the case. The scenes here are thoughtfully choreographed and shot, and what makes them even stronger is that they are not there just for visual appeal. They carry emotional weight too.
What I especially appreciated is how the intimacy feels tied to the characters and their relationship. These scenes are sensual, but they also feel tender, vulnerable, and believable for two young people who are fully opening themselves to one another. Because of that, they come across as meaningful rather than merely decorative, which makes them all the more effective.
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Things I wish were different
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(1) More Depth for Qin’s Parents
It is honestly hard for me to pick major complaints about this series, but if I had to nitpick, this would probably be my biggest one. Qin’s parents felt like the weakest part of the storytelling for me. With their limited screen time, both characters came across as too similar, and because they almost always appeared together and mirrored each other’s reactions, they ended up feeling less like two distinct people and more like a single narrative force.
Because Qin’s trauma is such an important part of his character, I wish the series had spent a little more time exploring the parents’ perspectives in a more layered way. In the end, much of the emotional weight of that storyline was carried by the two main actors rather than by the writing around the parents themselves. Even the maid (May God bless her) left a stronger impression in the early childhood scenes.
(2) The OST
The music in this series suits the tone well, so this is not really a complaint about quality as much as variety. I just wish the OST had been a little more experimental at times. Since Qin is a jazz student, and since the series gave us that lovely music showcase scene where Por Suppakarn sang jazz so well, I found myself hoping the soundtrack would lean further into that side of his character.
Because of that setup, I was expecting a bit more jazz influence, or at least more genre variation across the series. Instead, the overall musical style stayed fairly consistent throughout, aside from a few scenes. It still worked, but I think the soundtrack could have added even more personality if it had taken a few more risks.
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Best scenes
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1. Post-basketball match (Episode 6)
For me, this is one of the standout scenes of the entire series, and also the moment where TeeTee Wanpichit truly shines as an actor. Within a relatively short span of time, he is asked to carry multiple emotional shifts, and he does so very well. We see the affectionate and devoted Duang that the audience has already grown attached to, but this scene adds so much more on top of that: concern, frustration, hurt, helplessness, and finally relief.
What makes this scene so strong is how naturally those emotions build into one another. It never feels exaggerated, and that is why it hits so hard. By the time Qin apologizes and begins to reciprocate Duang’s feelings more clearly, the emotional payoff feels fully earned. This is also the point where the relationship starts to move beyond one-sided affection and into something more mutual and balanced. For that reason, this scene is not only emotionally effective, but also one of the most important turning points in the series.
2. Bye bye teddy bear (Episode 8)
These young actors can really act. The tears of relief that Duang sheds after Qin chooses him are the kind of moment that stays with you. It is tender, heartbreaking, and impactful all at once. For me, this is one of those scenes that will still be remembered long after the series ends.
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Takeaways
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The base formula that this series follows is not exactly unique. In fact, there have already been many series built on similar settings and storylines. What makes Duang With You special is the execution and the passion that can be felt throughout all 12 episodes. The two leads are incredibly charming and do a wonderful job embodying the characters from the source material.
The ironic part is that the original novel is called Not The Best, But Still Good, and yet this adaptation may well be one of the best series in the genre so far.
I wish nothing but continued success for the actors, the director, and the entire team behind this series. Everyone involved clearly brought a great deal of effort and heart into this work, and I hope that passion opens the door to even more success and opportunities in the future. I truly look forward to seeing more great things from them.
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Great ingredients gone astray
More often than not, a rating of 8.7 or higher on MDL equals something that delivers. This however, did not. I can see that the screenwriter, actors, and director have talent. Unfortunately, the individual elements just didn't work. What a disappointing ride.First, the positives:
Every line was delivered naturally by charismatic actors. Lee Sung Kyung as Bok Joo played her part naturally (as much as she could), and I enjoyed her expressive way of acting in this character. Nam Joo Hyuk as Joon Hyung was super earnest in his portrayal of the young, fun swimmer. I also applaud a show focused on a female lead who is supposed to break the norm of appearance and gender stereotypes, especially in a society that focuses so much on gender roles. Finally, the script included straightforward lines that were endearing in their honesty, even if they were overdone sometimes.
Now, the negatives:
The entire plot was based on immature and silly misunderstandings and dramatic twists that didn't fit. It was as if the writer didn't know how to create challenges naturally so they resorted to making up far-fetched dramatic build-up for the characters to get tangled in. Instead of simply presenting unrequited love, they had Bok Joo make excuses and steal away to the clinic and have friends cover up and then get in trouble from coaches and parents for it all. Instead of letting Joon Hyung's childhood trauma play out naturally, the writer added lies that the adopted family kept up for years, tried to tie this to his relationship with his adoptive brother, and had the parent return to cause more drama. The list of ways in which natural drama could have built up and how each character could have grown as they dealt with it was completely wasted. And the heap of random characters and side plots were brief and distracting.
What could have made this show great:
- Focus on Bok Joo and have the drama in her life revolve around: sick father, working on accepting her unconventional appearance and value as a weightlifter, slowly falling for Joon Hyung, and of course, her actual training and competition hardships (which were handled so minimally and poorly in the show)
- Focus on Joon Hyung and have his story revolve around: abandonment, inability to start races, maybe throw in a rival swimmer to push him forward in swimming, and slowly falling for Bok Joo
- Get rid of all the rest of the meaningless characters and random tiny dramas and let the athletes actually show us what it's like to be an athlete: train hard, win and lose, get injured, pick themselves up again, have conversations about all of this, and sprinkle in a bit of drama and romance
All the ingredients above are things we've seen in dramas before. Even if they were handled in conventional ways, it would have yielded great results: deep conversations, personal growth, and inspiration. Unfortunately, we are left with the opposite.
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One sentence doesn't mean that it's already bad and no sense.
I'm a Filipino and my mother is a domestic helper in short a maid but Im proud of it coz without her I wouldn't be successful. Let me tell you, I love watching chinese, thai, taiwanese, kdrama or turkish because it makes me relax. For me theres nothing wrong with just one sentence. I'm not also insulted when he said that because I know being a maid or DOH is a great job. Mind you, its a decent job. We have a lot of problems in our country by watching this it makes me feel at ease. You better think before you comment your hurting them also. Its not here fault they are just actors. To the casts and team don't mind the people with small brains and show them what u can do.❤️Was this review helpful to you?
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1This review may contain spoilers
Aparently all is well that ends well since happy music played at the end of this very dark tale.
I'm prepared to not be liked here. From the overall decently high rating on MDL (Currently 8.5) and the sheer volume of "I loved this," or "Best Couple of the Year," remarks on the Dali and the Cocky Prince comments board, saying anything negative is likely going to put me in hot water and get me scolded. Unfortunately, if I have any integrity and aim at all to be honest, I must confess that DATCP is one disappointing outing that is MANY things but NOT anything near what I would call light and fluffy.Yet, these two adjectives, light and fluffy, are probably the MOST used to describe this series by commenters. I've recently been watching a bit heavier, or more serious, content and wanted a break for something fun and easy. I had read positive feedback about DATCP while it was airing and held off so I could binge it once it was done. Thus, here I am writing this review long after the final episode wrapped and I wish I had a better more carefree experience. My hopes were not fulfilled.
The first episode was very enjoyable. I came for cute, funny, and light and it gave me cute, funny, and light. The characters are sketched fast yet sturdily. We open on Jin Moo Hak (Played effectively by Kim Min Jae) as a young wealthy business minded money loving son to a growing empire. Unlike most heirs he isn't out spending his families money but is the driving force behind the family's empiric rise. His greeting is fast paced, funny, and delightful. In the process he angers his father as he jets off to Holland for a business meeting and thus when he lands finds himself financially cut off in a foreign land.
Enter our female lead Kim Da Li (Played effervescently by Park Gyu Young) a wealthy heiress studying art abroad in Holland. She is, in most respects, the opposite of our male. Wealthy but not caring about money. Book smart but lacking most practical understanding. Elegant, kind and refined, Dali lives in the world of the elite while never becoming one of them. When the museum curator she studies under asks her to pick up an art critic for a high-end schmooze fest from the airport, a comedy of errors ensues. With the same last name our male lead thinks she is the poor errand girl sent to fetch him, and Dali not knowing what the art critic looks like is shocked by the arrogant playful attractive man that approaches her.
By the end, the chemistry between these two is a massive blaze. The show is funny, cool, fresh, sexy, and yes fun, and you think, or I thought, yes this is going to be a great ride!
But then tragedy befalls our female lead when her father dies back in Korea, and she must instantly go back from where she came. Our male lead Moo Hak feels rejected and is convinced by his staff that she played him to get his wealth, and the hunt begins to find her.
This is where the fun stops. While the second episode is filled with moments of "Look UP!" she is right there, oh my God I can't wait for them to get back together mishaps....when it finally does happen....it is gross and devastating.
Our male lead to this point has been fun and funny. Arrogant, money grubbing, short sighted, and uneducated yes, but he has still been rather friendly, cute, and kind in his own right. He is fun to watch, and fun to hate. Our female lead has been smart, driven, kind, helpful, and caring.
But episode 3 turns the tables and ruins this set-up. In a single scene that hollowed me, our male lead degrades, berates, demoralizes, and threatens our female lead and turns himself into a monster. She is days out of her father's death, in the midst of mourning, being hunted by family and creditors, the world she has lived crashing upon her and is one step from bankruptcy and losing everything she has ever had. Our male lead knows ALL of this, but to make sure no one thinks he is soft, to show that all he cares about is money, and to prove that he doesn't have any feelings he stands up and screams a diatribe down to our female lead calling her his debtor and that he will sell everything she owns to get the money her father borrowed from him.
The series is not interested in righting this wrong at any point. It is just a plot step to the end. Our female lead accepts being treated as such and never even remotely requires an apology. The next time our leads see each other cute love music plays the entire scene, she trips and falls into his arms, they stare lovingly into each others eyes, and the oh look at how cute they are music swells.
For the next few episodes our male lead will continue down this path tormenting and degrading the female lead. By the middle of the series Dali has become a prop. She makes not a single decisions on her own. She is fully controlled by all the men around her. She is saved left and right just for being the girl everyone wants, and her character comes off stupid and insipid. She sells her entire life to keep a gallery afloat and before the end of the series is physically attacked multiple times.
Our male lead grows and becomes better and by the series end is basically back to how we met him in Holland. But never does he ask Dali's forgiveness and never does he admit his actions were wrong. Near the end, when he is subjected by our "bad guy" to the same demoralizing scene he subjects Dali to in episode 3, our male lead is allowed to get angry, require an apology, and ignore and fight with Dali over it, even though it wasn't her that degraded him. In what is easily the greatest double standard I've seen in programming this year.
He gets so mad that he calls our female lead a whore. Tells her "To have sex to get his 2 million back. If she did she could probably get 20 million ." In what is the lowest point in the series.
It is immediately followed by a kiss by the way. He calls her a whore and then kisses her, and we are supposed to ship it.
Everything outside of our main leads is a wasteland. Besides a woman at Dali's workplace and her childhood best friend/like brother...every other character in the show is a villain. All of them plotting the downfall of the leads. The story lines include family betrayal, government corruption, blackmail, secret killing, drug smuggling, bankruptcy, public slander, disownment, orphan shaming, suicide, forced prostitution, and just if there weren't enough bad guys (the count gets up to 9 I believe) or degrading and depressing plot lines out pops a long lost uncle that reveals a secret adoption and thus we get to degrade and shame adopted children publicly and then try to take everything away from them because they aren't blood.
In short, there was nothing LIGHT or FLUFFY to be found. There is a lot of disgusting, depressing, and abhorrent story lines and characters and there is little value in any of it outside of empty shallow entertainment. The large gulf of cultural divide between the west and Korea is glaringly obvious here.
If you want to watch this with blinders on that is fine. No one can stop you. Yes, there are comedic bits. Yes, there are moments where our leads are adorable and fun to watch and be with. Yes, there are things to like here.
But taking those things and adding them all up will probably net you a total run time of 3-4 episodes. The other 12 episodes are filled with the male lead being a nasty piece of trash, our female lead being a helpless victim, and all the junk awful story lines I just ran through above with massive amounts of time spent with these other horrible characters.
For a brief stent the show seems to be aware of how awful it is, one character having a conversation with the other, "Why would you act like that and do that? Pulling her hair? What is this a soap opera?" and the answer is yes. It is a trashy soap opera that does little more than fill your time.
6.0/C/ 3-Stars Average in every way. You got a 50/50 shot of liking it simply depending on your taste.
At least we had Holland and that first episode of a much much better show.
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Story Built on Bad Decisions
Personally, not a fan of the “cheat on your current partner to find your soulmate” genre. Unfortunately, this drama turned out to be exactly that and that’s my biggest issue with it.The best thing for me was definitely the countryside visuals. I’m a complete sucker for countryside dramas regardless of genre, I almost always end up watching them. That’s the main reason this drama was on my watchlist in the first place.
What I didn’t like were the characters and the core story. Honestly, not a single character won me over. The entire drama is just people making one stupid life decision after another.
The male lead, Hae-ju, might be one of the most infuriating characters I’ve ever watched in a Kdrama. He dumps the female lead but the moment she’s about to get married, he finds out about his illness and suddenly kidnaps her to accompany him on a journey before his death without even informing her properly. He gives zero thought to what she would go through or the emotional state she’d be left in once he abandoned her again. Every tragedy in his life except the illness is self-created. He does the same to his birth mother, never allowing his adoptive father to process the fact that the child he raised isn’t biologically his. His mother eventually commits suicide and he leaves home and becomes a street kid. His entire arc is chaos driven by selfish choices.
The female lead, Jae-mi, is a pushover. This time, I could at least understand why she’s content with less than the bare minimum given her background. But let’s be honest many people in the real world accept the bare minimum only because it comes from a handsome face, no matter what others might have to offer.
Eo heung—the cuck. I felt sympathy for him at first but as the story progressed, that sympathy turned into pure irritation.
Despite hating the characters, I managed to finish the drama because I disliked all of them equally. I hate it when genuinely good people end up with irritating partners. I firmly believe that people with the same level of emotional mess deserve each other. And in that sense, the ending at least made the story feel more meaningful.
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A Different Take On Love
I'm not really into BL dramas, but, this one got me curious and gave it a shot. First, I really like the realistic approach. As far as I've seen, Korean entertainment is starting to loosen up their conservative side in terms of doing this type of genre, which is a good move I may say.For the story, I got hooked on the first 6 eps. of the story. It was a roller coaster of emotions. I honestly liked Go Young's character. Not only he is cute, literally, but has a pure heart as well. The friendship he made with Mi Ae was truly priceless. I really loved the strong bond between these two. Though, at the back of my mind, I was hoping they would notch up there friendship beyond sisters. Still, the bond remained inspite of pursuing their different track in their lives. And yes, Mi Ae's wedding was so heartwarming to see. The song between these sisters show how bonded they really are.
Go Young's squad was another epic characters in this drama. Having friends through thick and thin are truly priceless. I'm just not sure if he was able to open up with them about his sickness. As far as I remember, he was too cautious for them to learn about it after seeing their reactions of one person they know who was infected.
The sad fate of Go Young's mom was another heartwarming moment in this drama. Though, I know there are times that he needed to vent out by going out to the club with his friends while his mom was being taken care of by a caregiver. It just felt a bit off. Like, thinking his mom was suffering and there he was clubbing. But, yeah, as youthful as he is, probably that's really his way to ease out his burdens. It's just sad that he never admitted to his mom his preference but yeah, his mom learned about it through the photo and yes, when she gave her full savings to Young, it's a sign of her acceptance. Am sure it was a really tough decision for the mom knowing she's active in Church based on the background given.
And yes, for Go Young's series of relationships, the first cheater boyfriend who eventually gave him the virus on the latter part of the drama. And the very serious, Nam Gyu, the photographer who also ended up in a sad fate. In which, Young was really not into him. Then, there was Young So, the hideous activist. Really not the right partner for him, though he was very passionate with Go Young. The real deal Gyu Ho. I really liked how they met at the bar. and I think, GH was the one who truly cared for him. Accepted as who he was. Yet, they have different paths to take. I guess, their love for each other wasn't truly enough.
I was a bit confused with Habibi's character. He suddenly popped at the last 2 eps of the drama that felt drag for me. I probably missed how he met Habibi as I tried to forward some parts. Am not sure how he was related to Gyu Ho. And it seems he met him in a dating app I think or social media page, this I'm unsure of. But, his character seems just a filler towards the end. Nothing significant since he has a family and his work confused me as well. He is Japanese but speaks good English. He travels a lot I presume since they met in Korea and also in Thailand.
Anyways, the ending is just okay for me. But, not what I'm hoping for. The relationship of GY with his dad is another complicated story. Overall, it was a good drama. Actors absolutely nailed their roles specially, Nam Yoon Su. The steaminess in this drama were very well portrayed. It made me believe that it is their gender preference in real life. But like I said, the final 2 eps. simply drag for me. Lots of flashbacks of GY and GH that I find irrelevant since their not even getting back together.
This is really recommendable who's really in to BL dramas. Not really my cup of tea. But, the actors are truly commendable, honestly.
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Just stupid
So I’m relatively new to k-dramas and this was one of the first k-dramas I watched on Netflix and up until season 1 episode 6 I loved it,it all goes down hill from there, jojo and sun-oh’s relationship seems genuine and they both care for eachother a lot, atleast that’s the way it looks?! But then they flip it on its head by making jojo heartless, cold and indecisive in the process messing with everyone else’s feelings just because she can’t get her shit together, they way she breaks up with sun-oh pisses me off because why?! It doesn’t make any sense the fact she drops him just like that after 6 episodes of them building the relationship up what was all that for!? Then there’s Hye-yeong who’s a good guy but it just doesn’t feel real between them two, anyway season two is just more indecisiveness and throwing sun-oh and jojos connection out the fucking window,until she finally decided that hye-yeong is who she wants, shows like this make me tired, jojo becomes heartless towards sun-oh when he never did anything wrong?! By then end of it I started leaning more towards jojos cousin more than her and that’s saying something! Watch it if you want but for me it was a waste of timeWas this review helpful to you?
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Just as described and much more
Starting with the description “Hard boiled extreme survival game movie” “Project Wolf hunting “ a movie never seen before.. Well this movie is like that, you have never seen anything like it, even if you think you have, I assured you, there is nothing like it, and if you think you are prepared, you are not.Director Kim made used of tons of fake blood, so it is a very bloody and brutal movie. Director Kim also shows evil human nature, what happens when heinous criminals are trying to take over, what happens to a body or part of a body gets smashed, cut, etc.. The movie has lots of twists and turns, unexpected situations, and a beyond evil character, who has not a single drop of humanity, but it is only filled with rage and cruelty, a beast like killing machine. There are no heroes, you never know who will survive and how, the movie keeps you in your seat, time flies, there are funny parts, there are really extreme intense parts, and some parts where you will be screaming “No”, also you will be closing your eyes a lot due to the nature of the movie, but it is all part of the experience..
The acting is top notch, so many scene stealers, Seo In Guk transformation is absolutely fantastic, the way he plays a criminal is superb. Park Ho San, Sung Dong Il, Jung So Min, just to mention a few, they played characters never seen before.
All in all, this movie is a must see, but just be aware, it is gory/brutal to the extreme.
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