"A life without love is like a year without summer."
That's a Swedish proverb in my title. I am a winter person, but what good is the cold of winter, without the warmth of summer to give it sweetness? Summer means happy times and good memories as well. One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter in order to remember the warmth that life as well as nature provides you with."Our Beloved Summer (그 해 우리는) [2022]" is a story of such warmth, enthusiasm and vehemence; a love story that's worth telling and worth witnessing. It's about the growth, the progress and the upswing of a relationship that thrives even on the verge of vanishing. This is definitely an unique tale that'll bring all kind of emotions out of you and make you experience numerous amount of perspectives of life.
Kook Yeon Soo (Kim Da Mi) and Choi Woong (Choi Woo Shik) were highschool batchmates, persuaded to film a documentary portraying the first and last students of the class together. The documetary goes viral and by the end of the filming, they fall for each other and start dating, which lasts for next few years until they breakup for unknown reason. After 10 years, as they end up working together for a while, they have to film again showing their current situations. How will they cope up with the lingering feeling for each, as they move forward in their lives individually? Well, for that, you have to watch the drama by yourself.
Choi Woong is an Innocent, ingenuous and artless teenage guy whose free-spiritedness has made him the last student of his class though noone has been able to recognize his skills & intellect and what his future beholds. Kook Yeon Soo is a brilliant student, though self-centered and a lil unkind. Despite everyone's assumptions about her she lives an honest life by adapting to her reality.
Kim Ji Woong (Kim Sung Chul) has been the closest friend to Choi Woong since elementary who has now become a documentary PD. NJ (Roh Jung Eui) is a super-successful Idol star who is very honest and kind-hearted. Go Eun Ho (Ahn Dong Goo) is a friend to Choi Woong and his manager. Lee Sol Yi (Park Jin Joo) is the only friend of Yeon Soo and a pub owner. Jung Chae Ran (Jun Hye Won) is the Asst. PD at SBC.
Some old, familiar and experienced faces among supporting character are Seo Jung Yun (Lee Yun Ok) and Park Won Sang (Choi Ho) as Choi Woong's mother and father respectively. Cha Mi Kyung (Kang Ja Kyung) as Yeon Soo's grandmother. Jo Bok Rae (Park Dong Il) as the main PD at SBC.
The child actors for Choi Woong and Ji Woong, Song Ha Hyun and Kim Ji Hoon also did a great job. They were so cute and were able to portray demanded emotions aptly.
Special mention to Lee Joon Hyuk and Kwak Dong Yeon who played guest roles with badboy characters which actually felt like guest roles.
The plot development is steady though it doesn't look like it bcs of longer reminiscences from their highschool days and some flashbacks from their childhood. At the beginning of each episode, they show the progression of the 3 main characters when they were immature teens; combining them won't seem like a consistent tale bcs there are 3 different pov-s for each of them, which is fairly balanced. Also, some of the episodes in the later half, exceptionally, has the pov-s of the current timeline, one of which is given to NJ. Similarly, the ending of each episode is accompanied by epilogues to provide the audience with references.
The pacing is the only problem that lies with the production and editing. It isn't consistent; somewhere slow and somewhere fast. This could have been avoided but it was manageble for me ngl. Talking about the episodic progression, It took me 2 episodes and a half to be hit by the mood of the drama. The furtherance was good, 4th was a bit off in terms of substances, I felt. The ending of 6th felt like an ending of a story itself, I mean ep1-6 somehow felt like a show. And I was wary about what more is left. But to respond my questions, they provided me with a unhurried, warm and beautiful journey while the two parties go on a quest of love and attempt to eradicate all the odds on their way.
The finale week (15th & 16th) came as a surprise. Just when I thought they've forgotten about few things and are gonna end the show with cute moments and jolly fillers, they slapped me with the most important topics to be considered. I am so so so happy they didn't forget them. Honestly, I think those 4 episodes could be better executed but fine. The last 2 episodes are like truckloads of sadness and pain, they got many peak moments and tend to be gloomy for most of the parts. All loose ends were wrapped well in there and even though a lot of things happened in the last episode, it didn't feel rushed.
This is the directorial debut for Kim Yoon Jin PDnim who was, in fact, the producer for one of the 2020 best "It's Okay to Not be Okay". Despite that fact, the job he has done in this drama is so first-rate that it proves all the competence his skills behold. The screen editing, the screenplay management, the storytelling method and the overal execution is well taken care of. The pacing was perfect for the genre providing apt vibes; it's not exactly a warm pure romance but the painfully beautiful vibes wouldn't have been felt without the moderately slow screenplay. The cinematography is perfect; given the genre, mood and messages the story wanted the audience to catch, it was quite successful in doing that. It is beautiful and particularly the warmth could be felt through the camera lenses.
I honestly didn't know about Lee Na Eun jakkanim before watching this drama but given her experience in writing only one short webseries prior to this, she has done a fabulous job, no? I am very much willing to read the original webtoon now. Notably (for those who don't know yet), the drama is a sequel of a webtoon written by the same author and the same title (그 해 우리는 - 초여름이 좋아!). Simply, the webtoon is a prequel for the drama involving the highschool documentary days. I love how she has focused on the character dynamics of not just the 4 leads, but also the seemingly minor supporting characters. I particularly loved Ji Woong and NJ's backstories. The method of storytelling, the monologue notes during the backstory remembrance, the narrations and most importantly the plot development... everything is so good, I swear. I also loved how she has made the characters interpret various thoughts.
Nam Hye Sung PDnim is a super familiar name among the Korean composers and has composed for so many dramas, on the top of that for many excellent ones. There are 13 OSTs in total (by the time I write this) and I seriously love all of them. I usually cite my most fav or top 2 but I wanna mention more than that...
#1 "The Giving Tree" by Lee Seung Yoon is my most favourite. The soft beat song with pleasing vocals is about reminiscing the sweet memories of the past whose warmth is still heartfelt.
#2 "Drawer" by 10cm again is again about reminiscence but with a romantic and aesthetically beautiful tone which could make you cry. 10cm never fails to do his job.
#3 "Our Beloved Summer" by Kim Kyung Hee is the theme song for the drama which is a refreshing harmony and pleasant call for love.
#4 "There For You" by Kim Na Young is a soulful and emotional song, which is known to be her forte. It strikes out one's insecurities in a relationship. I particularly loved the rhythms.
#5 "Summer Rain" by Sam Kim which has the softcore melody that makes your heart flutter, no doubt he is proficient vocalist. The song is a very comforting one.
#6 "Maybe If" by BIBI is a song of 'What-Ifs'. It narrates various possibilities while dissecting the decisions of past to pick out the regrettable ones. BIBI's pointed vocal is so on point.
#7 "Christmas Tree" by BTS V is an eulogy to love. It perfectly depicts the art of loving and the feelings of being loved. Taehyung's vocal is like cherry on the top for this track.
Other OSTs are...
"Squabble" by Ha Sung Woon
"I Will Make You Happy" by Jang Beom Jun
"Even Now" by Yang Yoseob
"Home" and "Why" by Janet Suhh
"Red String of Fate"by Kim Kyung Hee
"From a philosophical pov, love is all about giving; it's what you give, and not what you take." This is an anonymously quoted line that we all know of but lemme assure that Our Beloved Summer goes beyond all the definitions and breaks all the barriers, in order to come forward with its own interpretations. I will try my best not to spoil while explaining this and please note that the next few paragraphs are descriptions relating to the show's scenarios.
For the world to become beautiful, the golden precepts to live by are mutual understanding, respect, tolerance, forgiveness, and love. OBS signifies how important these 4 factors are, in love. Love is love, no matter what but one must be aware of how to love and be loved, and to acquire that knowledge, we must be willing to learn each and every day out of it. OBS also shows how important its to learn despite the pacing and time period taken, bcs what matters is when you come back with full comprehension.
The feelings of not being loved anymore leads to insecurity which works like a poison in a relationship. Even in the strongest relationships, the fear of judgement by your partner is the mark of guilt and the burden of insecurities. Self-esteem, ego and reasonable pride are some elements contributing to it and I'm glad they didn't forget to sort out the lil knots left to untie at the end of the drama, even though it was late.
Honesty is the best policy- as you've heard, but my friend! It takes immense courage to be honest in a relationship. We often forget that we are mere human beings, and not magicians who can read others. So it's important that we tell things to others and also become a good listeners. Hiding is like lying to your own and it accumulates to further treachery. At the same time, opening up to your partner not only relieves the pain to some amount but also comforts your soul. This is another factor they've emphasized in the drama.
"Because nothing would happen If I don't do anything" is a line from this drama which implies that our choices or decisions are what shapes our future. It doesn't matter whether we joy over it or regret it bcs it's already too late to go back. We might have another chance to set things straight but that again depends upon the others involved. Because In the end, that was the choice you made, and it doesn't matter how hard it was to make it. It matters that you did.
"Please keep loving me." was a desperate call from one of the characters in this drama. We all wish to be loved for only ourselves and nothing extrinsic, but what exactly is the necessity and is that entity sufficiently reserved to elicit love alone? Well, the answer lies in our hearts with some reasoning left for our brains to do.
There is a great gift in conflict that is resolved heart to heart—it’s a deeper understanding. You just need to be willing to do your part to dive deep for the pearl. That's the greatest message "Our Beloved Summer" gives away to it's viewers. It simply is being deeply in love than being crazily in love. This drama truly brings out the most basic thing about a dating relationship.
I think I could be the only one but It somehow reminded me of Yumi's Cell. They're not similar in any way but the fact, that both of them are about processes and not constant or regular outcomes, is what makes both of them unique. I came here solely for Choi Woo Shik, Kim Da Mi and Kim Sung Chul bcs I have always loved their performances. Not having read the webtoon, I wasn't expecting much when the drama was still in making but when the hype about it started going up the hill, it took my level of anticipations with it and I am proud to announce that, it has exceeded whatever I thought It'd be.
Final remarks... Our Beloved Summer will remain in the top 10 list of Kdramas based on youth life essence for many years to come. The drama is character-driven and each & every aspect of this drama gets an near perfect score and the credit must go to the entire cast and crew. Couldn't be grateful to all of them for this beautiful piece of art which is thought provoking and very heartfelt. This is definitely a must watch. My ratings reflect how much I loved it and tbh it had it's own flaws whicu are in fact negligible but to be fair, I can't give 10/10 haha.
P. S. Might comeback sometimes to edit bcs I feel this is a bit disorganized since I had a runny nose while writing, hehe.
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This review may contain spoilers
I WATCHED IT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TOIf you have to prioritize, watch the first episode and judge for yourself, because some tricks and stretches are telling for the overall quality and worldbuilding. Are you OK with random commoners using Lee last name (and it somehow being an important factor for maliciously choosing a crown prince's substitute)? How about a poison that has to be re-taken every 15 days otherwise the afflicted person will die? Or a poison that makes the survivor immune to all the other poisons in the world? Do you buy the reasoning for hiding crown prince's face behind a mask? Unless you really can't stand prolonged misunderstandings and great love built on lack of communication (or even shared screentime), you'll be OK with the rest.
(And speaking of the setup, I have no idea what were they thinking using prince Sado's name, since it can't even be considered an alternative, rice box-free version of that story. Maybe the writer had something planned but she forgot about it in a meantime? Or wanted to troll us with a prospect of a tragic ending?)
Despite all the plotting, accumulating power and changing teams going on, there's not enough plot to last for 20 hours (and a 5 years long time skip during which 1st female lead regressed and everything interesting apparently just happened to the other three). Some matters, like finding a poppy field, could have been resolved around 1/3 of the show and don't even start me on that jar that no-one bothered to come and get until the very end. Really. There were two quests in total and they were both lying sidelined waiting for a person in charge to get to his or hers grand moment, because everyone else was too busy creating misunderstandings, being a noble idiot or passively looking from behind. Right, they needed to make an antidote too, but that just happened last minute.
To make matters worse, due to the episode getting split in half it wasn't 20 eps but 40 shorter ones. So double the cliffhanger / wet blanket combo and add general lack of fluidity here and there. With that being said, it's not a show to watch for the plot and the overall pacing fits what little character development we see. Except most of it is thrust upon the second leads.
Storytelling is mediocre at best and very predictable in a short term (still engaging on a longer run). You can have a drinking game for everything that happens on cue and every seam that shows through. Expect lots of convenient timing used for the sake of the dramatic effect and main characters doing nothing and getting away with it, because events resolve themselves without them. I'm not even talking about overused hijinks like the main girl coming back from her task all down and changing her mood midsentence, saying to the crowd's relief she suceeded, or that scene when the crown prince was being mourned only to show above someone's shoulder and ask who's dead. And let's ignore that General who fought Jurchens, because he's such a stock character I physically cringed every time he spoke. His lines were like something a kindergartner with a wooden sword would improvise, that kid that gets some episodic part because someone has to do it, and maybe doubles as a tree. Someone on kissasian commented it's like the writer was using a textbook on how to write a segeuk and I fully agree. It's a second rate fanfic writing in a high budget decorations. Easy on eyes and ears, engaging, but only until you take your eyes of it and start looking at the whole picture. With a different cast and lower production value, it'd be unwatchable.
The romance is bland and angsty. They meet, they instantly fall in love, some misunderstandings happen to them [enters 'came from the dead, pretends to be his own lookalike' trope sprawling over the better part of the middle], they separate, they're back and everything is all dandy. The end. The second leads meddle into it, but they never had a chance and weren't even looking for a different options, so there's no thrill. Fill the empty spaces with speeches on the common people suffering under Evil Corp, the legitimacy of power, qualities of a good leader and apologies towards villain who was clearly forced by a circumstances and badly run country to turn evil, poor thing. The show takes itself very seriously, but comes off silly and pompous despite some original concepts thrown at the beginning. I wish writers had a better idea of showing Ga Eun's independence than making her going blindly her way, without consulting people around her and making informative choices. I'm not saying asking for permission, but communicating with a person she supposedly loves that much. I suspect reasons for that are not exposing her trait as much as having her in one place with the second male lead and under his power, and giving the first male lead an opportunity for a dramatic run through a city stopped on crossed halberds. She could be much more than that -- and she was, but it derailed.
WHAT'S IT WORTH WATCHING FOR:
Hm. Let me think. YSH was born to play royals. He's charismatic, commanding and has them dramatic gazes covered. And not forget his deep voice. But we didn't need a 20 episode drama to confirm that. Both he and KSH are wasted in their roles of a sheltered prince taking a responsibility and a trophy girl. A kind, caring, underinformed trophy girl fighting for a justice. With 15 minutes of a heavily reused footage her character had more impact on the story in Goblin than here. Wait, I meant to stay positive. Both leading actors managed to carry their characters thanks to their charisma and breathed some air into subpar writing. Both second leads showed improvement compared to some of their former works. Second female lead comes quite a way from a creep playing with her knife (or was a needle?) and inflicting on herself a wound to match with the one the crown prince got to an independent, succesful woman standing against her family and making great sacrifices. Second male lead shares 1st lead burden and tries to navigate in an unfamiliar environment until he can't take it anymore and breaks apart. Villain is entertaining to watch and not omnipotent (close, but not), but towards the end he's getting out of character (or was he always delusional?). The other villain has a motivation so murky and changable I won't risk a guess what was she actually plotting, but I doubt it was intentional anyway. At some point it looked like we've got a few more secret organisations to stir things up, but keep your hopes low. As soon as they were introduced, they got tossed away. [Looks like that's as far as my positive attitude can get me.]
Rating it anything below 7 is mean towards production team and actors, but the writing really brings it down. You can safely skip that one, but if you feel like watching something light, why not give it a shot and see for yourself. [But don't even a light show need a more convincing romance, if nothing else?]
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Healing drama they said, Healing drama it was.
If the objective of the drama was to make every shot look like a painting from that time period, that was successfully satisfied. The soft cool color grading and the sweeping shots of the fields and single trees: a dream! The chemistry of the whole cast especially the clinic family was so tightknit and so much fun to watch. Many of the previews were describing it as a healing drama and due to the sincerity of the script and the casts’ skills in thoroughly portraying their character’s traumas and how they got them, I actually did feel like it was a healing drama because we went through that process with them. However, I wish they included more “psychiatrist counseling therapy” cause that’s in the title, leading to my main complaint that there was too much screen time for the antagonists planning their evil plans only to be basically re-explained later. It was nice to see the different patient cases that Poong and the Gye Soo clinic family would help, just like in other modern medical dramas. However, I think the build up to the climax at Hanyang would have accelerated (and not dragged a little like some reviews had said about the middle half) if all of the cases had either developed Poong and Eunwoo as medical practitioners (skill and counseling wise) or if each case had given us clues about the "final battle" at Hanyang discovering who killed the king and how they got away with it. Some of the patient cases felt a little rushed being resolved and were just there to grow the sweet relationship between Eun woo and Poong (those moments I won't complain about because they were all highly anticipated for me personally:). There should be a trigger warning in the first episode (at least) because the make up team did an incredible job of making all the “soft gore” stuff look really real. The OST (especially Solji’s and Sohyang’s) really illustrates the mood of the drama and the background instrumentals were sometimes really funny during appropriately comedic scenes esp with the off tune flutes whenever Manbok said/did anything (he is truly comedy central haha).To me, it looks like the directors and the screenwriters had the overall goal of making a healing drama and went in that direction while successfully balancing mystery, romance, and family comedy on their plate. It wasn’t too much for each genre, contributing to an overall very soft healing drama…except for the last ep.
So here I am rewatching each episode AGAIN for the nth time while I wait for season 2 after almost losing IT to that cliffhanger.
Final note: the two main leads Hyang Gi and Min jae are obviously seasoned actors because all their emotional scenes tore my heart out. Deep sincerity in their eyes and body language every time.
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The cast is perfect! The character of second lead is almost too perfect even I was secretly hoping that Jin Joo will end up with Nam Gil..
The music is spot on.. the rewatch value is also record high for me.. even I will rewatch it again after I finish writing review.
I can say this is one of the most enjoyable drama ever.. the problem with it, I think the SLS is too hard..
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A+++! ( ˘ ³˘)♥
This seris is so sick omg! I STILL LOVE IT AWWWeee!! !!!!ATTENTION !!!! If YOU NOT can't stand THE BLOODy And Murder scenes, than DO NOT watching this serious. If you even do it, told you sis/bro! ( ˘ ³˘)♥ The cast and the scenes and THE characters are so genious, The music was totallllyy impressive and the music can make the situation more touching and moore sentimental and SUCH A GREAT ART! UWUHE CHARACTERS AND THE STORY LINE WAS GREAT! but here is a thing for everyone who loved this series,and I know you will agree with it uwu! DEAR DIRECTORS, WE NEED SEASON 2!! UwU ( ˘ ³˘)♥Was this review helpful to you?
I can't believe a cast this good would make a drama this bad.
"When the Stars Gossip" is a high-concept drama with a cast that includes many of my favorite K-drama actors, so why is it so terrible? This "opposites attract" space romance starring two K-drama romance icons, Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, should be an automatic hit, but instead, I found myself hating it more and more with each episode.Was it really that bad? I consider it a bad sign when you want characters to die just so you can stop the repetitive storyline and put everyone, including the audience, out of their misery. This was surprising since the writer and director are each behind all-time favorite dramas of mine "Jealousy Incarnate" and "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". Those dramas share some of the same cast, and a little of the same quirkiness, but lack two major things... characters and a story that I liked and cared about. Even a cameo from Jo Jung Suk just reminded me how terrible this drama was in comparison. There's also a pretty clear pro-birth slant that is so heavy-handed the drama becomes completely nonsensical to support that theme, instead of building on characters and real relationships.
In this story, Lee Min Ho plays Kong Ryong a non-astronaut OBGYN sent to space as a "tourist". We quickly learn he has a secret task that involves attempting IVF in space for a colleague of his who is desperate to have her deceased husband's baby. Gong Hyo Jin plays Eve Kim the commander of the mission who is by the book and doesn't appreciate having to babysit Ryong even before finding out he's planning to do something that can get them all in major trouble.
Both characters are extremely stubborn, so it becomes a war between her suspicion and his sneakiness, which gets pretty old quickly. Obviously, this is a clear setup for an enemies-turned-lovers scenario, but the problem is that their attraction to each other felt super forced and lacked any chemistry. I think the fruit flies and mice had better chemistry than they did. Add to that their complicated romantic relationships on earth, and the story gets messy, full of triangles and betrayals, but it still feels flat and boring. To avoid spoilers I will leave out the details but it all felt either comically obsessive or very superficial, and the only couple I was even slightly interested in wasn't a main one.
The romance is weak but I think the theme is the real problem with this drama. There is a recurring moral dilemma that comes up several times in the story where a main character rallies for an embryo or a pregnancy to the point of risking their own life and the lives of others. Over and over we are told of the importance of giving life a chance while through a character's selfishness or singlemindedness lives are put at unnecessary risk. This made it very hard for me to empathize with this POV, and it just became more and more annoying every time it came up. Then about 1/3 through the story it became clear where the story would likely end and for some reason, I forced myself to see it through. Why? The actors.
One thing I did like was the community and banter among the space team. I even loved hating Oh Jung Se as Kang Gang Su because I loved seeing him in a mean role. He really is a great actor with an amazing range even if the character was written to be super one-dimensional. I also thought Lee Cho Hee was great as sisters Lee Min A and Lee Donna. I truly believed they were two totally different people. The mothers were great and charming as well. It was mainly the supporting cast that kept me from dropping this drama when watching the same arguments was becoming too much to bear. Unfortunately, their stories are filler and don't get much development or resolution.
Don't even get me started on the stupid lottery ticket!
Would I watch this again? Absolutely not. I barely made it through to the end and once it got to the climax that was supposed to be emotional I felt absolutely nothing but a desire to know if it was really finally over. The ending was predictable, vague, and unsatisfying. The soundtrack was ok, and having moments of space life was cool at times, but there was nothing enjoyable enough to make me want to watch any of this again. You also have to suspend disbelief a lot to get through the action sequences and give up on science actually making sense during other sequences. I would applaud the plot's audacity if that made it more entertaining, but it did not.
I think maybe if the writer had less of an agenda in their storytelling this could have been an interesting observation about motherhood, those who sacrifice for the chance, give up their chance, will never have that chance, or step into the role when needed, but instead it felt like too many of the women characters were given the depth of baby machines in this plot leaving little room for nuance while male characters had god-complexes over making fertility happen no matter what. It's hard not to see this as pro-birth propaganda, especially with a main character named Eve.
Overall, if you’re wondering If I would recommend this drama, I would say abort mission!
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1 - The Villains - The writer simply didn't know what to do with them. Old characters come back and they don't seem to have learned anything (good or bad) from their experiences from 3 years ago. They're evil just for the sake of being evil. The best villains are the ones that even though you don't agree with them, you understand why they take on such actions, and that doesn't happen here. You spent all the time wondering "Why is this person still doing this? And why is this new person doing this?". Do you know the rule of film, "don't tell me, show me"? Yeah, in this season they neither show you or tell you. The actual medical practice also suffered a lot from this. I didn't count but it was clear that they had a lot more scenes in the OR in the first season than in the second. Sometimes it looked like I was watching a political drama and not a medical one.
2 - Editing - While I agree that both new leads had little to do in terms of development, I blame it mostly on editing. Some characters had huge problems and traumas from childhood shown in the first episodes, and then nothing really happened for the most part just so at the end solutions were brought like they were ready to go all the time. Really huge decisions had little to no impact on the next scene, sometimes even with the same characters (!!!!). The romance also was affected by this. The use of flashback didn't work for most of the scenes between the main leads, and for the most part, the best scenes between them were done when (surprise, surprise) the medical drama was actually being a medical drama. Season 1 was about growth in both professional and personal lives, this one lacks a lot of both, mainly because how OP the male lead is and how the editing treated the female lead as a weak character when that was not the case at all.
3 - Drama, Drama, Drama - I was skeptical when the first case of the Hospital was that big of a deal at the start of the series because you know, " since this is season 2, you need to make everything bigger, am I right?" (/s). Whenever the writer didn't know what to do with a certain character, they would just throw some more drama into the story, which was funny because people in the discussions thread were always so tense about what was going to happen next when nothing really was happening. It was just lazy drama so actors could yell at each other and make us feel like the tension was through the roof.
I'm pretty sure a lot of people who didn't watch this first one are going to find my score strange, that I might be a hater or something, but hear me out.
I highly recommend those of you who didn't watch the first season to do so and then compare it to this one, especially the story. Try to notice how well the story develops while characters grow and learn from their mistakes. After that go back to this review and try to remember how much the leads of this season developed. I just hope they don't make a third season because it would be a shame to hear that they're going to keep doing drama for the sake of drama in this amazing series.
The OST is cool though.
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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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The story surrounds a guy who is part of a secret government organization that employs so called ghost agents. Professional fighters/warriors (or whatever you may call it - agents) who get on secret missions around the world and are not allowed to have any deep feelings or connections with other people since that would compromise their work. These ghost agents here are the very cliché of every spy agent you can possibly think of.
The story starts to evolve in that direction. Agent K (Park Hae Jin) takes on a mission and unexpectedly starts to develop real feelings for a woman he has to con along the way.
I can stick with all kinds of dramas, even with the bad ones if they make me curious enough to want to watch the next episode, because that is one grave reason for me to either enjoy or be disappointed with a show. Even if a story makes me pull out my hair because the protagonists are acting all nonsensical. Yeah, I'm that kind of a shallow person. I can handle trashy dramas as well as cheesy ones - if they don't take it too far but entertain me.
So, the worst thing that can actually happen to a drama and that makes me lose interest throughout the whole way, is when it becomes plain boring. Sadly, Man to Man was exactly that for me. There's nothing special about it. It feels like one of the biggest cliché-heavy mainstream action spy dramas I've ever seen, and it gives off the feel that the producers wanted to reach as many viewers as possible, what is eventually the main reason why it failed to impress me at all. The (seemingly hidden) spark didn't reach me.
I didn't expect much when I began watching it, but I would have never expected it to be like that. I'm sincerely sorry to say this and I feel bad for the high-level cast but I was extremely disappointed with many things - not everything. There was also something that kept me going and therefore made me complete it, so don't be too frustrated with my opinion.
One thing that wasn't able to... touch me was the romance. Don't hit me. It was just suddenly there somewhere along the line. I never understood why K fell in love with this particular woman and not all the other ones he used for his previous missions. They had their cute moments, I admit that and I enjoyed them to a certain point. But it never made me excited.
Many people were annoyed by the female lead in the beginning but started to like her later on. For me it was the other way around. I liked her in the first episodes but as the story went further, she became a bothersome side character whose behavior annoyed me at times. Kim Min Jung had a strange way of portraying her role, especially the way she spoke. Though I admit that there were also some few scenes where I could empathize with her, for example during the more serious moments and/or when she got hurt. But the overall view of her character was plain and without any depth, and there was no character development whatsoever. And that was actually the problem with most of the characters. Superficial stereotypes who never stood out or made their appearance memorable.
The other thing and probably the biggest flaw in my eyes was the spy story, and partly at fault are eventually its characters who never made me invested enough in their circumstances to even be thrilled by their next move. The execution of the overall story, the hidden wheel in the background, the step by step revelations... everything had a choppy feel to it. It failed to build up the right amount of suspense to make me excited enough about its secretive picture.
I rarely drop dramas, seriously. I want to watch the whole thing when I start something. So, if there is even ONE thing that got my attention, I'll see it through. Man to Man does have some good parts to it, too.
First of all would be the villain. Yeon Jung Hoon. I was so happy to finally see him again after such a long time and he didn't disappoint me. His performance was great in every aspect and to the smallest details. Whenever he appeared, my attention level rose to new heights. He was calm, smart and cocky. He played one greedy bastard but he also felt human in some ways. He was playing his role with such passion that he made me root for him all the way. And his story even had a satisfying wrap up.
The other thing that I enjoyed alot was the bromance. They managed to pull off that part quite well, although I wasn't always completely pleased with it because it lacked screen-time. I would have loved to see more interactions between all those guys and the bonds they had developed over time. Of course all their hilarious moments together were priceless and filled me up with joy. So, when it comes to this I definitely need to mention Park Sung Woong. I was looking forward to his appearance in this show and he never let me down. He was the epitome of bromance and needs special appreciation next to Yeon Jung Hoon.
I was also quite attached to Jung Man Shik's and Tae In Ho's characters here, and I think I need to include this to show that I did like some things.
Park Hae Jin is a special case in this drama. I'm not saying he was bad. He definitely wasn't. His acting was good most times and I enjoyed it. His character-display was just a bit average. Honestly, I've seen way better performances of him in Cheese in the Trap and Bad Guys.
See? Not everything was bad. And I admit that they had some short-while thrilling scenes during the last episodes. I give them that.
Don't take my personal opinion to heart. I know that many people enjoyed this, so it's a controversial issue in the end. But maybe there are some others who agree with me ;) Would I recommend it? Honestly, I have no idea. I would probably prefer other dramas over this.
Btw, my rating for the music... Well, it's not very high, I know. The drama had some nice songs but those themes that were played during the spy and action scenes were getting on my nerves at some point.
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Hidden hidden gem
I have watched many historical dramas before but this hits off completely different. There were so little viewers to the point that my expectations of the show were low, but I decided to give it a try since I love the main characters.Let me start off with the characters,
PERFECT. The female lead’s new life has been entangled with 3 men who have different personalities yet all 3 of them are so likeable and charming (which is so rare considering how every drama have at least 1 annoying male side lead ). Infact, I wouldn’t mind if any 3 of them got her in the end, male lead or not. One of the man’s sister is a brad who tries to take constant revenge on the female lead (we all know we need someone like her to make the female lead seem superior). And the best part of it all is unlike the usual over dramatic phrase “I will not fall down now, I will rise”, the female lead acts extremely composure and elegant. She’s smart, emotional at THE RIGHT TIME, kind, and never makes use of any of the 3 man.
Story wised, every episode have something going on, I haven’t been bored even a minute. My favorite part is that the drama does not dwell too much on the female lead’s past (who she was before her current life), it took less than half a episode if I recall right.
Totally recommend this drama, it’s extreme underrated!
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SUN-OH and JOJO'S Fans Don't Watch Seriously Advised
Not Worthy Sequel Of Love Alarm. WHY??1.)If you watch it then it totally destroys your expectations of waiting for 2 years.
2.)You will turn into anti-fan of Love Alarm and would hope that it would have better or the best to not watch season 2 as it break your all hopes being rooted for ideal happy ending in pieces.
3.) I hate second lead who has more scenes than main lead. In which drama the main lead is made to cry so much and not even given perfect match.
4.) The so-called happy ending is really not happy for any fan of this show. I really don't think it was really really necessary to follow the Manhua novel so seriously and to force everything according to that.
5.) If the writers really can't predict what the viewers want then they aren't even worthy to write something new in future.
Why I WATCHED IT??
1 .) Like everyone I am also fan of Sun-oh and Jojo from the arrival of love Alarm season 1. So was hoping them to meet at the end of season 2 and to have a good and happy ending.
2.) From Trailer like everyone I also hoped it as going according to our expectations but really felt disappointed by this cheap trick to get viewers.
3.) Only having Great cast but the plotline and story made it worse for all of them.
4.) Best character of the whole show is Park Gul Mi. You will know why?(only this worth watching)
SHOULD Watch Season 2 For what??
1 ) Just Ost is 👍.
2.) Plot of Gul mi and the love alarm 2.0 developer.
Expect this nothing is worth watching.
Last warning ⚠️:-
If plan to watch watch then should have 0 or negative expectations .
2.) Fans if not want to be very upset or left heartbroken then in my opinion skip the scenes of sun-oh crying and the forced chemistry of second lead and jojo.
Final Thoughts;- After watching i am feeling like an anti fan same as the ones that came and protested against love alarm app in season 1 last episode.
Feelings:- Heartbroken, Sad , And Angry on Writers of the season 2.
Wishing To Not have To be This Sad On Any Other Shows Sequel As it destroys the expectations, hopes, as we waited for almost 2 years to get a sequel but it was not even an average or 1/4 of love alarm season 1.
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED AS A VIEWERS AND HEARTBROKEN AS FANS ❗❗❗.😭😭😭😭😭
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The drama basically depicted the cluelessness and lost feelings during the twenties and gradually becoming more matured and composed while entering thirties. It is very practical, rational and logical. Nothing what was showed was unrealistic. Inevitably to exist in any sector is quite grappling more so in the entertainment industry. Our lead protagonists, facing various odds and adversities, tried to make their own names in the industry, making honesty, diligence, modesty, humanity and truthfulness their sole weapons. Pragmatically they tried to hold on to their dreams no matter what storms swept their steadfastness, persistence and self confidence. Realistically speaking that’s how it should be. Sometimes it is difficult to always remain hard-headed, afterall we all are human. The characters' vulnerability has been shown as well. At night, during their lone time, they bawled their eyes out when nothing seems their way. Nobody can deny we have never done it many a times.
Secondly Korean dramas are always one of the best to show some practical family issues. All the issues presented with each young person’s parents are undeniably genuine. I could relate to every single of the issues, either I face some or I have seen other people facing the same problems with their parents. Despite the fact they sometimes become the terrible judge of our lives or want everything to be perfect, at the end they are ones who by default stand by us and want the best for us. Every single aspect of the familial issues shown irrespective of rich, middle or poor class families are undoubtedly most credible.
Thirdly, the romance aspect between the leads is what can be normally seen in the entertainment industry. Often times the couples part their ways due to ridiculously overbearing work schedule; work comes first before romance. Deliriousness overpowers between choosing romance and work as both are imperative for existence. Also hackneyed topic but romance between people from completely different social strata is truly sort of impossible which is portrayed by another couple.
Moreover, another point is also worth mentioning which has gone a little unnoticed is the fact that age does not matter if anyone has the motivation and will power to commence something. The grandfather of this drama took initiative to do something for himself though much later but he never despair for his old age. This also gives an appropriate message to the elderly (in fact to all ages)- "better late than never", a person can do anything if they set their mind into it and should utilize their time in a best possible way before they die.
What should I say about the acting of the casts? They all made me cry, laugh, happy, sad and irritate all at the same time. One of the best ensemble casts selected who made their own individual character extremely convincing. Additionally, the main leads dialogues are full of eloquence, it has smooth texture which is unbeatable. Both of the protagonists have the best lines to say in any given situations resulting into breaking any sort of monotony one might develop while watching this drama. Admittedly, I have full admirations for such intelligently written dialogues. The soundtracks are also one of the best portraying the right kind of feel during many scenes.
This is overall an excellent drama to say the least I could relate to about youth, friendship, romance, familial chaos and unity, workplace scuffle and constant fight to better oneself. Yes it could have been better but I understand the writers did not want anything flashy to make it unrealistic. I thoroughly enjoyed more than sixteen hours of my wonderful journey.
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Let's start with the positives:
Episode 1 to 4 were perfect in my opinion. Episodes 5 to 7 were also good, episodes 8 to 10 were kind of hit and miss, but still had a few memorable scenes.
At the beginning, the chemistry between Wat and Tine was palpable. The longing stares, the shy looks, the secret smiles, even the head pats were successful in giving me so many feels. It seemed like a simple story, lighthearted, funny and romantic. The story was moving smoothly, didn't feel too rushed. It made me look forward to Fridays.
I also love the OST. Thanks to this series, I got to know Scrubb. I love their songs and I think they were used effectively in the series, especially in the beginning/middle part.
Initially the acting was also really good. Sarawat's aloofness and Tine's energy were portrayed very well. Win, especially seemed very natural despite this being his debut.
The negatives which quickly made me drop the rating from a 9 to a lowly 5:
Starting from episode 8, problems with the writing, direction, and editing became more obvious. it always felt like they were stuffing too much into each episode. Episode 11 to 13 were probably the worst episodes I've ever seen in a BL. They were disastrous.
The outline of the story is good enough. But the plot moved through every single cliche possible: Unnecessary drama from ex-gf, multiple jealousy tropes, stupid misunderstandings, possessive bf trope, 'fragile uke' who needs protection, etc etc.
The drama/conflict was dragged out till the very last episode, making the end feel very rushed and unsatisfactory, just hastily tying up all the loose ends. We never get to see our couple be happy in their relationship, they always had problems. I lost faith in their love after they got together. I was no longer invested in the characters.
The characterization was not uniform throughout. Both the main characters were behaving unlike themselves in the later episodes.
Secondary couples had very little development. Maybe with more attention they could've added more to the series. In the beginning when the main couple was great, they felt unnecessary. Towards the end when the main couple was bromancing instead of romancing, I wanted more from the other couples.
The leads had more chemistry during the 'falling in love' phase, with loving stares and shy looks giving the audience so much feels. But after they actually become a couple, the chemistry just vanished. Their hugs and headpats became awkward. They were more like bros,actually in the final episode they were more like strangers than even bros. Even after they reconcile in the end, it's hard to believe in their love because there was such a dearth of intimacy.
Though the acting was decent at many points, towards the end it became lazy, repetitive, and cringey. Bright especially looked like he was uncomfortable with his character.
This series has been such a disappointment. I feel so betrayed because I was so into it at the beginning, really rooting for the characters. Hence the ranty review.
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the luo yunxi juice is strong and the only reason this show is so popular
Ok this show... I dont even know where to begin. Not all of it was this god awful, most of the time it was entertaining and mid, but when it was bad, it was SHOCKINGLY TERRIBLE. And at its best, this show entered the Marvel cinematic hell zone, where everything thats happening is on such a massively large apocalyptic world ending stakes so high that it just ends up becoming boring and meaningless. Tantai Jin is basically a total saint by the end, just a victim of cruel fate and Susu is literally a god, none of the main characters feel like they are being lead by any sort of complexity or humanity, they are just wholeheartedly devoted to the cause of saving the world from evil. Tbh not once were we really shown why it’s worth fighting for, they just say it is because it’s the world and that’s enough for them and most viewers I guess… but like a good writer would really make me FEEL the urgency. I’m not saying that world ending massive epic high stakes will always be boring or unrelatable- all it takes is characters that are well written and the addition of themes that have something important or new to say, but this show absolutely doesn't have that. I'm not even really sure what the theme is other than a generic people can change for the better and you really can love a bad boy into being a good boy LOL.Okay I will start w the only truly good thing I will say about the show. The costume design for the gods is actually the best I've seen in a xianxia, which isnt saying much because it's usually absolute shit. And while I wouldn't say the gods had Good costume design, it was at least Better than what I've seen. Like they ACTUALLY referenced Chinese Buddhist imagery of gods/flying apsaras/feitian which gives it a feeling of both historical reference, as well as a more retro vibe from older C-dramas and their depiction of gods and immortals. Truly a balm for the eyes in the sea of pale ass transparent gauzy layers of hanfu with drop earrings. I will NEVER forgive 3L3W for the shit costume design that has become the standard in xianxia!! Thank you cyjm for doing something different!!! Not even that good it's just different!!! HOWEVER other than the gods the styling was absolutely terrible.
Onto character + relationship writing... Tantai Jin is of course the beloved darling of the show, (and of the internet... and of my mom) who gets so much time and attention and yet his character makes so little impact for me. It's quite funny to me that he is supposed to be 'evil' and yet the writers are so precious w him he cannot be blamed or disliked for even a second. He truly does nothing that is actually morally contemptible and the writers have gone in circles and circles with ridiculous plot shit and other eviler evildoer characters to make sure that he is essentially completely blame free by the narrative. Even in the beginning, when he was at his most interesting and basically whatever the writer's flawed perception of a psychopath is, he literally only ever hurt his abusers and people who betrayed him. And while those people were sympathetic, it also meant that TTJ never does anything that would truly make the audience question their support of him or of what's right and wrong. He never hurts the truly innocent. There's no villain who you can't help but root for, just a bullied and abused man who also happens to look like a beautiful manhua character come to life who never does anything wrong!!! It's simply cowardly to only make characters that are perfectly likable and do not do anything genuinely morally reprehensible and then CLAIM that he is some morally ambiguous ML. And do not tell me this is the fault of censorship when there are plenty MLs in cdramaland who are pretty bad and do bad things. Even when he takes his place as ruler in Jing country he does it as peacefully as possible and treats all citizens as his own and provides aid to refugees and everyone loves and respects him LIKE??? COME ONNNN LMAOOOOO he is literally FAULTLESS.
He's at his most flawed in the grand disaster of his relationship w Ye Xiwu but even then his obsession and possessiveness remained firmly in the land of fantasy of beautiful powerful deranged man who is obsessed w u, and wasn't really pushed That far into gross and creepy. It gets closer after she dies, I was actually genuinely hopeful that he was going to learn when Ye Qingyu yells at him but the final note is still that TTJ loved her so much he wanted to die with her, fuck the country and everyone else! And when he couldn't die he suffered endless torment for 500 years for her! Isn't that romantic instead of absolutely INSANE. Again this is what I mean by Marvel factor, like the 500 years of suffering is SO meaningless to me and it's truly just some peak crazy dog blood cringe writing!!! Like hmm, how can we up the stakes and make it as clear as possible that this love is so powerful and extreme? LETS PICK A BIG INCOMPREHENSIBLE NUMBER YEARS OF TORTURE. This is a middle school idea of devotion, hardship and love. All the writing does is take shortcuts to make manipulative emotional impacts instead of actually writing a good character and relationship arc lmao. China has always been prone to these very annoyingly dramatic epic you die I die self sacrificing portrayals of love which I absolutely hate and cyjm is just a classic example of this that is possibly even worse than those that have come before it.
There was potential for TTJ but so much of the show is just griefporn and him being relentlessly abused and betrayed whether it's by the people around him or by some kind of inescapable fate. And its all so that Susu can save him over and over and he can fall deeper and deeper in love with the only person who cared for him, which is also just more of the tropey Chinese fantasy view of what the deepest form of love is- one that is formed when you only know abuse and pain and One person is nice to you. It's how they keep making desperate unhinged trauma bonding instead of love. Like, if you think about it it's not even that romantic because he didn't fall in love and choose Susu for her character, or her strengths, but because she was the only person who was good to him and she kept saving him over and over... which she only did because she didnt have a choice anyway and it was for the fate of humanity!! It's not like their relationship has nothing going for it, its just not convincing enough. I wish that LSS could've inspired care for others in him beyond that scene with the fireworks granny, and the show showed through actions how she has inspired him, instead of just telling us over and over that shes the reason he has feelings now when all I saw was one measly fireworks scene, and many fluffy meaningless cutesy acts of service and gift giving scenes on top of a random ass dream where they lived as totally different people so the writers could take another lazy shortcut and make him become a better person by experiencing SOMEONE ELSE's LIFE and LOVE instead of HIS OWN. There are things in his story that genuinely have potential, his relationship w Xiao Lin is interesting, he has Nian Baiyu and an entire clan of people who are devoted to him, he also has fun relationships w Pian Ran and Ye Qingyu with decent basis for further development. I really wanted these parts to be explored more and it doesnt take that much time honestly, like it literally just couldve been a few extra scenes (and it wouldnt hurt to throw in some scenes of him with the common people too and learning their struggle!!!) so it wouldnt feel like such a massive jump between the abused and amoral hostage prince TTJ and the Genuinely Good Ruler TTJ. I barely even want to touch on the massive leap between him being relentlessly tormented for 500 years, unhinged don’t care abt anything but YXW to becoming a good boy cultivator who then spends the rest of the show impossibly pure and morally just. It's ridiculous, and you cannot blame this on the story being cut when plenty of other shows have less time and make much better characters and usage of the time that they have. It actually makes ZERO sense, the writers just need his character to be at a different place so they force it to happen.
Li Susu is more or less a blank slate of a character who only exists to be the hero and antithesis to the devil god. She doesn’t have much of any internal logic or core, no depth, she just exists to be whatever the writers need her to be in that moment. She oscillates constantly between forgetting her duty and remembering depending on which will create the most conflict, and then spending the 2nd half the show knocked out unconscious, or running around LOST while TTJ is spitting blood getting the shit beaten out of him ahgjkakjkfjkd tbh u kno the writers are like we need to make Luo Yunxi spit out more blood dramatically and beautifully for all the freaky fans who want to see beautiful men in pain, so LSS will have ZERO SENSE OF DIRECTION…… EVEN THO THEY ARE IN THE SAME PLACE AND SHE CANT BE MORE THAN A BLOCK AWAY!!!
And despite supposedly being smart the writers decide to disrespect her character and make her lose all sense just so they can continue to protect their precious baby TTJ so he remains a Good Boy. It was so genuinely frustrating to watch all of the events that lead to Xiao Lin’s death and subsequently YXW's that basically absolved TTJ of any blame, put all of the blame on Ye Bingchang, who is just evil because misogyny, and made LSS believe stupid shit at the drop of a hat like that TTJ killed her grandma, who isn’t even really her grandma, based on ZERO EVIDENCE. The writing was truly SO FUCKING BADDDDD and for WHAT!!! You LAZY writers!! Just so that neither FL or ML are bad people??? So instead they just made them STUPID??? Was it THAT hard to write a genuine conflict between these two extremely morally opposed people?? They literally went out of their way making an annoying multi step plot with useless branches like grandma dying to AVOID creating complex characters! Imagine if the writers were capable of writing two characters who are both flawed and naturally have conflict AND still love each other!!
Ok onto plot… I’ve already touched on the Marvel vibe which is a definite issue… but also the plot writing is just SO nonsensical and absolutely purposeless at so many points. Like they have such limited time and they are just WASTING it… if something isn’t working just cut it entirely!! Just fill it w parts that actually do matter! And I really do have to talk about the spinning flaming wheel of a train wreck disaster that is the dream arc…. like bro….. BRO…….. WHAT THE FUCK….. because of this arc I actually STOPPED watching for a good month (and would’ve dropped it for good had real life not presented itself w so many stresses i had to escape by binge watching the most fast paced candy at 2x the speed). They wrote the worst love story I’ve seen since Hua Qiangu, with the flattest, most insipid characters with the stupidest motivations and expected not only the Actual Main characters of the show to feel something for them much less the audience who are living in reality. You expect me to believe TTJ and LSS LEARNED smth from this?? Had I gone through this it just would’ve jokerfied me immediately, I would’ve spit blood and qi deviated, not been like wow their love is so sad and beautiful. Sang Jiu and Ming Ye have even LESS basis for loving each other than the main couple, they make LSS and TTJ look like they have substance, my god. And then we have to spend not one or two episodes just to establish lore here, we spend like WELL OVER 8 if not TEN episodes… I’m not counting, that’s just how it FELT… like an ETERNITY!!!! Good lord TIAN HUAN….. I FELT LIKE I WAS LAUNCHED INTO 2001…. and then they had YBC be like I’m not her because she’s pathetic and she sucks LIKE??? So the writers know that she’s nothing but a pure misogynistic lazy and stupid writer’s trope?? Then why force your viewers to watch ten unBEARABLE episodes with her singlehandedly being the cause of everything wrong and bad in the story, including commit GENOCIDE so that Sang Jiu is jokerfied?? Why purposefully make BAD writing that you KNOW is bad and expect viewers to still enjoy it?? The miscommunications… the whole scene where Ming Ye divorces her…. I have never felt so insulted that I was expected to watch this and feel anything other than pure offense. This makes YBC indirectly causing XL’s death look like HIGH ART.
cw sexual assault
And THEN oh my god… something that NO ONE seems to want to talk about but HELLO??? The CONSENT ISSUES???? Did everyone’s morals FLY OUT THE WINDOW??? And I don’t just mean Sang Jiu and the writers I mean the AUDIENCE??? I don’t care if the narrative is saying it’s okay and it’s romantic actually because Ming Ye loves her and was into it… the point is that he could not consent in that state!! AND THEN…. they had the GALL to make SJ take care of him while he’s blind SECRETLY so that he doesn’t know it’s her, and she licherally says ‘he would never forgive me if he knew it was me’ ??!!!! So they KNOW that it’s wrong and they STILL WROTE IT?? Imagine if the genders were reversed and a woman’s rapist is taking the opportunity while she’s blind and injured to get close to her, lying and pretending to be Not her rapist ex husband…. it is literally just so emotionally violent, the grossest violation of a human being’s basic boundaries, respect and ability to make any kind of informed decision. Literally just imagine if she wasn’t a cute girl and picture the most cringe, pathetic incel stalker LMAOOOO. It doesn’t matter WHO it is when the action itself is the grossest violation!!! This show was always doomed to fail at portraying LSS and TTJ’s relationship in the first place since the entire core of their relationship is a struggle of good vs evil, but the writers have no concept or understanding of what that even means. They only know ‘bad people hurt people and by hurt we only know to mean cause physical pain or kill.’ Like I honest to god felt sick watching these episodes... Anyway even if the rest of the show was just mid-bad this arc puts it into atrocity territory, and it would’ve been SO easy to cut out because it was sooo inconsequential, out of character, RANDOM, and didn’t need to happen for any reason other than to set up some lore. They could’ve made TTJ and YBC change through CHARACTER WRITING…. this DID NOT need to happen.
Otherwise the plot is choppy, many pacing issues, general stupidity that is only good for un-critical mindless viewing. You just really can't take it seriously. Many people had issues w the ending and said it was terribly edited but I honestly didn't even really see much of a difference. I don't give a shit abt TTJ or LSS because they are poorly written and I'm not convinced by them or rooting for them, so I felt nothing by the end. The fact that TTJ dies and it's a BE after pretending to be evil to get LSS to kill him is simply just proof that the show is continuing its road of straightforward plot led thoughtless storytelling. They just followed their own rules and didn't try to do anything different, just the boring usual shit.
Anyway, that’s it for all my gripes. Sorry y’all like so much but it’s so stupid and mid/bad, only worth watching if you can put aside your brain fully (which I kind of needed since Real Life is Hard) for the pure entertainment of many dramatic things happening, and tbh the real reason people like it and TTJ so much is because of Luo Yunxi’s extremely expensive and unnatural face and they get off on him getting tortured to varying capacities. This show is just beautiful manhua man torture fetish hours, endless epic drama w no substance and the ppl who like it THIS much had their brains rotted by Luo Yunxi juice.
Ok that’s it, don’t @ me I don’t care.
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No doubt it's the best music related drama I've seen. It is so in terms of execution, direction, acting and, last but not least, music. I'm writing this review while listening to "Wake up" full volume.
What makes Shut up flower boy band stand out in the forest of decent to mediocre music dramas, is the incredibly heart-warming portrayal of friendship.
The story is not built upon a particularly eventful plot and I'd go as far as to say that the plot is irrelevant. It is so because what truly captured me as a viewer isn't the storyline, but the collection of unforgettable moments among friends, so perfectly caught by the cameras. There is an alchemy among these young people that is palpable and powerful, sweet and touching, unique and memorable. This is a love story through and through: love for music and romantic love too, but most of all love for friends.
It's also a glimpse on how the music business works, and the picture isn't pretty. Emblematic of its inconsistencies, is the fact that the moment the members of eye candy are given a new, more polished look, is the same moment the seeds of their division are planted. Make rock conform to the business rules and you destroy its intrinsic nature.
Much credit goes to direction and acting. The first is… daring. I appreciated the lack of gloss very much: this is a story about 6 eye candies - in name and fact - however the direction does little to make them look so, focusing on the picture of them as one "body", moving swiftly from one to the other and standing still on tiny details. The result is surprising, as it makes the viewer truly feel for them, instead of being simply captivated by their looks.
The acting is admirable: artless and believable. The last time I've watched such a display of genuine friendship and chemistry among a group of people was in Coffee Prince.
Let me add how adorable the female heroine is. Soo Ah is brave, sweet and honest, without becoming the saint victim I've learned to dislike in so many dramas. She adds a touch of feminine delicacy the drama would otherwise lack.
The music? Brilliant. After so much pop, of which I am no fan, hearing a rock ost was a breath of fresh air. Incredibly well chosen, perfectly executed and just as well used throughout the show.
Highly recommended.
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