This review may contain spoilers
An all round ambitious work. (However, 'beautiful' is different...)
"Three Sisters" has won numerous international awards. 12 to be precise. But I'll say it right away: it's overall rather painful to look at. It's even painful to the point. Again and again. So true-to-life that it even hurts some more. Some might seem crass being focused that intensely. But at the same time it's not that crass, actually. It is the normality shining through behind the story, that is almost the most painful part of this KMovie.Three sisters, each in their unique way coping and trying to live with the pain that forces their souls into a corset from which they don't know how to free themselves. They live with their trauma. Are alone, captured within their traumatic past. They don't talk about their trauma. They are emotionally rather surviving than actually feeling alive. They are still trapped in their unresolved past today, because they don't recognize or acknowledge the corset as such. But as long as that doesn't happen, they can't put it off and thus learn to approach life, experience life without a corset...
Haunting portraits of women! So intense that the pain reaches the audience, as vicarious emotion so to speak. Fantastic actresses. An excellent KMovie in all aspects... lighting, scene, shot, cut, etc. too... An all round ambitious work. (However, 'beautiful' is different...) About a topic that is one worldwide. About a topic that is also a big one in South Korea with such a strong patriarchic family hierarchy. A trauma that far too many people on this earth learn to endure. Have to cope with one way or another. Suffer from for the rest of their lives. Being ashamed of it. Yet, actually rather being ashamed of themselves. Because they can't explain the incomprehensible in any other way. Thus they remain trapped in the ineffable.
No movie for every mood.
Yet, when the time is right, then definitely worth it.
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Spoiler alert:
Here the unspeakable is spoken out at last. There is an unexpected showdown that has it all. Something that is liberating. Yes, it hurts, again – just like cold fingers starting to feel the warmth… True enough, healing is a process. (Life hardly becomes smooth&easy overnight.)
Acknowledging the corset. That is the first step. Feeling it, joggling it. This is the next step. Then get on the trail of your own feelings. Find some expression for it. Surrender to your vita and what you sur-vived so far. Let go of the corset, by now being grown and old enough to stand by your side. Grab your inner child´s hand and allow yourself to be who you are, embracing the feelings you have. All of them. The anger, helplessness and desperation, too. Be proud of who you are. Daring, step ahead. Longing to be. Being free to be. Being palpable. Being. Sharing. Communicating... giving life a second chance...
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A soulful & powerful drama. Just beautiful.
Let's talk about the casts with their characters first.- Namtarn successfully played Ginney, a compilation of annoying yet adorable character lol. Lazy, hotheaded, talkative, complains, loud, aggressive. But her sincerity & pure heart wins my heart. One of the most memorable moment is when she has another chance for job, & a huge one, & when Fiat tells her it'll be on the night of the blood moon, she's that excited! Excited to help Tet to switch back, instead of accepting the job!! This short scene is just WOW, shows us how selfless she is. Anyway, i won't forget her style of sleeping, eating, & going upstairs. It's faaaar away from being an elegant lady, but it's really Ginney's style! So natural, lol.
- Alek successfully played Wat & Tet. Seeing Alek as Wat is really disgusting, but when he becomes Tet, it's like the beast turns into a charming prince, a prince that lives a helly life. Yes, his frustrated expressions are just wow. I also like his way of crying. One of the best moment of him is when Ginney is at hospital after shot. How he's upset that much to Wat, and worried that much to the point he cried silently, his emotions stand out! Alek did an excellent job for this.
- Also great job for Krating. A handsome, charming, calm Tet turns into wild Wat, the only bastard among all. But.. Surprisingly there are some things i like about him. His way to confront K'Thanapob & Dr Sunai with harsh words (but right to the point) & gestures is so effective that it's able to 'wake them up' from their wrongdoings. Also his gradual changes to be a better guy. When he's growling, deep down inside he doesn't like something but he realizes he HAS TO DO that for the sake of others. Here he learns a lot about thinking of other people. Another thing, all this time Kul (who used to think him as Tet) take a really good care of him. And when Ginney's at hospital, he finally realizes about what Ginney & Tet do to each other. That's love. He learns about love and sincerity from Kul, Ginney, Tet.
- Bua is perfect to play Kul, a woman with strong will, principal, smart, calm. I agree that her way in rejecting Tet's proposal is too straightforward in front of many people, but i also agree with her saying 'love isn't enough'. Yes, in reality, to make a relationship lasts long, it doesn't need love alone, it also needs trust, commitment, communication, etc. I also love her way in treating Wat, firm, fierce in elegant way, lol. But this effectively makes Wat obey her in EVERYTHING.
Now let's talk about love stories among them, i like it all, except for Ginney-Wat of course, he's just ungrateful for everything she did. Seeing them is stressful, hopeless, like no bright future for them.
- Ginney-Tet. I already loved them since the beginning when Tet's still cold. It's just funny seeing her being aggressive towards him & he looks shocked, awkward. Also when she's lazy to do everything and he's strict to her to do everything instead, lol. The development of their feelings are that natural, flowy. The chemistry of them whether in lovey dovey scenes, funny, or bickering ones works very very well!!! I also love how they fulfill the needs of each other naturally. I'm melted watching the last eps when Tet smiles that brightly to Ginney. He's that happy with her. OMG, every scene of them gives me goosebumps. Hats off for Alek-Namtarn. Oh, also, my most fav kissing scene of them: when they're rehearsing the drama & when she gives cake to him. It's that emotional & deep.
- Tet-Kul. Although they're separated in the end, i love how they end it realistically. It's not simply bcoz of Ginney. But started from Ginney, Kul gradually rethinks about her relationship with Tet, rethinks about how other people see Tet-Kul as couple. Tet learns about it either. I also like how Wat sees Tet-Kul relationship, that they're too similar, so no one will give in.
- Kul-Wat. They started it bad, Wat has deceived Kul at first, but after some of agreement between them, Kul can see & feel that Wat can do certain things that Tet can't do: listen to her for everything, not to force her or manage her life. Combined with her knowing him living a pity past & seeing him gradually change to be better, Kul finally feels sure that Wat is the right one for him. She hasn't loved him deeply yet, but she's sure she will. From this, we can see that when she meets someone that's right for her, although just for months, although not deeply in love yet, she'll be ready to live the rest of her life with him.
Overall, love the whole storyline, great! The body swap doesn't stand alone, but it leads us to other conflicts: family, birth secret, love life, drugs, etc. Yet this body swap is also destined to solve all those problems. All are connected, well written.
Also love the ending. Some people might think it's a bit draggy. But i'm glad they make everyone comes to an understanding. Everything is clear between Ginney-Kul, Kul-Tet, Thanapob-Wat-Tet, Sunai-Wat-Tet, Thitiya-Sunai, Thitiya-Wat-Tet. It's a happy ending for everyone.
Thanks for the production team for making such great lakorn. The cast itself is already great! Plus they explore the emotion of every character, combined with good lighting, atmosphere, backsound, deep dialogues. They make emotional scenes more energetic, but in elegant way, not too much as i've seen in a melodrama.
About switching body back or not, it can be realistic for both decision. And i agree with their mom. Intendedly crashing towards each other doesn't guarantee they'll back to their bodies. It can lead them to death instead. Just accept the fate. However, i'm wondering if they switch back, curious to see Krating with Namtarn. But actually their chemistry is also good as Ginney&Wat when fighting each other, lol.
However there are some questions for me, but other reviews & comments have already told it. And i don't really mind.
Oh, special credit for the wedding video&photo. I didn't think they'd put it after the last scene. Seriously, it looks REAL, like seeing Alek-Namtarn & Krating-Bua's marriage. Watching them talking in that video is just like they're talking in real life.
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This review may contain spoilers
I wonder what everyone loved that I missed?
Things that stay in my mind: Shao Fei's exaggerated facial expressions, Tang Yi's meaningless blank stares, bad environmental shots and absurd plot, cute workplace friends and fatherly chairman who are very enjoyable to watch.When Tang Yi gives a little face, Shao Fei, who falls in love without waiting or thinking, immediately accepts it without doubting or wondering if I am gay. Because if your same sex is close to you, your first thought is to be gay. Because there is no such thing as intimacy, friendship 😩
Our second couple was very nice, but it was cut very short. I loved both characters 😭 I wish they had reduced the scenes of the first couple and increased the scenes of this couple
In general, it is a series that I did not like, I did not feel much passion, I could not connect with the characters. Of course, it's still going, whoever likes it will like it again. If it got such a high vote, I respect it to the end. I wonder what everyone loved that I missed?
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Why can't we all have the love we think we deserve without judgement
Just freshly off watching it; I'm writing this with the feelings still in my heart. The story will break your heart to pieces, seeing Jia-han and Wang Po-te(Birdy) struggle with their feelings in a world where their love was just seen as a sin; As we see with a builled boy for liking boys and police going after a harmless man fighting for his right to just be. A great example of right person, wrong time.The acting was amazing; They had me bawling my eyes out while feeling their pain and heart racing at their chemistry.
The music was also amazing, in fact I have 'Your Name Engraved Herein' on repeat as I write this in my feelings.
The movie was so good it had me wanting to go back and watch it all over again once it was done. One thing's for sure; Won't think of wǎn ān the same.
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Well, a bit long for 38 episodes but i really love their friendship and how they always be there for each other. No triangle love whatsoever, just a bad brother who does anykind of things for his own sake.
The business things takes a lot of story but you can skip bit by bit if you don't like it.
Overall, i enjoy this drama and romance of the main leads and their friends, not in a hurry, slowly but sure and steady.
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A Wuxia Rom-Com That Starts with a Bang and Ends with a Fizzle
This short C-drama was a surprisingly entertaining watch—at least for the first two-thirds. Blending wuxia, romantic comedy, and slapstick, it kicks off with a fresh and humorous tone. The female lead, a smart and sassy young princess (played by Bao Shang En), literally falls into a storybook world and crosses paths with the resident villain (played by Zhang Jun Ning), a brooding martial artist burdened with emotional baggage.The FL’s modern way of thinking and casual speech contrast comically with the costume drama setting. She brings a self-aware tone to the show that keeps things light. The ML is more reserved, though his abs get more screentime than his inner world—which, to be fair, fits the drama's wink-wink approach to genre tropes.
While the chemistry between the leads is nothing to write home about, it doesn’t hurt the overall experience too much, since romance takes a backseat to comedy. There’s a constant stream of familiar tropes and occasionally predictable dialogue, but somehow it stays fun rather than stale. The supporting cast does a lot of heavy lifting here—especially Cui Shao Yang as Baili Xingchen, who steals scenes with a mix of hilarity and heart.
The production value is quite solid for what seems to be a low-budget drama. Costumes are sometimes a bit off but the cinematography is visually pleasing, and the BGM is excellent—alternating between traditional Chinese melodies and more modern, playful sounds. The OST matches the genre-blending tone, further elevating the experience.
For the first 14 episodes, I was mostly laughing and thoroughly enjoying myself. But then... the story lost its footing.
The final stretch shifts from playful parody to melodramatic slog. The plot goes in circles, with the ML repeatedly deceiving and abandoning the FL, dragging us through long, overwrought monologues and emotional back-and-forths. Flashbacks take over. The once-sharp humor fades, and a weird ending wraps things up with little satisfaction.
In short: This drama starts with charm, creativity, and comedy—but stumbles hard near the end. Still, it’s worth a watch for the early episodes and supporting cast. Just don’t expect a strong emotional payoff.
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Story: I wouldn’t call this a melodrama but its not a romcom either. There are a ton of light moments (due to the softball team’s antics), heavy angst mix with tears (romance), evil doings (2nd female lead), bromance turned rivalry in business and love (both male leads), and some new plot developments within the last episode. While I thought this was well written (not that predictable and never boring), some impatient people might be turned off by the slow pacing.
Acting/Cast: Both female leads had more to work with acting wise and they had to bring on the tears and also experienced mood changes. I like Yoon Se Ah because she does play a lot of evil characters in most of her dramas but she has a way of making you feel sympathetic for her as well. For the 2 male leads I like their acting styles cause their kind of laid back. They both had chemistry with Kim Hee Sun and honestly I would have been fine with either of them ending up with her in the end.
Music: It was all over the place and sometimes I didn’t understand why they chose the score for certain scenes but I thought everything was pleasant to listen to while watching the drama.
Rewatch: This was a very easy watch that I breezed through so its something I would consider watching again but not for a while cause the plot wasn't that exciting.
Overall Smile Again is a more realistic sports drama mixed with a bit of basic drama elements.
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1Truest coming of age movie
This coming of age movie explores the usual themes of the first love, being rejected and self discovery. And the main point accepting your family for who they are, and trying to be real with them. Zheng Yuxing played by Leo Wu/Wu Lei, and Chen Chen played by Zheng Zifeng. These young actors nailed it, I don't think I have watched any coming of age movie without skipping any scenes. But this movie made me watch it without skipping anything.A Girl who failed her college entrance exam, because she found out a truth that was supposed to be hidden. A Guy who blew off his entrance exam because he lost his first love, that was not his. They met because of a lie, that was not meant to hurt anyone but unfortunately did.
Zheng Yuxing a highschool guy, music enthusiast, the cool kid, lives on the internet and uploading tiktok videos hoping someday his first love will see them. But to no avail, afterwards he decides to help and support Chen Chen with the lie she told her parents.
Chen Chen a highschool girl, meticulous student, quiet girl. Failed her exam, because she found out something about her parents, that was supposed to be hidden. She's conflicted about what to do now. When she's inquired about the reason of her failure, she lies. Which brings Yuxing and Chen together.
They form a mutual connection, and understanding eachother. Chen wants to help Yuxing, knowing he's become her crush now, can't help herself. She decides to go on a trip with Yuxing, that changes everything for Chen Chen, her parents and Yuxing.
A Dialogue from the mid part of the movie - "In the future, if the people we like, can also like us, how nice would that be."
It showed such emotions, and it was so touching.
The actors portrayed the emotions so beautifully and the story was good too.
And ending the movie with the Dialogue: "When will the future arrive? If right here, right now, the one you like happens to like you back, then right now is the future"
It shows that love is not that simple, even it's concept is complex. And not everything you want can be achieved in terms of affection.
The reference of Coldplay songs was really good. And the Drone show, the EDMs and the music festival and all the lightings and the stage the decorations. It was all so lovely. And I was impressed by it.
The background music good too.
What I liked the most: 1. The Meaningful Dialogues. 2. The Intro. 3. EDM 4. The Drone show and the music festival stage decoration and lights. 5. How simple straightforward story it was but yet it was so meaningful
So finishing my review, I'll admit I watched it only for Wu Lei but it was worth it. I love his works, they're always good, but I'm satisfied that I decided to watch this movie. And Zheng Zifeng too, her acting was so good.
Hope you'll give it a try, The story was much more but I'm not good with writing reviews, I've so much to learn.
Have a great day ahead!
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I enjoyed this drama! The beginning episodes were hard to get through at first (I'd say ep1-6) but after that, the main leads really start to latch onto me and their romance start to build a lot more. The female main lead did feel a little annoying at first, but--again--after the 6th episode, I really liked her. (The male main lead also felt a bit stiff to me at first but after the 6th episode, I liked him too.)
This isn't a show that's jam-packed with drama, plot twists, etc., thus, why I called it a "low-key" drama. It's fun to watch and nice to watch when you have time or are just looking for a drama that's not going to pull any weird/strange twists. (In fact, I think it gets quite intriguing in the middle of the series! I binge-watched a lot of those eps.)
I also enjoyed the soundtrack a lot! I've one back to listened to it several times and can hum a couple of the tunes. It was pretty catchy and the scenes it played over was memorable.
My biggest letdowns from this show were just 2 things:
1) the secondary pairing's relationship is super cute but towards the end of the series, they don't get a lot of screen time. It's a shame as I enjoyed them very much & would've loved a whole lot more of them, especially from the girl.
2) some characters' endings felt a bit...too easy (as if the plot didn't know what to do with them, so the characters were dealt with in a kind of cheap way, I'd say. But again, I liked the low-keyness of the drama and am glad the overall series wasn't too short nor too long.)
Overall, the drama was enjoyable! Not the greatest, not the worst, just a fun drama to watch. The OST is really good and I've found myself listening to it a lot.
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The Love Contract that Last?
This tender swoon worthy miniseries is nothing new yet has a nice pace and flow for the storyline. The twists that de-bunk typical trope pitfalls were fun to watch and consider. The turnaround reveals and warmth from the extended family gave a refreshing add to what the typical 'contract love' stories provide. The chemistry between the leads was very good and 'moments' were swoon worthy. The antagonist throughout became a bit tiring, disjointed and reaching at times. The ending seemed rushed, forced and incomplete which made the overall arc of the storyline miss the mark. It is okay to watch, but for a better landing for the appetite of 'contract love' I would stop watching @ episode 23.Was this review helpful to you?
Boring Eye Candy Fest
The story lagged on and on and was so dull and predictable (even the mystery it's based in you can see coming though to be fair there was a small bit of twist at the very end). To be honest the men in this drama are just so attractive they were all I was watching for by the end, especially the ML. Fortunately it's short at onlu 12 episodes because if it had stretched to 16 even the eye candy wouldn't have been enough to keep me from dropping it.I wouldnt rewatch by a long shot but I WOULD look up all the actors and watch what they're in. Unfortunately it's mainly young, newish actors who havent been in much else but seeing them in this does make me interested in seeing them in other things so if I saw something else had one of these guys in it, partucularly the ML actor, I'd probably be more interested. I dont this this drama suffered from a lack of acting talent but my god the story was slow and saccharine.
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Dinner date anyone?
They say don’t talk to strangers.When I had my first heartbreak the first person who knew about it is the cab driver. I can’t contain my sadness and cried inside the cab, when the driver asked me what is wrong; I just spill out everything to him. He was just listening to me and very seldom interrupts me but his being there with the sympathetic ear encourage me to pour my heart out. Knowing it would be likely to meet him again, ever, I have told him my story in all honesty, the details, the ugly parts and everything in between. There is no holding back. Why? Because he is a stranger. He can judge me, he can give his advice no matter how hurtful it may be, he can say whatever he wants but because he is a stranger to me I can accept it.
This Kdrama is about this premise. The lead actor becomes the stranger that was able to witness the lead actress’s misfortunes in her relationships and become the person she has become so honest and truthful about her life. The guy who is also reluctant to open up about his own relationship and brokenness to others has begun to accept the concept and the comfort of opening up with the person that is not in any way familiar and interested with his stature as a well-known Psychiatrist.
They decided to become the strangers one is comfortable enough to have dinner dates and talk about anything and everything in their lives except the information of knowing ones name and pre-occupation and not crossing the line of liking each other. The truthfulness, the comfort, and the enjoyment of having someone who understand and listen has caused them both to breach their agreement and knowing both their identities has led them to more complicated situations that they need to resolve to stay true.
The story also tackles other relationships that hamper our growth as a person, the fear of judgement and failures, of obsession for acceptance, mental health problems, total forgiveness that brought about healing and transcending social norm that women marry for future comfort rendering them weak and incapable.
I love watching this kdrama and I have lots of take away but what stands is the authenticity of our own life, being true to yourself and to people, we make mistakes and have weaknesses and we suffer the consequences of bad decisions and we should own up to these and not blame our partners, our friends, our work, our peers our families. In our pursuit of what we called “grandiose dreams” in the guise of offering such to people we love are in itself the reasons of our inability to express and show our love and affection. This blinds us and become selfish pursuits to fill our egos. How ironic is it for a successful mother who published a book about good food but can’t even remember a shared meal with her family in her deathbed. Now she feels the pain of longing doubled by the realization of how it also causes suffering to her son deprived of her love. Then time runs out.
Another reason to love it is it's OST from
Eun's Midnight Cinderella, to Shaun's More than Words, Ovan's Would you like to have Dinner , MC's Yummy Yummy, Sondia's Dear My Star and Ryu Ji Kwang's With You. Everything is in my playlist and I even play it on guitar. It just makes me feel good listening to it.
The actors Seo Ji-Hye and Song Seung Hon's beautiful chemistry on screen adds up to the magic also and so with the rest of the cast. If you love light romantic dramas like me, then this should be on your dinner plate.
May we never run out of time loving, the meals we shared on the table become as meaningful as the presence of those around it. Enjoy watching. Bon Appetit!
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#FirstKhao i only watched for them
To be honest I started watching it for first Khao. My poor baby Khao was doing all the damn work in the house. New helped a lot in kitchen work but he left too and every time someone asked for something its always khao who went there to help them..i didn't like the way other members kept teasing first over him saying Khao is cute.Seeing first Khao together must if the time is the only reason i watched it .and taynew thay are fine. But it was so disheartened to see some passing homophobic jokes and rape statements and disguising it as a joke.
Anyways much love to taynew ,sain and my beloved Khaotung and first
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Making butterflies in my stomach flutter
I almost never watch Thai dramas. The only Thai drama I’ve watched is F4 Thailand, which is a remake of a Korean drama. So, I really don’t know what an original Thai drama is like.I got interested in this one because I happened to see an ad for it on the Viu app, and the ad showed some clips from the drama. The actor playing Lune has eyes that remind me of my first Thai celebrity crush, Mario Maurer. That’s why I decided to watch it.
After watching it, I get it now. I really like the story. In my opinion, the main characters are really well-developed. I could clearly understand their actions when problems came up—it felt so smooth and natural.
The character writing is really good and different from other dramas I’ve seen. This time, it’s the female lead who’s the popular one at school, Ms. Perfect. Whereas usually, that role goes to the male lead.
The names of the characters are also thoughtfully chosen. Star really shines and burns herself out to keep glowing, just like a star. Even though it’s tiring for her sometimes, she chooses to keep shining. Lune is such a peaceful character, and even though he doesn’t create his own light, he keeps trying to shine like the moon.
White is literally shining bright. I’d say White is the most standout character in the drama. He’s like the light for his friends and the one who holds the group together. Even though he sometimes feels alone, White is lucky to have Ivy by his side. Ivy, like the climbing plant, represents loyalty, resilience, and strength—three words that really suit her.
Even though I’m sad their "ship" didn’t sail in the end, I don’t think White is ruling out the possibility that they could be more than friends. At the end, White jokes around and doesn’t really acknowledge the boundaries Ivy set in their relationship. So, I think they still have the chance to be friends—or maybe even more.
Lune’s character might be the second lead in other dramas. The kind of character who’s the ex of the main lead and never changes or grows. But Lune is different. Even though he’s a people pleaser, runs away from problems, isn’t decisive, and lacks initiative, his character evolves—or at least, he tries to. Lune knows he’s not in a good place right now, so he’s working on improving himself. That’s a rare opportunity for a character like his in other dramas—this chance to change.
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Let’s talk about the acting. Honestly, the girls carried this drama. The female cast did an amazing job, especially the actress playing Star. She really nailed the whole “star” identity in her role. When she smiled and was happy, I felt happy too. But when she was sad or angry, all the happiness vanished from her face—it was like seeing a totally different person.
The actress playing Ivy also did a great job. Except for the scene where she cries while apologizing to White. Sorry, but that was one of the worst crying scenes I’ve ever seen. But other than that, her performance was fantastic, and it made Ivy such a lovable character.
As for the male actors, their acting was just okay to me. Nothing super special, but not bad either. What’s good is that they were able to communicate their feelings through their eyes. So, even though their acting wasn’t as strong as the girls’, they still got the emotions across really well.
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Oh, and I don’t know what the culture in Thailand is like, but while I was watching, I felt like the story would’ve worked better if it was set in college rather than high school. That’s because Lune and Star’s relationship felt a lot deeper than what you’d expect from high schoolers. It seemed like their love was more mature and logical—almost too mature for their age (not in a bad way).
Seeing them wear uniforms while interacting sometimes threw me off a bit. But then again, this kind of romance is exactly what I’d want when watching a drama with adult characters. I’ve watched dramas with adult casts, but the romance felt like something out of a high school story. So, in a way, this is both a critique and a compliment.
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