So if you are a curious fellow reading reviews to see whether it's worth a watch, yes it definitely is, don't be discouraged by the ones who didn't like the ending. It's WAY MORE than just who Na Jung ends up with. It's a story about life in your 20's in a realistic way. The passion of youth.
It had the same homey feeling as its predecessor, Answer Me 1997, and I really felt like i was part of the Shinchon Boarding house by the time the drama ended. In terms of character development, AM1994 is better than AM1997 because all the characters are a lot more complex and go through a series of change throughout the drama. The characters are not flat, and each character has their own story arc, which I found really charming.
THE CAST WAS PERFECT! The acting was superb, and Go Ara really really exceeded my expectations. Everyone's acting was perfect in portraying their character, and every emotion and feeling can be felt by the viewers as well. and Jung Woo was AMAAAZING at being Ssureki Trash Oppa. You will not hate a character in this drama because all of them are portrayed so well. And the parents once again are soo crazy and even funnier in this drama.
I also think that while you are watching the drama, you should pay close attention to the songs being played in certain scenes because the directors specifically and intentionally put these songs in to suit certain scenes. The music was really good again, like in AM1997 except this time they got their whole cast to sing for the OST haha :)
Overall, i give this drama around a 8.88/10. Although there were some holes, they do not affect the story as a whole and these little holes don't change the meaning of the story. My advice to those who are looking to watch this drama is also to not overthink and overanalyze the drama because it might ruin it for you like how i have seen it get ruined for others. It's a GREAT show that will really get you emotionally entangled with it and shouldn't be overshadowed by the husband mystery. I'm sorry i had to reiterate the part about not focusing too much on "who's the husband" because it's such a waste that a great drama is being clouded by this. It's a realistic portrayal of how life can be like for those in their 20's and is once again a heartwarming story which will, without a doubt, have you **laughing **and **crying** with each character of the series.
Recommend this to those who liked AM1997. Great writing just like AM1997 and was not a mere prequel or sequel that doesn't make sense like Dream High 2. Cable ratings reached over 10% which is a record-breaker so that is saying something :)
It was really a beautiful series.
oh, and there were a lot more passionate scenes, so i was quite satisfied with that too LOL. Go Ara opened her mouth man.
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It is also deeply underrated and I believe deserves more recognition.
In this drama the female lead is obsessed with money and is hoping to marry a man who is very wealthy and is going to die very soon.
The male lead has just come into a large sum of money....you can already see were this story is going.
What really made me like this drama were the characters. They were different from anything I had seen in a K-drama and were to me believable.
This drama captures your attention right from the get-go.
The last thing I have to say is go and watch this drama!! Its a great drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
It's weird but I love it!!
Beyond Goodbye left me with an immersive feelings. Sad but longingly beautiful. If you watched this series because Kentaro's latest kdrama What Comes After Love and not a fan of sad ending, sorry to say but this series is just not for you because this is jdrama where the illness/sad troupes are pretty common. However, for me who used to this kind of ending in jdrama found the ending pretty satisfying. Keep in mind, the main focus of this drama is not romance. This drama deals with grief, loneliness, memories, longing, sacrifice and etc.The cinematography is amazing within 3 different countries (the sea, the mountains, the coffee fields, the apple farm, the railway track) and the four seasons are shown plus with the storm, they are such breathtaking sceneries, the great and natural acting, the subtle moments, the emotions, well written scripts, marvellous casts, beautiful osts and of course the best ending song by Kenshi Yonezu.
Each of the character is so passionate, deep, complex and empathic especially the five main casts. I personally like Saeko's personality. She is ambitious, fashionable, optimistic, fun, independent yet buried her burden, deep inside her heart and only visible to others closest to her.
I can relate to Kazumasa's confusion with the heart beats for other woman other than his wife, who he loves so much. Even I as a viewer got confuse with the mixed feelings he has. He is kind, sympathetic, a very good man.
We all feel bad for Miki, a wife who trying to protect her marriage as she should. Watching her husband slowly becoming a different person, loving a thing that once strongly disliking can be devastating. She is an honest, patience and caring person.
The best character for me is Yusuke. I know, there is not much of his scene but from others' POV, we know he is a good person, goofy, simple yet deep (fireworks is the best, right?).
And lastly, Kengo, an emotional best friend, a good listener, readily to give an advice, so that none of them were hurt.
I will recommend this series to whoever like to watch from different kinds of perspective, not just from one character but all of them and understand why the characters make the decision that way. They all have flaws and make mistakes like all human do, something you can relate too.
Major spoiler after rewatch.
Hurm..I know a lot of people turned off by this series mainly because Kazumasa was indeed a married man. Is he cheating on his wife? Yes, clearly he was. Then, is this series glorified cheating? Of course not. Even he isn't married, he will also be cheating if he has a girlfriend. This is because the series intended him to has a wife.
Even if Yusuke's heart function healthily in Kazumasa's body, the series will be finish on episode 7. Kazumasa already made his decision to stay with Miki because he remembered the promise he made. To be a goofy husband and wife so that he feel that he is really healthy and alive (after he saw a sweet banter between Saeko and Yusuke). Besides, he promised maybe they could have kids in the future (clearly, they couldn't before this) and those had to be broken again. Also, he didn't wear off the ring until the end.
And Saeko's made a decision not to meet Kazumasa again even though she loves him because she knew the boundary and reality of the relationship. Yes, we all hate the kissing scene but what led to that scene? Because there wasn't technically an affair between them (according to Miki), thus, having one is easier isn't it? Saeko was the one leading Kazumasa but gradually stopped herself. Then, she remembered Yusuke and reminisced herself with the memory of her and Yusuke under the umbrella which leading to the decision she made that I stated earlier. Lastly, Saeko put off the necklace with her engagement ring in order to move on and forget the tragic accident and kept the boots and umbrella instead that I believe contained both memories of Yusuke and Kazumasa altogether.
Then, we got served by episode 8 as the proper goodbye between Saeko, Kazumasa and Yusuke that I believed a significant and satisfying ending. Maybe, part of Kazumasa wanted to see Saeko but he also wanted to be fair that Yusuke's heart was dying inside his body. Last message to Saeko from Yusuke was smile and be happy which Kazumasa sincerely conveyed as they exchanged the handshakes and hugged as their last goodbye.
Again, these will be my interpretations. Do not expect the chemistry because romance isn't really a focus of this series. This is not kdrama. No chemistry chemistrying here. (Even the piggyback scene felt sad). And I didn't really know why people said the romance was forced. Maybe because Kazumasa is a married man, that's why he restrained himself?
Please, make another drama between them where they can end up together (this is their forth drama where they got sad ending..haha)
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Anyways, back to the drama - WHY DIDN'T I WATCH THIS SOONER?! WAE WAE WAE??? This is just amazing. The plot is so intriguing. Not just the romantic parts but also the stuff about mental illnesses and stuff. It's very thrilling. I LOVE VIC CHOU! I seriously cannot believe he didn't win the best actor award for this drama. Same for Barbie Hsu. I mean, their expressions (once again I'm not talking about expressions of love and longing.)were just so beautiful. Gave me goosebumps the whole time.
The kind of characters they built for this drama really impressed me. Ling is the most perfect guy in the most imperfect sense possible. His shades of his personality and different layers of his character, the laugh, the tears, the past. It just moved me, I don't know why. Same goes for Qui Luo. I love the way her character developed after Ling came into her life. I loved their little shack that they made for themselves. I loved the music of the show. I have most of the songs on my phone.
Coming to the rewatch value, I'll definitely give it a 10 because I already watched it twice (no kidding) and I am definitely going to go watch it again for sure. Especially a few favorite parts for which I even remember the episode numbers now (lol).
I'd say if you are an Asian Drama fan, don't skip this one!
PS- Still can't believe Vic Chou didn't win the best actor award for this. My faith in the world of righteousness is shattered. But I'll try not to dwell on that.
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These lyrics echo throughout the drama, as the amazing singer Ali sings the main song "In My Dream". It's a song about unavoidable fate, tragic love and dreams.
"Empire of Gold" is definitely not a drama for everyone. I'm sure half the viewers were bored to death while the other half was helplessly glued to the screen dying to know what happens next.
This is a drama about greed. The path is Hell but the winner gets Heaven. But to get there you need to fight, sacrifice everything you love, shake hands with enemies... and sell your soul.
The synopsis is extremely misleading. There's very little romance in this drama and even though there is something like a tragic love story, it doesn't involve the two characters you'd expect from the synopsis.
The strongest point in this drama is definitely the writing. The characters are complex, the dialogue is intelligent, the whole story is extremely well written. The cast boasts some very good actors but the quality of their performances seemed to fluctuate... in some scenes they were insanely good while in others they were a bit lacking.
Sometimes I felt that Lee Yo Won wasn't fully able to convey the complexity of her own character Choi Seo Yoon. In some scenes the dialogue seemed to hint at something but her face didn't express anything. On the other hand, Go Soo seemed to express TOO MUCH sometimes.
This is a drama that relies heavily on its actors' performances. The action and tension isn't created with big car chase or explosion scenes, but instead with tight dialogue and hidden intentions. It's a merry-go-round of backstabbing.
The last half drags a bit, since some characters fall from the chessboard. The sets become repetitive: Office A, Office B, Office C, living room. But still we watch, too curious to see the outcome.
Then we get that ending... which received a mixed reaction. I think it was a suiting ending. He fought in a wold of Hell because he believed that it became Heaven for the winner. But there can be no Heaven for those who sold their soul.
Even though this drama is definitely not the type I enjoy watching, I was hopelessly addicted to it. And it did leave an impression long after I finished it.
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Started strong then lost steam
This started off wonderfully, with a fairly original plot and a lot of energy. I loved the interaction between Bai Lang, a restauranteur, and Xun An, a dentist. Bai Lang is terrified of dentists, and in fact suffers from serious PTSD. Until he doesn't.We also have Alex the bartender who is pursued by the much younger RJ, who also works at the restaurant. This is quite refreshing as RJ is adorable and yet he's rather aggressive with the much larger Alex.
The story was well-written, funny, fast-paced, and full of vitality and chemistry, with beautiful and taleted actors.
Then it deflated like a sad left-over balloon a week after a party. Xun An's ex shows up and chews up an enormous amount of screentime in a dull and cliched story, Bai Lang sheds his complex personality (and somehow his PTSD, which is never heard from again), and then on top of that, it turns out Xun An's father is an abusive homophobe who beats Xun An for weeks, which causes him to draw away from Bai Lang for two episodes, which leads nowhere because Dad easily welcomes Bai Lang into the family.
Likewise, RJ has to leave and is absent for 4 episodes, so that storyline ground to a halt, although we had plenty of time for Xun An's ex to woo Bai Lang's sister.
It felt like the director really didn't want to do a BL, so he tore the partners apart so there didn't have to be too much icky gay stuff, and inserted a straight couple, which added absolutely nothing to the story. This is underscored by the series ending with a heterosexual wedding. Why? Gay marriage is legal in Taiwan! How is that not homophobic?
From the tight and focused writing of the first half, the second is a sloppy and dull mess.
I'd give the first half a 9 and the second half a 6. Do I recommend it? I guess it won't kill you to watch it, and the beginning really is delightful and the cast one of the most attractive I've seen - but prepare to be disappointed by the descent into mediocrity.
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But those are my only complaints. Hotaru and Buchou are just as cute and funny as ever, if not cuter and funnier. Their chemistry is amazing and Buchou's amazing character is helping Fujiki Naohito sneak onto my Asian Hottie List. ^_^
So, basically, not quite as good as the first season, but definitely still worth it for the main couple. I can't wait for the movie!
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Jo Jung Suk and Gong Hyo Jin are perfectly matched in this! She has basically paired with most of my favorite male leads at this point, and in some of my favorite dramas, but this match is definitely one of her best. Na Ri is quirky and likable, and frustrating, and definitely a memorable character. Parts of her personality would have easily made me hate her if she were played by a lesser actress, but she is so good that it works. Jo Jung Suk as Lee Hwa Shin however, is the key to what makes this couple so good. He's played lovably arrogant before, and extremely well, but he made me fall for him so much in this role, even though he is an absolute jerk. I don't want to give any of the story away, but it's certainly not your average love story set up. It also could have easily gone a much cheesier melodramatic route, which this story thankfully avoided. The plot stays true to the seriousness of the subject matter without losing any of the humor. What I never expected from these two was that they would have some EXTREMELY HOT moments, with an intense attraction that was addictive to watch. The relationship also felt real, with their personality flaws on full display, which made them super relatable.
Of course, I can't leave out Go Gyeong Pyo as Jeong Won. Not only is his bromance with Hwa Shin perfection, and an essential part of the story, but he completes my favorite kdrama love triangle, possibly of all time. These three actors had me excited about watching their shenanigans each week, and I could never quite guess what would happen next. I loved them so much that for the first time I was excited that a show was longer than I expected it to be. Gyeong Pyo is also the kind of character that the term "Second Lead Syndrome" was made for. His actions did start to annoy me after a while, but they never lost their charm as a trio, which was the best part of the show for me.
The rest of the cast is filled with memorable, and hilarious characters. It truly is a great ensemble, with entertaining stories of their own. I could spend all day writing about why I loved each supporting character, down to super cute Seol Woo Hyung, but I will just say it's a cast worthy of a perfect score. Again, I need to compliment the story for staying interesting, and not falling into the same old expected clichés. Although this is pretty much a romantic comedy, I not only laughed, but I cried, I also laughed while I cried, and got deeply invested in each story. It also made behind the scenes in the newsroom seem fun, interesting, and even intense at times. Usually, the "at the job" parts of the story just feel like filler to me in romcoms, but the cast and crew of SBC were entertaining on their own. I also feel the same way about the Chef, and the apartments at Rak Pasta, though it took me a little longer to get into that part of the story because it was initially kinda confusing (especially how related they all were without knowing it).
Would I watch this drama again? Absolutely. In fact, this is one of those dramas I was ready to watch again immediately after it was finished. I have the soundtrack, of course! The "step step" song will be stuck in my head for a long time! There are a lot of good songs and some that fit the mood of the story really well, like "Monday To Sunday"... which always played at the perfect time. Hilariously, "No No No" is maybe one of my low-key favorite OST songs of all time.
Overall, I knew this would be added to my favorite drama list halfway through, so of course I recommend it! By the end, I was totally satisfied and was never bored, and all the weirdness in the beginning made perfect sense... umm... except for the aliens... What's up with the aliens? Anyway, This is an absolute must for Gong Hyo Jin fans and Jo Jung Suk fans, and romcom fans in general. If you're not a fan of either, it's still worth giving it a shot. Prepare yourself to laugh, cry, and crave ramen while watching. This drama is definitely unique, so just go along with that "What the hell am I watching?" feeling that you will probably have in the beginning, and I don't think you will be disappointed. Personally, I miss the characters so much that I'm singing the OST to myself... "step, step, where do I go now?" :(
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Migraine-Inducing
OVERALLThis drama can be enjoyable if you're good at suspending your disbelief...and your values. Watch it if 1) you like the fantasy genre, 2) you like stories that take you on a journey, going through a gazillion plot changes, 3) you'll be happy with a few sweet love scenes. If 1) immature female leads make your skin crawl, 2) you get confused easily, and 3) you can't stand rushed endings, then skip.
THE STORY
I need to start by saying two things: 1) I know this drama is linked to another one, but I didn't see it, so I'm the new, fresh viewer (not the fan of Eternal Love), and 2) I don't usually watch xanxia, it's not my go-to genre. For anyone not like me, then the following review may not be very useful, but if you identify, read on!
I decided to try the drama out because I saw some clips on YouTube that looked fun and cute. From episode 1, I could tell it'd be a rough ride. Let me start with the good stuff. First, there really are fun and cute scenes between the leads. Not too many, not the ULTIMATE best (see Love Designer for that!), but still good enough to keep you going until the very end. Secondly, not going to give much away, but a part of the drama takes place in the mortal world. That part was definitely the best of the drama. It's more realistic, the characters are more down-to-earth, the plot is more coherent, and it makes you really emotional. And...that's it.
Now for the bad. The absolute worst of this drama is the FL. She acts like a five year old 95% of the time (the 5% she doesn't is when she's in the mortal world). I have a lot of difficulty understanding how she's supposed to be attractive to the ML...which leads me to ML, who's too expressionless for my taste. That makes everything worse because he's like a statue and the FL is like...a prepubescent child. It just felt so weird to root for them. And then there's the issue of the FL being dehumanized a few times in the drama, which really brings that weirdness to a whole new level because not only is she demoted to an immature child, but also to an animal and an object. And then there's the fact that the plot jumps from one problem/world to the next and they don't seem to be connected at all, which is confusing. And then there's the fantasy elements that aren't explained well. And then there's the rushed ending. And then there's the flashy surreal visual effects... There's just too many issues that were hard to digest, I couldn't fully enjoy it.
THE ACTING
Despite hating her character, I still liked Dilraba's acting the best, just because she makes it seem so natural. I was not too impressed by Vengo, though it could also be the role. He definitely seemed better in the mortal world part. I need to see him in something else to confirm. I can't say much about their chemistry because, like I said, the romance made me feel kind of awkward at times, given how they depicted the FL. I don't have much to say about second leads either. They weren't particularly endearing, except maybe the demon lord.
THE MUSIC
...yeah...
REWATCH VALUE
Low. I can just watch YouTube clips to jump straight to the worthwhile scenes.
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The Killer: A Girl Who Deserves to Die
21 people found this review helpful
Neo-noir martial arts goodness
From "Swordsman" to "The Killer", Jang Hyuk is unstoppable. He's quick in combat and charismatic in acting, his movement is super slick making him one of the best performers in Korean martial arts films. The action choreography here is refreshing as they implement a lot of guns with deep neo-noir tone, camera work is precise enough to present little details during fight scenes. The premise itself is great but it would be better if the transitions between storylines are more refined, still this marks one of the best Korean martial arts movies in the collection.Was this review helpful to you?
This drama had a little Iris, a little City Hunter and a little ER all in one. Really good chemistry between the main couple. But the secondary couple also had a wonderful story line as well as great chemistry. Some really moving moments between both couples and some really funny light hearted moments as well. The supporting casts were also really awesome. Great acting from everyone.
Awesome OST, read that it hit the music charts hard in several Asian countries.
As much as I enjoyed the romance of this drama, it also made me think of the danger and sacrifice that our own real life service men and women face for our countries. I also appreciate the many doctors that volunteer all the time for Doctor's Without Borders.
A very well done drama, worthy of the buzz and the high ratings it received. I loved Song Joong Ki so much, I looking into more of his dramas. INNOCENT MAN is looking really good.
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Cliche but so cute
Honestly this has become one of my favorite shows ever. Its cute, has tons of fluffy scenes, doesn't overly sexualize the characters and while it is short it gives the characters time to be able to develop and get together in a natural way instead of having them fight in every episode and then make up in the very last one. There's no toxic exes, and any miscommunication is resolved within 2 episodes at most. The storyline is pretty cliche but there is something about this one that just stuck with me. It's not for everyone, (especially if you're into more intense dramas) but i do think it's worth watching at least once.Was this review helpful to you?
Loved it, and I’ll miss my weekly dose of these adorable idiots
I really enjoyed this drama. Yes, there are cliches. Yes, there are some issues with plot and logic here and there. But not enough to detract from the hilarious moments, the sweetness and the spectacular chemistry between the leads. I really loved their relationship.Will this drama deepen your philosophical understanding of the universe? Probably not. If you are looking for cognitive enhancement and to ponder deep themes and archetypes, this is not the drama for you. But it doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not.
Will it deliver on what it promises— joyful and (mostly) relaxing viewing? Absolutely. The writing is pretty good, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is the drama for when you want to escape the stressors of life and enjoy something both light and earnest, a combination that often falls flat, but does not do so here.
For what it is, it’s a 10/10.
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Where the darknes in society meets glitter and magic...
This drama starts off as the regular girl in utter misery meets Willy Wonka + Marry Poppins combo in a magical display of disbelief, magic and misery...The music was good, the cinematography and effects were all amazing... And the way they adress childhood poverty may not have been revolutionary but they did manage to fit in the importance of the school meal as well as children hiding field trip expenses to not strain an already strained budget in a beautiful way.
The acting and singing is really good, especially the kids. There is also an amazing parrot in this drama that will truly make you laugh and fall in love with her!
As the story progresses the music subsides more or less along side the viewers faith in the adult world and probably society as a whole... This drama and it's subjects may not be revolutionary for a K-drama but it is done beautifully and magically...
There are a whole lot of great lines in this drama that may or may not restore that faith in humanity... or rather in the next generation giving us viewers a good balance between the dark social criticism and hope for the future. This is deffinetly not a fluff piece that will make you feel all good inside but rather a drama that will make you feel more or less everything and I dare say it will also keep you on your toes (the last 3 episodes or so).
Bingeabilaty: 10
Annoying side characters: non
Friendship: 10
What keeps this from getting a higher score from me is it's entertainment value, as mentioned before the first couple of episodes are well done but do not really bring anything new to the table. There is a certain awkwardness + cringe about parts of the drama and they may have overused the words:
"Do you believe in magic"
All in all defiantly worth a watch both for the musical lovers out there as well as those who do not care to much about musicals but love social criticism, important issues and drama as it does fit in quite a bit of that...
" There are no flowers on paved roads... "
p.s. The poor female lead does not have the newest smart phone...
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Very beautiful drama with a disappointing fact.
This is a very beautiful drama with different povs of life and worth a ONE TIME WATCH. Before I review the drama, I am citing reasons why you should definitely watch "At a Distance, Spring is Green" :1. The very rare trio chemistry between Park Ji Hoon, Bae In Hyuk and Kang Min Ah
2. Warm & slow romance between Park Ji Hoon and Kang Min Ah
3. Beautiful and unique brotherly relationship between Park Ji Hoon and Bae In Hyuk, that you see in no other Kdrama
4. Deep and meaningful storyline with plenty of things to learn from and analyze about
5. This is more of a healing friendship story where the lead characters despite of their type of relationships and personalities, help each other in growing up as persons
LET'S REVIEW-->
STORY:
The drama is a coming of age campus storyline just as it's synopsis says, based in Myung-il University and mainly involves 3 characters in their early 20s who in spite of their age stratification become close due to circumstances and uplift each other while moving forward in life. The lead trio consists of 2 MLs and 1 FL among which one ML is paired up with the FL while the other ML has a subtle or we can say minor love line in the drama. But the drama primarily focus on the chemistry of the lead trio, life values and realistic problems in personal as well as university life. It is deep, beautiful and meaningful from so many aspects that it makes you cry at many instances; not just for the sad events and heart-touching moments, also for the way the characters value life and love. The story also focuses on the youth related problems that students in their early 20s face, such as poverty, mental health, academics, etc. but disappointed how another major problem of young people, i.e. LGBTQIA+ issues has been subverted from the original story and ignored as if it never existed.
As most of us know this is a webtoon adaptation of "Campus Life" which originally has 3 seasons; 1st being focused on the campus life plus lead couple chemistry development development, 2nd being the love story between one of the 2 MLs and another ML's older brother and 3rd being the unlikely warm brotherly relationship between the 2 male leads. The 3 seasons of the original webtoon has been summed up into a single season drama though the story is primarily focused on the season 1 and a major change has been done with the webtoon's 2nd season BL storyline. They introduced an extra female character in the drama to couple with the 2nd ML excluding the minor BL part of the original story. It's a bit disappointing tbh but understandable since they had to make it a cable drama and we all know South Korea's stance on homosexuality and the limits of the industry to produce BL dramas or even feature gay characters in mainstream dramas.
PLOT:
Let's be honest that this drama doesn't have a very extraordinary storyline. I mean to say that most of the things are the old usual events that we have already seen in a lots of campus kdramas. But what matters is how they execute & represent them old stuffs and how the cast performs. And I think this dramas has been able to do a very good job in that regard.
I AM very happy with how they've focused on the trio chemistry throughout the drama which is very rare in Kdramas. All 3 of them went from being strangers to department mates to very close friends who love, care and respect each other while trying to motivate each other from every aspect.
The lead couple chemistry is warm as well where Yeo Jun and So Bin fall in love under unlikely circumstances. Although it happened at an unexpected pace but I guess it's because they've only 12 episodes in total. But overally, romance in this drama is something interesting. I mean to say that this drama could have ben entirely okay off the romance part. What I also read somewhere is that So Bin and Yeo Jun are not even couples in the original webtoon.
What's more intriguing in this drama is the very amazing brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun & Soo Hyun which stands out as a rare kind of friendship you'll ever witness between 2 male characters in any Kdrama out there. It is portrayed on the same level as the lead couple, rather I would say that it dominates the lead couple's storyline but nevertheless, as I have already mentioned the major focus is on the Trio relationship.
HOWEVER, Soo Hyun's love story is a very stupid thing in the drama. Considering how female characters have been created to get him a girl, the writer has done a poor job in writing their characters as well the plot development involving these 3 characters. Also, the mean lady professor who didn't treat his students and peers well, changed overnight and started giving relationship advices to her students, wth!
CAST & CHARACTERS:
This is not a very high cast drama as most of the actors are in actual rookies, even the lead characters are somewhat less experienced considering the number of dramas they've done and it has also has many new faces. YET, I would say everyone has done their jobs appropriately here, even the minor characters has done well with whatever they were given.
Special mention to the lead trio ofc for they had proper character development and growth in personality which obviously happened because they helped each other in the due course. Park Ji Hoon has been doing good in his acting careers for years and this role of Yeo Jun has been well played by him. Bae In Hyuk, though not that new to the industry did a nice job but honestly I didn't expect him at first to be doing a good job in playing a cold yet sorted senior character. Kang Min Ah's previous characters have been somewhat similar, this drama also brought forward a different side to which she reciprocated well with whatever acting skills she has acquired so far.
HOWEVER, I feel the major characters other than the lead trio were of less essence. I mean that's a given since they're supporting roles but still I think it could have been better. Not knowing how the characters have been penned in the original story, I think the drama screenwriter kind of did a poor job in drawing them. Hong Chan Ki's character is at ok level but Young Ran being the closest friend to Soo Hyun didn't have much to do. Mi Joo, the extra character created for the drama to pair up with Soo Hyun, is totally useless. I am not at all enraged because Soo Hyun's BL storyline with Yeo Jun Wan was changed but I honestly think Mi Joo's character went to drain with nothing to offer. They should have rather kep soo Hyun's character single in the story and that'd have been better tbh.
DIRECTION AND SCREENPLAY:
Direction is actually good being directed by a somewhat young director, thus giving out fruitful results. Execution of the script with a moderately paced screenplay editing makes it even more pleasing and catchy to watch. Arrangement of events as well as organising the OSTs and background scores have also been done properly.
OSTs:
The OSTs are actually very beautiful which add extra essence to a drama which is so deep and so meaningful. "BOM BOM BOM" by Punch, "Talk To Me" by Park Ji Hoon himself and "Way" by Chancellor are some jolly & catchy numbers whereas, "Then & Now" by Huski and "We will be not all Together" by Rothy & Han seung Yoon are heart touching and soft tracks... I love the later 2 so much.
UNIQUENESS:
The best reason you should watch this drama is the unique brotherly relationship between Yeo Jun (Park Ji Hoon) and Nam Soo Hyun (Bae In Hyuk). It's not the usual bromance you see in other kdramas where they're either fighting or clinging to each other. The 2 characters literally went from being strangers to senior-junior to best brothers. The way the development of the warm as well as beautiful bonding between them has been shown is rare to find. Even though they found each other annoying, they eventually warmed up to each other despite a huge difference in their personalities. It was as if they were seeking each other's presence in their lives. Yeo Jun who has always been deprived of love from family and looked for affection all his life AND Soo Hyun who has always been strong yet secretly looking for someone to lean on; finally find each other to rely on and end up proving how well they deserve to be good brothers. I am always gonna remember their affectionate relationship.
DISAPPOINTMENTS:
But let me also express my utter disappointment about this drama too. Apart from the poor side characters and the stupid extra female characters, I am still in denial about how the BL storyline was completely dumped into the trashbin. It's somewhat understandable that the Kdrama industry has it's limits because of the Orthodox Korean society but many other Kdramas has put efforts and tried to bring change by featuring LGBT+ characters too. Then why not a university campus drama which has 90% young characters in their early 20s as well their youth problems have been portrayed? Not just in the society, LGBT+ issues are also one of the major problems in modern day campuses. Even though the BL storyline involved one of the MLs, they could have kept it that way in order to bring a positive change and set an example for others. If they thought that no prominent actor would want to play a gay characrer, they should have looked for someone who would do this with an open mind, even if they were less popular. After all that was a minor storyline and it would have been easier to execute but still!? But they totally failed in that regard rather decided to completely remove that part. In another way, it's fine if you did but why would you create a stupid character to compensate that and get the male character a partner? I mean it's not a big deal for a character to end up single by the ending of drama. Firstly, subverting the homosexual characters then altering someone's sexuality from gay to straight; both of these facts enrage me a lot. This is another example why I think Korean netizens as a society and community is just pretending to be progressive in some aspect while they ignore and reject other major ideas which are actually important for someone's rights and happiness, due to their narrow-minded thinkings. I am both angry and sad at the same time though I will always simp for the lead trio chemistry.
So to conclude, overally, this drama and it's story are really beautiful and you should try watching. If you don't care about the original story and okay with the negative change in it's storyline, it's okay and you can go ahead ad watch this. Even I have not read the webtoon but as someone who admires the originality and also someone who himself identifies as homosexual, I am equally disappointed with the change as much as I love it for the warm vibes. I might come back to this sometimes because of the warm scenes and cry watching them, especially the scenes of Yeo Jun (Ji Hoon) and Soo Hyun (In Hyuk). It has many things to learn from which will make you relate and think about your own life, your personality, your lifestyle, your relationship with others and your way of loving ang giving away affection.
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