This drama begun last year but since it was completed this year, I'm counting it as a (2015) drama.
This drama is the most highly addictive drama so far, this year. An excellent drama at that too~ I usually tend to not keep up with currently airing dramas for some reason. I'm either a few episodes behind or I just wait until it's completed to marathon the rest. Not this drama. NOPE! I kept up with every single episode, every painful and long-awaited week and it was worth it! (You guys who have not watched this yet won't have to wait painfully like I did, you can just marathon the whole thing.) xP
The overall plot was cleverly well-done in nearly all of the crucial, sweet, and fun moments.
I had high expectations because Park Min Young (Chae Yeong Shin) and Ji Chang Wook (Healer/Seo Jung Hoo) but they completely exceeded those expectations in every way. Their interactions and chemistry were second to none, perfectly put together in fun, silly, casual, dangerous, and romantic/cute moments. I'm glad it didn't focus on the romantic aspect a lot like how most dramas would. I loved that. PMY did her role very well. It was believable and adorably cute~ Ji Chang Wook.... dear god! Don't get me started on this guy. He is such a bias wrecker! (^u^)~ He's one amazing actor. I noticed in most of his scenes, he uses his eyes to act as well. So brilliant! I loved every single episode/scene with him whether he was was with Yeong Shin or not. He made me laugh, cry, and scream... Hahaha xD Yes, SCREAM!!! His character was complicated but when you watch, you'll understand why~
It wasn't just them who made the drama fun to watch. The supporting casts too~
Yoo Ji Tae (Kim Moon Ho) || Park Sang Won (Kim Moon Shik) || Do Ji Won who played CYS's mom || Kim Mi Kyung (Min Ja/ajumma), Oh Gwang Rok (Healer's Teacher), even Park Sang Myeon (Chae Yeong's dad) made this drama extremely awesome to watch! Out of all the supporting casts, Kim Mi Kyung was the best for me. Hahahaha xD That woman killed me. She played her part so freaking hilariously badass! xD Lmfaooo xD I loved her! xD Quite memorable characters!
The OST was just perfect! Every song fits perfectly with every scene. Even the english songs too. I already downloaded most of the songs! Haha! xD The instrumentals sounds so beautiful, even Ji Chang Wook released a single. OMG! When you hear his voice, you will immediately have an eargasm!
The entire team did a fantastic job on this drama. It was well written and well directed. I highly recommend this drama! I wish it didn't end, but I'm definitely going to watch it again after I download every single episode! :D
If action/thrillers with some drama and romance in the midst of all that is your type of drama, then you won't be disappointed one bit. I certainly wasn't. Give it a try! ^^
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Best CBL of all time
This could be easily the best BL i've seen so far.What i loved :
- Addictive storyline
- No plothole so far
- Top notch acting
- Excellent cinematography
- Wonderful memorable lines
- No unnecessary scenes. No boring moments.
- No unnecessary side couple
- Visual : pretty faces
- Power bottom
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Most people will probably want to watch this for the Eita + Matsuda Ryuhei combination, but the humor and the way the drama is filmed is like the cherry on top. I also love the two main characters who are anything but your typical male leads in jdramas.
Lines reflect minimalism. Words are mostly minimal and normal to very dumb sounding conversations that are kept to simple tiny bits of phrases then later on becomes philosophical thoughts and rhetoric questions thrust into the end or in between these seemingly mundane and meaningless conversations and BAM that’s when it hits you hard on the head and in the heart. This also the point where you as a viewer have something similar to a character and then you start to review your life choices and principles in life. In addition, It contains an exploration of the micro socio-economic structures as a work of fiction that highly reflects reality but is never cliched like telenovela but more relevant to real life moral issues and the cause and effects of society.
Mahoro is a very laid-back, simple story of two guys–Gyoten and Tada–who do various odd-jobs around their city. I love the ‘lazy’ feel that Mahoro has. This might sound weird but yeah, Mahoro has this lazy atmosphere which is also quite reflective of Gyoten and Tada’s way of life.
Anyway, the first thing you may notice in Mahoro is the BROMANCE. Yes, it is awesome. And not just because it is Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei together. The thing I love about the bromance is that it is not forced into the drama. It is not there just for some obligatory swoony bromance. Instead Tada and Gyoten feel very natural when they are together and it goes unsaid that they have a really deep companionship and bond. Also the main selling point of the drama is NOT just that there is always eye candy with Eita and Matsuda Ryuhei on the screen. Instead the characters of Tada and Gyoten are very ordinary yet charming at the same time.
At some point in Mahoro, I think you’ll begin to realize that it is way more than just bromance and humor. Mahoro is not only about shipping Tada and Gyoten, it’s not about the weird odd-jobs they do, but it's also about the people that Gyoten and Tada encounter. I guess what I’m trying to say is, Mahoro is not scared to show you things as they are. It’s not scared to go places that might even make you feel a bit uncomfortable. I like that the drama doesn’t sugarcoat anything and simply shows people as they are–flawed human beings. It exposes the dark sides of the characters but also makes sure to show their good sides. Pretty much none of the people that Tada and Gyoten encounter are people you would consider to be ‘admirable’ or ‘respectable’ but the drama always counters this by showing their redeeming quality and vulnerability.
The main leads are brilliant, they were at their best in this drama, they simply shine. Both Eita and Matsuda. How they portrayed their characters, there isn't anyone else who could take the role. Although I'm Eita's fan since forever and love him the most, here Matsuda stole the show with his character of Gyoten, instantly became one of my favourite and dearest charactes ever.
In the show, both Tada and Gyoten are quite similar because they both have a really mellow and laidback personality. They are just chilling and drifting through life. Probably the main difference is that Tada is the one that’s “in charge” and is more conscious about social graces whereas Gyoten is irresponsible and blunt, he is also a lot of fun to watch, not exactly impulsive but he is the kind of guy who doesn’t care about boundaries and is willing to take the initiative to do something. His straight-forwardness can come off as being outspoken in certain situations, but earnest in others. Gyoten is a really good balance with Tada because he can help Tada make quick decisions, and Tada can help keep him out of trouble. He can always turn a seemingly boring situation into a funny one. He still has this running joke of telling all his customers that he and Tada are a couple. The funny part is that he looks completely serious whenever he ‘jokes’ about it and the customers end up believing it. Simply he is outstanding and the most interesting nutty character ever.
I liked all the content of this drama, it was refreshing not just because of the script and of the acting but as a whole cinematic masterpiece. The set were utilized as some sort of subliminal advert placement ala spot the hidden brand sponsor. It was not an annoying ad placement or corporate whoring but was more enjoyable to the viewers at the very least. Things like the clever foreshadowing, timing, and the proper use of mature content with props and all dignified the desperation and tensions in the story in a way never done before in Japanese TV. Even the tracks of the OST were superb pieces of music with lyrics drenched in pain and satire though presented in a funky or chill arrangements. The irony is fine in this one.
Watch this drama if :
- you want to see bromance, bromance, and more bromance between Gyoten (Matsuda Ryuhei) and Tada (Eita).
- you're a fan of Eita & Matsuda Ryuhei (WHO WOULDN’T BE?)
- you like quirky, eccentric dramas
- you are ok with the bromance not being everything in the drama.
For those of you who don’t quite like dramas that are too slow and serious, but still want quality without the sappiness, Mahoro might be for you. You may like this drama more if you like a sort of offbeat, quirky drama.
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Unique! Rewatch!
This series is why I still believe there is love for everyone. this might seem over the top to some but if you have not felt left out or an outcast in your life in one way or another, then It might be difficult to relate but I did and it was just beautiful.I'm amazed at how many people have lost the main storyline, point of this series but I'm also glad there are people who appreciate the diversity and representation that we've never had in any other BL series.
I'm so thankful for Saint and everyone involved in this series for brining this series come to life!
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This review may contain spoilers
Thank the heavens it's over.... but
The series was good enough albeit very confusing with the erratic jumping in and out of the time lines. Though some acts felt circulatory rather than progression. The length did nothing to enhance the story as some of the actors needed an early exit. Mainly, Ken. The father, proving to be the biggest moron, as he kept relying on the village idiot. The erratic pointless behaviors of others would see me using the 2X just to get through it. I like the premise of the plot but it lacked conviction. The hair brain plans, and gratuitous performances left the script badly wanting direction and weight. This leads to the elephant in the room.The elephant: Fort and Peat. The sex.
The director knows their strengths. They look good together. They blend well in most of their responses to each other, verbally and physically. What he can't erase is the obvious. Their acting.
Fort has grown a little. Peat has not. What I would like to see is Fort have more presence on screen rather than relying on his gorgeousness. Let’s be real, he is. Sometimes his movements say I'm waiting on the next line to react. There is a bit of a pause in the fluidity. The body was made for suits but the smile can only go so far.
Peat is still in the bedroom in college in LITA. His mannerisms bring nothing new. He plays broken characters as if that’s all he knows without adding layers or nuances. Ep 9 when speaking to the doctor emphasized this. He is childlike in most.
The sex. Too practiced. Too rehearsed. Always too important to their scripts that beg for better telling. Are they bad? No. This should be an evolution not an insertion to keep viewers.
The ending did not have the effect on me as was expected. Between eyes rolls and a heavy dose of laughter at the declaration scene, I didn’t like it much. Vier closing his eyes, waiting on the final moment just sent me over. Though it is here Peat actually showed the right restraint. Vier forgiving in the name of love, unbelievable. He carved his forehead in his insanity. But hey, if Vier can forgive, we have to also. Just make sure he's on some kind of meds.
It's watchable, take with a large grain of salt and lower expectation.
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In this drama there were so many big shot actors all in one for which impacted the many watching audiences:
Cha Eun Sang (Park Shin Hye)
As much as I love Park Shin Hye as an actor I found her character very annoying. This is because of her constantly crying whenever she faces a problem in her life, or just crying after see Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho). But if she was aiming for that type of character I applaud her for that.
Kim Tan (Lee Min Ho)
Lee Min Ho playing Kim Tan was pretty good because of how he would always want to stick to his brother, having no clue of what's going on within the business because of his young age. However, he kept cockblocking the relationship between Cha Eun Sang and Choi Young Do for which I would like to see further develop.
Choi Young Do (Kim Woo Bin)
Oh gosh, did I love Kim Woo Bin's character in this drama. The different emotions he used to express each and everything showed perfectly well on his face. However, I feel as though if the relationship between Choi Young Do and Cha Eun Sang were to further develop it would add some extra excitement.
Lee Bo Na (Krsytal) & Yoon Chan Young (Kang Min Hyuk)
This is one of my favourite couples the were so cute and funny.
Lee Hyo Shin (Kang Ha Neul)
He acted out his character extremely well with the different emotions shown in this drama from: Mysterious -> dorky -> angry -> jealousy there were so many emotions he displayed wonderfully.
Kim Won (Choi Jin Hyuk)
He played the role of an elder brother, step in company owner and a lover extremely well. I loved how he could show different personalities to his character.
Jo Myung-soo (Park Hyung Shik)
asdfghjkl;' He was too adorable in this drama I could see the many bromances forming with him. ><
Han Ki-Ae (Kim Sung-Ryoung)& Park Hee-Nam (Kim Mi-Kyung)
OMFG these mothers were one of my favourites! They were humorous, cute and dorky. I also applaud Kim Mi-Kyung for not speaking throughout this whole drama, other than narrating :L
Rachel Yoo (Kim Ji Won)
She did amazingly well! Playing the antagonist in this drama simply brilliant.
As or music wise, it did sound really nice at the beginning but they just kept replaying the tracks over and over again when there was any chance possible. Which made it especially cheesy.
I'm sorry but I wouldn't watch this again, it was very confusing and lacked finesse therefore I would give it an overall score of 6.
Sorry if I did offend anyone with my review but as mentioned before I had my expectations up really high. Also is it just me or did Cha Eun Sang cry in at lest 18 of the 20 episodes?
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Hilariously entertaining
The story is very entertaining. 1st episode is funny, second episode is funnier and the rest is enjoyable. This is not annoying anti women/men love story.. The male lead is a popular actor that has an adonis reputation but the truth is he dislikes women, and vice versa for Female lead who is a lawyer. Where she ended up working in a law firm dominated by men. And that’s how they met, It’s worth watching. You won’t be sorry. The casts have good chemistry. They’re all good actors, they played their roles really well. It’s funny how the men and women are totally opposites from the female parents to main leads.Was this review helpful to you?
Now that we've got that out of the way: Despite unevenness, Cheese in the Trap is a narrative success in my books, for many of the same reasons I've also defended that other 2016 YA drama with a bad reputation, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo. (Speaking of, MLSHR is one of the recs under CITT because it, too, has a "questionably crazy male lead." Hilarity.)
Anyway, k-drama romances tend to fall under two trends:
(1) Zany Disney-esque romcoms where love lifts everyone up where they belong (see: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, To the Beautiful You, You Who Came From the Stars, etc. etc. etc. etc.).
(2) Toxic and imbalanced relationships that are glorified with undeserved happily-ever-afters (see: Boys Over Flowers, The Heirs, and so on and so forth).
Cheese in the Trap isn't either of those stories. Much like MLSHR, CITT is concerned with one overarching question: Can a person change another person? (Alternatively: Do people change *for* other people?) The show doesn't give a pat answer, and that's to its credit.
In short, this is a slice-of-life that isn't afraid to go dark (and not in an incongruous after-school special way — unlike Age of Youth, the darkness in CITT is fully fleshed out). If you're looking for light, escapist fun that delivers a straightforward message, there are literally hundreds of other dramas for you. If, otoh, you want a complex story about young adults that doesn't idealise its characters — but also, importantly, doesn't descend into nihilism — you might want to give Cheese in the Trap a shot.
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I really thought Idol Romance finally made a good show
After the first two episodes, I thought this show was going to be good. I thought "Wow, Idol Romance finally learned from their mistakes", but immediately after episodes 3 and 4, I realized that they hadn't. The only thing I liked about this show was Eun Gyu, but more on that later.The story was just boring. Nothing happened. In the span of 8 episodes, not a single thing happened. The whole show can be boiled down to this: a new guy joins a restaurant and creates an overly dramatic love triangle that would never happen in real life. I don't understand who green-lit this script. It could've had the potential with a different storyline than just another love triangle. I do admit, Hae Won and Eun Gyu did have decent chemistry. The actors did their scenes nicely. But what was seriously lacking was some development in that relationship. And the fact that Ji Soo and Eun Gyu got into such a dramatic argument about a guy they'd known for a month, despite their 15 years of friendship, seriously annoyed me as a viewer. There was so much backstory between those two friends that never got unpacked, other than maybe 5 minutes across all episodes that just dropped bombshells of information on us.
Along with the story, the characters just bothered me in so many ways. All of them. They were all poorly written. This is no hatred towards the actors, by the way. But I don't get why all the characters were so childish when they were all at least in their twenties. Why did they all start acting so fussy just because of some new handsome guy joining? Ji Soo was just a very uncomfortable character in the weird way he forced himself upon Hae Won, but Hae Won was also annoyingly naive. And I didn't understand what the real function of Ha Jin and Joo Seo Hyuk was. They were just kind of there.
I hate critiquing acting because I know I'll never be able to perform the same way, but the acting in this show was not that great. The only actor whom I genuinely thought was good was the actor playing Eun Gyu. The guy playing Ji Soo was also good at times, but it was Eun Gyu who carried the show acting-wise. I hope to see him act in other shows after this because he really has talent.
Overall, no, I did not like the show. And I honestly don't recommend it to anyone. I think you'll only like this show if you swallow *anything* related to BL. But this show was just not good. I would've dropped this show if it weren't for being so short.
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OVERRATED
I was really looking forward to watching this drama especially when I heard Kim Soo Hyun was playing the male lead, however unfortunately I was extremely disappointed.I suspect it also has to do with my high expectations of this drama but honestly not only was the storyline average but also the soundtrack and character development wasn't intriguing.
I feel like it got so much attention because of the good looks of the main characters but I felt that their chemistry wasn't amazing and their relationship was overly complicated.
I didn't feel moved at all watching this and the ending wasn't satisfying. It has an interesting concept however lacked thematic value.
Overall it was an alright drama and there were some heartwarming moments however definitely did not deserve the praise that it had received.
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I enjoyed the cross cultural elements of the film. There was a time, in my ignorance, when I thought all East Asian cultures were more or less the same. I have since broadened my horizons, but it was still quite interesting to see that China was just as much a cultural novelty for Dong-ha, a Korean, as it would've been for me, a Westerner.
What's more interesting is that a great portion of this film is in English because Dong-ha doesn't speak Chinese and May doesn't speak Korean. I must admit it was a bit weird for me to hear them speak English so I muted the sound and simply read the subtitles. It's not that their English was poor. Actually, they were as good as anyone can speak a foreign language, but their accents were really heavy. I found that it distracted me from the emotion of the story and the performances.
I'm thankful this movie wasn’t too emotionally draining. The few times it reverted to more somber themes, those were quickly overruled by one comedic scene or another.
Dong-ha and May had mad on-screen chemistry. There were some very steamy kisses in this movie, and May was a full participant in all the action! No shocked, open-eyed reaction here. For once I can't complain about the intimacy between the characters being fake. My only wish was that those kisses were more frequent and longer! haha :)
Overall, I have very few complaints. This was a simple, but satisfying story with good, subtle performances from a pair of very attractive leads. I doubt I've ever seen Jung Woo-sung look so handsome on screen, not even in A Moment to Remember (and let’s face it, the man was pretty darn hot in that movie!). The ending was unnecessary. I would have preferred a different outcome, one that was a bit more straightforward and less open, but it didn't spoil the movie for me. It's clear that the director just wanted to be a jerk and yank our chain.
I highly recommend Season of Good Rain as the perfect date movie. It’s a light romantic drama that’ll make you reminisce about when you first met your love, give you many reasons to make out and offer you something light-hearted to debate about after it’s done. Enjoy!
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The story is good, and the way it's told is very interesting. I loved the way they shift plot sequences to keep the element of suspense. It was done very artfully.
The character Jang Tae San is wonderfully written and Lee Jun Ki lives the role. As we follow his struggles and efforts, we also see more of the person inside,who is the hardest on himself.
The most beautiful parts of the drama are the interactions between Tae San and Soo Jin. The drama writers have written in that connection to perfection. You start to look out for the little girl, when the story has been moving elsewhere for a while. And of course, the girl who plays Soo Jin is super cute.
The rest of the cast are great too- including all the baddies.
Now, the plot isn't without it's share of holes. But none of that affects the compelling nature of this drama.
The ending is perfect- realistic and at the same time, leaving us on a happy note.
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I watched it because of my favorite actress Nakama Yukie. I've seen her acting very different characters; high school student, high school teacher, Sadako, clumsy police, woman with multiple personality, silly yet lovable reporter and her character in Utsukushii Rinjin whom I have no words... So I was tempted to see her acting in this one too.
Second reason why I watched this was Gackt. I loved his creepy yet attractive character with long tongue. If you're curious what he does with the tongue watch the drama.
I was amazed by the drama. I'm glad it wasn't super long. Otherwise I would've ended up dropping it...
The music was very good and now I feel like I know something about Okinawa's history.
The acting was good but from some new actors it wasn't as good but I still liked it.
Okay I have no idea what I'm babbling about. I liked the drama and that's all. I think this is a drama no one should miss.
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This review may contain spoilers
This high school GL drama was a sweet little romance with so many lovable characters to get attached to. But perhaps a merged or cut storyline could've allowed the much needed foreshadowing of character flaws that were relevant to the drama's climax. I also found that the lack of addressing of 2 red flags (one from each of our main characters) killed my investment into their particular ending.SPOILERS START HERE!!!
>>> Ongsa and Sun <<<
I absolutely loved the initial set up for this couple. Ongsa is an insecure, anxious, and socially awkward teen from the countryside. Sun, is the popular (though we really don't see this really), confident, and mature classmate who Ongsa instantly develops a crush on. They accidentally become penpals and Ongsa anxiously lies when it starts coming time for them to actually disclose stuff like names and such. This arc didn't overstay its welcome in my opinion (but Aladdin's the genie "Tell her the truth" scene certainly played in my head on repeat). I was also quite taken by how maturely Sun handled this. Demanding an explanation and refusing the nonstop stream of unexplained apologies. Most love interests would have stormed out, and the lack of communication would have been dragged out for days/episodes. Not here.
By the end of the drama, we start to realize that Sun isn't the perfect, one-dimensional love interest previously portrayed. While her dream is repeated rather verbatim in a short span of time, she does have a dream that she is passionate about and knows where her future is going. She also is not quite at the maturity generally presumed around her. Indeed, much like most teenagers, that "maturity" is partially covering up the fact that Sun molds herself and her reactions to what she thinks is expected of her. Which, of course, causes problems in her relationship with Ongsa - especially since Ongsa is also not thinking as a unit (most high schoolers/first relationship couples dont) and makes the unanimous decision that Ongsa and Sun shouldn't be out to anyone but their shared friend group. This was frustrating, and i feel like Sun's character flaw could've been better hinted at earlier in the series, but overall, quite true to a high school first romance.
What did make me angry is the fact that both Sun and Ongsa did incredibly red flag things that were never really addressed well. Sun literally outed Ongsa, Aylin, and Luna. She outed Ongsa once to her (Sun's) parents without warning, and then again (along with Aylin and Luna) to Ongsa's own parents despite/in spite of Ongsa's attempts to stop her. This wasn't even addressed once, let alone condemned. Being out very obviously means something in the world of this drama, and Sun couldn't have known what Ongsa's parents' reactions would've been. And then, after their break up, Ongsa wouldn't leave Sun alone. This was brought up once, but then was swiftly ignored when Ongsa came with a more detailed apology (that I sorely hope was victim to something being lost in translation, because i didn't like how it compared their love for each other as one being more true than the other just bc Ongsa was scared to be out of the closet).
I am, however, glad that Sun realized that she was being hypocritical and unfair though, especially since she was molding herself to what she thought Ongsa wanted in their relationship, instead of talking to her. And so, i appreciate that they became a more healthy and stable relationship afterwards. Though, admittedly, my enjoyment of them as a couple was killed by their red flag actions that weren't properly addressed. So, I wasn't really invested in their ending.
>>>Aylin and Luna<<<
An absolutely adorable 2nd couple. I loved how honest Aylin was, even when she was nervous, in pursuing Luna (after Luna showed her she could trust her). And i loved the relationship between Aylin and Ongsa (her cousin). Aylin and Luna were a healthy couple pretty much from the beginning (with the hiccup of pushing Aylin into socialization too fast), and I don't think i stopped smiling for a moment when they were on screen together. And Aylin's neurodivergent (potentially autistic?) coding was great to see - especially with her lack of social cue awareness, her needing clear answers to social questions, and her displays of overstimulation that can be seen even in the background of other scenes. However, my one complaint is probably that Luna, as cute and lovable as she is, didn't really have a character flaw in sight.
>>>Alpha<<<
Alpha is Ongsa's older sister and Aylin's older cousin. On one hand, i loved that her presence helped contribute to Ongsa's family relationship development (she and her father had lived separately from her mother and sister for several years). Her scenes with Ongsa and Aylin were sweet. And i really related to her pre-graduation stress of uncertainty in her future and in her family relationships. But, she really didn't have much of an impactful role. So perhaps this was a storyline that could've been omitted or perhaps merged with Luna's (perhaps to balance out Luna's perfection) since they share similar traits and are in the same year together.
>>>The Friend Group<<<
I really value the focus on Ongsa's growing friend group, as it really helped her develop as a character and in her confidence - not having any friends coming into school and all. They're supportive, distinct, eclectic, quirky, and diverse. It made for the perfect complement to Ongsa's story and needs. There was also some comedic relief in there I really appreciated.
>>>Teachers Bambam and Nida<<<
These characters stole my heart. I loved their low-angst side story of the hapless accident-prone and tarot-loving Bambam and of her caretaking friend who developed feelings. Furthermore, I liked how they provided advice to their students when needed, and also stepped away so the major characters can figure things out on their own. And of course, they helped to drive the story forward at a few places, in believable way that never made me blink twice.
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