A clean simple beautiful heart warming drama to watch
It's been a while since i watched a beautiful slice of life romantic drama like this. The best part is that it only have 8 episodes. Very light with simple and clean narration makes you feel very heart warming every single bit of it. Plot is also looks refreshing and the duration of Episodes is around 45 min.I don't want to enter into the plot or synopsis which you can simply read on MDL website, i prefer not to read anything before you watch, its better to kept that curiosity with you while watching.. so many good things were there, it deserves much more attention. May be subbing is from viki they delayed too much. But thank god they bought the right if not then we could have miss this beautiful drama.
The mood which the ost create was so magical to see and every time we watch a slice of life drama you will learn something from it, here also nothing changes, the hardships of life they showed was very intense. Also the relationship goals and the friendship everything was fantastic.
Highly recommended to watch.. its very heart warming drama❤️
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This review may contain spoilers
Volume 5: A new strategy
I've been enjoying this volume a lot. I think it's a step in the right direction.First of all, they expanded what I thought was possible in this vlog format. Previously, I assume they'd stick to "realistic" plots that at least have a semblance of real-life feasibility. But the whole Jihan VS his manager is anything but; not only that you wouldn't record a vlog of your secret relationship, the manager is an "evil parent"-esque villain... in a vlog! Well, any semblance of realism is out the window now. In exchange, I welcome the additional possibilities this approach allows (like the HongGyu kiss dream sequence).
Second of all, I appreciate them keeping this volume in Seoul. It allows them to focus on the plot, without the pressure of having to change scenery every episode the way a travel vlog does. Plus, this kind of fiscal responsibility is important if this project is to be long-lived.
It's not all good, of course. I don't understand why they reconciled Hyunki and Dongseop so quickly, for example. I think their conflict has potential, and I'd much rather if they foster it for a bit. At the very least, they should conclude the conflict properly, perhaps by replacing the running scene with a reconciliation scene.
On that note, I think I can confidently say that people don't really care for the platonic (I'm referring to scenes like Yunje's video editing or HongGyu+Dongseop's running). They're fillers, and that's something vlogs can do without, what with the fast-forward and skip ahead that are standard practices. So it'd be good if they keep it tight and make every scene ties up to the grand romance, or at least have a flirty undertone.
One last thing. About the HongGyu focus in the second part of this volume, I can understand. I know people must've been missing 2J, but Jaejun's time here is hard-capped by his mandatory military service (in less than a year, I think?). So I get the need to slowly shift the spotlight to the other boys.
And that's about everything. Looking forward to the next volume and their further growth.
Below is my previous review for vol 4:
First of all, I'd like to acknowledge how difficult this format actually is. It brings a lot of freedom, and there's no comparison point. So different people will end up forming many different kind of expectations. Heck, I'm pretty sure some people don't even know what to expect. Like, they can tell whether they like this volume or not, but if you ask them to describe in detail what they want to see, many would probably come up blank. Exactly because there aren't much reference point to compare this work to.
With that said, I like this volume. Mostly because, to me, they're returning to the essence of this vlog format. In a typical series, the storytelling is akin to watching a CCTV recording; we get to see any relevant information, whether the characters "wanted" to be seen or not. But in a vlog, the storytelling is more like reading a diary; we only get to see what the characters have curated for us to see (in-universe).
And so that's why I think volume 3 was so janky. It was a vlog trying to be a typical series, and so it couldn't decide on a consistent mode of storytelling (as evidenced by the plenty use of "external" camera in that volume, i.e. "omniscient" camera that's not hold by the characters). Volume 4, meanwhile, is a vlog through and through, just one where the characters happen to kiss. Now, there might be many different reasons why someone likes or dislikes vlogs, but the identity is clear. This is a vlog, it's not trying to move beyond the realm of vlogs, and if you show it to a naive viewer, they might not even realise that it's "not just a typical vlog".
So yeah, I enjoyed this. Yes, there's basically no plot, but vlogs don't typically have a plot. Do I want a plot? Of course, but only if it fits the vlog format. Otherwise, they shouldn't force one in.
P.S. for the next volume: more kisses, more stares, more privacy, more intimacy. We don't exactly need fraternal bonding moments (notice that volume 1 & 2 didn't really have those, and they did just fine). After all, no one watch a dating show for the friendship.
Below is my previous review for volume 3:
Needless to say, everyone is giving them a lot of "strong feedbacks" after volume 3. But I don't want them to take the wrong message. Instead of jumping to thinking about "what BL fans like/dislike", I think there are some fundamental storytelling and character building issues that they need to sort out first. Hence, I wrote this review to rant and list out my grievances about volume 3.
1. The lack of explanations. They could get away with not explaining the bathroom thing back then because, in the grand scheme of things, it was just a small part of volume 1&2. But here, Jaejun-Yunje relationship is THE plot. Not explaining it is like a detective story that doesn't explain how the murder was done.
2. Related but slightly different to point #1. Jaejun's behaviors, frankly speaking, don't make sense. And in order to make sense of it, we need him to explain what he's thinking. But he doesn't. We know very little about his intention. Is he willfully cheating, or is he just that naive/dumb? Who knows?
Even if he's conflicted about his own thoughts, he could've said something like, "I know I love Jihan, but then, why does my heart skip a beat when Yunje got close?". See, that'd be an understandable confusion for someone new to love (though not necessarily justify what he did). When he did and said all that contradictory things, we need to know his state-of-mind, so that at least we could understand his humanness. Right now, all we could do is make assumptions about his character, without learning his perspective.
This is probably the biggest problem in this volume, and the one that makes me wonder whether the writer actually understood the characters, or just made them do whatever the drama needed them to do regardless of common sense.
3. Looking back, that forest not-kiss was... "clickbait-y", for a lack of better word. Not only unexplained, it was unnecessary too. We could tell that Yunje is attracted to Jaejun even without that. So what was that for?
4. Pacing issue. Things escalated and de-escalated way too quickly. Though I think that forest not-kiss shares the most blame for the quick escalation. That's the moment everyone went on high alert, and by then it was still episode 2. If Jaejun had just fallen asleep on Yunje's shoulder, for example, it would've been a smoother escalation toward the ice cream almost-kiss. As for the quick de-escalation, the not explaining things is to blame for that.
5. And finally, all that just to end up where they started. We don't know if Jaejun actually learned anything, because, again, he didn't explain anything. Some people think/wish that they would continue this storyline in vol 4, but I'm skeptical. It seems that Jaejun has moved on completely, and if he hasn't, it'd make his refusal to explain things even worse.
That's about everything. On the bright side, the sweet scenes are as good as ever. If you can ignore the newly-founded suspicion on Jaejun's state-of-mind, that is.
I still root for them and hope that the next volume will be better. I really want this project to be successful and long-lasting.
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Love With... painfully slow pacing
Overall: If you are into love triangles and a really slow moving plot, then you might like this. I would have dropped it if it was longer than 5 episodes. Watched on YouTube.Content Warnings: non con kiss and touching (character was asleep)
What I Liked:
- I think the three protagonists and the acting coach did well with the script that they had (I quite liked Gameplay portraying a moody/prickly character)
- the production value was decent for what I'm assuming was a smaller budget
Room For Improvement:
- the main problem was the pacing was too bit slow. If they had cut this from 45 minutes to 20-30 minutes, then I would have enjoyed it more. Everything was just too draggy and boring.
- also I didn't really see the motivation for changing feelings, it felt like the viewer was supposed to connect too many missing dots
- another stupid love triangle
- the acting coach being harassed, that whole bubble tea scene was not funny. I'm done with the stereotypical trans woman as comedy thing.
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It's not a wonderful storyline but for some strange reason it's not boring either and in fact it got me quite hooked. It also wins some great gold stars for making me laugh after a bawling session from the final episode of YWCFTS.
The characters in this movie were all really cute and the cast did a great job.
If you're stuck for what to watch, or you're just feeling like a happy movie then give this a go! :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Best version of this trope
So far I’ve only watched two other versions of this story (including ai hong chen’s) but I would still say this is the best. The summary is a bit lacking. Basically, the second prince went to FL’s family as a tutor in disguise. FL fell in love with him but he’s in love with her half sister. Then FL married the foolish third prince instead of her sister.LIKES:
1. Story - definitely the best. Other versions (one modern and the other also historical) focused more on the FL’as suffering and then suddenly she married a sick guy and all is well. Here, you can see the how everything fell into place. They just took the main plot but didn’t go crazy with it and filled the logical gaps. And even if I haven’t watched other vesions, this is still a great story.
2. Characters - All were great. From the main leads to the secondary characters. The writers did great showing their motivations or past so you can sympathize with them. The actors did well of bringing them into life. Seriously you’ll even feel sorry for the half sister which is quite rare since 2FLs are usually two-dimensional characters only existing to abuse FL and later be the one abused by the ML. The 2ML wasn’t also all bad considering the other versions were extreme in their ways of making FL suffer. Here, 2ML still has a conscience which he didn’t just recover when he realized FL was the one he loved all along.
3. Relationships - the dynamics of the relationships in the story are not purely love or hate. Even between the FL and 2FL, you can’t say the 2FL was all bad when you understand her intentions but you can’t say FL did anything wrong either because their conflict was rooted in their parents affairs and it affected them.
The one that stood out to me the most was between the dad and FL. Yes the dad ignored FL’s mistreatment and even punished her for the mistakes she didn’t make, FL still couldn’t let go her father because she already experienced what a good father he was. And kudos to the dad actor because you can see the conflict and guilt in his face and body language but you still can’t help but be pissed off with his actions.
4. Romance - this is the least I noticed in the story but it doesn’t mean it was bad. I absolutely love that ML showed his presence early in the story and supported FL unlike other versions where the ML only shows up on the latter part. Here, ML was already actively protecting FL. And when they got together, they did one thing most cdrama couples fail to do: COMMUNICATE. There’s only a tiny bit misunderstanding which was easily resolved. The rest are two people supporting and loving each other.
Special mention: I absolutely love the color grading and costumes here. It made everything looked better.
DISLIKES:
I despise FL father. Sure he kind of redeemed himself in the end but he himself said that it wasn’t enough to erase what he did to FL which was the truth.
Fave scene:
- when FL invited ML to consummate their marriage in broad DAYLIGHT and got ML acting all shy
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KBS Drama Special 2011: Princess Hwapyung's Weight Loss
12 people found this review helpful
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This review may contain spoilers
It wasn't bad but that doesn't mean it was good
Let me start this off with the two actual good things about this show: the casting and the cinematography . The cast was great and they did so well with they had to work. The cinematography was sooo nice, the scenes were shot really well, which usually is a big pet peeve of mine. These two factors made the show seem waaaay better than it actually was and on the surface it really seems like a good show. However, looking behind the pretty surface shows lack of care in character and plot development.I went into watching this with little to no expectations, so at first glance it seemed like a good drama. I watched it in a day (4 episodes in the morning and 4 at night) and it was a smooth watch, something easy and kind of simple. Which is exactly where the problem lies in my opinion. I loooove a good easy show, something not too taxing to watch and that gives me a chance to enjoy a silly little watch. And Jazz for two could've done just that but they didn't and that was unsettling. I am no fan of big conflicts in shows but I do appreciate that when it happens there's room to solve the conflict and work it out. In the case of this show nothing like that ever happens. Be it the absolute toxicity of the side-couple's relationship or the SA that just gets sweeped under the rug. I get that with the running time being this short there's not enough room for big conflicts to get solved extensively, however, as a director there should be a certain awareness around what you can and can't do with your resources. If there's not enough time to properly discuss heavy themes then for the love of god do not introduce them?
Taeyis reaction to the kiss was absolutely vile and not justified no matter how internalized his homophobia is. For someone that had such a violent reaction to a kiss from another guy he got over it pretty fast, which is just poor character planning on the showrunners side. The inconsistency in the character development is baffling to me. Let's not get into how Seheon didn't even get a real apology, he just suddenly got kissed and a little "sorry" and all was well.
Doyoon and Jooha are problematic on a similar level but even having less screentime than the maincouple they somehow managed to make that relationship seem more controlled and plausible. The intense homophobia coming from every single couple, even the brothers (what even was that, introduced solely to serve as a poor reason for the maincouple to break up for like? 2 minutes?), is just too much to solve with that kind of running time when you're already trying to get two strangers to establish some sort of bond, then to fall in love and then to overcome a heavy topic like suicide within their relationship. All the while they're dealing with school work, a controlling dad that just suddenly disappears (seriously where did he go?) after he served as a plot drive to get the main couple to become closer and writing a song/winning at a festival. There's so much going on that you don't even have time to process everything that's going wrong cause they keep piling up new plot points for the watcher to digest.
So, as the title suggests, overall it wasn't that bad, it's just that it wasn't good either.
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quiet unique.
I think the story is different. There's many dramas and movies about mermaids but this story is different it's a big fish but not a other mermaid story. I just like the idea that it's about a giant fish it's not something I've seen before so the idea is great. Also heroine is great although it's as expected that she would obviously be scared or surprise at first but she's not cowardly or weak which is a plus.The story has a twist so it's something to look forward to. As you watch the show you may have many questions and maybe confused about what are the character but it would be explained very clearly near the end of the movie.
I think it should be a drama instead of a movie. It just felt so rushed, there's no time for development. However overall it's quiet fun to watch.
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Story: B+ the core story is not too complex but the way it shows the scenarios and suspense are epic... cool^^.
Acting/Cast: A- i think the actors/and actresses there are all not so popular but they played their role spectacularly/ i give them a plus point^^.
Music: B+ the bgm that creates the ambiance are creepyish^^ and thrilling but often presented it in a cool way when actions starts..... (but no song).
Rewatch Value: A- if you like theme... replay is high because its short and not tedious while its fun all the way.
Overall: B++ It has a quality like a movie and maybe even better than some action flick movie but one thing is really true...its cooooool ps: it is rated 19 but who cares
summarize: (in terms of how often it has these)
drama: 2.5/5
comedy: 1.5//5
romance: 1/5
action: 5/5
suspense: 4/5
Ps: my first review/ idk if i will follow the description value of each score in mdl style or in my own personal point of view :(
(im sad ....no edit button for revising a review)
edited: Sept 26, 2013
summary:
Enjoyment: ****
- great
Story: ***
- straightforward
- action oriented
- cool
Characters: ***
- acting was great
- but they are predictable
Music ***
- there was no songs i think
- the background music was good for ambiance
Replay ****
- easy to watch again
- since it was only 3 episodes
PS: I somewhat edited the ratings :)
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While the storyline's not the most original thing ever, the main leads did well in portraying the growth and development of their relationship. Eugene's character was the epitome of a damsel-in-distress. Though she had her highlights, the overall vibe that the character gave was a weak woman. Lee Jung Jin was pretty good with progressing through a relationship while following his views. His logic and reasoning was well done in the drama and a character that has depth. Hands down, Park Won Suk was the greatest actress in the drama. Though she's the "bad guy" in the drama, she had the best facial expressions and ways of conveying her emotions and frustrations. Yoon Ah Jung as well was very good at portraying her feelings and reactions.
The soundtrack was alright, though I could do without some of the music at some scenes.
Honestly wouldn't rewatch this again since it's too long and I could do without all this exaggeration in life. I might watch certain episodes just to relive the highlights of the drama, but I won't go through the whole thing again.
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lost in sub plots
This is my first time writing a review because this series left me with too much to say, both in admiration and in frustration.The series had great potential but missed critical marks that could have made it unforgettable.
Starting with the intimacy: I had modest expectations, but even the emotional scenes like the hug felt underwhelming and lacked the emotional impact they deserved. The protagonists were starved of meaningful development, and the focus was scattered unnecessarily into subplots like tennis and music.
The most frustrating part was how much narrative weight the side couple received.
Their slow-burn romance was tender and well-developed to the point where it felt like they were the true protagonists.
Meanwhile, the main couple’s relationship was barely allowed to breathe.
Even by the second-last episode, instead of deepening the main emotional arc, the series chose to showcase the side character improving at tennis, a subplot that felt increasingly irrelevant to the emotional heart of the story.
It was genuinely frustrating to see precious screen time spent on character achievements in sports, while the actual romance between the leads was left undeveloped and unsatisfying.
While I appreciate the climactic structure of the final episode, it’s disappointing that the love interest only became vocal and expressive at the very end.
Until then, he remained so tightly written that it was difficult to connect with him or invest fully in the main couple’s journey.
I haven’t read the manhwa, so I can't speak about the adaptation accuracy.
But based solely on the drama, it’s clear that the series had incredible potential, especially with such talented actors at the helm. Instead, the narrative focus shifted heavily onto side plots like music, tennis, and personal dream struggles — giving the side couple an almost protagonist-level arc. Meanwhile, the main leads didn’t even share one truly memorable romantic moment, making it hard to stay emotionally engaged.
In the end, it’s a series that shines in parts but ultimately leaves you wanting so much more from the story that should have mattered most.
With a little more focus on the main relationship and character development, it could have been something unforgettable.
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Proof that (university) romcom’s can still workk!
Every time I think I’ve had enough of the university romance series, Thailand proves me wrong. Since Khemjira, Domundi have really stepped up their game!Coming into this series, I was fully expecting to be underwhelmed and was just using it to placate my boredom. However, only one episode in, I realised that this show was not that.
THE STORY:
Although the plot on paper sounds so uninspired, I love that Duang and Qinn’s personalities match their behaviour, which I believe is one of the most important aspects of series like these, with pretty simple, character-focused stories.
Plainly the plot is ‘guy sees a cute guy, flits with him, and they get together’. However, the way it’s presented on screen is so enjoyable and genuine. Dang is a passionate and genuine lover who is flirting with a guy he truly likes. I also love that we see Duang’s feeling develop from initial attraction to genuine love. Similarly, Qinn’s character was well written. He takes Duang’s pursuit of him seriously and considers important factors that may determine their compatibility. This makes all the different stages of the series so enjoyable as you see a clear plot and character development.
I also love the balance between cute funny scenes, and more serious and mature moments.
ACTING/CAST:
The casting of this series for the main couple was perfection. I don’t remember the last time I watched a similar relationship dynamic to the one in DWY, but all I know is that it’s now my favourite. The actors portrayed their character so well, that I have been enamoured by the series since I started it. i loved how they showed a significant level of emotional maturity whilst still maintaining the energy of young university students.
Rewatch value: I would rewatch this show 100x over due to its simplicity and sweetness.
Warning: TeeTeePor occupied my attention so much that I honestly paid no attention to the other couples and have not much idea what was going on there, so I won’t necessarily be addressing them.
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This review may contain spoilers
The best example of how something that has a great start ends up being a disappointment.The first part of the drama (episodes 1-7) is one of the best examples of how a BL must be done. Tine is an extrovert, funny and naive guy that charms everyone with his charisma. Sarawat is mysterious and silent guy who seems to have interest of Tine. Characters plan to fake-dating to make Tine's stalker stay away from him. The chemistry between them is obvious here, thay have tender and funny moments. If the drama had ended here they would have a sound 10 and it would be considered the best BL ever made (along with Sotus)
Then the second part (episodes 8-13) happens.
It's a new stage of the drama.,Tine and Sarawat decide to make the relationship official so the pace of the series should be different, and it is... in a very disappointing way.
Tine who was always smiling and telling jokes turnssuddenly into a insecure man and a crying mess, he was happier when he was single. They turned him in a strereotyped damless in distress (or worse, an uke) who needs to be saved. And Sarawat who was completely sure about his love for Tine doesn't ease his partner insecurities. He lets misunderstandings happen around him without moving a finger until it's too late.
Even the actors (Win and Bright) seem to have lost their spark and their awesome chemistry. I can't believe they kiss more when they were not dating than when they were. And no, i'm not saying I need a make out session but at least i would like to see love between them.
I thought I was seeing two flatmates instead of two lovers.
On the whole I would say that if you're gonna watch this, do it... until episode 7, then drop it and pretend that everything that comes next doesn't exist at all. I bet your imagination can do much better than the lazy writing of the second part.
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And that was not the only time I was laughing.
There were some clichés that could have made my eyes roll, but I completely ignored them because I was enjoying this too much. I don't regret for a second watching this. It really cheered me up, and I was quite saddened by the fact that it only had three episodes.
The story itself wasn't really that original. As I mentioned before, really clichéd... except for the fact that this time around, the one cross-dressing is the boy. But, you know, it was super cute. And a large part of it was because of the actors' portrayal, so kudos to them (especially Min Hoo, whom I just loved dressed as G-Dragon). I really don't remember the music... so since it did not bother me, I gave it a 9.
I'm not a re-watch person, but I'd definitely watch this again! I can't really pinpoint a group of people to whom I'd recommend this. It might depend on your level of maturity, or what you want to watch that day. I mean, Ma Boy... I'm actually surprised that I loved it as much as I did! So, take a risk, and watch this. You probably won't regret it :P
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