Reviews

IT HURTS, BUT IT HOLDS YOU..

A quiet, healing drama that focuses more on emotions than plot.

It doesn’t rush into big moments. Instead, it follows its characters as they deal with pain in small, realistic ways. There are no dramatic breakthroughs, just gradual changes that feel honest and relatable.

The leads carry the story well. Their struggles feel grounded, and their growth, while slow, feels earned. The chemistry is subtle, built through comfort and understanding rather than intensity.

The supporting characters add warmth to the story. Some offer happiness & support, others bring tension, but overall they help show that healing is not something you go through alone.

The pacing is slow, which may not work for everyone. If you’re expecting strong plot twists or high drama, this might feel lacking. But if you enjoy character-driven stories, it delivers.

Overall, it’s not a perfect drama, but it succeeds in what it sets out to do; show healing in a quiet, realistic way.

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It’s a lovely watch but definitely some lost potential

Let’s start with the main leads Seo Mi Rae and Park Kyeongnam similar yet polar opposites they are strictly committed to work and seem to be very much workaholics however Mi Rae’s personality can enjoy some fun hang with friends and what not whereas Kyeongnam is kinda boring seems like he gets up to work and only work.
I liked the VR idea but its execution was an overstep unfortunately we viewed far too much of the drama was Mi Rae and her VR boyfriends that we missed on perhaps any crucial element suggesting a spark between her and the male lead. He blurts his feelings in what we as viewers expected however not in a great way due to the lack of backstory. His feelings seem almost fake as we have no idea where it came from. Mi Rae is totally addicted to this VR idea so much that the drama is half VR and half reality which I didn’t quite like I wished for more interaction perhaps more insight into the male leads feelings his life the classic feelings of falling for each other it was almost blasted on us. Then came Gyeong il the character that looked like the male lead portrayed in VR as Mi Rae’s perfect man although it was funny I wished it was done way earlier maybe ep 4 so we could see more of the main leads interactions and the blur between reality and VR occurring. Basically the screenwriting was just not as effective as I’d hoped and the relationship was rushed it was bad enough we didn’t get a full backstory there was the issue of Kyeongnam finding the VR which took away from the couples screen time.
All in all I loved the idea the acting was on point and the moments we got between the couples was everything Kyeongnam was a gentleman very easy to fall for and appeared amazing in every way I just wish we could have viewed more of this instead of having him appear as boring and ignored in the first few episodes.
The rewatch value in terms of the last few episodes I probably will the rest of it though I will respectfully pass as it didn’t meet my standards.
I did however love this drama despite its flaws and would recommend to watch as something perhaps slightly different to our normal k drama tropes.
Jisoo and In Guk aced it their acting is amazing and they are very lovable characters. It’s a shame the screenwriters didn’t highlight their talents and give them the perfect storyline they deserved.

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May we all find a love that stays — like Sunjae did for Sol, like Sol did for Sunjae.

I honestly didn’t know where to begin writing this. There were too many thoughts, too many emotions tangled together after finishing the series. Should I start with how Sol made me reflect on myself — how her choices forced me to ask, if I were in her place, would I have done the same? Or should I talk about Sunjae, and how his love made me realize that I want more than just the bare minimum? That kind of love — the kind that waits, that endures, that stays for more than a decade — is something that feels almost unreal, yet beautiful.

But as I sat with my thoughts, I realized this series wasn’t just about them. Somehow, it became about me too.

It made me look back on my own experiences with love — especially my first love. All the boys I liked before… maybe they did like me back, but not in the way I needed them to. Or maybe they never really did. And maybe I wasn’t right either. Because the truth is, we love the only way we know how. We love based on what we think is right, even when it isn’t. And maybe that’s why none of those relationships lasted — they were built on mismatched understandings of what love should be.

Watching this story brought back all the what ifs, the almosts, the maybes I thought I had already buried. It made me confront something I don’t usually admit. My first love wasn’t beautiful. It wasn’t soft or comforting or something I would ever want to relive. It was filled with more pain than happiness, more regrets than memories worth keeping.

So why am I talking about all of this in a review that’s supposed to be about a series?

Because this is what the series did to me.

It made me realize how deeply our first loves shape us — how they influence the way we see love, the way we give it, and even the way we accept it. Sol’s first love felt innocent, dreamy, and full of hope. It was the kind of love that blooms softly. But Sunjae’s love? It was something else entirely. It was sacrifice. It was choosing to stay even when it hurt. It was loving someone enough to let them be happy — even if that happiness didn’t include you.

And that contrast made me reflect on my own story even more.

First loves can be terrifying. Some people move on quickly, as if it never mattered. Some carry it with them for years, even decades. And some… never really let go. Not because they want to suffer, but because a part of them was shaped permanently by that experience.

But if there’s one thing this series taught me, it’s this. Love — whether it’s your first, your greatest, or your last — doesn’t define your entire story. Because one day, someone will come into your life who changes everything.

It’s like hating the rain your whole life, only to find yourself standing in a sudden downpour that doesn’t feel so cold anymore. Because this time, someone is there with you — choosing to stay, choosing to understand, choosing you. And in that moment, you realize that maybe the rain was never the problem. You just hadn’t met the person who would stand in it with you.

That’s what this story feels like.

A reminder that somewhere out there, there could be a Sol who would rewrite time just to save you, or a Sunjae who would love you across different versions of life. Maybe it will happen in this lifetime, maybe it won’t. But the possibility alone is enough to make you believe again — even just a little.

This review might feel all over the place, and maybe it is. But if I were to sum it all up in one line, it would be this.

I hope all of us find our Sunjae to our Sol. Because we all deserve a love that stays, a love that fights, and a love that feels like it was meant for us — no matter how long it takes to find it.

So if you hate the rain, if you don’t believe in fate, or if there’s someone in your mind right now that you would run to without thinking twice…

Go watch this series.

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Amazing drama except for episode 11

I just finished this drama, and although I was quite annoyed with what happened in episode 11 and what an annoying bitch Haran was to Chan, I still liked how they wrapped up the last episode. It could have been a bit better tbh. I found some flashback scenes pretty boring… like how many more times do we have to watch the same scenes from the past again? I felt a bit sleepy but the part when he draws people randomly was very cute. Also, Hadam and Yougyum were the most mature couple in this. I loved how they supported each other.

All in all I loved the plot and most of the characters in this drama. I also liked the mystery of not knowing about his past. It gave us a chance to keep guessing too 😂
The OST was really good too!

Apart from episode 11 and the annoying doctor, this drama was really good!

I think I would probably give this drama a 9/10.

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Not as good as they say

It's definitely better than One and Only, which I dropped, but this was painstakingly slow and you've got to have a lot of patience to finish it. I somehow found myself fastforwarding thru the last few episodes. It focused too much on the couple being lovey-dovey and cute with each other rather than detailing the other parts of the plot involving Chen's family, which led to it being confusing at some point. The more important parts like when Weixing confronted Wenzhuan by the lake, when Wenchuan visited Wenxing at the hospital, or when Jiaren pushed their relative could've been shown instead of cut off. Also the parts where Wenzhuan supposedly did evil things in Bremen were not highlighted or detailed enough to make me feel they were connected to him. There were some useless scenes like focusing on Tong Jiaren's face while slow motion walking which to me was "what's the point?" I have to say it was poorly written and executed. The part where Wenchuan took Shiyi hostage was so dumb. Like everyone had a lot of opportunities to stop him or fight with him but they didn't. Aside from BaiLu's great acting and the nice OST, everything else was mediocre.

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Great Story But Not So Great BL

To be honest, I was somewhat surprised by how much I really enjoyed this series. Not only was it entertaining, but it was also quite wholesome in the classic sense of that word. By the time you finish watching this series, you just feel good all over. It will bring a smile to your face. Ironically, I do not think it was a very strong BL; if I am being honest, I thought that was the weakest segment of this series. Equally, the characters who shine in this series are ALL the supporting players as they completely dominate both the acting and the story’s appeal. I found them to be so memorable. This story is all about fundamentals rather than messages. Am I worthy to carry on my mother’s legacy? How do I deal with death? Did my mother love me? Was I a product of love? How do I let go of the guilt and pain of not being there when she died? Can I ever live up to my mother’s legacy? Can I love? These are just some of the fundamentals that are gently and beautifully unfolded in this sweet story. It flows more like a shallow brook running along the rocks rather than a raging river. It is a nice, pleasant change from the usual cliché-driven tropey standard series. Likeable and agreeable and I shall remember more about the overall story than the BL portion. This is a very good series but not a great BL. It did not wow me at all but the story surrounding the cats certainly did.

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comfort drama

i first wathced soem eps when my grandmother was watching it to pass time. i remember she asked me if the ml was 帅, and i said no lol. anyways, after a few years, i finished this drama, and till now, its my third time rewatching.
although this drama is really clique and has all the plots you can think of (kidnapping, memory loss) etc, i love the similcity and its is just the show to watch when you are mentally drained. although some scenes are unrealistic, i owuld say it is still a good watch. the visuals and colthing choice are also good. i love lusi's clothing fits, they are all really cute.

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best season ever (1/2 dthr i watched)

after watching dthr 6, while i love the content of season 6, some incidents really made me question why i am still watching. plus with the fans bring up petty problems all the time, i decided to drop the show as it was genuinely too tedious for me to finish. however, i decided to watch season 5 as everyone seem to love that season. i watched the first ep months ago,but decided the put it on hold as i could not get past the fist eps. after months, when i was watching the chinese beauty shop (really reccommend) i realsied that zhao zhaoyi wasalso in dhtr 5, so i decided to try watchign this again.

firstly, for the cast, i only know wang anyu, zhao zhaoyi, jin chen and hu xian xu. the other member's names drew a black in my mind. however, as i continue to watch, all of the members captivated me with their different and charmign personalilties.

for qin hailu, although she is the oldest memebr in the group, she has the youthful energy with her and i find her really cute sonetimes (if u get what i mean), especially when she realised that she wrote her husband's hanyu pinyin name wrong. also she might 'nag' constantly, i know that she is worries of the younger members of the group. i also really love that she would confront the guys of the things that she feel uncomfortable with (the hotel) immediately, she is blunt and doesnt beat around the bush.

for zhaoyi, i watche dthe show for her lol, because of her funny character in the chinese beauty shop. here, although the screen tiem for her is far less compared to the other more well know memebrs, she would always shine through with her constant witty remarks to lift up the groups spirits.she is also responsible and caring. and her fits ate

for wang anyu, contrast to the netizens comments that he is bad, i think that he is just a perfectionist, where everything has to be on plan, even to the specific timing. from his perspective, i can see why he is so anxious during the first part of the trip. i like the he chose to change himself gradually to be mare relaxed with the planning, and workign well with his lil bro. he is also really charamatic and lively person

for xiaohu, he is extroverted? , funny and has an expremely high eq. he can crack funny jokes a any time and make everyone laugh. he is also very mature and can handle problems well. his friendship with zhaoyi, anyu and zhilei is really endearing to watch. i really really LOVE how he handled the situation where anyu is anxious, where he sat down with him and talked about what went wrong and waht can be improved, and anyu was also really understanding. i was really suprised when this happened cuz maybe from watching season 6. aside form that, i think that it is also rare to see these types of truthful conversations in real life because many people lack the maturity or the courage to bring up these topics. kudos to xiao hu.

overall, the group dynamic is amazing, where everyone would work together with a common goal of making the trip a one to remember. they would also go an extra mile to do stuff for others, like the beachside picnic by dilireba and qin lan (unlike s6).overall, they are a bunch of witty and kind people.

this season definetly set the standard highhhh for dhtr

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A classic Cinderella story with a twist…

Watched opening weekend in cinemas. (Late to writing this review, but I have had time to think about it.)

I really, really enjoyed this movie a lot more than I expected, and it was not quite what I expected either. It is quite a cliché, many-times-told story at its core. However, the setting, costume design, and to some extent, worldbuilding (yes, worldbuilding) were real highlights.

The characters, while predictable, were not all entirely archetypal, albeit the female lead certainly was. The cast did well with their characters and are in themselves a highlight of the film. The most interesting characters in this story however, would be some of the side characters, not only with their contributions to worldbuilding but with their nuance, in which most of the major characters are somewhat lacking.

The setting is perhaps the most conceptually interesting part of the film, in that it is not two separate worlds in the way much Japanese media portrays, but an integrated world with yokai and humans.

If you want rich characters with deep stories of personal development, I might not recommend this film. However, if you wish to watch it for the cast or on its merit as an entry to the romance genre, I absolutely recommend it! What I’d argue keeps my rating so high in spite of the predictability and lack of thought-provoking characters, would be that this tells the exact story it wants to tell, and it does so with stunning visuals and solid performances. The accompanying soundtrack is also well-matched to the film.

As a closing remark, I would say what amazes me the most about this film is that I found it seriously immersive, and I can still recall the way I felt and reacted watching it. I found myself deeply invested in spite of the cliché, and that doesn’t happen often for me.

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the title leaves you feeling radiant after watching the drama afterall

This show beautifully captured the idea that no matter what "winter" you are going through, a warm spring breeze is coming.

While it was tough watching Haran struggle to listen to Chan near the end, looking at it through her lens changed everything for me. Imagine finding out that seven years of grief were built on a lie, that the person you mourned didn't love you the way you thought, yet the person who actually gave you the strength to move on was hiding the truth. Despite the heartbreak, Chanran were a soulmate-level match. Haran was his light, appearing whenever he needed her, and I’m going to miss them deeply. <33

The grandparents were the perfect reminder that it’s never too late for love.

Hayeong and Taeseok's chemistry deserved more screentime! Especially as a couple, so sad that we didn't get to see more of it, truly.

Hadam and Yugyeom, you cuties <3!! I loved that they had emotional development by the time the drama ended and grew more confident in their relationship despite the fact that they might have to stay apart, mastering their own field. It was really smart and sweet of Yugyeom to give Grandma the necklace btw.

AND how can I i forget our cutie dog Genius, carried the show with his cuteness ♥

“Let’s see cherry blossoms in spring, eat shaved ice in summer, see autumn leaves in fall & go snowboarding in winter. Will you share every season of life with me?” ★★★★★★★

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GAP The Series will always be something incredibly special to me

GAP: The Series will always be something incredibly special to me because it was my very first GL and honestly, I don’t think any other series will ever replace it. This is the show that made me fall in love with the whole GL era, and for that alone, it will always be my favorite. What makes GAP stand out so much is how it makes you feel. From the very beginning, there’s something so warm and exciting about it. The story pulls you in, but it’s really the connection between the characters that keeps you there. Their relationship feels genuine, and you get to experience every stage of it the awkwardness, the tension, the sweetness, and the growth. The chemistry between the leads is just incredible. It feels natural, not forced, and that’s what makes all their moments together so enjoyable to watch. Whether it’s the small, soft scenes or the more emotional ones, you can really feel the bond between them. And the romantic scenes? They’re done in such a way that makes you smile without even realizing it. The acting also deserves so much credit. Both leads bring their characters to life in a way that feels real and relatable. You can feel their emotions, their struggles, and their happiness, and that connection makes the whole experience even more meaningful. But more than anything, GAP has that comfort feeling. It’s the kind of series you can go back to again and again and still feel the same excitement and happiness. It’s not just a show t’s an experience, especially if it’s your first GL. It opens the door to a whole genre and shows just how beautiful these stories can be.

For me, GAP: The Series isn’t just another drama. It’s the one that started everything. And no matter how many GLs I watch in the future, this one will always have a special place in my heart.

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Didn’t work for me

Honestly, Love Design just didn’t work for me at all. I really tried to get into it, but the story felt messy and kind of all over the place. It didn’t feel well thought out, and a lot of the plot points were either predictable or just didn’t make much sense.The pacing was also off some parts felt rushed while others dragged, which made it hard to stay interested. I kept waiting for it to get better or for something to really pull me in, but it never really happened. The acting didn’t help either. It felt flat and not very convincing, and I just couldn’t connect with the characters. The emotional scenes especially didn’t hit they felt forced instead of natural, so it was hard to care about what the characters were going through. Even the chemistry between the leads felt lacking, which is a big deal for this kind of show. Without that connection, the whole story just falls apart a bit.

And honestly, I’m someone who always tries to support GL series I almost never rate one below a 7.5 because I want to support the genre and help it grow. But this is one of those rare cases where it just didn’t deliver. For me, it was disappointing enough that I’d worry it might even turn people away from the GL category if this was their first impression.

Overall, everything from the story to the acting to the chemistry felt off for me. It had potential, but it just didn’t deliver, and I ended up feeling disappointed.

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