Reviews

I hate how much I love it!

I hate what this did to me. I hate the director, screenwriter and every single actor. They broke me. I hate the 16+ hours of pain that I willingly and eagerly felt for this series. I hate that none will ever come close to this level of storytelling. I hate that I won’t ever watch it again. Like my other favorites Egoist and 180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us, it will live in memory and not rewatched to nitpick after. This is the first series that I've ever happily rated 10. It was perfect.

I loved the cycle of life relived through generations. I loved the enduring love, the late love, the forgiving love and parental love. Every parent loves their children but some may not know how to teach them to fly. I loved the failings of both. It showed their imperfect love. I loved the hedge formed around them and the admiration. I loved their resilience.

I will not lift one performance above another. They all did exceptional work. Even the ones we were supposed to hate. This series deserved all the accolades it received. Beautiful cinematography. This was a very satisfying watch. It brought the emotions out, raw and flowing. Watch with boxes of tissue and bottles of water. You’re going to need it.

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Binge-worthy if you love some cheesy storylines

I will be very honest, I was interested in this drama because Jisoo and Seo In Guk are in this drama and I love both of them.
And they did not disappoint! The premise and storyline is amazing and pretty much in pair with all those AI bot stories where you can date irl now. It expands that idea, creating interesting storyline that might feel relevant in modern times.
Some of those vr scenes were pretty cringeworthy if I'm being honest, but sometimes we like those cheesy tropes in romance genre, so it was okay to see it being present.
Acting was pretty good for me, both from leads and the supporting cast, but you could find some annoying characters or very cliche like that you might not like. Jisoo was amazing in this! I loved her acting cuz it felt more natural with every episode. Seo In Guk was also perfect with some of his little expressions and that sweet, soft smile.
Music wasn't the only part that I enjoyed every time, but it was fitting for the scenes, especially the exaggeration during romantic scenes. I loved that.

I might rewatch it soon because of all the feel-good moments I had while watching it. I enjoyed every second I watched!

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When soft person wants to do revenge

I watched this drama at the day the drama released since there is no interesting drama beside Xu Mengyuan and Zhang Hongming one. If you see romance drama, this drama is not for you. I liked this drama since the logic is still plausible.

For the plot, in first life FL was being domestically abused by ML and lost 4 daughters to human trafficker, she cannot take it anymore and killed her husband and off course she going to jail to repent. She spent her time in jail and got accidently killed by her inmate (she will be crucial person in her second life) and got reborn. In second life, FL got her memory and skill based from what she learn in jail and want to take revenge to her dad, her stepmother, her stepbrother and her scumbag husband in first life.

Her purpose on second life was to living with her grandmother, little girl, and aunt who didn't have long life on her first life. She still got marriage trauma in first life and just want to live her life. ML actually was her ex boyfriend and she break ups with him to marry her scumbag husband. ML actually still loves FL but FL told she cannot get marry in her lifetime. He respect that but still try to get his luck. Her scumbag ex husband was shameless guy and he still got reminisce of his first life since he always wondering if he supposed to marry FL.

Her doubtful thought about her revenge was perfectly pictured and it was my favorite part of this drama. Her grandmother told FL she doesn't need to cost her own life for revenge sake and she needs to enjoy her life when she was doubting herself what kind of revenge she should take for the people who wronged her.

The cons is we never know what kind of ML life after he broke up with FL in first life. Which is kind of potential plot for this drama. ML was positive guy and his actual dream was being lawyer. He supports FL by become FL investor on her bakery shop.

For the villains, the scumbag husband was kind of annoying sociopath person. I liked how FL was play smart when her father and stepmom want to sell FL after her scumbag husband become cripple man. The stepbrother death was quite of heavy blow for stepmother since she always prioritize him more than FL.

Recommended to watch if you want to watch humane revenge drama.

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Showcase of Intelligent FL in A Puzzling Case

What a story! This is what would happen if the leads chose to use 100% of their brain instead of doing stupid things. I really love how they depict Hong Geum Bo, a very tactical and calculative. She knew she was fighting a losing battle, so she needed to be cautious. She always made herself one step ahead of everyone, and always had plans and backups before taking any actions. On the other hand, the Hanmin management was feeling complacent as they had done something similar and was able to get away with it. It was really nice that she trapped Hanmin in a disadvantage by stealing their illegal money. They couldn't report the disappearance of a slush fund, yet they couldn't kill Geum Bo because theyneeded to know where was the money. The plot is fun and all the frictions seemed very organic. I really love the internal political conspiracies, where everyone was plotting their own agenda against each other behind their back. Massive shoutout to the character development of everyone after Mi Suk suicide attempt.

The story seems very heavy on the earlier episode, especially since it involves quite technical financial issues and terms. The first and second episodes are really heavy, but as the story progressing it becomes more fun and lighter. Even there is a lot of comedy in the latter episodes. Outstanding performance of everyone, especially Im Chul Soo, Kim Won Hae, Cho Han Gyeol, Ha Yoon Kyung and of course Park Shin Hye. It looks like she was built for a badass role like this, although I still feel she looks younger with the previous style compared with the look after her sister "transformed" her. Kim Won Hae deserves a main lead title here. They put big names even on the supporting roles, and surely it pays off! Shout out the the wardrobe team to make the setting to be as 90s as possible, not only for the casts but also for the background people.

Up until the end, I still don't understand what benefit would Song Ju Ran get by instating Kang No Ra as the president. It didn't seem like No Ra was going to give any key position for her. I also think the reason for No Ra's childhood abduction attempt was unclear. They also didn't explain how the prosecution service was able to present Bang Jin Mok as a witness. The revenge was served cold, but not for Nam Dong Gi. He was forgotten.

With a heavy topic, it's rare to find something fun and funny like this. Watch this if you're up for a puzzling thriller with an intelligent female lead!

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A drama that will instantly boost your dopamine

Finally finished watching this. I think I’m a little late, but I really enjoyed the show.

First, I have to talk about the Jisoo × Seo Kang Joon chemistry. I swear their chemistry is still top-tier for me 😭 I seriously need a drama with just the two of them as the main leads. The way their characters dated and then reunited after 10 years felt so real that I almost thought they were the main couple.

Honestly, this drama feels like the perfect example of a rom-com. The way Jisoo delivers comedy moments is so natural that sometimes it feels like it’s just *Jisoo being herself*, not Seo Mirae.

And Seo In Guk’s cold character was charming too. At first I was wondering why he had fewer scenes, but in the last three episodes he really owned the screen, and it totally paid off with their chemistry.

No wonder people are loving this drama and calling Jisoo a rom-com goddess

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Recipe for a successful idol drama- A well assembled production crew

I can't say it's a massive success yet as we're still early on the show. But if this turns out to be one. I'll attribute it mostly to the whole production team especially the director (Zeng Qing Jie) his track record doesn't lie and the scriptwriter. I'm actually watching this coz I'm curious if the director can pull another successful idol drama after Blossom - with a better budget and actors that can act. This will prove that you don't need traffic stars to build a successful drama. All you need is a freaking good story/script and translating that story to your audiences with amazing visuals. It helps that ZLH acting has improved here and TXW is born to play chang yu. Director Zeng skills is amazing at maximizing the visual impact and aesthetic beauty of the leads. The framing (longshot, wide, angle, focus-you name it) of ZLH is almost ethereal ✨️ 😍 💕 and the way he makes him peek at that freaking window is like telling us - we're only allowed that, a sneak peek a bit of a time and no more. The OSTs are decent well placed and not repetitively overused. Characters are introduced properly and not confusingly thrown into the story. Well edited and paced. I can't help harping enough on the impressive cinematography. Director Zeng need to be big and famous enough after this so he can pick and chose his own project and have a say in the production he wants to make. If this happens- it's a win for us fans who love a good show.

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Undercover Chaos Done Right

What do you get when you mix financial crime, undercover antics, and comedy? A rollercoaster of twists, laugh-out-loud moments, and heartwarming sisterhood, packed with white-collar crime, chaebol family feuds, workplace equality, corporate politics, and powerful journeys of personal growth—all served with flair. Every character is perfectly cast, well-written, and brings something meaningful to the story. The narrative unfolds intelligently, with just the right pacing to keep you hooked.

At first glance, Hong Geum Bo (played by the ever-talented Park Shin Hye) might seem like the type to roll her eyes at anyone wasting her time. But as the story progresses, you realize she’s the sharp, competent, and quick-witted hero you didn’t know you needed. Armed with a razor-sharp tongue, she has a knack for outsmarting anyone who dares to underestimate her. Her banter with the Investigation Bureau director and her bickering with Cha Jeong Il, the Hanmin Research director, are some of the funniest moments in the show. Honestly, watching Geum Bo verbally dismantle Cha Jeong Il—who absolutely deserves every word—is pure, unfiltered satisfaction.

And let’s not forget the ladies of Apartment 301. Their unexpected sisterhood is the heartwarming surprise you didn’t know you needed. Even the villains are layered and purposeful—they’re not just there to be evil for the sake of it.

For those hoping for a sweeping romance, well, you might want to look elsewhere. This drama isn’t about love—it’s about wit, grit, outsmarting the system, and rooting for the underdog.

Set in the late 1990s, the production team has done a stellar job of bringing the nostalgia to life. From Motorola StarTAC phones to staff delivering internal documents with a stroller, the details are spot-on. Though I have to admit, some of the wardrobe choices are a bit of a mixed bag. (Albert O’s suits? Definitely more 1970s than 1990s. Someone get that man a new tailor.)

This drama is just so well-made, it would take forever to praise every character and actor. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves sharp storytelling, layered characters, and a good dose of humor.

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Total trope experience

I can't disagree with the review by Raiana Freitas. The first half of it made me giggle. But I've got to give points for a drama that does a trope proud.

I enjoyed this drama. A lot. AWOL bodyguards? Yep. Can't break the trope. Yeah, the ex and his sister are annoying,. They are supposed to be. The privileged, entitled brats, righteously indignant, persona parts were well played, managing to get in all the requisite overstated bits with minimal whining. Incredulous disbelief replaced the "I'm the one being wronged and mistreated" loops I really dislike. Have to admit I was almost stopped cold when the ever present "impersonated savior" made its appearance.

All of this is offset by the schmaltzy unrequited, hidden love story. ✨💞 💍 Again, I don't think a single trope gets missed. Gauzey camera filters? Lots of aw gee, smile worthy moments along with misunderstandings, overly cautious ML (Cao He), and insecure slow on the uptake FL(Fan Chu Qi). Rock solid performances and HEA ending with no villains left unended.

A FIRST? The music in the subbed version I watched was overly loud. Intentional??? Kudos due to a mischievous or truly aware skilled editor/video creator? Although loud, the dialogue, and miracle of miracles, the subs, survived. Yay! But a demerit for conversion of character names to English. Sniffle...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ceMvygH7LG0

(Note: MDL Cao He is also known as Cai Jing Hao, Cao Jing Hao, Cao Jinghao)

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The inherent homoeroticism of having a frenemy

School 2013 meets Gokusen 3 meets GGMTV. That's it, that's the plot. The storyline of Go Nam Soon and Park Heung Soo was legendary in 2013 and it was not only because they were played by Koreas two biggest heartthrobs. The depth and rawness of their relationship is timeless and definitely worth revisiting.

The problem of High School Frenemy is that the plot, focused only on Shin-Saint, was going in frustrating weakly written circles. In Gokusen and School2013, the real leads are the teachers (adults). Their direct and constant involvement makes individual stories more impacful and level-headed, no matter how over the top or reused any students' storyline is. Where the teenage characters go crazy, teachers provide reasoning and almost-realistic solution. This doesn't happen in HSF. The true leads of High School Frenemy are Shin and Saint. While S2013 weaves the frenemy story between numerous other plots, HSF builds 90 % of the drama on their relationship and gives space to other classmates and teachers almost as an afterthought. When they finally focus on other stories (last 4 episodes!), the actual writing is, aside from one exception, just silly and lacking depth. And adults in this story? All of them are selfish, simple-minded, one-dimensional beings who shouldn't come near children.
Anyway, Shin and Saint are actually good teenage protagonists. Emotional trainwrecks, rowdy, imperfect (and closeted). And so everything between Saint and Shin lasts for too long and gets annoyingly convoluted. It was one step forward, two steps backward type of thing with them. The "chasing" arc takes forever and then they Misunderstand (again), Break up, Make up and have THE SAME. FUCKING. CONVERSATION again and again and again and it gets frustrating/boring to watch despite their great chemistry as characters/actors.

This drama is not bad, i swear. The components are there, but it lacks clear vision on directors and scriptwriters side. Was this about friendship? Pre-relationship? Were they gay? Was this queerbaiting? I choose to interpret it as gay pre-relationship, but I feel the director cannot give confident reply on this because they wanted it all. This is GMMTV, afterall.
Had this been a BL drama, Saint-Shin's 'will they/won't they' relationsip would lead to one epic kiss and make up session. And it would be so fucking good. To quote other user "if this was mainland China drama, this would be an adaptation of same-sex novel". BUT, unfortunately, as this is NOT a BL drama and neither it is from mainland China. There is no heterosexual or other explanation for their behaviour other than queerbaiting. Please director and scriptwriter, first make up your mind on the direction of this story. We DO NOT need this level of queerbaiting in 2024 drama. Like… what was even that last scene?!
You might argue this was intended, that this is the wonder of homoerotic subtext at its finest... And i would like to believe this argument, too. But to me there is very little sublety in this, no subtext to talk about. When everything is in plain sight, is it subtext? Maybe the line between homoerotic subtext and queerbaiting is for different people in different place.

As it stands, the (main) story feels somehow unresolved. The real emotional climax, that would somehow elevate this story of Saint-Shin situationship, doesn't happen (except for, you know, platonic bedsharing, platonic eye contacts, SEVERAL platonic "i love you"s, platonic headpats and platonically raising a child). They are superbestfriends, ocassionally roommates and always soulmates(?!). And while i can appreaciate good platonic friendship (especially in dramas of this genre)... These characters are written in such romantically charged way, there's no other explanation. These guys are gay and they don't know they are dating. And it felt so frustrating to watch at some point (and not in a good way).
The stories of other kids in Class 2 were also botched. I guess they are now all close friends..? But if you think about it, the only person who got their story fully developed was Chadjen. Others? Cable's storyline? Not revisited. The competition plot? Not revisited. Airy-Eve? Not revisited. Peeta's story? NOT REVISITED. So many plots that deserved more time than dealing 5x with the drug gang.

So yeah, this a two-man show. Sky (Saint) and Nani (Shin) are actually doing great acting job while the rest of the cast is giving amateur theatre. Honorable mentions for good perfomance go to Mark (Chadjeen) and Bonnie (Peeta) - perhaps because they were the only other characters who had stronger script.

For large part of the 16 episodes, i enjoyed the drama. But at the end, it was just frustrating to watch due to all i have said in previous paragprahs. I truly wish High School Fremenemy had clear vision because it could work. But they chose the only one way im not willing to truly accept. The queerbait way.

PS: What was with those super long eye-contact+silences scenes? That was definitely a choice.

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