Reviews

Cute actors let down by the story

I don't recommend it. The series suffers from a story that lacks maturity. There are some scenes that imply sexual intimacy and the actors are nice to look at and seem to be giving it their best but are ultimately let down by the script.
The main characters are surrounded by colleagues and friends that, when they are not trying to dig into their personal business, are out to sabotage any chance of the budding relationship working. It's annoying!
I stopped watching because after 4 episodes I still don't really like any of the characters. It may be that a lot of comedic banter between friends works in Thai but falls flat in the english subtitles.

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Yawn.

I tend to love conflict free cdrama romcoms. This show however is not a comedy at all, but as it happens I also like slow-burn melodramatic shows, as long as they are low on the makjang & that certainly applies to this one. So why is it that my rating stopped at 5.5? Well, in my opinion this is a fairly boring show overall, I fell asleep multiple times watching it. The romance is basically a Hallmark tier love story. Yes the actors had pretty good chemistry & looked great together in the second half of the show, though I do think they took their sweet time to get comfortable around each other, thus the early episodes were far worse than the later episodes because of that reason. I've been told repeatedly that me finding the romance boring in this one is because I wanted more conflicts & love triangles and whatnot. I assure you all that is not the case, this drama is just really mediocre compared to some of the better recent and similarly conflict free cdrama romance stories. (for example "Meet Yourself" or "Hi Venus")

If I look at things outside of the OTP romance, the drama is really really annoying on multiple levels. It feels like it was funded by the police/government to help find partners for officers and perhaps just to aid with recruitment, as such there is all kinds of social engineering in the show.
Also the amount of patriotism presented is on another level. My tolerance is very high in this regard, because American shows tend to have a lot as well and I grew up watching those, but good grief, there is really an immense amount here..
One other thing I hated how the writers dealt with the -toxic- fathers. Basically both of them decided to just suddenly stop being toxic & that's it. (this makes literally 0 sense based on the plot up to that point)

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Overall a very satisfying experinece

The Story:

It is basically a melodrama about two star crossed lovers. Basically, Dong Jin's mother and Woo Joo's father had an affair. Woo Joo's father left his family and married Dong Jin's mother. Upon's his death, he left the family home to Dong Jin's mother resulting in Woo Joo wanting the house back. She wants to approach Dong Jin to get the house back but believes that he is selfish just like his mother and seeks revenge by joining his company.

The Good:
- The acting. Every actor is excellent in this drama and they truly make you feel for their character even the evil stepmother near the end. Most of time, they will portray their emotions through their body language and eyes. The way they would just look at each other is just so noteworthy. A lot of the time they communicate less through words and more through the body language cause both Woo Joo and Dong Jin are quiet people who are dealing with their own emotional issues . I cannot fault anyone's acting in this so a solid 10/10
- The overall atmosphere / tone: Most of the characters in this drama are going through some emotional trauma and it communicated very well through the overall colour grading, the way they walk, the way they react to happy / sad news, the way some of the shots are so still and the stillness of some scenes.
-Realistic portrayal: Now, not everything in this drama is portrayed realistically but most of the things that happen are pretty realistic. Ex: How people develop a relationship, how people fall in love, how families usually influence one's decisions in life, etc
-The character development: The way the characters develop, their relationships change and the way they react to things depending on their personality was very good. Also, a few of them learn life lessons and some give them depending on their experience.
- Forgiveness: One of the biggest takeaways from the this drama is how important it is to forgive someone so you can lead a more happy/ healthy life.

The Bad:
- The pacing: This is more of a character heavy drama rather than a plot heavy drama so the pacing of the drama varies depending on what the emotional state of the characters. The beginning is really slow cause you are being introduced to the characters and their situations. Once I made it through midway of the first episode, I pretty much binged through the 6 -7 episodes and then the drama was pretty much dragging with the indecision of the characters and how you were basically waiting for the bomb to drop. Then, it somewhat picked up pace again only to slow down again till the end. There are shots / scenes which are drawn longer than necessary. I sometimes found myself wanting to skip them cause it was just dragging the story
- The ex-girlfriend: I feel like she was just added to the story for more drama and nothing else. I did not like her character nor felt sympathy towards her. She could not have been in this story and it would have changed nothing. A good thing is that she did not get more screen time.
- The cliche evil stepmom: When this drama was going for some realism, they went for the evil stepmom and her evil sidekick. They are no redeeming qualities to her until near the end. In a drama where most characters are realistic, she with her sidekick just seemed to be so out of place. Her motivations are never shown/ given. She is just who she is and we are supposed to accept it. She never has a moment where she explains her actions.
- The ending: For a drama that loves to drag out certain scenes, they pretty much gave a very rushed ending in the very last 1 -2 minutes. I personally would have liked some sort of epilogue, conversation, or something solid. It is a satisfying ending but not a perfect ending. Considering all that happened, I just wanted a few more minutes to wrap everything up.

So, overall 8.5 / 10. Give this one a try if you like slow paced star crossed romance, characters going through emotional trauma and excellent acting from everyone.

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looking for a soul healing journey? BINGO

Call it Love is a beautiful Kdrama that tells the story of three sibling that couldn't be any more different. The main themes are friendship, romance, hardship, grieve and revenge.

The three siblings taught me many things:
Rely on yourself but don't go through all the hardships alone.
Don't be afraid to be alone and learn to appreciate your time with yourself.
Always pursuit your dreams. Never give up.

The writing is excellent, with character development and plenty of heartwarming moments that will make you smile. The show also touches on deeper issues such as family and societal pressures, which adds an extra layer of depth to the story.

The supporting cast is also exceptional, with each character bringing their own unique personality and quirks to the show. The soundtrack is also fantastic, adding to the overall romantic and lighthearted vibe of the show.

Lastly I want to say

Goodbye pink filter

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10% of the writing and 90% of fluff.

It's the most digestible show I have ever seen with close to zero stakes, almost none evil or mean characters, no long term conflicts, every character starts more or less already good so you don't get stressed out by how bad they are and how much they have to improve and since their flaws are so inconsistent, they don’t create much tension either.

That said, it does have a lot of truly good elements. First of all, the relationship between the leads evolve in a really natural and entertaining manner. The bickering is always lighthearted and Lu Si Cheng is for sure not one of the mean main leads. The interactions between the team members are heartwarming at times, and even the relations between different teams made me smile more than once. I also loved the female friendship between Tong Yao and Jin Yang.

One of my favorite things about the show was how it truly did address the toxic fans culture - the idolizing people fans don’t know, seeing them as flawless, trying to control their private lives, living in a delulu land they created in their heads and then getting paranoid and angry when the unrealistic bubble shatters. But, and it’s a big but - I truly disliked how they did not present the same stance towards all public figures. Lines that went similar to: I’m not an idol, I can date, gave the message that idols do not deserve the same level of privacy and personal life as, in this case professional gamers do.

Another straightforward, but fairly well presented issue was the discrimination of women in certain jobs and social groups. They did not shy from showing the unfair treatment Tong Yao had to face especially in terms of the public's opinions and reactions.

Production value was great. The game scenes looked amazing and I loved the design for the in game characters. On a technical aspect, I think they did a perfect job with opening each new episode - added enough scenes from the previous one to make a proper set up, but not long enough that you want to just skip it all.

Performances were… questionable. I was slowly losing my mind with each and every Korean scene. The dubbing was so awful I wanted to cry. The fact that Chinese characters spoke better Korean than Korean characters was just the cherry on top. Cheng Xiao had a few glimpses of potential in a few scenes, but overall the whole performance was mostly a surprised hamster.
Xu Kai was honestly not much better and there was only one scene when I went: oh, acting! That said, I still enjoyed his handsome face in each and every scene.

Overall, the only thing this show had to offer was cute fluff, but sometimes this is all one needs to be happy.

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Enjoying the angst that comes from misplaced revenge.

Call It Love was emotionally aesthetically pleasing. What I mean is, even the sadness, anger, frustration, regret - all were presented in a way that did not make me feel emotionally exhausted and tired. I was relating to and appreciating the sorrow.

What the show did an amazing job with was showing different sides of psychological issues - for some people it makes them completely detached from social interaction, for some it makes them forget about their needs, others would focus on the negative emotions as their driving force, some would be able to accommodate their lives around their issues. Depending on the character, their personality and past experiences, we saw all the different sides of how we as humans deal with difficult emotions.

About the cast - we got blessed with some well written and complex characters and well delivered portrayals of them. How the same people could be victims and perpetrators. How everyone had to learn from their mistakes and figure out how to set boundaries, but also respect the boundaries others set. How to understand yourself and be able to communicate with others. How to move on from past, how to move forward with the future, how to find happiness and peace.

Were all the characters well written, with many layers? Not quite. While Ahn Hee Yeon did a good job with her performance, Kang Min Young did not exactly have much to offer except from being yet another external factor the leads had to deal with. Similarly, Choi Sun Woo existed only in the context of leads’ issues and struggles, and presented no personal plotlines.

Cast wise, Kim Young Kwang ate the role. One of the most versatile actors we get in mainstream shows. Can do drama, action, comedy, romance, thriller - you name it and you will get it in one of his roles. In Call It Love he presented so many raw emotions from Han Dong Jin. Even though the character was not an open book, not the most expressive guy out there, it was still clear for the viewers what he was going through, what he was thinking and feeling.

At the same time, while for most scenes Lee Sung Kyung did great (it’s a role we have not seen her in yet), there were just a few moments where her delivery was too monotone and at times felt empty.

As for the production - I loved it, but I can see why someone else could hate it. The colors were not saturated enough and the whole show was presented in this pink/purple filter. For me, it perfectly fitted the overall mood of the drama, adding to the melancholic and stoic feeling. What also caught my attention was how the shots were centered vertically. In many the characters were presented in only 1/3rd of the screen. For me it seemed like the same way they were not centered in the frame, they were also not centered in their lives - still unsure about their place, a bit lost in their surroundings.

All that said, it’s a typical “you either vibe with it or not” drama. The same visual aspects I loved could look ugly and weird for others. The same characters I related to and enjoyed analyzing could be frustrating and unrealistic for others. The same dialogues I found touching, others could see as faking profoundness with no depth.

Why not a perfect 10 from me? I did not like some of the conclusions and I wished a few characters were developed better. For such a complex situation the drama presents, some aspects just lacked nuance.

Overall, I already miss this drama.

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Support. Consolation. Love

It’s been a while since I felt butterflies in my stomach from a Kdrama. This is slow burn romance done right.

The pacing might intimidate you at first but if you hang on the first few episodes, you will begin to appreciate the calmness and beauty of this drama. I love the ML and FL’s performance. Their chemistry is on point.

I really enjoyed watching this. It made me want to fall in love. Not to mention how I love how mature their love is. Their breakup at one point is the healthiest I’ve seen in any Kdrama. It may not be always the case in real life since humans tend to have messy partings, but at least theirs was an example to strive for.

I also love the cinematography, lightning, soundtrack.

Is it worth a rewatch? Definitely for me because I feel like there’s still a life or love lesson to pick up that I can savor and digest which I might have missed on my first watch.

Congratulations to Team Call It Love! It was an amazing ride!

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Love conquers all

Full disclosure, I think I may be in love with Ki Do Hoon.

Fan-girling aside, the amount of sympathy and other emotions coming from emotionless gods, entities willing to die for their humans, had me swooning as I watched this. It's not perfect. It's not intriguing. It has plot holes and a lot of fill-in-the-blanks with your own imagination as to how we got here. But it is self-reflective. It's sweet, and a little bit romantic. A lot of people compare it to Goblin, and I can see the similarities (Goblin being one of my favorite dramas of all time), but at the same time I never once thought to make that comparison while I was watching. Scripting Your Destiny is a sweet little drama all on it's own, and worth watching.

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Bai-Hei Fengxi deserves more exposure

Definitely had a very mixed feelings about this cdrama while I was watching it, but all in all it still managed to capture my heart. This cdrama started really strong, I was sold with the rival to lovers troupe and double identities. The actors all did a fantasic job on portraying their characters and the main couple is so shippable, damn they’re such power OTP.

This is actually my first cdrama with both lead actors and all I can say is wow. I might even had a big massive girl crush with Zhao Lusi, like maam step on me?! Although Yang yang did a fantastic job portraying Hei Fengxi/ Feng Lanxi, I still find myself not into him as I am with the actor who portray Huang Chao.

Let’s just be clear, my preference on certain character doesn’t mean I ship Huang Chao and Bai Fengxi/ Feng Xiyun. It’s a fat NO, i love the main couple so much they’re perfect for each other I just have different dude preference. I guess this is more of a preference type at this point LOL. It’s a toxic trait of mine preferring Red Flags than Green ones, your gurl is colourblind.

I also feel the need to say that I kinda simps more on the Hei Fengxi identity more than the second prince Feng Lanxi and it’s because of the hairstyle. Feng Lanxi hairdo isn’t just it for me. But yeah, I kinda hope they had more story scenes on the Martial Art World cause Bai-Hei Fengxi duo is so iconic. I kinda left this cdrama halfway through the series cause I felt like I had enough of Feng Lanxi issues with his family. Like damn Yongzhou drama kinda drags, give me more of my Bai-Hei Fengxi bad-ass adventures.

So yeah during my break from this cdrama I kinda had a marathon on Zhao Lusi ‘s much earlier works cause damn my gay self is whipped for her. I watched Please Be at Ease Mr. Ling and The Romance of Tiger and Rose while readying myself to deal with Yongzhou drama and the stupid emperor just makes my blood boil so much like tf why you so angry to have a really smart and capable son as a candidate for the throne ??? Bitch should be thankful Feng Lanxi didn’t inherit his father’s stupidity.

Oh back to Zhao Lusi damn she’s such a phenomenal actress??? I swear she acts so great she embodies her characters so well. Like each drama I don’t see a shadow of Zhao Lusi or any of her previous character but just the character itself. Tbh, if I’m new to Asian dramas and can’t tell faces apart I would have hard time figuring out that it’s the same actress portraying all those characters.

I wished that the writers also explore on the other states aside from just Yongzhou cause it really had promising plot with the Six States and Imperial Family and all. I hoped and just got my heart broken to see so little scenes from Princess Xiyun and her family and state, Qingzhou. It would be so lit if they did and I was so curious abt the fact that Princess Xiyun was well known and actually is seen as such a great princess. Like ummm where and what is the backstory???? But yeah they didn’t provide one and I think they missed a really great story arc in that one. And damn the brother, he fine af my bros, he’s the second dude in this cdrama that I got a big fat crush on (more than Huang Chao tbh.) I wished I had seen more cute scenes with him and Feng Xiyun. (Spoiler) Like I think if they elaborate more on Xiyun’s really loving and supportive family I could have actually felt the despair of their deaths and the need to avenge on Xiyun/ Bai Fengxi. And their death scene could have actually brought me to tears than just feeling like it’s just another turning point scene. Zhao Lusi’s acting was the only thing that convinced me that they’re actually important to Bai Fengxi/ Feng Xiyun. I just feel like they could Xiyun could have more interaction with her family rather than her martial sis which is immature and stupid, Langhua. Can you guys telI have a lot of penned up frustrations about this missed potential.


Battle scenes towards the end was kinda meh more me like ummm yep they flying and all but they still hasn’t figure out evil’s dude purpose in life until a new character never seen before but mentioned told them like sir what you doing the past episodes??? (Spoiler) And excuse me, after all those episodes about retrieving and stealing of fake token we actually missed the part when the actual token get into the hands of bad dude and where was it this whole time??? Ending feels kinda rushed and I want more scenes of Bai-Hei Fengxi married life, they’re so cute together and all I get as an end is eyebrows drawing.


Overall, Plot was engaging and interesting but I think it could be more elaborate. Actors was fantastic, kudos to them. Chemistry of main leads are top-tier just hoped they could have shown it a bit more. Mixed feeling on royal politics it def had its own ups and downs. War scenes are kinda weird to see as special effects was so obvious and kinda unrealistic. I want a Season 2 not as a sequel though but more like a prequel. Like if there will ever be Season 2 which I guess would never happen, I badly want to see more of Bai-Hei Fengxi duo and their adventures during that 10 years. And,yep, I want more backstory on the other states especially Qingzhou. Still, even though I had a lot of obv complaints I actually enjoyed the series and took time to write this review/rant (whatever) which is to say this series really got my attention. So yeah I guess it’s a pretty alright series. K that’s all idk if anyone would bother reading this whole ass essay anyways.
Final Verdict/ Rank: Lovable Series

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All the World's a Stage, and Inspector Koo Puts on a Heck of a Show

Good Things:

* The Bechdel test pass. There's no romance, just four distinct and atypical FLs that have complicated and vacillating ties. From FFL's mentoring of her chosen colleagues, TFL's responsibilities to FL and as a single mother to her daughter, SFL's childish dependency on and fierce protection of her loving aunt, and FL's tangled connection to all of them women's relationships with women are front and center.
* The cat-and-mouse conflicts. All of the characters have different agendas and work with and against each other as the story progresses. While there are clear good guys and bad guys, there's also enough moral ambiguity to keep things interesting and a sympathetic, weirdly-endearing SFL antagonist.
* The cinematography. All the world's a stage and there are several plays within a play going on at any given time which is reflected in the cleverly framed theatrical interludes.
* The lack-thereof fashion. FL has an extensive wardrobe of tracksuits and trench coats (with a few variations for more formal occasions). It's partially due to the anxiety and depression, but FL also just refreshingly DGAF.

Bad Things:

* The loose ends. It's set up for a second season and while there aren't any major cliffhangers there are some lingering questions that might never get closure.
* The pacing. Things get mired a bit in the middle while the story arcs are sorted out.
* The LGBTQ romance. It's a surprisingly sweet side story and you'll root for the couple, but they don't exactly get a happy ending and it's a little too close to the bury-your-gays trope for comfort.

Interesting Things:

* It's screenwriter Sung Cho Yi's only Kdrama and was loosely inspired by the UK espionage thriller Killing Eve.
* Lee Young Ae took an extended break after her role as FL in Jewel in the Palace (2003). Samdaing (2017) and Inspector Koo (2021) are her only lead roles since.

A thriller with four FLs front and center is rare both in and outside of Kdrama, and IK pulls it off with aplomb. Recommended if you enjoyed other FL-centric thrillers like Killing Eve or Orphan Black, prefer a healthy dose of black comedy in a high-stakes story and don't mind a few question marks at the end.

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interesting short movie and got comedic at the end

If you need something to watch in a short time which is light and fun, you should watch this movie.
From the cast, you could see familiar faces like tsubasa honda, yosuke sugino and shuhei nomura.

This movie is fun to watch with it's light and short plot. For people who use dating app this could be really relate-able.
it's interesting to see variety of people with their own character from both the main lead and support character.
Something you can found in a daily life.

I really love both of main lead's inner thoughts during at the end, it just become so funny. it ends in a comedic and well.

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Fun Don't-Think-Too-Hard Binge Watch, but Style Over Substance with a High-Concept Veneer

Good Things:

* The big budget production. It looks and feels much more modern than its 2016 air date would suggest. The bullet-time SFX have aged well, the cinematography is on point and the transitions/overlays between manwha and real life are lush and dreamy.
* The high concept premise. The sheer existential horror of the man vs god / creation vs creator set-up that drives the early episodes is a powerful hook. It also toys with related concepts like Ship of Theseus, paradoxical free will, and Zeno's Arrow (in relation to time travel) to name a few.

So-So Things:

* The romance. It starts with some unique dynamics but they're never explored and it becomes one of the textbook cases of 'We're together because we're the leads'. You don't really get to see ML and FL build a relationship; they're just thrown into high-stakes circumstances one after another with interludes of sweetness/melodrama.
* The secondary characters. They all might as well be named 'Plot Device' considering their lack of depth and development.

Bad Things:

* The adrenaline fatigue. After a while, the impact of the constant revelations and cliffhangers is hollow, especially since the consequences and implications of earlier situations are often forgotten entirely or glossed over by deus ex machina.
* The lack of internal consistency. Instead of relying on the rules it sets up early on, it continually makes up new ones that contradict both themselves and each other.
* The Jenga-esque plot. There are several key elements that easily could have provided enough material for an entire drama, but they're tossed aside in favor of more and more makjang twists; which results in major holes as well as an undeveloped central thematic narrative. It ultimately tries to do too much with too little foundation, and the story collapses under it's own weight in the final 1/3.

Interesting Things:

* Song Jae Jung also wrote Queen In Hyun's Man (2012), Nine: Nine Times Time Travel (2013) and Memories of the Alhambra (2018).

Scifi/fantasy thrillers are rare in Kdrama and stories that actually engage with it as a subject matter vs using it as a backdrop are few and far between. Compared to genre at large W isn't a standout and it has some serious flaws, but it's worth watching for its (mostly thwarted) ambitions. Recommended if you enjoy fast paced thrillers or glossy high-concept stories and are looking for rollercoaster don't-think-too-hard binge watch.

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An uncommonly, almost tenderly told revenge story

"Call it Love" begins with a quote from a writer about love, followed by a voiceover radio announcer's summary: "To understand the loneliness of others, for me, that's the beginning of love." Beautiful, sensitive words... and at the same time: the grounding of this KDrama.

There are so many lonely people out there (even if that doesn't necessarily mean they're alone). There are also those who recognize the other in their loneliness. Love in different facets swings back and forth between each episode - quietly, tenderly, unspoken, then also outspoken, sometimes here, sometimes there. In the case of Shim Woo-joo and Han Dong-jin, despite barriers love like determined water finds its way.

The KDrama offers no ´boom-squish´, no spectacle, yet slow food for the heart. So slow, that it almost touches the edge of the bearable at times. Watching the two protagonists moving through scenes is almost like in slow motion. The facial features are minimal, too. However, it´s nevertheless expressive and intense. Tender emotions are held back, an the next moment some razor-sharp thoughts are communicated without hesitation – Woo-joo is good at that. She embodies a sharp mix of disinterest and impulsiveness. Dong-jin, for his part, is the master of outward indifference and equanimity, enduring life´s challenges quietly and good-naturedly – almost stoically. But both are basically victims of their learned helplessness and of being overwhelmed with their extremely ambivalent feelings towards their own parents. ´She´ is still bitter because of her cheating father, who left the family for another woman. His burden is his exalted mother, who notoriously charms other people's husbands and lives a ´good life´ at their expense, with her son being in the way and left with the father.

A web of loving people are surrounding both Woo-joo and Dong-jin. So, even if they may feel alone with their feelings, they really aren't. Woo-joo's friend, the pharmacist Yoon-jun, feels a lot more for Woo-joo. Dong-jin's school friend and business partner knows his buddy like the back of his hand. Then there's Woo-joo's sister, who for her part is struggling with dating and finally just discovers her feelings for Yoon-jun. And suddenly Dong-jin's ex-fiancé is back, who left him without a word a year ago, went to the USA and is now suddenly back, being ready for the next step. ... Somehow everyone seems a bit lost and sometimes awkward in their emotional life, as well as in their (traditional) family liabilities. They might feel lonely. But they are actually not alone.

Technically speaking, the plot aims for something completely different than romantic love: revenge is the driving force of the story. There's Woo-joo on her vendetta against the woman who stole her father and secured the house as an inheritance – with the vendetta actually targeting the son, Dong-jin. Then there is Dong-jin's former boss, who wants revenge for Dong-jin resigning along with his childhood friend from school to start a rival business. And there's the age-old dynamic between Woo-joo's mother and her rival who stole her husband years ago...

Somehow like balm: here the revenge motive can't prevail in the end. Rather, a gentle template of compassion and forgiveness settles over resentment and bitterness. Like a silk scarf, this compassion covers the wounds and thus changes, rather widens, the perspective. "To understand the loneliness of others, for me that is the beginning of love." In the end the truth of these words is revolving about much more than 'just' romantic love – the heart empathically banging on another one´s wall, makes the wall come down and healing become possible.

Gaze, movement as well as camera angles are chosen with care. Like that more than once time is frozen, sort of. Often enough, this KDrama is deliberately so slow that you might want to give the protagonists a nudge here and there. Paradoxically, this perceived standstill envelops the actually quite dynamic story, which gains its drive from the revenge motive and knows very well how to come up with tension, too. This idiosyncratic mixture of dramatic events and moments of standstill, of revenge and honest love, results in a very unique, ambivalent, subtly burned-in dynamic and elusive fascination for this KDrama. Cupid interjects encouragingly and does it well. Actors and actresses also successfully correspond with authentic emotion.

Ultimately, an uncommonly, almost tenderly told revenge story.

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