EXO Next Door (2015)

So this is coming from a boyfriendless Exo fan who's a sucker for cheesy romance, and honestly this was a nice quick watch for me. I watched it cause it was Exo content that was previously undiscovered and I was waiting for the summer holidays to finish; and I'm gonna go right ahead and acknowledge that yes, the drama is completely cliche and one big fan service offering. It features every trope imagineable and if you ask me the writer's research was just Wattpad and twitter posts. But I was honestly really pleasantly surprised by the acting quality, especially from the main 4 members. I found it easy to get wrapped up in the story (even though it was a little...no....a LOT unrealistic at times) and while there were definitely some points I just wanted to scream at Yeonhee for being so clueless I definitely enjoyed all the goofy plots, especially (like everyone on here it seems) Sehun and Kwangsoo's bromance as it provided some much needed relief from the emotionally charged and sometimes frustrating main plot.
In conclusion, do not watch if you're averse to cliche and light hearted fan fiction, but for me I found it was less cringey to watch than it is to read :)

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Wattpad fanfic belike

Honestly I don’t have anything bad to say about this lol. I don’t think the K-Drama was supposed to be anything high quality or amazing, I mean hello they had EXO in their casting, didn’t need anything more right?🤣

It was a really quick watch which I liked a lot, the comedy there was good and I’ve had many moments where I giggled- either from the goofy brother or giggle-blush from Chanyeols flirting.

I’m not an EXO-L, but I really enjoyed this. I wish more idols made this type of content. I know if I saw BTS do this I would faint lol (good kind of fainting not the jealous kind fr)

It’s a cute little childhood friends to lovers trope, though there’s nothing explicitly romantic happening (no kissing) , it was still cute and enjoyable. And Sehun with the brother was also a cute plot.

Its a fun little quick watch, nothing special to rate though. If you’re an EXO-L you’ll probably enjoy this a loooot more than I did 🤣

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Story: If you are into a lighthearted novel with glint of romance, but without totally focusing on it, this is the show for you. If, like me, you were expecting this romantic story with a breathtaking ending, maybe you should try "You're Beautiful" instead.

Acting: Nothing to complain here. I found that the actors managed their roles well and portrayed realistic characters.

Rewatch Value: I wouldn't rewatch this, mainly because I felt the ending felt rushed and didn't provide good enough closure to the story.

Overall: It's something good to pass a Sunday afternoon, but don't expect much.

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EXO Next Door is a show that has a lot of cringe within it and really makes you roll your eyes a bit. Ever since I became an EXO-L, I heard about how bad this show is, but truly, I think it has charms. Sure, it's not one of the best dramas ever to be made, it's not a 10/10 rating all over the board and it's not winning any Oscars or awards of that calibre. However, I think there is some real charm within this. The first few episodes are definitely quite cringy, and I definitely considered dropping it after the first 3-4, however, the middle of the series isn't too bad. If you can make it to around episode 6, then you can pretty much finish this off without it being too cringe. The last couple of episodes - the last one in particular - were extremely well done.

I felt like there could have been more added to the storyline per se, it was all a bit give and take, I think. There was a lot where EXO could have done more with their acting, there was a lot where Gayoung could have toned down Inchul Gal a lot more as well. I don't know where the line was drawn between being way too much and way too little. This isn't to knock the acting at all, don't get me wrong - I think all actors and actresses did really well with what they were given for the show, I think the script and character writing could have just balanced it out a bit more. I keep saying this does have a bit of a cringe factor, and truth is, if the characters had been toned down a notch or toned up a notch then I think that wouldn't have occurred - this is my own personal opinion, I know quite a few people who love it how it is.

This is a show that definitely has charms. When I say it has a potential rewatch factor, there are some episodes I will definitely watch again, namely the last three. I wouldn't watch the entire season again, it's too much - especially the first few episodes. The storyline was well written, but again, it all came down to the characters themselves on why I wasn't too keen on this. Incheon Gal was way too over the top; I know she was supposed to be but it did quite get on my nerves.

All in all, I think at least every EXO-L should give this a try. My bias list is in tatters, I laughed and cried my way through it and - surprisingly - a member of EXO doesn't die in this one! A rarity!

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OK I laughed and cried at Sehun and Gwangsoo bromance lmao they were so EXTRA! And ok, EXO they're all so beautiful and talented it's unfair! Seriously, everyone's acting was on point. Chanyeol was your Korean variety handsome idol who bullies the main female lead because he's in love with her. D.O. is the sweet and caring second lead who falls hard for the female lead too. Baekhyun was the innocent and cute perpetrator (so basically himself lol) and Sehun was the diva maknae (so also himself :') ) The rest had cameos, and ok I really miss Tao and he's so beautiful. Xiumin, Kai, Chen, Lay, Tao, are overseas traveling and Suho is in the hospital after a serious leg injury. Anyway the basic premise is a real die hard EXO fan living a normal life with too many disasters gets new neighbors. And the new neighbors are none other than EXO. I have to say this one is definitely guilty pleasure, wish fullfilment but they did such a good job! It felt complete and satisfying despite the length. And honestly Sehun and Baekhyun were HILARIOUS. I've seen this drama so many times but I still laugh and cry like the first time.

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The only redeemable part of the story is the relationship between Sehun and the main character's brother. Other than that, the story is a piece of shit. The characters are suuper bland and stupid, not to mention they're supposed to be the actual people in exo, but Chanyeol acts like a douche throughout the drama, Suho acts like an idiot most of the time he's on screen and the only good thing about Jongin being on screen was, well, getting to see him. The only reason I would tell someone to watch this is to laugh at how bad it is; it's honestly not worth it unless you want to watch exo acting weird for 16 episodes

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Fanfiction >> to Life

*outline*
Honestly, there was nothing much to the story. The idea was probably developed through fanfictions - assuming the screenwriter wanted to turn fanfiction into reality and this was probably a dream come true for EXO-L's (well, when the drama came out).


*analysis*
STORY : It was a simple drama, with a deep backstory (although not too dark, like the one's in other kdramas). There were reasons for the way the story was played out, which I actually like considering the drama wasn't made just to please fans, but also brought a sense of life into it too. There was also no toxicity, therefore becoming a good light drama instead of a heavy one with overly dramatic feelings, antagonists, etc. However, I'm sure no one expected anything heavy anyways considering it's an idol drama, and - in the nicest way possible - any defamation to EXO would practically be illegal in the industry. Back to the story, there was some good pace (to the story in general and the buildup of emotions) - however it would be easy to lose track of how the actors felt in terms of relationships due to the distraction of Chan's backstory. The focus had to shift. There also nice transitions between moods throughout the drama; sometimes you'll laugh, sometimes you'll frown, and sometimes you'll just start jumping around (whether you're a fan or not). In fact, I even remember at one point I couldn't stop laughing for around 3 episodes in a row (maybe even more). Although laughter is a given majority of the drama. The confessions and ending were so beautiful, and there's literally no other way to describe it. The ending made me reminisce over the beginning of the drama again, and even made me wanna replay some scenes.

ACTING / CAST : I didn't feel like I was watching a drama with actual stars as actors; everyone played their role really well. In fact, it felt like I was watching a drama where a celebrity fell in love with a commoner or something (to the point it even reminded me of My Lovely Girl with L and Crystal). I have nothing much to say about Moon Ga Young because she always ends up with interesting personas anyways. I just hope, one day, she'll actually get a normal role because she never has a chance to actually explore other areas/genres. We only got to see Chanyeol in a deeper light, so we got to see real character development. I actually think it was only his role that had any character development (or maybe D.O. a little bit too?). However, what I personally felt was most interesting was whatever was happening between Sehun and and Kwang Soo ()Jang Yoo Sang). Both of them acted so beautiful, I could `chef's kiss` it forever. Their acting was just "mwah". The cutest role was D.O.'s, he was so sweet, caring and down-to-earth I almost wanted him to be a little more selfish but I'm glad his role was played out the way it was. The two times I heard his cute laugh throughout the drama just made me laugh in turn.

MUSIC : Well, I'm not sure if all the music heard in this drama was EXO's but it didn't sound like it. However, I'm not confident in saying so. But, yes, the music was quite nice... I just don't see myself listening to half the tracks though.

REWATCH VALUE : I mean... high, considering this was my second time watching it. I wouldn't consider it very high because [1] I've only rewatched the drama once and [2] I rewatched it after quite a long time. I only wanted to revisit the EXO members. (I'm not an EXO-L, I just missed them as singers and maybe a little as actors too.) Since it's not a chaotic drama, this is perfect to rewatch when you've just finished something heavy.

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Exo next door is very popular between K-pop fans and of course Exo-L, and I'm sure that people just enjoyed the drama because of EXO.
I'm an Exo-L and I love Exo from my heart but seriously this drama was bad.
The girl is really annoying and stupid, but it's her caracter, it's not the fault of the actress. Anyway she just goes into someone's house, opens and eats their gift, and then opens their fridge and drinks their water, it doesn't make sense.
And what was that blushe of her? It was too much...
Why was Baekhyun there? I mean, I love him, but he didn't get a "role". Baekhyun was just playing Baekhyun!
The best thing was the bromace, it's better than the main couple. But honestly the drama is very funny.

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