Ești primăvara mea (2021)

Great Romance Sloppy Thriller

Mixing romance and thriller/crime is very hard to execute in my opinion. To make a great drama you need a balance of elements from both sides or establish the main objective from the beginning and this drama unfortunately failed to accomplish that. The show is meant to be a healing drama and from that aspect it's amazing, I love the side characters especially Ahn Ga Young. The romance between the main leads is so pure and the interactions they have are really relaxing and easy to watch. I also love the ML's interactions with the FL's mother, and I cried during a few of those scenes. However, I did not enjoy the weird tangents this drama tried to go off on. The love "triangle" between (The Vet, The Cafe Owner, and The Boxer) was just really weird and unnecessary. I personally do not have an issue with the Cafe Owner dating the FL brother, but including the Vet & The Boxer just felt forced. Now the bad part, the whole crime segment was so half-assed and there are so many unanswered questions, but it was so boring that I didn't even care that it was left unresolved. I've seen a ton of classic thriller dramas, and I knew to not set my expectations too high, but this was so poorly executed, that I felt like the show would've been an 8/8.5 if that part was cut out. Furthermore, the romance/healing segments were abruptly cut off by scenes from the police station, and the ordering was just terribly off.

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A promising romance with thriller touches that ends in a bit of a disappointment

I don't usually watch dramas that are thriller or police/crime driven plots, tho I do enjoy them, but since Vincenzo and Hyena were the last dramas I watched I was looking for something that wasn't my usual romance, and I thought You Are My Spring would be that good balance between romance and thriller.

I was wrong.

The thing is, the photography, cinematography, acting and editing are delightful to see, and it takes you in from minute 1. However, the writing gets increasingly worse towards the second half and the thriller part of the plot gets completely thrown off. That storyline is, in my opinion, very badly resolved and towards the end completely removed from the main storyline, which made me wonder why even include it. It's like the writers wanted a cheesy romance with a bit of a suspense/psychological thriller touch to but they regretted the idea half way through.

Because of that, the second half becomes more and more boring and what honestly felt more intriguing, what i was truly looking forward too, was something on the thriller side of the plot. But it never came, the way that ends is very unsatisfying.

Meanwhile the romance side becomes increasingly dull, there's nothing to look forward to anymore. Maybe a sex scene (the Korean way but a subtle, elegant, sex scene nonetheless), but they fail to deliver there too.

I feel like I might be being too harsh because I'm salty after having just finished it, but I was truly disappointed, I expected much more from this!!!!

Anyways, I still think it deserves a 7 just because the camera work is wonderful, the acting is quite good too and the storytelling through their editing is one of the most enjoyable I've seen. Sadly, the writing doesn't come through despite all these good in the drama.

I will say, though, that I think their discourse on mental health is very nice and refreshing to see, so the writing did a good job at not portraying psychiatry in a bad light but the opposite, sending a positive and encouraging message instead.

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It's like a beautiful warm Spring arrived after a long harsh and dry Winter

Appreciate how they try to fuse romance and mystery thriller genres. Though the thriller aspect is not perfect / lacking, the first and root reason why the main characters got close is caused by the mystery of the villain.

Both of the main characters sufferings in their childhood and how they are trying to heal from all those dark past is so heartwarming though the process is pretty draggy.

Psychologically, it also reminds us that it's okay to be weak and fragile. Not everyone is able to be as strong and hard as rock. Embrace it and always find a way on how to talk about all of what you feel cause bottling up all those ain't good for your mental.

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Healing drama with a side of murder

You Are My Spring (2021)

Likes
1. I thought the title is deceiving. I was expecting a romcom but this was a healing drama about the leads with lots of traumatic experiences and a side of murder. But in the end i understood why.
2. I loved the leads, both actors were perfectly casted. I laughed at the funny antics, swooned at the romantic scenes and cried at the heartbreaking moments. That rooftop scene when they broke up, that night they cosplayed, when Youngdo finally realized his first love, getting Dr Hallow and Blackfields from the machine, Youngdo in his embarrassingly slick hairstyle and outfit.
3. Also loved their group of friends and how we also got to know their story too. Except Cheoldo and the vet, i wished they explored their story more than Ian Chase one. Ji Seung Hyun was wasted here!!
4. One of the better mother-daughter storylines where the mother was supportive and listened to her daughter.
5. Ahn Gayoung's HELLO catchphrase and her cute romance with Patrick. And Princess of Forever drama.

Dislikes
The whole murder storyline. Up the end I was still confused what really happened to Jeongmin and Ian Chase and who was who in the flashbacks. (Maybe because I wasn't paying attention to the story)

Rating: 8.25/10 (8.5 less 0.25 for the murder storyline)

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I put off watching this one for awhile because of the dumb name. I always tell myself to stop judging dramas by their titles and posters, but I keep doing it.

This is one of the best dramas I’ve seen. Despite having potential for jealousy, petty spite, etc. it avoids all of that and tells a different story of understanding, clarity, and empathy. It also tells multiple stories of personal trauma and healing.
I laughed a lot. I cried a few times. I found all the characters extremely likeable, each had their own personality and were extremely well-written. (Unlike Doom at Your Service where the main lead's story was addictive, but the second lead’s romance was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen- like watching a different show.) It was really balanced.

It’s a murder mystery/romance/comedy all wrapped up in one. Like other dramas, it takes a couple episodes to set the stage before showing its true quality.

The ending was very fluffy and maybe a little anticlimatic for me, personally, but it wraps up the story well and I didn’t feel like there were any unaddressed plot holes. The one flaw that really threw me off was in the beginning. There’s this stalker guy and while it explains why he does it later on… and why she is susceptible to being lured in by creeps. I don’t think it ever addresses that that shit is creepy and bad no matter what reason. Thankfully, it’s not a big part of the show.

One thing I found unique is that it uses foreshadowing really well to lead the viewer through the story. It doesn’t try to shock you, instead it leads you through this story. Obviously with a few hokey tropes- but uses them adorably. It also breaks some conventions and overused stereotypes.

The whole show is just so cute, and funny, and heartwarming. It’s like snuggling a big fluffy pillow. I want to rewatch it right now!

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loved it

mdl users are giving this drama a lot of bad reviews but for me this was one of the best dramas ive ever watched.
yes, the thriller part of the story is messy and can get quite confusing, it definitely could have been formatted or blended in better with the romance side. but i viewed it as something that kept you on your toes while still enjoying watching the leads fall in love.
the two lead actors did an amazing job in this drama, and their characters' loveline was so cute. their romance was just so beautiful, and both characters helped each other heal. seo hyunjin's acting was on another level.

also none of the side characters bothered me, because usually in every kdrama there's 1 or 2 side characters that i dont like. in this one, each had their own story so i was never annoyed when a character appeared on screen. almost each character learns new ways to heal and deal with their obstacles.

many have said here that this drama was mediocre. but for me, i loved almost every second of it. i loved the interactions between characters, i love the small lessons you learn. i loved watching the healing of these damaged people.

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Big Plans, Poor Execution

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed in this one. I watched several romantic dramas prior to this and felt like I needed something new. Romance and murder without it looking too gloomy? Hell yeah, sign me up!

And to be fair the first episodes actually got me hooked up. I was sceptical at first but it seemed to incorporate the two genres very well...until it didn't. I have no idea what happened but somehow along the way the one drama suddenly became two and running in way too many directions. They desperately tried to make you believe the murder mystery and the romance plot line was still connected but it was just not enough. The creators started focusing on the main couple and the murder solving was pushed aside. Almost as if they got bored of it. Sometimes it went so long without any updates I almost forgot where we left off. It was clear the writers simply bitten more than they could chew.

Introducing so many characters probably wasn't a good idea either. Most of them were interesting but when you put twice as many characters into a regular length drama and try to give each of them some kind of back story, it's bound to be messy. Some story lines were just teased but didn't really happen, some were rushed and some even felt entirely pointless in the end. There were also characters that appeared out of nowhere to serve some purpose and then just disappeared without giving them a second thought. I guess they were needed to drive the story forward but it felt a bit awkward.

That all being sad the cast did a great job (I even cried twice) and as romantic healing drama it delivered. They should have probably just stuck with that. Trying to do something different but not really committing to the "different" part of it definitely wasn't a good choice. It just ended up being all over the place. What a shame...

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Lost interest in the lead characters

A hotel concierge (Kang Da Jeong) and a psychiatrist (Ju Young Do) fall for each other after moving into the same building. First let me start off by saying this show had a great start then fizzled out and I LOVE the Kim Min-Seok - A Butterfly Flew Away song it is so beautiful. The first two episodes draw you in with a murder and a death. The main Character actress Kang Da Jeong is introduce as a woman looking for a new start after a series of failed relationships and we see her traumatic childhood . We then meet Ju Young Do the psychiatrist who works in the building that Kang Da Jeong moves into and works with the police who is investigating the murder that occurred in the building that main characters move in to live and work. I almost felt like it could have been split my Spring into two shows with all the supporting characters' storylines. I was really was more invested in the Actress- Ahn Ga Yeong and The Doctor Ian Chase story lines. There were way way way too many supporting characters for this story and it really distracted me and did not give the main characters time to develop , their connect is just instant. Besides that I thought the show was beautifully shot and it did bring closure to the murder/suicide. I do wish they gave us closure to some of the supporting characters story lines since they introduced us to them; they do hint at the direction some of them go.

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Sadly, I am conflicted with this drama...

If you've read the synopsis then you'd be expecting the drama to fall on the psychological thriller side with heavy angst, drama and romance but no... Don't let the synopsis fool you.. Because, this drama (although had its moments of mystery and thrill) is mainly focused on the mellow side and slow burn romance between the ML and the FL..

Before I will discuss the Cons of this drama, I'll be first pointing out its Pros..

1. The Chemistry
- The ML and FL had a good chemistry. Both of them complemented each other in a way that despite their flaws, they were able to communicate with one another. This is what we definitely see as a "healthy relationship." I love the way how both of them were so cute and understanding. Their slow burn romance paved the way for their character development. Not to mention, their relationship is mature. I actually love how mature their conversations are and not the cringey or childish romances that we occasionally in some romantic comedy dramas.. Props for the writer for giving us an underrated mature couple.

2. Yoon Park Stole the show for me
- The way the actor portrayed the complexity of Ian Chase was actually good. The dark sombre vibes from him and the cold and unreadable gazes he gave to the people he interacted with was quite compelling. From the very beginning, his character captivated most viewers due to his mysterious character.

3. The Side Couples were interesting and they all showed different sides of relationships which are actually relatable.

4. Some of the OSTS are actually good. Especially the OST titled "In ruin" by Raiden. The lyrics are quite meaningful and symbolic. A perfect OST for the show, most especially the twin characters.

The Cons..
1. Execution of the plot
- I'm actually disappointed with how everything had turned out from the middle of the series until the end because the synopsis and genre tags of this drama doesn't do any justice to the content of the show. I repeat, don't let the SYNOPSIS fool you because like most of the viewers who watched this, the drama is purely focused on the melodramatic romance of the couple and less about the mystery or the psychological thrill. Unfortunately, I just find the first episodes to be so disconnected with the rest of the episodes.

- You indeed watched and felt the thrill and the mystery of the murder because that's how it all started, how the ML & FL got involved with it, but you won't be feeling that much on the rest of the episodes because most of the scenes are about their mundane life. The psychological thrill and mystery just faded out and seemed to be forgotten most of the time which is truly disappointing.

- Although, the back story provided information about the case and the people involved, it still (in the end) felt dry and lacking. The slow burn romance indeed was good because the ML & FL got to develop their relationship, but, it got boring and it was just too much for me. Every episode had its moment of cliff hangers and to be honest, I was mostly looking forward to the case or the murder and Ian chase because of his enigmatic character.

2. Ian Chase was an interesting character but the drama didn't show and explore his true potential. He was pitiful at the same time someone who is need of redemption.

- His character is somehow complex and deep for me. I find it disheartening that he had less screen time at the middle of the drama until the end. It would have been better if the character had more chances to interact with the ML & FL as well as within the case. His thoughts and perceptions regarding the unfairness of the world and how people like him just wants to be loved is depressing. His actions until the end are something that are hard to be forgiven, however, it actually makes us realize the importance of help or a pillar that one can lean on just like what the ML had said. The show also talked about Mental Health and it would have been better if it was addressed more since the ML is a psychiatrist.

3. Fillers that didn't have much significance to the plot that somehow managed to drag the show . Their were fun, cute, sweet, angsty, romantic and melodramtic moments in the drama that made me laugh and cry, but I find some to be just plainly boring and unecessary. Especially, if you're looking forward to the case, you'll find some of those scenes to be skippable.

4. The ending is mehhhh....
- What I dislike in most K-dramas are the endings and what I was expecting was proven to be true in this drama. If you were anticipating if all of your questions regarding the murder mystery be solved in this drama, then don't. There were still questions that were left unsolved like why did Ian Chase treated his twin so coldy and how come in the end, their case were not explained well and that they didn't get the punishment or consequences that they deserved because of their actions. The last episode clearly didn't have a solid aim of the story / plot for me since it was just there because it's already the last episode.

In conclusion, if you want to watch something romantic but with a twist of mystery and thrill, you might as well consider watching this one. However, don't expect much with the thrill and mystery tags because the case / murder got wrapped up pretty much hastily. Not enough development and backstory. Nevertheless, the melodrama / romance here is undeniably sweet and healing because it portrays a healthy and realistic relationship in which people can relate to.

This is entirely my perspective so feel free to watch it. Enjoy!

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Could have been a great romance thriller - missed the mark

7/10 is my rating. This is a 2021 South Korean mystery, thriller, romance drama with 16, 70 minute episodes.

Kang Da-jeong (Seo Hyun-jin) grew up with an abusive alcoholic father and her greatest wish as a child was to have a stable family. Because of that early experience with a damaged father figure, she is attracted to men with alcohol problems, those who fail to keep jobs, and others with issues as she attempts to "fix" them. She has a stable job as a concierge manager at a motel and makes a move to a rooftop apartment to make a clean break with her troubled past. Joo Young-do (Kim Dong-wook) moved his psychiatric office to the same building as Da-jeong and has a nearly psychic ability at "reading" people and understanding their psychological issues and motivations. He uses his skill to not only help his patients but everyone around him. Chae Joon/Dr Ian Chase (Yoon Park) took a liking to Da-jeong when they were children growing up in the same neighborhood and looked for her, finally locating Ahn Ga-yeong (Nam Gyu-ri) is Young-do's ex-wife and the relationship ended after discovering that they were together more for Young-do to stablize Ga-yeong's depression and keep her from self harm than out of any romantic love on Young-do's part - they remain friends and he is helping her have confidence to pursue a healthy relationship. All of the individuals are connected by mysterious and tragic incidents from the past. What might fate have in store for them?

I liked this and it mostly kept my interest throughout but it had such a wandering story line that I would not watch it again and it wouldn't be a top recommendation from me. Spoilers** At first I thought that the murders would be a central premise and, there were times, when the focus was on that. But then it would just drift away and focus on aspects of the main couple, or a side couple's relationship and just drop the whole serial murders line all together. There was a major story line around the fact that he had heart issues but it was never fully explained why. You knew that he had went through a lot of medical procedures when he was young when his mother was trying to save his brother but not what his brother had or how that might have resulted in heart damage. So was the heart issue related to that or was the heart issue what had killed his brother? Their romance did not make complete sense either. He pushed her away because he knew, at some point, he might die but then decided to just be with her and there were a lot of things that indicated why he made that decision but it wasn't really spelled out. I expected some kind of dramatic statement like "none of us ever know how long we have" but there was never that. Her friend and her brother had a romance which could have been cute but we never got to see exactly how they got together. Had he always liked her? That would have made more sense. They alluded to the fact that they had slept together and things went from there but they didn't show us them falling in love. Then there were the friends. The boxer girl liked the vet and had a drunken incident where she bit him. I thought they would evolve into a romance but that just fizzled and died because he had a thing for the female lead's best friend. So, I wondered why they even bothered showing the boxer girl and her feelings for the male lead's friend. Da-jeong's mother had talked about some man that was wooing her in the beginning and I thought we would get to see what was going on there but they literally just dropped that story line. The abusive dad, I thought perhaps he was the killer or some interesting twist like that but no, he just stayed away as he promised then died. I thought so much was going to happen around the mother and nothing really did. There were so many things started and never completed that it felt like plot wandered everywhere. The ending was not satisfying because so many things were not wrapped up. And they sort of shook hands - really? That's what you do with someone you are going to spend years with? Just an awkward, facing each other, hand shake? Overall just a very underwhelming story.

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