2022

[rewatch] I still love this. While I can see the very legitimate reasonings behind the criticisms, it’s still one of the most well-produced and polished dramas I’ve ever seen. The fluidity of the story mixed with the above excellent acting by the cast makes for such a fun and entertaining watch and rewatch.

I loved the premise of this show, and how it portrayed a society falling to the depths of its own fear and despair. The acting was also great, and it had an interesting time skip that was unexpected. The end was a little 2nd-season baity, though, and didn't barely tie up any loose ends at all.

What an absolutely adorable drama. I loved the main characters from the start and they did areally good job with representation here too. I usually never wish for a season 2, but here I definitely hope there will be one!

This drama was whole-heartedly endearing... in a strangely unsatisfactory way. I think all the actors did a really good job of pulling out great performances from a sadly underdeveloped script. I did love the themes of friendship it ended up exploring.

Also, this rarely if ever happens to me, but I actually felt a surge of second-male-lead syndrome in this one, as by the end Je Hoon had become one of my favorite characters by far. I loved Kang So Ra's performance on its own (her character lacked meaningful growth, but that's hardly the actress's fault), but Gong Myung's acting plus the way his character developed had my heart soaring and rooting wholeheartedly for him by the end (which is funny, seeing as how much I disliked his seemingly one-note character for the first half of the drama). Byun Hyuk was endearing too in his own way, but Je Hoon stole the show for me by a long shot.

The most impressive part to me, besides the fact it told a coherent story from beginning to end, was the drama's devotion to showing people as gray. While there are technically "good guys" and "bad guys," the good guys have obvious flaws and the bad guys aren't bad just for the sake of it. Every character's motivations were developed and explored rather satisfactorily, and I was impressed at the depth to which the themes were explored. I found myself gasping at what happened several times throughout the drama, and the story's twists genuinely surprised me in a good way. While I do think episode 16 is the weakest and the most cliché episode out of the bunch, the rest of the drama was strong enough for that last episode not to bring my enjoyment of the drama down by much.

The middle episodes were by far the strongest of this drama. That slow build of the main leads friendship was really beautiful and my favorite part of the ride. The relationship part was a bit overdramatized, especially due to the mom character. I felt like the ending wasn't as satisfying as it could've been, either. The main two leads were great though, and I basically stayed on for An Cing-Huei, I was rooting for him in all aspects of his life from the start.

As an adaptation, this series gets 10/10, full marks. This is how you do an adaptation!

But... what dragged this drama down the most were its overacting and reliance on the same overdramatic camera work when something surprising was about to happen (that whole drop-bass, zoom-in stuff). Other than those two points, I feel like the drama did a very good job of mixing up the original story to make it fresh for a more modern audience.

There's only one way I can think to describe this drama: empty. It's not trying to say anything or make any sort of point; no greater message to be had here. It's literally a string of scenes put together to make you believe these two people somehow fell in love despite neither of them really having any sort of personality or individuality outside of the "romance" story. Literally the only thing holding the story to any bearable watchability is the acting talent, especially the male lead. But not even that can save this boring desert of a drama in the end.

Jun-Ho, the male lead, knocked this one out of the park. I was thoroughly impressed by his emotional range and acting prowess. He OWNED the role of the Crown Prince/King. Unfortunately, that's about the only praise I have for this too-highly-rated drama. I think the biggest pet peeve I have with it is it seems to have suffered from an identity crisis. The writers couldn't decide if they wanted it to be political intrigue, societal commentary, or human/romance drama.

I think, all in all, it did mostly succeed at being a human/romance drama, and based on the ending, that's the route it most wanted to go down, but that's the only area it even remotely succeeded in. It tried SO HARD to be a commentary drama on the limitations of being a woman in society and how impossible it is to extract yourself from what society insists are its norms, but... it just didn't hit the mark. There were too many characters not fully fleshed out, too many plot lines whose conclusions were dictated to a throwaway line that barely has any impact; characters just... disappearing off-screen, never to be talked about again. And what is with the wishy-washy-ness of the female lead? She about had me pulling my hair out. Overall, the writing really brought down what could have been an amazing and memorable period piece.

What an absolutely beautiful drama. I loved all the characters, and they really went hard with the storylines. I’m still shook by how my favorite character turned out >< This is definitely up there with The World Between Us in quality and resonance.

Though there were some parts I felt could have been composed better to leave a more lasting emotional effect, I felt the story had good balance and the main characters conflicts were laid out and explored nicely.

My favorite character from the get-go was Da-chi, and he just got better as the show progressed. I loved the actor's dynamic range.

I would say the only character who had me scratching my head by the end was Shuo Yi - he didn't really fit into the main dynamic very well and was very much sidelined with a strange conclusion to his story with Yong-ching's mom.

[REWATCH] I still love this drama. It was the first k-drama I ever binge-watched, and I still freshly remember that feeling of anticipation and not being able to look away. It's just such a well-made drama from start to finish, with an excellent mix of romance with character development and fully fleshed-out story arcs. I love how real all the characters feel, and there's not a flawless person to be found -- they're all wholly human and magnificent in their multi-layered portrayal of the layers that lead to the foundation of our actions. While there is some late-2000s cringe to be found for sure, there's no denying the long-staying power of this drama imo. I can (and have) go back and rewatch it countless times over and still be just as entertained and engrossed as the first time.

A thoughtful, slow moving drama about just how hard it is to simply live as a human and how the connections we make with other people and the way in which we choose to interact with them can have significant effects on our lives. The characters went through really amazing character arcs that were satisfying, if a little too real sometimes. The latter half was a little confusing at times with its time jumps, but overall I felt it had a satisfying conclusion.

I enjoyed most of the cases, but the one that stood out to me the most is the hagwon one.

I loved all the characters, but would’ve liked to see the main side characters fleshed out more, especially Kwon Min Woo. I loved his character by the end and wanted to see more of his development and growth.

All in all, this is one of the few instances of seeing some autistic traits as it presents itself in females highlighted in a drama, and while not everything was perfect, it was a delightfully well produced step in the right direction without a doubt.

I really loved the casting choices for this drama and felt like all the actors and actresses did an excellent job bringing their characters to life. Despite the tricky situations these tarareba girls found themselves in, I had no problem empathizing with their thought processes and rationalizations because it felt all too real. We all rationalize situations to make ourselves feel better, and more in the case of seeking out love and approval. I also liked the ending message of the series, how it really is just about discovering how to become comfortable in your own skin first and foremost, and then anything beyond that is just an enhancement of the happiness you've already found.

[Rewatch] Long story short, this rewatch wrecked me. I was experiencing a very traumatic event myself the first time I watched it, so to rewatch it now four years later brought back some very raw emotions. I stand by my initial impression that it’s an important story and brilliantly told in terms of character growth and how PTSD affects people in different ways if left untreated for so long (really - all these characters should be in therapy! I wish that option were even a remote possibility, but alas, this does take place in Korea). My feelings toward this drama have deepened further if anything else. I don’t think I can take frequent rewatches, but I’m grateful such a thought-provoking and earnest drama that tackles its  subject matter with such gravity exists.

Way better than I expected. I put off watching this because I thought the main focus would be on adulterous relationships, but I’m glad that turned out to not be the case. Instead what we got were a handful of interesting depictions of not only romantic relationships, but also familial and friendships. I gotta say, my favorite part of this drama were all the supportive siblings. I love some depiction of families who truly care for each other and aren’t manipulative backstabbers. The romantic relationships were interesting for the most part, tho I think the story kind of fell off towards the end there. I didn’t enjoy the plot threads of the final two episodes and felt like they were ultimately unnecessary as they didn’t last long nor add anything meaningful to the overall themes being presented. I loved the FL’s performance and character, but the ML left something to be desired imo. He had excellent EQ and control over himself, but the performance was lacking that extra oomph that really could’ve brought his character to life. I feel the same about Jae Shin and his actor. All the female performances slayed in this drama for sure, tho.

I loved this drama’s discussions of boundaries and how to be true to yourself, whether it be in romantic relationships, platonic, or at the workplace, developing the skills required to foster relationships that do us more good than harm and aren’t based on simply reciprocal benefits is very tricky, and this drama explored that point very well. It also contemplated how to overcome the limitations we set for ourselves, and how ultimately, we need to choose the path best for us, even if it may inadvertently harm those around us, and even a part of ourselves. Change is scary but it’s inevitable and necessary to live a life worth living.

There’s also a depiction of depersonalization in this drama that’s one of the best put together and stirring representation of that ailment I’ve ever seen in media. 

I enjoyed all the performances, and though I certainly didn’t agree with some of the characters actions, I felt like I understood them on a deep level, which is an accomplishment. I thoroughly respected the development and pacing of the romance and felt it added the right amount of tension without taking focus off of the other issues at hand.

I'd say I enjoyed this season as much as the first one. Tho I would like to point out that even though I watched season one earlier this year, I did have trouble recalling the events/important plot points, which leads me to believe that while I stand by saying both seasons are very well structured, paced, and engaging, they don't really leave the lasting impact I'd've liked or anticipated. I had a great time watching, but that's where the impression of this drama ends, unfortunately.

[REWATCH] I love the heart of this drama and the message it’s sending. To put yourself in someone else shoes is one of the hardest things to do as humans, and to not give into our base desires is equally as difficult. I think this drama is portraying the difficulties that come with taking the high road and forging others even at the expense of your own self imposed dignity. The story line with Seo Do Yeon and her father was the most emotional for me in the end.