2
SunOh
Together today, tomorrow, till the end.
Această recenzie poate conține spoilere
Through its different approach to love, Love Alarm also denounces the excesses of technology.
~ This review covers both seasons ~
There are plenty of spoilers ahead, but if you want to avoid most of them, feel free to only read the introduction and skip to the conclusion in the comments. I know this is very long, so thank you for reading in advance.
P.S: I want to clarify that I do not hate Sun Oh (not that my username is related to him). I actually appreciate his character a lot, he's definitely interesting and saying that I didn't feel anything for him would be a lie.
Introduction :
I'm not forcing anyone to agree with me or to like Love Alarm, I'm just sharing my opinion in between so much hatred. So, if you don't have anything good to say, don't waste your time because I'm not open to further debates and will block before reading because I have no time to waste with MDL joy-killers. There are so many reviews and people out there that you will get along with. This is a review by a fan, for fans, and for people who are willing to appreciate the drama (love you all, so much, even if you're not a fan of a drama, thank you, truly <3), or at least try to. That's it.
Forever NO to the Jojo slander. Oh but I know the Song Kang fanatics will target my boy Hye Yeong and my girl Yuk Jo as well. Meanwhile, much worse (male) characters are loved by audiences. I wouldn't care normally because I myself love some really awful characters but in this context... And if you think that Song Kang's character is some kind of perfect, kind & innocent boy fallen from heaven who deserves ALL the empathy while Jojo is the devil itself & deserves to be crucified, LOL, please block me. He's not willingly evil or anything and I don't mean to hate on him, just call out the haters.
Those who talk about "bad writing" or whatever, lmao, they just can't accept human behavior. I just KNOW that my life and mental struggles would be a joke and "badly written" to them if they think this drama is. Because their so-called "logical" mindset is complete BS and far from what humanity comes down to. They should keep watching their overrated dramas and shows like Friends. Also, there's so much worse and this drama has a particular setting. (Which leads to a lot of deep critique and metaphors, but that, the haters won't see it.) This drama deserves more than a mere 10/10. The fact that there is so much substance to write such a lengthy review is enough of a proof. Haters can go argue with the freaking wall. It's not because they hate the characters and because the drama is """"""cliché""""" (their faves are 1000x more) that suddenly it's bad LOL. But I don't expect any thinking from them anyway. I deeply connected to this, and not them, that's fine but I don't want to respect haters here (they are a pain for the fans and they are everywhere). F*ck them, honestly. They didn't deserve to watch any season, any second of this thoughtful and insightful masterpiece, this one and only great and genuine story about loving yourself, about the true meaning of romance, and about so much more. Oh, by the way, my mom didn't like much the first episodes but I convinced her to continue, and she loved it. She said it was lovely and beautifully done, she cried too.
I also talked to other fans and people have no idea how much this drama meant to them and what they went through because of the hate. This made me SO mad even against myself because not only did I not realize it, but also I had it pretty easy (having watched it late & ignoring social medias) and my f*cking self followed the hate like a sheep when I hadn't even watched it. To redeem myself from my lack of maturity, I chose to spend hours of my free time writing this. I always share it to everyone I can. And yes, mind you, they always read it fully and love it, even if it takes a long time or multiple readings. ;)
I'm this serious because this is far from a mere fictional piece of entertainment. Love Alarm is a comforting and healing work of art, a story that reminds you what being human truly means, and that it's fine to be human. A story that reminds you of all the beautiful things in life. A story that reminds you the true meaning of human relationships. All of that through the best way possible thanks to the setting of Love Alarm. Meanwhile, stories like "My Liberation Notes" and "My Mister" are masterpieces too, but it is not such stories that will show how accepting, empathetic and understanding you are. Maybe this is "just a fiction", "just a lack of media literacy", but I truly hope that such stories never stop to be told. People like me will remember a powerful and exceptional story like Love Alarm until the end. How funny is it that the same people who call a relatable and true-to-life story like My ID is Gangnam Beauty "cringe" and "annoying" also do the same with Love Alarm? Besides, if you haven't watched it yet, I strongly recommend it. The writing is very beautiful and the actors' portrayal of their character, along with the cinematography and OST, makes it a must-watch all around. Plus, Hye Yeong from Love Alarm and Kyung Seok from My ID are such wonderful male leads, my favorites. <3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Review (major spoilers) :
This conclusion is perfect because it's healthy and realistic. That Jojo should end up with Sun Oh was inconceivable, she loved Hye Yeong, not him. Sun Oh found happiness on his own and moved on, such is life. He wasn't the person Jojo needed, and vice versa.
From the beginning of the story, Sun Oh's character didn't come across as a very nice guy, but he's also somewhat pitiful. Is he a monster? No. He actually has a pure heart but that doesn't change his immaturity which turns into toxicity for the people around him. Yes, we can see that he starts to have genuine feelings for Jojo, but what he did was distasteful nonetheless. In fact, the story and the characters aren't so simple (despite seemingly clichéd) and that's obvious from the first episode. What I loved most at the beginning was how they actually showed a situation involving gay people. I especially appreciated how Hye Yeong handled that situation wisely (the fact that the closeted guy had feelings for him ahahah love this) and then later on fought back for his best friend no matter what.
On the whole, the drama focused more on the psychology of the main characters and I love this kind of romance, the transition from high schoolers to young adults really makes the difference with Season 1, the tone changes (highlighting the contrast), you can feel the characters coming of age and the fact that we've followed them through several periods of their lives gives way to a nostalgic feeling, the music etc. also plays a big part.
I loved everything : the cinematography, the styling of the characters, the acting, the writing, the music, the sci-fi aspect, the fact that so many things are represented in the form of drawings (even animated ones), the whole thing around Jojo's drawings and their meanings, the symbolism with the app, the shield, the spear, and so many details.
For instance, the distinctive use of color in Season 1—like the specific grading in flashback scenes—along with the psychedelic visuals and dreamlike atmosphere, added a unique and compelling touch. I’m also fond of the main poster especially, which stands out beautifully.
More about the drama makes it relevant. The complex family relationships, individual struggles and so on. Take Gul Mi's storyline, for instance—believe it or not, I grew to like her in Season 2. In fact, when she was just a kid, you could blame the way she was on her mother. We do all kinds of things to protect ourselves (already shown metaphorically with Jojo's shield). Referring to the collective suicide we saw at the end of Episode 5 in Season 1, the drama also shows people using Love Alarm as a scapegoat to justify their choices. We even see disturbing elements like pedophilia and obsession—such as the case with Jojo and how one deranged individual fixates on her drawings, sparked by nothing more than a trivial coincidence.
In Season 1, I recall a conversation between the teachers that struck a chord—Love Alarm itself wasn’t the cause of societal problems, but medias disguised it as that. And when you reflect on it, Love Alarm 1.0 has both advantages and flaws, much like any cutting-edge technology we encounter today, which always sparks protests—just as it does in the drama. I think the collective suicide is talked again in Season 1 or 2, I don't remember by who exactly and what they said, but it was similar to what I'm saying.
Some viewers blame Jojo for kissing Sun Oh in the beginning. She was on bad terms with Il Sik and eventually she was able to breathe thanks to Sun Oh. It's true that he was forcing, but she ended up accepting the kiss. They were where no one could see them (well, obviously it's a drama, so it doesn't go as planned), and she was tempted. When we know that many adults (men and women) have already cheated in their lives, it's not a teenager who lets herself go with this kind of context that shocks. One can argue it was wrong, but what about Il Sik? And Sun Oh? That’s where the complexity lies. Like so much else in the story, it’s not black and white—it’s human. This isn’t a story about perfect people.
Jojo didn’t initiate her relationship with Sun Oh. He pushed for it, despite knowing she had a boyfriend—something he learned from his best friend, Hye Yeong, who also had feelings for her. Sun Oh knew all of this, yet still chose to pursue her. And they dated for what, two weeks if we remove the time after the accident?
After the breakup, four years passed before Jojo met Hye Yeong. At first, she was emotionally distant, but his persistent efforts eventually paid off, and she gradually began to open up to him.
What can we expect from a character whose childhood was so painful, whose youth was full of struggles, a traumatized teenager with burdens so heavy to bear? Yes, you could say she acts in an annoying and selfish way, however, unless you are biased because of Song Kang and that you have a superficial view of the drama and her character, you will feel nothing but empathy. Don't even make me start on the impact that such an event can have on someone. Survivor's guilt, yes, but it was her parents who tried to kill themselves with her.
Again, I want to emphasize the fact that she needed to do what she did, and had the right to. You can’t just expect her to suddenly accept everything and be happy. Where would be the growth? Do they even realize how unhealthy, belittling, reductive and mysoginistic this mindset is? Life doesn’t work that way, and to think so shows a shallow and limited understanding of the complexity of human emotions and experiences. Unfortunately, the haters here...
Please read this post : https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans - It's not long and I love what she said. It fits into my review but I'm not gonna copy it all directly.
Sun Oh's behavior can be explained because of his family situation, right, I do get that. But if you think it's all Jojo's fault or that what Sun Oh did at the beginning is right but what happened afterwards isn't, I don't know what to say. Oh and the people shaming the writers for "making Sun Oh dirty" in Season 2, ahahah, it couldn't get any funnier. It was, in fact, as true to his character as it could get after the time skip and the events in the story. :)
Conversely, Hye Yeong is portrayed as a loyal and kind-hearted individual, yet he may also yearn for his own independence and quietly struggle with the weight of his connection to Sun Oh's family. Then slowly, we learn even more about him and his family. I immediately connected with him because of his personality, and I found myself deeply relating to his experience, as I too have had my life negatively impacted by my father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What Deuk Gu says to Hye Yeong, "It was Jojo's will to use the shield and spear. Without it, she would never have gone out with you. It was because of the shield that she broke up with Sun Oh and you appeared on the list of people she could love. The shield being a variable, Jojo's will intervened, and you became a potential love interest. She wanted to ring your Love Alarm, even if it meant using the spear. She was willing to go that far to express her feelings for you. If that's not being sincere, what is?" This sums it up perfectly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Another thing about the end that I love is that Jojo still doesn't ring Hye Yeong's Love Alarm without the spear and she still has the shield, but they know their love is sincere and it was really beautiful when they confessed their feelings out loud. It reminded me of when Hye Yeong was courting Jojo the traditional way without relying to Love Alarm, and the fact that he wanted to build his relationship with her bit by bit was great. Of course, there's that final scene where we see the key moments when Jojo rang Hye Yeong's Love Alarm, they left before it started working but anyway, it was obvious. Nonetheless, it was perfect as a conclusion, for us viewers.
Fun fact: Everyone noticed it but I appreciate how "Love Alarm" in Korean is said "Joalarm" which obviously refers to Jojo, and clearly, her role is important in the actual story surrounding the app.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, MDL reduced the character limit, and this review is so long that I now have to add the rest in the comments. (aside from the conclusion)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion under
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus links that I recommend to save :
- https://www.mentmagazine.com/issue001/sensus
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/imanirine/review/155009
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/Claraamorim/review/133999
- https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans (in case you haven't read it when mentioned in the review)
There are plenty of spoilers ahead, but if you want to avoid most of them, feel free to only read the introduction and skip to the conclusion in the comments. I know this is very long, so thank you for reading in advance.
P.S: I want to clarify that I do not hate Sun Oh (not that my username is related to him). I actually appreciate his character a lot, he's definitely interesting and saying that I didn't feel anything for him would be a lie.
Introduction :
I'm not forcing anyone to agree with me or to like Love Alarm, I'm just sharing my opinion in between so much hatred. So, if you don't have anything good to say, don't waste your time because I'm not open to further debates and will block before reading because I have no time to waste with MDL joy-killers. There are so many reviews and people out there that you will get along with. This is a review by a fan, for fans, and for people who are willing to appreciate the drama (love you all, so much, even if you're not a fan of a drama, thank you, truly <3), or at least try to. That's it.
Forever NO to the Jojo slander. Oh but I know the Song Kang fanatics will target my boy Hye Yeong and my girl Yuk Jo as well. Meanwhile, much worse (male) characters are loved by audiences. I wouldn't care normally because I myself love some really awful characters but in this context... And if you think that Song Kang's character is some kind of perfect, kind & innocent boy fallen from heaven who deserves ALL the empathy while Jojo is the devil itself & deserves to be crucified, LOL, please block me. He's not willingly evil or anything and I don't mean to hate on him, just call out the haters.
Those who talk about "bad writing" or whatever, lmao, they just can't accept human behavior. I just KNOW that my life and mental struggles would be a joke and "badly written" to them if they think this drama is. Because their so-called "logical" mindset is complete BS and far from what humanity comes down to. They should keep watching their overrated dramas and shows like Friends. Also, there's so much worse and this drama has a particular setting. (Which leads to a lot of deep critique and metaphors, but that, the haters won't see it.) This drama deserves more than a mere 10/10. The fact that there is so much substance to write such a lengthy review is enough of a proof. Haters can go argue with the freaking wall. It's not because they hate the characters and because the drama is """"""cliché""""" (their faves are 1000x more) that suddenly it's bad LOL. But I don't expect any thinking from them anyway. I deeply connected to this, and not them, that's fine but I don't want to respect haters here (they are a pain for the fans and they are everywhere). F*ck them, honestly. They didn't deserve to watch any season, any second of this thoughtful and insightful masterpiece, this one and only great and genuine story about loving yourself, about the true meaning of romance, and about so much more. Oh, by the way, my mom didn't like much the first episodes but I convinced her to continue, and she loved it. She said it was lovely and beautifully done, she cried too.
I also talked to other fans and people have no idea how much this drama meant to them and what they went through because of the hate. This made me SO mad even against myself because not only did I not realize it, but also I had it pretty easy (having watched it late & ignoring social medias) and my f*cking self followed the hate like a sheep when I hadn't even watched it. To redeem myself from my lack of maturity, I chose to spend hours of my free time writing this. I always share it to everyone I can. And yes, mind you, they always read it fully and love it, even if it takes a long time or multiple readings. ;)
I'm this serious because this is far from a mere fictional piece of entertainment. Love Alarm is a comforting and healing work of art, a story that reminds you what being human truly means, and that it's fine to be human. A story that reminds you of all the beautiful things in life. A story that reminds you the true meaning of human relationships. All of that through the best way possible thanks to the setting of Love Alarm. Meanwhile, stories like "My Liberation Notes" and "My Mister" are masterpieces too, but it is not such stories that will show how accepting, empathetic and understanding you are. Maybe this is "just a fiction", "just a lack of media literacy", but I truly hope that such stories never stop to be told. People like me will remember a powerful and exceptional story like Love Alarm until the end. How funny is it that the same people who call a relatable and true-to-life story like My ID is Gangnam Beauty "cringe" and "annoying" also do the same with Love Alarm? Besides, if you haven't watched it yet, I strongly recommend it. The writing is very beautiful and the actors' portrayal of their character, along with the cinematography and OST, makes it a must-watch all around. Plus, Hye Yeong from Love Alarm and Kyung Seok from My ID are such wonderful male leads, my favorites. <3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Review (major spoilers) :
This conclusion is perfect because it's healthy and realistic. That Jojo should end up with Sun Oh was inconceivable, she loved Hye Yeong, not him. Sun Oh found happiness on his own and moved on, such is life. He wasn't the person Jojo needed, and vice versa.
From the beginning of the story, Sun Oh's character didn't come across as a very nice guy, but he's also somewhat pitiful. Is he a monster? No. He actually has a pure heart but that doesn't change his immaturity which turns into toxicity for the people around him. Yes, we can see that he starts to have genuine feelings for Jojo, but what he did was distasteful nonetheless. In fact, the story and the characters aren't so simple (despite seemingly clichéd) and that's obvious from the first episode. What I loved most at the beginning was how they actually showed a situation involving gay people. I especially appreciated how Hye Yeong handled that situation wisely (the fact that the closeted guy had feelings for him ahahah love this) and then later on fought back for his best friend no matter what.
On the whole, the drama focused more on the psychology of the main characters and I love this kind of romance, the transition from high schoolers to young adults really makes the difference with Season 1, the tone changes (highlighting the contrast), you can feel the characters coming of age and the fact that we've followed them through several periods of their lives gives way to a nostalgic feeling, the music etc. also plays a big part.
I loved everything : the cinematography, the styling of the characters, the acting, the writing, the music, the sci-fi aspect, the fact that so many things are represented in the form of drawings (even animated ones), the whole thing around Jojo's drawings and their meanings, the symbolism with the app, the shield, the spear, and so many details.
For instance, the distinctive use of color in Season 1—like the specific grading in flashback scenes—along with the psychedelic visuals and dreamlike atmosphere, added a unique and compelling touch. I’m also fond of the main poster especially, which stands out beautifully.
More about the drama makes it relevant. The complex family relationships, individual struggles and so on. Take Gul Mi's storyline, for instance—believe it or not, I grew to like her in Season 2. In fact, when she was just a kid, you could blame the way she was on her mother. We do all kinds of things to protect ourselves (already shown metaphorically with Jojo's shield). Referring to the collective suicide we saw at the end of Episode 5 in Season 1, the drama also shows people using Love Alarm as a scapegoat to justify their choices. We even see disturbing elements like pedophilia and obsession—such as the case with Jojo and how one deranged individual fixates on her drawings, sparked by nothing more than a trivial coincidence.
In Season 1, I recall a conversation between the teachers that struck a chord—Love Alarm itself wasn’t the cause of societal problems, but medias disguised it as that. And when you reflect on it, Love Alarm 1.0 has both advantages and flaws, much like any cutting-edge technology we encounter today, which always sparks protests—just as it does in the drama. I think the collective suicide is talked again in Season 1 or 2, I don't remember by who exactly and what they said, but it was similar to what I'm saying.
Some viewers blame Jojo for kissing Sun Oh in the beginning. She was on bad terms with Il Sik and eventually she was able to breathe thanks to Sun Oh. It's true that he was forcing, but she ended up accepting the kiss. They were where no one could see them (well, obviously it's a drama, so it doesn't go as planned), and she was tempted. When we know that many adults (men and women) have already cheated in their lives, it's not a teenager who lets herself go with this kind of context that shocks. One can argue it was wrong, but what about Il Sik? And Sun Oh? That’s where the complexity lies. Like so much else in the story, it’s not black and white—it’s human. This isn’t a story about perfect people.
Jojo didn’t initiate her relationship with Sun Oh. He pushed for it, despite knowing she had a boyfriend—something he learned from his best friend, Hye Yeong, who also had feelings for her. Sun Oh knew all of this, yet still chose to pursue her. And they dated for what, two weeks if we remove the time after the accident?
After the breakup, four years passed before Jojo met Hye Yeong. At first, she was emotionally distant, but his persistent efforts eventually paid off, and she gradually began to open up to him.
What can we expect from a character whose childhood was so painful, whose youth was full of struggles, a traumatized teenager with burdens so heavy to bear? Yes, you could say she acts in an annoying and selfish way, however, unless you are biased because of Song Kang and that you have a superficial view of the drama and her character, you will feel nothing but empathy. Don't even make me start on the impact that such an event can have on someone. Survivor's guilt, yes, but it was her parents who tried to kill themselves with her.
Again, I want to emphasize the fact that she needed to do what she did, and had the right to. You can’t just expect her to suddenly accept everything and be happy. Where would be the growth? Do they even realize how unhealthy, belittling, reductive and mysoginistic this mindset is? Life doesn’t work that way, and to think so shows a shallow and limited understanding of the complexity of human emotions and experiences. Unfortunately, the haters here...
Please read this post : https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans - It's not long and I love what she said. It fits into my review but I'm not gonna copy it all directly.
Sun Oh's behavior can be explained because of his family situation, right, I do get that. But if you think it's all Jojo's fault or that what Sun Oh did at the beginning is right but what happened afterwards isn't, I don't know what to say. Oh and the people shaming the writers for "making Sun Oh dirty" in Season 2, ahahah, it couldn't get any funnier. It was, in fact, as true to his character as it could get after the time skip and the events in the story. :)
Conversely, Hye Yeong is portrayed as a loyal and kind-hearted individual, yet he may also yearn for his own independence and quietly struggle with the weight of his connection to Sun Oh's family. Then slowly, we learn even more about him and his family. I immediately connected with him because of his personality, and I found myself deeply relating to his experience, as I too have had my life negatively impacted by my father.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What Deuk Gu says to Hye Yeong, "It was Jojo's will to use the shield and spear. Without it, she would never have gone out with you. It was because of the shield that she broke up with Sun Oh and you appeared on the list of people she could love. The shield being a variable, Jojo's will intervened, and you became a potential love interest. She wanted to ring your Love Alarm, even if it meant using the spear. She was willing to go that far to express her feelings for you. If that's not being sincere, what is?" This sums it up perfectly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Another thing about the end that I love is that Jojo still doesn't ring Hye Yeong's Love Alarm without the spear and she still has the shield, but they know their love is sincere and it was really beautiful when they confessed their feelings out loud. It reminded me of when Hye Yeong was courting Jojo the traditional way without relying to Love Alarm, and the fact that he wanted to build his relationship with her bit by bit was great. Of course, there's that final scene where we see the key moments when Jojo rang Hye Yeong's Love Alarm, they left before it started working but anyway, it was obvious. Nonetheless, it was perfect as a conclusion, for us viewers.
Fun fact: Everyone noticed it but I appreciate how "Love Alarm" in Korean is said "Joalarm" which obviously refers to Jojo, and clearly, her role is important in the actual story surrounding the app.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, MDL reduced the character limit, and this review is so long that I now have to add the rest in the comments. (aside from the conclusion)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion under
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bonus links that I recommend to save :
- https://www.mentmagazine.com/issue001/sensus
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/imanirine/review/155009
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/Claraamorim/review/133999
- https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans (in case you haven't read it when mentioned in the review)
Considerați utilă această recenzie?
