A Refreshing dive into 2023

HALF WAY REVIEW+ FINAL REVIEW
You're probably wondering if you should check
out this drama. My suggestion is a solid Yes 👌 And here are my reasons.

[Gonna be a midway review since I'm following This ongoing gem haha. I'm reviewing this so anyone hesitant about this drama will give it a go, Will drop a final review]

This drama seems pretty much underrated, Obviously for the reason of not having Top ranking cast. Only.

But from eps I've seen so far, it's absolutely more dept and solid than Most 2022 Cdrama out there. Trust me when I say, More Solid!

Plot.
Plot might seem like your usual high school blah blah blah, But oh, I was in for a little surprise. although not the most solid plot out there, but Oh dear, it was Something relatable lovely to view. A sweet highschool love story with a pinch of intriguing twist. curious? Check it out then🌝

Leads,
Of course they got that bubbly chemistry you see in most High school drama and that's what makes it Lovely to see two cuties cutely fall in love hehehe.

ML was basically a heartthrob to go for, His acting is surprisingly good for a first official drama from him! ( I think it's his first drama) He got the looks, refreshing and natural acting, and the pretty eyes and stare! what's there to not love.
FL? She gives off that normal highschool girl energy you always see. (Don't be fooled by synopsis tho. she's smart but not as described by synopsis lol) she's basically your normal highschool girl in Cdrama.
SL (Second lead) Ay, I had a soft spot for him Lol and still do. That's my undying support for Most SL lol. He was a pretty much loveable , playful character that gives you that bad student vibes. A perfect lover for a girl ( Omg I need him in a drama ASAP 😭) but overall his acting is AMAZING like ML and he's too good to be a rookie actor.

support roles are just okay. Doing their Jobs and supporting leads. And I love how the script doesn't make these support roles overshadow the leads storyline.. pretty decent writing I see here.

Acting, Hmm. the acting in this drama got me thinking.. Wait omg are these rookie and underrated cast I see? Because hell they embodied that Highschool role so well that I'm already in love.

But there are certain downside to this nice dramas I think would need some touching.

Classic Cliche?
lol, what's a Highschool drama without these cliches. And it's obviously found in this drama too. but what I appreciate here is the fact that MOST of these cliche were handled nicely. But doesn't mean all. Because some scenes will obviously get you cringing haha.

which brings me to my pleading! Cdrama please shorten or remove these cliche and cringe 😭 We've had enough😂

Music? Well music in this drama wasn't ok to me. It's cringe af tho. Maybe not my taste? Because I don't even remember any of it and oops, I skip the opening theme so. Not so good music choice

Overall
Like I Said, It's indeed a fresh dive into 2023 and a worthy refreshing, cute, bubby, funny, youthful drama you should check out while you're beginning your 2023, Because this drama is indeed a Underrated Gem That's amazing.

Not the best of it's genre but amazing.

so why are you still reading??😭 Go and click on ep1

FINALLY DONE AND HERE'S FINAL THOUGHT

🌺 A FRESH AND FLUFFY DIVE INTO 2023🌺

Finally finished this drama and have no words to expressed other than, Nostalgic, Cute, sweet, Lovely and did I forget to say NOSTALGIC AND CUTE!

The journey of watching group of friends go through their bubbly and harsh days in highschool while ending up in wedding gowns, chasing dreams and love. That's the feeling I got.

This drama wasn't all that exceptional and didn't have the most outstanding plot, with Twist and such.No, it was Just genuine and sincere.

What was really fluttering here is basically the casting. wow, The casting was one to dig for. And to make me believe they're rookies? Omg they're pretty much natural with their acting! Pulling off the Highschool to adult trope, I was impressed!

The plot, like I Said isn't something exceptional. but it was indeed a highschool to adult trope worth the watch

The leads were compatible and good, second lead guy..omg I think I had a heartache ahha. And the support characters were simply solid. I loved each characters stories which was presented to us..the break-up and makeup 2nd couple, was just heartwarming.

And Can we just take a minute to appreciate the buddy bromance we got unexpectedly?🤣 I loved how this drama somewhat proved that long gotten friendship is often superior than Love. [we lost our 3rd CP because I guess the guy picked friendship, his childhood buddy. Now that's something you don't see everyday! Amazing 🥺]

Overall, this is simply a refreshing watch worth your time. Although the synopsis is a little bit deceiving... because I think it wasn't properly generated. But anyways it was better than I expected.

Finished my 1st cdrama of 2023🌺 and it was indeed a cute Gem. I'll indeed miss this squad and their tale. One of my favorites of 2023 anyways.

Title: TIME AND HIM ARE JUST RIGHT 2023

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A FAIRYTALE ABOUT A FALLEN MILKY WAY :CRUSH + BUTTERFLIES!

A drama that counters on the POV of a young girl with a head full of love. the sweet feel of going back to the moment of that crush, reliving those feelings of doing those little crazy things for love. Stalking them?👀 Smiling at every little details you got of or with me, blushs and heart flutters at the simple sight or action of them. ah, That feeling of first love is always one that lingers forever. And that is what we view here from Sang zhi pov.

Call her weird, call her Silly but she's just a realistic portray of us at such age and it's rather refreshing to see.

And what if your crush is not your classmate..not the typical popular tsudere guy in school? not your typical Bad boy in school? but rather your Elders brother's friend who is 5 years older..

Of course things are about to get interesting!

This drama is one ready to give all those feels of a naive first love and won't forget to load It with endless BUTTERFLIES, sweetness overloaded I say and I mean it.

The acting? Gosh! it's on another level of real! I can't help but believe that this is what these casts are in real life. I can't stop praising lusi acting enough because she is bagging in this time.

if you watched Gen Z( I highly recommend you do) then you'll understand me when I say, This is literally the opposite of whom she is there! the switch up! wow!

Lusi had me impressed when she was portraying the 17 year old version! it was so convincing! Like I believed she was that age! and when she switched up much Older.. Gosh, give her an award already 😂😂

The ML, this should be my 3rd drama from him (our secret, Mr bad and this) and believe me when I say this is the best from him. His acting here had me smiling each time. he did it so well that I'm forced to believe he was actually the GEGE or an older brother to Lusi! The scenes of him helping her with studies when she was 17..their conversation. it was basically older brother younger one coded. Kudos

The other support roles are currently doing just fine for their forte and roles and especially the one playing Sang yan role. Gosh, why is this my first time seeing him?? he's amazing! And he has the best dynamic for me here with sangzhi. Their brother sister duo is on another level of BEAUTIFULLY REALISTIC ( I can relate lol)

The ost of this show is just benefiting and suitings the lyrics really are speaking the storyline and it's interesting to see. my fav song from this has to be FOREVER LOVE ( too bad they barely sing it😭)

And for the plot? do I need to say much? it's simple yet beautiful.

I basically didn't expect much from it since the plot was not grand. Your typical Crush tale with a pinch of age gap. So I won't call the plot a masterpiece. But what I shall call NICE Is the way the story is being told. the pacing is remarkable. and the storytelling is Ok.

I've seen people ( Annoying people) call this The Pedophilia word or so . Just because FL liked ML from her 14 year old and when he was 19...Like. Excuse me?

Setting Things straight, This is not IT! You can't judge the drama from literally 10 min into ep1. Or from synopsis. This drama ( Compared to the novel of 7 year old gap) reduced it to 5 year old. And not only that, made remarkable detailed efforts to make the narrative suitable and comfortable to view.

Firstly, A fourteen year old having a crush is not a crime! And on someone older is not a crime. unless this so called older person reciprocates the love...The red flag!
But the narrative of this drama was so careful to not do that! Even when the child actor was introduced. There was no Romantic sparks AT ALL. I for one watching only got the stare of the kid as a sisterly stare for ML. Lol. so stop complaining about the child actor there. it was clear with the kid's Arc that nothing Romance was on. She didn't even stare at him romantically 💀

and even when lusi stepped in, the ML didn't like her at her young age. so stop with the false rumours. It's caused by your lack of understanding of the storyline and narrative.

Because basically this drama did a good job to keep a legal Greenflag Romance drama and they nailed it. Just wanted to clear it up.

If I say I waited 1 year for this drama, Then You heard that right 🥹. Basically knew when the drama was announced and when the leads were being picked (I prayed for Zheyuan to be lead because I feared Lin Yin couldn't execute the characters as I wanted 😅) And waited till end of shooting to see this and I have to say..I'm not disappointed!

although I haven't read the Novel or comic because I'm a lazy reader. I still think the drama did a good job it it's aspects and still waxing strong. Highly recommended

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A Classic treat for xianxia Fans

A classic typical xianxia with a Youthful taste to it. the last Immortal had pretty much done a good job in character execution. Turning a simple xianxia plot into something to cherish.



With a unique Youthful feel to it. We get characters whom might come off as Annoying In the beginning ( Because of course they're immature youths lol) and then grow into the mature versions of themselves. One you would journey with and root for along the way. Therefore the characterization of this drama was well done and executed. I personally Enjoyed them.

Plot wise, The last Immortal is nothing new to xianxia. It falls under the basic recycling of Cliché xianxia plots. And it didn't fall short in it's worse way, So to say it really execute the classic Cliché Nicely. So typical lovers of the genre can easily find this enjoyable.

A professional intake into the writing Could note that this isn't the best Xianxia script written. but hey, it's not the worse either. and Considering how Outdated the novel it was adapted from is, I think this really did pretty well. Giving the xianxia feel for it's lovers to enjoy. And it's also easy enough for new xianxia watchers to dive in and enjoy.

I think CIG is a idea that varies in taste. Some have their definition of good CGI and some bad. So to say ,I pleasantly Enjoyed the CGI given here. It wasn't the best and most expensive set (Considering how fast and rushed it was shot and released ) but it wasn't bad. I enjoyed most Scenery and the colour contrast was beautiful.


The OST is something I love! It was heartfelt and beautiful and matching to the theme and situation. So I personally enjoyed the Ost a lot! Obviously going to my playlist hehehe.


Overall the last Immortal is a Drama I found myself engrossed into and loved. And a beautiful story with perfect ending that I cherished ( Omg the fact of the last scene of the ending really moved me) So I would certainly recommend this to all interested to check it out. Don't be Fooled by negative remarks, all drama has that. So Check it out for yourself

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DROPPED WITHOUT REGRETS...TRIED MY BEST

Get ready to be pissed off by one of the most annoying sulky FL of all time... Probably of 2023!

Because that's the most annoying part of this story.

I feel bad for this FL character because she was Just the worse part of this drama.

I already had a red flag when I saw her getting into the dumb student role of the master. and I was right... she kept getting worse. dumber, Dumber.. annoying.. clingy omg don't get me started because she was Just that terribly annoying!

A master and student relationship was supposed to be cute but she ruined it With her forced acting od cuteness. like gurl, you're cute! but don't keep pushing and forcing it with those stupid pouting and stupid talks and mentality! don't Force naiveness! You're being stupid!

And don't get me Started on how the plot development, situations given, and character line made her worse...Like...she was the perfect definition of a Stupid FL who would piss you off in every corner! Like she reminded me of those 3 min ep short mini modern drama series where FL always wore those baby cloths and pout all day long... That's not cute... that's disturbing..and annoying.

For the plot, TBH this plot had the potential but it already started off terrible already..The plot was heading toward the casual terribly executed xianxia..No..this drama wasn't an authentic xianxia. it Looked like a low budget plot mini xianxia drama. I was watching but nothing they did amused me..Their potray was just annoyingly funny and dumb!!

Acting was fair and some better..ML did well...But FL omg!! You're a Good actress but this role made you dumb TBH.

As someone who's a sucker for reverse harem...I feel this drama was pulling it well with that 6 love interest aspect..I liked that but FL omg you're Terrible at that ! stop forcing the cuteness omg

At a point i sat and thought... Wait..who wrote this character and their interactions?? is that how Human being act and interact? Because the FL writing must have been done by a 3 yr old.

Cringe... everything cringe once again because once leads appear,I skip as fast as anything because together they're cringe... especially FL

In all, This drama had the potential but went terribly south and I don't think anyone can see this.. unless you're mentally prepared to get annoyed because yeah.. it's that bad

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WHY ROM-COMS ARE HATED

I wanted to start off strong by saying This type of drama is the reason why people hate ROM-COM genres.

ROM-COM are by no Doubt one of my fav genre in Kdramas with strong woman do bong setting the standard so high with a grand balance of comedy, romance and plot in an exceptional manner, This drama on the other hand.....Is a Pure Joke and an insult to this genre.

With it being tagged ROM-COM, I was Excited for this. Like really really. But with the 1st few minutes of EP 1..my jaws kept falling and falling without any hope of getting up. And why you may wonder, well let's get into that.
Pro.
I think the only pro this drama has is the styling and CGI? Yeah. It's nice. Made the leads look nice on Screen and the setting of the drama is also nice although felt.... limited? Idk. But that was the Only good thing about this show ..tbh.
Let's get to the Bad sides.
Cons.
Plot; It has a plot. Trust me, I saw the plot and it's basically all ROM-COM plot I love. Rich , mostly narcissistic, rude male lead who always don't believe in love. And the typical plot FL who came to work for the guy. And trust me, we always know what happens next ( and I have no problems with it because I EAT UP THESE TROPES LIKE ALWAYS!) but here....sigh.
The plot execution was TERRIBLE. like It was cringe terrible. You wished to make a Modern version of Cinderella ( I didn't say that..the drama literally advertised itself as such) But the execution of a concrete Modern classic Cinderella was BAD. I'd say other ROM-COMs did it better even without advertising themselves as Such.
Like how FL got the job? How they supposedly met indirectly? ( did Bollywood write that Scene?? The handkerchief?) The opening scene of how she even became an orphan or something idk was so BAD. And the follow-up didn't help matters.

Characters: well..idk how to say this ..But I think the Only fun character here were...male lead ( and 2nd lead of course and let's say even the second girl?) The FL character sorry... you're bad and Hella cringe. I liked her in Blooming Youth and thought oh, she'd do good in comedy maybe? And here...The character she was given was BAD. Her execution in the Comedy line Felt so Cringe and hard to watch that I wished she'd get only serious lines and stop forcing on comedy. Maybe the writing of her was bad? Because was never funny. No one was. The male lead I said was rather a fun character but I for one never laughed lol. His character had potential and could be written better. Second guy and even second girl were ok.

Comedy. Ok this is the WORSE ASPECT OF THIS DRAMA. it's downfall. It has the Worse comedy I've seen in like forever now. The way I kept staring at them whenever they make those supposedly funny scenes. I was in shock.

Some might defend and be like, Oh the drama is aiming to be silly and fun and all...No it's not. I know silly FUNNY shows when I see one. And this one is just Stupid. Silly shows aren't funny because people do silly things,Something else is needed. the plot and character needs to contribute to that COMEDY. The situation where the comedy aspect springs up from and the characters has to convey that Comedy as well. But here....No. honestly the characters, I didn't find them funny. Neither do I find most situations funny. The so-called comedy is done badly and rather ended up cringe.

And NOT TO MENTION the random pop up effects and flying up and down that seems cartoonish? suddenly someone is flying suddenly they're running fast.... wait is this supposed to be fantasy as well?? 💀 it's not funny. It's cringe jeez! How is someone suppose to take this as comedy. (note, comedy also needs to be taken seriously as COMEDY for someone to laugh.)
A comparison to other good romcom Would make this even more terrible in terms of comedy.

Well if you find this comedy funny...have fun then.

Romance? Well the banter for me is already bad so I don't know what to say about the romance even if it comes. The bickering duo...I don't find them funny and fascinating. They just bickering almost for no reason. Felt soo scripted and not natural. Just like the rest of the show ...not natural.

ROM-COM is a Tricky genre to make in my opinion. It's either it goes extremely well , or mediocre or BAD like this and some out there. And honestly this could have been done better if MORE attention was put into professional angles of it's story writing and execution.

If the plot was toned down from it's cringe "Fantasy" aspects and they seek to make it actually FUNNY and not randomly throwing situations they presume would be funny. Because a Modern retelling of Cinderella would actually be funny and fascinating to see. And good execution of storytelling and character would nail the comedy fr. Because this drama was making similarities with the story with the names of Cinderella and prince charming in a Korean setup. That was great but the effort to make that SMART, WITTY AND FUNNY, was failed.

It's ok if you like the drama and enjoy it. But YOU enjoying it doesn't make the drama a gem. ( I've been there because there are badly done dramas that I end up liking but still acknowledge their flaws) I'm just making a general analysis of the drama. You can skip the review if you wish and like I always like to say. You can always try it out to see if it's to your taste.

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A MERMAID'S TEARS

Bold, compelling, intriguing... The Story of Pearl Girl is weaving a tale that you certainly do NOT want to miss!

2024 hasn't been donating the best Cdramas so far with few exceptions.. but I'm glad this came along. A pretty decent watch!

Everyone sees the beauty of pearl. They view it with admiration of it's beautiful and excellence but no one seems to know what people go through to get it. Even setting their lives on the line for it. The motto thus being: Dive or die. And so Duanwu emerges from the many pearl divers of this land with the mantra "I want to change my fate" taking on the brave role of working towards it.

A Captivating journey is woven, our female lead steps forward, taking every STEP POSSIBLE to obtain that freedom, even if it's to put her life on the line for that freedom.

The Plot is RAW, A POWERFUL AND EMOTIONAL narrative of a slave girl on a quest for true freedom and redemption. Sailing on a journey of the ups and down on the harsh business world dominated by cunning Men. It's an interesting adventure that draws you in an intimate attachment to our female character, Duanwu. The flow of the plot is Smooth. It's just right for what Is needed. Her development so far is natural, raw yet appealingly driving. It's a powerful plot focussed on our female lead's journey in a quest for redemption where she walks up the ladder of the business world and capturing the power at the top. And Fights to keep it.

Duanwu isn't ONLY a smart Witty girl who works with her brain to scheme and conquer. She IS PHYSICALLY FIT! our girl can fight! She can beat up scumbag men, she can kick ass YASS now that's something you don't see always for such female lead set-up. She isn't afraid of physical actions, she takes risks and slays at it!

The characters in the show are truly compelling. Not all though but the mains are truly something to look forward to. Zhao Lusi has my damn jaws on the floor with the execution of her character. Honestly she did better than expected. She engrossed herself into the role and perfectly embodied the character so well that you could See DUANWU in her. It's no wonder she Fought for this drama and role (since 2022 or so) ( she said she loved the character so much) and I can see how she's perfectly bringing the role to life. I'm honestly impressed.
Our male lead is a complex character worth of study alongside another drama I find interesting, The tomboy. She is certainly a grey interesting character that's always worth being on the lookout for.
Our tomboy ( forget her name haha) is a lady on a quest to make her stand in a toxic male dominated business world. And she is gonna do Anything for that.
The characters here are complex and interesting. Well... Except the 2nd lead who is ..well predictable goodie boy lol ( all righteous) I sorta find his character... dull. But let's see if he gets better I guess.

But Amidst his full character I think the two male leads add value to the female leads journey. Our male lead teaching her on the harsh realities of the business world and harshly training her for it. While the 2nd leads takes her on a morally correct ethics of life. A perfect blend.

Cinematograohy wise, This drama is decent for the genre. It isn't flashy as for a fantasy but for a historical drama of Such category, it's pretty nice. And the UNDERWATER SCENES WERE CHEF KISS. I can't believe it was filmed in a real life water! Excellent! No wonder it was so realistically done. Beautiful.

The Ost of this drama is suiting for the concept of the drama. not by best lineup of Ost but it's actually decent. Especially the Opening theme.

If you're contemplating if you should watch this drama, I'd recommend you check out the first two episodes. Ep1 captivated me at the go! So I believe these two episodes are enough for you to judge. Although I'm confident it'll hook you. You should check clips and see if the genres are something that you'll like, if so then I think you'll love this. It's gripping indeed and overall worth the time.

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I ALMOST GAVE UP ON THE ROMANCE???

I went into this drama only because of Zhao lusi. With little or no expectations from the plot and cast ( Except ML) But I ended up Loving it more than expected.

Firstly, The characters portrayed in this show was simply fascinating. Beginning from lusi to others, It was really fun watching them and grow. Basically from their naturally bad self into a better version of themselves. The quest of transforming our typical 21st century Gen Z into an aspirants of TCM was a success.

But I was most impressed by lusi acting. She is indeed my fav actress for a reason. Her charisma and all, She really pulled it in here. Like other roles of her, she was shining brightly here!

The Master and student relationship here was admirable. Lusi and her dear Master was a fun chaotic duo to watch and it's heartwarming how we watched them grow.

And did I say I almost gave up on the romance in this show?😂 yeah, romance was one of my reason for watching and I was a bit sad thinking the romance was sinking because my ship lusi and ML was all I had. But boom! We got the romance and I had to say. THIS IS CURRENTLY MY FAV COUPLE 2023! The romance was serving ( although romance wasn't it main plot) but I can remember always smiling at my screen at this two. Because they're so cute and cheesy that I want to cry😭😭 I want another drama with them and a romance plot! Now!!

If you're someone who might come for the TCM...Then eh...Based on what I've heard. You might be disappointed 🥲 I'm not someone who is knowledgeable in Medicine so I'm not really interested in the Medicine aspect.

The plot Wasn't so Wow, because it was a calm family/ medicine growth drama. And it did do well in it's aspects of family and medicine ( At least?) And I'd like to say that although, This drama might not have the most realistic approach to TCM, it indeed takes an approach Treating Mental Problem and mental problems through TCM.


It like watching Healing show with TCM, which was nice.

The family was one of my fav aspects because they're so convincing as a real family. And omg, The Older couple are indeed COUPLING 😂

Help, The Comedy 😭😂😂 I won't say much because whenever you see lusi, YOU SEE COMEDY ITSELF! She is a naturally flowing comedic actress. She wears and eats comedy in all movement to compliment her impressive acting.

And I'm new with the ML but Heard he was an Idol and wow. He's indeed good for this being his first time!🥰🥰👌👌 He really did Carry his role well here. and he didn't even give off himself as a new comer.

Other roles were also convincing. either as hateable roles or likeable ones, They were nice and realistically done. And especially the character development was commendable. because not only lusi but other support roles went through this character development which was nice to see.

the OST WAS standard and benefiting. indeed a nice feel added to the whole drama. beautiful song with Beautiful scenery heheh.

One thing I didn't like about this show is the fact of The writer or so wasting this screen time on some stuff that didn't matter or so. some screen time given to some wasn't necessary at all. even though it was..It was given a little bit too much. but hopefully the drama wasn't draggy at all!

When I sit and look at it's name. I wonder why call it Gen Z, and then you realise. yeah. this is a drama where the Old age ( probably Gen X? Gen y? ) Meet the rebellious Gen zs. because in an attempt to pass down their legacy, They have to tame these wild Gen Z and make them learn through the ways of old.

it was fascinating watching various generations clash to make a comfy watch. the old with the Young... Learning and growing.. that was Amicable.

Overall, it's a nicely portrayed show I'd recommend to people who would appreciate such genre. Because it's Indeed a beauty Story told.

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Run, Leap and Maybe fly?

I am really impressed by this drama and how it executed itself. I usually have problems with bad execution or pacing in dramas but this one does surprisingly well in that area.

This is a heartwarming tale about friendship and dreams. And I think it did a good job in that area as it's core point. With characters who shine to dote on and a solid arc for each, this drama did well in taking us through these characters stories ( briefly or broadly) and making us feel them at some point. Especially with our leads. I love how their dynamic goes. Taking turns to help each other at their dark times.

It's a Bromance drama Which was done with with essence beating along with it's good pacing.

And the acting here was great. for a low budget drama I wasn't expecting so much but I like the acting and character execution here. I believe they did great and brought the roles alive. I appreciate that.

And can we talk about the YiRan character? Woah haha. He's so good here and he is super flirty 😭 Reminds me of wen KeXing from the word of honour lol.

it's an underrated show as expected without much promotion or stuff but I ended up loving it anyway because it really did well. and would recommend this show to anyone who fancies such plotline. It's a good one.

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THE WHOLE DAMN PACKAGE: with a cherry on top? + REASONS YOU MIGHT DISAGREE/ HATE THE SHOW

Love next door is my 1st love of 2024 in drama land. With 2024 being a not so good year for dramas (really) I was almost giving up on 2024 to anticipate 2025. Until this show came into my screen.
I had not much expectations of it while seeing trailers and all. I was like, let's go in and see if we gonna drop this like many 2024 dramas I did. And a part of me felt like I would, but ep1 and 2. I took a seat. In the damn front roll!!

Love next door is a tale that brings together the theme of love, dreams, reality, friendship and family dynamic, comedy and healing to tell an exquisite tale.
One would think at first glance that it's a simple tale of two childhood friends turning into lovers. Like I did, but no. It was more than that. It was a tale that not only examines these two friends journeys to becoming lovers, but it bravely looks around these two. Investigating these two's family dynamics and how these dynamics shape them while also surveying their environments. Past, present and future. It looks at not only the relationship of these two but also the two family's relationship. Not on a subploty level, but on a grander scale.

PLOT
Plot wise, It's just one word. SOLID. Like I said the drama didn't take a simple ride on the park of turning friends into lovers. But it got brave and ambitious with its portray, and that did it Marvels. The plot could be seen as a slice of life at some level, one that aims at investigating the relationship between two friends, extending it to the families of these two friends and to the friends of these two friends and even the friends of the family of these two friends. The whole damn neighbour is not free from this splendid portray. It navigates the lives of the people involved in our leads lives, telling their distinctive stories, sprinkling realistic lives into them and using these intriguing characters to shape a grand tale. And like I say, we get our childhood friends to lovers as a theme, but also are given the opportunity to watch the tales around these two friends, family, work , friends. And see how these shape them.
With it's premiere, Most were looking forward to this being a typical ROM-COM. A fluff that focuses only on our leads who are friends falling in love. Those cliché. But I'm sorta happy these drama didn't do that alone. Honestly it'd get super boring. I appreciate the bravery of rather setting up a grander view of things with the characters ( leads and support) shaping the natural flow of the drama. It was nice.
I remember when people began panicking at some point of the show, hating on it when it took a rather serious turn and not being their typical ROM-COM. Well, I couldn't relate because that personally shaped the show so well in the drama. At that point, we got a major event that shaked our characters, bringing these contrasting emotions to play and rolled it towards a mutual understanding. A resolution that sent tears into our eyes. I cried indeed haha. And as the show progresses from there and we saw these characters become "one" and "get their healing" I couldn't help but express how beautiful it got. Each ep got beautiful and I cried in some EPs because it was just so beautiful.

CHARACTERS

The characterization in this show was chef's kiss! One of the strongest points to this show and one of my fav part. When I saw it was the same writer as the hit show hometown cha cha cha, I knew we were in for some solid characterization! And it didn't disappoint. Every character in this show stood out. From those with highest Screentime to least, they glowed. The drama dishes out a bundle of characters, solid in their characterization, and experiments throwing them together to make a relatable watch.
I think this drama did something that I really loved ( Although most probably didn't, ahem.. those looking for ROM-COMs lol) the drama didn't only bring characters ,but they brought Flawed characters. No character here is perfect. We're faced with flawed and relatable characters who merged to make a story. I personally loved all characters and related to all. They were written so well, so realistically. No villains, just real humans facing contrasting beliefs and shaping one another. Friends of opposing personalities and beliefs, families of different opposing problems, they merged to create a sense of real people, friends and possibly a heartfelt family to warm one's heart.
The drama throws these flawed characters at us viewers and watches how we, the audience view them. And our views will vary. Because for Me, I loved them. People hates some characters. (no spoilers) But to me that was just how the characters were written. it was serving a purpose and I liked that. Flawed. had their bad sides. Annoying sides, imperfect side

ROMANCE
The Romance was ADORABLE. I couldn't count how many times I fell off my bed giggling and rolling with the sweetness I got from them. Like omg, the sugar was due to hurt. Haein was super adorable here hahaha. It was refreshing to see him in this role.Our leads had that tension! They had that romance! I was rooting for them so bad. And you know slow burns really do burn when they do. Haha. Our 2nd couple were equally adorable omg. Cuties!! And not to mention our lead parents' romances. It was fascinating watching their romance develop after some cracks.

I enjoyed two Ost here. "What are we" and "Leave it all behind" I remember being obsessed with this song like I cry whenever they play it. It's so good!!

WHY YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE THE SHOW??

The show is a slice of life in my opinion. It's Character driven and not Plot driven

( character driven in the sense that The characters are core of the show and they move the show. they are the Plot and their lives are the plot. They influence external activities and it revolves around them While
Plot driven is basically external activities hitting the characters up and down left and right to squeeze out a storyline. Here there's something activity happening to move the show and not the character's characteristics)

with that being said. I feel that it's not for y'all then so perhaps try seeing if you'll like it when watching further or stop. because Maybe slice of life shows isn't it for you. because I've seen Many watch some slice of life and say it's boring. Yes the setup could be boring for most. Because Nothing is literally happening and you watching the characters lives. Thus in such case You'll have to LIKE THE CHARACTERS TO like the show. Because you're literally watching these characters lives. so if you don't like the character enough to want to journey with them for hours then it's a miss for you. you probably won't like the show. Just like here. So some , like me, like slice of life and some good character driven story. So hope this helps.

Overall I'm grateful to LND for bringing such an entertaining tale to our screen. The moments do waiting weekly for episode was a bliss. It really accompanied me through this weeks. and I hope anyone interested should give the drama a go. Irrespective of the negative comments ( which some are clearly forced) and see if they'll like it or not. Because in my opinion it's really a fascinating tale worth being checked out by all. But then again all is subject to their own opinion, so feel free to drop if it's not to your taste.

LND family, I'll really miss y'all.

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A Youth Tale that Said More

Ok I wasn't skeptical about starting this rather was excited and when I did I was like wow! I miss Highschool drama lol ( One of my fav genre) This is the first Cdrama I actually liked in 2024 and completed lol. And Overall it's a beautifully written highschool tale about real KIDS

Pros.

The storyline was Great! I mean it was nicely written compared to most crappy writing we get. I was even suprised how things were flowing in order and in rhythm. like It kept hitting the right beats of a story structure. Plot wise,it delivered and I'm grateful.

the characters shine! their acting are suiting. I'm impressed on how these characters did a good job in bringing their role to life. Like they did so good! it's not a drama where the leads outshine alone and make other characters feel...Sub. Here they shine together!

The theme of youth was good. I think it really showed how kids behave. their naive speculations, their ambitions and all. was conveyed nicely.

I like how this drama didn't like the romance TAKE away the plot. I mean you have Youthful Romance but You Still have it's plot of Teens growing up. and that was nice.

This drama wowed me with the topic it took on later in the drama. like It got a bit..... Heavy? later on. Like it was Nice! I liked that and it got me curious for more on how these kids react to these.

Cons.
I actually don't have lot of bad things to say...not much. But well I did skip some scenes. like after 10 EPs I had some skips but that doesn't mean it's bad! it's that those scene are stuff I might not fancy. But it was still comprehensively good.

I didn't skip because it felt Unnecessary, nah I think the pacing of this show was amazing.

it's an underrated drama I'd recommend to anyone like if you like highschool youth tales then don't sleep on this one because it's so good

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#LEAP_TO_TOP

Grab your Popcorn, sit tight and get ready for a bumpy ride into the WILD world of the E celebs!

This drama had me in all my addiction. Because I went into this one without Any expectations. Like zero! zero expectations! I saw people watching so I was like. ok let's see ( and I didn't even know any of the leads or what the plot was 100% about) and I'm glad I did see it because wow. I'm speechless! so far Since January to now...July. this is literally my Best Drama so far. the only drama I've given a 10/10 so far in 2023 so far. and you might ask why?

let's go!

The plot was something that took me for a wild ride! the idea of highlighting the wild and dark life of online influencers and Celebrities was something Realistically told and done! I fear the topic of exposing the world of the E celebs might get this drama some hate from those who were triggered lol. but someone Needed to spill some tea! and this drama did just that!

The Comedy wasn't heavy here but it was there. the romance was a subplot but it was something I rooted for so hard. The lead couple was so compatible and cute together that I want another drama of them lol. sadly.. Romance was subplot. But that was good because it had more time to focus on more important stuff!

The Mystery here was soo good. might not be the best but it was JUST GOOD! IT had me on my toes like asking what happens next? what is what? who is who? what's gonna happen omg. that feeling of suspense was real and perfectly executed.

I felt they put nice and decent effort into the script and suspense and it was worth it. because the execution was witty and nice

The characters is something I want to give a standing ovation for because WOW. they were wild and amazing. like I said I don't know the lead ( Only recognised few supports) So I was massively impressed. I feel like they all carried out their roles so we'll Even the annoying character had me wanting to punch them so hard . lol. it was just good. And FL?? FL? Gosh! I hail her acting because it was My cup of tea.

I personally love the FL for her Sassy and badass role here. She did it so good that she always made me proud whenever she was onscreen. She was a realistic character everyone would relate to. I want to have it, I want to rise to power, I want to show them all..Yeah. she was That and I loved her for that! Revenge was served by her so hard!

The ost was something I personally enjoyed. would obviously add to my playlist hehehe

The best thing for me about this Drama was the concept it was going for.. That's the idea is Exposing the world of the E celebs. I was amazed by how it was portrayed. A lot of work was done here.

I loved how each EP began with FL doing some livestream that has everyone in shock ( no spoilers, you should watch now!) And that best part of it all was her speech. The FL talks on the livestream was amazing. Her words were superb! her quotes, her spilling tea of how FL exposes these internet celebrities with truth wow!

and don't get me started how how each EP starts with a hashtag! Unique!

"Do you remember the first cheat code of getting into their world?" How Iconic! her speech were Purely facts!

#LETS_ CONNECT

OMG now I'm in love with hastags😂

And I think this drama did something good. they didn't only speak from the perspective of the E celebs. but also spoke from the thoughts of fans. Lackey? who would enjoy being called on?😂( If you know you know hahah)

all that was talked about in this drama were facts that I enjoyed watching hahah( Guilty Kpop fan here haha)

Seriously, I'd recommend this one to anyone who is interested in seeing something with this concept because it was done well. I don't even get why people say it's bad..No it's not. Some say it's confusing? dear... It's a mystery genre so.. You don't expect it to be self-explanatory 😭😂😂.

And some didn't like it were basically triggered but it's massage. anyways Highly recommended to all. So stop scrolling and watch now😭😂😂

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A GENUINE YOUTHFUL FEEL

Done with this and I can say it's a pretty decent highschool school. Typical yet nicely done. Started this with little to no expectations and in ep1 I almost dropped Since I didn't like some tropes in it. But gosh I'm glad I stuck to more EPs ( Because I've already downloaded like 10 so... Lol) and it got better for me!

It's a pretty nostalgic highschool tale said to be set in 2008s or so. The youthful feelings were genuinely and so was it's execution. I enjoyed the characters in this show and their childish interaction and I most certainly enjoyed their growth.

They all had dreams and it was fascinating to watch them work towards it. While facing their obstacles, each characters did shine in their own light and it was done well.

The parent's had their tale which was most certainly intriguing and how it influences the kids. I found the family dynamic heartwarming and natural since the squad were basically childhood friends lol. So the families lived close by.

As a highschool Story it did touch some aspects of teens and all. And I appreciated that. The romance was there, just the type of romance you'd expect from a highschool tale. Not over the top and I like that. There were like 3 couples and my fav were basically the 3rd. Han shuai and guo ting. I loved their bickering dynamic and how they went about their feelings. I'd love to see more of them. And the leads were adorable,no. Everyone was adorable haha. The never ending school saga was Relatable, especially since they were in their final year.

I pretty much liked this show and although it's not wow or the best in it's category, it was pretty decent and I enjoyed it. 21 EPs were ok for it and I'd be intrigued if they had more for their university arc lol.

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Good ...But... Underwhelming?

This drama had everything perfect for it's plot.
Good characters..Good plot,... amazing execution and flawless execution.

But for some reason....It was rather underwhelming in many ways.

I still can't put a finger at what that is..But for some reason..the calm atmosphere and all... seemed...Bland?

not in a boring way ...But just bland.

The Plot was ok and all but it wasn't that type of leave a great impact on me. it didn't leave any bang at all...I think I'll simply forgot I even watched this in like a week.

and for some reason...I couldn't help but keep comparing it to Tomorrow kdrama.

Both shared a similar concept...But this was rather... Underwhelming. Maybe because I had high expectations? idk.

And no.. I didn't even cry at all..yeah... story sad but No... didn't Cry.

but I won't say it's a bad drama. no! it's gold! and I'd recommend for anyone who wants to see. maybe you'll love it because I didn't. Execution was nice but like i said.. Underwhelming

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BORA + DEBORAH = PROFESSIONAL LOVE LESSONS!

This has to be one of the most realistic take on romance genres out there.. Especially the breakup aspects of the drama. like that was so damn on point.

People tend to believe that break up and coming back as a kickass female lead and slap ex blah blah is the standard and how humans should behave but girl... That's only what fantasy tells you. have you ever been in a breakup?? let Deborah tell you and show you how it really feels!

The acting was SOOO on point that I feel in love and grew up be fond of each role! like it was nicely shown. especially FL! omg she had been wishing I had a bestie like her!

The Plot was one in a million. I've always loved series's where we're given quoted and speech on love topic and theories and this drama was Just that.

I loved the concept it gave. a Love couch with a relatably fascinating character ends up Heartbroken by ex for the first time...how she went through it...In a very messy way..and overcomes it all.

it was saddening but realistic watching how she overcame it all. that is how you describe one going through a breakup!

Unlike what most drama show u, FL gets cheated on..next day she's walking and flying and face slapping up and down... Girl.. That's a lie😂 Unless she didn't like ike him in the first place.

But this drama took us through DEBORAH messy recovery from a breakup and how she found love again. Interesting.

what I love most about this drama is the love theories we're given omg I'm gonna head back and write down for future reference! Bora really said all that was neede to be heard. the love lessons here cupped with the quote was so on point and epic.

Deborah says!He's a jerk😂

It's so fun to watch. the comedy was another thing to die for because she is really killing the rom com and I love it!

a drama where all the couple are equally Lovable. and I love how each couple represents a certain societall couple. like the older guy younger girl, married couples and their issues and young love..and let's not forget the divorcee haha.

and I really love the manuscript Bora wrote in the end. because that ending was SOOO perfect like how she ended it was a Gem. I'm gonna end my book like that too,🫣🫣

All in all One of the best drama 2023 which is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED and I'd recommend to anyone out there. watch it now!

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