Give it a try!

Normally I don't like this type of complex political-type show, but a lot of my friends were recommending it so I decided to give it a try. Honestly, I'm really glad I did. As a person who has anxiety and really hates misconceptions in shows, this drama had quite a low amount of plots that had me super anxious. Instead, it's really cool seeing how Mei Changsu is going to navigate the latest dilemma and what things he's got hidden in his sleeves. I absolutely loved his character, as well as Prince Jing, Meng Zhi, and Fei Liu. The acting for everyone is amazing. Even if you hate the character, you have to respect the actor and the script-writer for their work, because I was amazed every time. This show really gets you invested from the second episode (the first has necessary set-up) and really makes you want to re-watch to see everything that you missed, especially if you're like me and haven't read the novel. There are truly no filler episodes, and the only tiny thing that lagged was the semi-romance but frankly it wasn't at the forefront of the show so I didn't mind. I really recommend it, not only because of the plot, but because every aspect is really well done.

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Such a good show

This is one of those shows in which you really have to know the culture to appreciate properly. A lot of people watching it are watching it with a western mindset, which very much impacts the enjoyment of it. The importance that amae, as well as cultural interdependence, plays on this show is huge, and it needs to be in your frame of reference to understand some of the characters' more... questionable actions.

Now, I'm not saying that their miscommunication nor their more toxic traits were okay, but it is important to have the Japanese culture in mind as a reference while watching. If you want to go into more of a deep dive into this, I can suggest a post by notfreetoday on Tumblr (feel free to ask me for it).

Now, into my own reaction of the show: I loved it. This show reminded me of my early manga-reading days, when the only translations available were fan translations of really blurry scans. Both actors were amazing at portraying their emotions, and the chemistry between the two was off the charts.

Segasaki's insecurity whenever Yoh wouldn't treat their relationship as seriously as he did was portrayed wonderfully and expertly, and whenever Yoh couldn't pick up on the amae that Segasaki was putting out, you could tell how hurt Segasaki was. Conversely, Yoh's confusion about what their relationship is and his desire for Segasaki to be more straightforward with him was also beautifully portrayed.

I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and both of them growing and clueing in to what the other's communication style was (a bit, haha. They definitely still have work to do there). The last episode was very satisfying for their relationship, and made me wish for more episodes with them. However, I do think it ended very well and that the episodes they had were perfect for the story they were trying to convey.

I recommend this to those who watch a lot of Japanese shows and/or are familiar with the culture. Yes, there are some questionable aspects, but watch it more with an open mind! (Also, let's remember: this is fantasy! It's not a real relationship, so we're allowed to enjoy it for what it is.)

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No, thanks

I'm just really tired of the "pretending to be gay so the fujoshi girl notices" trope. Like, do you think a person who thinks you're gay will actually notice you in a romantic way? No! Also for the other couple, the stepbrother is literally a stalker, crossing lines that should not be crossed, and people think it's romantic? I think if this one had been released five years ago, when the quality of BLs wasn't as great, it would've gotten more stars from me. But now, we've got great comparisons (We Best Love, HIStory 3: Trapped, Be Loved in House, and more) that these tropes and non-consent stuff just don't do it for me.

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Great for binging

I actually really liked this show. Maybe it was the right show at the right time, but it satisfied everything I wanted from a show. While this season was not a continuation of the first, I think that was the correct thing to do, especially since I didn't like the characters as much as I did here.

It did take me a little while to remember who is who, but once I placed the characters it was much easier to keep track of each of the three couples.

The first couple, Lee Hyun and Kim An, were what I'd call the main couple. Their story (or rather, Kim An's story) was what took up the most screentime. Kim An's backstory was dark but realistic, and the only gripe I have with it is that I wished he would explain it more to Lee Hyun (but maybe that happened offscreen once their relationship is more established). I also think Kim An's not-really-a-friend (can't remember his name) gave up a bit too quickly, but that's likely due to the runtime. I would have liked to see him suffer a bit more for everything he did to Kim An, but I guess it was realistic since bad people don't always get what they deserve. However, being that they're the "main couple," I was a bit disappointed with their kisses, especially when compared to those of the other two couples. I realize that J-min is a kpop idol and might not be as experienced in acting/kissing as the others, but this isn't the first time we've encountered idols in BLs and there have been idols who kissed well (Semantic Error, anyone?). But apart from that, the story was sweet and I am always a sucker for a character that sticks by someone even when things get rough and they're pushed away.

The second couple, Min Woo and Ma Roo were probably my favorite, even though it was full of clichés (maybe because they're done well). I loved Min Woo's pining and Ma Roo's obliviousness, and also super loved the whole "pretend we're dating to make him jealous" trope. I was a bit surprised that they Ma Roo clued into his feelings a lot quicker than expected, but maybe that's to do with trying to fit three storylines into ten 20-minute episodes. Their kisses were much more than what I expected from a K-BL and left me having to replay them, for science ;).

And that leaves the last couple: Joo Hyuk and Sung Min. They didn't get as much screentime but likely because their relationship was comparatively simpler. It was just courting and a slight misunderstanding, and then they got together. I enjoyed watching them on screen, and their kissing scenes were probably the best out of all three couples'.

The last episode was pure fluff and giving the watchers what they want, and I was grateful for it!

All in all, this was a fun watch. It's easy to binge, but I do think if I had to wait every week I would have probably not been as into it as I was watching it all in a couple of days. Even so, it was a pretty solid story. Yeah, it probably could have benefitted from a few more episodes or a longer runtime, but as it is, it's up there among my favorite K-BLs.

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Worth It

Oh boy. As soon as I started watching this, I knew it was going to be a sad ending. I could sense it from the cinematography, from the actors, from the plot itself. However, that didn't detract from the show, I think it actually enhanced it. There are some stories that are only good because of the bittersweet-ness. If this had had a happy ending, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much since it wouldn't have been as poignant a story.

If you know me, you know I don't generally like sad stories. "Why watch sad stuff when there's already so much sad stuff in the world?" I always say. But this, this is the exception. When the story is so good, the plot and the actors and the writing is so well done, I get it.

So let's get to it.

First, the acting. While I've seen better acting, I do think the actors did really well. It's hard to convey the complex emotions this show requires. Grief and love are not easy emotions, and I think Komiya and Inoue did wonderfully given that they don't have a lot of acting experience as the main characters. Personally I think Inoue had the harder job -- it's hard to portray a character that is stoic most of the time and has to act more with micro-expressions. I think he did a really good job with that. I'd also like to shout out Otomo's portrayal of Kagami -- I really liked her character, she did well with the relatively little screentime she had.

As for the plot itself, I liked it a lot. The pacing was done beautifully with the exception of the last episode -- I felt there were a bit too many plot reveals at the very end, but I also don't know where else I would put them in the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the writing -- this is definitely one of those shows that makes you realize how beautiful life and love is, exactly because you can see it ending. It makes you realize just how special the sweet is because of the bitter.

Do I think everyone should watch this? No. There are some people who won't like this type of story. But I do think if you're on the fence, you should give it a shot. I didn't regret it, and I don't think you will either.

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Very touching and entertaining

As soon as I started watching the first episode, I couldn't stop. I binged this show in two days and honestly don't regret it at all.

I feel like I learned a lot about the kpop industry. I already knew all of it, but I think it hadn't really hit home how horrible some of the kpop practices were until this show really highlighted them.

My favorite story was by far EunJo and Annie. While they didn't have as much screentime as the rest (since their story was mostly told in flashbacks), it was the story that had the greatest impact on me. Of course I loved watching MaHa and Kwon Ryok's romance bloom, but EunJo and Annie made me cry - I felt their love in a very real way. I will say though, I really enjoyed the comedic relief that Kwon Ryok provided (especially when trying to figure out his feelings). I found myself laughing quite a bit during some of his scenes :)

Yes, this show has some loop holes, but its pros very much outweigh its cons, at least for me. I really loved that each character wasn't perfect; they all had their weaknesses and strengths. I felt like it made the story much more realistic when, for example, we see that Kwon Ryok didn't handle EunJo's situation as best as he could have, because it sends this message of "No, these people aren't perfect. But they're trying." It also reminds us that to err is to be human, and as long as we're trying to be good humans, that's all that matters.

I'm actually glad that real idols were a part of this. I feel like it adds to the authenticity, and also to maybe the weight of this story. These idols are shining a not-so-positive light on the idol industry, and I think that's really cool.

Of course, the ending might not have ended in the most realistic way (Shax was able to get off pretty scotch-free; we didn't see any backlash from MaHa and Kwon Ryok's relationship being public), but honestly after the emotional rollercoaster episode 11 took me on, I think I needed that ending.

All in all, I say good job. It might not be everyone's cup of tea (see what I did there? Tea Party?) but it was definitely mine.

(By the way, the only reason my rewatch value rating is so low is because EunJo and Annie's story, although very beautiful and touching, really did a number on me emotionally, and I'd need to be in a very specific mindset to watch that again).

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Sweet and fluffy

I really enjoyed this drama. While the main couple were flirting, pursuing, and angsting it was a great watch! I really loved the ML's acting - you could feel his inner conflict and pain when things were tough for him and those close to him. The FL was also really fun to watch. She is girly and sweet, but also knows how to stand up for herself (especially with her ex).

Both characters are mature adults that make decisions that make sense and that was my favorite part about this show (apart from the acting). I felt like their characters were real, not those over-dramatic characters I see in some dramas. The problems they faced were realistic, and their reactions to them were also realistic.

There's honestly not too much drama in this show. Once the main couple got together, I felt like the show got a bit boring - it was cute and fluffy, don't get me wrong, but not much happened. I felt like a lot of it was filler. But overall, honestly it was good! I don't think I'll re-watch but I'm very happy with how it went.

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Cute!

I loved that this South Korean BL was actually a lot longer than most S. Korean BLs: ~30 minutes and 16 episodes! It's a full-on show! Not only that, but the sweetness of high school crushes and the bitterness of the truth of being LGBTQ+ in S. Korea was a really nice, realistic balance. I liked that they reacted in realistic, high schooler ways. Not only that, but we got an HE!! I didn't expect to get a kiss, and I was okay with that, but we got TWO kisses at the end, which was amazing. I loved this entire show (except for Lee SoHee... I feel like her character development didn't make sense) and will definitely rewatch in the future. I'm not normally a huge fan of love triangles, but I think they did it well here. Hope we get a season 2!

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Started out great, ended okay

I am a huge fan of the whole fake-marriage-to-lovers trope, so I decided to give this a try and I'm glad I did.

The show started out great, and I had many moments where I really loved the plot and the characters. I liked Okado's unconventional thoughts on marriage and sympathized a lot with Momose's unrequited love. Momose was sometimes unintentionally funny, and I enjoyed their dynamic.

However, I feel like Okado fell in love with Momose way too quickly. By episode three, she already realized she liked him. This gave us seven hour-long episodes of her trying to deny her feelings or trying to find ways to get Momose to love her back. Even so, I still enjoyed the show a lot and was very willing to continue to watch.

There were a few cringey moments, especially when Okado misinterpreted Momose's actions or words and went full-steam ahead with her perception, but it wasn't too bad overall. However, episode seven and eight had too much filler. While I can understand the reasons the characters are doing what they're doing, I honestly found myself just speeding up to get to the point the plot would move forward.

I rarely say that a show should have been shorter, but the pacing of this show was so strange. With the current plot, the show would have worked better with eight hour-long episodes instead. Or, they could have paced it better to fit the ten episodes without filler.

Also, I'm not sure I completely understand the conflict in episode 10. One thing that I get frustrated with during shows about is the lack of communication. They tell their friends the exact reason they're mad, but they expect their partner to magically read their minds? While lack of communication was a recurring trope in this show, it got worse as the show went on. Okado got mad at Momose for assuming things (which he shouldn't have done) but then she herself refused to communicate her expectations to him. It was frustrating to watch at times. However! I do think some of the things I didn't super understand regarding Okado was because they were reflective of Japanese society and culture, neither of which I am a part of, so it makes sense that I don't understand where she's coming from. Watching while keeping that in mind made the show more enjoyable for me.

One small detail I actually really liked - the title card of the last episode changed to fit the current situation. I was actually hoping it would change every episode to reflect their situation, so when I saw that it did actually change in the last one, it was really cool to see.

I am excited to see that there is a spin-off with Makihara!! I felt that Okado really took advantage of him and unfairly brushed off his feelings. He really got the short end of the stick so I am excited to see how his story pans out.

Anyway, although the pacing could have been better, I still enjoyed this show.

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Enjoyable, but not great

Not bad, not great, but enjoyable. The plot sometimes was a bit all over the place, and some things seemed too easy at times, but the two MLs' chemistry was very nice to look at. I'm hesitant to say that I wish it was longer, because while I do want things fleshed out, I'm not sure they would flesh out the right things if they were to make it longer. I know this was technically a bromance and there were FLs and all, but I much preferred the two MLs together, even as a bromance, and was relatively happy with the ending. It's a good watch if you're bored and looking for something to watch, but don't expect too much!

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