Encounter

At first I do hesitanting, Park Bogum and Song Hyekyo are classified as A+++ class actor but since I dont really like romance kind of drama. 1st episode I just wowing the entire thing, production house and screenwriter did their best for make a romance story not so childishly teenage love story or overly adult story in another drama just your everyday romance story. I'm feeling Something In The Rain all over again~~ plus realize that Park Bogum begin his flowery 20's age journey and Song Haekyo vampire beauty could win you right away to watch it. The supporting characters are not just for accessories but they could absorb viewers quickly to the story; like how we hate her ex in-laws mom and biological mom, the ex, the supportive secretary and daddy long-legs Mr Nam.

The cinematography SUPERB, every episode did fill a lot of colours. I really love the scene in Cuba, not only took scene in popular site but they tried to picturize the charms of old Havana, the street, the garden, I love it all. The sunset just to give us viewer a description of main character feeling, a warm and happy since both of them not really have an exciting moment in life especially Cha Soohyun her life just like a cold winter and shackles everywhere for our male lead Kim Jinhyuk, he suffers a burden of breadwinner since he is a 1st born male but luckyly he surround by a good family and friends.

The BGM and OST are top rate, when watching I dont know why but my heart beat so fast and happy pheromones leaking. I seriously dont know that Cuba have those beautiful places but after watching these I do want to go there. The sunset so beautiful~~

Btw I'm in awe by Kim Hyeun actress as Manager Kim after play as Park Hongjoo congresswoman in Son: The Guest, she in here play as a single mom who have a lot of love to her subordinates, loyal to Cha Soohyun and the elders; Manager Nam and Soohyun's father.

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A fairytale romance so beautiful that it moves you to tears

I have seen around 100-150 Asian dramas most of them are beautiful but only 3 dramas including this moved me to tears and had my heart going 'I want a relatioship like that' (The other two are Meet Yourself and It's Okay To Not Be Okay). The plot is about an older woman who comes from a powerful family and a younger man who comes from a common family.

The casting of Song Hye-Kyo and Park Bo-Gum could not have been more perfect. The emotions are so rich and vivid that I had to skip some of the scenes the first time around because they overwhelmed me.

It is one of those dramas where nearly everything is perfect. There are only two things they could've changed to make this drama perfect:
1. The trope of the evil mother-in-law (ex-mother-in-law) and the controlling mother. Personally I think this troope is overused in Asian dramas.
2. The lack of communication before doing something and 'I am doing this help you even if this isn't what you or I want'. The characters trust each other no matter the circumstances which takes away the reality aspect of it but this is a FAIRYTALE ROMANCE so it didn't bother me too much.

I love all their little moments and the growth of their romance from an ember to a raging fire, breaking up and then evolving into each other's soulmate is something I loved.

Aspects I loved in this romance:
1. The chemistry, I cannot stress how good the chemistry is between the two actors. Even the way they look at each other makes my heart tingle.
2. The MLs positivity where he has an attitude of everything is gonna be alright as long as I persist.
3. The side characters who support both the ML and FL in their tough moments and gibe them amazing advise.
4. The comedic moment which feel natural instead of being funny for the sake of being funny.
5. The older woman who is already gone through life and younger man who is just starting out trope is something that I always liked and this drama is no different.
6. The bits of poetry and philosophy that the ML tells the FL as advise and as support.

Finally, I have a feeling that I am going to keep rewatching this drama again and again until I die. It's so romantic that it makes me feel lonely, sad and happy at the same time.

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Romantic story and that's it

Well I think the show is too long.
I don't agree with most reviews I saw because, for me, it is not a slow romance. The romance is there from episode 1 until the end. But...
Episodes were too long, almost nothing happened, only the way they deal with the pressure of society and family.
PLOT - good original idea but plot was very boring, with very dull Vilans...
Should have developed more the other actors
ACTING - good acting for me.
OST Interesting. It is always good listening Cuban music also
REWATCH? - Don't think so. It is frustrating the pace of the drama, not the love that is present, but the stupid pressure of all the surrounding actors.

The ending? If it is so slow, I think they should have deliver more closure. Also i think they could close the other relationships.
I don't understand why, in simple plot dramas, it is not so pragmatic the ending... Why leaving open relationships?

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A Postcard Romance That Forgot to Send the Feelings

Encounter is the kind of drama that makes a stunning first impression. It arrives dressed in sunset tones, full of poetic framing and wistful music, whispering about fate and freedom and all the aching beauty of a love that feels slightly impossible. You sit down expecting to be swept off your feet — and for the first couple of episodes, you just might be. But then the story settles into a rhythm so soft, so cautious, that somewhere along the way, it loses its pulse.

There’s no denying that Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum look beautiful together. Their chemistry is tender, like a memory you don’t want to disturb. And that’s the thing: it’s all so delicate. Their relationship unfolds in polite conversation, lingering looks, and the kind of silences that are meant to speak volumes — but often feel more like ellipses that never finish their sentence.

Song Hye-kyo’s Cha Soo-hyun is a woman wrapped in quiet sorrow, composed almost to a fault. There’s a weariness to her that feels earned, but the drama seems afraid to let her fully unravel. And Park Bo-gum’s Jin-hyuk is essentially a walking warm breeze — idealistic, endlessly patient, and so pure-hearted it almost hurts. But that gentleness, while lovely in theory, leaves very little room for actual tension. You don’t wonder if they’ll be together. You wonder why the story seems afraid to let them actually feel the things it keeps hinting at.

Thematically, the show reaches for rich territory — the push-pull between personal freedom and social expectation, the quiet desperation of those who’ve lived for others for too long. But instead of diving into those ideas, Encounter tiptoes around them like it’s afraid of breaking its own aesthetic. Every confrontation is subdued. Every dramatic beat, muffled. It’s a drama more concerned with maintaining mood than deepening emotional stakes.

And look — the mood is gorgeous. The cinematography is soft and cinematic, with shots that linger like paintings. Havana is a dreamscape of color and contrast. The hotel sets are bathed in warm light. It’s all very romantic... visually. But at a certain point, I stopped feeling inside the story and started feeling like I was watching someone else’s carefully curated vacation photos. Beautiful, but distant.

There are moments of genuine connection — especially early on, when their meeting feels serendipitous and open-hearted — but they’re rarely followed by anything that builds. The show coasts on the idea of emotional depth without ever truly sinking into it. And as the episodes go on, that fragility becomes less poignant and more frustrating.

Encounter isn’t hollow. It’s thoughtful, intentional, and sincere in its way. But it’s also incredibly safe. It flirts with melancholy without ever embracing it, hints at rebellion without ever defying anything. By the time it wrapped, I wasn’t angry or disappointed — just slightly wistful, like I’d been promised a symphony and got a lullaby instead.

It’s not a bad drama. It’s just too polite to make a mess of your heart.

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was beautiful but could have done more in those 16 hours then this

1 ) I enjoy this drama until few last episodes i skipped them because i really don't understand there breakup at all
2) What with MLs brother this guy is there for nothing i thought they could have developed a 3rd couple with him and MLs bestie but they did nothing for whole 16 hour , they were so focus on Main story that they ruin everything else, side character are there to be used in story but they all look separate from main story even FL's ex-husband was like after 10+ episode he want FL back and was doing so little to get her back like he wasn't serious about that at all or he doesn't value her at all then he try to sack her off from her position which somehow will make her fall for him ? what weird logic was that.

Main story was most focus thing of the Drama without giving any side character any importance
i like main story had watched 2-3 time but after watching it more then once,
i really feel they wasted 3rd couple.....

I don't get the logic of alimony in this drama ,
how she was given a position of CEO as alimony in which she can be kicked out anytime they want ?
should she had received Company stocks, or the ownership of hotel as alimony.

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The most underrated kdrama to this day -- A rivew after the 6th watch

Due to the male lead being the best friend of the ex husband of the female lead in real life, this show was not accepted well in Korea. For international fans that are obssesed with bad shows like true beauty, they don't get the maturity of this masterpiece.

This drama is a wild ride, a ride of joy, healing and growth. A drama that shows you what a healthy love is and how to "love". It feels like a novel, like a poetry, like the warmth of the spring sun after a long european winter. The writer of this drama intentionally made the script feel like some sort of novel, every conversation they exchange feels straight out of a book. How they comfort each other, how they love each other, how they express their feelings.

Starting with cuba, the first two episodes make you so invested in this dreamy romance tale.

Acting is 10/10. I couldn't think of other actors that could express these lines, these emotions and the age gap so perfectly. FL is the mature Song Hye Kyo that have been through a lot. Very calm, mature and elegant. Park Bo Gum (ML) is the eptiome of youth. A good student like personality, the responsible older brother, the nerdy book lover.

This drama OSTs have been on repeat since 2020 for me.

I truly recommend people that love calm mature romance like "One Spring Night" and "Pretty Noona who buys me food" to watch this drama.

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YOU NEED THIS REVIEW TO WATCH THIS DRAMA!!

FIRSTLY, the description given about this drama in the synopsis is doing the drama BAD. The drama has more to it than just that! Let me start by saying this is not gonna be one of the dramas you watch and regret wasting your time. I started this drama mainly because I'm into Noona Romances. This drama brings out a lot of emotions both happy and sad ones, and also gave me a new insight in life as well. The drama is correctly paced and the most realistic drama I've ever come across in my watching of K-drama's. Many a times when I watch dramas based on life I often wonder "how can this be possible?" or "there's no way this can happen in real life!" even though they aren't fiction or fantasy. This drama left no place for doubts like that and it potrays a very mature and strong relationship between the leads.

STORY: The overall story is quite wonderful! but kdramas always have a plot twist which you never expect. I personally think this twist wasn't really necessary as the drama by itself was going on really well!

ACTING: I couldn't have asked for a better casting than this, both the actor's brought out the life in their characters exceptionally well. For all of you saying the casting is a wrong decision, I would say y'all are blind! SHK and PBG's expressions as well as their acting couldn't have been better!

OST: The OST was a blessing to the ears! Right from when they were in Cuba to the ending . The music coordinated very well with the scenes! and enhanced the ambiance of the situation as well.

The only time when I was disappointed was when episode 13 ended. After that it was kinda unexpected and when everything came back to track the happiness was very short lived. I wasn't able to experience the joy of the drama I felt all along. It would have been better if there was 1 more episode added to it after things got back on track.
But overall this drama is ONE OF THE BEST dramas I'VE seen!
I WOULD STRONGLY RECCOMNED IT!! :)

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I enjoyed watching this show very much, that said it's not as light as I thought it would be, based on the reviews I've read on this site. In fact I think the melodrama tag is completely justified, yes there were no major tragedies, even so there was a melodramatic vibe throughout the entire drama. (melodramatic music, many ppl being perpetually unhappy etc, cinematography)
Song Hye-kyo was really amazing, maybe this was her best acting performance to date. Usually in kdramas I really hate interactions with foreigners, because both the foreign actors (seriously where do they get those ppl?) & the Korean actors speaking English all embarrass themselves so much, that I find it hard to watch, here however the Cuban scenes were surprisingly good. The foreigners spoke English naturally with a normal-ish Spanish accent & our main characters were also speaking like how I would expect a normal Korean to speak English in real life, it was actually believable. The secretary lady & that fat driver were also awesome!

I could go on and on about the positives, but the other reviewers already mentioned all the important points, so I'll just list what I did not like:
1, The ML looked like a female version of Matt Damon. I'm completely used to effeminate looking male Hallyu stars, but this was on another level. (too heavy on the lipstick YO!)
2, There is an insane amount of twisted logic, like that retarded clause ..
3, I didn't like any of the 3 mothers
4, The end of episode 13 was unnecessary & for me that alone made episodes 14 & 15 meaningless fillers.
5, There is that side character that only has one role, which is to recommend that W drink to his coworkers (and to us obviously).
6, The second ML hasn't had a single scene without having teary eyes, I hated his character even without this but ..
7, The ending could've been longer & more satisfying. (still it was ok)

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I dropped this after 8 episodes, before resuming my watch months later.
I thought it became rather stale at that time, but the development picked up quite a bit in the second half.

There's nothing groundbreaking in the story and the writing is pretty average.
What saved this drama was the directing, which elevated the writing above what it was.
Chemistry was very good, which was unexpected for me since I couldn't see it by their visuals alone.
They make quite lovely onscreen couple, SHK and PBG.

I love love love the OSTs. Made way into my playlist which I kept on repeating for quite a while after I finished watching this drama.
Still listen to them sometimes now.

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I think the best way to review Encounter is to talk about episode one. Absolutely phenomenal opening episode (in fact, the show is pretty amazing until episode 13-ish). The best I've ever really seen from Korean Dramas. The rich cinematography is right on display with the beautiful scenery of Cuba and South Korea. The great introduction for our main leads, allowing us to learn their motivations and dreams outside of the environment we'll typically see them in. Soo Hyun and Jin Hyuk's introduction and how two opposite people are able to connect so beautifully in a neutral zone and develop intense feelings for each other. Despite age, class, circumstances being worlds apart. It was a strong beginning and Encounter is able to mix usual K-Drama tropes, such as disapproving rich in-laws, themes on social class and the typical break up at the end only for the couple to get together, with good storytelling, great down to earth acting and scintillating chemistry. And not just sexual chemistry either because it's not that. It's certain chemistry that makes you feel like they make each other happy as human beings. It comes off so well and makes the show worth watching without factoring other plots and characters. Encounter is far from one-note. Don't get me wrong. There is plenty to love in this series. And while the finishing episodes aren't quite as strong, There is a good chunk of quality.

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