Encounter

Beautiful, evolving love story

Beautiful, evolving love story.
OST is wonderful.
Cinematography is at its best.
And such chemistry between Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum💞 I wasn’t familiar with FL and she is lovely, and of course 박보검 just lights up a room
Fantastic, supportive cast.
My suggestion—Skip episodes 14 and 15.
I don’t think these two episodes were written or produced by the same team.
ML and FL acting out of character, dramatically different vibe, and way too long to cover a short, unrealistic break up.
Rewatch value on this one is off the charts.

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It was the best

Encounter is one of those dramas that doesn’t rush to impress you; instead, it asks you to slow down and sit with it. From the very first episode, the series establishes a quiet, almost meditative atmosphere where emotions are expressed more through pauses, eye contact, and unspoken thoughts than through loud dialogue. The romance between Cha Soo-hyun and Kim Jin-hyuk feels delicate and restrained, shaped by circumstance rather than impulsive passion. Their connection begins in a fleeting moment of freedom, yet follows them back into a reality filled with social pressure, hierarchy, and expectations.

What makes the drama especially compelling is how it contrasts two very different lives—Soo-hyun’s emotionally confined world of status and responsibility versus Jin-hyuk’s simple, sincere approach to life. Instead of turning this contrast into melodrama, Encounter treats it with empathy. Jin-hyuk’s warmth never feels unrealistic, and Soo-hyun’s hesitation never feels frustrating; both are understandable reactions to the lives they’ve lived. The drama allows its characters to grow quietly, choosing subtle development over dramatic turning points.

Visually, Encounter is stunning. The cinematography often feels like a painting—soft lighting, carefully framed shots, and a lingering sense of nostalgia. Even ordinary moments feel meaningful, as if the show wants you to remember them the way you remember fragments of your own past. The soundtrack complements this perfectly, carrying a gentle melancholy that lingers long after each episode ends.

Ultimately, Encounter isn’t about grand romance or shocking twists. It’s about timing, emotional freedom, and the courage it takes to choose happiness when the world expects you not to. Watching it feels less like following a plot and more like experiencing a quiet emotional journey—one that stays with you, not because it overwhelms you, but because it understands restraint.

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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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Video Prose Poetry

Anything revealed in the first two episodes is not considered a spoiler here.

This is a reverse Cinderella story with a rich older woman running a major hotel chain who while in Cuba meets up with a much younger man from a humble background. She’s robbed and left in desperate straits while out and about in Havana. The young man saves her and they spend the day together not knowing each other’s backgrounds. Their meeting occurs outside the normal social class context in Korea that would have dictated their initial interactions, and so a seed is planted for a relationship as each triggers something in the other.

Upon returning to Korea it turns out he is a new recruit in her hotel chain.

Back in Korea we learn more background. As a rich younger woman she was forced into an arranged marriage to further her mother’s and her mother-in-law’s political ambitions. The couple divorce after two years (husband caused) and two years after that the encounter occurs in Cuba. The ex mother-in-law and her mother scheme ruthlessly to get the original couple back together to further the evolving political ambitions of both.

The pacing in the first several episodes works and the story proceeds at a sedate but acceptable pace, but somewhere about half way through there’s a drag. Certain conflicts are signaled but don’t happen until much later and then off screen. Towards the last few episodes some interesting plot twists occur and the pacing picks up but the damage has been done for some viewers.

This slowdown midway is a deliberate choice by the writer who I suspect wants to dwell on the inner conflicts of the CEO and the young man, and the impact their relationship would have on those around them. They are after all not in Cuba in isolation, but back in the larger cultural context and that fact has consequences.

The rich CEO character is a good woman struggling to break out of her class strait jacket, her gilded cage. Even her closest confidants constrain her choices. She can’t open the car window for fresh air to avoid catching a cold. The young man brings out her inner true self trying to win release from the external demands demanding conformity and obedience. The CEO is just holding on barely fending off the overtures of her mother, ex mother-in-law, and ex husband who also makes it clear he wants to get back together. Meeting the young man was a breath of fresh air but back in Korea there are too many complications to pursue things further.

The young man is basically as saintly as they come and his family is average but happy and well meaning. The CEO notices the contrast with her family and also knows that continuing a relationship with him is going to risk the happiness of his family as the collision between his peaceful happy if humble existence and her cruel family complications will have consequences for him and his entire family.

The CEO’s mother and especially the ex mother-in-law are some of the most evil ‘stepmothers’ you’ll see in a Cinderella story.

Song’s acting as the CEO may seem controlled or smothered, but that’s the character she’s playing, and later as her character goes through liberation there are several scenes in which her acting talent is on full display.

Many of the scenes are picture poetry as there is heavy reliance on images and symbols. Note the background art often in particular shots for each character especially the two leads. Often enough I was able to enjoy the lingering on particular images or scene set ups.

The script and directing are well done throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the first several episodes so when the pacing lagged a bit in the middle there was no doubt I would continue, and I was glad I did. The reveals in the last half and the plot twists rescue the production from the slow pacing in the middle.

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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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