This review may contain spoilers
Let's start with the good stuff first. The first half Itaewon Class is amazing! The acting is on point, the story line is great, and I think that you can truly feel the emotions of certain actors (*cough cough* Park Seo Joon) when they are on screen. Although I have watch many K-Dramas, I have never seen one with a black character (that wasn't an extra) or a transgender character. I think that was very refreshing. Another thing that was refreshing was that no matter what obstacle the IC/Danbam group went through, they always came back to support and comfort one another. I loved that so much. But for some reason things started changing half way through the show.
My biggest issue was Jang Geun Soo. His random change from being the nice innocent part of IC/Danbam group to being the antagonist was so weird and kind of annoying. I understand that he liked Yi Seo for a very a long time and was trying to win her heart, but does it make sense to destroy everything that she had worked for and think that she'll come running into your arms? Like, what? She even told him that she doesn't like him in the way he likes her but he still continues to pursue her because of something she literally said YEARS ago. Get a grip dude. His character became increasingly annoying because he made it clear that the only reason why he was doing all of these terrible things was to get Yi-Seo who had publicly said on multiple occasions that liked, no LOVED, someone else.
And then Oh Soo Ah. She was just an annoying and forgettable character also. She would do all of these things to hurt Danbam but then would go and apologize to Sae Ro Yi right after. Her apologies meant nothing to me, which made them even more irritating. I understand that the chairman was the one making her do all of that stuff but still, why did Sae Ro Yi continue to forgive her? There were some moments that I think that he was just way too nice. He should have dropped her earlier and stopped forgiving her. She is hurting him on purpose. There's nothing stopping her for leaving Janga and going to Danbam (I can almost guarantee that she would get a job there if she asked for one). Instead she just continues to hurt She Ro Yi and Danbam. And then out of no where, she is now just another pushover Janga employee when Geun Soo shows up? Huh?? She was the chairman's right hand woman for so long but since Geun Soo made a prediction that was wrong, she's not anymore? The show just started confusing her character at the half way point and now she is just as annoying as Geun Soo.
This is going to turn into a long rant if I continue.
I haven't finished the whole show yet, I am almost done. I don't hate it, but there are definitely some characters that are getting on my last nerve. They are just so annoying and random at times.
I'll leave another review once I finish the show, but so far I would recommend it to others. It's not on my top 10 K-Dramas list but it is pretty good.
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The story apparently took a few detours from the original webtoon that it was based on, but this also makes it stand firmly on its own. The storyline was so well crafted, manipulating the audience into cheering for the heroes of this tale and despising the villains. This is a very typical hero vs. villain saga - Saeroyi is the underdog with firm, unwavering principles and that natural born leadership that will make you a loyal follower of his in no time and CEO Jang is that bastard big man who takes advantage of the power he has. Because of this approach, and the graphics used, it does seem very comic-book like. As someone who loves comic books with a burning passion, this made the show all the more entertaining to me. For those of you who do not, it may seem a little cartooney at times, but don't worry, if you hang in there I promise it's worth it.
There was remarkable consistency in the storyline, which I greatly appreciated. Heck, even the side characters all got justice in their own way. The writers tied up every single loose end, which made watching this drama through to the end all the more worthwhile. One thing I will say about the storyline is that it deals with some very unfortunate themes (imprisonment, crime, violence, death, privilege, etc). All of these themes are delivered to us through rose-tinted glass. They are very real and the characters definitely feel the force of them, but we as viewers have the pleasure of simply watching it all from our comfortable homes on our expensive laptops/TVs/phones.
Enough about the story - the acting.
With a cast as strong as this, you can expect strong results. Park Seo Joon particularly deserves a shoutout. I'm convinced at this point this man can literally act as anything and he will pull it off with perfect precision and consistency, which is exactly what he did in the drama. The rest of the cast was remarkable too, and even if you hated the character, you couldn't help but love the acting (which was the case with Ahn Bo Hyun with me, hated his character but damn did he do a good job!).
Areas to Improve: Yi Seo. Kim Da Mi's character. I'm certain other reviews have complained about her already but I think we need to drill this in a bit more. Though I appreciated that she was supposed to be the polar opposite of Saeroyi and provide some storyline tension that way, she was such an annoying character to watch that at times I wished she would just be removed from the drama altogether. As well, something that is introduced to us about her in the very first episode is that she is a sociopath. If you keep this in mind for the whole of the drama, it is bearable. BUT, this fact was only introduced at the beginning and I don't believe it is revisited. It also wasn't really brought up at the end either nor do we ever see her go to a counsellor ever again. Some consistency with the sociopath arch would've been nice to see.
As well, Yi Seo promotes a very unhealthy message about crushes. Try, try, try again and eventually they'll fall in love with you? She kept pestering Saeroyi to the point that it made him uncomfortable and kept shoving everyone else away in a very possessive and insensitive manner. I understand that it is part of her character traits, but still, an incredibly unhealthy and immature message. (Though keep in mind, many other dramas do the same with male leads instead...)
Finally, the love square. I really appreciated the fact that this drama didn't jump into the romance right away and kept it on the backburner as Saeroyi went about accomplishing his goals. It was pushed to the sidelines in the story because it also wasn't a priority for the main character. Makes sense, right? However, the love square that was constantly dangled in front of us was so tedious, predictable and annoying to watch. Frankly, I believe that it should've been pushed to the sidelines even more.
Don't let these things deter you from watching the drama however. It truly was a gem of a show and as a bonus, was the most diverse show that I have ever seen. It did feel a bit like checking boxes at one point (got an LGBTQ+ person? check. got a coloured person? check?) but still, there is no other drama so far doing it like Itaewon Class, so props to the entire cast for making inclusivity a priority. It truly is a good example for others to follow moving forward.
And finally, I'd be horribly amiss to not mention the visuals or the OST. I never once skipped the intro theme, partly because of the music but also because of the beautiful graphic art depicting all of the characters. The aesthetic of the pub and really the whole environment around them was beautiful (truly like seeing the world through rose-tinted glass!). The OST is INCREDIBLE. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT SO MUCH. So much so, that it is my new favourite drama OST of all time.
From the story to the acting to the visuals/OST, this drama despite its flaws is a revolutionary piece that deserves a watch immediately. Truly, a 21st century show.
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. ,..........................kffu dum it is only a few minutes ago to me in your memory of the world is only a few minutes to get the best of luck to you and your family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family and friends and family
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THE BEST
I don’t even know where to start. from the beginning this drama is such a hit that keeps you still in your place. I wasnt a big fan of park seo joon and didn’t even know kim dami but after watching this i fell in love with kim dami’s acting.Ki Dami played her character soo good that it was worth watching it multiple times. She was the most bitchiest, annoying, narcissistic, insensitive, jelous, cool, strong, intelligent, hard working, and THE MOST LOVING character that loved park saeroyi more than anyone could.
Whatever she did, she did it out for love for him. From the beginning its always been him for her.
I would definitely recommend this drama to everyone
And park seo joon’s character was also very well delivered to the audience we could see the hurt, revenge and love for his people and his never changing attitude.
Overall a worth watching drama. Definitely should give it a try!
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Most people hate it because their hate stem from their dislike to the female lead. You will see despicable phrases to describe her, but don't worry it's not true or entirely true. They completely wiped out all other parts of her character as if those qualities don't exist. The writer is a pro. Now the writer may lack focused on other areas (nobody is perfect), but do you really believe the writer will make his FL so despicable? You see only a few people hate our female lead (if all the people who view this drama positively were to comment, not a single negative comment will be visible in succession). Don't worry about what they say about the FL, she is fine.
Anyway what do I like about this drama?
1. Story Flow. In the first episode, I already knew I was going to love this drama. Itaewon Class is well paced and keeps you interested.
2. Acting. Everyone in importance did super well. There's something about Park Seo Joon that's really captivating haha, I think the answer is he's so good at acting and at the same time maintain this air of charm. And thanks to this show, I get to see a new talented face: Kim Dami. She's pretty amazing. And of course our villains, they were awfully good at being evil.
3. Characters. We have a wide range of characters that reflect society to some degree. There are interesting leads with touching backstories/thoughts/actions that makes you care about them. Realistically, in life not everyone in a relationship are good saint like people. Even the people who had bad attitudes based on the environment they grew up in can eventually change and find love. All kinds of people exist in this world, and for Itaewon Class to show a quite opposite female lead was refreshing and interesting.
4. A bonus: Devoted Lover Character. We got FL who is devoted to the morally path ML. Who doesn't want a person who love them a lot (but will try to respect your values (assuming you are a moral person) as long as you say it)? And kinda cool, but there's like a direct opposite relationship. I guess you could say there's one other character A who is devoted to another character B, but character B is not morally path.
5. Cinematography. The shots are beautiful. You will be well fed.
6. Music. We got a lot. The musics are really good too and served their purpose well.
What I don't like about this drama?
1. Villains. I'm just not buying some of their characteristics that the author implanted to them because based on their history/achievements/orlackofachievements it just doesn't seem plausible. But I realized in the end there is a chance for the villain to become that way, it's just that it wasn't a high chance imo...so maybe if the chance was higher (by adding more compelling reasons or showing that a reason was compelling), I would accept it more.
2. Some weird meetings. character A meets character B, but if you think about it character B could have denied the invitation but why did character B accept the invitation or why was character B not notified of the invitation or be surprised???...idk so it's kinda like forced meeting by the writer.
3. That one plot device. The author made a certain event too easy to occurred, that it doesn't seem realistic. Without spoiling: at the end of episode 15.
However, I really like the drama overall, so I can overlook these things.
What I wished was included (but it does not affect my rating)?
1. expand the episodes to 18. The pacing will still be the same, with the ending of episode 16 occurring in episode 18, but I want more scenes of interactions between characters and of course between our leads. I believe in their character development, but adding more scenes will create a stronger foundation. And like I said about the villains, make a bit more scenes to explain why they're so twisted because I'm not really buying it. idk maybe I'm not supposed to understand the villain because their mind are twisted and that's why this don't affect my rating.
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some problems with womens?
there are no mothers, no wifes, 1 is a sociopathic, 1 is a selfish who waits to be saved, a granma is a loan shark and a manager single is searching power… and last… the only lovely, sweet and comprehensive “girl” is a transgender REALLY??? SORRY? some problems ??? and MEN… the good one became a traitorous shit, the bastard only worst, the big boss another bastard and the leader… I know very true with his principles but why “virgin and pure” till 35??? next time do Saint Francesco … the only moment i felt joy was when appeared PARK BO GUM, Thank you!Was this review helpful to you?
storyline: The storyline has its twists but it is continual in one thought. It is not so much revenge or avenging but for a person to take responsibility for what they have done. I wished everyone even those in corporate or government to take responsibility for what is intentional or not intentional. What I love about this is the diversity of actors and how it brings that diversity onto the screen. What I hate the most is discrimination against a person's skin tone, gender, age, disabilities, weight, height, the poor and middle class, and religion. The awareness is in this drama! I understand a little more as I couldn't stop thinking about this drama. For a minute, I was angered because I thought Park Seo Joon was killed off. That's what I get for not watching Ep 15-16.
I didn't understand and asked myself why Itaewon. Was that all true to what I was watching? I did some research and found this link on youtube. you should watch it which has changed my mind on how I rated it. I understand South Korea a little more. Itaewon is the only place in South Korea where you can feel Freedom and Diversity and that was explained in this drama but not as clear as I wanted. So here is the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OutGsIwEg5o It's in English so no need for subtitles.
It always comes down to a triangle romance in these dramas but were no females fighting so that is a good thing. I wanted Park Seo Joon's character to end up with Oh Soo Ah. The chemistry was not there for Park Seo Joon and Kim Da Mi. The kiss was there for Park Seo Joon but I'm sorry not for Kim Da Mi.
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This review may contain spoilers
decided to watch this bc its famous
the headline says it all, that's why i've decided to watch it. i'm half of the episode one and yeah they talk about depression and things which made me interested since i also feel that way, maybe it could give me advice or some but when i'm like at the timestamp 30:00+ i realized that it's too long and boring. yeah, i dropped it that fast. some ppl said that they felt the same way so it's up to u if u will watch it or not. i think it eats too much of ur time tho. ANYWAY the good thing here is they also said that it's just like that so that u'll get the pov of each character but i just think its too long for me so i dropped it. BUT it'll be good on the next episodes (i guess)Was this review helpful to you?
Interessante mas...
Itaewon Class tem tudo que eu gosto em um drama, como uma boa história, ação, suspense, comédia sendo que esta está na medida certa, o que eu aprecio , já assistir vários dramas que tinha tudo para ser interessanta mas foram arruinados pele exesso de comédia.Outro fator que me agradou bastante nesta série foi a protagonista feminina Yo Si Seo, ela foi incrivel, foi bem despresivel e infantil as veses porem para mim foi um grande destaque . A personagem foi bem intensa a atriz atuou muito bem interpretando ela. Eu adoro protagonistas femininas inteligentes, determinadas pró ativas e bem vestidas. Quero deixar claro que realmente desprezei a protagonista em boa parte do drama, ela de fato era desagradável mais ainda sim me chamou atenção.
O protagonista masculino foi fraco, bem sem graça, era uma boa pessoa mais não me impactou em nada, parecia uma porta sem expressão, dizia palavras bonitas mais não me convencia; falando nisso outra coisa que não me convenceu foi o romance, o cassal não tinha quimica estavam mais para irmãos do que para um casal, se não tivesse romance seria mais interessante.
Um aspecto admirável foi a amizade e a lealdade mostradas no drama, esse sem sombra de duvida foi o que mais me chamou atenção.
O inicio deste drama foi incrível, digo os 8 primeiros episódios eu realmente me agradaram, eu fiquei grudada na tela e cada vez que acabava um episódio eu queria continuar para saber o desenrolar da história, porém a história foi ficando repetitiva e cansativa para mim, ainda sim interessante mais cansativa, a história da vingança já estava batida e tudo corria em um loop infinito.
Em fim não me arrependi de ter assistido, valeu a pena porém não voltaria a ver, uma vez já basta.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mais... cette claque !
Je me suis longuement demandé si je devais faire une critique sur ce drama, car, vu sa note élevée et les commentaires que j'ai pu entendre dessus avant de l'avoir vu, je me disais que tout le monde allait forcément sauter dessus. Ensuite, je me suis dit que j'avais tout de même envie de partager mon ressenti et me faire plaisir à moi aussi pour, ne serais-ce que pendant le temps de cette écriture, replonger dans les souvenirs de cette série.Je n'ai pas trouvé beaucoup de points négatifs, j'ai du même me creuser la tête car le drama est presque parfait d'après moi, je vais ici vous détailler mon impression sur les différents niveaux que j'observe dans un drama:
l'histoire :
Bon, je ne vais pas me lancer dans un résumé car vous pouvez lire la fiche du drama. Je vais plutôt vous parler de l'histoire au sens général. Iteawon Class nous emmène à travers un parcours initiatique, celui de notre héros Park Sae Roy. Il nous montre de quelle façon il change et grandit à travers ses rencontres, ses épreuves et ses combats. On est, dès le premier épisode, complètement immergé dans la vie de notre héros et on ressent les choses comme lui le fait. Le drama a cette force que jamais on ne sort de l'action et je dirai même qu'on ne sort pas indemne de ce visionnage.
Dans cette série, on ne souffle pas une minute, pas forcément à cause de l'action mais également à cause de la charge émotive contenue dans de nombreuses scènes.
Certains râlent disant que la romance n'a pas sa place dans ce drama et bien, je ne suis pas d'accord, Itaewon Class raconte la vie, non seulement du héros mais aussi de son groupe d'amis, et la vie est pleine de plein de choses et notamment d'amour.
D'autres voix, disaient que la fin était bien mais que « comme d'habitude » il fallait sacrifier à l'habituel happy end. À ceux-ci je répondrais que d'une, Ben oui on est dans un drama, faut s'y faire et on a assez de problèmes de nos vies pour se réconforter avec un « roudoudou », pour certains c'est manger un chocolat, pour d'autres c'est regarder un drama avec l'assurance d'avoir un fin qui finit bien (moi je combine les deux, d'où l'effet « roudoudou » comme je l'appelle) et de deux, j'emprunte les mots de notre cher écrivain Jack London : « Ce n'est pas la destination qui compte, c'est le voyage »
Enfin, ce drama est connu pour cela, il met en avant des sujets tabous en Corée (comme dans d'autres pays d'ailleurs) comme la représentation à l'écran de personnes métisses, de couleur ou faisant partie de la communauté LGBTQIA+. Ce qui est bien, d'après moi c'est qu'elles ne sont pas mis sur le devant de la scène comme le font nombre de productions (notamment en France) comme pour dire « Vous avez vu, on en a mis! On en a mis! Félicitez-nous! ». Non ici, elles sont simplement intégrées au groupe, on raconte leur histoire, on développe les personnages, on explique leurs difficultés mais comme pour tous les autres personnages.
Mais, ici réside aussi l'un des seuls points négatifs que je reprocherais à la série. C'est le fait de n'avoir pas pris d'acteur de couleur coréen ou un véritable acteur transgenre mais l'effort déployé n'en ai pas moins fort louable.
Ce qui m'amène à la catégorie suivante:
Les personnages :
Alors, je ne vais pas présenter Park Seo Jun (Park Sae Roy), c'est un fabuleux acteur et il sait tout aussi bien jouer dans Itaewon Class que dans What's wrong with secretary Kim ou She Was Pretty.
Je voulais plutôt parler des rôles de méchants, et ici, on en a deux beaux! Tout d'abord Yoo Jae Myung (Jang Dae Hee) qui possède un palmarès impressionnant et qui nous plante un méchant qu'on a tout de suite envie de détester mais aussi un méchant particulièrement intelligent et stratège, c'est pourquoi, je pense, il joue au jeu de Go dans le drama.
Ensuite le deuxième, et non le moindre, Ahn Bo Hyun (Jang Geun Won) qui sait se rendre tellement détestable que j'ai envie de rejouer la scène de l'œuvre HunterXHunter où je serais Gon et lui incarnerais Neferupitô (les fans comprendrons). De plus, il plante un personnage tellement écrasant de bêtise qu'il ne faut pas être un surdoué comme le personnage de Kim Da Mi (Jo Yi Seo) pour réussir a le tromper.
Ces deux là sont tellement exécrables qu'on ne peut pas éprouver ne serais-ce qu'une once de compassion pour eux et d'ailleurs, quand, à un moment, ils se font une accolade père-fils, j'ai eu autant d'émotion que quand je range deux cuillères dans le compartiment à couverts de ma cuisine.
Enfin, je dédie une mention spéciale au personnage incarné par Kim Dong Hee (Jang Geun Su), c'est le bon gars, le second lead mais je suis vraiment désolé.e pour lui.
ATTENTION SPOIL :
à la fin, il repart un peu une main devant, une main derrière. Il aura tout perdu pour finir, et je suis tout de même triste, j'aurai aimé une meilleure fin pour lui.
FIN DU SPOIL
La réalisation :
Le drama nous emmène dans des quartiers de Séoul souvent bien différents de ce qu'on voit habituellement et c'est dépaysant même si on reste dans la même ville. J'ai beaucoup aimé également la façon de filmer durant les chutes ou quand les personnages courent on est vraiment inclus dans l'action.
Ensuite, il faut parler des regards. Très souvent dans le drama tout se fait, se dit par les regards et pas besoin de décodeur ou d'explication les acteurs ont cette capacité à tout transmettre et c'est une des force de la série, pas besoin de paroles et ces échanges, même s'ils durent, ils ne coupent pas l'action ou le cours de l'histoire car la tension est plus que palpable.
Enfin, je ne sais pas si c'est volontaires, mais j'ai remarqué que très souvent la caméra se fixait sur les mains des personnages qui faisaient comme une transmission de leurs émotions, leur ressenti par ce biais.
L'OST :
Voilà pour la dernière rubrique, la musique, alors je ne suis pas ce qu'on peut appeler quelqu'un de mélomane, j'écoute de la musique (notamment quand j'écris, que je cuisine ou sous la douche) mais j'ai une mémoire de poisson rouge mort pour retrouver les titres, les noms des chanteurs ou même les paroles (vive Chazamme, je l'écris comme ça pour ne pas faire de pub). Mais je dois avouer que plusieurs musiques d'Itaewon Class m'ont donné envie de faire comme le héros, d'aller courir (j'ai une relation durable avec mon canapé pourtant!), m'ont donné la pêche! Donc mention spéciale pour Start Over de Gaho et surtout Diamond de Ha Hyun Woo
Voilà, cette critique arrive à son terme, j'espère ne pas vous avoir endormi sous mes écrits mais plutôt vous avoir donné envie de voir ce petit bijou comme il devrait y en avoir plus et ce dans tous les pays.
Maintenant à vous de vous faire votre avis.
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Você não precisa se encaixar num molde que não foi feito pra você.
“Itaewon Class” foi mais do que um dorama pra mim — foi um empurrão emocional com trilha sonora épica e murros na cara com pegada de esperança.🥢🔥 Não é só sobre montar um restaurante. É sobre erguer um império com as próprias cicatrizes.
Comecei achando que seria mais um drama de superação.
Mas Park Sae Roy apareceu com aquela franja cortada na régua, e eu entendi: isso aqui é sobre lutar até o fim, mesmo que a vida tente te derrubar 20 vezes.
O dorama aborda tudo: preconceito, elitismo, racismo, identidade de gênero, desigualdade social e a tal da meritocracia distorcida. Mas o que me marcou de verdade foi como cada personagem carrega uma dor e uma força tão reais, que me vi torcendo não só pelo protagonista — mas por todos que estavam com ele no bar DanBam.
✨ “O mundo é injusto, mas eu escolho não ser.”
O roteiro tem falas impactantes, reviravoltas bem dosadas e um ritmo que respeita o tempo do crescimento.
Nada ali é fácil.
Ninguém chega lá de graça.
E isso me fez mergulhar na cultura coreana de um jeito mais profundo:
– entender o peso dos conglomerados (chaebols),
– a pressão sobre o homem como provedor,
– o preconceito contra estrangeiros e minorias,
– até mesmo o fenômeno dos BLs (Busan Lovers, ou como dizem por aí, os homens coreanos que idealizam mulheres estrangeiras).
Mas tudo isso sem romantizar.
Com crítica, com dor, com construção de identidade.
✨ “Você não precisa se encaixar num molde que não foi feito pra você.
Você pode criar o seu — e servir soju nele com orgulho.”
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This review may contain spoilers
A vida é doce
Se a vida continuar amarga, continue até ela voltar a ser doce. É isso.Eu acredito no momento certo (talvez tal qual a Yi seo) e mesmo sendo dorameira tem três anos e amigas minhas dizendo que eu tinha que ver, esse era o momento certo. Nada como ele pra dar gás aos meus sonhos e acreditar, continuar.
No geral, eu gostei muito do drama, diferente de outros com tema de vingança achei ele um pouco mais lento no seu desenrolar mas não afetou a história, ela tem seu próprio desenvolvimento e eu gostei muito assim. Pra mim foi o melhor papel do Seo Joon, sem dúvida alguma. Não consigo expressar a força dele nesse papel, no personagem do Saeroyi, é realmente tudo isso que falam por aí e muito mais. A história dele com todos os personagens ao redor foi muito boa, gostei de cada ênfase, o círculo dele era a fortaleza que o fazia continuar, sem isso acho que não teriam ido tanto pra frente. Sobre o romance pra mim a soo ah eta uma personagem muito irrelevante, o saeroyi lutou por todo mundo mas não tinha ninguém pra lutar por ele e a Yi seo fez isso, ela fez muita coisa do jeito errado mas ela aprendeu e ela nunca exitou em dizer que gostava dela, pra mim a soo ah so queria que o saeroyi ficasse dizendo que gostava dela mas nunca dizia o mesmo ou lutou por ele sabe? Gostei do meu casal e dos casais secundários, como a hyunyi e o seung Kwon (pra mim são casal sim) e a Sra Kang e o Sr oh, lindos demais!
A OST desse drama? Eu amava escutar a do gaho desde antes mas agora tem todo um significado diferente. A vida vale a pena ser vivida e se não vale ainda procure motivos para que valha.
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