this had everything:
+ a slow natural "friends to lover" relationship.
+ no cliches, or better yet realistic twists to the cliches (like the girl "rivalry")
+ a normal 2nd ml that didn't secretly love the fl
+ a cute friendship
+ female power
+ dimples everywhere!
+ a male lead that apologized and didn't over step his boundaries, ie a real "nice" male lead
+ girls taking care of their own "problems"
+ and the best part, the nice healing plot development~
I kinda wish it was longer though ;(
the ost highlighted the strong female characters well, and I rarely rewatch things so it's either 1 or 10 ;p
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Satisfying & Beautifully Shot
I'll be honest, I started watching purely because Hani was in it and I like her. However, it's a solid drama and definitely can stand on its own, all bias aside. The plot is simple to follow but entertaining and really rewarding—it's a nice, compact little story that doesn't have many huge twists, and everyone gets what they deserve in the end.It's short (10 episodes of ~25 minutes each), but I feel it does as much as it can with such a limited run. The characters aren't super fleshed out, but this doesn't detract much from the plot. The little we know about the characters is all we really need to be invested in them/their stories, and that works for me. I honestly did not care about the romance whatsoever, but it was sweet. Hands down the best part was the female leads and their volatile dynamic—Hani and Hwang SeungEon have great chemistry together, and it made for a lot of intense scenes. For me, they were really what made this drama worth watching.
All in all, the acting is great, the costuming is good, the music is decent (Sunmi's OST really sets a "revenge" mood, though I felt some of the background music was odd at times), and the cinematography is surprisingly fantastic. Visually, it's a beautifully shot and produced drama, especially considering its budget and scale. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it, and probably will watch it again. Though it can feel rushed (particularly near the end), it's a great length for casual viewing and has a story that's easy to get into each time.
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I want more...
I was debating wether this is a 8, 8,5 or 9 title but considering it is a web drama it is actually pretty good, no not just pretty but really good compared to other web dramas as it actually has a pretty decent story, depth, interesting characters and quite a few fun scenes and dialog and my oh so beloved romance, even if the romance takes a back seat to the friendships and drinks in here.The acting was ok, some actors were better than others, the cinematography good for a web drama, and the bingaebilaty very high.
The female lead is fun, bad ass yet vulnerable and though I may not support all her decisions she is pretty lovable
The other female lead is a blast, she is cool on the outside a fuzzy broken teddy bear on the inside, watching her attempt to heal is not only entertaining but heart fluttering to watch.., And yes i did ship those two... As I am sure most viewers did, as they have this great enemies to lovers/friends vibe and chemistry through the roof.
The Gay best friend is not an over the top stereotype, smart, a bit scary in a waym the type of person you truly want to stay on good terms with to say the least...
The dynamics between the three is a lot of fun!
The male lead has a gaze that can melt any one.. he is understanding, patient, and does not exhibit a single flag... just fuzz and hoodies all around.
The PPL is well incorporated and is part of the plot.
The other males are there to show us how society and men often gaslight and treat woman badly... the complete opposites from mr fuzzy hoodies... They have flags, they are flirty, they will make any girl doubt herself and seem to think woman were made for their pleasure and fun... yes they are complete #€#€%%%%# that are also completely full of them selfs... And serve great warning on what type of guy not to date...What I loved about this show was how they managed to show the girls as pretty vindictive and bad ass without making it seem to easy to leave relationships where psychological abuse is present. so an extra star for that!
So yes I recommend this drama, it is of course not flawless, but it will due for some entertainment and I admit I do feel oddly empowered after watching this... A show my younger self (before I got a fuzzy teddy bear of my own) would have needed!
I just wish. it had more episodes...
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The show isn't really romance focused, but instead emphasizes on revenge and friendships. I personally loved that it took this unique approach (for a webdrama). The bits of romance were still enjoyable since it was all quite heart-warming. I loved seeing a healthy relationship and a male lead who was kind and patient for once. The characters were imperfect but that only made them more relatable and interesting. For a webdrama with short episodes, this show did a phenomenal job with the development.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this show to anyone who wants a quick, meaningful watch. Keep in mind that this is a webdrama with a few 15-25 minute episodes; thus it will probably not be the best show you have ever seen. However, for a webdrama coming from a smaller company - meaning limited money and time - it really did the best it could! Thus, I would give it a 10/10 for a webdrama ((:
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Take the time to watch this.
It’s a feast for the eyes - it has a film noir feel to it. Filmed a lot in shadow, with brown/dark tones. Everything has been well thought out, the rooms, the clothes and the makeup all flow seamlessly together, with nothing out of place. The use of closeups was very well done, especially when the bartenders were mixing drinks. The two female leads work like yin and yang, one extremely overtly classy, selfish and insecure, the other more understated and comfortable with herself. The entire cast was very good, and they were working from a great script - a lot packed into five episodes, with no wasted scenes. The music added to the overall feel, from the pounding techno, to the use of a single, droning beat whenever someone entered the bar. This show was a joy to watch!Was this review helpful to you?
Friends,Enemies,and Cocktails
XX (2020)If you’ve read any of my recent reviews, you’ll know I’ve been deep in a drama slump—digging through old titles like a sentimental hoarder, trying to find something that slipped through the cracks. This time, I filtered by noona romances. Yes, I’m proudly part of that club. No, we’re not weirdos—some of us just believe that age is more of a suggestion than a rule, especially when the younger guy looks like that.
Anyway, I stumbled on XX. From the title alone, it sounds like something that barely made it past the censors—or like the working name of a scandalous secret society. But setting aside my trauma from every show that starts with "X," I gave it a shot.It actually has heavy cast before they all became famous,namely Ahn Hee Yeon a.k.a Hani(Call it love,Hit The Spot) Bae In Hyuk(The Story of Park's Marriage Contract)and Lee Jong Won(Brewing Love)
The plot? Simple but sharp. Two female friends turned enemies thanks to a third party who clearly had nothing better to do. Our leading lady is a bartender.She is cool, quiet, and allergic to nonsense. She mixes drinks like magic and carries herself like she’s got zero time for melodrama. Enter our male lead—her junior, her student, and inevitably, her romantic interest. Because what’s a noona romance without a little swooning?And thank drama gods,there were no "am too old for you" lines.You wont even notice she is older than him.
Now, the bar setting deserves its own paragraph. I told a drama pen pal that it feels like a cozy pub tucked somewhere in the back alleys of Dublin. You know the type—dim lights, mellow colors, the kind of place where people drink the same cocktail year-round and the bartender knows all your secrets but takes them to the grave. I don’t drink, but I wanted to crawl into that bar and never leave.
The story stays laser-focused: no subplots, no love triangles, no extended family drama with conveniently missing parents. Just a clean arc—friends to enemies to strangers to… well, you’ll see. They’re forced to confront each other, their past, their guilt, and maybe find a way to heal.
My only complaint? I wish it had two more episodes. Just enough time for everyone to hug it out and maybe sing "Kumbaya" under those amber lights.
Quick, clean, and surprisingly touching. XX is one of those little gems that knows exactly what story it wants to tell—and tells it well.
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The show was beautifully shot. It explores the subject matter from many angles form the victim and participants. It also looked at wider issues that affect people’s decision making.
I loved Dan Hee who was like a quiet pillar somehow just present and strong ?. I would recommend this show and would defiantly re watch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Interessante de acompanhar.
A história é interessante, os personagens são bem desenvolvidos, contudo, ao meu ver, merecia ter tido mais capítulos para um desenrolar melhor.Mas apesar do curto tempo, souberam desenvolver bem o drama. Acho que porque fiquei com aquele sentimento de que podia ter tido mais. Talvez uns mais cinco capítulos? kkk Achei o casal tão fofo e o melhor amigo dela perfeito que queria ter visto eles mais tempo em tela.
Gostei como abortaram o fato dos homens quererem, a todo momento, culpa as mulheres pelo simples fato de serem uns idiotas. Como se a mulher colocasse um revólver na cabeça deles obrigando a trai-las. Chega a ser cômico. Mas apesar do tema do drama em si, envolver esta temática, não ficou algo cansativo. Só não sei se conseguiria ter tido a maturidade dela em, de certa forma, perdoar a amiga. Sei que ele foi o principal cavageste, mas poxa, deixar com que um homem viesse em primeiro do que uma amizade? E se de fato eles tivessem terminado? Ela ficaria com ele? Sem nem ter mesmo conversado com a amiga? Isso pra mim não desceu. Achei até a atitude dela depois de querer cobrar algo, de uma traição que partiu dela, cômica. Ao me ver a Prota, de fato, é uma santa. kkk
No geral, um dorama curto, que vale a pena dar uma oportunidade e que merecia mais tempo de tela.
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Global Playlist do tend to take a leap off the school drama (which nails) and give chances to new actors (like Hani here), fortunately, as the stories are pretty good. In this one, they nicely wraped up every nook and plot line that they had, which was satisfying. The revenge scenes were the BEST part of the drama, as they were so enjoyable! The romance was nice and well placed, but the way the girls handled that jerk in the end was just right. The side characters were entertaining too.
So, overall, seven out of ten for this web drama.
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Something a miss
Watch this for my 2022 Alphabet Drama / Movie Challenge and turn out I quite enjoy it. But in the end feel like something a miss in the end. Like the final didn't give enough punch to close the curtain, feel like if they added something in the end it's gonna be better, but I also don't know what they must put in the end to make this drama more complete...The story itself actually also quite confusing for me. The past between Yoon Na Na (NN) and Lee Roo Mi (RM) not enough explanation, just a bit here and there to give us big picture, but really lack in detail.... But I quite like the way NN & RM finally grow or let that horrible past & rekindle their friendship in the end.
But overall for a short drama, I must say this drama have beginning, middle & end. And quite worth ur time to watch this.
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I like that the story revolves around friendship which is the main appeal of the drama. There is romance into it but I think the friendship between the female leads carried the whole drama. The drama talks about friendship that was strained which I like a lot since it's not much seen on korean dramas.
I love the female leads. The actresses really did great in their respective roles as well. They are both beautiful, hilarious, really great.
It's short but satisfying to watch. I would recommend it for sure.
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This review may contain spoilers
Surprisingly Good!
Wow! This was a surprisingly good short story! I loved how they built the tension between the characters and how the emotions of betrayal were clearly depicted in just 5 short episodes. The pacing of the story was well done and the actors delivered. It was also balanced with the strength of lasting friendship and sweetness of finding true love.I also liked the sound of the drinks being prepared, from the opening of the bottle, the clinking of ice cubes and hissing sound of fizz. It sounded so relaxing and convinces you that you needed a drink right away.
Last but not the least, the visuals of Bae In Hyuk is no joke. The boy is seriously good-looking! Not also forgetting the sweetest lip-lock close up. Hurry and watch it ASAP. ❤
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