More Than Friends

경우의 수 ‧ Drama ‧ 2020
Completed
throughnelyt
1 people found this review helpful
Apr 9, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 3.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 2.0

cliche , lame (imo), bad cycle of problems, too unrealistic, red flag

wow, the amount of bad words i can give to this piece. i appreciate all the people behind this work i just want to be honest because i kind of feel sad for the main lead's chemistry. su and yeon, i dound myself rewatching their scenes a lot, i also have favorites. however, the storyline is so 'blah' the male main lead's acting is SO good that i thought he's not that good but the thing is it is a kinda bad material :(((( the problems is sucha cycle. is this kind of storylines still a thing? it is in the plot though, a lot of misunderstandings. i just didnt expect the worse because the trailer is so good, the actors are good, osts good, foreword's good. the storyline ruined it. the characters are wow, cant understand them :(((( even if i want too. walking red flag. loved the male main lead tho, liked him since i watched this show. he's good.

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Completed
Abdullah Alshaker
1 people found this review helpful
Apr 8, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.5

I hope someone ignores the bad ratings and reviews like me and gives it a try.

Most of the time I focus too much on the ratings and reviews when I watch something I know nothing about, I was really really excited about this drama when it was airing because of the cast but because of the ratings and reviews, I couldn't bring myself to watch it. It felt like even if I watched it then I wouldn't have liked it.
First of all, I strongly recommend you binge-watching this drama. Don't watch it if you don't have time to finish it in few days. because it has so many events and it changes a lot so if you take some time away from it, you wouldn't feel the characters well, and that's why people hated it probably.
My favorite part about the drama was how realistic it is. A lot of us were in a dramatic love when we were young and this person can never leave our minds, just hearing their name brings so many memories back.
I really loved how cool the male main lead is in the first episodes and how he becomes a fool and pathetic but still in a way that we won't hate him. I loved how the female main lead finds love something really important and how she likes him no matter how many misunderstandings happen. I think the many twists are a disadvantage to the drama because you get tired a bit but i really loved how they still make you smile and not tired of their exhausting love.

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Completed
50FiftillidideeBrain
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 14, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers

☂ Drunk Dialing 4 Dummies ⛈ Dysfunction Under Inspection ☂ °7.8° °Excellent°

Spoilers are clearly marked and at the bottom.

Witches brew: These 3 friends are cursed!

Wu-Yeon(Wu) the 'ex-collector', says she's cursed to be forever trapped in a 1sided ♥️ w/ Su, despite days, mos, years~> Despite the /decade/ that's elapsed. She seems composed, but when alcohol pours in, emotions pour out into Su's vm. Wu has a most-of-life crush on Su, who has declared them to be in friendzone⛔️… more than twice, or thrice (or double on ice) for a full decade. Su drops into town & mixes her up, only to exit without leaving a gratuity. That forever leaves Wu forlorn & in need of liquid relief, which leads to slurpee vms on Su's phone. She's a serial drunk-dialer, & her friends are so hungover it. Su might be their friend, but he drags the party down.

Yeong-Hui(Hu) grew up poor, w/ no advantages behind, & only struggles ahead. She's been cursed to a life of toil, poverty, & unworthiness. Hu is 1/2 of the couple mixed within the group. She and her BF struggle to face life's hardships and muddled family pressures, while trying to stay strong together. The only true struggle is that Hu refuses to accept that the man she loves can truly accept her: She's too poor and her family is always in trouble: She will only drag him down, she'scertain.

Jin-Ju(Ju) is cursed as well: Never to know ♥️. Ju struggles with loneliness. Her life, without love, is a drag.

MTF pulls up a chair alongside a band of boozers & toast the twenties. Wu, Hu & Ju were fused 🔗by combat in the HS arena. Now it's 10 years post graduation, when everybody thinks they have it figured out, but virtually no one does. They're learning to navigate adult jobs, situations and relationships. The 3 girls have a lifetime bond from their early HS years, so when Yeong-Hui pairs up with her BF, his friends come along as chasers to round out a 6-pack: 1 couple + 4 drinking buddies.

This brings us to now. Su is back in town, and once again sends signals to Wu that appear encouraging (is it finally happy hour?), only to flip the table on her once more. Again. As soon as Wu moves on to someone else, Su suddenly declares feelings for.... Guess who.

Their stories dial-in to several themes, including:

☂ Scars from thoughtlessness

☂ Pain's effects on emotional health, incl toxic Parent-child relationships & self-inflicted wounds

☂ Surviving 1sided♥️ - They all go through it

☂ Faulty suppositions - recheck yours every 5 years or so. They can't all be right.

☂ The sinking loneliness of selfishness vs the buoyancy of generous & committed ♥️

MTF also offers paths to resolution: L♥️ve is opening, giving & accepting. Maturity is learning to be unselfish, even when it hurts. Especially then.

For a few episodes, it was difficult to tell if it was worth the wait for last call. There were a generous pours of quality exchanges, metaphors, quotes, ironies, basically the usual for the better Kdramas - The ones they do well are outstanding, if not superbly divine. 75% into the show, I had only been looking at it through narrowed eyes in low light, waiting for the moment a glass would shatter and MTF would be easily swept away & forgotten. However, by ep15, I felt like a regular with the gang at the pour-it-all-out-house. Unexpectedly, real tears started flowing. Inner conflict overflowed next over the proper rating: 7? Am I looking at this thru the bottom of the glass? An absolutely stunning conversation put the answer into focus - MTF has buoyancy. It is refreshing, and it dazzles when it catches the light.

There's a spill of latent (submerged) emotions in MTF's examination of the 3 women and the challenges they stare down from across the table in their quest for: Love, financial independence, and the most elusive honesty-to-self. MTF opens their circle and invites the viewer in. Like with any relationship, the show leaves room to allow the viewers to drop in and raise a glass, even though we must hold back the urge to smash a soju bottle over some noggins.

This is more of a drama than a romance, and it is a worthy one. The cast is smooth and fluid; not a sour in the bunch. Ong Seong-Wu exhibits a truly great performance as Su. Be prepared for the slower cadence with anything that helps bring relaxation, and watch them blend, stir, and shake their lives.

〰QUOTES〰

Words are like boomerangs. The come back at you. (Aigoo. HEAR, youngins!)

Emotions are determined by the person on the receiving end. (Isn't perspective & timing everything?)

I'm afraid you will use the wounds you received as a shield & grow up a warped adult.

Back views are the saddest


〰IMHO〰

🎬7.5 🎭7.5 🖋〰 8 (This is the writer's 1st credited work, so we've been promised future brilliance) 💓7 🦋5 🤔8 🌞5 🎨7 🔚8

Age 15+



⚠️SPOILER SECTION⚠️

Before the next round, let's sweep away the broken bottles: MTF deliberately matures at a slow, near frustrating pace. It's relaxing if you can - Just un-tense↪ now breathe〰 What will likely frustrate every viewer is that Su, Wu, & Hu are as irritating as a botched drink order. Perhaps it's not what you're expecting, but the director & writer have placed tasty fusion on the table.

In defense of the house specials, 1st we'll look at:

Su. Most people dislike him. For most of MTF he's emotionless. He's cold & self-isolated. Su was alone his entire childhood. Now he's alone, even amongst friends. From his view, human interaction means bitterly spatting parents. Affection denied is intimacy died. ‘Relationships are distasteful’, is what he learned at home. No wonder he's a photographer. He studies but never participates. At the same time, he desperately tries to let ☀ inside. Obnoxious, cold, or odd behaviors are childhood painkillers. Kids cope in any way they can. Entrenched behaviors turn into bad habits that are difficult to delete, like a voicemail once it's already been delivered. "Kron-ih-'kah," while it's appropriate (helpful, even) to call out bad behavior, we shouldn't tell a person that s/he isn't handling pain "right". Be patient & generous w/ others.

Though Su won't imbibe his own feelings, it's obvious that he's always been intoxicated with Wu~

⏱ Per his overseas friend, when Su's in the USA, his comment card mentions Wu ·only· by name. No one else from Kcountry

⏱ Su picked on, cheered up &/or defended no girls, other than than Wu

⏱ No doubts, he enjoys spending ⏱ w/ Wu

⏱ He enjoys it so much that he fills her ☕️ & ⏱ whenever he's back, despite her deflections. "I want to see Wu as much as I can before I leave," he says, etc

⏱ His narcissistic jokes are on the tab, but he never leaves tips about the the good things he's done for Wu

Su's a world away from understanding how his actions leave Wu as frozen as a daiquiri. He lied to himself 1st, being blinded by fear & blunting to his underexposed emotions. Feelings for Wu gush out after she leaves the table to sit in the corner w/ another guy. Then (THEN!) he declares himself. Its effect is 100% contrary to his hopes.

{Bunny⚫> IRL, ya'll RUN AWAY! A romantic relationship won't, nor is it supposed to, fix such problems. People like this often don't want to be part of a project that will hire them. The very moment their desired 'object' stirs, they'll dump ice water all over. MTF is fiction. Don't mix up your life that way}

Enough w/ the ♥️🔺s! Not realizing, as a newbie, what a departure MTF is from Kdrama tropes (the CEO is not the best match), the kind CEO seems the better choice. Su is a different person by the end. He exits w/ his glass ½ full. He loves. He's open to friendship. He is now able to point the lens Wu's way: It's HE that's been in a 1-sided♥️ w/ HER, he declares. I was stunned, and so was Wu. She stops, reviews, & realizes ALL her relationships had been 1sided~> b/c of HER. That's top-shelf writing. It was this scene + crying real tears that took my rating from 7 to 8.

Wu: Though shy, she seems adjusted in HS, but her life's blood is leaking. Sensing she's helpless, sharks attack. Even w/ her friends' support, her emotions are still stunted. HS is when she begins to take Su's cues as clues of his interest. Sadly, Su ain't got a clue ·yet· Wu musters the courage to offer her 💝 to Su at the airport as he's escaping M&D by going to the USA. He visibly stiffens to rebuff her w/ blank eyes & rigid face, as a resolute chill falls like a dropped napkin. It's the 1st in a decade of misalignments between them. She cries for a long ⏱. Eventually, she just cries when she's sozzled. This ♻ repeats in bursts. Su reappears & appears interested, so Wu is frozen in hope. Her loved ones are hungover from it all. They don't like Su.

Wu is her most frustrating when she breaks up w/ Su. She's wrong. She agrees to go abroad w/ him, goes back on her promise, & then blames him for not being there - he doesn't ♥️ her enough, she blames. She wasn't honest about ·what· she needed from ·whom· preferring a draught of resentment when her needs sat empty. Just as she always flits from ex-to-the-next, never once opening up, then floating away, she pivots and does the same to Su.

1-sided♥️ is a symptom, as is her projec/deflec·tion. Neither she nor Su is able to heal the other. They must self-heal to self-liberate or they'll self-isolate & self-medicate.

Hu is suffering from what's referenced in The Perks Of Being A Wallflower: "We accept the 💘 we think we deserve." Always railing against poverty, her mother's complaints drip continuously until their tiny apt was overflowing. Mom's resentment became a bitterness that long ago blotted out affection. Hu has been plied with inferiority. She was dunked into the whirlpool w/ no way to emerge, so she truly believes she's dragging down Hun-Jae, her BF since HS. After all, he shouldn't suffer the way she has! Once again, as is the case w/ Su, the branding from childhood cannot be brushed away. She's also extremely stubborn, like mom, so it takes her a long ⏱ to come around.

It's frustrating how nobody has a faster epiphany, but isn't that true life? People don't pivot like Michael Jordan. These characters, blinded by pain, aren't contrived. I'm reminded of Kafka's Metamorphosis & how fed up I was w/ Gregor: "Someone should smash this bug!" Lol〰 Kafka's manipulations: He tricks the reader into being just as fed up as Gregor's family. Gregor didn't do anything wrong↪ Except↪he frustrated us↪so "bring out the Raid!"

The series is to the rim w/ metaphors:

☂ Absent Su, the dummies are drinking. Wu keeps looking at the empty Su-less chair next to her

☂ Jurassic Park's "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" is cleverly placed (Su's apt in rearview)

☂ Wu & Su's clothes will start matching as they see each other more often

☂ Pinocchio's nose teaches us that lying distances us from others. We always lie to ourselves 1st. What sensible profundity

〰☂〰 ⛈Rain⛈ 〰☂〰

In MTF, rain represents the rough stuff of life that hammers all. Similar to armor, the ☂☂s are protective Shields. When Su decides to ♥️ Wu, he abandons his ☂ (He ✨ when wet. Ahem). Unprotected, Su hazards the elements & gets drenched. (Song-Wu Ong should do more scenes in the rain, all wet ☺).

People don't share ☂s often in the show. They're all alone in trying to protect themselves from the ⛈ of life. Instead of a lightweight ☂, they're wrapped up & weighted down in armor. We stand strong, walk shielded, & party-on better TOGETHER. It's not a coincidence that Hu compares turtle shells to armor over scars. Eventually, one will die from the weight or learn to take some off. (Of all the hypocrisy! - As if she's going to walk in the rain & not get wet! She will finally pull her chair all the way up to the table.)

About hypocrisy... When Ju tells the other girls how she sees ♥️, fate, & commitment, she might have been staggering around the room from the looks Hu&Wu shot her. The viewer's expectation is that the 2 will choose a personal-life application from the menu. Instead, they comment on how /Ju/ has matured! We're all blind to our own stuff. That scene drops a case of stuff.

Along w/the ♥️🔺, MTF serves up another trope: MSS (Mandatory-Separation-Syndrome). Usually painful as cirrhosis, for Su & Wu it's a good thing. The power balance between them should be 1:1 parts, which is necessary for them to grow together. It's also appropriate that Su's devotion be proof-tested.

The men in this show are saint-level good: Loving, patient, supportive... These girls tapped-the-majic-keg! Even though Wu didn't choose Saint CEO, she did catalyze Su into becoming her prince. Ding-dong! The curse is lifted. Each girl gets her prince! Ju, the girl w/ the loveless curse, gets married 1st. (It looks that way - they'll make it. Right? ;)) She had been looking & lamenting that she would never find him, but he had always been spilled out in front of her. The other two come to realize they weren't cursed in the first place. None of them were.

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Completed
Virven
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 3, 2022
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 1
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 1.5

Such a silently pain.

Acting is good but characters habit is not well producing. feels frustrate for some sequence..

Anyways, I like this kind of story telling, and I was in this kind of situation before. If you stuck for someone it's true that you can feels incomplete for a long time. it's takes slowly pain for main characters, This drama didn't telling we should grow from 'pain', instead we can understand why and reason of love and missing someone. love is not perfect and pain is kind of romance. also I like drama that contained a lot of phrases for thinking but really can't rewatch. it's too much and takes a lot of energy to watch it again.

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Completed
KitKat
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 1, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 5.5
This review may contain spoilers

Murphey's Law

If I had to explain this drama in one sentence, I would say Murphey's law. If anything could have possibly gone wrong, it went wrong. It became actually laughable; there were so many misunderstandings and confusion. I have never hated yet loved a drama so much. Ugh.... how to explain it. The storyline was predictable and mediocre. The drama started off strong; it had good potential, but it just kept going downhill, which was very disappointing.

The acting in the show is okay—not amazing, but also not terrible. I appreciated the realistic storyline, but the numerous misunderstandings by the end were frustrating. There were just way too many of them.

I really have to mention the female lead (FL). In the 14th episode, she decides not to go with the male lead (ML) on a trip they had planned for a long time. She chooses to do her own thing without consulting him, and later, she breaks up with him for no apparent reason. Then she has the audacity to cry about it! It’s like, girl, you did this to yourself. The ML just accepts it, but I can’t help but wonder why the writers chose to include this storyline. It felt completely unnecessary.

What to do about the childish/b*tchy/oh woe is me FL. There are times when I just can’t stand her and the decisions she makes. First of all, she can’t move on from her first love, which I can understand, but then she goes around playing with other guys’ hearts. It’s frustrating—why is she acting like that? When the male lead returns, she still loves him and confesses her feelings. He declines her confession and asks to be friends, which is totally understandable; you can’t force someone to have feelings for you. Then the cycle repeats—she kisses him, and he discovers his feelings for her. After that, she proceeds to toy with another guy’s heart and emotionally "cheats" on him with the ML. How am I supposed to like this character when she literally causes her own heartbreak and messes with other guys' hearts?
The only sensible thing she did was decide not to date either of the guys and focus on her career. But eventually, she falls for the male lead again and starts dating him. OMW! This woman needs to get her priorities in order and figure out what and who she truly wants in life.

I genuinely appreciate the male lead's character. He is honest, straightforward, and doesn't mince his words, which feels refreshing in the drama world. I admire that he didn’t play with the female lead's emotions; he clearly stated that he didn't have romantic feelings for her and only wanted to be friends. While he exhibits selfish behavior and much of what he does is for his own benefit, he also encourages the female lead to stand up for herself and pursue her dreams. When he did develop feelings for her, he was honest about it. Overall, he is a relatable and solid character.

Also, what is with all this drunken behavior? I swear, in every episode, someone is drunk and acting like an idiot. Please, why is this necessary? Even at business/friendy dinners, people get drunk. For people who are almost 30, the characters in this story feel like a bunch of teenagers.

Even after everything, I still kinda liked this drama, which is a bit surprising. I probably won't re-watch it; well, I might, but the chances are low. I would recommend this drama, but please don't set your expectations too high.

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Completed
Ranjeetdadu
1 people found this review helpful
Aug 22, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 1.0

Frustrating to watch

The series shares similarities with the concept of 'strangers again'. Initially, I found the male lead highly detestable, which is a rare occurrence for me. However, my dislike for the female lead at the end of series, although present, did not reach the same level of aversion as my feelings towards the male lead in the beginning. This show is ideal if you're looking for a self-torturing experience, as you may find yourself wanting to punch the male lead in the face due to his obliviousness to the harm he causes and his selfish behavior. On the other hand, I found the second and third couples to be quite enjoyable, with the third couple taking longer to become romantically involved.

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Completed
sunny4ever
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 2, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Why people don’t understand the Male Lead, but should.

Lee Soo (Played by Ong Seong-wu from At Eighteen)

More Than Friends (2020) is about a woman who is friend-zoned by the ML Character for 10 years, starting with High School. Lee Soo is so hated by so many viewers as obnoxious, selfish, and self-centered and this character earns these strips by his actions (seemingly). This is one Korean drama where the Second Lead is the overwhelming favorite to get the girl by the viewing public. Why do I feel that this character is misunderstood? His actions are a result of his childhood trauma. The parents of Lee Soo got divorced when his was a kid. They hated each other. After divorcing, the parents got along more civilly. Lee Soo was schooled about romance from the bad example of his parents. They got along with each other as long as they were not married. This fostered the notion in Lee Soo that it was better to be friends with the one you love. The girl in question (FL) never picked up on this, and neither did she see all the endearing ways all through their lives where Lee Soo secretly helped and rescued her, because he did so behind the shadows. Is it not true that our first example of love, affection, and romance are parents mostly, as a good or bad example? I was so in tuned to this character. This is one of my highest rated Korean dramas. Others score this drama lower, maybe in part because they don’t fully grasp the character.

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Completed
Daremo Sensanome
1 people found this review helpful
Feb 11, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 1.0
Story 1.0
Acting/Cast 1.5
Music 3.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
This review may contain spoilers

Comedia del absurdo. aun así MUY MALA.

Llegue a esta serie siguiendo a Ahn Eun Jin, después de ver su trabajo en The One and Only. su primer papel principal. Algo aprendió tres series después, porque su papel en esta bodrio (MTF), es tan malo como el del resto.
Soy fanático del cine coreano. En un arte en que los coreanos se dan todas la libertades para desarrollar sus fantasías, normalmente salen bien parados, con galanura.. No me había topado con una serie tan mala como esta.
Los actores principales, no son creíbles. Creo que la dirección de Choi Sung Bum no les ayudó en lo mas mínimo a desarrollar sus personajes. No tiene éxitos este director y ya sabemos porque.
Basados en un pobre guion, casi inverosímil, de Jo Seung Hee, todos andan perdidos. Pareciera que en los 10 años de relación de los protagonistas, jamás se hablaron. Escogieron este momento, que se esta filmando, para comenzar a decirse las tonteras mas grandes, en las situaciones mas absurdas. Los encuentros, rupturas y reencuentros entre los principales van y vienen, con llantos y caras tristes, de todo el elenco principal.
En cuanto a Ong Seong Wu (que hace de Lee Soo, el novio) muestra una expresión pétrea como su carácter en la década previa. Lleva un sus hombros una carga invisible que no conocemos, eternamente con el seño adusto. La misma expresión que en su participación en Moment at Eighteen. Parece ser su especialidad.
La novia Kyung Woo Yeon, estelarizada por una limitada Shin Ye Eun (creo que perdida sin las indicaciones de un director competente) sufre los 16 capítulos por nimiedades e incomprensiones de todos los demás. Todos la regañan incluso la torpe madre. Llega a tener un nuevo novio Ohn Joon Soo, protagonizado por Kim Dong Jun, a mi entender el mas experimentado de los actores. Las historia girara entre estos dos enamorados varios capítulos, aburriéndonos a los espectadores con frases y mas frases profundas, a esta altura de todos los participantes del drama..
La sucesión de miradas perdidas en el espacio y momentos de meditación, parece hacerse interminable.
En mi opinión el guionista no encontraba la forma de cerrar el drama. La imagen de Woo Yeon, la novia, se me cae cada vez mas de edad, cerca de los 40 años.
De pronto desde el infinito la novia comprende que ama al novio (Lee Soo) en el cina con el postulante Joon Soo quien le da el "ultimo" sabio consejo (de cientos), luego sentados en el parque, se despiden.
Luego viene el esperado reencuentro con ellos comenzando un jugueteo que podria haber sido mucho antes.
De ahí en mas cada frase de ella me parece mas falsa y estúpida.
¡Bochornos fin! Crea que deberé ver algún otro film de Shin Ye Eun, para recuperarme de la pésima impresión que me produjo en el capitulo 16. Todo falso y sin lograr entender que pasó con todos las parejas. ¡Ahora felices!

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Completed
Rita
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 23, 2023
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
This review may contain spoilers

don't watch it for the romantic part.

I will be short. ik few people liked this but I just rewatched it and I cried a lot. it isn't everyone's cup but this drama is beautiful. it's sad. it's funny. is creepy. it's like life. just the end was like in dramas cause it got happy. don't look just at main couple, take it as a full thing. I loved this drama because it's explaining and it is detailing all the bad and good things that are happening. Ik the main couple are kind of toxic but don't let me start with all the kdramas couples that are like 10 times worse. I could see myself in them and in every character. I didn't watch this for the romantic part. I watched it to see how hard is life actually. and to remind myself that I am not lonely and that good things are going to happen. or not. but be prepared for all of them.

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Completed
Sweet Kimchi Slap
1 people found this review helpful
Dec 29, 2024
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

Second Male Lead Syndrome Like Never Before

"More Than Friends" offers a heartwarming yet frustrating dive into love, friendship, and missed opportunities, but what truly stands out for me is how it gave me the worst case of Second Male Lead Syndrome I've ever experienced.

Typically, I find myself empathizing with second leads, but never have I rooted for one so passionately as I did for On Joon-soo (played by Kim Dong-jun). His unwavering kindness, patience, and devotion to Kyung Woo-yeon (Shin Ye-eun) were breathtakingly sweet. He wasn't just "there" for her in the traditional sense; he actively listened—truly listened—to her endless ramblings, her heartbreaks, and her deep-seated insecurities. He was the safe harbor she didn't realize she needed.

Joon-soo's character resonated with me because of his consistency and emotional maturity, which felt like such a stark contrast to the back-and-forth emotional chaos created by Lee Soo (Ong Seong-wu), the male lead. Woo-yeon's seemingly endless waiting for Lee Soo felt like a futile endeavor to me—a love born more out of habit and obsession than any genuine connection. Meanwhile, Joon-soo offered her a fresh start, a chance at happiness built on respect and understanding, not lingering uncertainty.

It’s frustrating to see Woo-yeon unconsciously clinging to her idea of Lee Soo, waiting forever for him to get his act together, while ignoring the immense potential she had with Joon-soo. I kept wanting to scream at her: "Choose better! Look who's been by your side all along!" But, alas, the show seemed intent on painting Lee Soo as the inevitable "true love," even if his actions often felt too little, too late.

For me, Joon-soo wasn’t just a "sweet" second lead; he was the embodiment of everything healthy and balanced in a relationship. His love wasn’t about grand, sweeping gestures; it was about the small, everyday acts of care that ultimately matter the most. Watching his heart break was as heartbreaking for me as it was for him.

"More Than Friends" is ultimately about choices and timing, but it left me yearning for a story where someone like Joon-soo doesn’t have to be the consolation prize—or worse, left in the dust. This drama could have been so much more if it explored that avenue instead of perpetuating the "forever love" trope. Wasted potential indeed.

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Completed
challey
2 people found this review helpful
Feb 12, 2021
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
This review may contain spoilers

hmmmmm, something wrong with FL's decision making skills

was totally liking the first half, until ep 11 happened.... how could Soo beat all those efforts of Joonsoo? Logic vs Emotions... :( started this thinking that dongjun would at least be "treated fairly", but only saw his character being truly happy in only 1 episode... but i like the secondary couple younghee-hyunjae, i think that their relationship is wonderful even if with ups and downs.. agree with some comments that FL had no pride, but not sure if her "so called love for soo" justify those decisions... i usually rate dramas based on how they made me cry, and 2 out of 3 times I cried was for younghee-hyunjae couple... the other time was when wooyeon hugged joonsoo after namsan...

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Completed
Hyunjin_07
2 people found this review helpful
Nov 30, 2020
16 of 16 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 4.5
This review may contain spoilers

MISUNDERSTANDING

-First things first , I'd recommend this Dorama to beginners , since the story is simple and easy to follow , the leads are beautiful and the scenery is awesome too.

-One thing that I liked was that Oh Jun Su the CEO and Shin Hyun Jae (Kim Young Hee's boyfriend) were GENTLEMANS yes , with capital letters , if I was the CEO I would've gone crazy and lost all patience dealing with Wu Yeon that despite all the things she went through with Lee Su she still chose him, the same with Hyun Jae, with her girlfriend and her mom, one thing i learned from them is that you have to fight until the end for the things you love , sooner or later we'll come through.

-I liked the kiss scenes and there were some that I really liked , for example Lee Su hugging Wu Yeon from behind, i usually don't see those kind of scenes in Doramas , and I thought that they'd lack chemistry but for me they didn't and Man if it wasn't for that misunderstanding when Wu Yeon went to meet Lee Su at the Tower ( that I don't remember the name) this Dorama would've ended in 10 episodes hahaha, also, when Young He's mom passed away it really touched me

-I don't remember very well but at the beginning I thought the CEO would have a story with the girl that was engaged or something like that , it's like an unfinished business.

-For me is not a waste of time , i liked it overall, if you don't have nothing to watch you can give this one a try, the first episodes are really good.

Thanks for reading ( if you did) XD


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