Lovestruck in the City

A BREATHE OF FRESH AIR

When I first watched this drama, the first thought that came to my mind was this isn’t your typical kdrama. It used an interview format and the time duration is short (approx, 30 mins each episode) than the usual! While most people would say that the interview format was completely unnecessary, I think it helped the story telling to be more personal and entertaining. The interview format made me, as a viewer, feel like they’re communicating their story to me and because of that, it’s easy to be invested and attached to the characters and their individual stories.
Their acting especially the main leads, Kim Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook is GOD TIER. I cannot emphasize on how they carried their characters so damn well and so effectively. Not to mention, their chemistry is INSANE. You could just feel the warmth, the love, the frustration, and the tension between them as a viewer and that’s one of the reasons why I got really hooked from the very start.
Each episode has a story of its own and just leaves you wanting for more in such a way that it really makes you wonder what will happen next because in this drama, you’d never really know what’s in it for you in the next episode, and that’s what I love about this drama cause it strayed away from all the cliches and embraced a refreshing way of telling a story. All characters are flawed that you’d find yourself hating them at one point but ultimately, you’d find yourself loving them despite their flaws because of how real they are. You’d really find yourself relating to one of the characters one way or another because of how realistic the story and characters are. One thing I don’t like about the story though is that it was a cliffhanger.
The drama’s OST and cinematography are brilliant beyond words. I have no words for it other than how sublime it is.
Overall, it’s obvious how much I love this drama. This is the first drama I watched while it’s still on going and I have no regrets about it. This drama holds a special place in my heart and I’m so honored to have watched this drama and I got to witness how it gradually unfolded. Having to watched Kim Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook is a blessing and I hope they can have more projects together soon because they’re just sooo perfect. Hope you’ll give this drama a chance and I hope you’ll love it as much as I love it ❤️

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I loved this drama...

I liked the style, the way the backstories unfolded, the different characters (especially Rini) and also the format with the 30 min episodes. I think that KD Dramas can be a bit long and sometimes include unessesary things (ususally in the last 1-2 episodes ) but here the pacing was perfect all the way through. I would even think another season would be great (and I dont usually like when series go on to more seasons like they often do in the American series) because I want to know more about Minhos character and how that develops, I wanna know more about Rini and also the writer (cannot remember his name now). So I would love another series (30 min episodes again) focusing on those characters.
I was totally hooked and fully entertained and thats all I am asking for.

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Disappointing and finally ended boring

This drama tried to look like a documentary slice of life drama with a special concept where the characters are followed by interviewers and cameras. Six "adult people" share their ideas and opinions regarding couples and love relationships while filmed during their daily life. The concept is quite refreshing but it is mishandled as they soon mix interviews and narrated souvenirs and then moments looking like living with them or recording of a reality show where every line is scripted even final closure.

Finally this Unidentified Brodcasted Object of Kdrama fails as the stories developped are in addition either mushy with annoying leads (JW/LEO aka YSA) who can't take a proper decision or too short and unsatisfactory (the 2 other couples) to the point I did not find them really endearing and I did not feel anything about their fate in the end. The characters looked immature, silly people unable to behave like adults.

Strangely there is a 4th story which came out of nowhere in the last ep looking like no part of all this documentary produced thing and it was 20 minutes but the most satisfactory story.

The big question is: Would I advise someone to watch this because it is something entertaining and worth the time? No.

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The worst FL and ML ever in a Korean series!

I don't know how is this rated at 7.9. It should not rate more than 5 or 5.5. Both the characters of ML and FL were horribly written. The writing and story was bad, pretty bad. The actors tried to justify the poorly written characters but could not do much.

The story of ML and FL was terrible and could have been much better. The one story that was good of second leads was destroyed at the end by unnecessarily breaking up. And the third leads were there just for show I feel.

This had so much potential. But the story, writing ruined it all.

Please do not watch it all. I just fast forwarded it on Netflix just for the sake of finishing it.

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"How do you love?"

This drama is set up as a web series that answers dating life questions and answers. I'd say it's quite mature, I would not recommend it for a teenager/young adult because this is a set up with real life and realistically flawed people. If you are expecting some fairy tale of a story, this is not for you.

To me this drama is a cross between Because it's My First Life and Reply 1997. It's very slice-of-life with some sarcasm and comedy. Each episode is based around a specific dating question, like Reply 1997, and the story jumps around based on that question.

The chemistry between the two main leads was off the charts and my heart was palpitating hard at their every romantic moment. I knew a drama with Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won would be amazing and I couldn't be happier. I was also loving the other characters, their backstories and their chemistry but I agree with some other reviewers that their stories could have been tied up more nicely. Although I was in it for the two main leads who were the definite focus of the drama. I love how their story came about, how it flowed, their focus on the positive and negative. How they dealt with each other and each others flaws. It was amazing and I can't critique anything related to them.

I will say it ended abruptly. I was expecting more but I suppose it kept to their "web series interview" style, sort of. As I said this is not a clean, well laid-out fairy tale story with a start, middle and end. It's about the modern view on dating and different dating styles.

I loved it and was not expecting it to end any time soon, I think I watched the whole thing in 2 days. So now here I am reminiscing and wondering what other good dramas are out there that I could possibly watch after this one.

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I love this drama. Ep 1 was lukewarm for me but by ep 2, I was drawn in. I caught myself grinning non-stop while watching the drama.

I love the topics they raise in each episode cos they're very relatable to me. And they're not frivolous topics. They're real questions you would ask when in the relationship. I think this interview format and snippets of their relationships works very well for the 30 mins timeslot. It's clever. You capture of the essence of their relationship and you see the question answered from different POVs.

The cinematography is excellent and is able to enhance the story-telling. I was surprised how much details are shown in just 30 mins. A lot of feels for sure!

The ML and FL are a tad troublesome but then again, it is interesting for me cos I wanna know how their story will end up. My favorite couple is Kyung Joon and Rin Yi. They are so cute!

Very impressed by this production and will definitely recommend. To those who don't understand the story and keep questioning the development, I suspect they haven't fallen in love. There are usually no right or wrong in a relationship, it's always different perspectives. Just cos you don't like how someone behaved in the drama doesn't mean it cannot happen. Love can happen very quickly cos it's a feeling. It can also end very abruptly. True story.

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blahstruck in the city

Initially intrigued with its unique documentary-style format, promising a fresh perspective on modern love. However, the series quickly devolved into a predictable and overly sentimental romance drama. The show’s innovative approach, which could have offered a deeper, more nuanced exploration of relationships, was ultimately squandered.

The writing was a major letdown. The characters were underdeveloped and lacked depth, and the dialogue was often cringe-worthy.

Jae Won, the central character, was a constant source of frustration. His self-destructive behavior and inability to take responsibility for his actions were tiresome to watch. While the show attempted to address his alcoholism, it often felt like a superficial solution to a deeper problem.

Eun Oh, the female lead, was a complex character, but her tendency to avoid confrontation and hurt others was frustrating. Her character arc was inconsistent, and she often seemed to regress rather than progress. Worse... he was particularly annoying, with his constant whining and indecisiveness. His performance was lackluster, failing to bring any depth or nuance to the role.

Rin Yi, the free-spirited artist, was an interesting character, but her development was limited. She was often used as a plot device to advance the stories of other characters, rather than having her own meaningful arc.

Gyung Joon, the kind and understanding friend, was one of the few likable characters in the show. However, his passive nature often hindered his ability to help his friends.

Sun Young, the cool and collected career woman, had a more complex character arc. However, her behavior towards her romantic partners was often questionable, and her actions sometimes seemed selfish and manipulative.

Overall, the characters were a mixed bag. While some were intriguing, many were underdeveloped and frustrating. The show could have benefited from a deeper exploration of the characters' motivations and backstories.

The pacing of the series was uneven, with some episodes dragging on while others felt rushed. The show’s attempt to balance the documentary-style format with traditional storytelling often resulted in a jarring and disjointed viewing experience.

Ultimately, it is just a missed opportunity. While it had the potential to be a unique drama, it failed to fully capitalize on its central concept. The show’s reliance on clichés, melodrama, and inconsistent pacing ultimately undermined its potential to offer a meaningful exploration of love and relationships.

Pros:
Unique documentary-style format
Visually appealing
Strong performances from some of the supporting cast

Cons:
Weak writing and character development
Unengaging male lead performance
Inconsistent pacing
Overreliance on clichés and melodrama
Disjointed narrative structure

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This show is great and horrible at the same time. Must watch but must also understand why it is bad.

It's gonna be a long one so please - read everything to understand my point of view.

First of all, this is the second drama where my favourite actor Ji Chang Wook plays a very nice dude - a man who is honest, friendly, fair towards everyone (Suspicious Partner being the first such a show) but as a "reward", he's betrayed by a woman he loves and by his closest friends. You read it right - it looks like a fluffy, pure, supporting, slice of life friendship but LITERALLY all of them are assholes and all have betrayed him a couple of times. First time - they betrayed him by being 100% passive, not believing him, pretending that they were doing something when they did nothing while they saw his suffering for a whole year - this is the first time - such people are not real friends. They should have listened to him, talked to him, helped him getting over his los or help him figuring out what really happened. The second time when they betrayed him is not as obvious but it is even worse - basically - after the big "reveal" from our FL culprit (somewhere around 14-15 episode), they should kick her ass and punish her for her behavior - not forgive her, not stupidly comfort her nor support her like we see here. Especially, since throughout the whole show, they seemed to criticize the "camera thief" when they did not know her identity yet. After getting to know - boom - magically she's ok, they support her because she "had her reasons"... It is a total bullshit. By doing what they did - being passive towards the only good guy here who does not betray anyone (all the rest had their stupid moments and they screwed up with their own relationships while the ML was totally pure throug the whole show), then comforting and accepting the stupid but more important - CRUEL! - behavior of the FL culprit - they betray both the ML and they show that they do not have any dignity nor any self-awareness about themselves. A truth is that a friend sometimes needs to punish another, scold another, not forgive another to teach a proper lesson. That is what true friends are also for. Friendship is worth anything if you can lose it due to your stupidity. If everything may be always forgiven, if friends will not scold you for being an asshole - those are not friends and this is not friendship. FL used her friends and used their mutual friend whose hart she had broken. She should have been punished by the real friends - real friends of her - not even him. The real friends should not forgive her, should take the ML's side and punish her heavily for what she's done. Here it's even worse because the friends are actually mutual - connected through another relationship. I've been in a similar situation where one of partners in my friends' couple behaved like shit and I fucking scolded him like hell, broke contact with him even though I did not personally know the girl he was with - it was my girl's friend - I still could understand who was wrong here and I did not want to support such an asshole even if he was my friend back then. But let's concentrate on the main heroes of the drama story.

The ML loved the FL but not only that. He was for her in her worst hour, he helped her, he saved her from depression and from breaking apart. She left him WITHOUT ANY REASON - just a stupid, ungrateful - you know who. She had a couple of chances to make things right, to repent for that and to solve things - but no. She was a coward - that's true. That may be something hard to overcome. Ok, I get that. But this man literally saved her in all the possible senses, she behaved as wrong as possible and she was mentally stable enough to open up a company, to live her life for such a long time, to use her friends after understanding their relationship with the man she betrayed. She changed to a better, stronger person because of the ML and there was literally no reason for her to not try and make things right. The worst part is however, that she was totally cruel. Not only wrong but cruel towards the ML. It was cruel, very cruel. He gave her everything, she gave him suffering in the worst way possible, then escaped any responsibility and still happily used their mutual friends to be her own support. How do you call that? Is there even a proper word?

Then our masochistic ML. There's literally not reason for him to forgive her. There's no reason why he suddenly starts working to rebuild it (again - he does it on his own, it's all his work in the end!). She did nothing. She did nothing to rebuild it. She was just forgiven and rewarded with a love she did not deserve but THAT IS THE WORST STUFF IN THIS WHOLE SHOW - SHE DID NOTHING TO REGAIN IT! IT WAS ALL DONE BY A ML WHO HAD NO REASONS TO DO IT!

Such a decision just kills a great potential of the scenario. The premise seems great. The general idea, the relationships, the characters themselves - totally ideal for a great drama. It might have had a lot of things - real friendship, happy ending, real love, a lesson of how to screw up things and then repent for them, work hard to finally make them right. It didn't happen. Nothing of this great potential has been actually brought into life. It was destroyed - by a stupid plot, stupid characters' decisions, no guts, no positive message.

In the end, it wraps up the negative behaviors in a package of a beautiful, true friendship and forgiveness. This is bullshit.

At the same time, the premise is so great and the technical part of this show is great. The idea stays too good to waste by not watching it but you should have all the terrible things listed by me in mind.

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A Fun Mockumentary

This one this a gem, besides episode 17, which was a bit confusing to me :D
So what you need to know beforehand. This drama has 17 episodes, but only 16 are related to the key story, while the last episode seems to tease a second season with new main characters or something like that. It is possible they only did that for could because the main character was Shinees Min-ho, but whatever. I genuinely liked that the episodes were quite short.
The story focuses more or less on three couples and switches between past and present time of their relationships. We get to witness how they get together, maybe break up and experience their lives, some trying to get back to one another. All the characters are related to each other somehow. We have three best friends, lovers, cousins, etc.
The series has a Modern Family type of vibe since it is a Mockumentary. The characters are participating in a project, where people talk about their past and ongoing relationships. The other participants can read about the stories of the others, but don't know who they are. This leads to them commenting on somebodies experiences and falling into a discussion.

The acting was AMAZING. I am usually not a massive fan of Ji Chang Wook but here he was very good. His character slightly going insane, the screaming, the mad eyes. It was hilarious to watch. Kim Ji-won really made me hate, like, love and understand her all at the same time. She was truly mesmerizing. For the other 4 roles, they choose a really great cast. At some points I wished we would even get more insides into their lives, but the amount increased as the story developed.

I really enjoyed watching the different developments of relationships and in what direction they were going. I understood why characters hesitated or made their decisions in that way. Furthermore, I also liked the cinematography and the way they included oldies music. I wanted to be a part of this cool group.

In the end there were quite some strings open or rather just opened, and I hope they will produce another season. For one couple, I did not completely understand why they chose to not be together, since they communicated about liking each other.
But overall the drama was fun, serious and full of tension at the same time. As I am writing this now, I genuinely want to rewatch it. (I completed it around February.)
You will see some new sides of Korea and many beauty shots. (a bit cringe but also cute :D)

The last episode was a bit throwing off since I did not know the content was a different one. I thought I would get answers to my questions, but no...
I don't remember them at this point, but anyway :D.

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There is a fine line between a love story and a toxic relationship

The drama has bright tones, cute songs, hopeful stories, and needless to say AMAZING CHEMISTRY. Amaaazing chemistry omg. Ji chang wook's acting is on point too, he really uses all his parts to convey feelings. The female lead was one of the best choices.

BUT THE RELATIONSHIP WAS INREDIBLY TOXIC TO A POINT THAT IT WAS ANNOYING. Oh my god it should have been a feel good drama but the only way I would be satisfied would be ML not taking the female leads bullshit anymore. If people think that just because she had some hardships it would give her right to treat like shit to people who loved her, well, there is always an a*hole out there for you to love. Main Lead was weak af too, just like us when we were the victims of an abusive relationship.

I'm going crazy by just thinking it, ugh. Pain and anguish layered with fluffy bunnies.

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The concept of this drama is so refreshing. I loved the 'reality interviews' with the main cast individuals, and their supporting stories, all different yet laced together.
Great characters and I was surprised by how several that I found really irritating and/or unlikable, I ended up rooting for, as their real personalities and reasons for behaving as they do, emerged.
The cast were excellent (all favourites) and I totally fell in love with all 3 main guys and a certain shining Police Officer ;)
It was also an absolute joy to have couples behave naturally ~ no gawping eyes-wide-open females in the numerous kiss scenes. No reactions on hand holding that would be more fitting to being groped! Realistic bed scenes (doesn't need nudity to portray sex) and almost all experiences and issues being pretty representative of the highs and lows of falling in and out of love.
I only found 1 character's reaction to breaking up somewhat overdone. A particular scene where a dumped boyfriend was humiliated in public, was a step too far. I absolutely hated her at that point.
The OST is great, the locations varied (surfing never looked so appealing) and even the ending was good... true to life, which is rarely neatly tied up.
I don't feel a second series is needed, but they could easily make one, featuringing the characters whose love lives weren't concluded and maybe a couple of new ones to fill in those that were; I'd definitely watch it.
Very enjoyable and hard to turn off (binge addicts like me, beware).

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Deserve a higher overall rating

I started this drama with low expectations based on its reputation, never actually read the summary or any detailed reviews. However, Lovestruck in the City got me hooked since episode 1 and the hype has not stopped ever since. I understand that the beginning episodes might be repetitive and boring for others, but it was never the case for me. I thought it has got an okay pace, and love the interview format as well -- a small factor but manages to lighten the atmosphere.

As someone who is quite picky on K-dramas, I started thi drama as as a break from all the mysterious, thrilling dramas with betrayal and murders on air right now -- not that they are bad, I just prefer romance. Lovestruck in the City quickly became one of my favorites.

The acting is great. I fell in love with Yoon Seon A on the beach, the actress' charm and voice truly suits this image. Episode 2 already got me obsessed with the romantic scenes, and it's been a while since I have watched those scenes without having to skip for the awkwardness and lack of natural chemistry. Though I don't really like how Ji Changwook's character is quite similar to his other works and that this role is a bit underwhelming to his acting career, I still enjoyed the actors in general.

Two really important factors that made me adore this drama even more: The comedy and the music. I love the songs used, especially 'Kiss me kiss me' by BeetleJuice. After searching like crazy when I heard it for the first time, I could not wait for the full version to be released.

In conclusion, such an underrated drama and this rating is way too low. I also tried to watch True Beauty, which has got a much higher rating, but to my disappointment, I could not continue it. I'm really glad I stumbled upon this drama.

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