Unlikable characters
The female lead was awful to everyone except her grandmother. She was always about herself and her feelings. She never matured at all from her younger high school self. I really really wanted the male lead to kick her to the curb for the second female lead(the only character that was likeable). Her extreme selfishness never ended throughout the entire show, never once doing anything for the benefit of the male lead. She's one of the least likable female leads in a k drama ever.The male lead was a better character than the female lead, but not by much. Immature, unable to like anyone else except the intolerable female lead. I would've enjoyed this a lot more if he wasn't such a SIMP and went out with the Sfl. Sfl was prettier, nicer, more caring, and a way better personality. I don't know a man in real life who would choose the female lead over her.
The worst most despicable character was the second male lead. He deserved to be treated like the scum he was and have his ass kicked repeatedly by everyone.
The last third of the show was almost unwatchable.
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Amazing story, amazing characters, overall amazing
This drama had me on the edge with every episode and told an amazing story. I couldn’t believe how much I could be attached to every single character in this drama. It follows what I think love should feel. It’s quiet, safe, full of life, and comforting. It’s a mix of romcom and coming to age genre as it follows how life can have its ups and down and how strong unconditional love could be. Hands down, this is one of the best stories I have ever followed.Many have overlooked the significance of Ung's sketching of Yeon-Su in that last scene. He'd never sketch people nor incorporate people in his illustrations.
He'd even turned down his adopted parents' requests of sketches for them
As in Ung's troubled mind set; buildings and objects are the only things that can stand the test of time; almost eternal like. People will simply change or depart;
just like his birth parents and Yeon-Su.
Ung's first illustration of people is Yeon-Su; he'd finally healed from his troubled mind set and is certain Yeon-Su will forever be by his side.
Yeon-Su also recognized Ung's changes. The scene is brilliantly scripted. I take my hat off to the screenwriter.
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This review may contain spoilers
Love language!
By far I really enjoyed watching this Kdrama. Am amazed and in awe at how they understand each other love language although they always let their ego gets the best of them! Yes, they both are egos but not like any other ego couple that cant put two and two together okay. I am attached to this Kdrama. I don't want it to end but am excited to see how it ends!! You feel me? If any of you are in the mood to watch K drama but don't know where to or what to watch, Our Beloved Summer is definitely a good start for you!Was this review helpful to you?
Not the best
This drama did not do much for me . It is enjoyable , well put together and beautifully filmed , but it failed to grab me .The story line of the traumatic experiences that the past leaves you with is the kingpin of Korean Drama , and has been done before and better . The acting was not impressive either . Long silences and doleful looks , bland faces unable to express emotions . Sure they can cry and be tearful but their pretty faces do not always convey the intensity of their emotions .
I preferred the characters when they were teenagers , they had a bit more life in them then . As they grew more mature they seemed to have lost their stamina . The sub stories were far more interesting and entertaining and the comedy they provided very necessary . The story of friend Kim -Ji-woong grabbed me most . You could sense the tension , the agony , the struggle in him and I would have liked that story line to be better developed . The ending was rushed and cobbled together , loose ends Not satisfactory .
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Surprisingly warm and cozy
I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I went into this drama not expecting much but it surprised me in a good way.I loved the format of the show. The documentary style point-of-view-switching between the characters. It gives us more insights about each characters that made them much more relatable to us. I am never this torn about who to root for between the leads. They are opposites but they sort of represent both of my extreme personalities. Most of the times, I feel like I'm Yeon Su struggling everything but sometimes I feel like I'm Ung who does not really want to care about my ambition.
The actors nailed their roles. I haven't seen much of any of them. Choi Woo Shik made a pretty good impression on me when I watched him in Parasite. Although I loved Itaewon Class, Kim Da Mi wasn't really someone I loved in that show. But here in this series, both of them sneaked to a little place in my heart.
I wished they could've shown us the documentary as some sort of special episodes though. I think it would be a nice bonus to the show.
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This review may contain spoilers
Refreshing Slice of life/Romance Drama
Absolutely top 3 fav dramas of all time!! It is a slice of life drama which I think is why it's not everyones cup of tea since it doesn't have a lot of dramatic plot points and can get slow but I loved it for the fact that it focused on character and relationship development. (Also just a sucker for good slice of life/exes to lovers/established relationship)Story/characters
I think the strongest point of this drama is that you can relate to the characters so well bc they're very real in the sense that they are flawed in their own way but are living through life and trying to overcome the hurdles life throw at you. I adore how they ended up developing their relationship in a healthy manner and grew to be people that were able t o love each other fully again. I think it was very realistic how sometimes more than love you need to find and love yourself first before being in a relationship. I think the healthiest relationship is when two people are sure of who they are and what they want and know how to be themselves and they find a partner that only enhances those aspects in life and I think this is exactly why woong and yeonsu needed that break. To develop themselves as people and figure out who they are, what they want before being in a relationship again. Getting to know the side characters was also beautiful and the way the side characters were there as support rather than toxic competition was really refreshing, I ended up loving NJ so much in the end although she couldve been easily written as the toxic superstar, she was really the opposite, someone with a lot more layers than you expected. Also super stokes that Jiung ended up having his little happy ending as well;-;
Acting
I love choi wonshik and kim dami so much! their portrayal of these characters was amazing and it felt so real. All the supporting cast was also really well casted, overall acting was superb!
OSTs
Some of the best OST's in a drama I've heard in while!! It's very different vibes from your usual drama Ost ballads but it fits this story so well. I love Christmas tree and I did not know it was sung by V until a good 5 episodes in lol but damn did his voice fit this song and drama so well. The intro song was also lovely and I have most of the OST's in my playlist^^
TLDR
Extrememly well done slice of life drama that focuses on the characters and relationships and portrays them pretty realistically. Very refreshing characters and storyline as well, close to no toxidity/annoying drama tropes/characters. Acting is amazing and OST's are perfect and make this a well rounded, romantic slice of life drama that I'd highly recommend!
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Sweet, Real and Comforting
"Our Beloved Summer" really shines with its cute and realistic take on relationships and growth. The show nicely shows the awkwardness and warmth of first love and second chances, all while avoiding overused tropes. The main actors are super believable which made the characters’ journeys feel genuine and easy to root for. The whole vibe is feels like a fresh take of youth and summer so it even felt like a new genre experience for me.But honestly, the pacing is a big issue, especially in the later episodes. It slows down a lot, to the point where it feels like the story is dragging its feet. While the leads are strong, I really wanted to see more development for supporting characters like Ji Ung, Sol Yi, Eun Ho and Chae Ran as they just felt left out. Because of these pacing and plot gaps, I don’t think I’d be excited to rewatch it. Plus, the OST just isn’t for me.
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Not so complicated, youthful, refreshing and warm!
It’s like a refreshing summer drink. But it is also like a warm hot tea you drink when you’re cold. It’s a mix of everything. All the feels, scenes are so relatable and realistic!The plot is simple but mixing everything together made this amazing drama. The documentary is kinda unique. The FL and ML reunion feels so natural. The break up was so painful that I felt like I’m going through it too.
I love that there is no Evil Parents. Well, there’s Yeonsu's grandma but she’s not that annoying. There’s also Ji Ung's Mom but they didn’t explain why she’s like that but we get the gist of it.
I love how all Actors portrayed their roles really well. Feels like each characters given to them are written for them.
Choi Woo Shik looks oh-SO fine! Choi Ung may pretend he doesn’t care or that he didn’t know but I think that’s his defense mechanism. I love how he is when he is with Yeonsu! They’re made for each other!
Kim Dami is a cutie. She looks really really young especially when she’s crying. Yeonsu's defense mechanism is acting tough. I think both Yeonsu and Ung need to develop on how they can open up not just with each other but also to other people. As they are both lacking on that aspect. And I hope it was shown more in the drama. Perhaps Season 2?
Kim Ji Woong, I just hope the writer made him a bit friendlier even only with Choi Ung. I feel like he secretly (even if he doesn’t want to) hates Ung. He envies him for having good parents and for having Yeonsu. But Ung treated him so well. So I just wished him to be friendlier with Ung. If you know what I mean. I just feel like he should have treated Ung better as Ung treated him the best he could!
NJ - I thought I'm gonna hate her BUT I JUST CAN'T. She is such a sweetheart. Even if Ung ends up with her I'm not gonna be mad. (Though it is obviously not possible as both Ung and Yeonsu are obsessed with each other. Haha.)
Ung's Parents- I love them! Their the best parents. Although I think they could have been more honest to Ung. I think they’re also the reason why Ung is kinda aloof with other people.
Eun ho and Sol i are both so cute. They’re the ones that bring comedic scenes here! Love them! I am already shipping them on their first encounter.
The OST is the BEST!!! Gonna add them on my playlist.
The ending? I am definitely satisfied! I expected a lot. I expected it to be sad so I won’t be too heart broken if eve but also hoping to have a happy ending. And they ended it so well!!!
I have so many positive things to say but it will be too long of a review so I’m gonna end it here! Season 2, please!
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This review may contain spoilers
Yes, totally worth it..
I kept seeing this drama recommendation by everybody… so decided to check it out.It lived to the hype… caught me since ep1.
Their relationship is so natural, and both charismatic in their way.
Ung is so cool, relaxed… life pass in front of him without any hinder, Thats how he appears to be… except for her.
Yeon Soo is so relatable… excellent student, struggling to become excellent professional… she is accomplished and responsible, tough on the outside, but so soft inside, constantly faking her personality so no one can see how vulnerable she really is,.. not even Ung.
The break up scene was so horrible, detached, I hated her but later understood life was too much… and she underestimated her feelings for Ung, and eventually regretted pushing him away.
That happens so often in real life…. People simply makes mistakes because they take others for granted.. like YS did…
These 2 persons get together through a documentary film in high school…. Which lead them to become a couple.
Life happens and Yeon Soo broke up with no real explanation, leaving Ung heart broken and confused.
I spent 12 episodes crossing my fingers for them to get back together…. Both were miserable apart, but stubborn to get back together…. However, when they finally did, it was a bit anticlimactic… but ey… at least we had 4 episodes of them together.
I loved that both evolved in their own way… and once back together, they learned from the past and try to be better for each other, not taking their love for granted like they did in the past.
This is one of the dramas with much better development Inhad seeen so far….
Their relationship is very real, normal… they complement each other so good, there is no mistake… they belong together.
The onky annoying character was the friend /2ML… the producer…. Somehow he did not win my simpathy, even with his sad story.
Everybody else are adorable.
Do I recommend this serie? Absolutely Yes
Would I watch it again? I think Yes
Would I love a second season….. absolutely yes!
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Dont watch the first episode if you have to work the next day.
Story: 9/10A heartwarming, funny yet sad story about a man and a womam (kinda) in love. (what a suprise?)
The romance is a clear 10/10 for me. Kim Da Mis acting is superb and Choi Woo Shik also plays his role to perfection. The dialogues are very well written and not once did it feel like the characters words and actions were incoherent. Why a 9 then? More below.
Music & Audio: 9/10
Theres nearly nothing to criticize here. All songs perfectly fit and push the emotions to another level. It does sometimes feel like the mixing is not perfect, but I believe that is a personal preference. The only minor problem with the music is that all the songs resemble each other, and theres never a big style deviation. While its understandable, at one point in the series they couldve used a change in the musics pace as a stylistic element.
Kinda sad they didnt.
Acting: 10/10: just perfect
Camera&Editing: 10/10
The emotions the series intends to deliver are perfectly delivered through flawless camerawork and impressive but subtle editing.
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The only gripe I have with the Series is one of the Subplots. Feels a bit like Perrin from AWoT. It could have been a bit less, but its still okay.
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Highly Recommended: 9.5/10
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Drama that will make you feel all sorts of emotions
This kdrama is so good. And I MEANT IT WHEN I SAY IT'S GOOD.The character's story is so wholesome and the drama itself shows everyone's side of story which makes it 10000% better. You can also see that their acting was good because on ho they portrayed their roles which gave me butterflies T_T. This drama doesn't have the word 'boring' in its dictionary cuz I enjoyed everything. The slow burn romance was really good. Throughout the drama, I was constantly crying or laughing and I was also blushing cuz of the scenes. I can also relate so much to Yeon soo because she is the type of person who gets misunderstand every single time and all she needs was love and care and she always takes care of his grandma because she value her which is super cute. AND the male lead was such a standard. Like, I always wanted a man like him. Someone who will try to understand you and accept you all the time. THEIR RELATIONSHIP WAS SO DAMN GOOD T_T. I tear up every time there's like a flashback of them. Also the side characters was so sad too. They also have their own story which made me cry a lot. I really love this drama and I hope you watch it too
^ ^
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Beautiful OST and Cinematography
First of all, very beautiful OSTs. The OSTs definitely carried the drama to a higher place. It is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in K-dramas.The story of this drama revolves around the good parts and hard parts of being in a relationship. I think there were some relatable moments to it which makes you think back and ponder over them. The story was overall good. There were a lot of thing happening and they did a good job wrapping everything up in the end. I would say the story falls off a bit in the middle and the main characters literally switch their personality which was a bummer as I would've loved to see the female lead as she was in the first half of the drama, tough and strong. But it was still good and the change made sense. The side characters were good but they didn't have any character buildup to them, they were just there because they had to and for some comedy relief. Except for NJ. I loved NJ.
The cast and acting was good.
The Cinematography was good and made the drama that much more enjoyable.
This drama is not perfect but it did everything right and it paid off. This drama was overall a great experience and I would definitely recommend people to give it a watch.
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