Our Beloved Summer

Typical tropes made special

Enemies to lovers turned exes to lovers two of my favourite tropes. Yes, they’ve been done before but not like this. Our beloved summer takes two very common tropes and manages to make them different, special and realistic. Such close attention to the smallest details. Beautiful use of colours, tones and weather to reflect the mood. They dive deep into characters emotions and the psychology behind them really drawing you in to help you have a deeper understanding of them. The use of the documentary and showing us each characters point of view. The situations that the characters was in were so realistic and relatable, you find your self feeling more immersed into the story and understanding the pacing of the show more. The script, it was written eloquently! The show deals with really important serious topics; abandonment, depression, loneliness, poverty and more. Yet they were all handled with care.

The acting was obviously amazing. The emotions they were feeling I felt them too and even if I didn’t feel them I still found myself feeling emotional regardless. We have Oscar winning and Chungmuro actors of course the show’s acting was going to be good!! Kim Dami is my favourite Korean actress and after Our beloved summer I like her even more and I’m excited for her future projects.

The music was very enjoyable with a wide variety and lots of respected artist. My favourite OST was definitely Sam Kim’s and BiBi’s!


Now the very few dislikes. NJ I couldn’t really find myself liking or connecting with her character I found her annoying and out of place. The only time I really liked her is when she stood up for herself against her trolls but unfortunately that’s where it started and ended. My only other complaint is one of the love triangles. Jiwoong being in love with his best-friend’s girl friend for over ten years was just silly and it took far too long for him to finally get over the situation. It just didn’t make any sense. 10 years is a very long time for him not to have moved on. It also felt out of character. Was he really willing to risk his only deep and meaningful friendship to try and pursue a woman who’s in love with his best friend and always will be. These are the only reason I gave the story a 9 and not a 10.

Overall, this was a brilliant kdrama and I highly recommend it. At first I was worried that they left too many storylines last minute and the ending would feel rushed but I was very wrong. The ending was done beautifully filled with a mixture of emotions. Kdramas tend to fall flat somewhere along the show but Our beloved summer was genuinely good ep 1 until 16.

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One for the new age

First few things that caught my eye:
It was a nice production, drama was shot very tastefully. Choice of music and art direction were very new age, encapsulating the current trends.
Script at the beginning episodes were interesting as it does not have the typical ‘dragging’ and repetitive dialogues, they were bit more realistic and straightforward. That kept me watching…

Then it became obvious that the main characters were a reflection of the ideal life the young adults dreamt of these days.

Not a fan and absolutely didn’t like the idea that the writer/director was affirming the concept of it’s okay to put in minimal effort in life as one could still be successful and be ‘special’ somehow and to top it, one could still live a very comfortable life (luxury lifestyle) yet without needing to worry about any finances struggle at all. The mentality and attitude of the lead actors were really misleading and disturbing.

This is the concept I grasped from this show:
“It’s okay to live in the world of your ‘perfect’ bubble cause the world and everyone else will give in and see you as the special one.“

This is such a misleading concept to promote and encourage. Second lead however had a more realistic side and depth. But I can see why it gained a lot of supports and views but this is nothing but a nice facade. Just like the main character

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Very lacklustre

I'm a huge fan of sappy KDs, so it took me by surprise when this one didn't hit me quite in the spot. The acting from each cast member was flawless, but the storyline and lack of character development in the earlier episodes was such a wasted opportunity. I think I must've only been 4-6 episodes in when I sort of wanted to give up watching. It also didn't help that I found NJ's character to be extremely superficial and annoying. It brought back memories of IU's character in the 2015 drama "The Producer", who I can't say I also liked. Anyways, I think the point I wanted to make was that if you're willing to sit through hours watching two former flames bickering, making up, acting petty, finding themselves through the lens of each other, and living very mundane lifestyles, then this is your kind of KD. I totally get that the themes of this KD is young love, forgiveness, self-development and rekindling, but what use is it if everyone nearing the age of 30 in the KD is going through teenage angst, and the characters do nothing but feign ignorance most of the time?

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Mellow and quiet

This is a character-driven drama for sure — if that's your thing, then this drama pretty much does it perfectly. It's just a drama about relationships (family, friends, lovers) and there's never really any outside pressure. The characters and relationships are all pretty unconfrontational; things just happen as they do and this drama is more of a ferris wheel, as opposed to a roller coaster. What that means is that if you prefer a more plot-driven plot, it might feel like the drama is dragging and that there's nothing happening.

With that being said, I definitely skew towards the latter; there were scenes and progressions that I was craving and never really got. At the same time, I really loved how all the characters were portrayed — nobody was over-the-top, there were no true villains, and I liked how even minor side characters had their distinct personalities come through in very little screentime.

Overall, this is just a warm, soft drama — for me, it wasn't a tear-jerker or a heart-wrencher, but it'll make you feel fuzzy and cozy.

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Great OST not a fan of the characters and story

I won't say I don't recommend it because it's honestly not bad it's just not my cup of tea.

So I watched until episode 13 and I wasn't sure if I would like it at first from the first couple of episodes but I gave it a chance anyway.

First, the stuff I enjoyed. I enjoy the OST and the cinematography. The characters are likeable, it has an enjoyable vibe and I like how it has a documentary style like lovestruck in the city. I like how we got to see them from their high school days and how they kind of did like a remake to see where they are now. Just because yeon soo did well in school didn't make her as successful as she thought and just because choi woon wanted to live a calm and quiet life it didn't make him unsuccessful.

The stuff I didn't enjoy. I like the male lead, choi woong, but it did get on my nerves that even how he was treated by yeon soo, the female lead he still went back to her. Yeon soo got on my nerves from the very beginning then after awhile she wasn't that bad and I did like her but I just don't like how she treated choi woong and acts like she didn't hurt him and feels hurt after she thought he moved on. I know they did explain her reasoning but I don't think it justifies the way she treated him and broke up with him (Unless I might have missed something though so my bad).

I did try to get into it and I only got to episode 13 because I thought I could keep giving it a chance and sort of forced myself (I just sped it up honestly) and I don't like to leave dramas on unfinished but I just don't feel motivated to finish this one. Like I said it isn't bad just isn't for me. I'm dropping it for now but I'll probably go back to finish it because there's only like 3 episodes left.

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I go back to December all the time

I saw many comments saying this is a boring drama and is really slow, so I was hesitant to start this. I'm SO glad I did (and this is coming from someone who almost never watches the slice of life genre). It was not boring at all. Although I understand why it is considered a slow burn, I found each episode zipping by, and was always eager to watch more to understand the characters. I think the characters being relatable, realistic people helped make it work.

Story
The story is pretty straightforward - two people who are polar opposites fall in love after filming a documentary in high school, they break up really badly, meet again after 5 years and drama ensues. They realize how they have changed, and how they have remained the same, this time determined to make things right and to approach their relationship with more maturity. The way the story is told makes things intriguing because it's not presented in a chronological order. Rather, you will be jumping between their present and fragments of their past. The writer did an amazing job putting things in an order that adds more context and depth to the situation at hand. By telling you how the present is relevant to the past, you know why the characters behave in a certain way, and why some things are better the second time around.

Message
The structure of the story is like peeling an onion, each new episode unravels a new layer about the characters, until you start to empathize with each of them. It is a character-driven drama without a very clear plot, almost like you're living with the characters. You learn new lessons about life, about people. You might start with hating a certain character, and end feeling sorry for them after knowing their backstory. It provides perspective to the human condition, and there is always something to resonate with when it comes to that.

Romance
The drama is centered on romance, so it won't be a good drama if there's no good romance. And I would say, the couple is one of my favorite OTPs I've seen in a drama. There's something about them that just screams that they are meant to be, and you don't see that same spark when they are hanging out with other people. This is the "opposites attract" trope done right. The ML and FL complete each other, they help build each other's weaknesses with their own strengths. There is every reason they fell for each other, every reason they broke apart, and also every reason they wanted to be together again. Nothing felt forced. It was a natural relationship featuring two people with flaws, who sometimes behave like children although they are full grown adults, and who eventually grow strong enough to face their traumas to become better people who are capable of giving and receiving love.

Conclusion
I don't think this drama is overrated, as long as you go in knowing what it is. If you're looking for something exciting, fast-paced, keeps you at the edge of your seat, or some sort of bubbly, happy, feel-good romcom, this is not it. But if you like reading a book on a breezy afternoon weekend while taking a sip of hot chocolate, this is what the drama feels like.

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A SERIES WITH A GREAT START & PROMISE BUT SEEMS TO RUN OUT ON STEAM

I can't tell you how delightful the start of the series is. It's like a 'Vantage Point' treatment which onion skins the story. Everything which you saw in the last episode seems to take on a completely new context and hue in the next episode on the basis of what is revealed. Given that it shows no great thrill or disaster or violence or any of the trope high drama, the almost soft grip the story gets on you as the viewer is hard to describe. Well that is at least till the 8th-9th episode. Each week I'd be immersed in the characters hoping, wanting to know more about what happens to them. All this goes on until the 11th episode. When suddenly, the story, which seemed like some smooth champagne till now, loses ALL fizz and then almost becomes long forgotten soda water. I am left wondering, did they change script writers midstream? Or did the script writer suddenly feel lost? But there seems to be a qualitative gulf between how the story started and how it ends. It could have been brilliant, but it isn't. The actors though put up a commendable performance. One leaves the series with. lament of all the potential lost.

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The Pain We Carry

On the surface, "Our Beloved Summer" is about two unlikely high school students who are paired together for a documentary. Yeon-Soo is the top student in her class. She's driven and determined to be the best. At the other end of the spectrum is Choi-Woong, who is dead last in his class. He appears to be lazy, uninterested, and lacking in ambition.

On a much deeper level, "Our Beloved Summer" is about the pain we all carry around with us. Much of it has to do with the past and how people are treated, whether it be from parents, other friends, or people from relationships. Pain is inevitable. Suffering, however, is optional. And it's amazing how much we suffer by holding on to the past. Yeon-Soo bitterly states in one episode, "The more you try to ignore the past, the more you become trapped in it. And the more you try to run away, the more it traps you." This is because the past needs to be released. Especially the pain. And much of this series is about that: letting go of the pain, and thus, coming to peace with the past.

Yeon-Soo is a woman who appears confident and doesn't seem to care what anyone thinks about her. This makes her appear cold and indifferent. However, this is what is on the surface, because underneath, she's a young woman in turmoil. She pushes everyone away from her because she feels she is not worthy of being liked or loved by anyone. The irony of pushing people away in order to avoid pain is that the person we really end up hurting is ourselves.

Choi-Woong is similar in his pain. However, instead of pushing others away, Woong chooses to barricade himself in his house, focusing on his art and having little contact with others. Why? Because he's been abandoned by those that should have loved him and been there for him. And so, just like Yeon-Soo, he also feels unworthy. And when Yeon-Soo breaks up with him the first time, it reinforces his feelings of unworthiness all the more. Woong is also a gifted artist. However, he draws only buildings, which seem to mirror his own feelings of trying to remain emotionless and distant from anyone else. We come to find that his true masterpiece of art is finally revealed in the very last episode in a most profound and touching way!

Ten years later, Yeon-Soo and Choi-Woong are asked to do another documentary, due to the success of the first one. Reluctantly, they agree. However, the more they begin to spend time together, they not only realize that the feelings they had for each other never went away, but they're able to finally confront their own demons from their past and put them to rest. They do this by acknowledging their fears and realizing what's been holding them back. They also realize that the goal of a relationship isn't to change the other person, but to change yourself. And this is why their relationship ultimately works.

The world is full of Yeon-Soos and Choi-Woongs. People who build up defensive walls, or hide themselves away because they believe what others have told them: that they are unworthy. Feelings of unworthiness truly rob us of our chance of having a happy, fulfilling life. And they exist only within our own minds.

This series is truly beautiful and uplifting in depicting the pain of these two lovable characters, and watching their healing finally begin to take place. What's more, they also learn how to lean on each other when needed. They begin to trust their own love and strength and use it for each other as well as for themselves.

I cannot speak highly enough of Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo-Shik. Not only is their chemistry undeniable, but they are able to give us deep, complex characters using subtlety as a powerful acting tool. A look, a smile, a falling tear...all brilliantly showcased to make us feel every emotion that they are conveying.

I was also thankful that the writers didn't succumb to a "typical" ending in the last episode. I love it when writers dare to follow a more realistic path that suits the characters and the situation rather than force a "happy ending" that is contrived and unbelievable.

I rarely speak of the music in my reviews, but Kim Kyung Hee has quickly become a favorite of mine! His title song is something that I've found myself playing over and over again. I also loved his songs from "Crash Landing On You." He seems to capture Yeon-Soo and Choi-Woong in his song perfectly. I can't listen to it and not think of them!

This is one of my all-time favorite series involving "young" love. I cannot say enough about it. The series was cute, funny, heartbreaking, inspiring, touching, provocative, necessary, and deep. How many series can I say that about in over 45 years of watching shows? Not many.

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MUST WATCH !! A true youthful masterpiece depicting the concept of life in a beautiful way

Wow. Just wow. This show was indeed an experience in many ways, I had given this drama a try when it first aired, however, I gave up midway through the first episode only because I didn't think it'd interest me. One day, I was reminded of this drama when I saw the OST in stores. I thought to give it another shot and I truly fell in love with every detail of this show, every character was explored thoroughly and the romance was genuinely perfect. This might just be one of the best youthful romance dramas I've seen this year everything from the plot to the characters was flawless, I am gonna miss this drama dearly, I love how they gave insight into each character's life allowing us to understand hardships that they've faced as well as showing the concept of mistakes that have been made in the past and how the characters grew from them. It was a perfect depiction of a drama driven by its characters and that's what I love. I cannot even think of a single thing I've hated, I'm not a person who writes many reviews however due to how much I loved this I had to give it a review. I think this drama will always remain one of my favorites and I wish for many people do give this drama the recognition and love it deserves.

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This shouldn't be a hidden gem

I'll be honest, I only started watching this because it was mentioned in an episode of "In the Soop." I'm glad that I didn't miss it because it's easily one of my favorite KDramas. This show deserves recognition. A wonderful story about what love truly means. I expected nothing less of Kim Dami and Choi Woo-Shik who really are in a league of their own. I appreciate the editing and filmography, you can definitely see the team that works on this really put their thoughts and effort. Every shot is like out of a movie, even the car scenes, which are supposedly boring, are impeccable. Everything is detailed even the littlest things. The OSTs are so good too! A solid 9 for me.

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