This review may contain spoilers
A lil talking and trust is what it takes to make that Summer “Beloved”.
This review contains very little spoilers and is written in rather uncomplicated language.So Let's Begin........
What could've been just a bunch of rather heartwrenching and traumatic memories for the Leads, turned out to be the most Beloved and Cherrished times of their Lives.
This show began at our Leads meeting again after 5 years since their break-up cuz of a Viral Documentary that they shot when they were in high school 10 years ago and how they ended up being together again after dating for 5 years since high school to breaking-up and finally understanding what Love and Life is.
How it just takes a lil more effort to look at things from a slightly different angle.
Life gave them a chance not to undo the past but to learn from the mistakes and not to repeat those again.
Like how Yeon-su said that "the more you try to run away from past, the more it traps you in and that it makes you repeat the mistakes again".
That documentary actually came as a gift for them and that's how they found out when they actually fell in love 10 years ago and how they loved each other but due to their own pride and prejudice they presumed things and let go of each other which could've been resolved with just a lil talk face to face which they eventually learnt. They learnt to trust each other and communicate.
Yeon-su found out that she wasn't all alone like she thought all her time instead she had someone to rely on at each phase of her life, someone came in as a friend, some as colleagues while someone as the love of her life. All she had to do was to look at them and let go of her presumptions.
And Woong learnt to let go of his traumatic past and being afraid of getting abandoned again.
Ji-woong learnt to accept his life too. They all embraced their past while learning to love their present.
This show dealt with a lot issues.
From Childhood Negligence by Parents to growing up in poverty without Parents and abandonment by loved ones. A messed-up break-up and it's consequences.
The drama showed how trusting yourself and your loved ones is the most important thing.
• Cast and Acting :
The Cast of this drama was top-notch. Each actor did justice to their respective characters. You could totally feel the emotions that the characters felt.
I've been a fan of Choi Woo-shik since "Hogu's Love" and Kim Da-mi since "Itaewon Class". Kim seong-chol is one great actor too, I remember him from "Prison Playbook" where he made a brief appearance. Roh Jung-eui did a fabulous job too.
Other cast members were perfect too.
While some were familiar faces like Woong's Mum and Dad who played such warm and kind people.
Sol-ri played Park Jin-joo, the perfect actor to play that eccentric best friend of the FL did full justice to her skills by bringing much needed laughter to our screens.
While others like Eun-ho, Chae-ran, Park PD, Yeon-su's colleagues were new faces to me. They all were so good as well.
Perhaps what surprised me the most about this drama is that there's no character that I could hate. I was reading the interview of the writer of this show and how she chose to write 3-dimensional characters with no-one solely bad or good, which I agree with.
After all, all humans have multiple sides to them.
• The OST :
I can say that this show had one of the Best OSTs of all time. Each song played in the background conveyed and aroused emotions. Every song went well with the over-all vibes of this drama.
My Favourite Tracks are:-
#1 Christmas Tree by V (OST Pt.5)
#2 Home by Janet Suhh ( OST Pt. 6)
#3 Drawer by 10cm ( OST Pt. 1)
#4 Maybe if by BIBI ( OST Pt. 2)
#5 The Giving Tree by Lee Seung Yoon ( OST Pt. 7)
#6 Summer Rain by Sam Kim ( OST Pt. 8)
I have these tracks on my Spotify Favourites now and on loop listening to these. Idk why but I cry when listening to Giving Tree, Home, Maybe if and Drawer.
Now what I didn't like:
The only thing that could've been better was if they had only 12 Episodes or if they showed a lil more of their school days and if the last episode gave a lil more elaborate ending to us than just throwing a lot at once.
No, I am not saying that it felt rushed or messy rather I felt that our Mains had a very lil time having those cute couple moments.
Besides that Product placement by Samsung lol 😂 every character had a "Z-flip".
• Conclusion: This drama is truly a gem. From great acting, writing, cinematography, direction and OST, this show had it all.
This drama has truly become one of my favourite dramas of all time that I like to call "Soulful" Dramas which I can watch multiple times.
I felt all the emotions while watching this. From crying to getting frustrated, from having that smile on my face unconsciously to feeling butterflies in my stomach. It had it all.
What made this show so special for me was how it reminded of my own life, being grown up as a single child of a single mom in a not so affluent family and being perceived as an aimless and lost cause person. I could relate to all three characters... Yeon-su, Choi Woong and Ji-woong.
I hope they make a season 2 of this perhaps 3-4 years from now like how in the very last scene they started filming again after finding that the sequel to their documentary went viral too and told the viewers that they're married.
Wouldn't it be interesting seeing Yeon-su and Woong married and their reactions to what life has in the box ready to be thrown at them. Also I want a true happy ending for Ji-woong and NJ too.
On that note let's wrap this up.
Hurry and go watch it now.
I didn't give away a lot of what actually happened cuz I want you to watch the show yourself and experience each emotion that the characters felt.
BTW, am so grateful that I watched this show in just 38 hours and got outta my K-drama slump.
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nostalgic summer
If you're into slow-paced, healing dramas, this series will be the perfect fit for you. The character development/relationship development is fairly slow-paced but it's a good pace especially because they have interesting flashback scenes as well as shifts between the characters. I really appreciated getting to know the stories of the side characters as well as the main characters, the directing and cinematography is definitely top tier as well...The peaceful and calmness of this dramas as a whole was incredibly healing,, I think the last time I watched something that gave me such vibes was When the Weather Is Fine. The acting, as expected, was so realistic and the feelings were portrayed so well. Kim Dami and Choi Wooshik definitely did the original characters & the webtoon justice. Unlike most rom-coms, the second leads (Jiwoong and NJ) gave such great vibes/characteristics, it was such a breath of fresh air that they were so easy to understand and empathize with.
The OST was also wonderful, everything fit so well with this nostalgic-summer esq vibe that I long to revisit, it's like experiencing sweet first love moments when things were carefree :) Big props to the whole crew and this series overall. <3
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Our Painfully, Pain, Pain, Pain with a side of flufff
Prepare yourselves for some pain, and I do not just mean a little pain, I mean a lot of it as the team for this drama truly do all in their power to make you feel the prolonged suffering of the main couple with the use of dialog, visuals and a pretty painful OST.I was honestly surprised over how much could feel their pain, as I spent most of this drama with a lump in my chest. And as the true drama masochist I am I LOVED every moment of it... yep I did! If you are not a fan of pain step away and do not come near this drama.. because it has so many different types of pain and levels of brokenness, fear and pain making it one of the most painfully, pain, pain, pain dramas I have watched of course with some humour, cuteness and beauty... but did I mention pain?
I think I read someone say this reminded them of Reply 1988 and I am willing to agree, I am just not going to tell you in what way, so I won't spoil it for you... But there is deffinetly a familiarity between the two dramas.
This drama has a few (very few) slightly annoying scenes, but I would say this is a meet after a break up drama done right. though I did want to yell at the cast from time to time to TALK TO EACH OTHER... There was not a single character (ok one) that was not lovable at least once.
"My mother is dyeing and I don't feel the least bit sad" made me forget every single flaw in this drama...
Extra points for the way they portray how poverty affects people, as well as some pretty raw lines about bad parenting... minus for some other parts about parenting but then again some more for the good parents and what makes a family...
Extra points for the OST, showing how much ones mood affects the way you hear a song, as some of the songs felt sad and dark in some of the episodes but happy, fluffy and romantic in others... yes the same song, same piano... same tone, same voice... completely different emotion. Now that takes talent and color me impressed!
It also has some well done product placement, some a bit too obvious that will make you laugh, and some PPL that is just in the way... Also wrong botle of Soju... it was blue! very confusing. They make good use of umbrellas too...
This drama is not for everybody, so do not be fooled by the name Our Beloved Summer... there is very little beloved and even less summer (it is mostly fall and winter). But for all you fellow drama masochists out there, this will have you felling stuff, biting your nails and screaming at the screen!
Oh and most of the episodes are named after movies from the 90s... kind of cute.
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gue paling gasuka bangetttttttt cerita cinta segitiga di antara dua sahabat. terakhir gue nonton kisah serupa tuh di love alarm, tapi sama kaya obs ini, GUE TETEP GABISA BERENTI ALIAS KESEL TP GEMES JG HHHHHH.
secara keseluruhan our beloved summer emang apik banget sih. well written, semuanya dikupas habis tanpa meninggalkan lubang tanda tanya. dinamika plotnya cakeuppppp, lengkap! gemesnya ada, kesel dan gregetannya ada, sedihnya pun ada. penggunaan kedua─atau tiga kalau kim jiung juga termasuk─sudut pandang dari tokoh utamanya pas, ngga berat sebelah. character developmentnya juga keliatan walau pelan banget tapi ya masih dalam batas normal. tadinya kalo kook yeonsu masih nyebelin dari awal sampe akhir, gue pengen banget ngejambak rambutnya, tapi syukurnya dia berubah hohoho. selain itu kehadiran para pemeran pendukungnya juga sesuai porsi, ngga ada yang mendominasi. justru kemunculan mereka di semua scene nerbener mendukung ide cerita si pemeran utama.
visualnya cantik! vibes dan tone-nya kaya film-film indie korea, pastel pastel gitu. wardrobe pemeran utama (choi ung, kook yeonsu, sama kim jiung) juga cakeup cakeup. warnanya netral semua, jadi kesannya kaya matching aja gitu satu sama lain.
overall gue suka bangetngetngetttttttttt ahdhajsgajs sampe kebawa mimpi loh anjrit.
"coba nengok ke belakang"-nya choi ung ttep membekas di hati alias ga pernah gagal bikin gemes.
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Beloved Indeed <3
Where to start, this show was amazing!! I've been waiting for this show since the description was put on MDL and I was not disappointed. This show was beautiful from the characters to the music :)Story: It's great! We see many different stages of the main couple (enemies to lovers in school, dating, post-break up, when they meet again, and rekindled/back together). The writers do a good job telling the story of the 2 main characters which I appreciate. You see that neither of them are bad people, just lonely.
- It's also more on the slow-paced side but it makes the show even more meaningful and beautiful.
- I will say this show gives of lowkey melo vibes rather than rom com. There are many comedic moments but the emotional and tension-filled might be more prevalent to you like it was for me... I still love the show and I laughed and smiled a lot but just a mini heads up hehe
- I wasn’t the biggest fan of the love square but not enough for me to knock it down from a 10/10
Acting/Cast: This is my 1st time watching Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Shik and they were amazing!! Their chemistry was great and they embodied their characters :) All the other characters were equally great and I loved seeing some actors again like our favorite best friend Park Jin Joo, and Jeon Hye Won. Also, Ung's Parents have to be some of the best Dramaland parents I've seen, they were wonderful.
Music: Absolutely one of my favorite drama osts, it's stellar!!! My favorite is "Maybe If" by BIBI <3
Rewatch Value: I don't rewatch shows because I have a long watchlist lol but if I did "Our Beloved Summer" would be on the list, especially the couple moments :)
Overall, this show was soothing and I loved watching Ung and Yeon Su find their way back to each other. I recommend this show if your a fan of any of the cast, enjoy aesthetically pleasing shows, or looking for a good story & soundtrack! If you're not a fan of slow-paced shows this one might not be for you but I think it's still worth checking out, Happy watching!! :)
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What A Cute Drama!
I have been waiting long for this drama since last year. Since I started to like Choi Woo Sik. And yess....applaused! I love their chemistry, I love all the soundtrack, I love the drawing, I love the friendship between them especially Choi Ung and Ji Ung.And this story succeed to bring me back to my school life and my crush during that time. How miss crazily to that time. And there's a few scene that makes me nearly to cry.
Choi Woo Sik, I am your fans since I watched you in Rooftop prince and I think I will continue to be your fans. To the director of Our Beloved Summer, please make this drama happy ending. Pleasee. Since this drama still on going. So please make happy ending. And, please send someone for Ji Ung. Don't be too cruel to Ji Ung. I started to like Kim Sung Cheol also. Hehehehe....
Anyway, I love the whole story. This masterpiece really touched my heart. 😘 10 stars!!
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refreshing af
this kdrama is something else! it's still airing as i'm writing this, but seriously consider watching it.it has a stereotypical breakup and get back together trope, but the directors do such a great job at making every episode intriguing and original in its own way. the cast is so perfect and the chemistry feels super real.
also as an army i love V's ost Christmas Tree. also maybe if and drawer are two other amazing osts.
this drama makes my mondays and tuesdays so refreshing :) i love how relatable the plot is and the supporting cast is so cute. getting serious second lead syndrome though ;-;
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PLEASING STORYLINE! ✨
I am so certain that many of us have started watching this series because of the cast, at least I did.. but the plot, the storyline that has kept me going!!I can't belive how amazingly they have portrayed the roles of the said characters. The development shown along with their vulnerability as a whole made it a must watch, and a re-watchable series!
And to not forget the OST, I've come to like all of the songs, and the way each of them give a meaning to the storyline and the characters.
I believe that this was such a pleasant beginning to us kdrama stans in this 2022.
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Season changes so does character's emotion
✅ Cinematograpy✅ Good acting
✅ OST
✅ Writing
✅ Impactful story
✅ Great direction
✅ Realistic
✅ Entertaining
What else do we need?
Still this drama won't be everyone's cup of tea as it may seem as a simple story with complicated narrative along with stupid misunderstanding but this is what actually happens in real life. It's character and emotion of the people after all complicated to understand especially of your loved ones at times.
Still my favorite episode would definitely will be 8th episode
P.S Loved Choi woo shik
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Magic unveil on 2nd watch - Power of Perceptive
I have to admit that I thought this drama was just so-so after I first watched it. Was expecting more of the typical light-hearted romantic-comedy dramas with occassional splashes of comedic scenes thrown in, but was slightly disappointed by it falling short of my expectation. (Please read till the end of the review!) My initial reaction was that it the first few episodes was quite funny, but mid episodes got draggy and ending was alright. I thought it will be better with more funny scenes thrown in. I was wondering "Why does it get so high rating?" Despite that, the chemistry between Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Sik is undeniably blazing. I ended up search for BTS clips and got hooked in even more. A comment on Youtube about how the editing brings out the power of the Rain Kiss in Ep 8 and that triggered the realization on the main theme of the show -the Power of Perceptive.What sets this drama apart is the way the scenes were presented to the viewers. Clippets of flashbacks were shown slowly bit by bit as the episode/drama progressed which is very different from the usual drama. This creates a different perception of the characters in the plot. When I watched it for the first time, I didn't really understand why the characters in the drama were so emotional in certain scenes and couldn't really fully emphatize with the characters or understand their actions. I felt that Yeon Su was too distance and cold, while Choi Ung was so cute in the show. The most memorable episode that left the biggest impression was Ep12 with all the cute moments. I also liked the occassional comedic scenes that were thrown in once a while throughout the drama. That was how I felt on the first watch. (Looking back now, this seems quite superficial as there's much more the drama has to offer!).
I decided to rewatch the drama again and boy was I surprised at howmy whole perception of the drama changed.
THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC OF THE DRAMA BEGINS!
It's the first time where I rewatch a drama and had a different feeling towards the characters, plot and how good the drama is!
The magic of the drama unveil itself on the 2nd watch. With the background and context of the characters in mind after the first watch, the 2nd watch of the drama left me with a complete different feeling despite the fact that the scenes, characters and entire show is exactly the same! Thats the power of perception. After understanding the reasons and background of Yeon Su and Choi Ung, I could feel the strong emotional scenes come to live in my 2nd watch (which the audience will not fully understand on the first watch due to how the scenes were edited throughout the drama). I also came to appreciate the beautiful cinematic which I didn't notice in my first watch. It brings forth new perspectives.
The theme of Perception/Perceptive stood out the most to me in the drama.
Different characters have different perception towards Yeon Su and Choi Ung's relationship.
Firstly, our perception is shaped by how information is presented to us. The public thinks that Yeon Su and Choi Ung were enemies in school due to how the scenes where edited in the documentary. Similarly, Yeon Su's colleague thinks that they are enemies, and Mr Jang and Yeon Su has a thing going on. On the other hand, the PDs, Yeon Su and Choi Ung's friends think that something is going on between them.
Secondly, the difference in perception is not only affected by what is presented to us, but also subjective on the individual level. This is shown in the scene where Yeon Su went up the stage were presented in Yeon Su, Choi Ung and Ji Ung POV.
Lastly, on a even more micro level, our own perception may change depending on how we choose to look at the situation too.
Yeon Su's own view on her life changed when she changed her perspective that she's always alone and had no friend, to one where she noticed that her friends and colleagues were always supportive of her throughout her life.
The difference in perspective is not only applicable to the drama itself but also in real life as well. Just like how the audience and characters are affected by these difference in perceptive, viewers of "Our Beloved Summer" are affected by how the producers edited the drama and how the scenes are presented to us as well. This is apparent by how the flashbacks scenes and different POV of the various characters on the same scenes are presented. It's magical how the producer managed to replicate this change in perspective of the characters in the show to affect the audience watching "Our Beloved Summer" in real life as well! (At least that was the effect it had on me!).
I'm not sure whether this is intentional, but it also draws parallel to real life as well. Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Sik were enemies in the movie "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion" just like how Yeon Su and Choi Ung were portrayed as enemies in the documentary they were featured in their schooldays. But behind the scene, they were friends. Then they were reunited (Da Mi and Woo Sik in this drama and Yeon Su and Choi Ung in the documentary). Not sure whether this was done delibrately, but just like in the show where the behind the scene unedited clips of the documentary were the best bits, behind the scene of "Our Beloved Summer" were even better than what were shown in the drama. Just look at the BTS of the kiss scenes and extremely comfortable physical interaction between Da Mi and Woo Sik (in interviews too) !
This drama is like a sweet onion with so many layers waiting to be uncover. Just like in life; You got to slow down, take a step back, give it a chance and be open to changing your perspective to truely appreciate this drama completely - its plot, editing, cinematic, actors acting and chemistry. The show is much deeper than it seems. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what it will bring to the table!
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L’amour est la poésie des sens ~ Love is the poetry of the senses <3
This drama took me by surprise.I didn't watch it as soon as it started airing but after seeing an edit of instagram about the characters I had to take a look.
I was hooked from the start. I have eagerly awaited Mondays and Tuesdays ever since I started the drama. Watching this drama became the highlight of my week. I think it's fair to say it is now my all time favourite. Which to be honest is strange, as I usually lean more towards things with action/thrill as well as romance. I just ended up loving every part of this drama.
The story was phenomenal. Each character played an important role and each character was a joy to watch over the course of the show. Their story arcs were unique, interesting and filled with the rawness of true emotions. I liked the jumping between the past and the present, slowly piecing together the whole story and I loved the documentary aspect to the drama. I also loved the artistic part of the story linked to Choi Woong. I thought it added a depth to his character and his story.
The cast were incredible. I thought everyone did a superb job at playing the character they had been given. I could not and would not want to see anyone else play these fantastic characters. From Kim Da Mi to Park Jin Too and back to Choi Woo Shik everyone was amazing at bringing the characters to life.
The music was unique and beautiful. From the intro to the hit Christmas Tree by V, each song added to the beauty of this drama. I for one have been listening to the music non-stop.
Like some kdrama watchers I struggle to re-watch a show all the way through again no matter how much I loved it. But I can see myself rewatching this drama very soon and loving it every bit as much.
So… would I recommend this Korean drama? Yes, yes I would. That's not to say it would be for everyone because it definitely wouldn't suit some people's tastes. However, I would really recommend this if you are looking for a show with a gripping but beautiful storyline and deep and meaningful characters.
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Lit drama ngl
I’m not even gon cap, this drama fr beautifully executed mane. I love this OG Choi w💫💫shik but the chemistry between him and his ex. Dawg this drama making me high key miss my ex but reality is what’s over is over on to the next fr.Top tier cinema photography and dialogue, what you thought was going to be a fun and light hearted drama the first few episodes turned out to be a eye opening, jaw clenching, fist opening, teeth pending enlightenment of the deep intricate details of a relationship that really matters.
Also I ain’t fw the 2nd male lead, guy boring and his mum an L fr. The girl lead Lawd have merthy, her acting is truly the work of Vincent Van Dough. Her sheer ability to act cute is definitely not a feat in it self as she is evidently a cute person behind the cameras. I’d like to thank god for blessing me with this kdrama, and I want to give a shout-out to my mum for just being there unlike 2nd male lead.
9/10
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