Summer Strike

Madness Strike

The early episodes of this series had lots of moments where you feel mad with the mistreatment the main lead got. The last few episodes were though were pretty thrilling and not so calming. So i wouldnt recommend to watch if youre just looking to sit back relax and enjoy the romance between the main leads. While there is romance of course, it wasnt that much compared to the amount of episodes this show has. But for me those few little moments felt suprisingly enough because of how cute and satisfying it is. It wasnt too forceful and felt very natural to watch because of the main leads acting

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Two gentle souls healing from their past and gaining closure.

I'm majorly in my Im Siwan era and also a librarian... so when I heard about a drama about Librarian Im Siwan, of course I had to give it a watch!

In my initial readings about the drama, however, I read a few troubling things. "NO ROMANCE!" many people complained. "This isn't slice-of-life, this is a murder mystery!" or "It would've been better without the murder plot going on" which of course made me worried that this show wasn't going to be the healing and slow romance it is advertised as. Surprise murder is such an annoying Kdrama trope, so I was anticipating the worst. In my opinion, this WAS the healing and slow burn romance we were promised. So let's talk about that.

Firstly, the romance. I literally saw someone say there is "not much" romance here, and I actually wholeheartedly disagree with that. Was there a big, dramatic and mind-blowing kiss at the end? Nope, not even a little bit. The only morsel of "skinship" we get is the two leads walking along the beach, finally holding hands. While there was (basically) no physical moments, what we are given are sweet, wholesome emotional moments that I'll be thinking about for a long time. Daebum is quiet and so shy that he had to write down his thoughts on a piece of paper instead of actually speaking. We see his progression from hardly speaking, to staying up all night texting Yeoreom, to them going on their nightly job chatting up a storm. How can you watch these scenes and not feel your heart flutter? I would argue these kinds of scenes were much more heartwarming than just seeing them kiss or having a "steamy" scene. Would I have wanted more? Sure, I won't deny that. But, so many of these precious scenes had me grinning like an idiot and kicking my feet.

Now to the supposed all-encompassing murder mystery storyline. Sure, there was an air of mystery about the circumstances of Daebum's sisters death for the majority of the show... but I'm actually happy that it was essentially just a 2 episode arc of the two leads being detectives and solving the case. A lot of the comments made it seem like that's all this show was.. and that's definitely not the case. That said, Daebum NEEDED to learn to truth in order to move on, especially because this whole time he believed his own father murdered his sister, and he even blamed himself for the deaths as well.

Now to people saying that Yeoreom is a doormat, let's everyone walk all over her, that "learned nothing" by the end. You guys sure are sounding like Jiyoung and the way that she treats Daebum. Yeoreom is kind and generally soft-spoken, yes, but she stood up for herself when it mattered. Do you people really want her to dig heels in, cover her ears, scream at ect, the people who wronged her? She didn't apologize to Geunho's parents when she truly believed he was the culprit, she didn't take their bribes or let them walk all over her... but what she DID do was say, hold on a minute, let's think about this. If it wasn't for her having some compassion, being level-headed, and investigating, an innocent man would be in prison and no one would've gained closure. That is how Yeoreom grew from the start of the show.

This show had a lot of other aspects that I could've personally done without. The romance between Bom and Jaehoon was not my favorite. Jaehoon was very eager to love Bom, and she frankly wasn't ready for that in any facet. Bom's grandmother, the woman who raised and protected her, passes away, and I do believe the Jaehoon still made it about him. That said, Bom absolutely did things wrong. Bom going with Daeho instead of her date with Jaehoon was fucked up... but as I said, Bom is a really, really broken person, and Jaehoon wasn't giving her the time or space to truly heal.

Similarly, the Sungmin/Jiyoung stuff. I could've done without all of that. I liked Sungmin well enough, and in fact, I think his development through the show was quite nice. Who I didn't care for at all was Jiyoung, as I can't stand this type of character. The one that treats the MMC like a little brother that she has to take care of, constantly nagging him, that suddenly realizes "Wait! I loved him all along!" when another woman comes along. Not cute. Her jealousy of Yeoreom was just really gross to me, and the way she treated Sungmin was gross too. I'll be honest, I skipped most of their scenes by the end because it annoyed me too much.

Overall, I would highly recommend this show to anyone. This is about two gentle souls, beaten down by the harsh world. They found each other at low points and were able to truly heal together. No, it wasn't a sweeping romance. It was quiet, slow, and real. I absolutely adored their sweet and realistic love.

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Summer Strike Review - ZyKuu

"A small village filled with special people" - The story made life feel relatable and taught valuable life lessons along with it. This drama was very entertaining and unpredictable at times. The show successfully incorporated different genres like romance, mystery, and melodrama. The cast was spectacular as I feel that majority of the characters nailed their roles. The main leads Yeo-reum and Dae-bum were a special pairing. Their chemistry was innocent and gentle. Ji-young and Sung-min had an entertaining dynamic, and it felt wholesome to see their bond get stronger over time. The sidecast had a couple standout performances like Geun-ho, Geun-ho's mother, and Bom's father. Bom's father in particular broke me not only once, but twice. I appreciated Bom's family dynamic because it displayed a realistic situation that exists in many households today, thus making a connection with the viewers. The OST is beautiful, it perfectly suited the theme and environment of the show. This show inspires me to live in a village and experience life through a different lense. There was a calming peace in watching the people of Angok go about their daily lives. All in all, this was an amazing show that I recommend everyone to give a try!

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Have you ever wanted to quit your job, take only a few of your possessions, and leave behind everyone/everything you've ever known? That's exactly what this drama is about. Yeo Reum finds herself miserable in her every day life. Constantly comparing herself to everyone else and being held to a higher standard that seems unachievable. She decides to leave the corporate life behind, packs a small bag and heads off for a small beach town: Angok.

There we begin the most comforting story of learning to find little things to enjoy in your life. It's a story about finding people who get you with no judgements and finding the true path to what you want to do in life without anyone's expectations getting in the way. I loved everyone in the small town, though it starts out rough at first with Yeo Reum and the villagers. As the show goes on, the town opens up in every way possible... even showing some of the darker cracks that are hiding in the shadows of Angok.

Finding herself in the library quite often, Yeo Reum and the quiet librarian, Dae Beom, become interested in each other slowly. Their chemistry and relationship slowly blooming was one of my favorite parts of this drama and I loved seeing everyone's relationship with each other get better and better as the show went on. Towards the end, it feels like everyone is a huge family that loves and cares for each other. Dae Beom has a tragic past that is the talk of the small village. This is my one flaw with the show.. I understand needing some form of drama after everyone in the town begins to like Yeo Reum, but I felt it could've gone just fine without it. Towards the last few episodes, the darker side jumps out more than the other side stories and it unravels the big mystery in the small village: who killed Dae Beom's sister Sun-Ah? I will say the twist was not one that I could've guessed because the show does a good job of keeping you preoccupied on the obvious suspects. I'm glad that Dae Beom got the closure he needed and could move on with that chapter knowing that he didn't do anything wrong. The last episode spent quite a long time laying out the answer and solving the mystery that I felt it left behind what I was actually wanting to see in the end which was all of the other relationships and how they are now that it's the end of the summer.

I did have a hard time getting through most of the scenes with Dae Beom's close friend and fellow librarian, Ji Young. It's very obvious from the start that she holds their relationship in a different light than Dae Beom views them. She goes out of her way to be rude and hateful towards Yeo Reum without any reason for doing so other than she has a crush on Dae Beom and he doesn't reciprocate. She goes to Sung Min quite often and begs him to kick her out several times and even goes behind everyone's back to talk to Yeo Reum privately about how she gave up on life and doesn't get to push how she lives on everyone (Bom and Dae Beom) all the while doing exactly that to the both of them. She becomes more tolerable too late and I wish that they would've wrapped up her feelings a little earlier than they did.. especially when her relationship with Sung Min was much more interesting and unexpected. I wanted to see more of the 2 of them with Joon.

I did read a few reviews before watching that mentioned that Yeo Reum is too nice and finds herself being walked over many times, but I had to keep in mind during this drama that it's about finding yourself and finding how you want to live your life. Bom's choices drove me crazy, but when you keep in mind that she's a teenager with a rough upbringing and it's her first life with mistakes and all, it makes it feel more realistic. Yeo Reum is kind and giving and will give even when knowing that she is being taken advantage of. She knows the feeling of pressure and judgement and does her best to not push her opinions on others. I found myself relating to her character a lot more than I thought and I loved seeing her become more and more happy than at the start.

Summer Strike quickly became one of my favorites and definitely a comfort show. I found myself laughing and giggling with Yeo Reum and Bom during their sleepovers.. crying with them during their hard times and kicking my feet with them as they began to realize their feelings and crushes. It feels like you become a part of the small village and I loved every minute of it.

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Soothing and Sweet

Summer Strike is one of my favorite dramas of the year, and exactly what I needed: short, sweet, and fulfilling.
The story follows Yeo Reum and her desire to leave the busy city life to fulfill her mother's wish of wanting to do nothing. In her grief, Yeo Reum makes some drastic changes to her life that she would otherwise not have the courage to do. I truly love Yeo Reum as I resonate with many of her characteristics, such as people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, and introversion. However, she isn't a complete pushover as she learns to stand up for herself and people in the community.

A couple of reasons why I love this drama is because I love the theme of Family of Choice, and this drama pulled incessantly on my heartstrings as Yeo Reum gradually found her significance/confidence. It also focuses on how the adults in our lives can truly fail us at times (Bom's father, Dae Bom's Father/professor, Jae Hoon's parents/aunt) but that isn't always the end all be all. The little safety bubble that they created with each other and how the characters learned to lean on one another was just chef's kiss.

Although we see a lot of interaction between Dae Bom and Yeo Reum, we do NOT get a kiss at the end, and for once I was fine with that. I felt that the story was complete regardless of a kiss. Dae bom and Yeo reum have done so much to prove that they admire and are willing to be there for one another, and they were moving so slowly that it made sense that the drama didn't end with a kiss. I enjoyed it regardless.

If you're looking for a low key drama to binge this is definitely the one to watch

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A "Healing" Show

Although many people depict this show as a "healing" show, I feel like it's much more than that. It didn't feel particularly healing to me. It was a show that definitely had healing aspects, however, the storylines felt a little rushed, and not fully thought out, so the ultimate resolution of healing through whatever conflict there was didn't feel complete.

Whilst the female lead is a main part of the story, her main purpose has more to do with the side storylines than her own. Which, turns out well since the side plots were really interesting, but it might've been nicer to get more details on her story and have good closure. Her ex-boyfriend isn't a MAIN part of her problems at the beginning, but his small contribution felt kind of cast out. He was mentioned once after the fact, but it would've been nice if she had been a little bit more affected long term, considering it had been a six year relationship. A little detail like that could've made the story super interesting, and would've been an amazing incorporation of her beginning conflict. Her brother as well, could've turned out to be a MAJOR plot point in her own story, however, the fight she has with him has little effect on it. It would have made her relationship with Bom and her family a lot deeper if it had been carried out further.

The male lead's storyline was probably one of the best carried out. It feels like out of everybody, his story had more closure and was well developed. His "healing" portion was well enough, even if it would've been nicer to see more of his interaction with his dad in the end. The whole "not talking to strangers thing" was a nice detail if a little useless, since it's not really ever seen again after the first episode. It would've been great if he had taken a little longer to warm up to the female lead.

Bom's story was one of the main ones. It felt more developed than the female lead's. It's also amazingly written in my opinion. However, this main storyline had little healing, or at least, healing that felt rushed, and unrealistic. Her story deals with the most trauma, so her healing should have been slower and better thought out than it was. It feels as though one second she's falling apart and the next she's mostly fine. I would've really liked if it had been gradual, and if the experiences she went through left more of an impact on her and everybody involved. It felt like a low-consequence ending for the amount of things she goes through.

This show is also not a romance-centered plot. Although the romance very much exists, it's never the main focus, as it's more supposedly about healing than the actual aspects of romantic love. However, love is a huge theme in the show. Not just romantic, but familial and platonic love. A lot of bonds are made with all of the characters, and in the end you feel like they've all fallen in love with something. Whether it be someone romantically, or a bond of new chosen family, or a feeling of happiness, love plays a role in everyone's ending. However, approaching the show with expectations of a major romance storyline will probably disappoint, since it doesn't have a particularly satisfying ending in that way.

There was also aspects of a murder mystery, which although interesting, was also not a huge genre throughout. It was solved fairly quickly although in the last few episodes, since it only surfaces at the very end. It was unexpected, but also felt like it ended too quickly without much to go on. It was exciting to have some of the genre show up, but it wasn't anything major.

Overall, it was a pretty emotional show and although I felt the end was a little abrupt, I definitely felt like the show was worth my time. Although I approached it with different expectations, it was a pleasant watch, and I would probably choose to watch this show again in the future.

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A Calm Journey & Beautiful Setting, But Something’s Missing

If you’ve seen When the Weather Is Fine, you’ll immediately recognize the similar tone in Summer Strike. Both dramas carry that small-town, quiet-life healing concept, but after watching a lot of dramas over the years, I can clearly see where this one falls short.

This drama tries to deliver romance, comedy, and even a bit of mystery with a murder subplot. The romantic element is there, but the chemistry between the leads is quite flat. They both performed well on their own, but as a couple, the spark was just missing. On the other hand, the comedy parts were genuinely well written and enjoyable—it’s the one area where the show shines.

Now about the mystery: honestly, the murder angle didn’t fit. This drama only has 12 episodes with short runtime, so there’s limited space to build any strong suspense. The pacing suffers as a result. Episodes 3 to 6 felt like fillers—nothing important really happens, and even if you skip them, you won’t miss much. The plot could’ve stayed focused on healing and relationships without the crime angle.

Shin Eun Soo, who plays the second female lead, delivers a fantastic performance. I already liked her from Twinkling Watermelon, so maybe I’m a bit biased, but she felt more convincing than the main leads. The second male lead doesn’t get much attention, and his role felt more like background support than a full character.

Also, the supporting cast overall did a much better job than expected. One thing I have to point out—Kwak Min Gyoo gave a better performance than both the male and female leads from my perspective. I genuinely enjoyed her scenes more than the main plot scenes.

In conclusion, Summer Strike isn’t a bad drama, but it struggles with its direction. If you’re looking for something light and peaceful, and you've already watched most slice-of-life or healing dramas, this one is okay for a one-time watch. Just go in with lower expectations.

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It's a good drama. But even though it was a very calm drama, I expected more romance. The main actors had a lot of chemistry in the beginning, but in the last episode I couldn't identify all that passion and chemistry. However, it's worth watching, it's cute and calm.

The drama is slow, I believe it is good to watch if you like calm dramas or if you have just watched something very heavy.
However, he talks about important subjects such as murd*r, mental illness (although not as explored, I wish it had been), abuse at work, harassment, school violence and trauma. Even though it was calm, this part was well explored.

The second couple, the teenagers, had more development in their relationship than the main couple, which saddened me because the scene between the two would have been really beautiful. I hope they are recruited for another drama together, this time exploring the ''romantic comedy'' part of the actors.

Anyway, it's a good drama. I recommend.
11/12/2023 - Brazil, Rio.

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What a beautiful piece of work that just feels like a warm hug

This show is such a positive breeze of tranquillity and calmness that is reflected in the setting, story and acting. First things first, the story is well written, keeps you hooked and engaged and does not get boring or stretched out at any point. So while some people feel like there could've been more, I feel it is the perfect length and I'm happy that it is not stretched to include unnecessarily old and boring tropes. They have nicely depicted the calmness of a rather rural setting, the kind of bonds you find there which are rather difficult to find in your average city life and I have loved the entire concept of a rather simple living and enjoying your life, the harsh reality our female lead faces after facing certain setbacks in life. I also quite enjoyed the storyline with the boss and the brother, for once I did not see the female lead being stepped upon left right and centre by all the possible characters. She stood her ground. Hence, the story has been well written in these aspects. I also quite enjoyed how the whole thriller aspect of it was not overdone and was easily hashed out. Sometimes, shows get so entangled in it that you fall short on everything else in the show, in this case, the simplicity of life in general. So, the balance between the genres was perfect, for me.

Secondly, I quite enjoyed the acting of all the people involved. There was no one I found overbearing or expressionless. I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey of these 12 episodes with these brilliant actors who have wonderfully portrayed these characters, some of whom, I've grown to absolutely love. I also quite like the character development of some of the people like Kim Bom and Ji Young. These were slightly different characters, very well written and nicely portrayed. Though, special mention to a.mond and Kim Yo Han for their stellar acting, I've become a fan!

Overall, I'm quite happy with the show and I've already watched it twice without skipping. I like such shows that provide me a respite from the otherwise overdone and usual tropes and hence this is a very peaceful watch for me. I wish more people find solace in this show and come across this quite underrated gem of work. A must-watch as per me!

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충분하다 - It's good enough ;)

Constantly on the edge of being something memorable, not really succedingy, but always a pleasure to watch. No unnecessary angst, but felt like parts of the story were forcibly left out.

A bit too many exceptional circumstances within the story, and a bit careless about the editing. FL is unrealistically beautiful for the part but the acting feels very natural. ML seems underutilized as an actor. The other characters are there, not the most loveable but not caricatural either. OST is surprisingly nice, not as in your face as other dramas, but still memorable.

Re-watch value is also ok, I believe.

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A Soulful Escape into Simplicity and Self-Discovery

Summer Strike was truly a breath of fresh air—an escape from the fast-paced race we’re all running, often without even knowing why. The protagonist lets go of everything and embraces a nomadic life, discovering things she never even knew existed. One of my favorite scenes was when she clears out her belongings; it’s a reminder of how much we hoard without realizing and how little we actually need.

I also loved the moment when she selflessly spends her money to save a dog from mistreatment—it was such a touching act of kindness. The way the drama portrays introverts falling in love is beautifully done, capturing their emotions in a subtle yet heartfelt way. The episode where she loses her money while drunk was both amusing and realistic, adding to the charm of the story.

Despite its slow pace, I watched it all the way through, deeply moved by its emotional depth. The way she describes happiness in the end is truly beautiful. Summer Strike is a must-watch for anyone who dreams of quitting their job and getting lost in the simplicity of life.

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