Crushology 101

A slow downgrad spiral

Tbh I wouldn’t even have started this drama if it wasn’t for the cast — they’re some of my faves — and ngl I kinda regret it.
The beginning was super fun, really bright and funny, with great vibes, cool interactions, nice OST and cinematography.
But it all started going downhill as soon as they got together.
They were too happy, then out of nowhere he turned hella toxic for the dumbest reasons.
And the way he acted when she went abroad? That was the last straw.
Yeah they end up together in the end, which is cute I guess, but the last 2-3 weeks left a bitter taste fr.

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A lighthearted show that should not be taken too seriously and a thoroughly enjoyable watch

I had very low expectations for this show, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself counting down the days for the next episode every week ever since I binged the first 4 eps.

This show is not very complex (although it definitely gains more depth as the episodes progress), but it is entertaining and interesting nonetheless, especially if you like romcoms and don't require an in-depth plot in order to enjoy a show. I really enjoyed the pacing and how quickly story arcs resolve and new arcs begin.

In my opinion casting was done extremely well and the actors were believable as their characters. I absolutely love the soundtrack and immediately downloaded the OST after finishing the first 4 eps.

This show reminded me of Business Proposal (something about the use of comedy brought it to mind, it is definitely romcom comedy not just slapstick comedy which I detest seeing in romcoms since it just kills the romance) as well as Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo (if they attended an arts university instead of a sports university, also the male lead still having a soft spot for his ex when she is in trouble and said ex wanting to get back together after abandoning him)

I will definitely be rewatching this show in the future since it does not heavily rely on plot twists and reveals so the joy from watching is mainly from seeing the characters interact. While this is not a particularly layered or deep show, and I have seen shows that were much higher rated and more complex, I have to say that I found this show more entertaining than the vast majority of those shows. I'm all for high stakes, compelling themes and complex narratives but in my opinion a show falls flat if it can't entertain me.

Lastly, I feel the need to point out that it is a bit misleading that this show is presented on MDL as having 5 main characters when in reality the main characters of the show consist of the 3 characters that make up the main love triangle (they're the only ones on the poster for a reason). I do like him as an actor but I wasn't specifically watching the show to see him and yet I was still caught offguard by how briefly Kim Hyunjin actually features in the show (I think it's roughly 2 and a half episodes and I don't foresee him reappearing in the 2nd half) and I think this will also apply to the 4th Male lead who has only just been soft launched half way through the show.

I will update this review when I have finished the last third, but I have seen 8/12 episodes so far.

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WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

I am not one to write reviews but for this series, I had to. I have forgotten about this one for so long and had moved on with my life but today, I came across it in the watchlist of my old account and couldn't help but think about it again.

The thing is that, I had unusual high expectations for this show. And it did satisfy me to some point. If I could watch the first two episodes again, I 100% would even if I know what comes after now. They are just that good! The whole thing about Bunny realising her self-worth and punching tf out of her ex bf was so good and it immediately drew me in. Also, what I liked about Bunny as a character the most was the fact that its hinted with no other implications that she is a pretty girl who is popular in her dept. So, she is not like other FLs in that sense where they have to be the pitiable, suffering ones (not all but maybe 40% of FLs I have watched). My interest was piqued when the 4 different MLs were introduced and I knew I was in for an enjoyable ride (+ I thought Min-gi would appear fully in the later episodes after seeing the brief appearance in ep1/2).

Then, came the downfall, strike 1— the show got more interesting as it progressed but the whole a-rang being an asshole plot ruined it. Atleast, for me. Well, I am one to know that pretty boys are not innocent and the plot about him being an asshole was needed in order to get her attention off that man whom she was developing feelings for. But they could have changed that to make it more tolerable and less annoying. I know they were just following the webtoon storyline which also doesn't have much substance and has very weak sauce (and there's barely anything to do when the source material is weak). Still, I continued to watch the show because it was nice to see the fl take a proper stance for herself without the other mls involved and publicly humiliate the man who played with her feelings and cheated on her.

Strike 2— Min-gi didn't appear even though we were several episodes in. And its weird to market a show by pretending that a guess appearance is a main role. But this show did that. They promoted by saying that Min-gi was going to be a male lead even though he was in barely any episodes. Now that we have talked about this, the reason why the a-rang plot threw me off was also because his actor was listed in the main character section though his whole arc was finished by the first half of the series and he didn't appear in the remaining eps. Kinda weird, don't you think?

Strike 3 came when the ML wouldn't stop grabbing her wrists and pulling her everywhere like a damn red flag, and yeah, of course, I am not someone who cannot handle a bit dark romance but it was just... unusual. It's a show thats presented as lovely, lighthearted and beautiful to look at so, I don't want to be reminded of in this fantastical setting of the toxicity of men (well, I can tolerate it if it's a side character but not the ML). If the FL is supposed to be the best, communicate well and be the best character ever, the ML should be written like so. But they were far too incompatible. Don't get me wrong, I loved them in hierarchy and I was rooting for them sm but it was a nothing burger because they literally served.... nothing! Still, I liked seeing Lee Chae-min in this, he was very good looking and I love the scene where Bunny saw him as a gangster/debt collector after she broke his tablet. He fell first, she didn't. She was intimidated, she was scared. If I am to be honest, Ji-won would have been a better lead.

Strike 4 was when they decided to do literally nothing with Ji-won's character. The whole plot about his sister came out of nowhere. And it was very weak sauce as well. They could have done something interesting with him but of course, he had to be the picture perfect lead with the dashing looks, and wealth who still cannot get the fl because of whatever logic the writers had when they were writing him. I feel bad for mans but atleast, he got better projects after this. Also, I feel like he and the other male lead had better chemistry. Roh Jeong-eui was just so expressionless, it angered me to some point because it gave me serious hong suzu vibes.

But all in all, if I'm to mention one thing I liked the most about this, it was:

Ji-won and Kkot-nim being hinted at the end! Tbh, I watched the whole show and finished it solely because of the dynamics between Bunny and her two friends. I loved Bo-bae as well and the thing about her debuting as an actor and being supported by her bf was so nice to witness, and I am happy they got their happy ending.

But it just cannot beat Kkot-nim and Ji-won. I was literally squealing at the last 5 minutes of the show because of them. They were so cute, and Kkot-nim breaks traditional fl stereotypes as well (not even the main fl could escape this btw) and seeing her being appreciated by a man who is considered perfect in every sense was just *chef's kiss*. I'll eat this trope up everytime.

I definitely liked watching this show a lot, even though I didn't fully enjoy it. I just miss the way I used to wait for it to air every Friday-Saturday. It feels like a lifetime ago.

Final rating— 6 or 6.5/10. The .5 is for including Min-gi, even though it was at the end.

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A Sweet and Refreshing Campus Romance❤️?

"Crush Logy 101" is a heartwarming Korean drama that dives into the pure and awkward feelings of first love, set against the backdrop of a lively university campus. The story is simple yet endearing, focusing on friendships, small misunderstandings, and the slow, sweet journey of young romance.
The leads share an easy, natural chemistry that feels authentic and comforting. With its soft storytelling, relatable characters, and cozy atmosphere, "Crush Logy 101" offers a perfect break from heavy or overly dramatic series. It’s an easy, feel-good watch that leaves you smiling and reminiscing about your own youthful crushes.

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Crushology 101 reminds you of the preciousness of love, even through its complications

Neither was Yeol or Bunny easy to handle, but they were lovely and Yeol's final growth was the best. Yeol carried as the male lead; because he was a rather bold and complicated character, not a "perfect" and soft, almost decorative male lead everyone can easily like such as Ji Won.

It's a cute college romcom, but it’s also a genuinely strong story, something the drama keeps proving right up until the final episode. It’s beautifully directed too, with a fresh soundtrack (that French song at the start—awesome) and really creative visual choices: shifting from simple shots to dynamic collages, full cinematic frames, warmer color palettes, and even black-and-white flashbacks in reduced framing, all used deliberately to serve each scene.

The original webtoon (Bunny and her Oppas, also the drama's Korean title) is a reverse harem - however, there is no endgame and of course I prefer the drama. Here you have a love story with a clear ML, but each of them had a purpose and intervened at some point.

Bunny's struggle with self-esteem, Yeol's vulnerability and trauma from his family and heightened abandonment issues from his ex (contrasting Bunny's ex and her other experience), the physical distance between him and Bunny compared to Won who worked in the same department as Bani and started his relationship with her more naturally, these are the kind of things that draw me in.

The cast was a great ensemble where everyone felt necessary to the plot - Bunny's parents (so rare to see a loving couple like this and get to see their own story), Yeol's friends and especially his best friend Dong Ha (reunion with his brother from Hierarchy), Bunny's friends with the funny names, Ji Won and Yeol's growing funny friendship, Won's sister, Yeol's mother and his ex, the male leads, Bunny's ex. Honestly, I was a little scared when I saw which webtoon they were adapting, as I thought it was a waste of potential for their romance to make some reverse harem romcom, and I'm not into that. Turns out, their romance more than satisfied me and I loved how the concept was handled.

(Spoilers up to episode 7) However, I've read comments about Yeol that make me wonder if they really watched the drama. In episode 4 he confesses his feelings. In episodes 5 and 6 he goes after her several times and makes it very clear that he likes her, reinforcing the confession from episode 4. Ep 7 he is trying to deal not only with his own feelings, but also with his ex who won't let him go, even though he makes it clear that he doesn't want her. Bunny, even though she is hurt by the whole situation, doesn't choose to give up. And she has Jiwon, but she doesn't see him romantically and makes it clear… Yeol didn't give her ex mixed signals, after knowing the truth he felt bad about her because all this time he hated her without knowing the truth.

But moving on, it wasn't cliché just for the sake of it; it felt nostalgic and it made me appreciate old-school tropes again. Fantasy scenes too, like in True Beauty.

The ending was also beautiful on top of the phenomenal cliffhangers the show had. I wish it had a better release, should have been on Netflix and not a region-restricted platform like VIU. Even I couldn't watch it on Viki in France... It's a "small" drama, but deserves way more. I can only say the impact the show had on me was incredible.

One last thing: There were actual parallels to Hierarchy, and I felt like it was inspired by Nevertheless (art setting, the beginning of episode 4, the opening, one particular scene... any fan of N will see it).
One of my favorite shots: https://i.ibb.co/B2kNGbPj/image.png
Favorite edit: https://www.tiktok.com/@gapthedits/video/7500693967957183750

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Watchable if you like the cast and Cute plots

So they got the 4 most handsome and great actors they could for this show
But ofcource it turned out exactly as i thought it would
The sole reason i watched it was because i love all these 4 boys who were gonna be in this and then i ended up liking some more of the side characters too
The plot seemed fun and cute she promising initially so i thought it wouldn't be as bad as i thought it could be but nope it went downhill from episode 5 or 6
The female lead was the weirdest character ever even though it's fiction but still. Getting along with all these handsome boys lol.
Jaeyeol's character was the saddest male lead ever in romcoms.
Won was a great guy despite the fact that ge didn't know boundaries 😅
So yeah then basically conflicts and conflicts and conflicts.
I just watched it bec i like the cast
The kisses were boring sadly
Nevertheless I still love all the comedy and cute fluttering moments of the show
The 2nd could was v cute too
Thankgod there's a happy ending otherwise i would've gone crazy

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I wanted to like this

Crushology 101 is at first an interesting and somewhat enjoyable drama. Somewhere halfway in, however, it gets super messy and you begin to realise just how unlikeable the female and male leads are.

The promise of this drama isn’t like out of this world, but it did have potential. First of all, be prepared to cringe… a lot. This drama is FULL of clichés and highly unrealistic situations. That wouldn’t be an issue for tho. What bothered me the most were the characters. Bani initially looked like a strong fl, not scared to stand up for others. As the show progressed, I realized that, in spite of this, she was very stupid and naive. The male lead was incredibly insecure, jealous and perhaps even arrogant, so towards the end I was just wishing fl would end with second (or third) male lead, but I digress.

All in all this drama doesn’t have much to offer, pretty faces at most. Still I managed to finish it and even enjoy some of it along the way, so points for that.

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so promising yet so disappointing

it started so strong I was HOOKED. pretty cast, funny characters very balanced plot until they started dating and then it all went downhill that moment, then the only thing happening on the show was constant jealousy & insecurity. I’m not saying jae yeol was all in the wrong because jiwon was also crossing the lines. lastly bani, i personally loved her in the beginning because she had a strong character, defended herself knew her shit and all. I hated the whole lousy communication issue. the last eps especially 10,11 worked me up to the point where I didn’t want to watch ep 12 I did in fact play it on 2x overall I was disappointed bc it had sm potential!

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