Lesson in Love

Fora da Caixinha

Quase não assisto doramas Taiwanês... Mas, esse me surpreendeu a química dos protagonista é sensacional.

E o enredo que parece cliché menino novinho que se apaixona pela professora mais velha, saí fora da caixinha com os ingredientes que o roteirista vai inserindo ao poucos, em um momento você vai do amor ao ódio... Mas, depois tudo se encaixa.

Não tem como não se apaixonar e torcer pelos protagonistas.

A idade é só um número. Aqui foi mostrado que um homem maduro estabilizado não era maduro mentalmente e um jovem vivendo com os pais era incrivelmente maduro e com objetivos.

O amor pode vencer barreiras. O final é maravilhoso.

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Wasted potential

I watched this series after being impressed of Edward's performance in your name engraved herein. But after watching this series, I feel like like I have wasted my time.
I actually didn't notice the genre tags and thought this to be a romantic drama based on the title and the poster and I was proven completely wrong.
Things I liked :
1. The acting was par with the what the character has to offer, the actors did what they were told. I would say writing was at fault. The chemistry between the leads was okayish in the intense scenes.
2. I liked edward chen's acting as a spoiled rich brat in the first few episodes and how he never gave up on the FL through out the series even if it didn't make any sense to me. The first few episodes portrayed him as a very unpredictable boy for which I was looking forward to, but unfortunately his character seemed very cliche.
Before the ML got to know about the FLs revenge plan, I felt that his emotions were being played with and he had to go through all this just because of the mistakes of few so-called adults who were drunk in selfishness and rage . But the ML didn't bother with being used, lol, which I could never understand.
3. The female villain's characterization was pretty good but the writers should have developed her character, like a more intense face off between the FL and the villain would have made sense but everything was down played at the end since the writers decided to end the series thru the school directors action
4. Cinematography and the music was good

What I disliked :
1. The fact that a student-teacher relationship was shown very acceptable in the society
2. The scenes between the ML and FL were very cringe in all through the series. Especially before they both fell in love, I was literally wanting the FL not to accept the ML, but it was later told as her revenge plan.
3. I hated MLs mother in al through the series and I don't know how her marriage was saved. For the sake of her son's relationship, she went ahead to lie about her son's father being the art professor, I don't know how her husband accepted her after all this
4. The 6-11 episodes were dragged so much going around the bush with so much confusions that I had to fast forward for the sake of the end
5. I felt like every character was flawed and actions of many characters made no sense at all
6. Coming to the ending. They tricked the viewers to believe that the ML stabbed the FL in the opening of the 1st episode. So I badly wanted to know what circumstances lead the ML to take such a decision. But as I told they tricked us into watching another dramatic climax. If not for this, I would have dropped the series in after the first major revelation.
Rewatch value: I regret wasting time watching this series

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If you don't like this trope, just save your precious time

If you don't like the typical teacher-student romance with a bit of mystery, this is definitely not for you. In the first few episodes, you will be annoyed with some characters, but if you continue to watch, you will understand them. Personally, unlike the other viewers, I didn't feel that much chemistry between the leads. I didn't even care if they would be the end game or not. It's not that I hate them. They are just so blinded by love that it's ridiculous sometimes. The female lead's words, "I will still love you even if you are my stepbrother," threw me off. I knew it was impossible for them to be siblings, but still, it's kind of disgusting to hear. The characters are not that likeable, and when I say characters, I mean most of them. The plot twists are pretty predictable since they are constantly dropping clues and everything else. The male lead is immature and aggressive. The female lead confused me so much with her intentions. I thought at first that she was smart, but she's also naive. About the family history and the mother itself, they were not as problematic as I thought it would be. Although the mother was not likeable, she didn't deserve so much hate as well. She's just being a mother, sadly her ways were wrong. Nevertheless, it's not that bad, but I would not recommend it, especially if you don't like this kind of trope. But if you don't have anything to do and don't mind this trope, it's a pretty decent time killer.

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Initial cringe aside, deep themes and societal exploration enrich the narrative.

"Lesson in Love" is like the surprise party you didn't see coming, earning a solid 7.5 stars. Now, I'll admit, at first glance, you might roll your eyes and think, "Oh, another teacher-student romance," but let me tell you, this show is a rollercoaster that defies all expectations!

The drama starts off with what seems like your typical forbidden love affair, and you might think, "Okay, seen it before." But hold on to your popcorn, my friend, because it's like you're suddenly whitewater rafting through a river of unexpected twists and turns. The slow start? Just the calm before the storm. When that 'white water' hits, you better buckle up for a wild ride that keeps you clinging to the edge of your seat.

Emotionally, it's a rollercoaster too. You'll find yourself laughing, cringing (especially at the start, I won't lie), and you might even shed a tear or two. The characters, especially Zhang Yi Xiang and his wise dad, inject depth and charisma into the story. Edward Chen's portrayal of Yi Xiang? Absolutely deserving of a standing ovation. He transforms from a bratty teen to a character oozing integrity and tenacity, and you can't help but root for the guy.

Now, this drama isn't afraid to dive into deep themes. It's not just about the 'forbidden' love angle; it delves into challenging assumptions, tearing down stereotypes, and unraveling the hidden complexities within relationships. And let's talk about the art of misdirection—it's like watching a skilled magician at work, keeping you guessing and second-guessing until the very end.

Sure, there's an initial cringe factor, I won't sugarcoat it. But trust me, it's worth pushing through. The brilliance in storytelling and character development is like unwrapping a gift—you don't know exactly what you're getting, but you know it's going to be good. The ending, despite being emotionally charged, gives you that warm sense of closure that just feels right.

In conclusion, "Lesson in Love" goes beyond the surface. It was worth the watch, but if you're asking me if I'd re-watch it, well, I'd have to say no. It's a one-time thrill, the kind that leaves a lasting impression but doesn't necessarily call for a repeat performance.

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Thought provoking journey with twists and turns!

I just finished watching Lesson in Love and it is quite an adventure! I'm writing this review because I think this drama is probably very misunderstood. I was initially drawn in because of reviewers talking about an important twist (there are like 4 twists!) and MDL comments like, "Leave behind your judgements for a while and give this series a chance. It is not what you think whatsoever!"

Lesson in Love sells itself as a teacher-student romance. Which it kind of is, so that's not entirely inaccurate, but also it really isn't. Yes, there is a teacher-student romance and it's critical to the story, but it's also very much about (perhaps more about):

- Thought provoking questions to explore
- Families and family dynamics
- Pasts, grudges, growth and forgiveness
- Mystery and suspense

I actually think it's best enjoyed by someone who is interested in thought exploration, interesting storytelling, mixed in with a little mystery and suspense with a core romance throughline.

THE WATCHING EXPERIENCE - we'll see if I can do this without spoilers

Episodes 1-5 are *very* cringy. It sets itself up as an (uncomfortable) romance. I watched those episodes with my finger on the 10 second skip button and would wholeheartedly encourage others to do that too.

Episode 6 starts getting very interesting when the drama poses some questions for the audience to ponder.

Then, from Episode 7 onwards it becomes a different drama. There's still a prominent romance throughline, the main couple is very important to the story, but it becomes also about family, society, expectations, wrongs, and mystery. Love is really more a theme that holds the drama together.

The drama does an excellent job at feeding the audience information in bits and pieces so that we can be surprised. It's good storytelling.

I actually didn't walk away "shipping" the main couple or feel any swoon with them (I know others out there did), but I also think it's very okay because it's not necessarily what the drama was about. That didn't make me enjoy the drama less.

Anyway, I think it's worth watching. Is it perfect? Nope. I'm giving it an 8/10. But, it is a super interesting journey!

Rewatch value is low because its appeal is in the surprises/twists. I'd encourage you to avoid all spoilers!

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I had several problems While watching this drama

1. I don't mind noona romance but this was insane
He was just an immature adolescent literally
How can he made an adult woman feels safe
I can understand this if he was at college and she was his professor
But this wasn't comfy

2. She didn't mind keep going on this relationship although there were many doubts that the ML was her brother which was really disgusting

3. When there was a suspected person, there must be an introduction for that
But no, every thing was ok till the last episode, till you discover suddenly that the manager was psycho

4. The last 4 episodes were in rush and I didn't enjoy much

5. The ML acting was horrible I had a great problem while watching him he was too poser


The only thing I liked was the romance between them but I couldn't enjoy according to the age gap between them
Or to be more accurate according for being just an adolescent
If she was older than him max 5,6 yrs it could be much more logical
But the timing for their feelings was weird and bad

And what made me frustrated more the subtitle was the worst one I've ever seen

5/10 just for the romance

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This series must be a new standard for asian romance drama

this series is perfect.

i'm not a fan of any romance mushy-mushy korean/chinese/taiwan drama but this one blow my mind. i only pick this one because it reminds me of my past experience. (thank God there were little to none hi quality camera cellphones in early 2000's)

i'm a male in my 30's now. i can relate to this series it reminds me of my highschool days.

what it differs from other series? the micro-gestures acting. every actor and actress in this show is top notch.
you can tell the female teacher IS a female teacher of 30's from her micro-gestures. her fashion choice. her housing choice. etc.

i love watching shows that make me want to rewatch again to pick up the breadcrumbs the show intentionally left behind.. like a detective.

let talk about the plot first and my first reaction is.. "come on, aren't there already gazilions of this drama? teacher with student? get outta here"

but i give it another shot because the teacher reminds me of my beautiful and 'appealing' undergraduate intern teacher when i was in high school, the different is just she wears eyeglasses, this one doesn't. both are mixed blood but she is more caucasian and this one more asian.

yeah we did it, so what? wanna fight?

this series can be more understandable if you are in mid 30's, this is why im not surprised why no kdrama stans talking or buzzing about this in the social media of my circle.

so many micro-gestures acting that teenagers and tweenies audience would go over their head.

the micro-gestures acting are top notch. a chef kiss if you may.

i can tell the teacher character is an INFJ-A person.

in the first episode you will see the pretty teacher bullied by her student. she played it cool and then she goes to the rooftop to vent off her anger. after i watch the whole series i understand of why she was stomping off the floor like that.

at first you think she is just playing tough girl but deep inside she is a weak melancholic woman so she vent out her anger at the rooftop floor, typical asian drama trope.. but no..its not.. SPOILER ALERT.

it's because,

she was bullied by the son of a woman who destroy her family and indirectly killed both her parents. She has every rights to go and murder the woman.
imagine your family destroyed, your dad died in a car crash and your mom kill herself because of a homewrecker.
and the homewrecker is the chairwoman of the private high-school she was about to teach.

you are bullied by her your entire life because of what she did.

and now, the son of the homewrecker bullied you.

this is not a typical drama.. she is not "tough girl but deep inside she is a weak melancholic woman" trope.

she is not weak. she is so strong she only stomping that floor. and you will watch this until the end of the series.

she never lose her temper in the whole series except in that first episode. she only shed her tears and never bawled, or so i remember.

she had to tough up. she had to in order to destroy the family of the homewrecker.

the first time she set foot in the school, she is bringing the war. The moment she caught her eyes on the boy's name, she found the card she would play.

she is plotting to destroy the homewrecker's family by instigating a war of mother and son. She is provoking the chairman's son to 'rebel' against his mother.
implicitly calling him a 'mama's boy' and making him rebellious to his mom instead of making trouble for the school.

she sees him nothing but his mom's splitting image, a bully and a homewrecker.

that's why she is challenging the boy, calling him that he never had any girlfriend before when he cornered her and teased her. she is pretty so she must've been dealing with that type of boys back in her school and college days and this boy is not that different.

what i thankful for is this series doesn't include the 'handsome CEO conglomerate of multinational company ex-boyfriend who want to reconnect with the female teacher introduced in mid series' trope.

this series also avert the expectation of the homewrecker as just a vile one dimensional evil mama.. it was just her fling with the father of the female teacher during the chairwoman's college days.
did she left him because she found out he already married? watch again.. the professor is wearing his wedding ring during 'waku-waku' scene with the boy's mom in her college days.
which means she knew that he is a married person and she did it anyway.

and from the boy's father testimony.. his wife is a woman of go-getter, 'she'll go for what she want' type of a woman. and that's why he married her.

you know that the vile mom is not a bad woman because the show doesn't go the trope of 'she also have a boyfriend on her side behind her husband'.. which i also thank the showrunner doesn't pick this up.

and the boy's dad is not a deadbeat dad trope. the show also avert us from such trope. in some of the first episodes it shows the boy's dad isn't aware/care of the boy's problem making issues in his school.
he was a cool dad. a man of the house. he didn't overreact.
he gave her the divorce paper to sign because she is bullying the teacher, not because her past. that is a man of the house.

and the dream sequence.. top notch chef kiss porn.. without porn involved. barely porn you may say. im expecting it will cut in the first ten seconds but no.. the show shows it until the dreamy music stops. thank you, kudos for the showrunner.. you guys are a man of culture.

when she kiss his hand in the dream scene.. that's a woman who love you. that's a gesture of a woman who loves you when you have sex with her. marry her ASAP if she does that. this is an advice from a mid 30's man.

i want more of these micro-gestures acting display. i NEED more..

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Drama un po banale e poco convincente.

A leggere la trama non sapevo che aspettarmi e poi l'inizio non faceva presagire bene per fortuna poi è migliorato però comunque è uno di quei drama che non mi convincono fino in fondo.
Tratta il difficile rapporto tra insegnate e allievo,qui una bella insegnate e un giovane studente intelligente ma prepotente un po' bullo(a mio parere anche un po' bruttino) che poi alla fine ha i suoi motivi e che per lo più e apparenza.La storia e intricata perché si scopre che la madre di lui,una stron... ha un segreto legato al suo/loro passato.Poi c'è anche un po' di giallo nel scoprire chi tira i fili per provare a rovinare la coppia,anche se si intuisce abbastanza facilmente.
Per fortuna il finale è un happy ending.
Guardato con poco entusiasmo ma finito però non tra i drama che consiglierei,un 6,5 più che un 7.

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