Call It Love

haya

An exciting series that touched every fiber of my soul, but at the same time so that you know what awaits you, I must mention that there is a lot of silence, deep sighs, serious faces and everything is so slow. Still, what is there in this series that despite all these I really liked and was able to watch without skipping ahead? More than that, I couldn't stop watching... sorrow, betrayal, revenge, friendship, loyalty alongside compassion and forgiveness, family and love, a great and touching soundtrack and one happy smile. I recommend watching with a lot of patience

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'Call It Love' review: one of the most depressingly beautiful kdrama you'll ever watch

This modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet filled with misery will make your heart grow heavy. The first few episodes may seem dull and bleak at first but you will eventually get the hang of the pacing and follow the healing journey of Han Dong Jin and Sim Woo Joo.

The story revolves around Sim Woo Joo (played by Lee Sung Kyung) taking revenge against his late father's mistress who forced them out of their home. Fueled by resentment, she approaches the mistress' son. Han Dong Jin (played by Kim Young Kwang) is unaware of Woo Joo's motives as he leads a workaholic and lonely life. As the story unfolds, the two grow closer together and find solace in each other's company.

No doubt, this is Lee Sung Kyung's best acting performance to date. I really loved how she portrayed Woo Joo who is the sibling that holds the family together but is actually falling apart inside ever since their father cheated and left them.

Meanwhile, Kim Young Kwang's nuanced acting is chef's kiss. He inhibited Dong Jin's character with every heavy step he takes, every heavy sigh he heaves and even the way he slouches screams depression. His worn out bag also symbolizes the emotional baggage he has been carrying all these years. Dong Jin is vulnerable yet he's hiding this by constantly being stoic. The physicality of Young Kwang's performance was tremendous and at the very least deserves a Baeksang award.

The whole time I'm watching this show I can't help but think that this is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet but the depressed version. The Romeo and Juliet parallels are so interesting. Woo Joo's sworn enemy is Dong Jin's family. Interestingly, their lives became intertwined because of a house. We also have Rosaline in the character of Kang Min Young, Dong Jin's cheating ex who suddenly comes back and is running after our Romeo.

Woo Joo plans to take revenge on her father's mistress by ruining the life of the mistress' son. However, the second she laid her eyes on our Romeo, she thought he was living comfortable and content life when in reality it was the exact opposite. Dong Jin's slouch, heavy footsteps and unspoken words on his glaring face has proved that his life is everything but well. Her revenge plan has only made the two of them closer and empathize with each other.

Without him realizing, Dong Jin is beginning to lean on Woo Joo. The same goes for Woo Joo. She starts to root for Dong Jin and save him every time he feels like falling on the precipice.

It's like misery has brought the two of them closer unlike Romeo and Juliet who were only inseperable because of horny hormones. There is also something magnetic about characters who appears to be nonchalant and composed when in fact they are simply bottling up their emotions and a ticking bomb waiting to explode.

At the end of the show, you can't help but root for these characters and hope that their miseries will end. You will find yourself sincerely wishing them a good life and for them to stop loathing themselves. Then, you will realize you need to do the same for yourself.

This was such a masterpiece, a melo-romance with depth and fleshed-out characters. Although the antagonists' intentions (Min Young and Dong Jin's mother) are still questionable for me, I'll give them their due credit for succesfully making my blood boil.

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Too slowww and draggy

I know many reviewers are loving this drama. The whole setting and storyline is great. The acting is fantastic. The delivery.. uhm, this is where it gets draggy. Walking in slow motion like 0.5x speed, 3 different angles of sitting on the bench, or in the kitchen… sigh. Typical kdrama style.

I’m glad Lee Sung Kyung is diversifying her roles, away from the usual romcoms, but I didn’t really like her in this role. Did she pull it off? Yes! Kim Young Kwang also delivered his role well. Maybe 12 episodes would have been better? The general mood was just depressing. I was fast forwarding too much the last few episodes. The ending was realistic, but a happy one ;) No real memorable song in the OST, which is a shame.

It’s a melodrama, real slowwww; so just be prepared before starting this. I will say it’s better than The Interest of Love ;);)

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Horribly slow plot I regret watching it

I was ready for a slow burn romance. But noone could ever prepare me for this slowmotion walking boring plot.
This was definitely not my style, I wished it had a 5x speed option cuz sometimes I went to my kitchen made a whole dinner, ate, washed dishes, went back and they were STILL silently walking from A to B in the very same scene.

Lee Sungkyung is my fav k-actress I've watched it for her and I have to mention that the acting was spot on. All the main and support characters were fantastic, they played every emotion perfectly.

But it could not save the most boring plot I've ever seen in my life. I always finish everything but this was the most difficult one, I struggled through each and every minute to just please get to the end already.

This show caused my longest k-drama disgust, I couldn't start anything after this cuz it traumatized me and I was affraid to start any show.

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I don’t think we should call this series love at all, more like deepest regret

I have one word for the series and that is predictable. I’m going to assume that this was a mellow drama because that’s what it felt like as I was watching it. I honestly thought that it was going to be good based on the first episode because the FL character was spunky and she showed how daring she was. That kept me thinking that it was going to be great but after that one event it just went downhill from there. Her character was one that was prayed on portrayed is troubled, sad and and borderline depressed. She did not smile at all throughout the series she just walked around doing things with this sad look on her face. Her tone of voice is never changed she was completely boring. Then we get to the plot itself which should not have been but it was. Do not read below if you do not want to spoiler.

I did not like the plot. It was absolutely predictable by episode two. Females leads dad runs off with the male leads mother when she was in high school. When the dad dies the stepmom takes their property. She then approaches the step mom son with the intent to do something. That was never revealed. Instead she got close to him as an employee and developed mutual feelings for him of some kind which never really went anywhere. He eventually realized who she was and they went their separate ways. It was no major character growth it was just one ridiculously sad series. What made it worse was that the male lead also had some troubles but he was trying. So in the end we had two leads who rarely smiled and never had a real relationship. I can honestly say I don’t know what the point or the plot was.

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Sometimes, slow is slow

The first half of this Drama was 'artfully slow'. I enjoyed its unhurried contemplative approach, a difference from the usual style of revenge Dramas. But somewhere around the halfway mark, the writer obviously decided that if "revenge is a dish best served cold", this Drama should climax just after the heat death of the Universe.

From being unhurried, it dropped to a crawl, painful and tedious and pointless. In my personal watchlist, the vast majority of slower Dramas that I've scored highly are JDramas, but there are some slower K Drama gems too, like One Day Off. This one was just EXCRUCIATING. So much of nothing happening and happening at a pace that makes tectonic shift seem dizzylingly fast.

For a truly outstanding summary of what went wrong with this Drama I recommend MinJi's review


https://kisskh.at/profile/MinJi23/review/269917

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Oh the angst!

This started out really promising, with a heartrending set up, beautiful direction, and gorgeous cinematography—using empty spaces and silences as effective storytelling devices. However as the drama progressed, this began to wear a bit.

The silences and innumerable silent glances became unbearable and continued long after a relationship between the two leads had been established. And the writers kept montaging the same 4-5 bits of dialogue between the 2 main leads to establish connection. I began wondering in the final act what was really connecting these two so strongly together when they hardly ever talked on screen. (Just talk to each other!)

Yes, one could argue that they had a soulful, unspoken connection, but it was perhaps too unspoken. I just would have like to see more substance between the leads and less needless angst.

Also wasn’t a big fan of how Woojoo just crumbled under the weight of her family’s disapproval in the last few episodes. She could’ve fought for their relationship. She was so headstrong and confident in the beginning and I just did not enjoy the trajectory her character took in the last few episodes.

All that said, I really loved the second lead romance. Sung Joon stole every scene he was in, and that romance was just so sweet. Their communication was adorable and was so fulfilling, and it just served to highlight how unfulfilling the interactions between our two silent leads were.

Anyway, I’m glad I watched it, but probably not one I’ll watch again.

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Best love story in 2023

Best love story in 2023!

This is slow-burn love story and heart-touching.
I hope they got happy ending :((((((((
Episode 13 & 14 is so heartbreaking & emotional :((((((
Actor is so good at acting and he forgave her immediately after he knew about everything!!!!
Story is build up slowly. there’s so many reasons to part or break-up in relationships, (not because of third party and money).
I like this drama more than (25-21) drama.
I am not (25-21) drama fans and its story is good because of actress, I didn’t watch the whole episodes.

I like “call it love” drama ending, still feel pain for their love !

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Almost Perfect

Call It Love is easily one of the best melodramas I’ve seen in a while. It’s one of those where I desperately needed a happy ending because the lead couple went through so much pain and heartache along the way.

The story itself isn’t something you’ve never seen before, but it’s told with a creative touch and gives us the POVs of all the main characters in a way that makes everyone feel relatable. There were so many heart-fluttering and endearing moments.

To be honest, in the first couple of episodes, I was worried it might not live up to my expectations. It felt a little too slow-paced, even for someone like me who loves slowburns. But then it started picking up, and I could see how they were gradually caring more and more for each other, how they were falling in love without even realizing it. And oh gosh, I enjoyed those quiet moments sooo much! The first time they held hands, even if it was just for show, for Dongjin's ex to see, it was so heartwarming I was screaming and kicking my feet.

The ML was frustrating at times with how nice he was, letting everyone walk all over him. But then the FL came into his life, started protecting him, and quietly cared for him in every possible way. She could be snappy and inconsistent, but she defended him in subtle ways that he thankfully noticed. Even her blunt words somehow gave him comfort, and watching him slowly change and find happiness because of her was beautiful.

The visuals and scenery were gorgeous, the OST was perfect, and the heartbreak felt so raw it came right through the screen. I was scared we wouldn’t get a happy ending, but we did. Still, it felt a little incomplete. I wish we had seen more of their happiness instead of cutting it short.

If I had to nitpick, the drama could’ve been trimmed down to 12 episodes instead of 16, as there were moments where it dragged. The ending also felt slightly rushed. But overall, I loved it. Their chemistry was amazing, the emotional beats landed perfectly, and it was one of those dramas that stays with you for a while after the credits roll.

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An achingly beautiful love story told deliberately

This drama is not for the faint of heart or those looking to quickly get through a story. I sometimes watch dramas that I feel linger too long at a gaze, or rehash the same issues over and over again. This drama is beautiful in its pace. And to appreciate the drama, you have to be at ease with the pace. You have to flow with it. Being in the right mood, right time makes a difference.

The cinematography is like no other. Each composition holds such meaning, done with such deliberateness, that I couldn't bear to skip anything. Every movement, every glance, every flicker was so deliberately and meticulously crafted, that it would be a shame to turn away for a moment dare you miss any of the artistry.

The character development was brilliant. Everyone had growth, everyone had space and room to be a complex human, to learn, to regret, to forgive, to fail, and to grow. It's a talented writer, and a talented cast of characters, every lead, every supporting lead, gives purpose and depth to their part.

I would have given this drama a 10/10 regardless of the ending they had chosen. Everything felt deserved. This tangled story was told with such love and care,

But my empathies lie solely with Shim Woo Joo, brought to life by the wonderful Lee Sung Kyung. Perhaps as a middle child, a pillar of the family, and eldest daughter, any way I look at it, she had my whole heart. I understood her most, rooted for her throughout. For people that say this is a slog or slow burn, I disagree. It is deliberate in its pacing, so you ache as she aches. Also, coming from a culture where honor, family, standing in society means everything, I was heartbroken for her. Like I said, regardless of the ending I would have understood, but I still harbor resentment that Shim Woo Joo doesn't. She reflected my own short comings, showing what a long was I have to go to be understanding and deliberate and honest and hopeful.

Beautiful. Please watch.

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