I'm very happy with the outcome!
I like the idea of the main character accidentally (?) turning his life into a BL fanfiction. It's silly in a good way and also feels new compared to other stories. I would have liked it more if the plot showed more ambiguity about this matter, but seeing Iwon worrying so much about it and being so weirded out by Jioh was still lots of fun to watch. Seeing both of them bicker and seeing their feelings for each other grow was quite nice! At some point I couldn't decide whether I wanted Jioh to have some peace of mind, or I wanted Iwon to panick even more. It was just a very entertaining dynamic overall.The second couple had a less animated plot, and while it was good to see their peaceful moments, it was also a little harder to follow, all because of the untold information that was only revealed to us viewers little by little. Sunwoo and Yugyeom were adorable together despite this and managed to deliver a very sentimental and romantic performance.
Overall I wish the plot was developed a little more - maybe with more episodes, or with longer episodes. I feel like it didn't have the proper space to "breathe" fully and lead to a very satisfying ending, but I can't say I disliked what I got at all.
The only thing I really disliked about this drama was the sound mixing. I watched this on Viki, so I'm not sure if this is just a problem of that platform alone, but the sound was VERY quiet, with some parts significantly more quiet than the others in the same episode. I had to work with my volume settings a lot while watching. On top of this, the audio quality wasn't very good, both in terms of lines and in terms of ambient sounds.
I guess it would be hard not to mention the original Why R U in this review, but to be honest I'd rather not compare them. The production styles are very different from each other, the plot here went through major (unavoidable) changes, and I also still remember how there were problems during the filming of the Thai version because of the start of the pandemic.
All I can say is that I have a soft spot for the original, and that I believe that this rendition was very good at giving justice to the plot. I was also very happy to see the little tributes to the original series here and there (first and foremost, Max and Nat having a cameo in the first episode).
In conclusion, I recommend this drama to whoever is looking for something cute and fun to watch, that also isn't too demanding both in terms of engagement (the story is very easy to follow) and in terms of time (each episode is about 20 minutes long if we don't count the theme songs and the recaps, so it's very easy to binge-watch).
Was this review helpful to you?
don't expect too much
honestly, writing this review is kinda hard because I'm so conflicted...I had fun watching it and it was cute, but my expectations were probably to high and thats why i feel so dissapointed.
I really trust Korean remakes. Because in my experience Kdramas are often more high quality than other asian dramas.
thats why i was really surprised when i caught myself thinking that the Thai original was better.
First, the story was quite different. The only things they had in common was the enemies to lover trope, the novel that becomes reality and the university setting. I'm sure there are other but these are the most prominent similarities.
I like that it was not just a copy, but the story didnt seem very thought through? I found a few contradictions (but that might also be because of mistranslations)
Personally, i couldn't connect with the characters, but the actors had great chemistry and veeeeeeery convincing kiss-scenes lol
The biggest issue (for me) was that the scenes were often not connected well.
Yeah, because they were played after another you could understand what was happening but it seemed so cheap, because the scenes didn't flow seamlessly into one another and instead were cutted in a very choppy way.
None of the main leads had played in more than 3 dramas and I noticed very quickly that they were inexperienced actors.
Plus, the sound was weird at times and it was taking me out.
It's not a bad remake and it is also not a bad drama. even though I critcized it a lot, i still enjoyed it!
If you watched the original or enjoy very high quality productions, this is probably not the drama for you
but if you just have some time to spare and like fun stories, why not check it out!
Was this review helpful to you?
Uh- What just hapenned?
Honestly, I think both this version and the Thai version have their own merits and their own problems. With that being said I will review this show based on nothing else. And I honestly feel like it was a little too quick for my taste. The two couples don't even become couples until the last minute being the last episode. I genuinely thought the series was going to end on a cliffhanger with a will they? Won't they? Type of situation. Thankfully though, the series does end with things wrapped in a slightly messy bow. But with only eight episodes, I honestly can't blame it too much for this fault. As the drama uses its time wisely, always progressing the feelings both couples have towards each other.When it comes to the actual characters themselves, I found the main couple extremely interesting and entertaining to watch. I thought their dynamic was super cute and even though their enemies to lovers trope does a complete 180, I'm willing to forgive it just this once due to it being so short. The side couple though I found pretty lacking. Just the usual miscommunication drama between them. But even just as characters I couldn't really empathize or care about them as much as the main couple.
Overall I'd suggest this for someone looking for something quick and easy to digest. Without really expecting anything new or groundbreaking.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Cute and Simple
This was a quick and fun watch!The story itself was okay, nothing extraordinary or new. I will say though, I don't really remember much about the Thai version but it did seem to be a bit different. This version was DEFINITELY more wholesome 💀
The characters had good chemistry, in my opinion! I actually enjoyed the acting, even though it was a bit amateurish in some instances – kind of understandable, considering most of the cast have not been in many roles before this one. It is always nice to see some new faces on the screen though! I will say though that, although I think the actors/characters had good chemistry, 8 eps that are 25 mins long each is not enough time to really flesh out the relationships and romance in the series. Like, we went from Ji Oh being this cold, smart and arrogant guy who disliked Lee Won, them fighting and being at each others throats for the first 4 episodes(we do find out Ji Oh has had a crush on Lee Won for a while now though), to Ji Oh acting needy and like a lost puppy the very next episode.....? Also, when they had conflict at the end (on ep. 7, the Korean BL version of the curse of ep. 11 in Thai BL series' 😭), it just felt so unnecessary and out of place because of how little time we got to see the two couples actually BE a couple or spend time together. When they made up in the last episode, the 'emotional' part of it didn't land for me because, like I said, I wasn't as emotionally invested as I could have been if we were shown them bonding, building a relationship and creating tension for me to actually care about the romance.
If you're willing to switch off your brain, willing to overlook the bad dubbing (shocking in a KDrama🥴) and are looking for something light and cute to watch, this is for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
ahhh dare I say better than the OG?
I was skeptical going in, but omg I really liked this one! it was so light and fun and pretty easy to follow along unlike the mess of the Thai one!I don’t know if I need to go back to rewatch it, but it was the perfect light quick one that I needed rn. and I really liked the cast, I hope to see them in future works (hopefully together but probably not).
also the kissing in this was so good for a Korean BL???? I was kind of surprised but this gives me hopes for future BLs and the improvement of how their kissing goes.
I still think the story of the sister writing the BL is kinda quirky and dumb, but I get that it’s what sets the plot going in this show, so I’ll be fine with it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Did I speedrun this bitch yes absolutely
It's such a short series that even if you think you're not gonna like it it's worth a watch, bc you won't lose more than an afternoon watching it.Ok so production-wise it was not the best, and the overall aesthetics of the show could have been better, but regardless of that, it's quite a messy series. The acting is.. tolerable, for a k-drama, pretty basic. The story is (or could be) interesting but gets a bit confusing and dramatic for no fkn reason at all.
The sister is a fujoshi, which never helps, because I hate fujoshi characters in media who simp for REAL PEOPLE. But I digress.
I liked the main couple, they were cute and had an interesting dynamic. They were both hilarious sometimes as well, so that was really nice. And the KISSES omg-- the first kiss scene was incredible. Props to the actors for going all out.
I really couldn't care less about the second couple, sorry. I was under the impression that he was dating the girl for like 90% of the series and then they pull the fake-dating thing but by then I was already uninterested T-T I just didn't see a reason why they would like each other. And they were so dramaticcc bitch whenever I skipped ahead they were arguing or crying.
Overall, it's a dumb series that --for the most part-- doesn't take itself too seriously. If I ever find a compilation of MCs scenes I'll be set for life and happy. That's all
Was this review helpful to you?
Better than the original
I dropped the Thai version and it's still on my "hold" list.This version pulled me in from the start and kept me hooked. I binged it all in one sitting.
The acting is solid, the story is understandable, the characters are all likable and full-dimensional.
This is a sweet , first-love drama in a college setting.
Not too angsty or deep.
Not too long or draggy.
Just sweet overall.
I smiled a lot watching this.
Tropes/Story:
* No toxic or evil characters
* No second lead syndrome or "other" love interest
*The chemistry was good.
*Some suspended belief is needed but only a teeeny bit. Overall the story is pretty believable and true to life for a college and first love setting.
*The normalization of a m/m couple. Sexuality, coming out, etc., wasn't even a conversation. It was just taken for granted, "Oh you like this person? Cool!"
*I lived for the max/nat cameo lol.
What could have been better:
*Character-wise, they all could use some lessons in communication. But let's be honest, would it be a drama without a bunch of dense, love-sick fools running around without a clue? lol
*The music. It wasn't bad, but wasn't great either.
Enjoy <3
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
:)
um, well, there’s a lot i can say here.for starters, this wasn’t really anything like the thai version, which i’m not complaining about. it was a LOT less problematic, which is good. i also just liked both of the couples relationships.
to be honest, i couldn’t remember much about the thai version, since i watched it while it was airing and never touched it again after it finished. but i feel like the only thing similar is the fanfic plot. other than that, it felt like a completely different series. i couldn’t figure out which characters was supposed to be who. but hey, maybe that was the point. to take a similar plot but make it it’s own. i did enjoy this more than the original anyways.
it’s definitely not a bad show, i actually really enjoyed it. i binged it all in one night, and unknowingly got caught up. so it was a bit of torture waiting for the last two episodes.
i think the actors all have great chemistry with each other. their relationships didn’t feel forced at all, but if the writing was better they would’ve been more amazing couples. the production wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t amazing either. the directing was good, and the pacing was pretty ok.
there were a lot of plot holes though. one of the major plot holes that should’ve been addressed was when yugyeom broke up with this girlfriend, and when yiwon and jioh got together.
i felt like yugyeom should’ve told sunwoo that his relationship with doyeon was fake. i really don’t think he would’ve told anyone. it would’ve been much easier for them, and a lot less confusing. their communication was terrible, but so was jioh’s and yiwon’s. but that’s usually a given in bls.
i wish they would’ve shown jioh and yiwon having a conversation or something before they got together.. instead of just cutting to them making out in the hallway.
other than that, i think those two are my only complaints. yugyeom was so stupid for a lot of things but i loved him a lot. he really just needed to talk to sunwoo, he didn’t have to make everything so complicated.
it was an enjoyable series for me. it was really funny and engaging. i liked jioh’s character a lot.
another thing i didn’t like is how the recap’s from previous episodes were almost 2-3 minutes long. that was a bit annoying.
all in all, it could’ve just been written a bit better, that’s it!
also, yiwon’s sister needs therapy. like there is seriously something wrong with her.
Was this review helpful to you?
cute and silly
the korean version of Why R U? is such a cute way of spending your free time. both couples were cute and had a good chemistry. i think it is unfair to compare this version with the thai one cuz the original had more time to develop the story properly and its iconic idkit does worth the watch anyway, go without expectations for a fun experience!
Was this review helpful to you?
Another Cutesie!
Aww this was too cute. Actors were cute and connected. The second leads story was better than the main leads' and execution was on point. Their story had a bit of flaw though because Yo Geum did like Sun Woo but then asks him did I do anything to make you misunderstand? Like what?? That was whack. What wasn't whack was their kissing scenes. Ooh they sizzled, and that was just kissing, imagine if they went NC, screens would explode! Do Yeon's character was not needed at all. Maybe if she and Yo Geum was dating for real, it would have helped. I don't like how they switched Kim Ji Oh's character from having this bad boy vibe to turning into this annoyingly clingy wifey type and I don't like the fact that Jung Lee Won never questioned his own sexuality after kissing wifey. The kissing looked more like curiosity rather than anything genuine and they've spent enough time together to show that feelings could have developed. But overall, it's a good watch, lighthearted and plenty of eye candy.Was this review helpful to you?
new life to a tiring series
though I personally dropped the Thai original, I found this interpretation entirely more enjoyable! there was some nice, low simmer tension going on between the pairings that didn’t leave me thinking more was needed.though I personally wished we could see a better amount of intimacy (hand holding, conversations, small moments between a couple) I can’t truly complain about the roles.
one thing I kept getting annoyed by was the bad sound engineering. the voiceovers were really loud and not mixed well so they would take me out of the scenes too much.
other than that, I found the series enjoyable! it was kind of funny seeing max & nat too lol. not sure what that was about but they were cute to see.
Was this review helpful to you?
The VoiceOver
The drama was good not The best. i likes The actors playing in the series. but quality was not my favorite I think some places there where to much close up scenes on the faces. and their voices sound like a Dub or something or more like they talked in the Microphone and kinda didn’t like that.the drama itself is cute and how but there need more practice
I prefer the Thai Why R U more still but this is a whole different why R u so ofc it’s not the same.
I do not hate this drama I do not. i like that the relationship wasn’t rushed as it was in the Thai drama for the 2nd lead couple.
Was this review helpful to you?
