Serendipity's Embrace (2024)

I enjoyed the first 6 episodes, sure it's been a bit lukewarm & nothing unique or out of the norm, but at the very least the drama is relatively free of annoyances up to that point & it`s still somewhat funny with acceptable chemistry between the leads & decent-ish acting. The second FL is also really funny, though I always liked Dasom before..

Unfortunately the final 2 episodes are similar to what we usually get in 16ep dramas. Meaning it`s complications leading to an arbitrary separation culminating in a 3 minute long happy ending, if this is even that.. I always hated that formula, here though it's even worse, since having 2 trash episodes out of 8 has twice the impact.

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Cute but cliché

Rich boy meets girl at school, has no guts to tell her about his feelings and has to move.
He comes back, still has the love for this girl and this time he gets his girl.
That's the short version of this plot. It has not much substance and the end is more disappointing then I excpected otherwise it was enjoyable to watch. Why does a woman has to follow the man? Some minutes before she told him, she could not follow him because she still has dreams, but I guess she fulfilled them? We have no clue.

One side couple has an arc, the second side couple is much too short to know what has happend in their past. And then there is a poor loner who only gets the misery if one of his friends is in a slump.

I'm not a fan if actors have to play their version 10 years ago, it brakes the believability. So to have similar but younger cast for such scenes would have been much better. Overall it puts a smile on your face watching it even with such a weak plot. So for me it's a bit above average because the acting was very good.

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3 Reasons you can skip Serendipity's Embrace

The eight episode mini series Serendipity's Embrace recently ended on a happy note. The Jong Hyeop and So Hyun starrer made quite an impression ever since it went on air. But the charm left visibly in the third episode.

Here are 3 reasons why you can skip it.
1. The shallow plot

Who does not love childhood friend turned lovers. It's one of the favourite genre of Asian story. And this one is no different than that. However, given the writer is taking the favourite theme of audience special attention was necessary for the narrative. Keeping the FL naive and ML too loyal made it cliche and unconvincing. The over supportive best friend and light interested second ML was only water on the fire.

2. Thin twist line

When Hye Ji falls for Mr. Son it not only gave frown to Hye Sun but also us. Just why? If her love for Hoo Yeong was that shallow and meaningless, it should not have been dragged till the date. She also never tried her luck with anyone. Why all FL and ML are trying this hard to be pious and thus making themselves appear unconvincing.

3. Smallest story ever

Right episode series.....this is too much. Korean dramas are reducing episode number every year. But eight episode chronicling life from school days to present time is too much. Lack of time is another reason for the poor story frame. Neither characters nor plot got time to get a shape to keep audience hooked.

If you love childhood friend turned lovers there are bunch of beautiful stories out, go and check them. You can start with Casteaway Diva and Love alarm ;)

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LOVED ITTT

i was gonna give it a 9.0 but that last episode was soooo cute and soo perfect i loved it sm i had to give it a 9.5 overall. i loved the ending actually, it was nice to see the FL doing her part too to keep the relationship and not just the ML always doing the most in relationships, for me it just showed that truly they both loved each other and it really was fate and not just coincidence, especially that last scene omg i kinda was speechless cuz how it all happened was just pure fate😭 also their chemistry was soo good, i was giggling in every scene😖 mr.son and hye ji were so so cute too but i wish they has more scenes😣 their scenes is this ep were so so cute omg i think i love them as much as i love the main couple lol, anyway totally recommend if you’re a sucker for fated romance🫶🏼🫶🏼👍🏼👍🏼

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Not a coincidence

Summary: This short but loveably sweet mini series captures the heart with unshakable devotion between the two main characters. I like that the storyline was straightforward (with easily solved misunderstandings), tying the past to the present in a way that builds retention for the audience. Love the soundtrack as well. And surprisingly, no blatant ads? Amazing. An easy re-watch, if you want some simple entertainment.

Something that irked me though is that the Viki synopsis is totally off; it was not a heartbroken crush for the female lead as was described. In fact, it was the other way around.

Details: Let’s just be clear. The real reason Lee Hong Ju was “deeply skeptical when it comes to everything love-related” wasn’t because Kang Hu Yeong, it was because of someone else. I wished that was captured in the synopsis because it changes the color and expectations of the story. That aside, I found this drama an enjoyable mini series, which I’m starting to think all Asian dramas should be (like eight episodes or less, lol).

There were funny bits like Lee Hong Ju’s heroic stance on fighting for global warming vs. her own love llfe; and when she forced Kang Hu Yeong to do ancient Korean dynasty cosplay dress-up, with her as the king and him as the servant. Lol. Also, the plot development reminds me of that classic Hallmark formula in which their fates are tied together wherever they go - nothing is a coincidence. XD

I got a bit antsy at the last episode because they literally left less than 10 minutes to resolve a plot twist. But they did it, and they even had time to fill in more of the backstory as well. Impressive. I’m happy with this show. :)

Side Notes:
- Episode 1: I was annoyed by the unrealistic dialogue between Kang Hu Yeong and his friend who was harassing him about “dumping” a blind date. It was one date and it’s HIS life to make those kind of decisions.
- Episode 1: I found it strange and cringy when all the other supporting characters spoke better English than the main character, who supposedly lived in the U.S. for several years. It irks me when filmmakers create a storyline but don’t use people with matching skills for the scenarios. Why even write that type of scenario then? They could have faked it much better with him having gone off to some other country (like Singapore or something).
- Backstory throughout: The way that Lee Hong Ju came at Kang Hu Yeong in high school was straight up harassment and bullying. I get that she was simply protecting her friend but he totally had the right to ignore the situation rather than give an answer, if that’s what he preferred. He shouldn’t have to be humiliated while doing P.E. or attending class or trying to do research in the library or…
- End of Episode 8: Realistically, if someone broke their foot, wouldn’t they be on the ground in excruciating pain instead of being able to walk away? I’m surprised Kang Hu Yeong didn’t even make a face, and that Lee Hong Ju didn’t try to help him but just stood there.

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STAYED TRUE TO ITS GENRE AS LIGHT ROMCOM THAT WILL MAKE YOU NOSTALGIC!

-Despite the clichés, SE still has their own flavor on how they will make those scenes entertaining and refreshing to watch. I enjoyed every second of it because it's well-executed.

- The chemistry, dynamic, and acting synergy of the leads (Sohyun x Jonghyeop) is so amazing and so is how this drama really knows how to build up the tension and highlight their moments when they're together or even not physically together. Both in silly situations and heart pounding romantic encounters!

- Loved how they also showcased both POVs of the FL & ML (the high school flashback scenes which also perfectly blends well right into the storyline).

-The pacing or flow is not instantaneous nor slow, imposed, and fast. It's on right track. No room for filler scenes.

- I really dig in the use of metaphors in the dialogues and the over-all screenplay so much. So many quotable quotes to keep.

- OSTs are so tuneful, catchy, and really sets a romantic mood. It's the kind of drama soundtrack that you already love at first listen. Some of them even made me reminiscent of the classic K-drama OSTs that I miss.

- Unlike before which are abundant, the chances of me now finding heartwarming musical scoring in romantic comedy genre K-dramas is thin on the ground so I'm glad how the sound design department also put an effort to it.

- It truly warms my heart for how this light romcom drama still managed to make me feel genuine things like being inspired in so many aspects of life may it be love, family, friendship, and dreams. And the fact that both Hongju and Hooyoung also share the same dream as an animation director! *squeels*

- Wish there were longer episodes tho maybe extend up to 12 episodes just to see a glimpse of Hongju and Hooyoung's travel escapade in San Francisco and their happy marriage life!

PS. We need SPs (Special episodes) for this one!

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Scrolling down the X/Twitter platform....have you ever seen such a composition of words for the first time, yet it made such magnificent sense? It's as if it perfectly encapsulated the very description of 'soulmates' between Hongju and Hooyoung that you've been waiting your whole life to digest???

"Maybe a soulmate is simply the person you stumble upon by accident but cling to on purpose. Fate can't be measured up to will, to love, the bond between two people who have tied their strings together with a forever kind of knot."

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