This review may contain spoilers
It's okay but not a must-watch
A fast paced drama that will keep you entertained, but the end is a bit messy.The first part was interesting and really well done, but then Bongsu shows up and that's when the show starts derailing. Now I must say that I find Bongsu a very fun character to watch, the problem is that the initial story has nothing to do with him. I feel like the first part of the show is about Seong A struggling with being a shaman and having a personal/school life and falling in love with Gyeonu, the unlucky boy that hates shaman and Seong A is trying to save from dying. The second part of the show is about Bongsu and they just forget about Gyeonu's problem.
I just feel like it could be two different stories or maybe a longer drama. And they definitely should have cut-off a few characters, not that I don't like the side characters, but the time used on them could have been used for other things.
The acting was nothing ground breaking but still good and the actors had a quite good comedic timing.
Was this review helpful to you?
Started Strong, Ended Wrong – A Shamanic Misfire
→ Recommend to Watch: Unfortunately, NoThis is going to be a short review—because honestly, the disappointment was so real, I don’t even feel like writing a long one. Which is saying something, because I’m usually pretty verbose.
→ What went Wrong:
I started this show for Choo Young Woo, having absolutely loved his performances in *The Trauma Code* and *No Mercy*. His acting is consistently solid, and I was excited to see him in something lighter. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed the cringe romance and comedy—even though high school tropes aren’t really my thing anymore. The “shaman high schooler” concept was quirky and fresh, and the visuals, music, and early mystery had me hooked.
I paused after Episode 10 for as I had to go for a 2-week vacation, hoping to return to a strong, satisfying finale. But wow, as Shikamaru from *Naruto* would say: *“What a drag.”* The last4 episodes—especially the final 2—were a complete mess. I was literally pulling my hair out watching Episode 11. The story could’ve wrapped up neatly around Episode 8 or 10, but instead it dragged on with repetitive, emotionally hollow plot loops. One character sacrifices themselves, the other saves them, rinse and repeat. It was exhausting and boring!
→ Best Thing:
The silver lining? Discovering more of Choo Young Woo’s work, and being introduced to the FL actress and Ji Ho’s actor—both of whom I’m seeing for the first time and will definitely follow in future projects. They were bright spots in an otherwise uneven ride.
→ Overall:
I came back from vacation hoping for an epic finale and a reason to recommend this drama. Instead, I got a narrative nosedive. It started with promise—especially with the intriguing shaman twist—but ended in chaos. Disappointing.
Was this review helpful to you?
This show made you excited in the beginning, then you wonder halfway "How did they miss the mark?"
Head over Heels is one of those dramas that leaves you asking for so much more. It had a dynamic storyline with something new in every turn. The casting was great all around, and the plot gave such a dopamine hit when reading about it. I even digested and waited till I reviewed this one, simply because it was like a climax dream that you woke up from halfway in.I’m not entirely sure if it’s because of the westernization of dramas through Netflix or what, but while the story offered a lot, it didn’t deliver enough emotional pull for all the characters, only for the main female lead. It missed the mark when it came to fleshing out the other side characters, and it also left you confused as to why major plot points were introduced at random peaks in the story. It wasn’t like these additions brought a new dynamic that changed the direction; it felt more like, “Well, we only have so many episodes, so let’s just slap this important information here now so viewers won’t be left questioning.”
The drama had so much potential with its story, actors, and viewership. It simply left me feeling like, Damn, this would be so much better as a novel or with a full, well-developed script that included emotional plot points to draw viewers more deeply into the entire story.
Don’t get me wrong—it was okay. But it had so much room to be something truly great. It kinda missed the fullfilment of fans for these drama types, honestly.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Strong start, but weak finish
I'm always a fan of Young Woo, because of his great past performances ... so I stuck with this series right till the end. It was a great story at the beginning, along with great acting by the four protagonists in their roles, but somewhere about halfway through, things changed a bit for me. I found the direction of the plot a bit confusing at times, but as I said, I stayed with it, hoping it would correct itself. Unfortunately that didn't happen, it really didn't seem to be as interesting from the middle part of the series through episode 11. The finale did have some good direction toward the very end, but I think it was just a bit too far gone for me at that point. To no fault of Young Woo, Yi Hyun or Kang Yoon, giving all strong performances, but I just wish the last six or so episodes were as enjoyable to watch as the first six.Looking forward to his future projects!
Was this review helpful to you?
Head Over Heels...Then Suddenly Flat on my face
“Head Over Heels” had a fantastic start — charming leads, genuine chemistry and a storyline that pulled me in from the very beginning. The pacing was smooth, the emotional buildup felt natural and I found myself truly invested in the characters' journeys. It had all the makings of a solid drama: laughter, growth, youth, friendship, longing and those little fluttery moments that make your heart skip.But then came the last two episodes — and suddenly, everything felt rushed. Plot threads that deserved time and care were tied up too quickly and the emotional weight the story had built seemed to lose its impact (with the time skips especially). I found myself wanting just a bit more closure, a bit more depth.
Still, I don’t regret watching it. It gave me plenty of moments to smile, sigh, and swoon over. The journey was worth it — I just wish the ending didn’t feel like it was in such a hurry to wrap up.
Was this review helpful to you?
half romcom half thriller
half of the story tells you how evil this deity is , you should be fearful ! 100 soules have been fed to him . And the other half shows him like your friendly neighborhood ghost.Also this evil deity can switch bodies under specific circumstances through a kiss !!
Tbh I liked the show but the story was all over the place .
If not for the FL looks , I would have dropped it 😄
Was this review helpful to you?
Of Gentle Feelings and True Affection: A Tale to Delight the Heart and Enchant the Feelings
I must confess myself entirely governed by the inclinations of the heart when it comes to the subject of Korean dramas. Should a tale so enchant me — if it cause me to sigh with longing, to champion the felicity of the characters, to loathe the villains with untempered zeal, and to yearn most fervently for a romance of tenderness and charm — then, most assuredly, such a drama shall secure a cherished corner in my affections. I am not, by nature, of analytical disposition; I do not dissect performances nor assess the finer points of production. It is the whole, the sentiment, the essence that captivates me. And if the principal romance should stir the gentler parts of my soul, then I confess — my heart is quite entirely won over, without the least hope of recovery.Head Over Heels ensnared my sensibilities within mere moments of its first episode. I found in Park Seongah a creature of such innocence and ingenuousness, that I could not help but see a portion of myself reflected in her gentle manner. Nay, I envied her. I longed — ardently — to one day know an affection such as hers, kindled in but a single glance at Bae Gyeonuh. Her love was so sincere, so untainted, that I was transported into a reverie, dreaming sweetly of their union.
To witness the blossoming of his regard for her — steadfast, unwavering, and, in time, surpassing even hers in depth — was a source of endless delight. Perhaps it is the influence of my upbringing, steeped as it was in the romantic ideals of fairytales, where noble princes strove valiantly for the happiness of their beloveds, that rendered Gyeonuh’s devotion so very affecting. His every action bespoke his desire to shield Seongah, to ensure her welfare, and I was wholly under the spell of his quiet heroism from the very beginning.
I felt no grievance that the narrative did not extend to the resolution of his familial entanglements. Indeed, I am of the opinion that such individuals were unworthy of his presence, and their exclusion from the tale’s conclusion caused me no dissatisfaction.
The love shared by those two souls awakened in me a longing to one day experience an affection so earnest, so guileless — and, perchance, equally returned.
I have secured the entire drama for my private enjoyment, to preserve it for those occasions when I shall seek the comfort of nostalgia, and to feel once more the delightful tumult of emotions that their romance so exquisitely inspired.
For me, this drama deserves a resounding ten out of ten, for it is no ordinary story that may stir one’s heart to such heights, as did the tender and whimsical love between Seongah and Gyeonuh.
Was this review helpful to you?
Started off AMAZING, but fell short by the end
This drama was honestly amazing when i first started watching it. It had a unique premise, and a cute, relatable MC. I liked how the ML didn't magically start liking her, or recognise her from childhood, or any other cliche. The FL won him and others over with her genuine affection and kindness. I enjoyed that he had struggled a lot, and that this wasnt underplayed and forgotten within seconds. The quests to destroy ghosts and save him was interesting and engaging, whilst all the while the MCs built a connection and we got to learn about other characters. But then episode 8/9 happens. And suddenly the entire plot is thrown completely off track, everything is super complicated and incomprehensible, and the romance between the two is shattered. Even by the ending, they 'recover' things but nothing is really recovered. The drama has become angsty and frustrating. I will say that Bong-Su's background and story was absolutely golden - I cried for him so many times, it breaks my heart over and over again, but the choice to have him stay so long was a mistake. He should have crossed over in episode 10, and the hash this drama made of itself should have been resolved. Why turn a sweet, fun romantic drama into an angsty, dramatic mess? I was disappointed. The cast was amazing, in particular Cho Young Woo was STELLAR. The way he was able to switch personalities was incredible, he is seriously talented and the acting probably saved this drama from a 7/7.5 ranking.Was this review helpful to you?
1Who’s Giving This a 10? Are You Blind or Watching a Different Drama?
I'm shocked that people are giving this drama a 10 after finishing it. Are you still on episode 2 and already rating it a 10, or did you watch a completely different show? Because honestly, this really baffles me. I thought fellow K-drama fans had at least some intellectual honesty.This drama just doesn’t work, which is a shame. It had a great start — actually, a brilliant one. I still remember the first few episodes fondly: an original story, two young people in love, a kind best friend hopelessly in love with the female lead, strong supporting characters who helped the shaman grow, themes of insecurity, bad luck, and suicide. A mysterious villain. I’m talking about the beginning. If I were judging just those episodes, I’d give it a 9 without hesitation (not a 10 because the OST is basically nonexistent — a great drama needs a great OST too).
But from the mid-season onward, it all fell apart. I won’t spoil anything, but you all know the plot has massive holes. The rules of shamanism change every 10 minutes. Viewers can’t form theories; we’re just expected to sit there blankly while the shamans explain some “final” solution — only for it to be replaced 10 minutes later with “oh wait, there’s this other ritual we can try.” I felt completely taken for a fool.
The villain, who started off as mysterious, turned out to be just a petty person. Constantly saved by the good guys, only to keep committing crimes. Never punished. And don’t even get me started on the final two episodes — they were a joke. Huge time skips where everyone just moves on with their lives, then suddenly we’re on some archery mission across Korea looking for lost love. Come on… and then after four years someone just says Mr. X’s name and boom, everything is solved?
No way this deserves a 10. A real pity, because the cast was amazing and the special effects were great. But the OST flopped, and the script — especially the script — was a failure.
Still, I recommend watching it, because it’s an important drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
they tried to cover so many things that it was frustrating.
Moral of the kdrama: No matter the problems, take this random solution that a minute ago you said didn't exist and was impossible.1) The protagonist's pouting made me grimace every time. Please, kdramas shine for having strong and intelligent protagonists (this last comment is personal i understand that many people enjoy characters like this )
2) Love triangles sometimes work, but this was love torture. My boy was practically there being The Third Thing 12 episodes, doing the lord work.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Good until the last couple of episodes.
Up until around episode 8 I was really enjoying this drama and it was very entertaining with its mix of supernatural and romcom with certain darker aspects.The characters were interesting and the banter and relationship between Seong A, Gyeon U and Jiho was fun. I liked the whole shaman idea as a premise and I enjoyed the plot direction until it started to go south. I liked also the plots relating to the classmates and overall it was very entertaining and one of the best kdramas I was watching this year, again, until it started to go south.
First of all I'll go ahead and say that while I've read and understand this might have been planned as a 16 episode series originally, that it was cut short and that, I don't say this very often, this is one of the few occasions that I think the series needed those 16 episodes, I don't understand why they didn't adapt it better to the 12 episode. As a writer, producer and director I would sacrifice the integrity of the original script, even if in sadness, to make a cohesive and coherent story.
Here instead they baked a nice loaf of bread, cut a big slice in the middle and sold the bread to the consumer as if it was a full loaf. But it was so badly chopped that everyone can clearly see where the cut and missing part is.
Things started to go south first and foremost with the way the character of Yeomhwa was tackled, or rather not tackled. Everyone protects her and lets her do as she pleases. While it was ok for part of the drama when you think you're building up the story to a climax, anything she did became a repetitive pattern and quite frustrating to watch when that climax or resolution never came.
The story as planned ended in episode 10. The two last episodes are just a mess of plotholes. We're missing basically 4 episodes that potentially (because we never know) would have closed those plotholes better. The question is why it wasn't adapted to the constraints they had and why it's simply chopped. There might be a reasoning more than simply a problem of the team not wanting to adapt this better given the circumstances, but as a viewer the end result is the same. It was not good.
Episode 11 was a mess, and episode 12 continued on this mess.
How did Gyeon U go on a date with Seong A? Plothole. It's not explained how she managed to make him resurface.
After that Seong A disappears, but it's not explained why exactly, it's not mentioned either how she's surviving wherever she is, apparently she's rich and we didn't know and somehow managed to rent somewhere being under aged, or grass and pine cones are an enough good diet to have for more than two years.
Other things that were introduced earlier in the series simply have a very anti-climatic and weird way of concluding, like the previous classmate of Gyeon U. The girl had basically bullied and tortured him for years only to reveal it was her who started the fire (we don't know why exactly) and for Gyeon U to ignore her from now on, but we're not even told why Gyeon U didn't do this already, apparently he knew she had kind of started the fire anyway and maybe I'm misremembering but I believe he had mentioned to feeling guilty about what happened and why he kept in touch with her, it's contradictory and just left like that.
Flower Master.... what is his deal? it's just the money or what? he just works for whoever and doesn't seem to be that willing to pick sides, but at the same time he's desperate in episode 12 to save Yeomhwa so.... we're missing a lot from his character.
In episode 11 we get Yeomhwa inheriting and living in the General's house, why? why is she there? why is anyone still talking to her? why doesn't she care about her baby and her whole plan after the death of the General at the end of episode 10? why was that death so anti-climatic? not only because of being predictable but also because it's brushed under the rug so quickly. Why was the General so obsessed with saving YeomHwa to the point of willing to put everyone else through the problems she was creating? Motherly love is just not enough of a justification, that's weak.
Yeomhwa could have been an interesting character if she didn't become so repetitive and if they didn't try to redeem her all of a sudden in the last two episodes. All that she caused and in the end she just walks away free with new friends (seriously that moment in episode 12 with Gyeon U trying to connect with her? are you serious? after the bullying since he was a child? NOOOOO).
I guess all her actions are justified because her baby died, even though she was trying to kill underage kids anyway (and she literally let a child die by the beginning of the series in case anyone forgot).
Why is there a two year time jump!!!!!!!?????? WHY??! It adds nothing to anything other than making everything so much more complicated and gives this feeling that during those two years nothing was done or achieved (Gyeon U tried of course but we're only shown a couple of scenes anyway). Why is it so difficult to catch Bong Su? Especially when he finally catches him rather easily in the beach at the end of the episode and even goes willingly with him to Gyeon U's house? all that for nothing? Logic not found!
We never see the consequences, even to an emotional level, of what Jiho did, and I guess their way of closing his crush with Seong A had to be shown somehow but to be honest it should just have happened in that 2 year gap instead of actively having an scene to show he closes it. But this brings me anyway to the fact Jiho was pretty absent/background character especially in episode 11, and if his actions in episode 10 were already out of character "that shaman looks scary, let's go talk to her and do what she demands, doesn't matter my best friend/crush is a shaman and I should ask her first", but that it seems very unrealistic considering his personality from episodes 1 to 9 that he would not look for Seong A as well, that he would be so passive and accepting of the situation. But this brings me anyway to the fact that it was extremely weird how Seong A just disappears and everyone just supposedly accepts it as normal and there isn't much care.
Why did the show decide to kill the old woman shaman an episode before the end? weird. She was a background character anyway, so why making her die?
So, apparently they had to kiss to transfer Bong Su around, what in retrospective makes quite puzzling why Seong A would avoid Gyeon U in her dream, just don't kiss him? Why the clue in the blackboard of where she was going to be at the end of episode 11? At the time of watching I thought maybe Seong A was leaving clues because she was losing herself, and while true, it's never tackled what was the intention there, she didn't want Bong Su taken out from her anyway, so I guess just the script said so.
In episode 12 they waste too much time on things that they seemed to have dropped/forgotten in episode 11 what drags the main issue and resolution to then have a very anti-climatic ending to the whole Bong Su drama.
So... it turns out he can just get out of a body when he wants without having to do anything, and the whole thing of looking for his name was a lie since he already knew it? What in the waste of time is this?
What was his deal then? I mean for starters he's supposed to be soooo evil, but apart from sucking the life of his host I didn't see him doing anything that evil, although they really tried to make him look evil just because he was carefree and giggling when running. His whole story is just a repetition of a few scenes but there is never that much explanation and at the same time the fact they kind of wanted the audience to sympathise with him considering the lives he was consuming and that he liked Seong A but he basically kept her away from who she loves. I feel there was a disconnection between Bong Su's banter and words and his actions, and there were things missing there to make it more cohesive. It was overall also dragged way too much as a plot. It was very funny in the beginning and with Seong A and Gyeon U having to hold hands and whatnot, but they stretched it too much. There are of course also plotholes in his story as it is. For starters why was he an evil spirit and why did Yeomhwa picked him? why did she believe that the evil spirit would do as she pleased once she gave him a vessel? what did she want from the spirit exactly anyway? I thought that since her baby had been punished by the deities that maybe only an evil god could change that, but it's never really explained what was the intention. Was it that? did she want the spirit to bring her baby back to life? did she want to punish/kill the other deities? Who knows.
Seong A really wanted to graduate and go to college, and I thought maybe we would get an epilogue that showed her graduating or something but she dropped what she wanted just because? because in her dream she remembered the General's words and that she's a shaman? It was kind of sad to be honest, I feel so bad for her.
The epilogue we got instead seemed rather pointless.
Overall it's watchable and enjoyable until around episode 8, even 9, but the last three episodes create too many plotholes, character inconsistencies and anticlimactic conclusions to the plot points the series had introduced. At least they're together sure, but at what cost! we don't even really get to see the consequences of Seong A's disappearance for two years (everyone looking older, everyone having a life but not her, etc).
If you want only romantic fluff this might disappoint because the darker elements, while present from the beginning anyway, grow bigger in the plot as the story progresses and especially towards the end. Plenty of fluff and cute moments for two thirds of the drama but mixed with some rather darker bits too.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Upside Down Could've Been
This is a truly wasted potential. Had a really strong arc in the beginning. The shaman aspect of the story got me hooked. I've always been into ghost and exorcism stories. Given that it's also romance is a total package.There are certain points in the story that I didn't quite catch into. Like how was Gyeon U related to Yeomhwa, that he was cursed by her instead of the grandmother? And that girl that Gyeon U kept on calling with his phone that it seems he is repaying something for her that he isn't suppose to be doing since I think what may have happened to her isn't done intentionally by Gyeon U. Gyeon U's relationship to his parents aren't clear enough for me either. Is it like, he was abandoned by them because of his curse and the grandmother took charge of taking care of him instead?
Anyways, I liked the side characters. I mean the MC's school friends. Like Jin Ung and Hyeri. I feel sad for Ji Ho's character. He is technically should be Seong A's first love. I like that he does everything for her. sadly, he was friendzoned.
This is my second time to watch Choo Yoong Woo in a drama. Last drama I saw him as ML was in Once Upon A Small Town. He played a hot Veterinarian. He literally reminds me of Rowoon. I see they quite have a resemblance.
The cast nailed their roles. The story just went Upside Down for me. Specially the last 2 eps. That time lapse of 2 years ruined it all. It would have been better if Seong Ha fulfilled her dream of graduating from HS and College. And yes, definitely the romance department have been lacking. The kiss was only done in the finale and not even executed well.
It would have been better for me to have Yeomwha died instead of the mom. I know she has to shoulder the consequences of her actions and have to suffer while living alone. But, it would be epic I guess to see her reunited with her child.
Overall, the finale felt rushed. Could have been better if MC had a child in the end and named their son Bong Su. Truly a wasted potential for me. I can only give this a 7.5
Was this review helpful to you?
