1This review may contain spoilers
Solid start, colossally disappointing conclusion
This was my entry into the world of J-Dramas and it was promising to be an excellent first impression. The first 6 episodes were full of fluff and fun cliches and just the perfect touch of angst. You didn't have to use your brain too much, just sit back and enjoy a simple and entertaining story. There was genuinely funny humor, some solid acting moments, and the best part: fire chemistry between the leads. They absolutely carried the drama, as a couple and individuals. Ayaka, our FL, had an unexpected feisty side that helped balance the kawaii vibes, and Togo, our ML, had an endearing awkward side that softened his cold-hearted jerk exterior. I couldn't leave a review without praising what started out as a really cute drama that could have easily gone on my top favorites list. Now for the bad news.(BE WARNED, LOTS OF SPOILERS AHEAD)
Unfortunately, starting in episode 7, everything went downhill at a mind-blowing rate. Out of nowhere the drama took a step into some very dodgy (and surprisingly dark) territory. I don't mind dramas tackling unfaithfulness, misunderstandings, or sexual assault, as long as it's done sensitively and intelligently. But this drama did none of those things. We ended up with a situation in which, mysteriously, our FL doesn't know for sure if she's been sexually assaulted by an old flame, and instead of exploring the trauma of such an incident, the drama puts all the responsibility on her for possibly being unfaithful to ML. The situation concludes with ML essentially "forgiving" FL and choosing magnanimously to trust her when she says nothing happened between her and her old flame. The worst part to me? The subject of assault was not mentioned ONCE.
I'll also give a very brief mention to the intimacy issue. After our lead couple decides to become a real couple, we see ML coming on strong, clearly ready to go all the way with FL, and her shying away/flinching each time. It's often played for humor but I actually found it uncomfortable to watch, and it gave off very unfortunate vibes of experienced adult man chasing after innocent, doe-eyed little girl. It's not romantic and it doesn't portray a healthy, mutual transition into intimacy.
Even more unfortunately, that wasn't the end of this drama's troubles. The next episode put our lead couple back together without even once talking the whole issue through like adults. ML kicks her out for a bit and then eventually relents and accepts her back with no real conversation between them. Then comes episode 9. I get it, ML was afraid his mother would hurt FL, that's why he rejected her, broke her heart, and divorced her before planning a wedding with someone else. Here we get the classic time jump and separation cliches and more disturbingly, both ML and FL being besties with the guy who took her to a hotel (and presumably undressed her) in order to make ML believe they had slept together and therefore sabotage the relationship. But he apologized, so I guess it's all okay (this is sarcasm, by the way).
After all of this contrived, over-the-top angst, we conclude with a happy ending that's a result of the FL finally being told that ML had a really good reason for cutting her out of his life. She fights for him, he gives in, all's well that ends well, no harm done. They get remarried (but without the fussy piece of paper they had for their fake marriage, because who needs that?). I usually try to find a more intelligent way of expressing my feelings on dramas I disliked, but there's really no other way to put it: it felt like a child wrote the latter portion of this drama. I have read fan fictions on Wattpad that were written with more maturity and intelligence than this. It's hard to remember the last time I was this disappointed with a drama I started out liking so much.
In the end I'm rating it a generous 4 because of how thoroughly I enjoyed the first half. I will remember how I felt at the beginning fondly, and try desperately to forget how I felt at the end. It's safe to say I will not be rewatching this one. Try it at your own risk.
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This review may contain spoilers
A drama full of cliché elements done right!
Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi is an adaptation of the manga of the same name, which I haven't read, so my review is from the point of view of a person who is not comparing the drama to its original work.What is the main trope involved you ask? Fake Marriage!
Do we have plenty of dramas in dramaland of the same trope? Yes! Definitely!
Even then, is this drama still worth watching? YES! ABSOLUTELY!
The drama can be categorized as a breezy watch, with all the cliché tropes present (fake marriage, first loves, rich man/(comparatively) poor woman etc.) but what really sets it apart is its acting and script. The actors succeeded in involving the audience (at least me) with their characters. I felt the emotions that they were feeling , especially the main leads, Ayaka's tears, Togo's micro-expressions added so much more depth to the emotions... I basically laughed with them, got embarrassed with them, felt sad for them etc. The chemistry of the main couple makes you root for them and the friendship and family moments are really heart-warming.
As is implied earlier, the story is pretty cliché but the script is well-written and really fun. I smiled through most of the episodes and waiting a week for the new episode was honestly a torture! The drama really puts your mind at ease as all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the episode (without a lot of thinking).
The drawback would be:
Was the last episode a little lackluster? Yes.
Was the least episode disappointing? To an extent, yes. It felt as if something was missing.
What about the last 15 minutes of the last episode? It kind of redeemed itself.
But was the last episode enough to destroy the enjoyment felt throughout the drama? NO! I am usually someone who lowers the rating significantly if the ending, in my pov, is messed up. That's because a bad ending makes the entire drama very insignificant and unmemorable to me. But even though Ousama's finale episode was a little disappointing, the good parts of the drama are so damn memorable that I probably won't be forgetting this drama anytime soon.
I am not usually a fan of rewatching shows, but I can definitely see myself coming back and rewatching the drama for Togo and Ayaka.
Conclusion: DEFINITELY WORTH WATCHING!
(Just because I liked it, doesn't mean you will too. But I can say with confidence, that its a drama worth giving a chance!)
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I loved it until I did not.
What started as a literally perfect contract marriage rom-com with a fun and confident female lead, and puppy-like pretending to be a cold male lead, turned into such a makjang melodrama with ridiculous conflicts that had no depth and no real resolution. Why?I honestly adored Ayaka and Togo in the first half of the show. They were amazing together, the chemistry was great and the dynamics between them were perfect. The set up for the promotional videos was a brilliant idea and allowed many different scenarios for them to develop feelings for each other, but also deliver some funny comedic scenes for the viewers.
But then the “villain” entered the picture and I just cannot ignore how poorly written that aspect was. Technically speaking they told us everything we needed to know to make sense of it and the motivations behind the action, and yet it all still felt so superficial and lacked depth. It honestly seemed like a conflict written for the sake of conflict without care if it fits the story and they have enough time and writing skill to conclude it in a correct manner. They didn’t.
The whole villain arc also led to some ridiculous scenes from the characters that I just could not accept and found painfully dumb - from both female and male leads.
The performances were great. Big props to everyone’s favorite character Negi. The dog was honestly the highlight of the show!
Overall, I wish I could write a long review on how amazing this show is, and how it did all the rom-com tropes and cliches so well, but the second half, especially the last 2-3 episodes were just awful.
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Great chemistry and a fun watch, but with some questionable actions that dampened the mood
Subjective Rating - 8.25When I first saw the English title of “Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi” I was like, so this drama is giving the middle finger as in “Fxxk You” to contract marriages? Well, of course, that’s not the case. The title, “The Third Finger Offered to a King” probably means the engagement finger, not the F U finger. Doh! Ok, maybe only me that thinks this way. LOL
For the most part, this is a very typical contract marriage drama with the usual tropes and cliches. But the leads have so much chemistry and are so fun together that this is really an enjoyable watch for the most part. I recently saw Yamada Ryosuke (ML) in “Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu Shohikigen!?” aka “My Cuteness is About to Expire!?” and he was adorable with all the cute smiles. It’s funny how he’s playing opposite the female lead who’s the one with the (fake) smiles. Nonetheless, he is still so cute and gorgeous and I appreciate his acting more here as well. Female lead, Hashimoto Kanna, is supposed to be drop dead gorgeous here. She has big round eyes but not quite the drop-dead gorgeous type I have in mind.
There are many lovely side characters in this drama. A very supportive family on the FL side, especially the adorable parents. The siblings don’t have a lot of screentime, but they have a tight bond and scenes of their family are always heartwarming. The co-workers for the most part are supportive and not irritating. The ML’s side of the family is a different story and we’ll get to them in a little bit.
The acting is pretty good and considering this is a manga adaptation, it does not have the usual over-the-top comedic acting. The wedding stories are interesting enough and do not take time away from the leads. They add some flavors to the story and generally help move along the plot with the focus back on our two main leads.
However, there are some really questionable actions and/or inactions that frustrate me a little and distract from the general cute, fluffy and funny vibe of the show. Thus, I lower the rating for that.
-The actions of the second male lead when FL was drunk.
-The inaction of the FL after the second male lead openly confronted her and ML.
-The actions of the ML without communication
-The inaction of ML’s father where he could have prevented many things from happening
-The actions and obsession of ML’s mother are not quite justified
There is still so much to like about the drama especially if you are a fan of contract/fake marriages. There are also many funny scenes.
-Love the use of scenes in “The Battler” - reminded me of the good old days when I used to watch “The Bachelor”
-The dog is so cute and I am not even a dog person.
-Duck dance instead of chicken dance at a German restaurant? Interesting.
-Love the gradual increase of pictures on the shelf/mantle
-Is the drama also promoting tourism? Hakone, Gora, Premium Outlets? I feel like these are places I researched to go when I was planning my Japan trip.
-Speaking of outlets, I am not sure if I would go to the outlets to buy a present for the President of a Company….but I understand she’s on a budget.
Despite its flaws, this is a very fun and bingable drama. If you can look past some of the questionable actions/inactions of some characters, the drama is lighthearted and can put a smile on your face.
Completed: 7/2/2023 - Review #324
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A cinderella story full of cliches, but worth watching!
Contract marriage! The troupe Asian dramas love to play with it but it somehow never gets old. This drama is no exception but it was decently depicted. Romance lovers fans won't be disappointed.Story:
A king enters a contractual relationship with a poor Cinderella. that's the whole concept. But it's not easy. there are villains everywhere who would do anything to separate them. but guess what? Love indeed conquers all.
We get to see a rich kid who happens to be a brat and good-looking, however, he holds a secret cutting him deep within. On the other hand, Cinderella is a beautiful girl with a bad temper who can't keep a job and is in dire need of money. So, they are a match made in heaven; fakely! They go through trials and find love and solace in each other, which is cute.
Acting and Chemistry:
Unlike many Jdramas that i have seen( with robotic acting and zero chemistry) the actor and actress have a good on-screen chemistry. They are funny and kinda, just like the ying yang keyring they carry with them. They portray a believable romantic couple and that's somehow unexpected in Jdramas.
OST: i loved the songs played in this drama. totally matched the mood.
Writing:
well, unlike many other dramas again, the loopholes presented in this drama all got solved in the end. Even the villains were forgiven( a bit odd). the first half was much more intriguing but the second half got draggy at some point. but that's how it is, love conquers ALL!
Overall, a beautiful drama. if you're in the mood for a silly romantic Jdrama with a bit of cringe and complications, make sure you watch this drama!
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♥ 王様に捧ぐ薬指 ♥
This drama is about Ayaka-san who works at the bridal department at a hotel, she is so beautiful that everyone recognises. Her boss togo-san who is the son of a very powerful person of the town gets Ayaka into a marriage contract where in every kiss or every youtube video they make together she can can earn money...After few months though they both fall in love for real and they want to stop this contract marriage. The world gets to know the truth and they put hate comments on their SNS and family. Togo-san godmother is a witch and is trying to separate both of them but true love wins... My favourite Yamada Ryousuke is so handsome and such a great actor, I think his role was the best for this drama ♥ It was so funny and I laughed a lot, the BEST DRAMA of 2023 ♥♥♥
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=> A good drama that introduced me to Yamada Ryosuke, but just for entertainment
PLOT:A Fake Marriage Contract is signed between 1 CEO, the ML, who wants to boost his sales by making a vlog of his married life, and the FL, wedding planner in the company. FL comes from a large, warm and poor family.
The mother-in-law will do everything to ruin this marriage.
PROS:
+ The characters are endearing, both family and colleagues.
+ The CL is convincing.
+ The main theme is attachment to family.
+ It's a JDrama, so there is no length (10 episodes and everything is said :)
+ The Shiba Inu is adorable.
CONS:
- the character of the mother-in-law is excessive, almost psychotic, but everyone forgives her (because she is family ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
- the OSTs are too Japanese-kawaii for me.
=> A good drama that introduced me to Yamada Ryosuke, but just entertainment. So I won't watch it again.
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PLOT:
Contrat de Fake Marriage entre 1 CEO, le ML, qui veut booster son chiffre d'affaires en faisant un vlog de sa vie de couple, et la FL, wedding planner dans l'entreprise. La FL vient d'une famille nombreuse, chaleureuse et pauvre.
La belle-mère va tout faire pour faire capoter ce mariage.
PROS:
+ Les personnages sont attachants, aussi bien la famille que les collègues.
+ Le CL est convaincant.
+ Le thème principal est l'attachement à la famille.
+ C'est un JDrama, donc il n'y a pas de longueur (10 épisodes et tout est dit :)
+ Le Shiba Inu est adorable.
CONS:
- le personnage de la belle-mère est excessif, presque psychotique, mais tout le monde lui pardonne (parce qu'elle est de la famille ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
- les OST sont trop japonaises-kawaii pour moi.
=> Un bon drama qui m'a fait découvrir Yamada Ryosuke, mais juste un divertissement. Donc je ne le regarderai pas à nouveau.
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Leads had chemistry
Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi (2023)Likes
1. The concept is simple and nothing special - contract marriage between employer and employee to promote their business and they fall in love for real. What's different is the perfect chemistry between the two leads! I mostly watched this because they were so cute together!
2. They also had a few episodes about different kinds of wedding preps and they were interesting.
3. I like Ayaka's family, and how they openly welcomed Togo to their home.
4. I also like Togo's best friend who was funny and loyal.
Dislikes
1. The whole story about the mom esp the last two episodes were weird. I alao didnt like how th e2nd guy was so terrible just to get the money. And both were easily forgiven and got happy endings too.
2. The whole point was for Togo to prove he can run his own business successfully but then it didnt make sense that the story got dropped eventually and he moved to HQ to be the successor.
Rating: 8.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
Palate cleansing cuteness
Frankly, the title of the top review was scary just like some comments so I was bracing myself for the worst. And the worst did not come!Yes it was fluffy but with fluff usually comes the superficial. So after a few episodes of fun, I stopped expecting anything profound and just enjoyed the ride. And coming off watching a korean makjang, this is just what I needed. Some predictable fluff is always welcome!
Ayako is the eldest of five children raised by loving parents. She is pretty, kind and generous and has been the envy of every women/girl she's ever met causing her numerous problems in school and at work. She faces everything with calm and a smile! Togo is her opposite: an only child of wealthy parents who put pressure on him to comply with the rules of the high society which is making him unhappy and cynical. They meet at a job interview and Ayako's words touched him so he ended up offering her a contract marriage which she accepts hoping to make her family's life a little easier with the payment she is receiving for the mariage. But Togo's mother is not happy with the arrangement so she schemes in the background in order to destroy Ayako and her family.
A few issues were raised in the comments section: a possible assault and the mother in law. The sexual assault never happened: she was just drunk and the SML put her to bed. And that's it! The mother's schemings which went unpunished were also understandable: she is someone who was forced to live the life someone else chose for her making her profoundly unhappy. Of course, this does not justify her dealings but I guess life had punished her enough.
Of course there were other issues: the drama is filled with tropes, misunderstandings, dead fish kisses, splitting up "for your own good", opposites attract, possibly evil ex boyfriend, evil mother in law etc.etc. But this is not meant to be taken seriously and if you decide to watch it just like the mindless fun it is, you are going to enjoy it. If you are looking for depth in treating issue (assault, parental pressures, rich vs. poor etc.) you should go watch something else.
The cast is excellent. The actress playing Ayako is pretty, cute and charming and she has big liquid eyes! Rather amazing!
What else? A cute, scene stealing dog, Ayako's amazing parents and siblings, Togo's father surprisingly understanding of his son's wish to be happy on his own terms.
I am glad that they toned down the manga original work: I never read it but I am fairly certain that manga has many OTT scenes and characters making faces and screaming. Just like any manga! None of that made it's way into this series. And it is so much better for it!
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This review may contain spoilers
It's hard to sum up your thoughts for a drama that had such a great start before making a really good go of squandering its characters and stories. But sum them up I will try, because I do have some thoughts about this drama.First and foremost, this drama has great chemistry between its leads. Ayaka and Togo are fun to watch together as they bickeringly charm their way into each other's hearts. Their little online videos together start off as part of their contract marriage obligations but quickly become some of the best moments of their genuine enjoyment of one another's company. (Not to mention they become more and more hilarious as the drama goes on.) These two are a couple you really want to see truly become a couple. Secondly, although I consider this of equal importance to the first point, the female lead is an incredibly sympathetic and complex character. I always love it when a drama surprises you with its characterizations, and Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi definitely does that with Ayaka. Ayaka has always been naturally pretty, and it has garnered her lots of attention in her life from the opposite sex. Unfortunately, much of that attention has not been good. A male teacher in her high school behaving inappropriately towards her, a client at her job as a wedding planner attempting to cheat on his fiancé with Ayaka, etc. To add insult to injury, Ayaka never does anything to encourage this behavior and she actively tries to avoid it, but the people around her consistently leave her holding the proverbial bag, wielding her attractiveness against her like a weapon, an excuse to turn her into the scapegoat for their own behavior. She's so pretty, so it's obviously her fault.
Not surprisingly, Ayaka has learned to handle this by acting nonchalant and unbothered, pretending she doesn't mind all the (truthfully negative) attention she gets from these men and that the sneers and accusations from others are like water off a ducks' back to her. Of course, we learn better when we see her alone holding back tears after she's been unfairly blamed for another incident. This characterization is very beautifully done, and gosh does it make me really like her. Unfortunately, the story drops this characterization in the second half, which I consider a serious misstep by the writers (among the multiple missteps they make with this drama). Ayaka is a strong female lead with a lot of depth worth exploring, but the writers appeared to only be interested in exploring it half-way.
Sadly, the writer's decision to step away from developing Ayaka as a character means they have to fill their time else ways, and they are two specific plot decisions in the last four episodes that deeply hamper the overall story. One is a very common, and often bemoaned trope, in Asian dramas that I actually think could have been made to work if given the time to develop properly. But the other is an infuriating, mind-boggling, head-scratching choice that was so improperly conveyed to the audience that there's really no way to fully salvage it as a writing decision.
Starting in ep 7 and concluding in ep 8 is a plot point around a possible sexual assault against Ayaka by the second male lead, Kamiyama. Personally, I don't believe any sexual assault actually occurred, but the whole things plays out in a way that does not make that clear. From the way things are set up, it very much looks like Ayaka has been assaulted. We start with her leaving a school reunion drunk, then she's passed out in a taxi with Kamiyama who intentionally hangs up her phone when Togo calls her, then Ayaka is waking up in a hotel room not wearing her dress and Kamiyama walks in without a shirt and intimates that something happened between them. Then when Ayaka tells Kamiyama she doesn't believe him, he tells both her and Togo that something absolutely did happen. Of course, Ayaka was passed out drunk while Kamiyama appeared to be relatively sober, so the perfectly rational conclusion for anyone watching would be that he did, in fact, assault her. But THEN in the very next episode, Kamiyama apologizes to Ayaka, saying he lied about something happening between them, and it's clear from the way this is presented to the viewer that he is telling the truth, and we as the viewer are supposed to believe him.
The problem is that the writers thought this one moment of apology was sufficient enough to clear up all of the confusion around what actually happened. But why Ayaka is not wearing her dress the next morning is a very important detail that the writers never explain, and not explaining it leaves viewers with the very strong impression that Kamiyama did, at the very least, attempt to sexually assault Ayaka and then maybe stopped himself part way. (Which is still assault.) I'm someone who tries to understand and respect the writers' intentions for their story, so since that's what the writer intended, I've chosen to believe that Ayaka took the dress off herself when she crawled into bed, and that Kamiyama left her there for the night and went home. But it's perfectly reasonable and understandable that some viewers would believe she was assaulted.
Of course, I have to talk about Togo's reaction to this situation, because it is not the best. His immediate reaction is anger and distrust, which very much upset me. He has no questions for Ayaka or Kamiyama about what happened, he immediately makes assumptions about Ayaka's character, he just has no interest in having an objective understanding of the situation. But it's also not clear he actually understood that Ayaka had potentially been assaulted in that hotel room. I get the impression that he thought Ayaka and Kamiyama had a consensual sexual encounter, which is obviously completely different from rape or assault. Since Ayaka never tells him what she remembers (for completely understandable reasons), and Kamiyama straight up lies, Togo never gets the full picture. I still think his reaction was unfair, and he owed Ayaka an apology when things were cleared up (and Kamiyama a swift kick in the groin and a clear warning never to come near Ayaka again), but I am willing to be more gracious and understanding towards Togo since I'm not sure he ever truly understood what was going on.
I wish I could say it was a surprise what the writers decided to do next, but this trope is so overused it literally never surprises me when I see it in a drama anymore (although it certainly often induces rage deep with me). After the very heightened events of the (very poorly handled) potential sexual assault, the writers decide the last two episodes are the perfect time for a forced separation between our leads (some drama writer habits die hard, apparently), and there's nowhere near enough time left in the drama to deal with all the varied aspects of this plot point. It comes with arranged marriage (between Togo's father and step-mother), prior relationships of both parents that both produced sons (Togo and his suddenly introduced half-brother), Togo's stepmother's unhealthy attachment to him, her terrified unwillingness to acknowledge her biological son, and a rushed conclusion where all four of them are suddenly happy and reconciled. There is so much to unpack in this plot point, things I actually wanted to see the drama unpack, and if the writers had not chosen the last two episodes to address all of these things, I think we might have actually gotten to see this part of the drama be more fleshed out. But it's not fleshed out. Instead, it's rushed and awkward, and Togo's stepmother ends up looking completely unhinged and irrational.
Overall, the writers bungled the last four episodes of this drama. They should have chosen to focus on one of the above plot points instead of trying to do both, because trying to do both hurt the story. For my part, I think it would have been a wiser use of their time to focus on Togo's relationship with his stepmother and her secret son and all of the things that come attached to a situation as tenuous as that. There was a lot of really interesting stuff brought up in that situation that was never explored, and I even think the forced separation could have worked if the writers had really wanted to do it.
But we'll never know what that would have looked like in this drama, will we? Cause it didn't happen.
Having finished this and gotten plenty of genuine enjoyment out of it, I wouldn't tell people not to watch this drama. I think you might want to be aware of the missteps that happen in the latter half so you can temper your expectations. But some viewers aren't going to be so frustrated by the writing choices in the latter half of the story as I, and many other viewers, are. I myself might even rewatch this someday just to relive the leads amazing chemistry and the comedy and enjoy the short-lived effort at exploring such an interesting and sympathetic female lead.
Key word being someday.
Someday farrrrr in the future when I've gotten over the disappointment that the ending of this drama was.
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Amazing start... but then it became lousy
I binged this jdrama in a day, it was so fun at first, The chemistry between the leads was so good and it was all very fun and had really nice rom-com vibes <3 I loved them getting to know each other. I generally just love the contract marriage trope and they did it so well :) They had so many cute moments and it was def gonna be one of my top romcoms at least. I did enjoy it and I don't regret watching it, it's just that it was great in a little more than the first half and then it really became mid !!!They got together in the 5th episode, and it has 10 episodes.... I feel like it's common for it all to go downhill after T-T and this jdrama did !! it got to the "villain arc" which I hated so much...
I started to not like the characters as much... the male lead just runs away and they portrayed the female lead as this trusting, undoubting girl... how could they keep in contact with the guy who assaulted her!!!! and they didn't even portray it as assault, just made it out to be like he had no choice and even if he did, he's still such a jerk for that ?! and the villain is such a witch... I just don't understand her, I get what they're trying to portray but I just don't feel any depth in it at all
And lastly I hate the ending trope of the couple separating, time passes and then they get back together(especially for dumb reasons) . I also hate when everything just gets hastily solved in the last episode, it feels so unplanned :<
In the end. I did enjoy it, that's why I gave it a 6,5. The plot really worsened but ig I'm the type to be able to just watch without thinking too much... still, it's too bad cause it really could have been a perfect rom-com !!!!!
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