A Moving Tale of Envy and Pride Collapsing Love & Friendship (enough to cause motion sickness)
this one frustrated me to no end bc of how realistic and raw it is. i don't think it's a show for everyone, it's incredibly heavy and there's little to no payback. the screenwriting, acting, directing and music are all extremely impeccable. the intensity of Sang Yeon's envy parallelled by Eun Jung's good well is moving enough to cause motion sickness. my only issue with this one is that rewatchability, i think this is one of the masterpiece that my heart can only take one watch of it.i'm at a point where little to nothing suprises me in kdramas but this one hit me like a tsunami at some points, regarding the "brother". despite having very visible signs of the events of episode three, i was very taken aback. the revelation also surprised as i thought the twist would regarding sexuality, not gender identity. I wished they had referred to her as Mooni or Unni, this would've been honoring to her memory.
this is a show where despite being frustrated, i was invested from start to finish.
ESPECIALLY THE LAST EPISODE.
the writing was on the wall and still somehow very refreshing, it has to be my favorite episode of the show and i rarely like finales in kdramas.
-The Ending-
SPOILER HERE!
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Eun Jung's last words to Sang Yeon being "you did well" made me bawl my soul out. It reminded me Kim Jonghyun and his lyrics in Breath. I often lullaby myself with these words when i'm having a hard time, so to hear EJ say those words to SY, felt like she truly saw her, or in Sang Yeon's words, "you accepted me at last, you."
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Extremely heartbreaking journey
Pretty engaging storyline, the tension buildup is brilliant and valid enough, the multilayered emotions worked out really well on screen as it spanned across four decades of timeline setting, though some of it was built directly upon coincidence linkage, the distinctive character design is still highly effective nonetheless, and the striking acting performances definitely gave this drama a huge boost. The mellow cinematography and sombre soundtrack also blended deeply into the meticulously written dialogues, the result is a melancholic artistic drama that is extremely heartbreaking as their journey of bittersweet life unfolds.Was this review helpful to you?
The more you love someone, the more you may hate them.
You and Everything Else is the telling of the story about the relationship between two women who have known each other since adolescence. The show is told in eras from the perspective of Kim Goeun's character, Ryu Eunjung, from the time her and Park Jihyun's character, Cheon Sangyeon met in Elementary, to the time they reunite in the early 40s. This doesn't serve as a spoiler, but Cheon Sangyeon is terminally ill and requests Ryu Eunjung to accompany her on her final trip before his death.What makes this drama a standout to me is fantastic cinematography and acting from the case ensemble. I felt that the set locations, perspective viewing, and backgrounds in every scene were purposeful, and lovely. There is a subtle blur effect for nostalgia throughout the past eras, and I feel this serves to highlight that the stories are a recollection of the two, and the color palette would change accordingly to highlight the intended mood of a scene very well. Kim Goeun and Park Jihyun are two of my favorite actresses in general, and I feel that their range of acting were really tested here, with the latter personally stealing a bit of the show for me. The raw emotion and full body acting the two were able to display was fantastic, and what I loved a lot was how many one-shots there would be, further magnifying their acting prowess and professionalism.
I loved that this drama was not afraid to tackle complex characters, and intertwine them in the story continuum, with Sangyeon being the personification of toxicity and self-loathing throughout, and Eunjung being grounded and true to her sense of self, with no room for ifs and buts, while also being very sensitive and honest at her most vulnerable. Sangyeon comes from an opulent background, with her family being the ideal Nuclear Family via the eye test, but they're very dysfunctional at heart. Eunjung for most of her adolescence grew up without her father, and her mother struggled to keep them afloat from a socioeconomic perspective. In this presentation of the two, the two girls from completely different backgrounds are able to find comfort and solace within each other, while the threads the jealousy and insecurity continued to grow ever so slightly until explored more in the later eras.
Kim Goeun once again brings about masterful acting in the heavy emotional scenes, really allowing viewers to experience what the characters are feeling. She made me cry during Goblin, and did so once again throughout this wonderful series. I have not been able to watch Park Jihyun in much other than Flex x Cop, and random cameos, but this drama cemented her in my mind as a force to be reckoned with. If the two were in a scene together with their characters being the highlight of the scene at hand, it was a guaranteed hit. Emotions are evoked, thoughts are provoked, and tissues are soaked is where I found myself a multitude of times watching this, and it is an experience I am glad to have been able to have.
The characterization of everyone, the intertwining fates and progression of the story at hand was done very well. While it can feel slow at times, and if you hate a love-triangle this may not be for you, it was a story I could not stop watching once the ball started rolling. Themes of friendship, pity, forgiveness, betrayal were all at play and I feel that everything was fleshed out very well. I laughed, cried, cheered, yelled, at the triumphs and shortcomings that were shown, for this story felt so palpable and real.
This will definitely go down as one of the top releases of 2025 for me, and I hope to revisit this at some time. I had already planned to, but will now most definitely prioritize the future works of the two for my 'to watch' list as able. If you are hesitating to watch this drama, do not, because you will not be disappointed by this wonderful story of life and friendship.
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Best friends finding their way back to each other
I cried so many times during this show. They covered so many topics in here that its hard to pick one to resonate with and i think that’s what made it so special.I love stories that depict two best friends who go through rough time then find their way back to each other, reminded me a lot of the Kmovie called ‘Soulmates’.
Girl friendships are so complex, and falling out with a best friend is more painful than a breakup.
This show was extremely well done. I genuinely have no complaints, the pacing, the plot, the development and the relationships among the characters was so good.
I can’t find anything to complain about. The things that annoyed me aren’t constructive criticism, it’s just small realistic things that happen in everyday life so i can’t even complain about that lol
everyone is so real in here, it felt like i was watching real people go through real things.
even the OST was beautiful. everytime i hear that one song i’m immediately brought to tears. wonderful show. amazing acting.
it got a bit boring somewhere in the middle but it picked its pace up pretty fast so finishing it wasn’t hard. really solid show besides that.
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This review may contain spoilers
I Balled up more than once !!!
Yes it's a total western saying but I balled up more than once over this story -- there were many times I wanted to smack these characters in the head -- the story was utterly frustrating & in that frustration the characters were revealed to each of us How we reacted to the characters says more about us than them--I feel that is the point of this drama, it wasn't to convey some remarkable redemption that makes it all good in the end In the end the friendship of the ladies was just as complicated as it was during the film--I love that they didn't make it feel good cause if they had the one of them would have left with the man Thankfully they allowed the narrative to be real In life few of us end up with a picture book ending or with our one true 100% person Don't know if my heart could take a rewatch it was a riveting story, well acted well represented & the direction of the sometimes slow plot was done magnificiently It isn't a drama that will be forgotten , it will stay in my memory for a very long timeWas this review helpful to you?
A sweet and sour friendship journey.
The character that i see mostly getting gate is cheon sang hyeon but i feel like shes the most well sritten character. Imagine going through so much in life and still having the will to live, i dont think itseasy at all and not everyone can do that. Cheon sanghyeon never gave up on life. No matter how hard she had it she always kept going somehow even if its in a good-or bad way. I wouldn't say getting your way through fraud and stealing is good but can you really blame her. The only kind of people who gets successful are people who are selfish with no emotions whatsoever and the ones that take advantage of the situation and use it wisely. Personally no one could have lived cheon sanghyeon’s life except for herself. I loved her character the most in this series.overall its a very well made drama and a good one that makes you feel emotions. Give it a try!Was this review helpful to you?
Hardships that come with friendships
You and Everything Else, an extremely inspiring production. The drama really captures the difficulties and silent hardships that come with friendship. Especially "Best Friends". The misunderstandings, distance, envy, pride and the moments when you want to say something but you can't. It shows how fragile relationships really can be, as well as how easy they can drift when communication honesty and effort are missing.What really started to hit me the most was its reminder that friends aren't always going to be here forever. People grow, move on, or simply fade away if we take them for granted. The show captures the essence, highlights and importance of appreciating the people beside you
It's very emotional, relatable and a really beautiful reminder to hold your people close to you while you are still here.
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The story is in the title - YOU and everything else
“You and Everything else” certainly is a thought provoking drama. We all have our own inner demons we need to slay….the question is, do you overcome them or let them consume you?By episode 13, I was pretty much done with the idea of everybody calling REJ and CSY soulmates - they are in fact twin flames. They are destined to reflect the worst of each other and the best. While bittersweet, going through their journey together was rather poignant.
In the end, life as always was their worst enemy.
The cast and crew did a great job. Kim Go Eun reminded me of a more mature, experienced version of JET (from Goblin) whilst Park Ji Hyun managed to portray the most mesmerizing “villainess” I’ve seen in a while. You want to hate her but just can’t help feel for her. The rest of the cast did a great job as well. It was also interesting to see the drama dive deep into the gritty areas of making a movie as well as the taboo side of euthanasia and how society/ familial pressure can make or break a person.
While the background music wasn’t really memorable (soothing but nothing mind blowing), I’d love to single out how the use of deafening silence and lack of music in certain scenes in ep 15 managed to elevate the scenes in question. The technic emphasized the characters’ raw emotions to the point that it’s almost visceral.
The story format of the drama is mostly based on flashbacks between the past and the present in a “slice of life” format so at times it may feel slow. The pacing does get better towards the second half of the drama once we hit their 30s arc. The final 3-4 episodes collectively can almost make you forget about the slow moments as things become more serious - this is also probably why my overall rating is high!
PS : Fair warning, the drama delves on heavy topics and can force you to self reflect - so beware🤫
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This review may contain spoilers
neither are right or wrong
Going into this, I knew what to expect- a childhood friendship that slowly grows into hatred. I do love the cinematography and omg the first two episodes where they depict their friendship as children, is beautiful, I also loved the role of the brother throughout. I love stories of complex friendships but I hate that one major fight they had was over a man, I despised that, when they were in college it was understandable, I honestly understood why both of them felt that way. And I personally will not take any Sang-Yeon slander. They both were terrible to each other, however Eunjung didn’t realise it that she was doing things that would make sangyeon feel inferior. I love Kim Goeun, but I feel eunjung lacked some depth, in the sense that the show wanted to put sangyeon at fault for everything, eunjung wasn’t a saint, and that is what is supposed to make the show, more meaningful, to show that both of them hurt each other in unexplainable ways. Either way Park Jihyun and Kim Go eun did a beautiful job and I couldn’t imagine anyone else, they both BECOME their characters and don’t just act. One major drawback of the show was that they brought the whole love triangle plot back when they were working and adults, I’m sorry I don’t think that was necessary? And I also believe sangyeon would’ve never gone back and confessed to him, idk. Anyway I cried so much, watching this, it reminded me of my own friendship (ofc we didn’t fight over a boy) , I think it was beautiful and deserves more appreciation though it does have it’s flaws.Was this review helpful to you?
as a woman i know this feeling
i loved everything. It's not just about love and friendship. It's about how sometimes friendship between woman are.i hear this everytime that man's friendship is not toxic like girls.but men are not girls or women.we are generationally suppress our feelings and sometimes we think that acting tough is the best way to deal with own feelings.we hesitate to say things about ourselves and our fanily beacause we think how will they react.sometimes we don’t need reaction we just need someone to listen and not say what to do just listen....female friendships are complicated but once It's goes through everything it just become the unbreakable... i think this is the story.. they got jealous,angry,rage about themselves, laugh and at the end nothing matters except themselves. stand by each other no matter whatWas this review helpful to you?
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Powerful performances, powerful script
I forgot where I was, what time it was and when I had last eaten. It was that good. There are other better reviews out there, and I can only concur that the script is extremely intelligent, nuanced and engrossing (Writer -- Song Hye Jin). The actors gave great performances under what looks like inspired directing (Director --Jo Young Min). Kdrama modern, 2025. 15eps x 1hr +- . The excellent production's technical aspects: camerawork, scene dressings, soundtrack (Roy Kim!!!), are all designed not to intrude on a centrally theatrical piece, upon the exposition of the characters' development and interactions with each other.The script is just too big to unpack in a review, so I just want to clarify what I think is the central point. One of the central pair of friends, Sang-Yeon, is essentially an old-fashioned sociopath -- she is unable to love and uses others without compunction or shame. For me the actual string of tension throughout the grownup life of Sang-Yeon and EunJung is whether or not Sang-Yeon is going to let loose into full-blown crazed stalker mode at any given point.
She ruins truehearted EunJung's college romance because she wanted the boy for herself but couldn't make it happen. She ruins EunJung's career in film production, and makes millions in the process.
From the very beginning Sang-Yeon hates her little friend Eun Jung, in a classic match up -- Sang-Yeon has material wealth but lacks human affection, while Eun Jung , although very poor, is loved by not only her own mom and her own friends, but by Sang-Yeon's Mom and Sang-Yeon's older brother. Giving love to get love is an avenue closed to those who are, like SangYeon, afraid to open up.
As others around them excuse or puzzle over SangYeon's behavior the usual 'nature/nurture' theories swirl --was she neglected by her mom for her needier older brother, was she just suffering from a worm of envy and jealousy which deformed her personality, or was that constant and careful manipulation of those closest to her simply how she chose to live her life?
This is what makes the ending of the series work, despite it getting a little preachy about ethically-assisted-suicide. Because Sang-Yeon is dying, and because she is still strong-willed enough to force EunJung to help, they verbally bargain their way into the switzerland trip. SangYeon ends up making a public apology for her worst deeds and EunJUng ends up helping her to find a 'good death'. Is it true friendship? No. But it is a true life spent in each others' pockets, as a part of each others' found-families at least.
Now if only I could be sure that EunJung's true love would come back to her...But one thing is for sure, Kim Go Eun and Park Ji Hyun will be nominated for all the awards shows for this one! They were phenomenal.
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toxic ties, powerful message
this drama is not just an ordinary story about friendship, but a deep and realistic exploration of toxic relationships that can destroy lives. and although its pacing may be uneven, it’s definitely worth watching for its characters.surprisingly, i found it difficult to empathize with the main character, eung-jung, because she essentially allowed sang-yeon to ruin her life — though i do understand how hard it is to escape such toxic bonds.
on the other hand, sang-yeon was fascinating to me from my favorite analytical perspective. she is the true “red flag,” someone who destroys her own life rather than becoming a victim of circumstances, as is so often the case in dramas.
i think this drama became special to me because it reminds us that we are the ones who ultimately choose what kind of life we live.
it’s a story that painfully, yet honestly, shows: while we cannot choose our traumas, we can always choose whether or not we allow them to destroy us.
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