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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A moving story retold with heart, lifted by Kim Go Eun’s brilliance.
The Korean drama You and Everything Else takes its roots from the 2016 Chinese film Soulmate — and, by extension, the long lineage of stories about two women whose lives and friendship are deeply intertwined. But where Soulmate condensed its tale into a focused emotional tragedy, this drama stretches the story over 16 episodes, making it more layered, complex, and socially loaded.At its heart, the show is about Eun-jung and Sang-yeon, two women bound together by friendship so deep it feels like destiny, yet torn apart by love, betrayal, and time. Their relationship is the emotional core — every episode circles back to their bond, how it falters, and whether it can ever be healed.
The role of Kim Sang-hak: the butterfly effect
Though the drama frames itself as a story about two women, it’s impossible to ignore that Kim Sang-hak is the butterfly that sets everything in motion.
He dates Eun-jung, enjoying a physical and romantic relationship with her.
At the same time, he forms an emotionally intimate bond with Sang-yeon, hiding conversations and feelings that clearly cross boundaries.
He admits later that he was “swayed,” but beyond this confession, the drama doesn’t hold him accountable.
From a modern viewer’s perspective, Sang-hak comes across less as a confused young man and more as someone who benefits most from the triangle: he gains love, intimacy, and emotional support from both women — while the two friends pay the heavier price. He is the spark that ignites years of heartbreak, yet he walks away relatively unscathed.
Why the women blame each other instead of him
Logically, Sang-hak should bear most of the blame. As Eun-jung’s boyfriend, he owed fidelity. But the drama emphasizes betrayal between the women:
Eun-jung feels her soulmate, the one person she trusted most, crossed a sacred line by getting close to her partner.
Sang-yeon, meanwhile, prioritizes her own desires over loyalty, proving herself selfish and willing to hurt her friend.
The result: the focus shifts away from Sang-hak’s unfaithfulness and onto the fragility of female friendship. The real wound isn’t just the cheating — it’s the loss of trust between two women who once felt inseparable.
The tragic outcomes
The drama paints both women’s lives as tragic consequences of this betrayal:
Eun-jung becomes independent, empowered, and outwardly successful — but she remains emotionally closed off, unable to risk love again after such a deep break of trust. Her strength is a mask for loneliness.
Sang-yeon spirals further, her selfishness and betrayals piling up into guilt that consumes her. Her eventual death from cancer is framed almost like karma catching up — a symbolic punishment for years of unresolved sins.
Meanwhile, Sang-hak fades into the background. He admits fault, rejects Sang-yeon later in life, and moves on. Compared to the devastation he caused, his punishment is negligible.
What the drama really says
Viewed one way, You and Everything Else is an extended exploration of Soulmate’s themes: how fragile, precious, and destructive female friendship can be when love enters the picture.
Viewed another way, though, it feels frustratingly unfair. The man who first set off the domino effect is never truly condemned, while the women lose everything — their bond, their peace, their futures. The narrative burdens them with the tragedy while sparing him real consequences.
In the end, the drama works best when read as a modern fable:
Eun-jung represents the cost of broken trust — strength without love.
Sang-yeon represents the cost of selfishness — passion consumed by guilt and death.
Sang-hak represents temptation — a butterfly whose small act destroys entire lives, yet who drifts away almost untouched.
Final Thoughts
You and Everything Else is haunting, emotional, and beautifully acted, but it leaves a bitter aftertaste. It expands Soulmate into something more socially complex, but in doing so, it exposes an imbalance: women bear the scars, men slip away.
It’s a drama that will stay with you, not just for the love and loss it portrays, but for the uncomfortable questions it raises about blame, responsibility, and the way stories choose who suffers most.
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A relatable friendship
At first, I find it quite slow and boring, but the characters were so relatable, you will each understand where they are coming from, but at the same time, there are these moments where we do things with no logical reason, just those feelings and words that are daggers. Overall, I think it was a normal Melodrama story, not too deep, just the right amount that makes you glad you watched it, and it exists. It's like liberation notes, but a different vibe, it's just life...Was this review helpful to you?
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Ragebait or Masterpiece?
How do you even put it into words when you love and hate something at the same time? That’s exactly what this drama was for me. A 15 hours of pure ragebait that I couldn’t stop binge watching.I loved the overall aesthetic of the show. The plot was well written, and I liked how it took us through every stage of the main leads’ lives while also touching on the stories of the supporting characters.
Now let’s talk about the second female lead (SFL). Whew. She drove me crazy. The way she treated the first female lead (FFL) was infuriating, and what made it worse was how the FFL just let it slide for so long. But then the second half hit, and the FFL finally clapped back. That shift was so satisfying.
The thing is, nobody in this drama is perfect. Everyone’s flawed, sometimes to the point where you want to throw your laptop, but honestly, that’s what gave it depth. The romance, too, was compelling. It carried that nostalgic spark of first love, and Kim Go Eun and Kim Gun Woo delivered outstanding performances. Still, like many first loves, theirs was imperfect and painful.
Now… I still don’t know how the FFL managed to forgive the SFL. Like, yes, she was sick, but after everything? Personally, I could never. That girl needed therapy, not endless passes to dump her issues on everyone else. But the show made a point both the FFL and SFL only got to where they were in life because of how much they pushed (and sometimes broke) each other. Messy, complicated, necessary. A frenemy arc that could only end the way it did.
By the end, I realized this drama mirrors the FFL and SFL’s relationship itself. Just like they couldn’t decide if they loved or hated each other, we might feel the same about the show. And honestly? That’s what makes it stick with you.
Would I recommend it? Yes… but also be ready to scream at your screen.
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Since when we romantize toxicity and manimulation
From the beginning of this heartbreaking drama someone can feel uncomfortable, sometimes angry,like if you have a thorn by your sideThis is not a story between two friends which begun from the childhood shared deep affection with the ups and down of the life .This the story of the narcissistic Cheon Sang who never wished to be happy and find her own path in life,her wish was Ryun Eun to be miserable and broken and dedicated all her life to steal Euns man who was in love,her job,her identity ,her future On the other side Ryun Eun sincerely face Cheon with genuine feelings and always is the one to step back even if she knows that Cheon like to victimize her situations
I feel sorry for Ryun Eun because i think that Sang Hak made his decision when he decided to turn off the phone and leave her without notice looking for Cheon
The worst when Eun asked him about his feelings for Cheon he looked shattered and he said it to her.
Something that made hard the ex lovers to be together i suppose was the weaknesses of Sang Hak to convince his love In the film Sang Hak says to Eun ...i am starting again
falling in love with you again. ..why i found it so wrong
I was expecting to say i have never stopped loving you
I hated the role of Euns mother,instead of protecting her daughter of this parasite friendship she was acting like she had brain damage.
Ignore the last episodes, are not good examples for healthy relationships.
What is the meaning, the person who hurt you the most and hate you the most regrets and ask for forgiveness few days before her Death.
I dont find any poetical messages definitely nothing about friendship that drama was cruel.
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Complex people are not for everyone.
When I first heard about this drama, I did not really understand the title. But now I see that she wanter her friend and everything else around herI wish I could say I didn’t understand Sang-Yeon. I wish I could say I hated her. But the truth is... I do understand her.
Cheon Sang-Yeon wasn’t evil. She was broken. Most of what she did came from fear and insecurity — reacting to a world she didn’t know how to trust.
Eun-Jung, on the other hand, was almost too kind, too naive. She just wanted to be loved by everyone. Maybe if she had set firmer boundaries from the beginning, things wouldn’t have gone as far as they did.
Each of them was flawed in their own way. That’s what made it so real. Still, as much as I sympathized with Sang-Yeon, I don’t think she deserved Eun-Jung’s forgiveness — and perhaps, she didn’t even deserve a happy ending. Sometimes, remorse comes too late.
This review might seem conflicting — because my feelings are conflicting. But I think that’s exactly what this show does so well. It makes you sit with the uncomfortable truth that not everyone who’s hurting deserves a second chance... even if you understand why they’re hurting.
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Worth the watch! Red flags for that friend!!!
I could have spot her red flags from a mile a way. I couldnt find anything to like or care about Cheon Sang-yeon.Ryu Eun-jung is very soft hearted and Cheon Sang-yeon always play with her emotions. She ruined Eun-jung and I know even when they were all working together, she again played with Eun-jung emotions and Kim Sang-hak and Eun-jung couldnt rekndle their relationship.
She just ruined everything over and over and over.
What I don't like is that Eun-jung always welcome Sang-yeon in her life. She set no real boundaries and that is why she always think she is welcome in her life.
Someone (friend) like that would make me very cold hearted towards her and there was nothing that could happen that would make me feel warmth towards them.
I dont wish sickness of anyone and surprisingly, I didnt shed a tear.
I know Eun-jung would have had her happy ending with Sang-hak (when they got older and working together)
Overall it was worth the watch and it was nice to see a story like this.
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it wasn’t easy to watch
It was so raw and emotional that I couldn’t stop watching, even though it made me feel heavy inside.I kept thinking about how real the actors felt, how perfectly they showed emotions I can’t express myself. It made me wonder how I’d react if I were in their place — probably not as strongly, maybe even awkwardly.
It reminded me how disconnected I feel from others, how I stay in my safe corner, away from everything that could hurt me. But even that safety feels heavy sometimes
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A puzzling friendship
I have to say, I dont really understand what this show is trying to convey.This isn't a story about great friendship or great love. It seems to be mostly about a woman who is gracious to the point that the word "pushover" comes to mind. With a bit of family and romantic drama sprinkled in.
Eunjung is just average in most respects, but has an innate ability to draw people to her. Sangyeon is intelligent and tenacious, but also prickly and unable to get out of her own way. This makes for a complex decades-long friendship.
There are many raw, intensely realistic moments portrayed between friends, family and loves.
But where this show really messed up, imo, is 1. not showing enough moments, particularly past childhood, of Sangyeon behaving in a way that warranted Eunjung's loyalty and kindness, & 2. continuing a blasted love triangle from college years into their 30s. Surely there are other methods to explore a complex female friendship than putting a man in the mix.
The drama ends with these women in their 40s, and gives proper closure to the friendship, but not to the life of present-day Eunjung.
Do I feel it was worth the watch? I honestly don't know.
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A story about toxic yet forgiving friendship, toally carried by leads' acting
Honestly, I was ready to drop it at episode 3 when I realized it's gonna turn into a mess. I continued hoping to watch more of Sang Yeon's side of story which actually never happened. There was about 1-2 minutes of script reading about her life but I wouldn't count that as her side of story.The writers really couldn't justify the way she acted. Not sure if it's just me but the portrayal of her character was giving a hint that everything she was doing was ultimately for Eun Jung. Turned out, it wasn't. The writers really made her a "patthetic bitch".
Sadly, it only tried to show the exploitation of human emotions and kindness and never tried to prove otherwise. There were many instances of such, not just Eun Jung's emotional abuse. Sang Yoen accepting the proposal of that boy during her uni days, marrying the director, Lee Seung Jae's actions and violence during the shooting, their apologies despite being the victim and so on. I also had a gripe about the writer's reasoning behind their brother's suicide. The writers kept trying to drag the story, earlier with their brother's death, later with love triangle and finally with terminal illness.
I couldn't find anything positives in any of it. It's a frustratingly depressing story with nothing to learn from. I know it's typical of dramas to drag the misunderstandings to make the whole story but it was a lot worse.
If it wasn't for their acting, I doubt I would have completed the drama at all. Overall, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Not sure why people are hyping about it. Maybe, I'm just different. I don't enjoy a story just because it makes you bawl your eyes out.
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