This review may contain spoilers
A bit disappointing, but overall ok watch.
This review is mostly negative, because i was hoping for much more.There are two big disappointing things for me here. The premise went unused for most of the show, its pretty much just tropey employer(chaebol)/employee kdrama. The second thing is the FL and the ML dont really work together, while they are both a bit stunted emotionaolly, the ML is on another level. ML seems very childish, and yes i know there is background explaining it, but that doesnt change things. She is super professional and driven to the point of apparently ousting 3 previous directors, but she relatively easily for the new guy? A lot of things just dont feel earned. Like how is the ML so good at everything? Him being so young, he didnt have time to master so many things and business while also leading secret nerd life.
The reasoning for grandma chairwoman being a hateful hag is flimsy at best, so her hating the ML feels just a convenient plot device.
From the premise i was expecting some workplace rivalry and bickering after they find out they were into each other as teens, but that premise was avoided for half the show, only to be resolved in one episode. "Oh no we hate each other, but we love each other now, oh whatever will we do?" "Never mind, we are over it now".
Its like they needed a hook for people, but didnt want to bother developing it too much. They even made the secondary couple keep them from finding out. Btw, the secondary couple feels much more solid and would have prefered they got more screentime. Though the secondary couple is another case of classic kdrama magical coincidence of the friends of the leads dating. They could have just made it that one of the leads introduced them, but no, just a coincidence and basically a secret from the leads for a while.
Honestly the last two episodes felt more as fulfilling a commitment to finishing a show than enjoyable closing of a story. Didnt feel like there was anything at stake, just gotta pad the last two episodes runtime. The FL got an opportunity for a job in US in much better position, from a former coleague we never heard about, but that got declined pretty fast and caused only a little drama with the ML, that didnt feel serious at all.
The acting from all the main characters was pretty good and enjoyable. Though i think the FL was played a bit too cutesy at times and the ML childish, but that could be due to the direction and script.
Production wise it was pretty solid, cant much complain there.
On a personal note i enjoy seeing all the product placement in kdramas and there is plenty here, so i had fun with those. I think they were mostly handled decently and incorporated into the scenes without much intrusion, but i can see people being put off by some of them.
Anyways while i have many complaints, its a decent show and enjoyable watch if you dont mind tropey stuff.
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Hard to stay invested in this drama
"Do you want to sleep with me?" So says second female lead to second male lead around ep 3. Honestly I nearly fell off my chair. K-dramas are nearly always so modest, so conservative, it' quite common for a series to end with a chaste kiss, which is little more than 2 sets of lips pressed together.In this drama, the second leads meet, and within a few hours, not only has the female propositioned the male but he accepted and they spend the night together. Not only that, the female lead is not interested in a relationship, she's just after a hook-up. Traditionally, women would be shamed and blamed for such an interaction, so such a positive portrayal of female sexuality without the need to judge is quite revolutionary in a K-drama land. So I applaud this series for a daring to portray a different kind of relationship.
However, other characters say some pretty cruel shaming things to each other at times - the initial scene where female lead finds out male lead has lied about his age - the things she says to him are unconscionably cruel. However, despite these cruel moments there are also gentle moments of tenderness and vulnerability - so there is some attempt at balance.
Overall I like the message which is, "be who you are, and don't be ashamed of it. Own it." It's a great message.
However, I am going to drop this title because I find the female lead too dislikeable. She's just not sympathetic, because she is too cruel. I understand the need to create conflict in a drama to keep the excitement factor going and provide barriers to overcome, but you still need to be able to like the characters and sympathise with their flaws. Between her and the grandmother on this show, there are just too many bullying women and I can't sustain any kind of emotional involvement with it.
So adios, to this drama - I hope the people learn and grow, but I'm not invested enough to care.
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So much good but yet so draggy... and cringe.
A drama that could have been so good but managed to become draggy and meeh even though it only had 12 episodes.The best part about this drama is the combination of its cast reuniting some of my beloved actors/actresses from dramas I have loved before.
Im Se Mi, Mun Ka Young and a flash of Oh Eui Shik from True Beauty an d Son Sang Yeon and Choi Hyun Wook from Racket Boys. Was a true pleasure to watch and honestly sp where the rest of the side characters. Interesting, fun no one was to muc over the top and the only yelling and over the top mimics where preformed by Mun Ka Young.
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The story had a lot of pottental a lovable cliche with a twist and a really cool bad ass female lead that has worked hard and refuses to bow down to oppressors... With an I don't care if Im poor or a woman, I have worked hard and so should you type of attitude a true super woman who can fix anything and do anything... However she also has this awkwerd bad lier aura that had me rolling my eyes one to many times.
Our male lead is a adorable, bubbly and cold, rich, sweet but also slightly pathetic... at times in a good way but other times he just feels off.
The twists where rushed yet still felt draggy, the monologs where not only repetitive but seemed to never end.... And though I wanted to give Im Se Mi a 10 for being all round fun to watch I just could not overlook the rest.
However it is an okay binge, there is a lot of good in it and and sweet, cool moments in more or lesss every corner. Just mind the draggy parts and the cringe in the second half of the drama and you should be fine.
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It's amusing to watch ..
I have just finished watching this drama, which I started because I liked the cast already. I really enjoyed the story. It's a very light drama to watch, but it doesn't contain a strong storyline. The plot is good and fun, though. I liked the acting, though. So, if you want to watch an amazing drama with a very light ambiance and good feelings, go ahead—this is a good one.Was this review helpful to you?
A Bland Tasteless Beige
As avid drama watchers, I believe we are all used to watching certain themes, tropes and plot lines repeat themselves. Sometimes, they are just average, sometimes, they surprise us. This time, it disappointed.When I first heard of this drama, I simply heard that the actors were cast together and a simple description of the plot. Perhaps, I went into this with better than average expectations, since I knew the actors had a wide range of acting skill, and the plot had interesting niche's that are popular with many societies, but still under represented - gaming, rock music, comics etc.
This drama took all those exciting opportunities and made the most boring bland show ever:
- the niche hobbies were thrown away and only appeared when needed to prove that ML was "different" and most of the show it wasn't a FL loves ML for his quirks, but 15/16 episodes it was FL "tolerates" ML's quirks. I thought it would be such a great opportunity to show girls too are interested in games and comics, but instead they made her so stereotypicaly boring, even though most bullied kids have a hobby to release their frustration.
- the bullying and family issues were useless and held no value. The family issue got solved in the last ep because two people saying something apparently made someone go 180 degrees in their entire personality? The bullying added no value, empathy or any sort of character growth. Usually these issues hold some learning experience, instead they just created unnecessary drama and waste of viewers time, one that could've explored their relationship dynamics more.
- the jokes and tropes were so stereotypical to the rich male, poor female theme, when they had SO many more to explore - gaming tropes, young bf older gf tropes....
This was so disappointing, because even though drama's like "Business Proposal" or "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?" are a repetitive beige, they're a soft, warm, comforting beige that makes you feel nice inside. If it hadn't been beige, if it had actually delved into those under-represented niche's with lore and references we'd get, it could've held so much potential.
The acting was restricted to the boring and uninteresting characters the writers made, so even their talent couldn't outshine this mess. The music was forgetful, and the only salvaging moments were the 2nd couple. Overall, I regret starting this drama, and the last four episodes I had to watch 2x speed just to get through them.
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This review may contain spoilers
Entertaining!
I personally wouldn't date someone younger than myself but its 2025!!!You will get a good laugh throughout the episodes. I mean its the cliche storyline but it was still entertaining. I am glad they didn't drag it out.
I loved the casting. Even though the grandma put her nasty personality away, I couldn't stand her. Most importantly, her "excuse for treating ML like that didn't make sense.
I am glad the ML and FL put what happened in the past and moved on with the love they have more each other.
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one of the funniest dramas i've seen in awhile!
honestly, i haven't been able to get into many k-dramas recently, but this one was a really fun one to get into! this one has a good balance of office romance and comedy, giving it a lighthearted feel. i was wondering about how good the chemistry between the lead actors would be, but it was honestly perfect, especially for the age gap they're acting as. i loved seeing the characters' interests outside of the office, as it can be relatable to many as well, and they way it was acted out made it very comedic too. props to the writers as there were parts where i wondered, "how would this get resolved?", but it was played out nicely. also, the pacing of the show is really good! the second couple felt more realistic compared to the leads, giving it a nice contrast, and their support towards the leading couple was great. the other support roles had great actors, they held up the show really well!Was this review helpful to you?
What a nostalgic kdrama! ❤️
I loved this series so much! It has everything I love and want from kdrama! If you enjoyed watching- business proposal, shooting star or what’s wrong with secretary Kim, you will definitely love this kdrama too!I loved that fl didn’t really care about him being young than her, she liked him the way he was without any context. The past story was funny. I didn’t understand why she got so angry at first when she found out who he was, but after some time I thought that maybe I would have been angry too so I don’t blame her. Even though thay had a brake up moment, it was so short and didn’t really made me feel sad.
The second couple 💗💗 I love themm! They are so cute! Their story is also vary toutching! Loved how they understood that thay can not live without each other!
The grand mother story.. I hated her and still do! Even though she apologized that means nothing! she abused ml and was the worst person to him when he needed her the most! unfortunately we have this type of family relationship pretty often in korean series and they all end when someone apologizes, but we should understand that it’s not that easy to forgive someone. Let’s not normalize this type of actions!
Overall I highly recommend you to watch this kdrama, if you want to see office love, golden retriever and black cat love and helping each other healing type of love! ❤️🩹 It was beautiful journey, Thank you! 🩷
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Nice and enjoyable Office romance (in a "What's wrong with..." style) :)
PLOT: The FL, a distraught high school girl, clings to the ML she met in a game... But during the meeting IRL, she's extremely disappointed/angry to discover a young middle schooler! Years later, she meets him again as a director in her company. They gradually make peace, collaborate, fall in love again (despite their differences)... and heal from their traumas.+++ Excellent CL (Mun Ka Young & Choi Hyun Wook in a "Park Seo Joon style" :), very cute, with great chemistry.
+++ CL2 is more mature and very endearing
+++ Directed without length (12 episodes) with beautiful cinematography
+++ Story a bit "Dramaland" (but no Great Villain, nor a love triangle).
### A few inconsistencies in the story (FL's moods, ML's grandmother's behavior, etc.)
=> Short, enjoyable series, supported by the CL's talent.
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PLOT: La FL lycéenne en plein désarroi, se raccroche à un ML rencontré ds 1 jeu... Mais lors de la rencontre IRL, elle est super déçue/ fachée de découvrir un jeune collégien ! Des années + tard, elle le retrouve comme Directeur ds sa Cie. Ils vont peu à peu faire la paix, collaborer, retomber amoureux (malgré leurs différences) ... et guérir de leurs traumas.
+++ Excellent CL (Mun Ka Young & Choi Hyun Wook dans 1 style Park Seo Joon :), très cute, avec 1 belle alchimie.
+++ CL2 plus mature, très attachant
+++ Réalis° sans longueur (12 ép) avec belle cinématographie
+++ Story un peu Dramaland (mais pas de Great Villain, ni de love triangle).
### Qq inconsistances ds la story (humeurs de la FL, comportement de la gd-mère du ML, ...)
=> Série courte, agréable, reposant sur les épaules du CL
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This review may contain spoilers
Second Chance Love with a Side of Nerdom I'm Here for It!
This series looked cute from the trailers, but I ended up enjoying it so much more than I expected.One of the things I loved most was that Baek Su Jeong, for better or worse, was always true to herself. She was a strong female character, competitive, hard-working, and didn't shy away from difficulties. I also really related to Ban Ju Yeon's fanboy tendencies and his struggle to balance professionalism with his love for various fandoms and rock culture. I appreciate the idea of holding on to the hobbies that bring us joy and thankfully, nerd culture is more widely accepted for most of us - though maybe not as much in chaebol circles!
The connection between Baek Su Jeong and Ban Ju Yeon was fun to watch. Even in their moments of conflict, you could still feel the bond they had, one that was already established from their early video game days. And I think the age gap story line was refreshing.
Also, I have never hated a grandma more in my life! If you’ve seen the show, you probably know exactly what I mean. While I’m glad things were reconciled in the end, I still can’t say I’m a fan LOL.
I might still be wearing rose covered glasses from finishing it, but overall, I looked forward to this drama every week. Between this and Study Group, I finally got over my K-drama slump. It’s definitely making my rewatch list!
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Nice fluffy kdrama vibes, not the best presentation of ... instances, or anything
Nice quality, nice cute kdrama vibes, bad presentation n examples n character approachesWould watch it for the vibes n intention, n good productions quality scenes n wall builds n sweet times, would block out attempts at representation and examples, n the idea for the characters designs ...
M m m m m m m 300 characters m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m
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This review may contain spoilers
My Dearest Nemesis? More Like My Mildest Nuisance
I dove into this drama without reading any reviews (a bold move, I know), purely because I love both lead actors - and Im Semi is always a treat. I’d seen the male lead in Twinkling Watermelon, Weak Hero, and Taxi Driver, where he nailed that cool, aloof, bad boy vibe. So imagine my surprise when he showed up here as a “CEO” who felt less like a corporate powerhouse and more like... an overconfident intern in a slightly oversized suit.It took me a solid 7 episodes to even accept him as a CEO. Instead of exuding the classic icy chaebol energy, his performance leaned awkwardly into “mature but childish,” which is a hard balance to strike - and here, it just didn’t land. Honestly, a better choice would’ve been to lean fully into a bratty, mischievous chaebol who can turn on the authority when needed. At least that would’ve felt intentional.
Because of his character's awkward execution, the chemistry between him and the female lead was about as compatible as oil and water at a job interview. I kept waiting for a spark - anything - but it just never ignited.
And the direction? Flat as a pancake. With no syrup.
The story itself is your classic rich guy, poor girl romcom cliché - but stripped of actual plot. It felt like the scriptwriters decided the leads should fall in love purely through excessive eye contact. No real build up, no conflict with weight - just intense staring. So much staring. I lost count. Honestly, if you stitched all their stare offs together, you’d probably get a whole bonus episode out of it.
Okay, I get it - every drama needs a villain to stir the pot. But this one? An evil old lady tormenting her only grandson because his dad died while doing something perfectly normal - driving him to a hobby he enjoyed? That’s just peak melodrama nonsense. Of course a parent would drive their kid. Who else is supposed to - the neighbour’s dog? I mean yes, unfortunately, people like her do exist in real life, but honestly, I’d rather be disowned and free than tiptoe around my own interests just to appease a bitter matriarch with misplaced grief. Watching the poor guy suffer under her tyranny was more frustrating than dramatic.
And don’t even get me started on the trauma angle. Look, I’ve done my fair share of online dating - enough to write a spin off series - and sure, some of it was tragic, maybe even a little horrifying. But life scarring? Please. The way this drama paints a childhood online dating mishap from ten full years ago as the defining emotional wound of their adult lives? Absolutely not. If I bumped into one of my old immature dates now, all grown up and evolved, we’d have a laugh, maybe apologise, and move on like adults. I’ve seen married couples survive much worse - betrayal, midlife crises, in-laws from hell - and still manage to live peacefully for decades. If your biggest relationship trauma is a messy teenage chatroom, then you’ve honestly had a pretty smooth ride.
Anyway, I’m officially tapping out at episode 8. Not because I hate it, but because I’ve found something more interesting - which, frankly, didn’t take much. It’s 2025, people. We’re spoilt for choice with dramas, and this rich-boy-meets-girl formula has been done to death and resurrected more times than I can count. If you’re going to recycle the trope, at least give it some spice. This one just didn’t have enough flavour to keep me hooked.
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