Predictable, slow, dull characters—fast-forward needed
This drama had so much potential based on the synopsis, but the actual story felt flat and dragged out. The two leads, both the male and female, looked great together but their characters were written so dull that it was hard to stay interested. Every scene felt slow, and the emotional beats didn’t land because the characters barely grew or changed. The plot was predictable from the start, and after a few episodes, I already knew exactly where everything was heading.I still finished all the episodes, hoping it would get better, but I honestly found myself tapping the fast-forward button more than watching normally. The pacing was just too slow, and the story didn’t offer anything new or exciting. It’s one of those shows that seems promising at first but ends up feeling stretched without enough substance. Casual watch at best, but don’t expect much.
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In my opinion, this is a very pleasant drama to watch. There are no breathtaking plot twists or edge-of-your-seat suspense about what will happen next. There are no characters whose sole purpose is to raise the viewers’ blood pressure either. The whole story is carried out in a rather calm way, but well enough that I wasn’t bored for a single moment. It’s that kind of “comfort drama.”The same goes for the main couple — Song Ha Gyeong and Baek Do Ha. Although at first Song could be irritating, and her decisions (for example, the “relationship” with Seo Su Hyeok) felt simply stupid to me, they were at the same time consistent with her character. After all, she inherited the running-away gene from her father :D. As the series progressed, she began to change for the better, and I ended up liking her a lot. I really enjoyed their relationship. After confessing their feelings and resolving their past conflict, they weren’t just lovers but also best friends, and sometimes they had this relaxed, almost buddy-like dynamic between them. They didn’t have any major conflicts, they were a huge support for each other, and they were able to communicate. The storyline involving his twin brother and their conflict felt a bit convoluted and somewhat forced to me, but at the same time it was necessary for the plot, so it didn’t really bother me. Still, I’m not over the fact that he actually died in those mountains — I would have liked to see more of the brothers’ relationship. PS. There was one absurd moment when Do Ha fainted at work from exhaustion, then returned home, and the topic was never brought up again.
As for the admirers of the main couple, there were quite a few, but none of them were excessively irritating. Her ex — Jeon Nam Jin — was rather over the top. It’s hard for me to find a rational explanation for why she ever looked at such an idiot. A slight downside was that in the end we never found out whether he faced consequences for his actions. Her “ex” — Seo Su Hyeok — I already mentioned that their entire “relationship” felt irrational to me. He suddenly desperately asked her to start dating, even though from the very beginning he could see that she had feelings for Do Ha. She agreed despite not having any feelings for him. Then after they broke up, the three of them suddenly went on a date together — the whole thing felt heavily exaggerated. I also have to admit that Seo Su Hyeok annoyed me by inserting himself between them, even though he didn’t actually do anything wrong and I would describe him as a positive character. He didn’t try to force her to change her mind when she chose Do Ha; he simply let go. The last person was his “friend” — Yun So Hui. Although some viewers might find her irritating, she didn’t bother me and I actually liked her character. She was interesting to me, although to this day I’m not sure whether she liked the male lead romantically or not. She did admit that she liked him, but later I didn’t really see it.
Finally, I’ll discuss the second couple — I Seul and O Seung Taek. Seul was one of my favorite characters in this drama. To me, she had a wonderful personality and was an incredible support for Taek. Her love, in my opinion, is an example of true love regardless of circumstances, and it melted my heart. Still, I believe their relationship storyline could have been handled better. First of all, we could have been given more flashbacks from the time of his accident and the period afterward (this is more of a wish on my part, as it could have deepened their relationship). The second and most jarring issue for me was their breakup. I understand the idea behind it — he simply felt like a burden to her — but in my opinion it could have been portrayed better and later developed more through their conversations. There’s also the storyline with her father, which was ultimately brushed aside. From the beginning of the series, he was against their relationship, and then we suddenly get a time jump where he’s happily attending their wedding. It’s a shame we didn’t get any moment that helped us understand why he changed his attitude.
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Last Summer Review: ML Saved the Drama
Just finished Last Summer (2025), and honestly… it was kind of a drag overall, but there were parts I really liked. The beginning of the story was actually interesting - trying to figure out what was happening with their memories kept me hooked. Then we eventually realize that they’re geniuses and that there are actually two of them, which takes a while to understand. At the same time, you start noticing things that don’t make sense, and slowly piece together that maybe there really are two of them. Up until that point, the story was genuinely engaging.I’ve never found the FL’s acting interesting, though. Honestly, if it weren’t for the ML playing the brothers, I don’t think the drama would have had much potential. One couple that I actually thought had more potential than the main couple was the friends - the guy in a wheelchair. I really wish that storyline had been explored a bit more. I liked seeing the challenges they faced, and the part where the girl drops the bag and you see all the clinical and medical things she had been using to help him… he realized that she wasn’t unhappy, but genuinely happy with him, accepting him as he is and not caring that he’s in a wheelchair. In the end, he accepted her love, and now they’re expecting a child. That storyline ended up being more emotional and beautiful than the main one, and I just wish it had gotten more screen time.
Overall, the drama had potential but didn’t fully deliver - some of the acting and pacing felt off. I’d give Last Summer a 6.5/10. Honestly, I only made it to the end because of the ML; without him, I don’t think I would’ve finished it.
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Ofc you can give this kdrama a chance, but I definitely wouldn't review it.
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The House That Remembers
Starting from the third episode, I grew quite skeptical about this series, largely because of the female lead and her temperament. The story unfolds slowly—very slowly—and so does the heroine herself. Yet toward the end, she undergoes a truly beautiful transformation: she becomes a pleasant, endearing young woman with sparkling eyes, and in many ways even outshines the actor. It seems to me that she is the one who creates the show’s unique atmosphere, and her role turns out to be far more compelling.The actor performs ok, but I do not feel any real chemistry between him and the heroine—he seems to be giving only the bare minimum. And the initial cause of their animosity I never fully understood, nor how they eventually managed to resolve it.
The secondary couple is charming.
But the true “protagonist” of this series remains the house itself. The people who live in it, the memories it preserves, and the emotions it evokes form an entire life of their own—an authentic family home.
The brother’s narrative arc is poorly developed, marked by numerous emotional inconsistencies, and the same can be said of the family dynamics (relations with the father, mother, and so on).
And although the series does not rely on tired clichés and its premise is rather fresh, the director ultimately fails to explore and deepen certain themes, leaving us on a somewhat superficial level.
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Waste of time
I was annoyed through all the series. Very childish story. The last 4 episodes i forwaded x 20. For 28 years he came back to her 21 days a year and wow such a love, unbelievable. He always left her and she waited for him. I didn't see any chemistry between them, no love, just big annoyment and i felt terrible in the end.I am the one that didn't like the male character, i didn't see his seriousness even in sad moments, he looked to me like why i am doing this. The feeling of being there and doing absolutley nothing for her . I do side with FL because i did feel for her, she was left by everyone and he came back sure of himself that she loves him and then he went away again and again and again and again and so many times, because he had other projects to accomplish in his career and she can wait another 28 years.
The only nice moments were with the cute dog.
Ahhh and forgot to say 28/29 year old famous lawyer and a skilled professional architect went to an adventure/theme park to have a double/triangle date in school uniforms - just wonder is this the adult life of 30 years olds.
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No Redeeming Quality Whatsoever
The dullest drama I have seen EVER! There was a small chance that this drama would be good with the male lead playing a double role but I couldn't even tell the two roles apart. It was portrayed so badly. Even the flashbacks felt pointless and uninteresting. I was not invested in their friendships nor their relationships. The leads had no chemistry and the romance bored me as well.The majority of the drama revolves around the architecture and city planning work and the fight between the two leads. It is only in the last few episodes that the couple finally get together and it is completely uneventful.
The second couple are slightly better but there is something about this drama that manages to make their story utterly boring as well. Even the supporting characters were incredibly boring and I fell asleep multiple times watching the last few episodes. The entire drama was seen on 2x and I still wished I could speed it up further.
There is some good scenery but not enough to raise the score of this drama. I didn't enjoy the music and there were no memorable dialogues. There is something about the way this drama was shot that makes it so unlikeable. Only I know how I didn't drop this show. I had read the last couple of episodes were good so I held on but it was not worth it.
I really urge people not to waste time with this drama even if you love the actors. This is easilly the WORST drama of 2025.
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The description spoiled the twist; The love triangle ruined the plot.
I hate spoilers so much that these days I don't trust to read descriptions I never watch trailers and tend not to look at posters too closely. I barely glanced at the description of this one and I still was spoiled and even if I hadn't, there was an article a few days ago about how this series is Lee Jaewook's first double role. For me this is seriously upsetting to the point that I would even drop the series. I am not going to though, not yet.In the first 2 episodes we met our leads, Song Ha Gyeong and Baek Do Ha who have an interesting love hate relationship, they're super adorable bickering 99% of the time it's rom-com 101 nothing new but it still feels fresh, reminds me of Welcome to Samdalri, Our beloved summer and Love next door.
We still don't know what exactly happened in the past to make Song Ha Gyeong so angry but we do know unfortunately that there's a twin involved even though aside from a name tag he hasn't been mentioned or shown on screen (as far as we know).
I'll do my best to let go of my annoyance and continue to watch he story unfold in the upcoming episodes.
I've watched this week's episodes and this is the last time I whine about this, I promise🤞🏼 had the twin not been revealed in the promotions it would've been so cute to see Doyoung appear in episode 3.
Episode 3 BTW has been my favorite out of the 4 episodes out so far. The reveal of the twin and how wholesome their friendship was. Now we know why the rift happened and I can understand both of them although I think Song Hayoung is being a bit to harsh.
I am loving this drama so so much and I cannot wait to see more, like I need to watch episode 5 right now.
I was s bit sad to see the ratings dropping week by week as I'm having a nice time watching. I kept thinking that maybe it was all matter of tastes and I was just seeing something that the other viewers weren't.
Episode 6 changed my mind. Why just why the live triangle?? I had heard rumors that there would be one with the lawyer, but it didn't make sense with how the story was going so I hoped it was a misunderstanding. I truly do not mind a love triangle, I'd prefer a story that doesn't include one, but when they do I just go with it.
There is enough drama already, a love triangle makes absolutely no sense, the confession from the lawyer comes out of nowhere and her actually considering him makes even less sense. The upcoming episodes better make it make sense or at least make funny for me to follow through with 6 more episodes of this mess.
I quit!
I couldn't even finish episode 7. The writers suddenly forgot about the dead twin and past traumas to introduce the laziest plot device, a love triangle and I repeat I do not mind a love triangle but it has to make sense!!!
I have second male lead syndrome, bad, even fully knowing that he doesn't stand a chance I still root for him to get the girl. In this case it's not only that it makes absolutely no sense to add a love triangle plot to an already drama packed story, it's that a man who seemed like an all around good man, very atractive, kind, nice job, considerate etc. has suddenly turned into a creep. He could've just been a friend to hagyeong but now all of his past comments and actions just seem sleezy and wrong. It made me so uncomfortable that I have to stop. I no longer care what happens.
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Emotional Depth Held Back by Pacing
This is so my type of show — very character-driven, with main leads needing to come to terms with their past, etc. It reminded me a little of Welcome to Samdalri, which I loved (and honestly, I started watching this drama because Lee Jaewook was in it). So why a 7.0 then? I was between a 7 and a 7.5 because I still enjoyed it, but looking back there were a lot of issues that I couldn’t ignore.For one, the pacing was all over the place. The beginning was slow and a little confusing, and they really dragged out the reveal about the twins. But the fact that they were twins didn’t even end up playing that big of a role in the climax. Because of the delayed reveal, you would think it would be a bigger deal, but it ended up not being one. Then the pacing got faster, then slowed down again, and then got even slower at the end. Honestly, there was a lot of “happiness” at the end with the wedding of the second leads. The main leads got together, and then there were still two and a half episodes left! Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it (but also I’m super happy in real life right now and just chilling, not pressed for time).
Another thing was the climax of the story. The reveal about why they weren’t together kind of made sense but didn’t fully explain all of the tension and the passage of time. I can empathize with and understand the characters’ feelings, but there were so many different plot lines that all added to the climax, which made it a little harder to follow (and they didn’t even further develop those storylines). When the climax did happen, it didn’t feel satisfying enough, because it was built on so many different misunderstandings that I lost the plot.
Basically, Song’s mother had just passed away, and then she found out Baek Doha was pretending to be Baek Doyoung while he was missing, presumably dead. She got mad and told him to leave and never come back. Later you find out she has a pattern of saying the opposite of what she means. Baek Doha feels guilty and actually listens to her. Two years go by, and then he comes back. Song is angry and cold to him, but it turns out it’s because she has abandonment issues — she doesn’t want to get close and then see him leave her again (her mom died, her dad ran away after, her foster siblings always left, Doyoung went to the mountains then died, Doha went back to the States and only visited in the summer). She eventually comes around when she realizes how much she cares about him.
In between, she briefly dates the lawyer because she wanted to be an adult and not revert to her childish ways when she’s with Doha. Doha, on the other hand, still feels guilty over his brother, thinking he was always selfish and took what his brother wanted (Song). It turns out his brother always wanted what was best for him and wanted to help him truly belong, which is why he did the whole three-stars constellation thing. He had supported Song and Doha’s relationship the whole time. Song helps him realize that — which becomes the climax at the mountain — and then happily ever after. She addresses her abandonment issues when Doha leaves for the US and comes back, and also when she reunites with her dad.
The second-lead storyline is basically a 12-year relationship where they hid their true emotions and pretended to always be happy, partly because the guy is a wheelchair user after a hockey accident. They break up, realize the truth, and get back together.
So basically, expectations didn’t match the climax enough. Nothing really happened — just a lot of misunderstandings and self-guilt in the context of grief. Which does make sense, and I do empathize, but it makes the drama only a 7.0… BUT one that I completed! The second-lead storyline was also based on misunderstanding and lack of proper communication. I thought they would do more with the disability representation, but I was a little disappointed.
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A Flawless Masterpiece!
I just finished watching this drama, and honestly, I am still reeling from it. It is rare to find a series that delivers such a complete and perfect package. From the storytelling and acting to the technical execution, everything was handled with pure class.🎭 Vivid Characters & Stellar Cast
The casting is truly top-tier. The actors didn’t just play their roles; they completely embodied their characters. The chemistry between the leads felt incredibly natural, making it easy for the audience to laugh, cry, and deeply connect with their emotions in every single scene.
📝 Seamless Plot & Satisfying Conflict Resolution
What I appreciate most is how the conflicts were resolved. While many great dramas suffer from a rushed ending, Last Summer maintained its pace and consistency from start to finish. Every issue was addressed neatly and logically, providing a profound sense of closure. There wasn't a single distracting plot hole in sight!
🎵 Iconic Soundtrack (OST)
We have to talk about the OST! The music isn't just background noise; it's the heartbeat of the story. Every track is easy on the ears and perfectly timed to hit during the most crucial moments. Just hearing the songs immediately brings back the most powerful scenes of the drama.
Final Verdict:
If you are looking for a drama with top-notch acting, a mature and well-structured plot, and a soul-stirring soundtrack, LAST SUMMER is an absolute must-watch. Truly the best of its kind! 🏆
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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LJW and wrong script selection habits
I really really really want to watch it but nooo. I CAN’T.Every time when I saw LJW is in the romcom I’m getting excited. But every time scripts are problems. It is the second time he chosed wrong script. He has a lot of potential he is a great actor but he selected wrong script. He needs to change his agency or should wabt to changed script.
Does the FL ever grow up even a little? Her character is so annoying. If Lee Jae Wook weren’t in this drama, I would have dropped it immediately. The way her character is written is just awful. He lost his twin brother — how is she somehow more dramatic and regretful about it than the person who actually lost family? She never asks why he acted like his brother. It’s like she constantly needs to be the center of attention.
And her ex-boyfriend… wow. How did she ever date someone like him? Her standards dropped so much. You can’t even compare Baek Do to this guy.
Baek Do is trying to protect her. He thinks she wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. But she’s always looking for someone to blame, and Baek Do is the one who ends up taking all of it.
I want to watch LJW, but not with this kind of script. His potential is so, so high, but the scripts he gets are always problematic.I really really really want to watch it but nooo. I CAN’T.
Every time when I saw LJW is in the romcom I’m getting excited. But every time scripts are problems. It is the second time he chosed wrong script. He has a lot of potential he is a great actor but he selected wrong script. He needs to change his agency or should wabt to changed script.
I also feel sorry for the FL. She’s still a relatively new actress, and she has to act out this messy character. She can’t even show her real potential because of the writing.
I just want to watch LJW in a smooth, well-written romantic drama… 🥹
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Worth a look.
Feb 2026I admit I watched purely as a fan of LJW, although the story did intrigue me.
The story is centred on happenings within the leads' families, and also between the lead characters themselves, which shapes their future.
We are also introduced to friends and work colleagues, as well as family, as the story unfolds.
I got a bit confused at one point, as there is a lot of going back to various points in time, as key events are recounted when reminiscing (for both positive and negative reasons).
I found the FL character really annoying in the early episodes, but she did mellow, and grew on me.
I thought a key aspect of the story, in terms of her relationship with the 'distance brother', was somewhat overdone, and it frustrated me.
Other characters were ok; the distance brother's female colleague was yawningly predictable ~ a plot line that has been overused, and is frankly outdated.
I liked the lawyer, Seo-hyuk, too, who was pretty cool and knew when to back off gracefully.
I akso liked their friends, couple O Seung-taek and I Seul, but was very disappointed in how their plot line was handled ~ it made it seem like disability is not something able-bodied people should, or rather could, live with.
It actually angered me. I felt like the drama was making a statement about physically able people having to make too great a sacrifice, to love someone disabled.
That might be the case for some, but given how too many dramas show S.Koreans' attitudes to any disability as far less than in a favourable light, it would have been refreshing to see a mixed relationship of that type, portrayed as strong and successful.
Certain aspects of the plot got dragged out, whilst others might gave been made more of. There were some very emotional moments, as well.
Overall it was a decent watch, and I love LJW's acting ~ he can captivate me enough to keep me interested in most stories, although this one did manage that alone.
I liked his chemistry with CSE, and neither the actress nor her portrayal of the FL character, were the norm.
Not disappointed I watched it, at all, but probably not one I'd revisit.
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