please let’s normalize communication in Korea
wtf? the actors are incredible handsome and talented, but wtf was going on with that script?omg, is it really illegal to communicate in Korea? guys, this kdrama could be a lot shorter (and enjoyable) if they would have talk sincerely from the beginning. there are even unnecessary characters. this really had a lot of potential, but it got wasted.
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I feel bad for the actors
This show remind me of the old BLs when we didn't care that much about the depth of the story and we didn't have much BL to watch.Nowadays we have a lot of option and big companies who provide content with strong storytelling, visual, music.... But for low budget series I personnaly think that the focus must be on storytelling and acting. We have three actors who work hard to sell a story that wasn't that good. The main idea was great but the development of the story could've been way better. It was a let down.
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How to make your main character dislikeable: tutorial
Should be a title of this drama. Though on a second thought "Something's not right" is also pretty spot on. Because unless the creators intentionally wanted to deliver one of the most dislikeable main characters in the history of love stories, something most definitely went not entirely right.It's not that the drama focuses around misunderstandings and lack of communication. While it's a popular trope, it can still be done in a way that creates enjoyment for the viewers. It's that Do Ba Woo is unbelievably self centred, with no regard to his (supposedly best) friend's feelings throughout the entire story. And he never improves. Until the very ending of the drama, he remains the same self centred jerk.
Having an unrequited crush on a friend is tough, for sure. But it does not excuse Do Ba Woo's behaviour. Having a broken heart is not a free ticket to being an a**hole towards people around you. Especially people who evidently care and try hard to right whatever it is you're not telling them they did wrong. The entire plot of the drama is Do Ba Woo treating Ji Hoon like trash because he has a crush on him. And it's not done in this endearing tsundere-type-of-way. It's literal mistreatment. First he confesses in a vague way, then he tells Ji Hoon he wants to cut ties with him after they've been inseparable besties for years (with no proper explanation), then he asks Ji Hoon to date, but only for laughs, then he wants to cut ties again... In the meantime he constantly ignores Ji Hoon's phone callas and messages. And then when Ji Hoon finally realises what the hell is happening (not thanks to Do Ba Woo's clarification) and confesses his own feelings, Do Ba Woo is like "no, you don't really like me, you pity me, I don't want to see you ever again". Not even once for a brief second did Do Ba Woo stop to consider how terrible he made his friend/love interest feel.
Then when we finally get the "happy ending" it is still NOT Do Ba Woo who has to make the effort and make up for his wrong behaviour. It's Ji Hoon who has to think hard how to confess properly. And I am asking "why?". What was wrong with his previous confession? He wasn't the one who kept treating Do Ba Woo poorly for the entire 8 episodes. If anything, he was an image of patience and perseverance.
And sure, one might say that Ji Hoon is not without blame, considering he hid his own crush in the past and was super slow in realizing Do Ba Woo's feelings (but I mean, I don't know if ignoring someone and telling them you don't want to ever see them again is the most obvious way to confess your love... but that's just me). However his actions never entailed treating Ba Woo like crap. Moreover, he had a reason to misunderstand Do Ba Woo's confession (considering he was basically still a kid when he heard Ba Woo telling their mutual friend he doesn't wanna date anyone and the friend in question even added to his worries when she said she regretted confessing because it messed up her and Do Ba Woo's friendship). Everything Ji Hoon did was to ensure he and Do Ba Woo can always be together (while at the same time still trying to fulfil Do Ba Woo's wishes). Do Ba Woo on the other hand, did everything for himself. And even that was not entirely correct, because he kept being miserable with his own decision.
Instead of cheering for the main leads to get together, I kept feeling bad for Ji Hoon, simultaneously scolding Ba Woo in my mind. I genuinely didn't want Do Ba Woo to end up with Ji Hoon. I also didn't want him to end up with the other guy either. I just wanted him to mature up by himself. I don't think that was the response the creators of this drama were aiming for, considering they still gave us Do Ba Woo/Ji Hoon ending.
Were there any pluses to this drama? The acting was ok (the boy playing Ji Hoon definitely outshined others though), soundtrack was decent, the comic relief group of silly friends was somewhat funny... the other guy's sister was pretty... I am trying real hard here ;)
I think the show wasn't that terrible if not for the fact that Do Ba Woo was really, really dislikeable. If that was intentional, if Something's Not Right was a comedy about some grumpy dude who hates people then sure, it could work then. But I'm pretty sure we were supposed to like Do Ba Woo, maybe even relate to him or at least hope for his happy ending.
That was impossible for me. For what is worth, I did like Ji Hoon's character and spent a lot of time sympathising with him ;)
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Cute Korean Love Story – But Haven’t We Seen This Before?
“Something’s Not Right” is a light Korean BL drama that tells the story of two high school students navigating their complicated feelings for each other. The series focuses on two boys, whose bond starts as friendship but slowly transforms into something deeper—though both are too scared to admit their feelings.The series is cute and has a cozy, feel-good vibe that many viewers will appreciate BUT, the pacing is a major issue. The story feels dragged out unnecessarily, with long stretches where absolutely nothing progresses. It is incredible repetitive —after a few episodes, it feels like you’re watching the same misunderstandings play out over and over again.
The biggest frustration is the lack of communication between the main characters. Episode after episode relies on the same formula: they like each other, they misunderstand each other, they avoid talking, and then repeat. It’s not just frustrating—it’s exhausting. It’s a shame because both actors do a decent job with the material they’re given, and the production quality is actually quite solid for a web drama.
The emotional stakes are low, and the tension barely changes throughout. Instead of building toward a satisfying climax, the show spins in circles. That said, there are moments of charm—some of the side characters are likable, and the soundtrack is pleasantly mellow. Fans of soft, slow-burn romances might find something to enjoy here. But for many viewers, especially those who’ve seen other recent BL dramas, “Something’s Not Right” doesn’t offer anything new. With so many similar dramas released lately, this one blends into the background. Cute? Yes. Memorable? No.
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Unrequited love with a lot of miscommunication issues : deeply flawed but I liked it...
Usually I'm not a big fan of clueless characters and of miscommunication issues...Here though, despite its many many flaws, I quite enjoyed this series. Could it have been better ? Certainly. Did I like my experience watching the drama ? Yes.The writer took a beloved trope of mine : "friends-to-lovers", and mixed it with another painfully enjoyable one "unrequited love". This mix is an enticing one to me, pretty fitting for my angsty preference in terms of romance. Unfortunately, the writing never managed to really hit the mark with its storytelling. There were so many missed opportunities in terms of narrative arcs, as the writer seemed to not know what to do and kept the characters stuck in the same place for most of the series.
In addition to featuring beloved tropes, the drama made me discover Jung Je Hyeon who played Ji Hun, one of the main three characters. It was his debut role and he is clearly the main reason I enjoyed that much a series that otherwise could have made me mad of frustration. Here, I was fully onboard, even with the character being seemingly pretty obtuse. He played him in a smart and layered way, and I'm very curious to see what's next for this actor.
The biggest flaws of the series to me was not even the lacking writing but the bad and very repetitive editing. There were so many repetition of scenes. The production crew seem to think that the viewer had a goldfish memory, making them repeat ad nauseam the exact same filmed sequences already showed in previous episodes. It is a shame because a series of 8 episodes of about 25 minutes does not require that many flashbacks and repetition in the editing. Using the episode time better, either by developing more the characters, or just adding angst / fluff / jealousy, would definitely have been a wiser choice.
I would recommend this series to people that enjoy unrequited love stories and that have a high tolerance for communication issue and painful unnecessary longing. I honestly enjoyed myself quite a bit despite the big writing and editing issues thanks to the beloved central tropes of the story and my fondness for one of the character.
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Do Ba U Character is Insufferable
As title suggests nothing was right about the series. Though actors were impressive in ep 1 , it went quite flat with no improvement in the story or character. Really tested my patience especially Do Ba U character. I wouldn't suggest this series even for timepass. Lethargic writing is so visible throughout the show.Was this review helpful to you?
Something Got Lost Along the Way
It feels like this series showed good potential at the start but lost its way somewhere along the line. The story had potential, but as it went on, things just got messy. Some scenes were confusing, and the editing didn’t do much to help. One thing that stood out, though, was Choi Min Ho’s face, the camera really loves him. So, for me, something did not really move in the right direction.Was this review helpful to you?
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Patience, Yearning, and Longing
The relationship between Do Ba U and Ji Hun is messy and long-winded, yet enduring like Do Ba U's love for Ji Hun.The story where love is not delayed because of malice, it has to be delayed by something. While I normally hate miscommunication as a plot device, here it feels meaningful, even necessary. After all, two people who have been friends from kindergarten, and only one of them realises early on that what he feels is more than friendship, it is a recipe for miscommunication. The beauty lies in how the story drops hints about the mutual feelings throughout, even though we see it mostly from Do Ba U's perspective, as an unrequited love.
While many think that Do Ba U is selfish or insecure, they miss the point of what a long period of alternating between hope and disappointment can do to you. Do Ba U come across as a real human being when he is indecisive: Does he want to confess his love or not? Does he want to protect their friendship or not? Underneath it all, he wants the miracle—he wants a happy ending with Ji Hun.
Ji Hun goes from being clueless and clingy to second-guessing, after Do Ba U says that he no longer feels happy about spending time with Ji Hun. Ji Hu has his moments, when he lies about being sick to get Do Ba U's attention and steals Do Ba U's diary to understand what is going on. It humanises him.
Jung Ha Min's notion of a happy ending shifts from Do Ba U receiving his unrequited love to Do Ba U moving on from it and finding someone more suitable for him. Jung Ha Min enters the story thinking very little of unrequited love. He wants to research the alien concept, but leaves the story with an understanding of what it is to be in unrequited love. He does not play the rival, interloper, or a tragic second lead who lashes out. Jung Ha Min's heartbreak isn't explosive, it's quiet, inward and poetic. It is a deep exhale of someone who loved carefully and let go gracefully.
Check the list for similar shows: https://kisskh.at/list/4J5Bdkx3
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Please don’t be a Do Ba Woo!!!
Did I enjoy this show? Yes, kinda…I guess. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d say a 7.5 or an 8.Did I like the story? The story is quite interesting(nothing new) — unrequited love, high school, that childhood-friends-to-something-more trope. It had all the right elements to draw you in.
Now did I like the way it was handled? That I absolutely did not like. It could’ve gone in so many better directions, but instead it chose the most frustrating route possible.
Let’s talk about Do Ba Woo and Ji Hoon. Hoon might’ve been one of the most clueless people alive, but also — there’s no way he could’ve automatically known how Do Ba Woo felt. Not when Ba Woo never once clearly said, “I like you,” or “I love you — not as a friend, but romantically.” Never.
And even though Hoon’s feelings were obvious from the start, Ba Woo kept rejecting people in high school and saying things like “I’m not ready to date” or “I’m not interested in a relationship.” So of course Hoon backed off — what else was he supposed to do?
So what exactly was this? What were we watching? A masterclass in miscommunication? A painfully avoidable situation? Honestly, we the audience, deserved better😹
But it was okayyyy, stressful to witness but okay
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They should have title it the Notebook
The main lead playing DoBaWu with that stare of innocence shows the depth of love and pain one suffers with a one sided love. And yet the series shows the emotions of the characters in a way we can relate, albeit in a slower pace. After all that’s how unrequited love usually goes, long and slow and painful to the core. Who didn’t have a deep crush with a friend but never told him or her.
Koreans are so good in telling a story and in selecting the right actors to play the role. No frills or acts of cuteness just raw emotions. And their script writing is top notch as well. I’m glad they didn’t rush the storytelling allowing the viewer to question their actions mean I got pulled into my own past of regrets. People may not agree with me on this but loving Ina very fast works where our expectations of shows should feel like being on a fast moving train, life is usually a slow burn which allows us to adapt and most times, recover.
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COMMUNICATION?!
The actors were really good and had a great vibe..However, the story consisted of too many misunderstandings but too little love. That it is a typical misunderstanding series is not bad in itself but it was just so incredibly unnecessarily long and forced.
Was unfortunately really not that good:(
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They can do better!!
The ending felt pointless, and the kiss scene in episode 7 didn’t suit university students at all. If the story had been framed as a high school drama instead, it would have been more believable if they were young characters still figuring out their emotions and thoughts. That way, the progression of their relationship would have felt more natural and understandable.The constant miscommunication was frustrating. Why is it such a struggle to confess feelings to a friend? Both characters failed to speak up when it mattered most, making the whole situation unnecessarily dragged out. This type of plot feels outdated and if they insist on using it, they need to execute it well or at least give us a satisfying ending!
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