Between Steps

This is exhausting to watch

I was wondering how a textile/design major might end up doing research in robotics. I need not worry. The grad school part is mostly window dressing.

If I'm honest, I was surprised when the leads had their first kiss at the end of EP.2. Ok, the FL was drunk, but she knew what she was doing. I thought this is going to be a fast moving sweet romance. How wrong was I.

Every EP up to EP.8 are angsty. It is a rollercoaster ride.  There are so many ups and downs.

Both our leads are unassuming yet they are the centre of all manners of strife. When they are going well, it is swoon-y, but their relationship can turn almost toxic which is baffling.

Given the short run time, we have already seen multiple confessions and rejections, misunderstandings, jealousy, interference from family and friends and more. I thought I was watching a weekend makjang serial. Their love life is complicated to say the least.

I get the show wants to stand out from a sea of same-y dramas, but this feels manic. It is counterproductive and I find it hard to engage fully.

I think a lot of the blame rests with the script. The ML feels weak when he shouldn't be. He struggles to manage his small team of grad students. He can be ambiguous towards the FL. Some of his actions are opaque. Is he overthinking everything?

On the other hand, the FL is headstrong and wears the pants in this relationship. However, she feels like a construct. Moment to moment, she is a woman in love. Yet, if we look at the whole picture, her behaviour feels scripted. It works better on the storyboard.

This brings us to the supporting cast. The self confessed nutcase has some serious antisocial traits. I assume he is the antagonist by default. It is a bit sad because he is a friendless, petty man child. He is super annoying and needs to be put in his place. The ML failed to do so repeatedly.

I gather the three original team members are meant to be comic relief. They spent most of their time roleplaying 30 years old virgins. The script sidelined them rather than use them creatively.

Some solid comedy will give the show a better balance. There is too much focus on the OTP's woes.

I understand dramas need tension and angst to spice things up, but these elements feel contrived in this show. So many storms in so many teacup.

This leaves me with a conundrum. Sunk cost has kicked in, To be fair, their swoonworthy moments are well done. We get a little sugar hit. That is our drug.

I'm hanging in there . . just. (Inner) Peace.

P.S. the preview of EP.9 is very concerning. I hope it is just some fancy editing to mislead us. I hope that is the case or it is time to rage quit. Enough is enough.

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Lovin' it so far

I wasn't expecting to get this attached to Between Steps, but the romance really won me over. There's something so genuine about the way the two leads interact. Their chemistry feels completely natural, and I love how even the smallest gestures or conversations can say so much about their feelings. The relationship develops like something that could actually happen in real life, which makes it even easier to connect with the characters. I honestly don't understand why this drama isn't getting more attention. It's such a shame that so many international viewers don't even have a proper way to watch it. More people deserve to experience this lovely little drama.

10/10 for me. RIP amazing director.

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Love how realistic it is;the portrayal of one's 1st relationship.

I didn't expect or know much when i started watching it except the ML,seen in heads over heals. Though ik KSH is a popular actress, this is my first time seeing a drama of her. This drama has everything i like! Slice of life, college setting and slow burn romance. It's very realistic and some characters are relatable. Love love the cinematography and direction.
The drama encompasses the honest, passionate and a little clumsy love. The characters are very real and some characters are relatable for the 1st time in my kdrama experience like I've met some people exactly like them. Another cozy healing drama of 2026 after we are all trying here.

Just now learned this is the last project of the director. RIP 🙏. Thankyou for this art.This is such beautiful story that brings many nostalgia and a lot of reflection.

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Disappointed

I would expect a relationship like this from teenagers. She definitely has an anxious attachment style and is very possessive. She won't let this man breathe: he was brushing his teeth and, as soon as he picked up the call, she asked him what took him so long. In general she looks like a child who loses her temper when she doesn't get what she wants.
He, on the other hand, is confusing. I don't understand why he likes her: there's no tension between them. She kisses him despite being rejected for the third time and is quite aggressive in my opinion. I don't like how spineless this man is. Also, is the drama about the triangle with Sejin too?! Because the amount of screen time he's having is crazy. I keep watching this drama hoping that it will get better but it just gets worse

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Very interesting ?

I honestly thought I wouldn't like this drama, so watching it wasn't even on my radar. But then I came across a TikTok review saying it was actually a really good romance drama, and well... I couldn't resist giving it a try.

And now? I have such a love-hate relationship with it 😂.

First of all, I have absolutely NOTHING to complain about when it comes to the acting. It's amazing! And the writing? The dialogue? WOW. Everything flows so naturally. No awkward pauses, no weirdly forced conversations, no unnecessary dragging. The characters actually talk like real people! I genuinely thought they had forgotten how to make dramas like this anymore. I'm seriously impressed.

BUT THE STORYLINE? Oh boy. GIRL. 😭

Why do you have to be the one to confess your feelings first?! And not just that, why does it feel like EVERY first move comes from her? I mean, if you watch the drama, you'll understand why she acts the way she does, and it does make sense in the context of the story. But still... I can't help feeling a little frustrated 😂.

And then there's the professor...

I'm not even going to lie, I would absolutely watch an entire romantic kdrama about the female lead and the professor. HAHA. There's definitely something interesting about their dynamic, and honestly? I wouldn't even be mad if they ended up together. 👀 Or maybe I would. I mean, he does give off slightly creepy vibes . But there's something about their interactions that makes me curious.

So yeah, here I am, completely impressed by the quality of this drama while simultaneously questioning the romantic decisions of its female lead 😭😂.

But then again, I'm such a mama bear when it comes to these things. I just feel like a man should know what he wants and actually go after it. And yes, I KNOW it's complicated for him. I understand his struggles, his circumstances, and why he might be hesitant. I'm not saying his feelings aren't genuine.

BUT COME ON 😭

At some point, I just want to see him take the initiative! Give me a man who knows what he wants, who isn't afraid to show it, and who makes the woman feel like she's worth pursuing. Is that really too much to ask? 😂

Maybe that's just the romantic in me. I love a good slow burn, I love complicated emotions, and I can appreciate a realistic relationship. But I also want that moment when the male lead finally stops overthinking everything and makes it crystal clear that he wants HER.

Still, the fact that I'm this emotionally invested probably says a lot about how well-written this drama actually is 😂 .

I'm frustrated but I'm impressed!

So I guess the drama is doing something right.

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I tried so hard, I truly did-- but I can't anymore

Warning ahead, this is gonna be a rant because I have a lot of feelings about this.
Anyways, I started watching this mainly because I really like Choo Young-Woos work and it seemed like an interesting concept. By episode 3, I was generally annoyed and confused. By Episode 5, I was annoyed and confused to the point I contemplated launching my laptop into my wall.
Truly, honestly, the FMC is insufferable. Normally, I'm all for an imperfect character but JESUS H. CHRIST theres a difference between being imperfect and just being a brat. First of all, I still don't understand why and how someone who went to college for Fashion and Textiles was so easily able to get into graduate program for Mechanical Engineering?! But, whatever. I thought, I'm in this deep might as well keep going.
But then literally every single time it got difficult, or if someone questioned if she's sure that Mechanical Engineering is the right path for her considering she's an ex fashion student, she throws a hissy fit and rage quits or sulks like a child instead of putting in fucking effort or just even acting like the grown 30 year old woman she is. Also theres zero chemistry between the FMC and MC, like I truly don't get how we're supposed to be sitting here rooting for this couple at all .

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Park Minjae & Lim Youjin- The complex duo

I really wish more people could watch Between Steps because this drama deserves a much bigger audience. What I enjoyed most was how believable the romance felt. The leads have such effortless chemistry that even their simplest interactions are enjoyable to watch. I especially liked how their feelings developed in a way that actually made sense, without relying too much on the usual exaggerated K-drama moments. Their relationship has that messy, imperfect side that makes it feel closer to real life. It's frustrating that access to this drama is so limited, because I genuinely think a lot of romance lovers would fall in love with it if they had the chance.

Make sure to watch it if you love melodramas.

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Absolutely DELIGHTFUL! excellent script, acting, filming, ... what a treat!!!!!!

This drama is an artistic masterpiece, every little detail in it is so meticulously done, so rich. It is real life but seen through the camera that really captures the FEELING of the characters.
The script is masterful as everything matters
The acting is impeccable, by everyone
The camera and production ppl are geniuses, visually it is stunning, descriptive and informative

Just a lovely lovely lovely drama!!!!! What a GIFT!!! THANK YOU !!!!

It has everything from life - suffering, fear, comedy, anger, deep issues, friendship, desire to date, health, enjoyment, family, work, politics, everything. It is extremely well paced and "natural"
and extremely sophisticated, as all real kdramas are.

The vibe is very very very fine and very light. It is pure joy to watch it. Even when it goes through heavy and scary stuff, there is eventually the light at the end of the tunnel
Like suffering with the leg, and then the first swimming scenes. The camera captured so well his "becoming one" with the water and enjoying it. The blues and silvers and the light reflections, and his eyes

Just a masterfully done kdrama. It makes your heart expand in gratitude.

The music is modern and is in English. Which gives it the urban college campus techie feel and also a globally universal feel for young ppl.
I am not sure how I feel about that. It doesnt bother me bc I am international audience, not Korean. The music fits bc it is not soapy at all and has words that match well with the drama.
I am not sure if words in Korean would be better.

In any case, imo, the music matches well

Overall, this is a globally universal drama. This kind of campus is everywhere.

And the comedy of socially inept male engineers who finally found their one Goddess :) And a fiesty warm artist who draws out the shy introverted quiet engineer
Both ML and FL are very endearing

I wish she didnt pick to study engineering just for him. I hope she didnt :) We need more female engineers.
Well - there are plenty cute male engineers. They are quirky and clueless but are often very good guys waiting to be discovered. A smart woman can find herself some really good life partners in the engineering department. Those guys are flashy and popular, but that is a goo thing, there arent a million women after them :) and they are loyal and reliable.

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And they say romance is dead

Nothing more romantic than acting like you like a guy, he opens up and likes you too. You hear he lost a limb, so you smartly decide to give him a gift but run away mid gift giving, making him feel even more insecure about being disabled. Selfishly centering yourself and he is hurt and cries. Leading to more damage to his already low sense of self worth, when the guy is the one who lost his limb.

Then, suddenly asking the guy who you blessed with a lifetime’s worth of insecurity to be your boyfriend, by stalking him, bringing a ring and planning to crash what you assumed to be a date he was going on, while still centering your feelings about his leg in the moment. Being rejected for your selfishness. Coming up with a whole ploy to get him to date you by showing up at his house unannounced and comparing your tiny appendicitis scar to his whole leg being chopped off.

After you kiss him like it’s your last moment on earth, he still rejects you after your ploy. Showing up to his house again . Asking him out again. He tells you he just wants a simple life and that you’d make his life more stressful. Which is valid. Because this is without him even knowing about her extremely disablist family he’ll eventually have to interact with. All of this, while he continues acting extremely professional at your work place.

He rejects you AGAIN. So you throw a tantrum, basically call him a coward, when he has literally experienced the hurt of you running away before. He chases you under the rain, but you fling the umbrella he covers you with away. So he pulls off his jacket to protect you from the cold, since you’re acting like a baby. You fling it to the floor. He picks it up and tries to cover you again . You throw it to the floor AGAIN. HE PICKS IT UP AGAIN. (The patience he has lord).

You aren’t considerate that a disabled guy is under the rain and can slip and fall at my time. You keep throwing your tantrum until he physically restrains you and finally agrees to date you.

And they say romance is dead folks. With people like Youjin, so far, I get Sejin’s fear about internal group dating. She’s a ticking time bomb.

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Issues with Female Lead

Do not watch it if you haven’t already seen it!



My thoughts on the female lead in Between Steps so far… 👀



Honestly, I’m not a fan of the female lead because I feel like she’s become obsessed with the male lead, and she struggles to respect his boundaries.



In Episode 4, she bought him shoes, only to run away when she realized he was disabled. Later, she asked him out, and he said no. If I remember correctly, she asked him out around three times, and he continued to reject her. At some point, you have to respect someone’s answer and stop pushing. No means no, even when you have feelings for that person.



What confuses me even more is how the male lead developed feelings for her along the way. I genuinely don’t understand what made him fall for her when she has repeatedly shown questionable judgment around him. Earlier in the season, she literally broke his robot, yet there were no real consequences. Instead, she even received a new computer! 😭 How does she get rewarded when she hasn’t really been held accountable for her actions?



I’m also not a fan of how she seems to be pushing the male lead toward a falling-out with his best friend. The scene where she says, “Your girlfriend should be your best friend. Me,” really bothered me.



I understand that she’s his girlfriend and wants to feel important in his life. I also understand wanting your partner to establish healthy boundaries in a relationship. However, there’s a difference between asking for boundaries and making someone feel like they have to choose between their girlfriend and their best friend.



His best friend was already an important part of his life before she came along. Why should their friendship suddenly become a problem just because he has a girlfriend? A romantic relationship should add something meaningful to your life, not require you to diminish the other relationships that matter to you.



What bothers me most is that I don’t see her making enough effort to understand the importance of their friendship. She should be able to communicate her needs without making him feel guilty for having a close friend.



Maybe the male lead sees something in her that I’m missing, and I’m open to seeing how their relationship develops. But right now, I’m struggling to understand his feelings for her. I want to see a female lead who respects boundaries, takes accountability for her mistakes, and understands that being someone’s girlfriend doesn’t automatically mean you have to become their entire world.



Am I the only one who feels this way about the female lead in Between Steps? 👀

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