Not my Cup of Tea
This series is a great example that not every show is to everyone’s liking lol. It’s got decent ratings but it looks like I’m in the minority of not enjoying it.The countryside male lead is a grown man acting like he’s 10 the entire time. He whines and acts impulsively but he’s optimistic and honest about what he thinks and feels so that’s a pro lol.
Idk if it’s his accent but I found the way his character spoke to be annoying. It reminded me of the Korean spoke in period dramas and I almost always find it annoying, that being the reason why I almost always avoid period dramas. The way he speaks is also verrry expressive/exaggerative. Again, idk if there’s a Korean accent that’s naturally like that but I found it annoying to listen to him speak.
I didn’t feel any chemistry between the actors or their characters. The story is fairly predictable but sometimes that’s what we want lol. The filming location was pretty and the ending was nice.
Unfortunately, it became one of the shows I’d keep checking how much time was left because I wanted it to end.
Still, plenty of people seem to enjoy. It simply wasn’t to my liking.
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Entertaining Start and then just…I Couldn’t Finish it bc it became too Sad and Frustrating.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first ~20 episodes even if there were times when the writing and magic aspects of the show seemed too convenient to the story’s development (like the scene about the marraige rock).After the first ~20 episodes tho…the plot and characters make annoying decisions. I can even see where the writers mindsets could’ve been at when they wrote the following episodes but damn…it was so freaking frustrating to watch.
Then don’t even get me started on the revealment about Ji Bozai’s past. Guys…I love plots with tragic events and characters who overcome them but I just can’t with his life. I don’t know why they had to make this man suffer so so so much. I actually feel so bad for him that I can’t even bring myself to finish the show bc I just can’t stand to see how this perfectly innocent and most unlucky charcacter is still being dragged to deeper depths of despair. I have never dropped a show bc I felt too bad for a lead charcacter but yet here I am and it’s finally happened.
So yeah, thoroughly enjoyed the first half even with its flaws but I just can’t with the episodes after that. The combination of annoying choices and Ji Bozai’s past reveal is just too much.
First ~20 episodes, I’d rate as at least a solid 8/10.
The rest that I’ve seen…I honestly skipped so much just because I couldn’t stand what the leads were doing and then I dropped the show not long after the male leads past revelation. I’d give those episodes like a…2/10 (probably lower tbh) because it’s episodes of pure annoyance followed by despair for seeing a good guy, who despite a hellish past and managed to be a great person, be beaten down somehow even further as if his past wasnt already as bad as it could’ve been.
Dude…his character is SO hard to watch if you’re like me and get emotionally tied to characters.
I’m leaving a rewatch value of 1/10 bc it has to be between 1-10 according to the app but I’m probably never rewatching anything past the enjoyable episodes bc wow I’m already feeling so bad for him just thinking about it.
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Alright Execution but Underwhelming for what it could’ve been.
I really like the plot. It had a lot of promise to be a great and intense push-n-pull romance about whether love can be rekindled after a tumultuous ending the first time. It’s a fine show just…underwhelming for the potential intense rollercoaster it could’ve been.In short, why I didn’t like about the show was it overall felt underwhelming after the they reunite.
Firstly, both the hope and remorse the ML feels after reuniting with the FL and after learning how difficult she grieved their relationship didn’t come across as intensely as I hoped they would.
Secondly, the internal struggle the FL has about hating him while uncontrollably still caring about him and the toll that supposedly takes on her, again, don’t come across as intensely as expected.
Thirdly, personal taste, I don’t particularly enjoy when a show devotes 1/2 - 2/3 of its first episodes to backstory. While I understand it’s to allow the viewers to immerse themselves into their love stoy and better grasp the seriousness of their reunion, that format can, at times, feel a bit like a bait-n-switch regarding what the viewers expected to watch going in.
Lastly, and again a personal taste, after their reunion I wish he wouldn’t have let anything stop him from relentlessly pursuing her while genuinely wanting to have an honest conversation filled with his reason, explanations, and apologies. Instead, his character sort of double downs on the idea of “letting her be happy without me” and “I don’t want to be in the way of her finding happiness” which…again probably aids to underwhelming sense of hope and vigor from his character.
But that’s personal taste. I can see a certain type of beauty in his way of thinking but I don’t think it was how his character should’ve behaved after sensing how in love and regretful he’s supposed to feel towards her. Then again, it’s my belief that at the very least you owe your partner the respect to allow them to make their autonomous decisions regarding the relationships and instead it felt like he missed that mark when he was willing to push her away again/let her go while keeping her in the dark.
I can’t say whether the underwhelming sense comes from the actors, director, or script but it’s a little disappointing for how excited I was to see an intense dynamic and plot like this.
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Lack of Transparency but a Well Told Story.
A lot of reviewers are complaining about the slow pace and saying a lot of time can be shaved off. I disagree to an extend. Although many flashbacks are reused it’s not done needlessly. They’re used so we know exactly what the characters are thinking back too (although it is a bit repetive but it isn’t needless) so we know how they’re feeling and why they’re behaving the way they are. Admittedly, it is a tad much lol.Still, the story is well written. The actions and decisions make sense. Personally, I disagreed with the pessimism one of the Male Leads had and was becoming frustrated with his lack of transparency because of it but the ending was satisfying nonetheless.
The plot is slow but I enjoy that. I’ve always preferred plots moved along by emotions and character developments rather than plots clearly broken into events that are there just for the sake of entertainment.
The music was great too.
Still, the frustration I felt because of one of the lead character makes this a series I probably won’t rewatch often but I’m glad I’ve seen it.
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