Brilliant
Loved every minute of this series. The ‘script’ concept was conveyed brilliantly and developed well. The actors portrayed their roles exceptionally well and the ending was very satisfying-always love knowing how all the characters ended up. The characterisations were very clever and references to roles such as Passerby A etc made me chuckle in amusement. Themes of controlling your own fate and never giving up added meaning to what I would classify as a parody of historical dramas. Despite the brutal clashes, the comedic element was most entertaining especially in the choreography of the final battle scenes. Beautiful cinematography, costumes and OST. Love the soundtrack and particularly liked what reminded me of the almost ‘western’ Quentin Tarantino style music for the military and dramatic moments. All the songs were well placed and of course those sung by Liu Luning are fabulous. I also felt the last few episodes were so well edited, maintaining the tension of the unexpected twists to the development of the story. The screenwriters for this series did a splendid job.Was this review helpful to you?
An enjoyable series
I absolutely loved this easy viewing series that makes you smile. The cast were fabulous. There were so many heartwarming moments. I enjoyed it very much because it was so lighthearted but also had enough dramatic moments to sustain interest. The relationship each main character had with their siblings added to the warmth of the series especially the epiphany the ML had about his brother’s love for him. The side characters such as the best friends and the neighbours added to a heartwarming series. The female neighbour was lovely as was her quirky son in law and the other couple in the villa were a great support to the leads. The SML was a great addition to steer the plot and I was happy that there was no over the top drama but acceptance between him and the ML. Overall a cute, happy and enjoyable series for me.Was this review helpful to you?
Beautiful Healing Drama
An absolutely beautiful series. Love the four couples and how their relationships progressed. The cast were fabulous. Lee Sung Kyung never fails to deliver outstanding performances (my favourite being Call It Love) and Chae Jong Hyeop is brilliant in this. I first saw him in Castaway Diva and in this series, he shines. Lee Mi Sook is one of my favourite actresses and she is so well cast here giving off the Anna Winter vibes with her hairstyle, sunglasses and commanding authority but also not negating her loving role as Grandma. Han Ji Hyeon displayed a balance between her flippant, happy go lucky personality and her sensitive, caring characterisation which was somewhat reminiscent of her portrayal in No Gain, No Love which I love. First time seeing Kang Suk Woo and his role as Mr Park was so impressive. I will look out for him in other dramas. Genius of course is the main star!!! The series was so lyrical and the references to the seasons added to the depth of the series development. Everything tied so well together and the flashbacks added to the engagement and understanding of the plot conflicts for the audience. Again another memorable OST. My favourite being All I Wish by Seo Ja Yeong. I just love happy endings and the final episode did not disappoint! It’s in my top three recent healing k-dramas alongside Our Unwritten Seoul and Can this Love be Translated?Was this review helpful to you?
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Great depth
This series has great depth with its non-cliche approach to the romance genre. The production values are imaginative with a variety of techniques applied when developing the story. In particular, I loved how Luan’s play is juxtaposed with the reality of the couple’s issues but that was just one out of many ways about love which was communicated in a creative and innovative way. This series sustained my interest especially in portraying the relationships between couples and amongst the characters. There is a pessimistic approach with so much angst in so far as each couple have conflicts and complications but the discussions and revelations about love are so well scripted. The resolutions for each couple with the final voice over narration by Xiao Xi with the montage visuals of the characters tied everything together as far as what love is about. This was most satisfying. The writing is top notch and the cast do a tremendous job in portraying their characters. Gong’s character is most appealing for me due to his sense of humour and larrikin nature that at times was not without depth. I loved the ending. It was an enjoyable twist. Overall a very clever series.Was this review helpful to you?
A masterpiece
No way is the rating so low. This series is a master piece. It has such a heart. At times heartwrenching but always heartwarming. A beautiful slice of life story telling. The characterisations, story development, cinematography and OST were so good. What a brilliant cast. Absolutely loved the three main leads but also all the other cast and in particular Xia Lei’s parents and Xu Ruo Han as Chun Chun. So many standouts especially Mr Ding and Mr Yan and of course Zhao Shu Zhen as Grandma in the earlier episodes. The focus on Mr Yan’s Alzheimers was most authentic and communicated the difficulties realistically but also revealed the wonderful community love and support which was so touching and for me is a highlight of this series. Johnny Huang was so perfect in his portrayal of Xiaoman from his teenage years until adulthood as too were Wang Tian Chen and Guan Xiao Tong. That final scene on the bridge with the three main leads and the camera sweeping across is quite memorable. They are very likeable characters who lived their lives with integrity and passion. A very beautiful and moving series.Was this review helpful to you?
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Loved it
Really liked this one. I was aware of it when it came out in 2023 but failed to watch it until now, 2026 and I am glad that I did. A very lovely series. Well done to all. Loved the comraderie amongst the 5 friends plus one. The friendship between the local and Seoul policeman was adorable. Kim Bo Ra as Mi Ran was great as usual. Loved the two main characters. Just enough mystery to sustain the viewing. The romance was sweet. Noted that Baek Do’s mum, played by the ever wonderful Jang Young Nam was Dong Seoul’s (Kim Tae Jung) mum in Crash Course in Romance. Baek Do’s two brothers were hilarious. Overall a great cast and story.Was this review helpful to you?
Thoroughly enjoyable
I very much liked this. Can’t understand the negative reviews. Thoroughly entertaining. Agree too much in the last episode and some answers missing but overall I enjoyed the series. The leads were well cast. Glad I watched it after all the episodes were released. I needed the escapism and nothing serious so suited my mood.Was this review helpful to you?
Very nice
I very much liked this series. Only 12 episodes and about 20 mins each so it went really fast with no boring bits. The cast were tremendous especially the two leads. The FL is so lovely and was perfect for the role although that height difference was distracting!! It fell into place rather neatly with all the connections which were so contrived but that’s good when all I wanted was an easy watch with not a lot of angst or tragic elements. The lower rating is not deserved. For me it is a 10/10. I watch for entertainment value and I don’t want anything too deep or heartwrenching. A sweet romance.Was this review helpful to you?
