julwa

A very pleasant series to watch. It tackles difficult topics like depression and PTSD, but in my opinion, they were handled well. It was wonderful to follow the main characters’ relationship from the very beginning. They met when both had hit rock bottom and gradually became each other’s biggest support during a crisis, despite their earlier “hatred” back in high school. The second couple also stole my heart, and I rooted for them hard. Plus, of course, my favorite — Nam Ba-da. Completely clueless for most of the series, but that’s exactly what won my heart, along with his arguments with his mom. Another big plus is that all the storylines were properly wrapped up. In the end, I wasn’t left with any unanswered questions or plot holes.

However, I did find a few issues that made me lower my rating. Only by one star, though, because I liked the series so much that these didn’t outweigh the positives.
→ The constant alcohol consumption by the main couple. I’m aware that mental health is still a big taboo topic in Korea, but I refuse to believe medicine is that backward. They were both on antidepressants, which absolutely should not be mixed with alcohol — especially that frequently. Not only could they seriously damage their health, but they could also disrupt and prolong the treatment process.
→ The character of Min Gyeong-min. Damn, I think the narrative potential here was huge, and I was disappointed that it was reduced to his death in an accident and later forgiving him. It would have been far more interesting if he had survived and been able to explain his motives in more depth — to show that he truly regretted everything he had done.
→ Infantile behavior. The main couple was theoretically adult (close to thirty?), but in reality their interactions were sometimes extremely sugary and childish. Watching that in real life would honestly make me cringe, but within the series I could at least laugh at it (partly out of second-hand embarrassment, but it still lightened the heavy topics).

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I had a great time watching this series. I really liked how the main characters’ personalities complemented each other. On the surface, the serious Jang Shin-yu clashed with the slightly goofy Lee Hong-jo, and as their love developed, he slowly opened up to the idea that not everything in life has to be taken so seriously. The chemistry between the two of them was amazing, and the kisses were HOT. The supporting characters were also interesting — they didn’t blend into one another but had distinct personalities, ranging from funny for the viewer, to infuriating, to genuinely intriguing. The curse storyline and the spells themselves were also interesting.

One thing worth highlighting because it absolutely cracked me up was how the male lead in some scenes seemed to barely hold back laughter. I don’t know whether it was intentional or if the actor himself just found it funny, but I noticed it, for example, in episode 5, when they were talking on the phone and he heard that she was sitting with some guy.

However, I did find some downsides that made me slightly lower my rating.

1. The characters’ stupidity:
→ The male lead, portrayed as one of the best lawyers, initially believed his girlfriend’s version of events — that the female lead had stolen her boyfriend — even though just seconds earlier he had heard that it was his girlfriend who had apologized to her for the past, not the other way around.

→ Their biggest moment of stupidity was when they were already together and the psycho was stalking her and had just tried to kill her. They arrive together at his apartment, and he sees the psycho’s car in the garage. Instead of staying with her and calling the police, he decides to go down alone after escorting her upstairs to “check it out” (brilliant intelligence), and she doesn’t behave any better. After all that, she sits alone in the apartment and opens the door when someone rings the bell (even though no one is visible on the monitor), while her boyfriend is desperately trying to call her.

→ Another time, she lures the psycho alone to some cave-like place. That might have been acceptable since she informed others and they were supposed to come, but then instead of stalling for time, she confesses everything to the psycho and runs away XD.

2. Events that are absurd and have no grounding in reality.
To be clear, I understand that this series includes spells, curses, and reincarnation, so it has fantasy elements — but the characters are still human. Here, the female lead sprays the psycho with pepper spray from a very close distance. For the first several or even dozens of minutes, he shouldn’t have been able to open his eyes at all; he could have had corneal damage or optic nerve injury — and yet one second later the guy is running after her through the forest as if nothing happened.

3. Unresolved or underdeveloped storylines that I consider important:
→ The spellbook stated that spells could be cast by her and a person designated by her. Who was that person? Everything pointed to Na Jung-beom, but this was never explained.

→ The character of Na Jung-beom himself. He also cast spells — this was shown in the past and implied to be happening in the present as well. In fact, that’s exactly what he was trying to do when he was captured, yet none of this was explained and it was completely brushed aside.

→ The consequences for Na Jung-beom, Lee Hyeon-seo, Yoon Hak-young, or Yoon Na-yeon. We basically know nothing about what happened to them, even though all of them were significant characters for the overall plot.

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I have mixed feelings after watching this drama.

On one hand, I really enjoyed it - I laughed, cried, and got frustrated along the way. It was an overall pleasant watch, probably because of the music theme, which I personally love.

On the other hand, I’ve been looking for a really good music-themed drama for a while now, and I feel like this one fell a bit short of that title. Mainly for two reasons:

I would describe this drama as something you have to watch with a grain of salt. There are plenty of silly scenes where the adult characters behave like children, and their actions are often exaggerated and unrealistic.

This was the biggest issue for me — the pacing. In the first few episodes, things moved way too fast; we basically learned the entire plot right away. Then the story slowed down, only to suddenly explode in the final episode. Everything was crammed into it, which made each storyline feel shallow. The fate of the guilty characters and those who should have faced consequences (after annoying me the entire show) was glossed over. The main couple’s story felt rushed (not to mention the secondary couple). Kong Jin Gu’s storyline — built up throughout the series, with him pretending to be poor — was left completely undeveloped by the end. Honestly, the stories of all the characters felt watered down, as did the entire band’s development (what even happened to them afterwards — who knows?).

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It was definitely an interesting drama, with a storyline I had never seen before, which made it refreshing for me. The chemistry between the main characters was very good, and Xiao Bao completely stole my heart. On top of that, there were some engaging supporting couples, though one of the relationships wasn’t really explored much. Overall, I had a great time watching, and it never once felt boring—so if I were to rate it purely in terms of entertainment and enjoyment, I’d easily give it a 10/10.

But unfortunately, I also look at things through the lens of how well the storylines are wrapped up, the overall sense of the plot, and the wasted potential—and in that regard, I found a few negatives.

1. The person responsible for the accident involving He Qiao Yan and his family. This storyline could have been developed in a really interesting way, and while watching I even thought of a potentially better twist involving the Lin family—but that never happened. Instead, we suddenly found out about some biggest enemy of the Fe company, who was supposedly such a huge rival, yet had never once been mentioned since the very beginning of the show XD.

2. The Lin family storyline (including the bracelet). We know the bracelet plotline was almost wrapped up, but I still feel like it was lacking a lot. For example, Lin’s parents bribed employees to keep passing on information—but why? What came of it afterward? We never got answers. I was also curious about how the relationship looked later after those employees were taken away, etc. Sadly, we never found out.

3. The Lin Wei storyline. Technically a supporting plot, but still tied to the previous one. It was quite heavily developed for most of the drama, only for us to end up learning nothing about her panic attacks or her relationship with her family in the end.

4.The Yang Ruo Wei family plot. This was also brought up but never properly developed. Why was she so desperate to cut ties? What exactly happened in the past? And how did their relationship look afterward? None of that was answered either.

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I recommend this drama to anyone who wants to watch a comforting and peaceful series. The relationship between the main characters is beautiful and carefree. They are a wonderful support for each other, trust one another completely, and because of that, unnecessary arguments never come between them. The development of their relationship is also amazing—at first, Su Zai Zai seeks contact with him, but soon enough, he wants the same. He slowly begins to open up to her, and she shows him that he, too, is someone special and deserves happiness. What starts as a friendship quickly turns into love, which blossoms in college and continues into adulthood, where their carefree bond and genuine love remain just as visible.

The whole storyline of their friendship as a group of five was also wonderful. Their carefree high school life, the dilemmas connected to university, and later their adult life were all portrayed beautifully. They always stayed together, despite the passing years and separations. On top of that, the relationship between Jiang Jia and Gu Ran was also lovely, and I rooted for them strongly. I was even a little sad that we didn’t get to see more scenes after they became a couple. The only one I truly felt sorry for was Guan Fang, who was the only one in the group not to find happiness, even though he also deserved it (P.S. his grandmother was wonderful).

There weren’t many downsides, although one of them is definitely that the storyline about harassment by the president wasn’t further developed—especially the consequences he faced. Another drawback is that we didn’t get to see Zhang Lu Rang’s parents truly realizing how much harm they had caused their sons (it was only mentioned that they supposedly noticed and changed, but I would have liked to actually see it).

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I wouldn’t say this drama was bad—it was fine, but in my opinion, not much more than that. I didn’t feel like I was watching something exciting that truly captured my heart.

The supporting relationships definitely deserve recognition. They were interesting, and Jiang Zhi Shan completely stole my heart. The main couple was fine as well—especially the female lead, who supported him with all her strength—but I still feel that the whole enemies-to-lovers storyline between them could have been handled much better.

What I disliked the most was that at one point, the female lead’s IQ seemed to drop to the level of a starfish. She knew the male lead was afraid of swimming, and yet she still thought it was a good idea to play videos from his swimming days—despite the fact that this advice came from a girl who had already lied to her once out of jealousy. The female lead even discussed this with her friend beforehand.

Another issue was the breakup, or more specifically, their reconciliation afterward. I genuinely understand that he felt like a burden, but downplaying how terribly he acted made me really angry. It’s not as if she should have immediately run back into his arms, as if feeling like a burden excused his behavior—because it DIDN’T. They should have at least had a much longer and deeper conversation about it.

Other than that, like I said, the drama felt very average to me and didn’t move me, though it wasn’t among the worst either.

As for En Tong, her character was so irritating that for the first time in a long while, I found myself wishing nothing but bad experiences for a female character—karma. And honestly, I was glad we didn’t see her getting a happy ending with anyone. Credit where it’s due though: the actress played the role very well.

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I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO WATCH THIS SERIES. The chemistry between the main characters was wonderful, and their relationship developed without major, unnecessary drama. The way the other characters were created was also fantastic — none of them felt bland or forgettable. The plot was engaging enough that I didn’t experience a single moment of boredom, and I absorbed each new episode with genuine interest. There were many plot twists and events I didn’t expect, which is a huge plus — and most importantly, the characters are held accountable for their actions.

For a moment I thought there were no downsides, but after some reflection I did find one. Namely, at least one storyline was left unresolved, and I would really like to see the continuation of the relationship between Gu Xin Er and her father.

spoiler

Yang Hong — I absolutely couldn’t stand that bitch, and I’m glad she didn’t get a happy ending with anyone. I hope she withered away in prison without the support of anyone close to her.

Ling Sheng — I kept telling myself I’d treat him the same way no matter how hard the series tried to redeem him at the end, and that I wouldn’t give in — but I ended up crying during the prison scene with Gu Xin Er, and in the end I understand him a bit. I don’t understand the attempted murder of his brother or that whole scheme, but I do understand that his father shaped him this way, because it’s simply not true that he loved all his sons equally.

Gu Xin Er — I hated her intensely for half of the series, but later she became the character I felt the most sorry for. Girl, find yourself a boyfriend from a family that isn’t completely fucked up.

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I haven’t had such mixed feelings after watching a series in a long time.

Let’s start with the positives. I liked the way the characters were created — especially the female lead, of course. Her development throughout the series and the way she gradually gained confidence were really well done. I also view the show’s message positively: that external appearance doesn’t matter, and what truly counts is who we are on the inside. The male lead, whose personality resembles that of side characters usually rejected by female leads, is also a plus — although in his case we’ll get to the negatives as well. Overall, it was a pleasant series to watch, but I also noticed several major flaws…

First of all, the series is painfully predictable in almost every aspect — though there was one thing that surprised me and counts as a positive: the moment when the female lead broke up and chose herself. Secondly, the male lead — in two specific situations. The first on the rooftop, when she confessed her feelings, and the second by the pool after he didn’t tell her that he actually wasn’t leaving. In those two scenes, he annoyed me more than any other character in the entire series, and I came to the conclusion that he simply didn’t deserve her.

The BIGGEST downside for me, however, was the LACK of kisses and the very small number of scenes where the couples were physically close (and this applies to all the couples). I can understand a lot, but this is a deal-breaker for me. We’re making a romance series where the couples are ADULT university students who don’t kiss even once over several years of a relationship. That might work in a Disney children’s show (although even there they kiss :D), but not in a series that is clearly meant to appeal to older viewers as well.

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I really enjoyed watching this series. I liked how the characters were created—none of them felt one-dimensional, and each had their own personality. It showed a difficult childhood and its effects on adult life. I also liked the relationship of the main couple—there were no pointless arguments, and they were not just partners, but also best friends.

Spoiler !!!!!

On the downside, definitely the fact that the main character didn’t go to therapy. F*ck, seriously, it was obvious he was struggling, and they’re trying to convince me he cured his depression and anxiety with herbs? I was also waiting to see the relationships of the main character’s friends, but unfortunately, in vain—which is a shame, because I think it could have been interesting. And the main character’s mother… I haven’t hated a character this much in a long time. I couldn’t stand her from start to finish.

I’m also not fully convinced by the fact that there was no official moment where they defined the relationship. They just naturally started being together—which is fine, I guess—but at the same time, it didn’t bring me much joy.

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A very pleasant and comforting series to watch.

Here we follow the transformation of the female lead — Shen Xi Fan — who at the very beginning is stuck in a toxic relationship. Her boyfriend treats her like trash, tries to blame her for everything wrong in his life, and keeps her on a leash. Later, she meets the male lead, her relationship finally ends, and thanks to He Su Ye, she begins to learn what real love actually is.
He Su Ye himself is a massive green flag. From start to finish, he was incredible support for her and made her genuinely happy. The fact that she needed time never discouraged him. He simply stayed by her side and showed her true love with his whole being. Watching them happy together was beautiful, and their relationship was extremely sweet. There wasn’t even a hint of toxicity here. They supported each other deeply, even during difficult moments. There were no arguments after they got together, which made the whole thing very comfortable and enjoyable to watch. On top of that, they had amazing chemistry. They were a joy to look at, and their kisses were HOT.

A huge plus also goes to the female lead’s parents and the male lead’s grandfather. All three were wonderful characters, and most scenes with them made me smile — or cry, when her mom got sick. I have mixed feelings about the male lead’s father. On the one hand, I was happy when the female lead initiated their reconciliation (for a moment I was afraid he would oppose their relationship), because watching him, I felt like he had truly changed and understood that he hadn’t always been a good husband to his wife in the past. On the other hand, I kept remembering that not long before, he was still putting pressure on his son to pursue Western medicine. So to this day, I’m not sure how much he actually changed and whether he truly deserved that second chance.

Now, the female lead’s ex-boyfriend — Yan Heng. I wanted to strangle him through the screen. They absolutely ruined the character for me after Meteor Garden — I will never look at him the same way again. The way he was such a piece of shit while seeing himself as a prince on a white horse was insanely irritating. He broke up via text message, then came back like nothing had happened just to get revenge on her father? He couldn’t accept rejection and had the nerve to go to her parents and keep selling them bullshit about how he supposedly broke up with her “for her own good.” T R A S H.
Surprisingly, he eventually disappeared from her life and was never mentioned again — which on one hand makes me happy, and on the other makes me curious about what happened to him afterward.

Now for two questions / downsides.

First, the secondary couple — though I’m not even sure they truly counted as one. I’d rather say Xu Xiang Ya and Lin Yi Shen were more of a side pairing. And that makes me sad, because they were so wonderful that I really wanted more scenes focused on their relationship. I can’t even find one solid argument — I just wish their storyline had been developed more.

And the biggest downside for me — or rather, an unanswered question. Did the male lead really have a girlfriend in college who broke his heart, or was that just a lie made up by Fang Ke Xin? Why was this never explained? Why did they never talk about it? I thought that ex-girlfriend would show up at some point since she was mentioned — but it never happened. So did she actually exist at all?

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When I started watching this series, I was convinced it would be good. I wasn’t wrong — it was fucking amazing and addictive. But I also thought it would be very sweet and “calm,” considering the author’s other works. Turns out, not quite. The series tackles heavy topics that are definitely not for everyone, but they’re handled extremely well — there’s really nothing to nitpick here.

Let’s start with the positives, namely the male lead — Sang Yan. I already loved him in Hidden Love, and here my love only grew stronger. A wonderful man and a massive green flag. I wish every good person could meet someone like him in their life. His unconditional love and immense support for the female lead were beautiful to watch — and at the same time heartbreaking. For two reasons. First, the positive one: he was the only person (aside from her dad) who was always there for her and truly showed her genuine love. Second, the negative one: he suffered a lot because of that love — and he absolutely did not deserve it. Honestly, neither of them did. They both truly fell in love back in high school, and their feelings remained strong even after their paths split. Their reunion showed that clearly, as the emotions slowly resurfaced. This wasn’t just about obvious on-screen chemistry (though it was definitely there, and the kisses were H O T), but about a deep, emotional bond. They were the most important people in each other’s lives, and both wanted what was best for the other.

That led to one moment where I was completely torn: Wen Yi Fan’s second escape to Hong Kong. At that point, two wolves were fighting inside me. One wanted to tear her apart for hurting Sang Yan yet again — a man who was nothing but wonderful to her. That wolf wished them both happiness apart, just so they could finally stop suffering. But the other wolf understood her. She had been through hell — the kind that’s hard to talk about and even harder to forget. She never received the support she deserved, and the people closest to her convinced her it was something shameful and that she should stay silent. Then Che Xing De reappeared in her life. She wanted to protect the male lead by disappearing from his life. That wolf knew that their true happiness existed only with each other — and that they truly shined only together.

As for Wen Yi Fan herself — the female lead — she was a tragic character. The actress played her brilliantly, and I felt her pain in every single episode (I cried in almost all of them). For me, it’s unimaginable how much hell the people closest to you can create in your life — and that was exactly her case. The strongest disgust and resentment I felt was toward her mother, Zhao Yuan Dong. Of course, I’m not defending that piece of trash (Che Xing De), who ended up exactly where he belonged — but it was her mother who allowed this to happen. She could have protected her and didn’t. She didn’t believe her own daughter when she said he tried to take advantage of her. She still wanted her to stay near him, claiming he was a good man. SICK. Years later, she acted like nothing had happened and wanted to fix their relationship (mainly because her new partner left her). I’m glad she didn’t get forgiveness from her daughter, and that the female lead cut her out of her life — she absolutely didn’t deserve to stay in it. Honestly, she deserved even harsher consequences. To make things worse, she let that trash live with her younger daughter, as if she wanted to put another child through the same hell.
Coming back to the female lead — I’m glad she met someone like Sang Yan. She deserved happiness. She was a good person, and her parent gave her the kind of fate no child should ever have. I’m happy that, thanks to him, she slowly started reclaiming happiness in her life. Thanks to him and his family — and we already knew from Hidden Love that his family is wonderful.

Still talking about the main couple — the proposal at the very end was beautiful. That kind of ending is pretty cliché, but here it really worked for me — especially with a small complication added. And one tiny BUT: it was sweet and at the same time slightly terrifying that he followed her around Yihe for six years despite having no contact, simply because he promised her back in high school that he would always be by her side :D

As for any love rivals — we only had admirers for the female lead (which is honestly weird, considering Sang Yan’s looks and personality — how was no one interested in him except me and Wen Yi Fan? :D). Still, both of them were decent guys and not overly annoying.

Now, the secondary couple: Su Hao An and Zhong Si Qiao. In their case, I feel a slight sense of dissatisfaction, though it’s hard for me to fully pinpoint why. Their relationship had huge potential, but somewhere along the way it feels like it wasn’t fully used (though, like I said, I can’t clearly define where it went wrong). What irritated me was that at some point I completely lost track of their dynamic. I thought they were together when they weren’t — or they were together, but she wasn’t sure if he loved her? I honestly got confused myself. On the positive side, both of them had wonderful families. Especially his grandparents — watching them together was a joy. They radiated a kind of happiness and love that had survived many, many years.

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This drama is amazing, I swear. I didn’t feel bored for even a moment, and I watched every episode with huge interest.

The chemistry combined with the strong tension and desire between the main couple was exactly what I’d been looking for for a long time. The female lead mentioned at one point that in the beginning she thought he was a flirt. When I started watching the show, I also thought he was that type. I expected games similar to the male lead from "Nevertheless,". But it turned out differently. At first, the male lead was completely closed off and didn’t let anyone get close. Only after meeting her did he slowly start to open up, and she showed him that the world could be beautiful for him too. As for the female lead, I really liked her character: fighting for her goals, confident, beautiful. She didn’t let anyone walk all over her. At first glance, she tried to pretend she had control in their relationship, but looking more closely, that wasn’t true - neither of them had control. And to be clear, this drama is definitely not a sweet romance from the beginning. Early on, their relationship was toxic at times - especially because of him, since he didn’t know how to talk about his problems. But I can understand why he acted that way. Their relationship progressed quickly, and opening up after the hell his mother put him through since childhood isn’t easy. The biggest fight in their relationship - the one that nearly led her to divorce him (and yes, I understand that he was trying to protect her in his own way - his mother was a threat, though it would’ve been better if he had told her right away) - was the last major moment of tension. After that, he finally opened up, and from then on they fought together, not against each other. I really liked that they stayed by each other’s side even as stronger and stronger evidence appeared that his mother was involved in her mother’s suicide. I was afraid that this would push them apart again (either through her or through him), but it didn’t. My only complaint about the male lead is the letter in the second-to-last episode. He really needs to learn how to write those better, because even I thought he was leaving the female lead - which wouldn't surprise me

A huge plus is the character creation. I could write pages about this, so I’ll shorten it to my favorites:
→ Chen Jia Yu – a wonderful son. He didn’t have an easy childhood, which made him more mature than his peers, but he loved his mom unconditionally. Thanks to him I went through all kinds of emotions - from laughter to tears.
→ Tai Ming Xiao – he stole my heart with his reaction to the main couple’s marriage and later with how he tried to separate them at work (too bad he didn’t get more scenes).
→ The female lead’s family / the male lead’s grandma and cousin – I’ll group them together here. Watching them was wonderful. The closeness between them, the grandmas teasing each other, wedding and baby planning for the main couple, trying to reconcile them, fishing with her dad - and I’ve probably forgotten something. (I’m glad the male lead’s grandma survived; I was really scared about that.)

The secondary couple deserves its own section. Even though the beginning of his feelings didn’t fully convince me (he developed feelings for the female lead because he mistakenly thought she saved him, and once he learned it was actually Fang Ya En, he immediately redirected his feelings), I still enjoyed watching the development of their relationship. His support during her divorce from her abusive husband, his care for her son - I really liked the bond he formed with the boy (especially helping with the school performance; that absolutely melted my heart). Turning the bar into a restaurant so she could come with her child. The friendship between Fang Ya En and the female lead was also amazing - anyone would want to have such supportive friends. Same with the relationship between Cheng Kai Ran and the male lead. They always lifted my mood - for example, in the scene where they both tried to write messages to "their" girlfriends in episode 12.

The last point is Li Ling Bai. The script tried to explain her actions, but that sentimental backstory didn’t convince me at all. She went through hell - I’m not denying that. But it doesn’t justify what she did. She should’ve dragged herself to a psychologist, not her son, whose life she turned into hell for nearly 30 years. She shouldn’t have blamed her friend (the female lead’s mother), who stayed in the orphanage to help her, nor should she have destroyed her life and pushed her toward the worst possible end. That’s why I’m glad she ended up behind bars, and I didn’t feel sorry for her for even a moment. I hope she rots there for the rest of her life - along with Wang Xing Sheng, though I’m not discussing him because we know too little, which is a pity, because for me he’s the only key character who wasn’t developed well enough

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This was a wonderful series, and I really regret that I stopped watching it earlier. The plot pulled me in completely, and I wasn’t disappointed even a little. The relationship and chemistry between Do Do-hee and Jeong Gu-won were amazing and addictive, and I would love to see even more episodes of their story — obviously the happy part. Their personalities and his character development (in a positive direction) throughout their relationship were portrayed very well.
On top of that, all the side characters were well written and clearly distinct from one another. We had mentally disturbed characters (mainly Noh Seok-min and Noh Do-gyeong), who were brilliantly acted — interesting and terrifying at the same time. Their close ones, who suffered because of those disorders, were also portrayed well, showing the consequences and how it affected them during and after. There were also lighter, comedic characters that added humor to the show and briefly pulled it out of its seriousness (like the “Wild Dogs” gang or the relationship between Shin Da-jeong and Park Bok-kyu).

I found only two downsides, which didn’t really affect my overall rating anyway. First, I’m curious why Noh Seok-min became such a monster. Did he have any reasons that led him to develop mental illness — just like his son did because of him? One could assume not, since the series never gave us an answer.
The second issue is the lack of development of Ki Kwang-chol’s character — more specifically, why he was also manipulated by Noh Seok-min and involved in that sick situation.

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