NCloudY

I Can’t Stop Smiling.

I never planned to watch this drama. In fact, I only found out about it when episode 1 aired. But from the first episode, it was already so interesting that I decided to give it a try. And I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the entire episode.

If you liked the drama Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this one too, because it has a similar vibe. The female lead is strong, even stronger than the male lead. That doesn’t mean the male lead is weak—they just have their own way of protecting the people they care about.

The storyline of this drama is well-organized and neatly packaged. With only twelve episodes, all the conflicts are resolved. Similar to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, this drama often breaks the cliché scenes typically found in dramas.

In my opinion, this drama was even intentional from the beginning in breaking stereotypes that exist in our society. For example, the idea that men must always be masculine and aren’t allowed to cry, or that women always need men to protect them. In this drama, Min Ju cries a lot because he’s sensitive. However, this doesn’t take away his masculinity at all—in fact, it adds to his charm.

Similarly, Young Ju’s character always tries to solve her problems on her own. She doesn’t need the male lead to save her. She’s the kind of person who will save herself no matter what. While portrayals of strong female characters like Young Ju are becoming more common in dramas, I think Min Ju’s character is quite new and something I haven’t seen in other dramas.

The relationship between the two leads is so sweet! I love that this drama doesn’t drag things out and wraps everything up in just 12 episodes. But because of that, I’m sad that next week I won’t get to see this adorable couple anymore.

The PTSD experienced by Chan Hwi’s character reminds me of the movie Shutter Island. In that film, it shows how many war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress like this. I love that this drama explores that topic.

What I also appreciate is that even though this drama highlights the theme of “independent women,” the writer manages not to belittle men. In this drama, we can see that women and men actually complement each other, not compete.

For me, episode 8 is the best episode of this drama. The emotions take you on a rollercoaster in a single episode. I absolutely loved the voice note from Young Ju’s grandmother—it freed Young Ju from her feelings of guilt and, at the same time, freed her grandmother from her own guilt. That voice note liberated them both.

I also liked how the main leads’ relationship transitioned into romance without any over-the-top love-bombing scenes. Instead, they gave us small, sweet interactions that were enough to make me grin from ear to ear while watching.

The resolution for Young Ju’s career conflict was also great, in my opinion. Young Ju is so competent that if she continued working at Jisang, she’d definitely get promoted. But maybe that’s not what Young Ju wants. She’s spent almost her entire life living for others, and finally, she starts living for herself. It’s also reassuring to know that Min Ju is by her side.

I absolutely love all the characters in this drama, including the people in the village of Bae Gok. They aren’t just comedic relief but also drive the plot forward. Their characters are so fresh—not just drama clowns.

Two couples in one drama, and both of them have solid stories. The first couple shines so brightly, but the second couple also gets their moment. I’m beyond satisfied with this drama. Finally, in 2024, I got to watch a rom-com drama that’s truly filled with rom-com moments :) Lately, I’ve been falling for clickbait dramas (if you know what I mean).

This drama is so sweet that I can’t review it in as much detail as I usually do because I was too busy smiling while watching it. Honestly, I think you should just watch it yourself to understand what I mean, lol.

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Too Many Messages That Want to be Conveyed.

From what I know, when we create a story, we should include messages that readers can take away after reading it. But we shouldn't tell readers what they should take from our story.

This drama explicitly teaches viewers what message they should take away after watching it.

That's what makes this drama quite awkward to watch as the final episodes approach. They want to convey so many messages and lessons that the flow of the story becomes rushed in their attempt to deliver these messages.

Honestly, the acting and chemistry of the cast were quite good in episodes 1 to 8. But as the end approached, the performances of the main characters JSM and JHI felt very awkward and forced. It even seemed like it wasn’t well written. They appeared to be acting, presenting disjointed scenes that seemed created just to convey specific messages.

Among all the characters, the second couple had stronger character development. Their arcs flowed well, and their story is what kept me engaged in finishing this drama. Honestly, the character with the weakest writing in this drama is Seok Ryu. His character seems not fully developed, making me, as someone who has watched JSM since "Playful Kiss," feel that his acting here is quite poor. It lacks naturalness, is overly exaggerated, and looks like acting. He has always succeeded in portraying characters well in previous dramas. JHI’s acting also felt very awkward; I've seen her perform several times, but here, her performance is the weakest compared to her previous dramas.

And the most disappointing thing is that, despite having four main characters in this drama, the first couple and second couple do not have a strong enough bond to portray a 'friendship' among the four of them. This is very different from watching dramas like "Fight My Way" or "Because This Is My First Life."

For this drama, I genuinely regret the writers and director for creating something like this. Both are quite well-known for producing quality dramas, so my expectations were high. Additionally, the genre doesn't fit the drama. I couldn’t find the romantic comedy elements in this show. Romance might be seen at the end of the episodes, but where's the comedy? This drama should have been labeled as a slice of life.

This drama actually has the potential to be good. The side character stories are well-crafted and not boring to watch. The issue lies in the main characters' stories, which are the most tedious, even though they are the core of the drama. That's what makes this drama less engaging.

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My dream scenario

A fun, light, and sweet drama. This drama has a plot that I wish could happen in my own life, or in a story that I will write. This drama really gives a picture of human happiness. Actually, it may sound very unrealistic, but for some reason, especially for this drama, I abandoned the reality aspect and focused on enjoying the drama.

I like the female lead who is portrayed as an independent and strong woman but not shy to smile, laugh and be happy. Zai Zai doesn't need a suit to look dignified, only with her soft cardigan she can still be seen as a dignified woman. While watching the first episode I was very amused and embarrassed by the clichéd story, but in episode 3, I started to fall in love with Zai Zai's character. Zai Zai's very sweet and lovely character touched not only Lu Rang's heart but also mine.

I think the development of the two main characters in this drama is very good. They really complement each other. Other characters like Guran and Jiang Jia are also quite entertaining. To be honest I also like the story of Guan Fang and his grandmother, it's very touching and I like the dialogue from Guan Fang's grandmother to Guan Fang who says that Guan Fang doesn't need to be the main character to be noticed.

While watching this drama, I felt that it would be nice if I could meet someone like Zhang Lu Rang, but at that moment I realized that I must be able to become Su Zai Zai for that. To be honest I really admire Zai Zai, and hope to be like him one day.

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A fun medical drama to watch—good, but not the best.

I think this drama is interesting. If you ask me what stuck with me the most after watching, I wouldn’t hesitate to say—comedy.

Honestly, even though the theme is totally different, the way this drama is presented kinda reminds me of Doctor Cha. Plus, the characters are pretty eccentric, making it hard not to remember their absurd behavior.

As someone who’s watched quite a few medical K-dramas, I’d say this one is definitely a good addition to the genre. But personally, I feel like there are still some things that could be improved in the next season.

One of the most important things, which is usually present in other medical dramas, is the explanation of medical terms—whether it’s about diseases, procedures, or other jargon that non-medical people wouldn’t understand.

Honestly, while watching this drama, I was kinda lost because I had no idea what they were saying, but I was too lazy to pause and look it up. Usually, in other medical dramas, they include brief explanations on the screen, but here, all they show is the patient’s basic info.

And then there’s Dr. Baek explaining a patient’s condition to their guardian—he just goes straight into medical terms, and somehow, the guardian immediately understands everything. Either medical knowledge in Korea is just that advanced, or I’m the only one clueless here.

In most other medical dramas, doctors usually explain things in the simplest way possible. If they do mention medical terms, they usually follow up with a line that explains what it means. But in this drama, it’s like they assume everyone already knows what they’re talking about.

Now, about the emotional aspect. Since this drama only has 8 episodes, each one feels kinda rushed. So aside from the comedy, the emotional impact doesn’t quite hit. The frustration, sadness, fear—it all feels somewhat lacking because they’re racing against time.

I think the next season would be better if they increased the episode length, maybe around 60-80 minutes per episode. Anything less than 60 minutes just isn’t enough.

Like, in other medical dramas, even if it’s just a little, they usually give us some background or a flashback about the patient, making us really root for them to survive—like, "I don’t care what happens, they have to live!" But in this drama, the only patient with an actual story was Han Yurim’s child. The rest? We barely know anything about them. Even in Lee Hyeon Jong’s case, we only got surface-level info. Sure, we know he has to be saved, but emotionally, it just doesn’t hit as hard because we don’t really get to know the patients.

But of course, there are things worth appreciating. One of them is the casting. I haven’t read the webtoon, but I feel like they nailed the casting choices. At first, I doubted Choo Young Woo’s acting, but turns out, he was actually the best one! His improvement compared to Once Upon a Small Town is insane.

The surgery and rescue scenes were also well done. The cinematography was great, and the fake organs looked convincing (because trust me, I’ve seen medical dramas where the organs looked super fake). The trauma cases they picked were solid, and the drama really emphasizes the importance of the golden time, which I think is one of its defining traits.

Other than that, this drama, like Doctor Stranger, where the main character has a near 100% success rate, sometimes gives off a fantasy vibe. Even when they miss the golden time, the patient still survives—just ends up in a coma instead. There hasn’t been a case where the main character fails to save a patient. Maybe that’ll happen in the next season… because at the end of the day, doctors are human, not superheroes. Even if it sucks, failure is something every doctor has to face at some point.

But overall, this drama is good! I’d recommend it to people who want to watch a medical K-drama that isn’t too complicated or filled with heavy politics like Yong Pal lol.

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Dramatic but not dramatic

Welcome to Samdalri is Ji Changwook's drama that I watched again after only managing to finish his drama entitled The K2.
This drama doesn't seem to be very popular internationally compared to other dramas that also air in the same slot. This drama has a vibe like a mixture of the dramas Hi Bye Mama, When the Camellia Blooms, and Hometown Cha-cha-cha with conflicts that are much lighter than those three dramas.

All the characters in this drama are interesting and have their own characteristics. My favorite character is Cha Ha-Yul, the daughter of Cho Hae-dal, namely Sam-Dal's younger sister.
In my opinion, the plot of this drama cannot be called slow, because actually every episode always reviews and resolves problems, so every episode is worth watching or even needs to be watched to better understand the plot.
It is true that perhaps the nature of this drama which tends to be relaxed and not dramatic might make us a little bored, but in my opinion, this is not something that can reduce the point of this drama.

I like the development of each character which doesn't develop significantly, but looks like it will continue to develop in the future.

This drama is like a comfort zone when you don't want to think about very complicated things, theories, and secrets.
I also like the resolution of Bang Eun-Ju's conflict which is not made dramatic. This drama from the start always focused everything on Sam-dal's character, they didn't want the audience's focus to run to Bang Eun-ju when she finally got her karma.
Actually, this drama has many messages that can be taken away. But I don't think I need to explain it because everyone has their own perception.

In terms of flow, I think it's pretty good, but not so great that I can rate it more than 8.5. But this drama is really enjoyable and I always look forward to it every week. This drama feels like a friend, watching it makes us feel calm and comfortable.
I really appreciate all the actresses and actors who play in this drama, after a long time I finally really saw a drama where all the actors acted very well, especially the Hanyeo ladies who always entertained every scene they appeared in. Maybe because in this drama there are not many newcomer actors, and newcomer actors such as Cha Ha-yul and Gong Ji-chan also play very well. This drama also attracts the idol, Kang Mina. But Kang Mina's acting is one of the idols with good acting, so it doesn't matter what her real profession is, in this drama Kang Mi-na is Cho Hae-dal.

This drama doesn't seem like an interesting drama to rewatch because the conflict is simple but relatable. I think it will take a while to remember the plot of this drama because it is packaged in the easiest way to digest.
Apart from that, this drama is a good drama and I highly recommend it to be watched with friends, family, and all your favorite people.

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The drama that brought me to kdrama land

Even though Pinocchio is one of the dramas that I have watched for a long time, this drama is still the best drama in my opinion. I really like the acting of all the players, all of them have good acting. The main cast also have very good chemistry with each other. This drama is quite serious, but the character of this drama is quite relaxed and sometimes it is also interspersed with comedy.

In my opinion, this drama is one of the dramas that has the neatest plot. When watching this drama, we feel like we are peeling a red onion, each episode is like peeling the layers of the onion, we are always given new facts, and made us curious. I feel that this drama has a very good storyline, from episode one to the last the plot is well written and the focus never shifts suddenly. All plots in each episode lead us to completion at the end of the story. As someone who likes to write stories, I really wish I could write stories as neat as Pinocchio.

I like the main character who is left to solve problems in his own way. They depend on each other, but can still stand on their own feet. They don't sacrifice for each other, but they are always beside each other. In my opinion, Choi In Ha's character was one of the breakthroughs for the main female character who was quite independent and ambitious that year. Where previously kdramas usually showed female characters who were always saved by male characters. Here the two characters save each other.

I've probably watched this drama about eight or nine times. But I always feel amazed by the plot of this drama, even though I already know the story. I've always liked the chemistry and problem-solving between characters that aren't pushy. One of them is the settlement of Choi In Ha and his mother. Or the settlement of Beom Joo with his mother, and Choi Dal Po with Choi In Ha's grandfather. I think everything fits and feels realistic.

And when I caught myself in this drama, I felt that there really aren't really bad people. Sometimes they just have different priorities and different ways of solving problems. Even so, what is wrong is still wrong. Although everyone always has a reason for doing something, as Choi Dal Po said, "The truth always stands in its place".

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This is a romance story, only romance.

I've been waiting for this drama to air since the poster was released. I hope to enjoy this drama until the end, when this drama is trending I feel happy because I feel that I was not in vain waiting. But when I watched, I was disappointed.

I feel that this drama has one mission, which is to make Sangzhi and Jiaxu become lovers. That, that's all that needs to be done in this drama. I really feel like every groove just revolves around the two of them. Many of the rest of the cast just feel like NPCs. As a viewer, I feel like I don't know any other characters besides Sangzhi and Jiaxu. Maybe this is also the reason why I quite like SangZhi's Brother SangYan, because he's the only character apart from Sangzhi and Jiaxu who feels 'alive' in this drama.

I liked the first four episodes, it was quite enjoyable and I liked the bond between little Sangzhi and Sangyan. Although I feel that the actress playing little Sangzhi is too young to be called a middle schooler, but the child's acting is quite good in my opinion, so I don't mind. The problem was when Sangzhi grew up and became a high school student. I don't know where the mistake lies, but high school Sangzhi feels more like a child than middle school Sangzhi. While watching it I felt confused as to why Sangzhi High was so much more immature, childish, and acted like an elementary schooler. Even Sangzhi lost his confidence when he was in high school. I know it might be due to some reason, but this drama doesn't explain why Sangzhi High School is more childish than Sangzhi Middle School. I can't blame ZLS for this. Because maybe that's what it says in the script. But to be honest it's quite uncomfortable, seeing adult women act like elementary school children.

Actually, I also don't really feel the 'green flag' of a Jiaxu. I felt that Jiaxu didn't have a strong character, and every scene with Sangzhi felt like 'flirt'. I tried to watch up to episode nine because everyone told me to watch until that episode to like this drama. But even up to episode ten, I only saw the relationship between the two which felt very slow and full of slow motion. I mean, not all scenes of look into each other's eyes or touching each other have to be in slow motion... I heard that Jiaxu had a trauma, but up to episode ten this trauma had never appeared. Even when in the past Jiaxu was depicted as poor and had to constantly earn money, the portrayal in the drama did not show Jiaxu as a busy person at all. Although in some scenes he looks asleep, it's just that for someone who is really pressed for money, Jiaxu seems to have a lot of time to go back and forth to take Sangzhi courses, even taking him to the planetarium. I feel like maybe the scenes of Jiaxu working in multiple places should help a bit to better illustrate how hard Jiaxu has to work to stabilize his economy. Unfortunately it was never shown, and we are immediately taken to the timeskip when Jiaxu is already working and has a car. And once again I feel that I don't have a close relationship with the characters around Jiaxu such as his co-workers and the women who chase him, all of them feel like NPCs.

Even though I think there are many characters that can be shown better in this drama. But even characters like Sangzhi's parents, Sangzhi's roommates, even Jiaxu's co-workers feel like just extra characters. They don't have a 'story' for themselves. So even when they appeared, they were only acting as characters bridging the romantic story of Sangzhi and Jiaxu. The other characters really feel lifeless apart from Sangyan. Even the conflict between Sangzhi and his high school friend was reviewed in the simplest way possible just to get the moment Jiaxu saved Sangzhi. Even though this part can be reviewed further, such as why his friend chose to do that. Or what happened after that. But all resolved very quickly. Characters that bothered Sangzhi were immediately eliminated, with no time for Sangzhi to develop when hit by a problem.

And that's the reason I dropped this drama. During the ten episodes running, there was no character development from the two main characters. They just changed costumes, but still act like high school kids. Sangzhi in college was the same as Sangzi in high school, and so was Jiaxu when he was working, he was still the same as when he was in college. Either they lack an antagonist who can develop both characters, or it was just like that from the start. Oh, and I also don't like the character of Sangzhi's parents, who feel like they pamper Sangzhi a lot. This also makes me feel that Sangzhi can't face big problems. And I feel this is why this drama really focuses on romance, because maybe for Sangzhi's character who is used to being spoiled, romance is a big problem for him.

I know this opinion is quite controversial, even here the drama's rating is very high. I am also quite sad because I can't enjoy the drama that I've been waiting for for a long time like other people. I was really looking forward to this drama, maybe that's also the main reason why I'm getting more disappointed. But it comes down to preference again, so I hope that even if I don't represent the majority, I can voice my personal preference a bit.

*note, I still really like Sangyan's character until now*

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The best drama in 2023

Watching this drama reminds me of the drama Pinocchio, even though it's a different genre, the plot of this drama has similar stages. This drama really has a very neat plot and minimal plot holes. With 12 episodes of this drama, it manages to present the plot in each episode very well. The story given in each episode has a very consistent quality and is not one-sided. This drama is very intense and gets more intense and gripping with each new episode.

The acting of the actors also deserves thumbs up. We have succeeded in getting into the story of each actor so that when these actors are in danger or even die, feelings of pain and sadness really feel as if we have known them for a long time. This drama is a horror genre, but I often cry when I'm watching this drama.

The message of this drama, which I think is very good. We can know that even though ghosts are evil, we can also see that humans can be even more evil than ghosts. Where greed is the real ghost. Greed is a trait that eats away at the human heart and turns it into a breathing ghost. This drama is very extraordinary depicting human greed for worldly things. Where all the problems in this drama are not born because of ghosts, but because of human greed. This drama also shows how dangerous it is if we can't love ourselves. How dangerous it is when we become people who hurt ourselves, blame, and hate ourselves. At least, among the many bad things and bad people in this world, don't let us become one of them. If the world is mean to us, at least we have to be good to ourselves.

I was really saddened by Sanyeong's character who suffered from the past, and how hard she lived all this time. How spacious her heart is to care for her mother who has severe trauma when she also has trauma. When she had been living not for himself, and when she wanted to live for himself suddenly she was diagnosed with a disease. I feel like I want to hug Sanyeong, wants me to tell him that all this time she has lived very well. I hope in the future she can walk on the flower path.

Actually, I'm one of Hongsae Sanyeong's team compared to Haesang Sanyeong. I don't know what the writer made, but for me from the beginning of the episode, I felt that Haesang was not someone who pursues worldly things. This is proven at the end of the episode by donating all of his family's assets to the community. So I think Haesang is not the typical person who wants to have a romance genre in his life. Not to mention that during my drama marathon, I avoided all spoilers, so I didn't know that this drama was divided into two teams. But my honest opinion looking at Haesang and Sanyeong, they both feel more like two unfortunate people who met each other. They both could feel feelings of sadness for each other that others couldn't easily feel. But the two don't depend on each other, more like when you fall, you will be relieved when you see other people also fall, then you laugh together. Well, at least we're not ashamed to be alone. That's how they both look to me.

Haesang is such a pitiful character, he is forced to pay for his entire extended family's sins. He seems to be forced to take responsibility for a sin he did not commit. But I think Haesang lives up to it. And another reason why I can't see Haesang and Sanyeong's relationship as romantic is that they both met because of a 'ghost' in common. Every time they met they only talked about ghosts, Haesang wasn't interested in Gu Sanyeong, but she was attracted by the evil spirit that clung to her body. Likewise, Sanyeong is not interested in Yeom Haesang, but he needs Haesang's help to get rid of the evil spirit from his body. From the beginning of the conversation, the two of them never discussed themselves with each other, they weren't too curious about each other's lives unless they had something to do with ghosts. So I feel their relationship is more like partners in crime. And that's interesting, I feel like this kind of platonic relationship must exist in the real world.

This is a little different from Hongsae, from the past, like Hongsae, he was amazed by Sanyeong, with her hardworking nature. Hongsae, who at first didn't really know Sanyeong, was able to distinguish the real Sanyeong and not at the end of the episode. We know that all this time apart from chasing evil spirits, Hongsae has also been paying attention to Sanyeong. Although I don't know if Sanyeong also feels the same way. But at the end of the episode, it can be seen that the two of them are talking about themselves, not about ghosts.

I think this is one of the hints that the two of them have started to open up to each other. When they started talking about themselves. I feel that Hongsae is interested in Sanyeong, but he appreciates Sanyeong who is still going through a hard time. I don't know what Sanyeong's feelings for Hongsae are like, but I can realize that Hongsae likes Sanyeong secretly. He doesn't need to have Sanyeong, he just wants to be someone who can take care of Sanyeong. I think this is a very interesting thing, where I can see pure love in dramas in the Horror genre. Hongsae knows that what Sanyeong needs right now isn't a lover, but serenity, so he always tries to be beside Sanyeong.

I feel this drama has a bittersweet ending. I'm sad for the character who died, but I'm also sad for the reason the spirit became an evil spirit. I can't explain how I felt when I finished watching this drama, I was relieved and happy but at the same time, I was also very sad and felt like crying. The writer really wrote this drama very well. I'm happy because the writer made this drama end with an open ending. Even though it's an open ending, all the problems in this drama have been resolved properly, so there's nothing that stands in the way of this drama. Everything is done, then we are left to our own imagination.

In my opinion, this is the best drama in 2023, the drama plot is very neat and has consistent quality in each episode. Minimal plot holes combine horror and mystery very well and are not too imaginative. It has a good story message, the story is also presented in a very interesting and not boring way. The acting of the actors is extraordinary and the feelings can be conveyed well to the audience.

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This Is Not Just An Office Romance

I never imagined that Xu Kai and Tan Song Yun would be in the same drama. But here we are.

Since the drama's poster was released, I had high hopes. Of course, because I trust in the acting quality of both of them.

When I saw the poster, I thought this drama would be a romantic comedy, like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim. I assumed it would be just another office drama, full of cliché scenes between a boss and the employees. But I was completely wrong. This drama is truly different from what I had imagined.

For a drama, it’s quite detailed in discussing business and AI. In my opinion, if you're not interested in one of those topics, this drama may be hard to accept. The portion dedicated to business and AI takes up much of the duration, compared to the romance. However, since I’m interested in both, I can say that this drama is very informative.

As someone living in a Southeast Asian country, I would even add another genre, which is Sci-fi. The AI they created in the drama is so detailed and amazing that it feels like a fantasy. I can’t imagine something like that existing in my own country. China has truly advanced. At times, it felt like I was in a different time altogether.

Back to the drama, its pacing is quite slow. Especially in the first 15 episodes, there are many back-and-forth moments that can be frustrating. However, by episode 20, I couldn’t stop watching. Every episode sparked new curiosity. Many interesting characters in this drama are portrayed as antagonists. However, among all the antagonists, I dislike Wei Qiu Zi and Shao Yi Chen more than Zeng Di and Chang He.

The two main antagonists (Zeng Di and Chang He) have clear reasons for doing what they do. Neither of them asks to be seen as good people. But as for Wei Qiu Zi and Shao Yi Chen, they’re just two cowards, sticking together because they feel they can rely on each other. Shao Yi Chen is the most cowardly character I’ve ever seen in a Chinese drama. He refuses to move forward, always behind Ji Xing, who is constantly pushing ahead. Yi Chen only wants to live in his comfort zone, but he’s too cowardly to directly tell Ji Xing this. So when he finds a trivial mistake that could free him from blame, he immediately decides to break up with Ji Xing. It’s so cowardly. Ji Xing wasn’t the one absent during his lowest point; it was Yi Chen, who cowardly didn’t let Ji Xing see him at his lowest. What an annoying character.

Wei Qiu Zi is no different from Yi Chen. From the start, Qiu Zi never saw Yi Chen as Ji Xing's boyfriend. From the beginning, she targeted Yi Chen. As Ji Xing’s friend, she didn’t try to hold back her feelings at all. Honestly, I would avoid people like her in real life. That’s why she was there when Yi Chen was going through a tough time — because she tried to wedge herself into the relationship between Yi Chen and Ji Xing. And she got her moment. Honestly, Yi Chen and Qiu Zi are very well suited for each other. Thankfully, by the end of the episodes, they no longer appeared, so I could calm down when those two acted as if nothing had happened.

I can somewhat sympathize with Han Yuan’s character. She’s in an uncomfortable position. Though she’s the older sibling, she’s a woman. She’s also not as smart as her younger brother. She took care of Dong Yang while Han Ting was in Germany. Han Yuan is capable of leading Dong Yang. Unfortunately, Han Ting is also very capable of taking Dong Yang further. Understandably, Han Yuan lost direction at times because she was trying to maintain her presence. Thankfully, in the end, Ji Xing helped Han Yuan realize that she didn’t need to push Han Ting aside to keep her place in Dong Yang. After all, Han Yuan does have an important role there.

Ji Xing's character is very strong-willed. From the start, she had a very firm stance and determination. It’s no wonder someone like Yi Chen couldn’t match her. Even Han Ting was overwhelmed. But the reason why Han Ting endured and Yi Chen didn’t was that Han Ting never felt inferior to Ji Xing's strength. Instead, he wanted to become stronger too, so they could both improve together. On the other hand, Yi Chen felt inferior as Ji Xing grew stronger.

Previously, I had one favorite male character in Chinese dramas, Yu Tu from You Are My Glory. But now, that character has been replaced by Han Ting. I think someone like Han Ting couldn’t possibly exist in the real world. He’s the type of person who, when making a decision, will give 100% or even 200%. But he’s also very logical, he considers many factors, which makes him seem unreal. But if I met someone like Han Ting in real life, I’d probably chase after him haha.

When a huge argument happens between them, from Han Ting’s perspective, Ji Xing might seem selfish. She doesn’t know how much effort Han Ting has put in to protect her. But from Ji Xing’s point of view, what she did makes sense. Even though Han Ting is kind, intelligent, and logical, he never communicates his plans to Ji Xing. Ji Xing always felt like she was being told to "Just leave it to me," which wasn’t reassuring at all. Their relationship was built on a fragile foundation in the beginning. But fortunately, both Han Ting and Ji Xing didn’t give up trying to start over. Unlike at the start, when many people supported their relationship, now that they were getting back together, many people doubted them. But the two of them didn’t doubt at all.

Because they truly trusted each other. They communicated the right way, working hand in hand so that neither felt burdened or diminished. They truly valued each other's presence.

Honestly, the special episode of this drama left me feeling uncertain. I know, the end of a person’s life is like that. But still, when it was shown, it felt hard to accept. And yes, the scene where the camera focuses on Han Ting’s hand holding the forgiveness card made me cry. Earlier, Ji Xing had said that if Han Ting left first, she would be very angry. But in the end, Han Ting did leave first, and Ji Xing wasn’t angry because Han Ting used the forgiveness card.

My favorite scene in this drama was actually when Han Ting and Ji Xing had that huge argument. The scene was so intense, and the acting from Tan Song Yun and Xu Kai was amazing. I could feel Ji Xing’s anger and fear, but I also felt Han Ting’s frustration and annoyance. Xu Kai’s eyes conveyed those emotions so well.

This drama truly made me feel the ups and downs of a relationship. Overall, it might not be the best Chinese drama I’ve ever watched, but in terms of the experience while watching, this drama made me feel so many emotions. Especially when Han Ting decided to make Doctor Cloud’s data open-source. At that moment, I felt how wonderful it would be if something like that could happen in real life. Because, as we know, nowadays, data has become a tool for war between businesses and even nations. But in this drama, data was what brought them together. Dong Yang’s mission is truly noble, even the board of directors sarcastically commented that Han Ting turned Dong Yang into a charity organization.

Honestly, I might never feel the same way when watching another drama. Even though I rate this drama an 8.5, I enjoyed this drama, and I feel lucky to have watched it. This drama has become one of the most memorable ones for me.

PS: All the actors and actresses performed very well.

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The Reason Why This Drama Is Worth The Hype

The Korean drama that has filled my social media timeline for the past few weeks just ended a few days ago.
Many people feel that this plot gets messy towards the end of the episode and feels like a soap opera. I also read that this drama would not have been helped if it weren't for the great casting.

I half agree and half don't. I feel that the choice of cast is one of the keys to why this drama can be as popular and successful as it is today. Good casting choices are not only in the casting of the main actors, in fact almost all of the cast in this drama managed to convey their characters very well. I give a lot of applause to the casting director of this drama.

Apart from providing very satisfying acting, this drama also provides quite interesting visuals. Throughout the drama, my eyes seemed to be satisfied by the visuals of the actors. The filter used in this drama is also quite good, so my eyes don't get too tired even though the duration of each episode is more than one hour.

Returning to the title of this article, I will explain several reasons why this drama is worth the hype.

1. Have a strong story foundation
From the start, we have been given the main foundation of a very strong story, namely the breakdown of relationships due to poor communication. The conflicts in this drama are many and multi-layered, but in my opinion, what makes the drama still awaited by the audience every week is because of their strong story foundation.

2. Characters with fictional visuals, but given quite realistic personalities
One thing that stands out about this drama from the start is that none of the characters are perfect - only their visuals are perfect. There are no truly 'green' characters in this drama. Each of them has its annoying side. This is an interesting element in my opinion. As someone who likes to write, it's difficult to give weaknesses to my characters. Letting him be hated because of his annoying nature is one of the interesting things.

Both Hae In and Hyun Woo have flaws, and we have been annoyed with these two characters. But that doesn't make us hate or lose sympathy for them. Even the writing of the villain character in this drama is very good and is enough to make him the villain in the Korean drama that I hate the most. But strangely, in the final episode, I sympathized with his character. It's enough to understand even though you can't forgive.

Apart from the great actors and actresses who succeeded in playing these characters, I think the character writing is quite realistic and complete, making me able to sympathize and get to know each character in this drama well.

3. Set in an unusual story
Amid the rise of dramas that are hard to watch, or too light to watch. This drama offers both heavy and light elements. We know that the conflicts in this drama are many and heavy, but somehow the character feels light. Especially when episode eight comes. The tempo of the drama seems to have changed completely, it is still heavy and intense but feels more manageable. I don't know, the author seems to want to give a message,

"Alone will feel very heavy and suffocating, but together it will feel lighter and more liberating."

Amid the rise of "Strong Woman" characters in Korean dramas, I initially thought Hae In would be the same as the other characters. But it didn't, or maybe it ultimately didn't. This is all because Hae In's character development is quite good. We know, that as strong as humans are, we still need other people. And that's what Hae In succeeded in doing. He managed to allow others to help him. We know Hae In is strong, but we know Hae In can be stronger if she is with people she loves and loves her.

4. Many messages are conveyed through this drama
While I was watching this drama, I seemed to see a lot of implied messages that the author wanted to give to the audience. This is rarely shown explicitly but is implied through the development of each character.

This drama ends with a happy ending, but somehow it feels a little sad. Especially when the last scene is covered by an OST sung by Kim Soo Hyun. And it was enough to make me want to cry, whether I was moved or something. But I seemed to have managed to witness human life from beginning to end. It felt like everyone would go through that life.

Indeed, there are still a lot of plot holes in this drama, such as in several scenes in Hyun Woo's hometown which in my opinion don't quite fill the plot and seem boring. Therefore I can only give a rating of 8/10 for this drama.

I think this drama is worth watching and not overrated. Drama writing is not perfect, there are still many other Korean dramas with better plots than this drama. But this drama is worth watching together with your loved ones.

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This is not remake, it's re-create

I have watched several remade dramas. Many of them disappointed me, but there are remakes that are done very well. A remake involves creating a new version of a work, with adjusted plots and characters. I always hope for the excitement that comes from these adaptations whenever I try to watch a remake. There are two great remakes that I refer to when watching remake dramas: "Playful Kiss" and "Solomon's Perjury." Both are Korean dramas that adapt Japanese dramas and films. I watched both versions and was satisfied with them.

These two dramas adapt the plot and Japanese culture well, adjusting it nicely to Korean culture without rushing to build a new identity for the drama.

However, it’s not the same with this drama. In episode 1, this drama portrays the childhood of the characters quite well. The casting for the parents is very well done, and I am quite satisfied with that. The child actors are also fairly good in portraying their characters.

When the characters begin to enter adulthood, I noticed many important scenes that should have been included but were omitted. I know it’s not easy to condense 40 episodes, but removing major scenes and creating a new plot that lacks a similar message is not the right choice. This is a remake, and while being different and having its own color is fine, it shouldn’t come at the expense of altering the plot.

I was quite skeptical about JCY when the cast was first announced, but it turns out that among the three main cast members, I think she acted the most naturally. She manages to create a new character for Jian Jian effectively. A slight difference in character is okay as long as the overall character doesn’t change. What disappoints me more is the acting of HIY. This is the third time I’ve watched his dramas (18 Again, Why Her?), and I feel there hasn’t been significant development in his acting style.

My disappointment continued when I realized that the character Tang Can was not adapted in this drama. She is a main character who significantly influences Jian Jian’s character development, but this drama seems to prefer emphasizing romance over family and self-development, focusing instead on a love quadrangle that I think isn’t as important.

I am uncomfortable with the change in Ming Yue's character in this drama, as that’s where her development lies. The actress playing Park Dal has acted well, and there’s no doubt about that, but it feels like a new character. Ming Yue is a cowardly female character who gradually starts lying because she cannot express what she wants; she doesn’t dare to openly confront her mother at all during her youth. The first time she does so is at age 25, but here, Park Dal’s character boldly expresses her opinions to her mother while they’re eating together. That doesn’t feel like Ming Yue at all. It’s an unnecessary adaptation of the character.

In fact, this drama has a lot of potential if it wanted to place more emphasis on family rather than romance, just like the original story. Or like its title, because that is indeed its most interesting point. Almost 80% of the casting is well-chosen, with good acting and compatible faces. But everything feels wasted due to the plot that tries too hard to create something new, a new identity. If that's the case, it would be better to just create a new drama.

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Between Realism and Clichés

Since this drama clearly tries to take a realistic approach from the start, I’ll also give my review in a realistic way.

The good:
The show is quite detailed in setting up props that match the characters and their economic background.
The acting is solid and emotional.
The cinematography is also good.

The bad:
I feel like the drama doesn’t want to focus too much on romance and tries to highlight personal growth instead, but somehow every character’s main issue still ends up revolving around romance—as if people can only grow after finding or losing romantic love.

I also feel the messages are delivered way too directly. I’ve only watched 6 episodes, but there are already lots of cliché scenes that, based on my own college experience, don’t feel realistic at all.

For example, those intense personal talks with a thesis advisor. From my perspective, that feels unrealistic. An advisor isn’t the same as a homeroom teacher or school counselor. At least in my country (or maybe just at my university), professors only really care about GPA and their students’ courses.

This is actually the first drama I’ve seen where characters have non-academic interactions with their advisor, and honestly it feels awkward. Also, why is the professor always on campus? Apart from the head of department, I rarely see professors hanging around that much.

Lang Lang’s character growth also seems to come mainly from her advisor’s advice, which (to me) undermines her independence. At the end of the day, that’s still just personal opinion, but because it’s coming from a professor, it clouds her logic. That’s not the kind of development I’d expect in this genre.

The “tomboy girl” trope—no makeup, no dresses—feels pretty stale. At first I liked her strong personality, but little by little she’s made more dependent on her advisor, which I didn’t enjoy.

Then there’s the whole T-shirt distribution scene to stop campus gossip, and everyone just agrees to wear them. It looks like a “cool” plot idea, but it’s not realistic. In college, people usually don’t bother clarifying gossip—they just watch from the sidelines. Just because someone initiates something doesn’t mean the majority would instantly agree, especially since the drama never explains why they’d agree to wear the shirts.

Another example is Fan Xiao Yu. She was supposedly “cut off” financially by her dad and forced to live independently, but she still lives like she’s getting allowance every month. There’s no real struggle. Yes, she sells her belongings, but her lifestyle doesn’t match what she’s selling. And eventually, selling personal stuff will hit a wall—you can’t just keep selling forever.

And one scene that really bothered me was during the military training. Ma Yiran pulled Lang Lang’s zipper down to “show her how not to overheat,” then zipped it back up. To me, that’s problematic—it’s harassment, not romance, and it shouldn’t be romanticized.

I’ve only seen 6 episodes, but honestly it feels like watching a webinar where the speaker keeps making sure I catch the “lesson.” It’s too on-the-nose for my taste. But maybe other viewers can still enjoy it more than I did.

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