This is for people who are doubting to watch the drama (no major spoilers) (AND PLEASEEE IF YOU STILL HAVEN'T READ THE DRAMA SYNOPSIS ABOVE, DO NOT READ IT! IT REVEALS SO MUCH OF THE PLOT WHICH WILL SPOIL THE DRAMA FOR YOU. SO PLEASEEEE IF YOU HAVEN'T YET- JUST DON'T:
I had a great time watching this drama. It actually felt so different from your regular k-drama scene, at the same time so similar. All the talk about the stars, summer, winter, floods... represent a deeper meaning that idk why many failed to see. Disclaimer: this is definitely slow. It is not a thriller but there is a truth that is left behind for the audience to dig as the drama progresses and this progression happens very slow. So if you can brace yourself for it, you'll like it. Honestly, I found no single character annoying. The chemistry between the leads felt very natural to me like how two people who have known eachother since time immemorial become friends, fall in love, things happen, they sort them out and date- like very normal people. There is no over-dramatic romance here. So, if you are looking for a K-drama level cute-cringey-romance, you might not be satisfied with this one. But if you want something real, something that is grey and human- you might wanna watch it. The second couple is great, the village dynamics felt very calm yet bustling like a typical happy village. The plot has a lot of story, many turns. Though I did feel a few plotlines to be unncessary, they are still good. My advice: Ignore the good-not good talk. Watch two episodes. If you feel like continuing, you'll have a good time watching. And if you feel like a burden- this is not your cup of tea. Drop it then and there because this drama is going to be that way. Save yourself the rest of your time. It is that simple. Just because someone liked it, you don't have to like it as well. Same goes the other way.
It's only that JH wasn't even slightly interested in JP let alone "long for him" only until she became…
Well, the way I viewed it is, Jae Pil surely made the first move, Jeong Hui didn't have any feelings for him as their journey began, but when they shared their days, memories and traumas along the way Jeong Hui did fall in love with JP. However, when she realised that a guy would take away her most valuable bond- her freindship with YR, she didn't hesitate to give her love up. But she carried it within. Like the shoes she treasured deep inside her secret cabinet, she treasured and locked those feelings inside her little exhausted heart.
On the other side, I never felt like YR truly prioritised their friendship over anything else. But the writers force claimed that to YR JH is valuable but they half-baked it. YR still having feelings for JP is the result. Which in my opinion, is breaking the girl code, while JH was able to actually respect her friend's feelings.
What?This is worst plot and then love next door 10/10?C'monWhere are we going really!
AHM started off sooo well, I swear! I loved the characters, I loved the plot around their friendship, their everyday struggles and how they overcome each problem. But after a few episodes, it became a "hero making" show for which beautiful characters were mass murdered. I felt really frustrated, and thus goes my review for it.
As for Love Next Door, Seok Ryu is a representation of me. How an elder daughter who is seen responsible for the family's pride and happiness, like how she navigates her life to a career path, finds peace within, finds strength, finds love. I watched each and every episode feeling immensely grateful to the writers for expressing what I couldn't for years. Yes, it has so many cliche k-drama plot holes but I'm here for it. I'll definitely write a detailed review when my emotions can flow better as words. Maybe, you might see LND in a new light then.
LND is a 10/10 and AHM is 4/10 for me and it is all right in my head the way I viewed them. I respect your different POV as well. That doesn't make any of us going the right or wrong ways. I would love to know if you have diffrent views about both dramas and why you see them that way.
I'll skip talking about summary of episode 9 since I had previously left a comment here about it already. But…
man, you summed up everything I was feeling. This drama has become a lump of ridiculousness and I'm just watching it only because I came this far. It's so frustrating to watch tho.
Your review is all that I wanted to say. This is my fourth time watching season 1 and i still cant't bring myself to watch season 2. I've seen some reels of Yoon Jung and could sense her expressionless face from a mile away. I really wished this was just one single season with a proper wound up ending. It would've given the right satisfaction to the whole drama. Like, 19 and half episodes went so well and the directors decided to eff up the last 15 minutes just to build angst for season two that has no necessity to exist at all (IMO).
The first time when I watched season 1 and saw many people being eagre with the actress change made me question my own choices. Jung So Min portrayed layers of acting in one single drama with flair. The way she became Mu Deok who is cute, clumsy, trust-worthy to Naksu who is ambitious, vengeful, serious to even Bu Yeon who is calm, contained and serene.... it just proves her acting provess and experience. I was wondering how people could even move-on from that huge of an impression.
Coming to chemistry, it was everything to me. I usually DO NOT like older actresses cast with young actors and vice versa (esp, if the gap is too much.... this is just my preference) But what So Min and Jae Wook created there was magic. They had the least skinship, their romance arc took tooooooo long to bloom but nothing felt out of place. So Min didn't look like she is not the same age as Jae Wook at all! Their chemistry was fire without any skin scenes and that explains a lot for someone's chemistry. The fact that I have to see Jang Uk with someone else other than Mu Deok has really weirded me out. You mean, all that fire of a chemistry between them was for nothing and now you drop another face and expect us to imagine another actress to be So Min and say "wow! what a chemistry"? HELL NO!!!!! I really wanna beg all the drama directors to not change just a part of the MAIN CAST (esp.) and make a season of the original. Change all of them or keep all of them!
Anyways, I still can't process this whole thing even after watching season 1 for four times and still can't push myself to watch Season 2 even for peer pressure (?). But yeah, I miss Season 1 a lot everytime and come back to watch it again and again. Alchemy of Souls Season 1 has my heart. I'll just skip the last 15 minutes to save me from the obvious frustration.
Your way of defining this wonderful drama is so beautiful that I'm becoming your fan instead...I was going to…
I'm an introvert. Writing is the way I express. I haven't finished any of my novels, so I can't claim that I'm a writer but I'm looking forward to become one. Thank you so much for your appreciation. Your words really encourage me to write more❤️
I had a great time watching this drama. It actually felt so different from your regular k-drama scene, at the same time so similar. All the talk about the stars, summer, winter, floods... represent a deeper meaning that idk why many failed to see. Disclaimer: this is definitely slow. It is not a thriller but there is a truth that is left behind for the audience to dig as the drama progresses and this progression happens very slow. So if you can brace yourself for it, you'll like it.
Honestly, I found no single character annoying. The chemistry between the leads felt very natural to me like how two people who have known eachother since time immemorial become friends, fall in love, things happen, they sort them out and date- like very normal people. There is no over-dramatic romance here. So, if you are looking for a K-drama level cute-cringey-romance, you might not be satisfied with this one. But if you want something real, something that is grey and human- you might wanna watch it.
The second couple is great, the village dynamics felt very calm yet bustling like a typical happy village.
The plot has a lot of story, many turns. Though I did feel a few plotlines to be unncessary, they are still good.
My advice: Ignore the good-not good talk. Watch two episodes. If you feel like continuing, you'll have a good time watching. And if you feel like a burden- this is not your cup of tea. Drop it then and there because this drama is going to be that way. Save yourself the rest of your time. It is that simple. Just because someone liked it, you don't have to like it as well. Same goes the other way.
On the other side, I never felt like YR truly prioritised their friendship over anything else. But the writers force claimed that to YR JH is valuable but they half-baked it. YR still having feelings for JP is the result. Which in my opinion, is breaking the girl code, while JH was able to actually respect her friend's feelings.
As for Love Next Door, Seok Ryu is a representation of me. How an elder daughter who is seen responsible for the family's pride and happiness, like how she navigates her life to a career path, finds peace within, finds strength, finds love. I watched each and every episode feeling immensely grateful to the writers for expressing what I couldn't for years. Yes, it has so many cliche k-drama plot holes but I'm here for it. I'll definitely write a detailed review when my emotions can flow better as words. Maybe, you might see LND in a new light then.
LND is a 10/10 and AHM is 4/10 for me and it is all right in my head the way I viewed them. I respect your different POV as well. That doesn't make any of us going the right or wrong ways. I would love to know if you have diffrent views about both dramas and why you see them that way.
The first time when I watched season 1 and saw many people being eagre with the actress change made me question my own choices. Jung So Min portrayed layers of acting in one single drama with flair. The way she became Mu Deok who is cute, clumsy, trust-worthy to Naksu who is ambitious, vengeful, serious to even Bu Yeon who is calm, contained and serene.... it just proves her acting provess and experience. I was wondering how people could even move-on from that huge of an impression.
Coming to chemistry, it was everything to me. I usually DO NOT like older actresses cast with young actors and vice versa (esp, if the gap is too much.... this is just my preference) But what So Min and Jae Wook created there was magic. They had the least skinship, their romance arc took tooooooo long to bloom but nothing felt out of place. So Min didn't look like she is not the same age as Jae Wook at all! Their chemistry was fire without any skin scenes and that explains a lot for someone's chemistry. The fact that I have to see Jang Uk with someone else other than Mu Deok has really weirded me out. You mean, all that fire of a chemistry between them was for nothing and now you drop another face and expect us to imagine another actress to be So Min and say "wow! what a chemistry"? HELL NO!!!!! I really wanna beg all the drama directors to not change just a part of the MAIN CAST (esp.) and make a season of the original. Change all of them or keep all of them!
Anyways, I still can't process this whole thing even after watching season 1 for four times and still can't push myself to watch Season 2 even for peer pressure (?). But yeah, I miss Season 1 a lot everytime and come back to watch it again and again. Alchemy of Souls Season 1 has my heart. I'll just skip the last 15 minutes to save me from the obvious frustration.
Thank you so much for your appreciation. Your words really encourage me to write more❤️