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Yup, one of the rarer instances where he's good, which goes onto show how uneven and inconsistent he still is, and has miles to go. I really, really hope he can learn from some of the best and deliver solid performances, because he clearly has the potential for it! :D

Same, the attention to detail is impeccable, even if it isn't fully faithful to the webtoon!... But they have done SO much more than what could even be imagined!.. ^^

I have missed a few dialogues myself, because of this reason. Insta clips have come to the rescue! Would like to thank the fandom on behalf of all the 'distracted' viewers. ^^

An actor in his character, can be 'cool, careless & not talkative' in three different ways:
1. with his body language (which is under the jurisdiction of the director),
2. with his dialogues & actions (he will have fewer ones given to him by the scriptwriter)...
3. his emotions (that is *solely* under the jurisdiction of the actor, depending on how he 'interprets' the character)

While, the first two are usually not in an actor's hands, what sets a 'rookie' performance apart from a 'seasoned' actor is the third. His 'distant' personality is adequately built up the PD and his scriptwriters (using points 1 & 2), and nobody has stopped CEW from having visible emotions.

Let's just agree there is a certain 'nuance' to roles where even 'cold, aloof' characters end up 'betraying their emotions' by emoting through their eyes, the corner of their mouths, the tilt of their eyebrows, which doesn't require a whole lot of dialogues or big gestures & actions [that would end up changing the character's personality].

While I am not hating CEW as Suho, because he adequately looks and acts the part, his performance is far from being 'nuanced' or 'profound' for a character with a moderate level of complexity.

Quite on the contrary for me. I have (age-wise) outgrown high school dramas, and haven't watched one for more than a decade now. I am pleasantly surprised how they did away with 'cringey, shouty' FLs, and the other 'tropey' high school stuff, that used to be outright *caricatures* a decade back, and look more realistic now. (angry, exaggerated wall-punching, forceful fish-eyed kisses, etc.)
In fact, I would say some 'adult' dramas have characters that behave with dumber than 'a-high-school-kid logic'.... and I am glad, despite its HS setup, characters don't seem unrealistically immature in the head ( because EACH of the leads did their 'share of growing-up' ahead of their years)... ^^

This article is indeed god-sent for the MDL-newbies to visit some excellent writings here! ^^ Thank you, once again....I keep revisiting this series occasionally, and discover some really wholesome written content (Doumyouji-cookies) ^^ <3

yeah....
*sigh*
T_T

i think the other scene that i absolutely loved in the movie was, when Mike decides to quit his basketball match ONCE again, to chase after Scarlett, through the same corridor he did, 18 years back....he didn't give it a second thought, despite having got a second chance...
wish they kept the same scene of Dae Young walking out of the match midway, to chase after Da Jung.... his realisation at that point looked so profound & touching (in the movie) :/ :/

omygod yesssss!!.... with the glasses, she DOES look Joe Chen....
I also felt the way she cutesy-talks, is very reminiscent of Kim Go Eun (esp her little giggles) ^^

I am in the same boat as you too, but its understandable since
1. Suho is the first ML, so they keep writing his character 'better' so viewers would root for him instead
2. They also keep giving meaningful scenes (in the webtoon) between SeoJun & Joo Kyung to Suho....
3. Suho is the first ML, so he has 'more' screen-time with the leading lady.
They are playing our psychology well...... so of-course being re-routed to divert our support towards Suho...
(I say this because I started with *every* intention to be Team SeoJun, esp since 18 Again, but I am finding it difficult NOT to ship Suho & Joo Kyung) :P :P

NOH. this is NOT fair, why aren't webtoon fans, and Team SeoJun protesting against this? T_T

One more drama, ONE MORE childhood connection trope (in ep4)...wth!? Can we do away with this? It's going to be 2021 soon -_-

Next week's basketball preview glimpses with Hwang In Yeop & Cha Eun Woo in basketball jerseys is giving major flashbacks of 18 Again.... especially since Si Woo the kid looks a LOT like EunWoo :3 :3

It's okay if Seo Jun is the SML and doesn't get the girl, but heck, DO NOT MAKE HIM A PLOT DEVICE....I beg the writers :/ I hope they don't sacrifice his character development/ story just for the sake of petty conflict. -__-

Hence I am currently looking at your watchlist to cherry-pick some j-doramas, because I wholly relate to that situation! :P :P

Is a SML, even a SECOND ML, if he gets the girl?!
RIP my hearts that bleeds for Seo Jun, because I know the (order of the) billing indicates where this is headed... T_T

FL's in JHS:
1. described as wall-flowers but catches attention of every single 'hot-guy' on campus.
2. has 'faults' that somehow aren't really human-faults or weaknesses in character(?), but a reason to 'endear' them even more amongst the men in the drama.
3. either physically abusive (bratty & shouty types) or complete doormats.
4. the sweet, ever-smiling 'yamato-nadeshiko' type characters who actually IRL would *never* be able to achieve the things a modern 21st century working woman (likely living in Tokyo) would be able to accomplish.

and the filters, cinematography, colours, the grainy-ness, the angles, the styling (hair & wardrobe), the 80's kind of city-pop style music *cringe*..... I think (thankfully) TB is nothing like that. And the nostalgia/familiarity is only because it pays homage to classic k/j HS dramas in a perfectly balanced (and much improved) way! ^^

HS k-dramas used to be AS irritating with the characterization in the early/mid 2000's. Glad they have grown up..... but HS j-dramas are still stuck in that time warp, with the shouty, girly, 'mary-sue' type FLs.... T_T

DITTO. i put it on hold 4 times (every 15 mins of watching the first 2 epi), because of the cringe & the second-hand embarrassment, but if you soldier-on beyond ep 2, you'll build the tempo to continue watching! ^^ trust me on this.... :)

AWW!!..... I haven't yet watched LIS...
After this article, imma start binge-watching... thank you! ^^