Caie

Won me over!

As someone who doesn’t typically gravitate toward comedy or rom-coms, this series was a pleasant surprise. What really elevated it for me was the quality of the acting and good directing, which made it a genuinely worthwhile watch.

Earth's performance, in particular, stood out and surprised me—his portrayal was nuanced and compelling, and it made me appreciate just how versatile an actor he is. It’s great to see both Earth and Mix continue to take on a variety of roles, and I truly hope to see them explore even more diverse characters in the future.

While I didn’t love everything about the storyline—it felt a bit too familiar at times, and some loose ends were unfortunately left unresolved—that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. Despite those flaws, I’ll definitely be rewatching it.

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This drama had it all

I’ll be honest that it’s been a long while that a drama completely got a hold of me this much. After years and years of watching kdramas many have turned so repetitive that even the actors themselves seem to have hard time not treating them like products from convoyer belts. Not to mention the dramas that take episodes after episodes before you get attached to any of the characters - which was completely not an issue with this one. I think I felt hooked within the first 10 minutes.

I’m not saying this drama was completely perfect what comes to its storyline but for me personally it came close. Of course it’s a huge bonus having changwook and hyesun in the cast, with wonderful chemistry, portraying every possible emotion and line perfectly and thus producing a very believable relationship between the characters. I found myself laughing, crying and squealing with them - something i don’t do very often.

But most importantly what comes to welcome to samdalri, that got my attention from the very first episode (in addition to cho yong pil’s ”short hair”), was the perfectly casted villagers and families in beautiful jeju setting, creating a wondeful sense of family, friends and home. I loved the complicated feelings and backstories we were provided combined with the island’s way of life. Not one character felt out of depth or boring and i’d have liked a deep dive into any of their backstories even more. (Why not have ten episodes more?). I would like to say much more but don’t want to hand out any spoilers. What could be an important lesson we learn is that life happens and we cope with it in very different ways.

The drama as a whole left a big spot in my heart, and i don’t think i’ll find another i’ll like this much very soon. That’s how much of a hold the story had in me.

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I will be missing the characters

I didn’t believe it when i read people saying that this drama was ”up there with the top bl’s” and the best they’ve seen in a while, and so on. I should have, this is easily the best korean bl i’ve seen and it also made up on my top favorites ever i think. The only real complaint i would have is the length of this series, such shame it is to be so short.

However, where short dramas go, this one was paced perfectly. Never did i feel like stuff was rushed or would come out of nowhere and there was such well written character development happening in relatably short time too. Tbh, after finishing the series it felt like i just watched considerably longer series than this one.

To sum it up, i laughed, cried and watched what it felt like an enthralling movie about real feelings of life and love. I will miss these characters, as they really got to me during the couple of hours i spent with them.

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Crying 15 different emotions

Usually i wait a little before posting a review to let the story settle but this time i just couldn’t. I’m no writer so i have trouble with portraying just how much this drama meant to me.

I originally wasn’t too into the title or the storyline, i mean how interesting could it be to watch someone meet their parents when they were young. Also took a few episodes to really hook me in. I’m usually also not too fond of unrealistic plotlines. How wrong have i been.

When i say this got me deeply, i mean it took an arrow and it went straight in. As someone that has had to deal with loss and many family related emotions, the drama hit me hard and made me wonder. And not necessarily in a negative way either. Watching Eun Gyeol follow the footsteps of his parents, figuring them out and trying to understand - isn’t it something many of us often fail (or forget) to do. There were countless of good lines, thankfully i found a past review listing some of them.

I love the lessons learned. Having read some reviews i saw many mentioning how they didn’t like the ending but i disagree (other than the ones saying it would have benefited with a couple of more episodes). Life is filled with both happy and sad moments, both carry great importance in making people the way they are. It’s important to note that even if you could change somethings from happening, in life, everything doesn’t always go the way you planned. Accidents do happen. And however affected it leaves you, you need to face it and find your own solutions - it’s better to learn to live than wonder what could’ve been. Which is exactly why i found the way they left things so important.

Now what comes to the characters.. I usually love romance in dramas. So this is a first where that part really didn’t interest me at all. The bond between Yi Chan and Eun Gyeol - why was it so dear and wonderful? It made me the happiest as well as broke my heart, then fixed it again. It’s been a while since i loved a character as much as i did Yi Chan. Who are you Choi Hyon Wook? I really need to watch everything with him in it.

Skipping now to the ending.. I do understand the reviews stating the end felt adrupt. I was mainly satisfied with the way they tied things up. But then again.. No one remembered Eun Gyeol? Yi Chan really was so taken by him, then never realizes it’s really his son? And the friend group as well.

I get Yi Chan didn’t really believe it but as his son grows up and resembes the past Eun Gyeol more and more? Didn’t they take many pictures as well, he never noticed? He even named him Eun Gyeol? This left me a bit uncertain ngl. At least Yi Chan did understand it in the end, maybe i just wanted them to tie loose ends just a bit more securely.

Anyhow, i will 100% be watching this again. I will propably cry just as hard the second time around but hopefully laugh just as hard as well. Now i’m left feeling really complicated and wonder how i’ll get over this drama and the made up family.

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Full stars

This show i believe deserves everything good. The way the team behind did their research properly and built such amazing and complex characters that anyone watching would buy completely. What i love most of all is how you want to hate and love certain characters but end up understanding the most, as they are simply just human. There was not a single character or moment of this show that i didn’t like and some scenes were artistically very beautiful. I’ve been recommending this show to anyone left and right, even people that usually stick to their usual american soapies.

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A solid 8

I once again learned not to trust the reviews too much and just watch with an open heart. This drama gave the sort of watching experience it promised to deliver. Nothing too heavy but still immersive. I even teared up at the end.

It wasn’t phenomenal in any way, since this synopsis been used over and over again. I have to agree with some commenters’ grievances what comes to some twists and turns, but it definitely didn’t spoil my viewing experience. Then again the drama did still manage to positively surprise me and within the short 12 episodes we had a nice plot and likeable characters.

Your regular rom-coms usually don’t rate very high, so if you want something light-hearted, short and fun to watch do give it a go!

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Entertaining with some flaws

Once again i’m beginning to write my review despite not finishing completely (the last two episodes are playing at the background). I have to agree that similarly with many cdramas they should’ve ended things earlier. The last plot twists ruin a good flow of script as well as characterization of the king and Chu Zhao. And i don’t quite understand the need to do so. Maybe we need the required quota of character deaths. Also the character of Chu Zhao might need to be addressed as good or evil since clearly nothing in netween can’t be tolerated.

That being said, I very much liked the fact that Xiao Jue didn’t simply give up his title in the end, since that would’ve contradicted his character in my eyes.

Over all, I enjoyed the drama. Of course many parts needed to be squinted through, since it was filled with cliches and typical unrealistic actions. How amazing this drama would’ve been if it had been more realistically done? I did wish this especially on the matters concerning the military.

I will most definitely watch again, maybe just stop watching at episode 33.

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Surprisingly endearing with hits and misses

I found myself unable to not comment.

I started watching the drama with no expectations because the synopsis really didn’t reel me in. Only the actress choice of shin hyeson made me start the drama since i’ve so far loved everything with her. And i have to say watching. the drama greatly surprised me with all the feels and somewhat adorable back stories of the character, without necessarily feeling too heavy at the same time. I think hyesun’s acting made it all very bealievable and they nicely tied together the storylines.

But that’s where my critic also comes in, with the storylines that is. I can’t help but feel disappointed over the fact that the drama had this great potential of painting the picture of the importance of chances in this unpredictable life, something it originally i think tried to portray.

But rather of where there is black and white thinking of this person is completely at fault and the other isn’t i would have valued a more important lesson of sometimes accidents happen, some people end up getting hurt and the blame can’t always simply be placed in one single person. Even in as disastrous accident as the one in the drama. Maybe the driver with the tires had sloppily attached them to the vehicle, but also maybe the bus driver was momentarily blinded by the sun. Seori could have stepped out of the bus earlier but didn’t because of woojin, or maybe the friend had something to discuss and that’s how she ended up staying. It’s all about the chains of events in the end isn’t it, where maybe one person is more to blame than the other, but we have accept to go on and live with it in the end. This is just my rambling and you don’t need to agree in any way, just a thought i kept having with woojin and seori coming to face the past, then with the driver applogizing and lastly the truth behind the aunt and uncle.

An enjoyable watch even with the sort of lacking in depth (what was the uncle and aunt’s storyline honestly? Was accepting hyungtae back in seori’s life truly that difficult?). What I will mostly be missing is the lovely made family of woojin, seori, chan, jennifer and friends.

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What am i even watching, a repetative endless story

I commented it before but this drama was similar to eating a huge cotton candy with no end at sight (first bites enjoyable but got extremely dull soon). The only thing that kept me interested was how Rosa’s situation would be handled but even that made me more and more annoyed as the time went on.

Why would no one communicate? Not a single character. Maybe Mok Jin & Bo Young were the exception and i really wished we had more of them and less from the others especially the main pairing if they even should be called that.

Joo Ah, as sweet as she was, she resembled a pre schooler and i’m not talking about relationship history. Very uninteresting and plain character. I don’t think the writers meant it that way, but with her I feel like she lacks the understanding that anyone is able to get chances in life with hard work and necessary skills - and that said, not only her but others as well. Too often we see this character wallowing in self pity of ”why not me”. When facing a disappointment she at some point mentions ”but i prepared so hard” - did you really? As a viewer I really didn’t catch that, making her a bit shallow even.

Like with many of the other characters, she’s also not able to communicate at all. I found myself skipping at times watching her and Minho’s parts. I think I’d rather had Minho find someone else, it’s almost as if he had to coax Joo Ah to like him.

The Jimin & Haneul thing, i knew they’d be breaking up but hoped for something more extreme than due to not talking. In the last episodes where they were finally talking I didn’t even get what they were on about (Haneul everytime left dramatically alone apologizing - for what?)

Moon Joon part was interesting as was much of the other stuff happening that had nothing to do with the relationships.

Aren’t they supposed to be uni students? Maybe i’m not in the target audience in the end and this is for even younger people.

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Tackled some good themes

Really liked it! Strong female leads are it for me, fun that they tackled some social gendered issues and have to give it to the cast which rly was an excellent choice for the drama.

Storywise lighter, nothing spectacular but then again a thicker plot would have defeated the purpose of the show, which tried to keep things light-hearted even during the more dramatic parts.

I love it when kdramas are taking on stronger female characters and not your typical damsel in distress approach to things, without the drama turning ridiculous that is.

Overall a fresh feel good drama. Would recommend.

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What a great 26 episodes

I didn’t want to go into too much detail with this one. Mostly it’s because I skipped parts of the last 5-7 episodes and fast-forwarded through some scenes.

After rereading my review, I realized I need to add the things I loved at the beginning, since my rating was actually quite high.

The trope was right up my alley, and they really managed to portray the enemies-to-lovers setting well with this one. I was fascinated from the start. Liu Yu Ning was a new face for me, and it didn’t take long before I started appreciating his strong acting. Wei Shao was a character who immediately resonated with me and kept me invested in the story from the very start. To be completely honest i could watch 40 episodes solely about his life journey. I wouldn’t mind another series of him and his four loyal men. Man how i wish they’d have had his characterization from the beginning more apparent in later scenes.

I feel it a bit shame i don’t have much to say about our main character. She surely had her moments and did a satisfactory job keeping things going and the plot alive. Could she have been a more exciting as a character? For sure. Song Zu Er’s acting was very good but they missed with qiao man’s characterization.

This drama started off extremely promising. Sadly, when it came to the last 10 episodes, even the complex character of Wei Shao wasn’t enough to keep things interesting anymore. Because of the writing, the plot became so plain-vanilla it was hard to swallow. I do wonder about the genre. What had me locked from beginning became something more of a romantic comedy with heavier music in between.

I feel like they could’ve kept the drama shorter, which would have worked perfectly. In the latter half of the series, multiple small issues popped up only to be resolved within five minutes of time. Somehow days had passed though. With the heavy themes this drama touched upon, I think it would have benefited from deeper contemplation of the bigger issues, instead of brushing them off with short, “funny” moments between the main couple that felt out of character. I know China has restrictions on morally gray plotlines, but I still think they could’ve preserved the soul of the drama in a better way.

I hope no one minds if I say that when the Qiao cousins had their falling out, I almost fell asleep. Qiao Fan’s character bored me out of my mind. Did the others even notice her passing, or did i skip that part of the series? Thinking back, what was even her point in the drama? I couldn’t grasp Bi Zhi’s character either. Surely he has more to him than just loving a girl and jumping around in the forest, hunting deer? Their screen time could have been cut in half and nothing would’ve been missed.

I was thankful for the cuteness from the other secondary couple, Wei Liang and Xiao Tao. However, Wei Liang, who started as the most grounded, fun, life-loving character, was reduced to comic relief and then written out of the drama rather randomly. When will cdrama writers learn that you don’t necessarily need to kill off a certain quota of secondary (or main) characters to make a drama good.

I think i will most definitely revisit the drama, but rather unfortunatelly i most likely will be rewatching the first 20 or so episodes. Those 20 episodes were enough for me to give this high a rating and think back to it fondly.

I do see people rate this drama high and i think many might disagree with my review. Some might direct me to more heavier themed dramas but it seems that China tends to end those with majority of characters dying off to underline moral lessons about cherishing what you have and the fleeting nature of happiness etc. How many times that same lesson needs to be hammered into people’s heads with these dramas is another issue altogether.

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