Thought provoking journey with twists and turns!
I just finished watching Lesson in Love and it is quite an adventure! I'm writing this review because I think this drama is probably very misunderstood. I was initially drawn in because of reviewers talking about an important twist (there are like 4 twists!) and MDL comments like, "Leave behind your judgements for a while and give this series a chance. It is not what you think whatsoever!"
Lesson in Love sells itself as a teacher-student romance. Which it kind of is, so that's not entirely inaccurate, but also it really isn't. Yes, there is a teacher-student romance and it's critical to the story, but it's also very much about (perhaps more about):
- Thought provoking questions to explore
- Families and family dynamics
- Pasts, grudges, growth and forgiveness
- Mystery and suspense
I actually think it's best enjoyed by someone who is interested in thought exploration, interesting storytelling, mixed in with a little mystery and suspense with a core romance throughline.
THE WATCHING EXPERIENCE - we'll see if I can do this without spoilers
Episodes 1-5 are *very* cringy. It sets itself up as an (uncomfortable) romance. I watched those episodes with my finger on the 10 second skip button and would wholeheartedly encourage others to do that too.
Episode 6 starts getting very interesting when the drama poses some questions for the audience to ponder.
Then, from Episode 7 onwards it becomes a different drama. There's still a prominent romance throughline, the main couple is very important to the story, but it becomes also about family, society, expectations, wrongs, and mystery. Love is really more a theme that holds the drama together.
The drama does an excellent job at feeding the audience information in bits and pieces so that we can be surprised. It's good storytelling.
I actually didn't walk away "shipping" the main couple or feel any swoon with them (I know others out there did), but I also think it's very okay because it's not necessarily what the drama was about. That didn't make me enjoy the drama less.
Anyway, I think it's worth watching. Is it perfect? Nope. I'm giving it an 8/10. But, it is a super interesting journey!
Rewatch value is low because its appeal is in the surprises/twists. I'd encourage you to avoid all spoilers!
Lesson in Love sells itself as a teacher-student romance. Which it kind of is, so that's not entirely inaccurate, but also it really isn't. Yes, there is a teacher-student romance and it's critical to the story, but it's also very much about (perhaps more about):
- Thought provoking questions to explore
- Families and family dynamics
- Pasts, grudges, growth and forgiveness
- Mystery and suspense
I actually think it's best enjoyed by someone who is interested in thought exploration, interesting storytelling, mixed in with a little mystery and suspense with a core romance throughline.
THE WATCHING EXPERIENCE - we'll see if I can do this without spoilers
Episodes 1-5 are *very* cringy. It sets itself up as an (uncomfortable) romance. I watched those episodes with my finger on the 10 second skip button and would wholeheartedly encourage others to do that too.
Episode 6 starts getting very interesting when the drama poses some questions for the audience to ponder.
Then, from Episode 7 onwards it becomes a different drama. There's still a prominent romance throughline, the main couple is very important to the story, but it becomes also about family, society, expectations, wrongs, and mystery. Love is really more a theme that holds the drama together.
The drama does an excellent job at feeding the audience information in bits and pieces so that we can be surprised. It's good storytelling.
I actually didn't walk away "shipping" the main couple or feel any swoon with them (I know others out there did), but I also think it's very okay because it's not necessarily what the drama was about. That didn't make me enjoy the drama less.
Anyway, I think it's worth watching. Is it perfect? Nope. I'm giving it an 8/10. But, it is a super interesting journey!
Rewatch value is low because its appeal is in the surprises/twists. I'd encourage you to avoid all spoilers!
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