Watched. Smiled. Forgot.
Spring Fever is as substantial as cotton candy and as deep as a teaspoon. If you expect deep meaning or a strong, layered story, you’ll be utterly disappointed. But if, like me, you go in expecting a few giggles and nothing that lingers afterward, you’ll probably have a good time.
Story:
An unjust scandal forces an ethics teacher to take a substitute position on a remote island. She faces false and damaging allegations, and to add insult to injury, her parents stop her from taking action - largely for their own selfish reasons. She meets a tough guy, they fall in love, everything works out, and they get their HEA.
See? Depth of a teaspoon.
What I Liked:
— Ahn Bo-hyun’s handsomeness and dimples - The drama does objectify him to some extent, but shallow me couldn’t bring myself to mind too much. He does what’s required of him and does it well.
— Lee Joo-bin as the ethics teacher - She looks great and carries her role well. To be honest, neither lead has had to exert themselves much. Their roles don’t challenge them; they coast through it without any fuss.
— Cho Yi-jun’s fanboy lawyer - The president-of-the-fan-club lawyer is funny. His dynamic with Jae-gyu isn’t central to the plot, but he fits nicely into the story.
— Cinematography - Absolutely beautiful. It genuinely made me want to book a ticket to South Korea.
— Light humour (at times) - Some jokes land very well. Jae-gyu declaring himself Bom-shik’s Appa and Yoon Bom as his Eomma is ridiculously funny. Their absurd “custody battle” makes you laugh.
What I Didn’t Like
— The overdone focus on Jae-gyu’s physical strength - We get it. He’s Hercules reincarnated. The first few times are amusing. By the tenth time, it is just eye-roll inducing.
— Unnecessary romances - Since the main romance isn’t strong enough to carry 12 episodes, we get a secondary one that adds absolutely nothing. It feels like filler. It could easily have stayed enemies-to-friends; it didn’t need to become enemies-to-lovers. Especially since the male half of that pair is basically a doormat.
— Han-gyul and Se-jin - Meh.
— The parents - Just overall terrible parents who can’t be trusted to have their kids’ backs. They prioritize professional and social image over their children’s well being. Jae-gyu’s sister abandons her son, expects Jae-gyu to give up his dreams and raise him, and then has the audacity to bargain over selling the piece of land their good-for-nothing father left them. Give that woman an award for Worst Sister and Mother of the Year.
— Lack of chemistry - There isn’t much chemistry between the ML and FL. He looks handsome, she looks pretty, but beyond that, their romantic scenes feel flat. No butterflies.
— The other teachers - Do they even teach any classes?
Overall
Despite this long list of complaints, my rating stands because I went in with realistic expectations. I knew what I was signing up for. It’s a shallow, lighthearted rom-com.
The drama does not take itself seriously at any point — you shouldn’t either. You watch it, you forget it, and you move on.
Story:
An unjust scandal forces an ethics teacher to take a substitute position on a remote island. She faces false and damaging allegations, and to add insult to injury, her parents stop her from taking action - largely for their own selfish reasons. She meets a tough guy, they fall in love, everything works out, and they get their HEA.
See? Depth of a teaspoon.
What I Liked:
— Ahn Bo-hyun’s handsomeness and dimples - The drama does objectify him to some extent, but shallow me couldn’t bring myself to mind too much. He does what’s required of him and does it well.
— Lee Joo-bin as the ethics teacher - She looks great and carries her role well. To be honest, neither lead has had to exert themselves much. Their roles don’t challenge them; they coast through it without any fuss.
— Cho Yi-jun’s fanboy lawyer - The president-of-the-fan-club lawyer is funny. His dynamic with Jae-gyu isn’t central to the plot, but he fits nicely into the story.
— Cinematography - Absolutely beautiful. It genuinely made me want to book a ticket to South Korea.
— Light humour (at times) - Some jokes land very well. Jae-gyu declaring himself Bom-shik’s Appa and Yoon Bom as his Eomma is ridiculously funny. Their absurd “custody battle” makes you laugh.
What I Didn’t Like
— The overdone focus on Jae-gyu’s physical strength - We get it. He’s Hercules reincarnated. The first few times are amusing. By the tenth time, it is just eye-roll inducing.
— Unnecessary romances - Since the main romance isn’t strong enough to carry 12 episodes, we get a secondary one that adds absolutely nothing. It feels like filler. It could easily have stayed enemies-to-friends; it didn’t need to become enemies-to-lovers. Especially since the male half of that pair is basically a doormat.
— Han-gyul and Se-jin - Meh.
— The parents - Just overall terrible parents who can’t be trusted to have their kids’ backs. They prioritize professional and social image over their children’s well being. Jae-gyu’s sister abandons her son, expects Jae-gyu to give up his dreams and raise him, and then has the audacity to bargain over selling the piece of land their good-for-nothing father left them. Give that woman an award for Worst Sister and Mother of the Year.
— Lack of chemistry - There isn’t much chemistry between the ML and FL. He looks handsome, she looks pretty, but beyond that, their romantic scenes feel flat. No butterflies.
— The other teachers - Do they even teach any classes?
Overall
Despite this long list of complaints, my rating stands because I went in with realistic expectations. I knew what I was signing up for. It’s a shallow, lighthearted rom-com.
The drama does not take itself seriously at any point — you shouldn’t either. You watch it, you forget it, and you move on.
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