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I've never been so ambivalent about a series
I didn't know anything about this series when I started watching it years ago. And to me, personally, it was hard to get into every single time I picked it up again. But after the first half episode, I watched several episodes in a row, because something about it had me hooked. Just to then forget about the series again for a while.So, will I watch the second season? Honestly, I don't know, but since it's only 8 episodes, I might, simply because I like the initial concept.
Most important to say is this: this is not about revenge. Or justice. It's just like real life - outsiders and innocents get their share of consequences, too. . But that is also where the series failed to catch me.
In general, I liked the idea behind it. It was to show that anyone can be manipulated into doing horrible things, it was about group dynamics, social pressure and the lenghts some people would go to to preserve what's important to them - as well as digging into people's fake facades and their reasoning behind it. But even though the message mostly was very clear and hence delivered well - it wasn't convincing.
With messages like that, they can only leave a long-lasting impact if people identify with the situations. If they feel like "oh, that could have been me" or "I probably would have acted the same", but I never thought that with any episode I watched.
1) Nanno was the catalyst of all the scenarios, which I would have been fine with, but
2) At times, the outcomes were so unrealistic, they had to give her mysterious magic powers to explain the escalation of a situation
3) These mysterious magic powers in itself were weirdly inconsistent between and in episodes so everything could go as the writers wanted it to
4) Which added a ton of smaller and bigger plotholes and incomplete settings, making the whole scenario pitted like swiss cheese
5) Yet the writers often shunned away from happy ends just as much as sad endings - and while sometimes this lead to a great open ending to make up your own mind, some endings felt very people-pleasing (like "choose whatever ending you'd prefer")
The quality of the episodes differs vastly and so does the acting. While "Nanno" is doing a great job throughout, many of the side characters don't. The horror elements and special effects often were terrible, even for me, and I hate violence and gore anyways and prefer my series to go light with these if needed for the story.
As I had a four year gap between watching the first and the last episode, I realised that I barely remembered any of the episodes I watched four years ago, which is highly untypical for me. There couldn't be better proof on how few impact it was able to create on me.
Do I recommend watching it? If you like the concept in general and don't mind a... questionable execution, absolutely. If you are looking for a high-quality production in terms of consistency, I'd say you could only enjoy watching if you are able to ignore a ton of plotholes and incomplete settings.
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If only the puzzle pieces fit better...
I had to adjust my expectations a bit, because, as other reviews already mentioned, this isn't a murder mystery. In fact, there's not much mysterious about the plot as a whole. It's more of a family drama wrapped in pleasing aesthetics. But oh how pleasing those aesthetics were.The intros were cinema-worthy and almost all scenes showed a great attention to detail in filming. Without the great presentation, the plot probably would have fallen flat, but it was the atmosphere it created that made me want to keep watching. Also, while others found it to be too much, I loved the focus on the flowers and the way they used them as metaphors.
Although I correctly guessed the culprit(s) quite early on, the following episodes made me doubt my initial gut feeling, which is more than many other crime series manage to do. We have a couple of the typical tropes like people waiting patiently to be told the whole fascinating story or the police not doing a great job, but it's not shoved into our faces which makes it easier to overlook. The connections between actions and characters aren't overly complex and do not come without holes, but the overall ground base is there.
With how the story was told, I'm not sure they knew what they wanted the series to be. The first episodes were a bit confusing, leaving what exactly happened in the grey (and I had my fair share of confusion trying to figure out the characters but maybe that was just me), but by around the half of it, it all became clear and we could watch the characters find out themselves. I would have preferred had they decided for either way of storytelling, but I also got spoilered about the first part, so I might be biased.
Anyhow, I guess, the confusing type of storytelling would have fit better as the lack of screen time for clear characterisation of each character made the emotionality of many scenes fall a bit flat. I developed a liking for several of the "side" characters and would have loved to see more of them. While understanding this was never meant to be emotional, a tad more interest in the character's progression certainly would've kept me hooked even more.
That being said, if you are easily triggered by graphic depiction of traumatic events, you might want to pass on this one or skip certain scenes (more details in spoiler below).
In summary, the main selling points of this drama are its nice filming and the amount of curiosity/thirst for revenge it creates in the viewer - although I have to make clear this isn't about revenge. If you expect a masterminded crime mystery plot, you might want to pass on this one, but if you're all for dramatic family reveals and plottwists, you might want to give this a go.
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A well-made but pretty standard action watch
What can I say that hasn't been said before? I guess the main point whether you will like watching or not is whether you like the typical action-series tropes or you've grown tired of them.The main principle is interesting but it's obvious they added the last story arch to leave room for a second season and I hate when writers do that. Especially with already having a second season in mind I would've loved to give the main issue of this drama - vigilantism - a lot more room and fully delve into that.
But with the in comparison rather standard plot coming up, it also started to show all the standard issues I have with almost every action series I ever watched. The police are stupid, we have a police officer going rogue yet never really seeing consequences for it. The series overall is utterly violent and I saw a lot more people die than I expected to (yes, I have read the description and watched the trailers, but it's a lot), yet for the sake of the plot people survive the craziest stuff whenever it's needed and heal crazy fast. On the other hand, of course not only the police, but also other characters make the stupidest mistakes just because.
Furthermore, we have tropes like "just in time", "one person attacks at a time" or "talking a bit before the final blow so the other character can rescue themselves" just as "bored evil rich guy" and as these tropes added up, it started to annoy me. The female main character is way over the top, we only gain little insight into her motives way too late and many other characters' motivation stays in the dark as well.
It was a very thrilling and exciting watch with a very good premise, good music and a nice approach to challenging moral principles, especially with how likeable the main character became in the course of the series. Without that main character, everything else would have fallen apart. But after all, MDL is suggesting I give this a 7.5, simply because of all the tropes that in their abundance I cannot overlook.
I am rating this an 8.5 as of now just due to how much I liked it (and I am not sure whether an action series can actually do without all these issues), but that surely has less to say about the quality of the series and more so of my ability to overlook its flaws. With season 2 I am almost sure they will lose track, the plot will become crazy and utterly predictable and a whole lot different than what this series started as, but the first season is watchable without ever having to see another prequel, so don't let that hold you back.
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How to like this drama
Had I known about the ratings before starting this show, I probably never would have, but I am glad I watched this. Not because I particularily enjoyed this, but simply because I didn't hate it either. I was so indifferent with this that it was actually a nice relaxing watch in-between.So, here's a guide on how to like it:
First, look for something calm, but not light-hearted. Not to say there was no message or strong emotions, but they are mostly implicit. In that regard, music, cinematography etc. all blend well into each other.
Second, look for a green flag (but young & inexperienced) ML.
Third, do not mind the FL to be a big red flag. This is not a pretty, beautiful romance story and never was supposed to be.
I really didn't feel the relationship at all and my only thought was "I hope he learns to run fast and far and she finally gets some therapy." Which stirs up the question whether someone is a green flag if they stay in a relationship with a red flag, a question I haven't found an answer to. The relationship does change in dynamics and, depending on your perspective, fosters character development, I just don't think I'd call it character "growth".
Fourth, don't expect the side characters to be more than NPCs, the focus is almost entirely on the progression of the relationship.
Fifth, expect backgrounds and backstories to be implicit, too. I have seen more than a handful of short series so far and some really impressed me with how much depth, understanding and context they were able to provide for several characters in a short amount of screentime. Here, the focus is almost entirely on the present with just small hints on what happened to get both characters where they are now. That also makes it really hard to gain "secure" insight into their motives and you need to use your own logic to connect the loose ends. Still, I wouldn't say the series needs a lot of brain cells, although the very open narration style does leave a lot of space to fill if you feel like it.
Sixth, you really like or really care about idol industry, their lives and the consequences it has to live like they do. The message there is clear, strong and probably all too real.
Last but not least, you don't expect a real "plot" as you are used to, but really just want to follow two people along their way of a relationship that probably never should have happend but takes place around the world on a daily basis.
Overall, this drama is probably very close to reality, although the execution might not appeal to everyone. For me, it just didn't manage to stir any interest, and I do like short and calm, slow dramas with lots of implications and a message. But as I don't care much about idols and have had my fair share of red flags already, it wasn't a message meant for me to hear.
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In comparison... don't compare | When you should watch this
Disclaimer: I have watched Go ahead but will write this review so anyone can follow no matter their knowledge about the plot.In general, I recommend watching both versions, but it doesn't really matter where you start. If you really hated one of both, though, I won't recommend watching the other as the main parts of the plot stay the same. This isn't a romance drama. It is about family, growing up and redefining what family means to you while going through the process of finding a healthy way to cope with (your) struggles. The plot elaborates perspectives of people at different life stages, although young people of course are the main focus.
While the Chinese version is a lot longer and its plot felt more realistic, this remake managed to resolve or at least smooth out some of the issues I had with the Chinese version (some I didn't even realize I had until I saw this remake). It does come with its own issues though you will need to be able to overlook.
The fewer amount of episodes means, of course, they had to shorten parts of the plot and character development I would have loved to dive deeper into, but overall, it seemed like this version portrayed more of an ideal version of how things should be. Someone in the comments described this version as quite healing and I found that word very fitting.
While many people described the chemistry to be wearing off after the first couple episodes, it was the opposite for me. With the progress of each episode I could also feel each character grow just as their chemistry with each other became more and more apparent. The music was used so well to bring out the emotions of every scene and support the already great acting skills instead of overruling them. For everyone being hesitant, I want to reassure you to stay patient, watch the characters grow and rethink their (past) decisions just as you probably have done in your life, too. While I understand watching this can feel draggy, boring or frustrating to some people, I loved every step of their way.
What I also really loved were the comedic scenes that almost always lit up the atmosphere. The humour was just perfect to me and even though there were heavy scenes of course, overall, almost every episode had something to make me smile or laugh.
As I already watched the story twice in two different versions and liked both, I don't know what should indicate I couldn't watch it a third and fourth and fifth time.
So, as a general recommendation: Don't watch this if you want to watch a pure fast-paced, heavily dramatic romance drama. Don't watch this if family issues trigger you easily. And, of course, don't watch this if you hated the Chinese version.
But go watch it if you want something about family, something deeply emotional, something to make you smile or something to make you overthink your own idea of what defines a family. I for sure will go and call mine now.
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Only slightly below my expectations
I wanted something very short with an easy to grasp storyline and got exactly that. It all could've worked well had it not felt so off.Having people in their thirties play high schoolers just doesn't work for me. The last exciting bit out of nowhere could have even still somehow fit into the story if it hadn't been so obvious this was happening to some actually very grown men that surely would be mature enough to solve these issues differently than the high schoolers they were meant to embody.
Due to the lack of time, they were a bit "pushy" with each other from the start, and while I'm not only about slow burn romances and like daring flirting, too, I really had to get used to being thrown into it from literally the first second. Combined with the not overly great chemistry, it wasn't very convincing as a whole.
The acting was great though, and they were so good with conveying that weird feeling when a relationship is in-between and both sides are not yet sure where they're headed. I loved that tension and kind of cringey feeling they created.
I usually never notice bad make-up but here, it was so obvious it was distracting at times. Same for the music, that was mostly okay, but tended to be very annoying or misplaced. I really think the shortness of the episodes or even the general plot wasn't the issue here, it was the general casting and all these little details that didn't add up to get across the necessary atmosphere.
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Easy watch in-between to feel comfortable
The only reason I am writing this review is because I stopped watching this drama at a certain point where I felt it would become a lot worse. I was wrong. As foreseeable as the series is, I thought I could foresee the intense clichés and drama that was yet to come and as I was looking for something easy to watch, I put it on hold at that point.Hence here is my warning: If you want excitement and drama, look elsewhere, or it will really feel like "nothing" is happening. If, on the other hand, you want something low-level, keep watching. Anything that usually would have become a huge mainstay of a drama's plot was resolved in a calm and grown-up (yet no less emotional) manner. Also, the small "mystery" that spans through the whole series wasn't too exciting or unforeseeable, but it was still nice to follow as the characters found out step by step.
Apart from the portrayal for the love of books and writing that I found very down to earth yet inspring, I also loved the character development. It wasn't huge, but overall, it felt like all the characters got exactly the right amount of screentime to allow insights into their behaviour and their development - except for the daughter, who suddenly disappeared almost entirely. I just hate when characters get "forgotten" once they're not needed for the plot anymore.
The tropes used aren't new or innovational, but not overused either. There weren't any characters I disliked, although I didn't sympathise with all of them equally. The atmosphere they created together, on the other hand, was very accepting, inspiring and overall comforting to watch. The main couple's relationship was plausible and I liked them both together. It wasn't about being madly in love, but rather about feeling motivated and energised as much as grounded in a relationship, which I felt was another rather grown-up, less idealised approach on that matter.
All in all, this series made me laugh and cry and feel with the characters and I might rewatch certain episodes later just to feel comfortable. If that is what you're looking for, I highly recommend watching.
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Perfect to wind down
A lot of the important things have been said already and I can agree with a lot of the positiv as well as the negative feedback here or at least where it's coming from.The general discussion on what beauty truly means is displayed really well. There's a lot of character development even for the side characters and the drama isn't as exaggerated as in many other series. Overall, it seemed quite close to real life which made the story and characters highly relateable.
But the pacing is slow. So slow that I watched the series in 1.25-1.5x speed to keep me on track (which was perfectly doable, music and speech didn't sound sped up - I highly recommend doing this!). Facial expressions are also very held back, especially with both leads. Some people consider this bad acting, I thought it was simply a nice contrast to the highly emotional dramas I had watched before.
If you are looking for a more laid-back, less highly emotional yet touching drama, you might really like this. If you prefer strong emotions, intense drama and a faster pace, this drama might not be for you. If the pacing had been a tad faster, I would've given it a higher rating, but even for a K-Drama this was...slow.
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Exactly what I needed
As I was looking for a light-hearted, diverting yet not overly cliché ridden BL-drama to watch, I stumbled upon "See your Love" quite early, and am so glad I found it. I don't have much experience with LA BL-dramas yet, but feel like this was definitely on the better side of things - if a light-hearted drama where you can leave your brain at home yet feel with the characters is what you're looking for.Most important to keep in mind is that, despite having around 13 Episodes, each only lasts 20-25 minutes, so there isn't much screentime to work with. That considered, I loved the depth the characters, especially the main characters, got, as well as their character development. I was not prepared for that.
Then again, I was prepared for the "plot" and all the side characters to be lacking screen time and hence "proper" development. While I understand the attempt to further elaborate certain sides of the character's personalities, I am sure that could've been achieved differently - especially towards the end, where a couple things did feel a bit rushed and over the top.
The music did not feel too fitting and especially in a series with one character being deaf would have better been left out at times. It wasn't particularily bad, just not used skillfully.
The disability is displayed comparably well, considerate and empathetic, but most certainly not entirely realistic (the amount of lip-reading superpowers involved alone was questionable...). I advise to appreciate the effort put into a realistic demonstration of being deaf, while not taking it as real-life advice in that regard.
The comic elements might as well be seen as over the top, but it was exactly what made it hilarious and easy to watch amidst big emotions. The chemistry between the characters was great and didn't suffer from the comedy at all. I would have prefered more screen time for the plot and characters instead of fanservice and showing skin, but as these scences were done well too and the chemistry didn't get lost, I didn't mind it either. Instead, I got exactly what I needed. Something to laugh about loudly, something to smile, something to emphasize and something I could quickly watch in between or binge for an evening to relieve some stress.
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Clichés used well for light-hearted distraction
This drama was a great light-hearted show to watch as a short distraction from daily life and in that regard fulfilled its purpose very well. If that's what you're looking for, I can highly recommend watching.However, that also means there was barely any depth to it, so to enjoy it, one has to throw logic out the window. Don't expect any of the characters to actually work or know what they're talking about.
Furthermore, the drama is packed with classical tropes and clichés that I was fine with until the last couple episodes. Those last episodes felt a bit rushed and I didn't enjoy the sheer amount of additional clichés the series certainly could've done without. I really would've wished for the characters to start sticking to their decisions at least after half of the story. You could play "Asian Drama Cliché Bingo" with this series and definitely win a prize.
The comedic chemistry between the main leads was great. I usually skip those scenes in comedy dramas because the jokes rely too much on other character's discomfort for my taste, but this series actually made me laugh. The romantic chemistry on the other hand didn't come across to me and, again, the romantic relationship felt a bit rushed. Each of the main characters is adorable in their own way, but together... I just didn't feel it.
The child in the series is cute and made watching the show even more enjoyable, but is shown less and less as the story proceeds and focuses on the other characters. I wish they would've focused on all characters evenly instead of shifting the focus as the story progresses.
I've hence deducted points for the altogether immense amount of clichés used and the back and forth the characters create with their decisions for an otherwise well-made Romcom.
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