Jess

business drama disguised as romance? still love it.

Nice Healing drama with romance, mystery and business. lots of business.
This was a fresh concept, and the balance between his life, her life and that of everyone involved was so well done. so much so that I just couldn't stop watching. for the first half anyway.
what I liked:
-how consistent he was with his love and how boldly and shamelessly he did so.
-they respectfully helped her move on from her ex, and it was so nice to see.
-their chemistry. it was on and off towards the end, but the begining, oh my.
-her father in law. his character was just such a treat. he was kind understanding and just amazing
-her kindness. the fact that she found good in him and pulled it out.
-no useless subplots about other useless characters
-added suspense plot to a romantic drama is always a plus for me personally
-the OST, specifically 꿈은 아니길 by 이영운 was amazing and it sucked I couldnt find it on Spotify.

dislikes:
- the breakup came before the relationship even started
-writers seemed to have been fishing for excuses to keep them apart for as long as possible, so their relationship officially started wayyy later on in the show. it started feeling like a business drama instead of romance the posters and everything promised.
- would have liked to see them together and happy longer in the end. even though it was relaxed and showed them for a couple minutes, I would have not been mad if they had more time together
-wish the resolution of the health issues in the end had been explained. feels like we just skipped that part

overall a really nice little healing romance and mystery drama with tons of business in the middle. I would recommend it just because of how well the writers balance everything at the begining and kept us coming back for more.

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she fell first he fell the hardest and stayed that way ?

Childish infatuation turned into beautiful everlasting love with stupid mess in the middle, is how I would explain the main characters' love story in this.
They made me think I was going to get second lead syndrome and masterfully fixed with how deeply in love the main lead became and how much he changed. you couldn't help but root for them.

things I liked:
-the deep love and just slowly watching him fall for her just go full speed with no break.
-how he just turns so sweet with her.
-theyre chemistry was just amazing and I loved watch them get closer.
-how naive she was and how insult just roll right off her back and she was so forgiving and understanding. I never once hated her or thought of her as a bleeppp word.
-full circle ending the couples living happily ever after is always a huge plus in my book.

What I disliked:
-episode 15 onto 19 just trash
-how wishy washy they were with the skinship and getting close to each other after finally being able to "get the girl". he was hot and cold. he had his reasons but I felt they could have executed it better.
-all the subplots that didn't sign up to watch with the ajummas

OST was a mess. the hilarious oh no no no sound killed me every time. the fashion was on point.

At first I thought this is a drama that is well written, and well done because I never thought it was going to go the direction in which it went. a well balanced medium heaviness drama that was going to find humor even in things like loss, grieving and cancer. they had struck a really great balance, in a fun respectful way... until they got to episode 15 when I feel like the drama went under new management and the person had no idea what they were doing.

overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the first half with the friends and watching him slowly come to the realization that he cares for her and then the friend getting in the middle. until episode 15 like what were they thinking with this turn of events that turned something great into a complete joke, it went from a possible 8 or 9 to 5 for me. Afterwards they sure made up for it but it left a bad taste in my mouth. Also with all the extra characters no one cared about so the rating couldnt go over a 7 for me.

I don't get why writers and directors don't get that we come to watch the MAIN character's lives and see them fall in love and go through troubles. not to watch a bunch of irellavent filler foil characters' lives. NO ONE CARES. like seriously. so stop putting effort into other characters stories over the main ones.

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Amnesia four times is insane

a book on not to trusting people disguised as a love story, badly written and executed without enough substance to even fill 16 episodes but they made 20.

what I liked:
the ML actor is just so good at what he does.
the little seconds when they genuinely loved each other and no one was stabbing anyone in the back.
all the actors killed it
what I HATED:
I hated how dirty he was and how he was basically a gigolo, how cold he was at the begining and it lasted way to long. They keep breaking up and coming back together like they have nothing to show and just keep teasing us. They still didn't make up their minds to be together even by episode 9. They show a resolution only to take it away in the next 30mins. He still loved the horrible woman after all she did to him. It was over the top with music and slowly showing scenes to waste time. They broke up and got back together like 3 times already by episode 9. Oh and the little 11 months hiatus in the middle like whyyyyy.The love story was too weak for how cringy the camera angels and music and all the melodrama extra stuff got thank God they toned it down after episode 10. I loved how unconditional her love for him was, in the begining. Nothing fazes her and she was so smart.

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cute then deep then cute Romcom

I must say I am starting to not believe in reviews anymore. Because I held off oo watching this because of reviews that I heard on tiktok and I regret it because I finished this within one night. It was literally so good. I couldn't stop watching It. Totally Loved it. It was such a great new concept I've never seen before in k dramas (the video game scenes). At the beginning, it felt like a reverse of Her Private Life, in the best way.

LIKES
-I really like that this time she was the one running towards him.
-I love that we got so much couple time like
-gaming concept and how we got to grow a bit with them
-the acting is awesome and the cast is nice
-used the breeakups and conflicts as learning curves and used it to grow together.
-tons of couple time, happiness, and appropriate intimicy.
-their devotion to one another

DISLIKE
-the second couple went straight into it. It was gross, transactional and weird. i thought hey were going to develop nicely and fall in love. considering how nice they became later, that whole casual thing was not necessary
-everytime It tries to get deep, they make it funny with the comedic timing and music to lighten the mood When it's something fairly serious.
-the reason for the first breakup I found to be very unreasonable and made no sense. Like yes I understood When she was young but they're whole adults now. like girl, you can lean on him.
-I'm going to give it a 9.5 because the nice clean conservative culture i watch kdramas for is actively rotting with that first issue with the main leads.

The OST was great and so was the fresh fashion and the cars. Overall, like it was just a complete and perfect drama like I don't know what people are talking about. It's so good. Literally watch if you love remains. This is up your alley.

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COMPLETE romance ? ? with no open endings

I literally cannot think of one thing that I didn't like about the drama. I love the complete ending and how there was no dumb open ending. I love how there was no unnecessary breakups. I love how they gave everybody in the crew their own story but it didn't overshadow the main characters and they only gave them a little bit so it's not like a full episode. I loved the overall message of hope and beauty and how it taught you not to only look for CEOs as your man. It was down-to-earth, it felt real and relatable. It felt like you were in the small town in South Korea. It was so cute.
I just really liked the way the writers went about this. I gave it and I 9.5 Because I feel like it's still not perfectly complete with the whole package exactly like I wanted. But it's still so good. I really love this and recommended it 10 out of 10.

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One word.... COMPLETE

This drama is so well written. Anybody who says differently is not watching the same drama I was watching. Because this was one of the most complete Korean dramas I've ever watched. They delve into each part of the story so beautifully and it was a redemptive hopeful story. It made me cry so much. I laughed and it just gives you hope for life. It's such a beautiful story of love, lost, forgiveness and everything in between.
The only part that felt overdone was hoe many episodes that was given to robin towards the end but it's understavle and respectfully done. I love how they ended it. I love everything about it. I will recommend this to everybody who loves a bit of thriller and romance put together. But I love that the Romans part was the main theme. I love how they dealt with issues of illness, and how they just went about solving everything. Maybe it's because I have not been watching good quality dramas lately in 2024 everything feels badly written with horribly damaging underlying message to our society, but this was such a breath of fresh air.

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Beautifully Cringey love story I can't stop watching

If you want those people that like micro dramas or something about 1% you're going to love this. This is a huge step up from the vertical mini dramas. Also This drama surprised me in the best way. It reminded me a lot of 1% of Something in that it wasn’t trying to be deep, prestigious, or anything it wasn’t. It knew exactly what kind of drama it was — a slightly cringey, forced-cohabitation romance — and it leaned into it fully.
What I loved most is how focused it was. The story is about the couple, period. Side characters exist only to move their relationship forward, not to distract from it. No unnecessary subplots, no random people taking up screen time. Just the couple, their dynamic, and their progression.
It’s funny, giddy, and very rewatchable. The kind of drama you can finish in a day, put on in the background, or recommend to someone who wants something light and cute without emotional exhaustion. It honestly felt more watchable than Boys Over Flowers — better chemistry, better outfits, and way less unbearable energy.
The female lead can be over-the-top for her age, but it works here. It’s exaggerated in a way that’s funny, not grating. And the male lead? Yes, he’s dominant and obsessive — but in this drama’s world, it never crossed into creepy. It stayed firmly in “dramatic, devoted, and ridiculous in a fun way.”
If I had to nitpick, I wish the transition from “not together” to “together” had been given a bit more weight. The moment happened quickly and could’ve been more defined. But once they were together, the drama didn’t fumble it — we actually got plenty of couple time.
Overall, this was honest, complete, and exactly what it set out to be.
Rating: 9-9.5/10
For this type of drama, it honestly does almost everything right

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Frustratingly fine ?

If you’re like me and you care about emotional intimacy, devotion, being let into the couple’s relationship, and not having to sit through endless cringe before anything meaningful happens — this drama is going to test your patience. Hard. I finished it, but I was annoyed for most of the ride.

LIKES:
-The music is cute and honestly one of the few consistently pleasant things about the show.
-The cast is strong, which is the only reason I didn’t fully rage-quit early on.
-Once they finally get together, the chemistry improves and the drama becomes watchable.
-I did appreciate the more realistic conversations about marriage, pressure, and expectations — in theory.
-The second half is clearly better than the beginning, which made me understand why people like this drama… even though I still don’t love it.

DISLIKES:
-The female lead is written as painfully naive, clingy, and lacking self-respect — not in a cute way, not in a sympathetic way, but in a secondhand-embarrassment way.
There are cute versions of naive characters. She is not that version. She makes me cringe.
-She has no dignity. People clearly don’t want her, don’t choose her, don’t treat her well — and she keeps forcing herself into their lives anyway. The pool auction scene incident made me furious. She chased a man who treated her like trash, got herself arrested, humiliated herself, and still didn’t learn anything from it.
-No self-control, no dignity, no backbone. Just constant bad decisions followed by crying. She gets drunk, causes problems, has zero self-esteem, and somehow the drama wants me to root for this behavior. I couldn’t.
-The early episodes are so slow it felt like a chore. I was bored, irritated, and not emotionally invested at all.
-I disliked almost every character at the start, which made it hard to care where the story was going.
-The barista situation completely turned me off — making out with someone else while acting emotionally invested elsewhere felt gross and careless.
-The tone is way too silly and childish for a drama that wants to talk seriously about marriage.
-I came in expecting devotion and emotional growth, and instead got chaos, immaturity, and nonsense for way too long.
-A big part of my frustration is that this drama was overhyped to me by chatgpt, which made the disappointment worse.
-This is one of those shows where finishing it made me feel relieved, not satisfied.

CONCLUSION:
I didn’t absolutely hate this drama, but I also don’t understand the hype. It has moments, and the second half improves, but the beginning is rough, frustrating, and emotionally empty for far too long. I’m glad I finished it, but I would never randomly start it again.
For me, this is a 6/10 — not awful, not great, and very dependent on mood. If you’re sensitive to cringe, humiliation arcs, and characters with no self-respect, this will probably irritate you more than entertain you.

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So Much Potential, Completely Wasted

If you’re like me and you care about emotional intimacy, devotion, being let into the couple’s relationship, and watching a love story actually be built on screen, this drama will frustrate you endlessly. This drama itself does not properly build the relationship it asks you to root for, and that’s the core problem.

LIKES:
— Hyeri was hilarious, charming, warm, and had zero boundaries in the best way — I completely fell in love with her personality
— The makeup, fashion, cars, and overall modern aesthetic were gorgeous; I missed this kind of polished, contemporary drama so much
— The workplace scenes where the male colleagues actually stepped in to protect her instead of humiliating her were refreshing and well done
— The production value was excellent, and the cast as actors are very strong


DISLIKES:
— The side characters, especially Hyeri and second male lead, were far more emotionally engaging than the main couple which was a problem if they were not the main couple
— I got intense second lead syndrome, which I almost never get, because the second male lead and the version of her he fell in love with had a relationship that felt gentle, mutual, and earned
— I genuinely loved the dynamic between the “poor” hyeri version of her and the boy grieving his brother; their story felt like it deserved its own drama
— The male lead treats the female lead like an object that waits for him to return whenever he feels ready
— He is emotionally closed off to an extreme degree — not “quiet,” not “reserved,” but withholding, even after years together
— He never lets her into his life, his family, or his grief, which is insane after an eight-year relationship
— The female lead becomes anxious, dependent, and emotionally diminished around him in a way that felt uncomfortable and humiliating to watch
— I hated that the person who truly fell in love with the good man was her other personality, not her — that felt cruel
— Each personality should have been given her own story; combining them robbed both of depth and respect
— Watching her live as her sister and slowly erase herself felt like a betrayal, not growth
— I stopped rooting for the main couple entirely because the relationship felt toxic, unbalanced, and emotionally negligent
— The drama lets us get incredibly close to the second personality, then removes her abruptly without dignity, closure, or a goodbye
— The second male lead also never gets closure, which makes everything feel unfinished and cruel
— The drama constantly keeps us at a distance from the main couple — we’re watching from hallways, doorways, or faraway angles, never inside their emotions
— We’re told to root for the main couple without ever being allowed to feel with them
— The male lead repeatedly centers himself, even in situations where he’s clearly hurt her, and never truly acknowledges his damage
— Scenes feel manipulative, like fake-out accidents and emotional gimmicks designed to keep viewers watching instead of earning investment
— It makes no sense that she continues working under extreme stress without intervention, consequences, or realism
— The reunion felt forced, emotionally empty, and completely unearned
— Casting was wrong: the female lead actress is too inherently strong to convincingly play this level of emotional collapse, and the male lead lacks warmth, emotional range, and vulnerability
— By the end, the only people I cared about were the second male lead and second female lead — everyone else lost me
— This drama handles dissociative identity far worse than other dramas that have tackled it with more care and respect

CONCLUSION:
This drama looked like it should have been incredible. The production, the cast, and the early promise were all there — but the writing and structure completely failed the story. It made me emotionally invest in characters it discarded and asked me to root for a relationship it never properly built.
I didn’t feel moved, healed, or satisfied. I felt frustrated, distant, and honestly upset by how careless the story was with the characters I loved most.
For me, this is a 3/10. Not because it lacked talent — but because it wasted it.

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love in spite of ourselves

I loved the couple. I loved the premise. I loved watching them slowly fall in love. But the pacing, unnecessary characters, and dragged-out middle made this feel like a chore at times.

If you like contract marriage, forced cohabitation, modern royalty, and watching two people slowly fall in love while living together, then you will like this drama — but only if you keep your remote very close and are not afraid to skip. A lot.
This is one of those dramas where the idea is better than the execution. The premise is amazing, the couple is worth it, and when it focuses on them, it’s genuinely beautiful. Unfortunately, it also wastes an unbelievable amount of time on unnecessary characters and side plots that add nothing. I truly believe if this drama were edited down to only the main couple, it would be incredible — and about 8 episodes long.

👍 LIKES
-The premise is so good — modern Korea with a monarchy? I was hooked immediately
-I’m a sucker for contract marriage / forced cohabitation, so I was already invested
-Feels like Boys Over Flowers but better, calmer, and more intentional
-I loved how they start liking each other earlier than expected — it’s subtle but there
-The modernized palace styling and hanbok looks are still beautiful almost 20 years later
-The FL’s cheerful, resilient attitude made her easy to root for at first
-When the drama focuses on just them, watching them fall in love is genuinely satisfying
-The real first kiss(though pretty much towards the end) was amazing — great chemistry, real payoff. wished we'd seen more.
-Episodes 15–22 complete mess, so annoying.
-I enjoyed the journey of them falling in love despite everything

👎 DISLIKES
-One of the slowest paces I’ve ever experienced, and not in a good slow-burn way
-Too much time wasted on high school nonsense when they’re already married
-Immature, annoying side characters that added nothing and were painful to watch
-Episode 9 flirting while married felt like cheating, not cute
-Political plotlines kept coming and going with no clear purpose
-The FL becomes extremely frustrating toward the end — childish, whiny, and illogical
-The overseas separation trope was completely unnecessary and infuriating
-Decisions near the end made no sense, especially who took the blame and who didn’t
-The mom deserved consequences — and it barely felt addressed
-We got way too little time of them actually being together after everything they endured
The ending needed more couple time — even something small would’ve helped

I started skipping early — and by episode 15, I skipped everything that wasn’t the main couple. Honestly? That’s the only reason I finished it happily.
If someone ever edits this drama down to just the couple, I would rewatch it immediately — and probably rate it much higher.

Final rating: 7.5/10
Could’ve been a 9.
Should’ve been shorter.

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good romance killed by dragging

If you like contract marriage, forced living together, office romance, morally good female leads, and intense slow-burn tension that starts off addictive, then you will absolutely be hooked at first by this drama. I was OBSESSED in the beginning. Like, glued-to-my-screen obsessed. This had everything I love on paper… and that’s why it hurt so much when it lost its way.

LIKES
-Strong couple focus early on with very little unnecessary side cast
-A kind, morally grounded FL who knows right from wrong and isn’t greedy or dishonest
-ML who isn’t physically violent, but clearly broken and psychologically complex
-Excellent early pacing that keeps you coming back without feeling annoying
-She regains her agency early (around ep 4), which made me root for her even more
-One of the best push-and-pull dynamics I’ve seen when it worked
-Perfect mix of office romance, contract marriage, and forced cohabitation
-Refreshing take where the FL isn’t lying her way through the marriage
-I loved that the ML chooses not to see certain truths rather than being outright deceived
-This drama had me saying “I don’t want this to end” around episodes 7–12

DISLIKES
-FL was way too naïve with her kidnapper and believed things too easily
-ML was painfully gullible for someone portrayed as powerful and intelligent
-By episode 9, they still weren’t seriously together, which is where fatigue hit
-Episodes 14–16 dragged badly with unnecessary plot detours
-Romance payoff came way too late, after the emotional momentum was already gone
-Almost no genuine intimacy until the very end (in a 20-episode drama!)
-Certain plot devices (👀 cameras 👀) were introduced, then quietly abandoned
-The drama knew how to build tension, but didn’t know how to release it properly

FINAL THOUGHTS
This drama started as a 10/10 for me. I was obsessed. Truly. It felt like everything I love wrapped into one beautifully paced, addictive story. But somewhere in the middle, it forgot why I was watching: the romance.
By the time the couple finally came together for real, I was already emotionally checked out. The happy ending helped, and I did appreciate that justice was served and evil characters were punished, but it couldn’t fully undo the frustration.
Objectively, this is a well-written, well-acted melodrama with a fantastic setup. Subjectively, it didn’t give me enough together-time to satisfy what it promised.
Final Rating: 8/10
I don’t regret watching it — but I do mourn the version of this drama that could have been incredible all the way through.

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Cute romance almost ruined with the dragging

If you like medical dramas with romance, emotional growth, and a strong female lead who slowly comes into her own, then you’ll probably enjoy this drama. I liked this one overall, but I won’t lie — it definitely tested my patience at times. It’s one of those older-format K-dramas where you can feel the episode count, but when it’s good, it’s really good.

LIKES
-I liked the romance overall, especially once it actually settled
-Strong character growth, especially for the female lead
-The emotional moments worked and felt earned
-The acting was solid and their chemistry was so nice.
-I liked seeing the medical world paired with personal healing
When they were together and communicating, it was really nice

DISLIKES
-Why is no onr talking about this man falling for an underaged girl. It was not tastefully done at all. I cam't belive they tried to act like that's okay.
-Too much breaking up and getting back together
-Had to start skipping towards the end. Watching became a chore.
-The push-and-pull went on longer than it needed to. I got frustrated watching them separate when they didn’t need to

FINAL THOUGHTS
I did like this drama, but it’s not one I would rush to rewatch. It’s a good example of an older K-drama style where the romance is there, the emotions are there, but the pacing and repeated conflicts can wear you down. Still, the journey was meaningful, the ending was satisfying, and I don’t regret watching it.
Overall, a good watch if you’re in the mood for a medical romance, just be prepared for some patience-testing moments along the way.
Rating: 7.5/10 (enjoyable, but dragged too long)

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I WANT MORRREE

MORE! is exactly how the drama left me feeling like I wanted way more. I wanted to see them together in the real world after she'd woken up. I absolutely loved the idea of the spinning off. I didn't even know it was a spin-off, when I clicked play on amazon.

I loved all the little Easter eggs that they added in there as somebody who literally just finished binging the no gain No love drama this was amazing. I loved seeing it because I actually prefer this couple together. I wanted to see them for longer getting to see them. This way makes so much more sense, how she acted towards him in the first drama and how quickly she started liking him. I missed them so much, and I'm glad they were back.

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