That was a fairly realistic, sweet ending! It broke away from common tropes used to “clean up” everything. I like how the strawberry couple ended as a slow burning romance instead of Mi Rae rushing off to the US with a new boyfriend. She actually took time to heal, do something new, and reconnect with her passion without the pressure of performance. Se Jin didn’t stay on the farm because Mi Rae came to him but went to the US for a year to honor his own dream. Then he comes back and they’re both in a good place to develop their relationship. Hooray for bringing together two whole people and breaking away from the pairing up of a fixer and a project!
Mi Ji and Ro Sa realizing it’s not too late and pursuing their desires for education warmed my heart the most. I appreciate how Mi Ji studied, enrolled in prep academy, and failed the CSAT a couple times before passing and going to college instead of letting everything work on out on the first try. Ro Sa doing a self-learning program and overcoming dyslexia, going on to read her late soul sister’s poetry for an audience and also upgrading her restaurant was the cherry on top! Of course, Ho Su learning sign language and representing hearing impaired clients and getting recognized by his former mentor made me so excited. It’s about time dramas showed ability diversity. I find sign language beautiful.
Seeing both mothers healed and moving forward as empty nesters with their own dreams and passions to pursue warmed my heart. Let’s hear it for the single mamas! It was time for these ladies to let their 30-year-old adult children live their lives and give support from behind.
I like how Mi Ji isn’t in a rush to get married and wants to stand on her own two feet, but she might as well if she’s moving in. The fact that Ho Su already has the ring in queue lets me know how locked in he is. He’s with Mi Ji for life! Their cute little argument in sign was adorable!
I give this drama all 10s for originality, heart, realism, hope, and inspiration! Thank goodness it was only 12 episodes and not 16, otherwise they would’ve ruined it with more death, illness, getting hit by cars/white trucks, neighborhood crime mysteries, bitter parents, a secret sibling, a love triangle, and misunderstandings, like 89% of dramas do. I just realized there was no annoying OST! I don’t recall a single song being played to death. Let’s normalize this.
I’m on episode 11. This drama has been an endearing, and at times frustrating (humans humaning), comfort watch while being under the weather. It’s so relatable, even if the situations aren’t the same. So far, I’d say this drama ranks up top with Misaeng and My Mister. It’s warm, jubilant, melancholic all at once. I’ve cried buckets, cussed, and smiled brightly.
It’s amazing how past trauma or fear can paralyze a person. You can’t help but cheer the characters on, but they also piss you off with lying/omitting the truth to “spare others from being burdened” or all out pride.😫 I want to cuss at Hosu during this episode.😖 What do people think love is??? Being with your people through thick and thin. Writers, let’s stop with the martyrdom in 2025!
Episode 6 was chef’s kiss! The bittersweet taste of that goodbye date with the joy, vulnerability, and sadness captured the their complex emotions perfectly. It’s a shame this woman can’t date this man in peace. Everyone is in their business. I would liken Kaoru’s job to being a glorified bartender, since he doesn’t cross lines. If Manami likes him, that’s her business.
I’m tired of that hypocritical fiancée. He made sure not to spill his own tea to that warlock father of Manami, but made sure to tell him all about what she’s doing as if he’s “concerned.” Meanwhile, he had a whole jump-off who was married herself.
I was hoping Manami’s mother was going to come home in drunken rage and threaten divorce, but at least she gave her husband a little piece of her mind. That man is insufferable!
I think Manami and Kaoru running away together sounds good at this point, especially now that the the student snitched on the would-be couple.😩 Girl, hurry up and go study overseas.
Tsubasa is life and I ship him with Reporter-san. Let’s see some more “off-duty” scenes with the reporter and a glimpse of his real life.
Fresh-faced Tsubasa is really cute without all that eyeliner and hair gel. It’s too bad he can’t just focus on his studies and get a regular part time job that can cover those student loans!
Boyfriend Hikaru is something else! I love the duality of his character and seeing other sides of himself. I’m glad they didn’t drag things out with misunderstandings. The screen was heating up during the dinner discussion. I was surprised by the honesty and boldness! Haruka has truly blossomed.
Haruka’s friendship with Mio is so cute! She needed another person in her circle. She was too isolated before befriending Mio and Hikaru. I like how Mio is so thoughtful towards Haruka.
I know “Captain Save an Onna” isn’t putting his cape back on to swindle Haruka back from Hikaru. Finders, Keepers; Losers, Weepers! If he wasn’t so busy running the streets to see about his ex and resting on Haruka being “nice,” he would’ve never lost her in the first place. Hang up the phone! We’re not taking your calls. His low effort “boyfriending” isn’t needed. Haruka better tell him, “I’m good, Luv. Enjoy.”
I finally finished the drama! It would’ve been perfect if Soo Hyuk and Yoo Yeon’s interactions developed offscreen in the background, i.e, not a subplot, and the timeline wasn’t switching constantly between recent past and future (a span of 11 days) in the last few episodes.
Soo Hyuk and Yoo Yeon were boring and added nothing to the story. Honestly, both characters felt shoehorned into the plot. I skipped their scenes once it started dragging out. I also felt like the cast was too strong for that particular actor playing Soo Hyuk. His portrayal was very wooden. Ji Yong was a dry character, but the actor played him with depth. There’s a difference.
The timelime should’ve played out chronologically: Let the climax happen and then unfold the aftermath. All the back and forth and showing the same scenes over and over again made what should’ve been a breathtaking event feel anticlimactic, confusing, and laborious. The drama could’ve been a riveting 12 episodes if they tightened all this up.
I’ll never understand why these characters show their cards to the villain as a threat or leverage. The villain is smart and you’re giving them the info they need to render your plan useless and counterattack harder.😩 Nobody is moving in silence!
Definitely a filler episode, which is totally unnecessary for a 20 minutes each, 12 episode series that’s almost over. It was literally about a side character we barely know with a boyfriend we’ve never seen or heard about.😅 Was the guy who plays Tojo filming something else that day and they cut his screen time short to accommodate?
I like the depiction of office workers and their nightly walks home, so I still enjoyed the episode, oddly. I think focusing on Keishi and seeing more about his personal life would’ve been time well spent if Tojo was supposed to be away. I will say I love seeing Tojo in boss mode. That’s where he really shines.
I can already tell next week’s episode is going to piss me off.😫 Please let this couple take flight. Why all the turbulence? This drama started off so strong, but I don’t think it’ll match Old Fashioned Cupcake or Cherry Magic, sadly. Forget slice of life. This is time suspension. We need plot progression.
I understand the tutor is Ha Joon’s secret bio mom, but during the time that Hi Soo had no inkling, the woman crossed so many lines that constituted termination and even a police report. I’m just stunned at how much Hi Soo held back and gave the tutor chances. Now she’s deluding herself because she thinks being pregnant will turn back the hands of time and erase everything that’s transpired and her memories of it. Her husband is the worst of the men in that family. He seems to be a sociopath.
I truly don’t care about the young master and maid subplot. I skip past their scenes. It’s an overdone trope and neither one of them have a personality. Bored to tears! The writers should’ve never wrote them into the story.
I cannot stand how Ji Yong calls the unborn baby “my baby” as if it’s all his alone and Hi Soo is just an incubator/glorified caregiver. The way he pushed his ex out of the picture and had Hi Soo raise him speaks volumes. His mistress mother had a horrible impact on him. He moves in a disturbing manner.
I wasn’t interested in this drama when it first aired and never looked into it, but my appetite for this kind of plot is now set four years later. These days I crave mature dramas with meaty plots, thrills, and chills!
Episode one has me hooked. I love Hee Soo and Seo Hyun. I’m living for the high fashion, luxury, and fine dining. I want Seo Hyun’s mansion. I always wanted to live in a museum.🤣 The grandmother is nuts but she’s beautiful and stylish. Her singing off-key with her vocal coach in the backyard with the confidence of a grand diva like Mariah had me cackling.
I’m glad the tutor ate that prosciutto for the both of us!🤤 She’s come to shake things up. I don’t know if she’s good or bad yet, but her wardrobe ate!
I genuinely loved this drama and finished it in four days. It kept me hooked and full of anticipation. The characters were a nice mix of endearing and infuriating people, and some people were both lol. I hate to say, but SKY Moms (and dads) are all over the developed world, and they scheme and pressure in both the education and sports realms. It’s sad to see and they do great harm.
Personally, I relished the mostly effortless blend of romance, school, comedy, drama, and crime genres. They balanced everything well until we got to episode 15. The crime subplot was eerie and compelling with twists and turns. The crazy part was how all the dark events were happening near the school and none of the students were told to practice caution. No one cared about their safety or wellbeing- just study and score the highest!
I was optimistic when there was no mid-season slump, but they saved that for last. The last two episodes were trash with a couple nuggets of treasure in episode 16 after the stupidity got out of the way. It was a fever dream of unnecessary events that veered hard from the heart of the story and shoe-horned unneeded tropes no one asked for. They should’ve just capped the series at 14 episodes and saved us the frustration and time. As a result, this drama is a 9/10, scored on a curve. I SHOULD give it an 8.5, but I enjoyed episodes 1-14 too much to downgrade it more and the characters got the endings I have peace with (although I feel conflicted about a particular coupling that feels unethical ).
They’re bungling up the ending by bringing back Haeyi’s bio mom out of the blue to scam for money when Haeyi was in a coma. It ruined the emotion around the whole plot. Also, letting Mr. Ji commit suicide was a cop out and rushed the conclusion of a slowly built case. It would’ve had more impact if the police caught him and he stood trial. They moved on quickly after he died and doesn’t look like they’ll do any questioning about what Mr. Ji did to Haeyi. These were two major storyline failures.
These last two episodes should be about justice, the students, and the main couple enjoying each other. I also feel concerned about Yeongja and Jaewoo and whether them being romantically involved is unethical on Yeongja’s part
Well, they definitely freshened up the love triangle trope! I can’t wait for next Wednesday because how on earth is Hikaru in the position he’s in? Did Shu slip something in his drink? He came across as a playful friend, then harmless with a light crush, and now he’s getting territorial and possibly forceful. I’m pretty sure Hikaru said early on he’s straight and just likes womenswear. I guess Shu thinks he can convert him.
Haruka looked beautiful in the fashion show and also in her “Model Off Duty” outfits. I think the sleek, chic look suits her better than those overly feminine, shapeless date outfits. It was nice seeing her confidence blossom!
The fact that Hikaru’s dad is going to decide for both himself and his wife that Hikaru is disowned is crazy. Be mad, but clearly his wife feels differently and wants to understand her son. Good on Haruka for protecting Hikaru! That was a bittersweet scene.
Kyung Ho fits this role so well.🤣 I like the vibe of the series. It’s Sky Castle Lite. I like the crime plot being blended in. It reminds me of Strong Girl Bong Soon in that way. I think it makes the story more realistic. Local crime doesn’t stop just because people are studying or falling in love.
Lawyer-ssi is a hardcore tiger mom. If I were Sun Jae, I would’ve packed my bags and left with the dad.😅 He seemed chill. The way she went off on the ladies for calling her an attorney let me know what time it was. She’s a terrible parent- all the “SKY moms” are.
Hwang Bora is hilarious! She deserves more lead roles.
Naoki was so captivating in that love confession scene! His words and singing while going into the kiss were breathtaking in a way that only Satoh Takeru could do it. I just wish it wasn’t with a character that looked so “junior” to him. That made it awkward in the end.
The scene with Naoki and Sho in the Range Rover when it had rained was my favorite. I felt the most chemistry and depth between them. Deep down, I was holding out for Sho, and in my head, he was canon and that’s how it ended.😅 I’m sorry! Akane made more sense with Kazushi.
Honestly, this was really good and had its flaws, butnit was still an endearing series with lovable characters. Toya, Naoki, and Sho really drew me in.
I’m so glad for my girl, Yukino! She showed integrity and Akane had her back. That was nice to see.
Toya coming out on that stage to sing with his onii-chan????😭😭😭😭😭 I love his voice.
1 
1 
Mi Ji and Ro Sa realizing it’s not too late and pursuing their desires for education warmed my heart the most. I appreciate how Mi Ji studied, enrolled in prep academy, and failed the CSAT a couple times before passing and going to college instead of letting everything work on out on the first try. Ro Sa doing a self-learning program and overcoming dyslexia, going on to read her late soul sister’s poetry for an audience and also upgrading her restaurant was the cherry on top! Of course, Ho Su learning sign language and representing hearing impaired clients and getting recognized by his former mentor made me so excited. It’s about time dramas showed ability diversity. I find sign language beautiful.
Seeing both mothers healed and moving forward as empty nesters with their own dreams and passions to pursue warmed my heart. Let’s hear it for the single mamas! It was time for these ladies to let their 30-year-old adult children live their lives and give support from behind.
I like how Mi Ji isn’t in a rush to get married and wants to stand on her own two feet, but she might as well if she’s moving in. The fact that Ho Su already has the ring in queue lets me know how locked in he is. He’s with Mi Ji for life! Their cute little argument in sign was adorable!
I give this drama all 10s for originality, heart, realism, hope, and inspiration! Thank goodness it was only 12 episodes and not 16, otherwise they would’ve ruined it with more death, illness, getting hit by cars/white trucks, neighborhood crime mysteries, bitter parents, a secret sibling, a love triangle, and misunderstandings, like 89% of dramas do. I just realized there was no annoying OST! I don’t recall a single song being played to death. Let’s normalize this.
It’s amazing how past trauma or fear can paralyze a person. You can’t help but cheer the characters on, but they also piss you off with lying/omitting the truth to “spare others from being burdened” or all out pride.😫 I want to cuss at Hosu during this episode.😖 What do people think love is??? Being with your people through thick and thin. Writers, let’s stop with the martyrdom in 2025!
I’m tired of that hypocritical fiancée. He made sure not to spill his own tea to that warlock father of Manami, but made sure to tell him all about what she’s doing as if he’s “concerned.” Meanwhile, he had a whole jump-off who was married herself.
I was hoping Manami’s mother was going to come home in drunken rage and threaten divorce, but at least she gave her husband a little piece of her mind. That man is insufferable!
I think Manami and Kaoru running away together sounds good at this point, especially now that the the student snitched on the would-be couple.😩 Girl, hurry up and go study overseas.
Tsubasa is life and I ship him with Reporter-san. Let’s see some more “off-duty” scenes with the reporter and a glimpse of his real life.
Haruka’s friendship with Mio is so cute! She needed another person in her circle. She was too isolated before befriending Mio and Hikaru. I like how Mio is so thoughtful towards Haruka.
I know “Captain Save an Onna” isn’t putting his cape back on to swindle Haruka back from Hikaru. Finders, Keepers; Losers, Weepers! If he wasn’t so busy running the streets to see about his ex and resting on Haruka being “nice,” he would’ve never lost her in the first place. Hang up the phone! We’re not taking your calls. His low effort “boyfriending” isn’t needed. Haruka better tell him, “I’m good, Luv. Enjoy.”
Soo Hyuk and Yoo Yeon were boring and added nothing to the story. Honestly, both characters felt shoehorned into the plot. I skipped their scenes once it started dragging out. I also felt like the cast was too strong for that particular actor playing Soo Hyuk. His portrayal was very wooden. Ji Yong was a dry character, but the actor played him with depth. There’s a difference.
The timelime should’ve played out chronologically: Let the climax happen and then unfold the aftermath. All the back and forth and showing the same scenes over and over again made what should’ve been a breathtaking event feel anticlimactic, confusing, and laborious. The drama could’ve been a riveting 12 episodes if they tightened all this up.
I like the depiction of office workers and their nightly walks home, so I still enjoyed the episode, oddly. I think focusing on Keishi and seeing more about his personal life would’ve been time well spent if Tojo was supposed to be away. I will say I love seeing Tojo in boss mode. That’s where he really shines.
I can already tell next week’s episode is going to piss me off.😫 Please let this couple take flight. Why all the turbulence? This drama started off so strong, but I don’t think it’ll match Old Fashioned Cupcake or Cherry Magic, sadly. Forget slice of life. This is time suspension. We need plot progression.
I truly don’t care about the young master and maid subplot. I skip past their scenes. It’s an overdone trope and neither one of them have a personality. Bored to tears! The writers should’ve never wrote them into the story.
I cannot stand how Ji Yong calls the unborn baby “my baby” as if it’s all his alone and Hi Soo is just an incubator/glorified caregiver. The way he pushed his ex out of the picture and had Hi Soo raise him speaks volumes. His mistress mother had a horrible impact on him. He moves in a disturbing manner.
Episode one has me hooked. I love Hee Soo and Seo Hyun. I’m living for the high fashion, luxury, and fine dining. I want Seo Hyun’s mansion. I always wanted to live in a museum.🤣 The grandmother is nuts but she’s beautiful and stylish. Her singing off-key with her vocal coach in the backyard with the confidence of a grand diva like Mariah had me cackling.
I’m glad the tutor ate that prosciutto for the both of us!🤤 She’s come to shake things up. I don’t know if she’s good or bad yet, but her wardrobe ate!
Personally, I relished the mostly effortless blend of romance, school, comedy, drama, and crime genres. They balanced everything well until we got to episode 15. The crime subplot was eerie and compelling with twists and turns. The crazy part was how all the dark events were happening near the school and none of the students were told to practice caution. No one cared about their safety or wellbeing- just study and score the highest!
I was optimistic when there was no mid-season slump, but they saved that for last. The last two episodes were trash with a couple nuggets of treasure in episode 16 after the stupidity got out of the way. It was a fever dream of unnecessary events that veered hard from the heart of the story and shoe-horned unneeded tropes no one asked for. They should’ve just capped the series at 14 episodes and saved us the frustration and time. As a result, this drama is a 9/10, scored on a curve. I SHOULD give it an 8.5, but I enjoyed episodes 1-14 too much to downgrade it more and the characters got the endings I have peace with (although I feel conflicted about a particular coupling that feels unethical ).
These last two episodes should be about justice, the students, and the main couple enjoying each other. I also feel concerned about Yeongja and Jaewoo and whether them being romantically involved is unethical on Yeongja’s part
Haruka looked beautiful in the fashion show and also in her “Model Off Duty” outfits. I think the sleek, chic look suits her better than those overly feminine, shapeless date outfits. It was nice seeing her confidence blossom!
The fact that Hikaru’s dad is going to decide for both himself and his wife that Hikaru is disowned is crazy. Be mad, but clearly his wife feels differently and wants to understand her son. Good on Haruka for protecting Hikaru! That was a bittersweet scene.
Lawyer-ssi is a hardcore tiger mom. If I were Sun Jae, I would’ve packed my bags and left with the dad.😅 He seemed chill. The way she went off on the ladies for calling her an attorney let me know what time it was. She’s a terrible parent- all the “SKY moms” are.
Hwang Bora is hilarious! She deserves more lead roles.
This is definitely my comfort show right now.
The scene with Naoki and Sho in the Range Rover when it had rained was my favorite. I felt the most chemistry and depth between them. Deep down, I was holding out for Sho, and in my head, he was canon and that’s how it ended.😅 I’m sorry! Akane made more sense with Kazushi.
Honestly, this was really good and had its flaws, butnit was still an endearing series with lovable characters. Toya, Naoki, and Sho really drew me in.
I’m so glad for my girl, Yukino! She showed integrity and Akane had her back. That was nice to see.
Toya coming out on that stage to sing with his onii-chan????😭😭😭😭😭 I love his voice.