Minalapinou

This vertical has no business being this good. The first episode is a master-class of romantic choreography and story-telling, everything is said and felt in a few shots and lines. The plot is surprisingly layered for the format, managing to tell a heartfelt story about trauma, missed opportunities, and second chances. It reminded me of Yoon Seok Ho golden age melodramas and the early excellence of Skip Beat. Like the cult manga it tells a love story in the show-business between an newcomer actress and a top star acting on the same set. Maybe I'm the only one seeing a parallel, but the opening scene feels to me like someone read the legendary Cain siblings arc and wanted the hotel scene to go somewhere : he even says "I don't do incest" when both know he's not even her husband's real brother. Another, more obvious, inspiration is 2024's When the Phone Rings, a huge hit in China (its influence is felt all over verticals and minis). If you can't stand romances where the MC is apart simply beacause of manipulations and misunderstandings, this one might be too frustrating, but I think they make a strong case to justify why they missed each other for so many years, and why they are so repressed with their feelings (which makes their reunion so deliciously mixed with pleasure and pain).