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Friends,Enemies,and Cocktails
XX (2020)
If you’ve read any of my recent reviews, you’ll know I’ve been deep in a drama slump—digging through old titles like a sentimental hoarder, trying to find something that slipped through the cracks. This time, I filtered by noona romances. Yes, I’m proudly part of that club. No, we’re not weirdos—some of us just believe that age is more of a suggestion than a rule, especially when the younger guy looks like that.
Anyway, I stumbled on XX. From the title alone, it sounds like something that barely made it past the censors—or like the working name of a scandalous secret society. But setting aside my trauma from every show that starts with "X," I gave it a shot.It actually has heavy cast before they all became famous,namely Ahn Hee Yeon a.k.a Hani(Call it love,Hit The Spot) Bae In Hyuk(The Story of Park's Marriage Contract)and Lee Jong Won(Brewing Love)
The plot? Simple but sharp. Two female friends turned enemies thanks to a third party who clearly had nothing better to do. Our leading lady is a bartender.She is cool, quiet, and allergic to nonsense. She mixes drinks like magic and carries herself like she’s got zero time for melodrama. Enter our male lead—her junior, her student, and inevitably, her romantic interest. Because what’s a noona romance without a little swooning?And thank drama gods,there were no "am too old for you" lines.You wont even notice she is older than him.
Now, the bar setting deserves its own paragraph. I told a drama pen pal that it feels like a cozy pub tucked somewhere in the back alleys of Dublin. You know the type—dim lights, mellow colors, the kind of place where people drink the same cocktail year-round and the bartender knows all your secrets but takes them to the grave. I don’t drink, but I wanted to crawl into that bar and never leave.
The story stays laser-focused: no subplots, no love triangles, no extended family drama with conveniently missing parents. Just a clean arc—friends to enemies to strangers to… well, you’ll see. They’re forced to confront each other, their past, their guilt, and maybe find a way to heal.
My only complaint? I wish it had two more episodes. Just enough time for everyone to hug it out and maybe sing "Kumbaya" under those amber lights.
Quick, clean, and surprisingly touching. XX is one of those little gems that knows exactly what story it wants to tell—and tells it well.
If you’ve read any of my recent reviews, you’ll know I’ve been deep in a drama slump—digging through old titles like a sentimental hoarder, trying to find something that slipped through the cracks. This time, I filtered by noona romances. Yes, I’m proudly part of that club. No, we’re not weirdos—some of us just believe that age is more of a suggestion than a rule, especially when the younger guy looks like that.
Anyway, I stumbled on XX. From the title alone, it sounds like something that barely made it past the censors—or like the working name of a scandalous secret society. But setting aside my trauma from every show that starts with "X," I gave it a shot.It actually has heavy cast before they all became famous,namely Ahn Hee Yeon a.k.a Hani(Call it love,Hit The Spot) Bae In Hyuk(The Story of Park's Marriage Contract)and Lee Jong Won(Brewing Love)
The plot? Simple but sharp. Two female friends turned enemies thanks to a third party who clearly had nothing better to do. Our leading lady is a bartender.She is cool, quiet, and allergic to nonsense. She mixes drinks like magic and carries herself like she’s got zero time for melodrama. Enter our male lead—her junior, her student, and inevitably, her romantic interest. Because what’s a noona romance without a little swooning?And thank drama gods,there were no "am too old for you" lines.You wont even notice she is older than him.
Now, the bar setting deserves its own paragraph. I told a drama pen pal that it feels like a cozy pub tucked somewhere in the back alleys of Dublin. You know the type—dim lights, mellow colors, the kind of place where people drink the same cocktail year-round and the bartender knows all your secrets but takes them to the grave. I don’t drink, but I wanted to crawl into that bar and never leave.
The story stays laser-focused: no subplots, no love triangles, no extended family drama with conveniently missing parents. Just a clean arc—friends to enemies to strangers to… well, you’ll see. They’re forced to confront each other, their past, their guilt, and maybe find a way to heal.
My only complaint? I wish it had two more episodes. Just enough time for everyone to hug it out and maybe sing "Kumbaya" under those amber lights.
Quick, clean, and surprisingly touching. XX is one of those little gems that knows exactly what story it wants to tell—and tells it well.
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