Rike

A veery sweet slice of life college BL with not much plot but CHEMISTRY, that's chemistring through and through.
I'm usually not that into college/school romance, but this one somehow hit the spot. Was it borderline sweet? - Yes. Did it bother me? - No, strangely not. Maybe because the MLs have a very natural chemistry and the way they behave around eo just felt very comfortable. Some said their acting is bad, but it felt very real to me. Even after watching their interviews I think they just act like they usually do?
Are most of the conflicts childish and the misunderstsanding bcs of lacking communication somewhat frustrating? - Definitely yes, but again, that's also how first and real relationships can be, so that just added to the realness of it all.

Just here to tell you, you completely succeded on getting me hooked 👏 Congrats to you (and me? 😂) I started watching other dramas again, but I've even stopped eps in the middle just to watch some RL BTS...wth is wrong with me. RL isn't helping my already bad attention span. The other drama wasn't even boring, but only when it comes to RL, I'm glued to my screen like this -> 🫣😂
Gosh I just saw that "hand intimacy" pics on your page and I'm a sucker for pretty hands... oml 🫠

I read some comments that it already goes downhill starting from ep 8/9. I must say I didn't really notice it, but I binge-watched this so maybe it's more apparent when you watch at a slower pace.
But I noticed the ML becoming more and more irrational after they have openly declared their love for eo and making just outright dumb decisions (especially in the last 2 eps). This might be explainable with him being totally love-crazed and worried about the FL, but it just felt out of character for me. Especially, when you consider how cold and calculating he was beforehand. It's also not really convincing that he has loved her all along when you remember his words when FL is kidnapped. Acting cold infront of her to not get attached is one thing, being an absolute POS when she isn't even there is another.
Also, even though they tried to explain it with him just loving her so much that he didn't want to suspect her, it just felt so contradictory that he was so smart and at the same time so dense and guillable when it comes to people he just likes/trusts for no reaon, like not only the FL but also the accomplice.
The more I think about it, there were some absolutely absurd things even in the earlier eps: like the fall from the cliff or the explosion that led to barely any and no lasting injuries; FL suddenly remembering that she also loved ML since she was a kid; the accomplice being half-dead and still coming to the rescue (through the water on top of all?)...

I really enjoyed it up to ep11, it had everything - suspense, crime, mystery, sexual tension. But after finishing, I get what people mean talking about the last eps. Maybe it already started earlier, but I've only noticed in ep11 that it slowly goes off-road making me wonder where this might be going.
And in the last ep, the plot just gets more and more ridiculous by the minute till it turns into a full on 2000/10s makjang with more of a rom com feel than anything else.
First I was baffled, slightly disappointed and angry, but tbh the absurdness of it all made me laugh so hard, I started to enjoy it and I'm not even angry anymore. I even think it's a more memorable end than many dramas I've watched had. Maybe they even did this on purpose, so you could leave all the stress and tension behind and you could finish this drama on a light-hearted note and move on with a good laugh.
But I understand that not everyone would enjoy a drama suddenly shifting its essence this much. It definitely helped that I've been warned by all the comments here and was expecting the worst for the last eps.

Okay, thanks for the explanation and quick reply! Then I'll definitely give this one a try. I often forget endings anyway, so as long as it doesn't ruin the plot in a way that it makes you feel "why did I even watch this" anything should be fine really 😂

I'm glad that my comment found you at the right time somehow 🥹 Idk if that "reality check" made you realize sth good or bad, but even if you came to a painful realization, I hope it brings some positive change into your life!🍀
Also, thank you again for your comment! Tbh it made me realize that I identified way more with Nabi and her experience than I thought and while I never would have called her "stupid" or condemned her for her actions, I definitely did that to my younger self for some similar decisions. So, I guess reading your words calling the FL "brave" was comforting in a way. So thanks again, beautiful internet stranger! 🫶

Genuine question to those who watched till the end: I'm intrigued by the plot but is this worth watching even if the end is as bad as everyone is saying? No spoilers pls

I've already started watching the BTS before seeing your reply, so I know you're setting me up for failure... but I'm not even mad 😂 Whatever it may cost, I wouldn't want to miss out on that off-screen chemistry. Literal fire wherever you look!!🔥👀

Wow... I just finished this and all I can say is wow...😭 I haven't watched a drama that made me feel so much in a long while. I was literally crying in one minute and laughing in the next, and that over and over again.
And I'm so happy I waited so that I could bingewatch it (with one unforseen 4 day break which was literal torture...). Genuine question, how did y'all who watched this while airing survive?? 😅
Just one thing, if you're like me and have a hard time with secondhand embarassment, pls give this drama at least 2 or 3 eps before you drop it, it gets so so so much better and you'll be hooked in no time, I promise!!
How to move on from this?... or maybe just watch this all over again?🥹

If we could pin comments here, I would pin this! Such a well-written perspective and tbh a relief to read this because I felt like I was going crazy after reading a ton of comments calling the drama "toxic", FL "stupid" and ML a "walking red-flag". You phrased so well what I thought and wanted to say: ML was actually a pretty honest and decent guy, the way the drama focuses on FL's POV distorts what we think about him and the communication of BOTH was bad terrible.

Love how you phrased this. 👏👏👏
Especially this part: "...to me she did was rather brave than stupid. She sensed from the very beginning what kind of person Jaeon was but could not hold back anyways. She took a risk for a chance of happiness, knowing she will get hurt. Some might see that as stupid, some as brave" 👏
I read so many comments above this one calling ML a "toxic red flag" and FL "stupid" that I'm almost fuming. ML is immature yes, but not toxic and FL is indecisive and irrational, maybe even brave as you said, but not stupid!!

One of the few dramas which I keep thinking about once in a while and whose OST I'm still listening to regularly.
I don't remember whether I left a similar comment the first time I watched, but I remember reading all the comments calling this "toxic" and I still can't agree after having rewatched more than once. I only see two young people figuring out what love is and what love means to them. We mostly see Nabi's POV and hear her inner monologue, so we're in the dark about what Jae-eon REALLY thinks. (E.g. if you watch the making videos, you get to know that the phone call Jae-eon takes in the bar which makes Nabi misunderstand is supposed to be with his mom while we all (including her) believe it's another girl.)
Open relationships are not toxic in general as long as both parties agree to it. They never clearly communicated and especially Nabi agrees to a kind of relationship she obviously doesn't want, and later never clarifies what she actually wants or what bothers her, so she has no right to criticize when she continuously leaves things vague and unsaid. Not that I don't understand her actions and fears, actually I've been through sth similar, but I would never call the other toxic in that dynamic. Feelings and relationships are never that black and white and calling someone like Jae-eon toxic just based on what we've seen (again, it's mostly Nabi's POV) kinda feels like taking the easy route. You don't have to reflect on your own miscommunication and indecisiveness, when you can just put all the blame on the other person.
I'm not saying that their way of communicating is healthy and that they have a good basis for a long-lasting relationship but they're figuring things out along the way like most people do. It's realistic and normal to misunderstand each other, make mistakes, fight and make up.

Finally, someone who says it as it is. When I first had finished watching everyone kept calling this "toxic" and I was baffled because I just can't agree. Polyamory and open/non-defined relationships are a thing and are not toxic per se if both agree to it. The FL just never communicated about what she actually wants and what bothers her, but everyone blames everything on the ML?? *sigh*

The most beautiful thing about this series is how realistic everything feels. Not only the acting and the dialogues, but also the clothes, places etc. (Finally not poor people with thousands of different clothes). Yes, It's slow but that makes it even more real because their feelings develop slowly, especially Bai Lao Yin's.
And omg I'm so relieved I decided to watch the trailer (just because it was in the playlist after ep 15) or I would have missed out on the scene where Bai Lao Yin finally takes initiative and kisses Gu Hai first. Also the song choice in that scene was so good like the lyrics "I wanna feel your touch...So I'm giving in", literally had me holding my breath.
But then... we were so robbed. 😭😭 How can it end like that. I've put off watching this for so long bcs I knew it's unfinished, but then I couldn't stop my curiosity anymore. I mean I'm glad I watched it...but why did I even do that to myself? 😭

I enjoyed it overall, loved the idea, the couple's chemistry and the main theme song. But it started so strong and then got a bit repetitive and draggy in the middle. At least it picked up speed towards the end again. But I just feel like this interesting premise had more potential.

I wasn't bored for a second! I'm so impressed by the pacing and overall quality, especially for a mini drama! And those kisses and stares, holy smoking chemistry!!
The ending made me cry a bucket, but I think it was fitting and the most logical (or rather in ML's thinking the savest outcome) though I'm kinda annoyed that she didn't get to know the full truth.

There's only one thing that bugs me... did anyone else see that there was suddenly a male hand, when her arm was cut and she held the wound?? I thought my mind was playing tricks on me, but I replayed the scene and it still looked wrong and there was noone else helping her at that moment, so...?? 🤔

10 eps in and reading the bad comments, I don't know whether I should continue. I already wasted my time for 10 overly long eps and have finished 1/4 of this. But it's sooo slow, it feels like someone is driving with the handbrake on. If I understood Chinese, I could at least clean my apartment and do the laundry while watching and I wouldn't miss out on much... but I need to read the subs, so what to do?? 😭

Fan Zhi Xin is really something else. Third drama I've watched from him and his acting is just so captivating, whenever he appears I'm glued to the screen. Whether it's happy or sad scenes, his expressions and also the subtle microexpressions are on point and just feel so natural. After all of the dramas with him, I keep having flashbacks to memorable scenes of him - I'm speechless, just wow.

Republican era

Okay, I'll take it back. Maybe the scene from his memory wasn't shown before after all. But if sb's curious, as well:
I went back and realized their outfits are from ep. 7 + 8 from the wedding scene, but they never showed us how he had proven that he woud give his life for her by trying to throw himself of the same church tower, but I guess he did.. ?

Edit: I just saw a behind the scenes clip that they filmed ML+FL jumping/falling from the tower (and both looking like their dieing from anxiety having to film that scene) but they didn't even end up using that clip ? LOL