some summers you don't want to end, this was one of them
where do i even begin with this drama? the leads alone are reason enough to watch it. their chemistry is absolutely insane, and visually they're such a stunning pairing. they complement each other so well that it's impossible not to get invested in their relationship. the cinematography elevates the entire experience, especially during the outdoor scenes. combined with its warm, sun soaked color palette, it creates a dreamy sense of nostalgia that perfectly captures the feeling of an endless summer.
the ost deserves just as much praise. it fits every scene so well without ever feeling forced, and somehow always knows exactly when to come in. there's something so warm and nostalgic about the soundtrack that perfectly matches the drama's summer atmosphere. even after finishing the drama, i found myself going back to a few of the songs because they instantly brought me back to the emotions of those scenes. it really does make the feeling of that "never ending summer" linger long after the drama ends.
now, talking about the plot, this is ultimately a story about two flawed teenagers making decisions they genuinely believed were the best they could make given everything they were dealing with. and yeah, it's frustrating to watch sometimes. you're sitting there thinking, *just talk to each other*, but that's kind of the whole point. they're not making bad decisions out of stupidity. they're making them out of fear, pain, and a complete lack of anyone in their lives who ever showed them how to handle things differently. the angst gets heavy at times, and the misunderstandings are stretched out longer than they probably needed to be. but when you step back and look at who these characters are and what shaped them, it's hard to be too mad at them for it.
the two leads come from completely different worlds, but they're united by the loneliness they've carried for most of their lives. neither of them grew up with the love or support they deserved, so they learned to bottle everything up and deal with it alone. they don't "fix" each other overnight. instead, they slowly become a place where the other feels safe enough to let their guard down. rather than trying to save each other, they simply offer the understanding and comfort that neither of them had ever received before.
of course, all of that eventually leads to the major incident that tears them apart, and it's probably the most divisive part of the drama. i've seen a lot of people blame zhou wan for the separation and call her selfish, but i honestly couldn't disagree more. when you look at the situation from her perspective, her decision makes complete sense. she wasn't acting out of malice or because she didn't love him enough. she was being emotionally manipulated by an adult who knew exactly which of her fears and insecurities to exploit.
calling her selfish completely overlooks who she's been as a character from the very beginning. almost every major decision she makes is for someone else, whether it's her grandmother or the male lead. if anything, her biggest flaw is that she's too selfless. she constantly puts other people before herself, even at the expense of her own happiness. that doesn't mean every decision she made was the right one, but i never found them out of character or unbelievable. if anything, they felt painfully realistic for someone with her upbringing and the emotional burdens she had been carrying for so long.
the separation ends up leaving both of them absolutely devastated, and there's one particular scene with the male lead that completely broke my heart. the way the actor shifts through so many emotions in such a short span of time is genuinely impressive. you can feel the confusion, desperation, heartbreak, and helplessness all at once, and it never feels overacted. it was one of the few scenes that made me stop and just sit with everything he was feeling. without a doubt, it's one of the strongest performances in the entire drama.
fast forward ten years, the reunion arc feels noticeably rushed, and there are quite a few moments where the editing makes the story difficult to follow. scenes are cut abruptly. from what i've read, a lot of this was due to heavy censorship and last-minute cuts, which explains why the first few episodes of the reunion arc feel so disjointed. it's a shame because you can tell there was meant to be much more there.
the good news is that this only lasts for a handful of episodes. after that, the editing becomes much smoother. there are still a few noticeable cuts here and there, but they don't really affect the viewing experience anymore. what i appreciated most was that the leads finally started doing what i'd been hoping for all along: they actually sat down and talked to each other. instead of relying on endless misunderstandings, they began communicating honestly.
from that point on, the leads' relationship finally starts progressing. the rest of the plot is still a little rushed, but honestly, i couldn't bring myself to care anymore. after spending so many episodes waiting for them to finally communicate, it was so refreshing to see them actually sit down, talk through their feelings, and face things together. seeing them grow into a healthier relationship made all of my earlier frustrations much easier to overlook.
i also have to mention the proposal scene because it might genuinely be one of my favorite proposal scenes i've seen in a drama. it's heartfelt, creative, and so perfectly suited to these characters that it never feels over the top or forced. if you end up skipping this drama, at least do yourself a favor and watch the proposal scene in the final episode.
the ending completely won me over. despite all the flaws, the final few episodes gave me exactly what i had been hoping for. honestly, this is one of those dramas that's best enjoyed when you don't overthink every little detail, and that's exactly what i did. my expectations for modern romance dramas aren't particularly high to begin with, and i'm a sucker for feel good romances, so i ended up enjoying this far more than i expected. i'll definitely be rewatching all my favorite scenes, even if i end up skipping some of the filler along the way lol :)
the ost deserves just as much praise. it fits every scene so well without ever feeling forced, and somehow always knows exactly when to come in. there's something so warm and nostalgic about the soundtrack that perfectly matches the drama's summer atmosphere. even after finishing the drama, i found myself going back to a few of the songs because they instantly brought me back to the emotions of those scenes. it really does make the feeling of that "never ending summer" linger long after the drama ends.
now, talking about the plot, this is ultimately a story about two flawed teenagers making decisions they genuinely believed were the best they could make given everything they were dealing with. and yeah, it's frustrating to watch sometimes. you're sitting there thinking, *just talk to each other*, but that's kind of the whole point. they're not making bad decisions out of stupidity. they're making them out of fear, pain, and a complete lack of anyone in their lives who ever showed them how to handle things differently. the angst gets heavy at times, and the misunderstandings are stretched out longer than they probably needed to be. but when you step back and look at who these characters are and what shaped them, it's hard to be too mad at them for it.
the two leads come from completely different worlds, but they're united by the loneliness they've carried for most of their lives. neither of them grew up with the love or support they deserved, so they learned to bottle everything up and deal with it alone. they don't "fix" each other overnight. instead, they slowly become a place where the other feels safe enough to let their guard down. rather than trying to save each other, they simply offer the understanding and comfort that neither of them had ever received before.
of course, all of that eventually leads to the major incident that tears them apart, and it's probably the most divisive part of the drama. i've seen a lot of people blame zhou wan for the separation and call her selfish, but i honestly couldn't disagree more. when you look at the situation from her perspective, her decision makes complete sense. she wasn't acting out of malice or because she didn't love him enough. she was being emotionally manipulated by an adult who knew exactly which of her fears and insecurities to exploit.
calling her selfish completely overlooks who she's been as a character from the very beginning. almost every major decision she makes is for someone else, whether it's her grandmother or the male lead. if anything, her biggest flaw is that she's too selfless. she constantly puts other people before herself, even at the expense of her own happiness. that doesn't mean every decision she made was the right one, but i never found them out of character or unbelievable. if anything, they felt painfully realistic for someone with her upbringing and the emotional burdens she had been carrying for so long.
the separation ends up leaving both of them absolutely devastated, and there's one particular scene with the male lead that completely broke my heart. the way the actor shifts through so many emotions in such a short span of time is genuinely impressive. you can feel the confusion, desperation, heartbreak, and helplessness all at once, and it never feels overacted. it was one of the few scenes that made me stop and just sit with everything he was feeling. without a doubt, it's one of the strongest performances in the entire drama.
fast forward ten years, the reunion arc feels noticeably rushed, and there are quite a few moments where the editing makes the story difficult to follow. scenes are cut abruptly. from what i've read, a lot of this was due to heavy censorship and last-minute cuts, which explains why the first few episodes of the reunion arc feel so disjointed. it's a shame because you can tell there was meant to be much more there.
the good news is that this only lasts for a handful of episodes. after that, the editing becomes much smoother. there are still a few noticeable cuts here and there, but they don't really affect the viewing experience anymore. what i appreciated most was that the leads finally started doing what i'd been hoping for all along: they actually sat down and talked to each other. instead of relying on endless misunderstandings, they began communicating honestly.
from that point on, the leads' relationship finally starts progressing. the rest of the plot is still a little rushed, but honestly, i couldn't bring myself to care anymore. after spending so many episodes waiting for them to finally communicate, it was so refreshing to see them actually sit down, talk through their feelings, and face things together. seeing them grow into a healthier relationship made all of my earlier frustrations much easier to overlook.
i also have to mention the proposal scene because it might genuinely be one of my favorite proposal scenes i've seen in a drama. it's heartfelt, creative, and so perfectly suited to these characters that it never feels over the top or forced. if you end up skipping this drama, at least do yourself a favor and watch the proposal scene in the final episode.
the ending completely won me over. despite all the flaws, the final few episodes gave me exactly what i had been hoping for. honestly, this is one of those dramas that's best enjoyed when you don't overthink every little detail, and that's exactly what i did. my expectations for modern romance dramas aren't particularly high to begin with, and i'm a sucker for feel good romances, so i ended up enjoying this far more than i expected. i'll definitely be rewatching all my favorite scenes, even if i end up skipping some of the filler along the way lol :)
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