This review may contain spoilers
I Hate You But Really Love You?
Summary (emotionally intense): This series was unexpectedly lovable and tear-jerking. The witty banter between the two leads and the heart-breaking difficulties traversed by various characters made this quirky romcom work so well. I laughed loudly and cried quietly. I cried so much that I could have measured those tears in a beaker. Lol. I loved the cinematic transitions between scenes. The soundtrack was somewhat different with a jazzy feel to it.
I also loved the creative product advertisements, not blatant like some other dramas. “If only there was a catalyst like this (Chilsung Cider Zero) for you and Seok-ryu… Things would feel refreshing, crisp, and clean.” And how Choi Seung-hyo was loving his bowl of Yangban BIBIMedBAP made me want to try it too! I mean it even comes with its own spoon. XD “[This Eggdrop sandwich] is so good. How do they make this?”
Even though I loved this drama, I probably won’t rewatch it because it was emotionally exhausting for me, particularly the back and forth of whether there was a romance or not between the leads. Or any of the other characters, for that matter.
Details: The interactions between Choi Seung-hyo and Bae Seok-ryu were quite unexpected and the way the storyline unfolded was VERY unexpected. I came in with a certain set of opinions/emotions and that totally changed by the end of the show.
For example, I kind of hated Bae Seok-ryu’s umma in the beginning. Even AFTER all the revelations about herself she learned through her family and friends, she still pressured her daughter to do things that Seok-ryu didn’t want to do. Why do Asian parents think it’s more helpful to berate their young in order to inspire them? Lol. And EVEN AFTER her parents found out her dark secret, they still wouldn’t let her follow her dreams. Are you kidding me? (hair-pulling time) It runs deep in the blood… But all the characters grew on me over the course of the series. The drunken photo lesson was hilarious!
Though I liked that the filmmakers spent time to develop character backstories (or front stories), they could have easily ended the series at Episode 11, honestly. But it was nice that there was full development for most of the characters, particularly for Bae Seok-ryu’s family in a coming-of-age fashion. In the end, I was just straight up annoyed at some characters for always going back and forth on their love that I just wanted the show to be over already.
Side Notes:
- Why even start a side story for some characters if you’re not going to finish it? The budding romance between Bae Dong-jin and Lee Na-yun seemed pointless, as it didn’t go anywhere in the end.
- It was refreshing to see a male lead not always sporting the currently insatiable curtain hair style. 🤢 The other show I’ve seen a ML without the curtain was Touch Your Heart and stuff from the 2010s period. It’s one thing when a few people have it but it’s annoying when it’s like almost every show nowadays. Don’t get me started on the hair craze from Boys Over Flowers. Lol
I also loved the creative product advertisements, not blatant like some other dramas. “If only there was a catalyst like this (Chilsung Cider Zero) for you and Seok-ryu… Things would feel refreshing, crisp, and clean.” And how Choi Seung-hyo was loving his bowl of Yangban BIBIMedBAP made me want to try it too! I mean it even comes with its own spoon. XD “[This Eggdrop sandwich] is so good. How do they make this?”
Even though I loved this drama, I probably won’t rewatch it because it was emotionally exhausting for me, particularly the back and forth of whether there was a romance or not between the leads. Or any of the other characters, for that matter.
Details: The interactions between Choi Seung-hyo and Bae Seok-ryu were quite unexpected and the way the storyline unfolded was VERY unexpected. I came in with a certain set of opinions/emotions and that totally changed by the end of the show.
For example, I kind of hated Bae Seok-ryu’s umma in the beginning. Even AFTER all the revelations about herself she learned through her family and friends, she still pressured her daughter to do things that Seok-ryu didn’t want to do. Why do Asian parents think it’s more helpful to berate their young in order to inspire them? Lol. And EVEN AFTER her parents found out her dark secret, they still wouldn’t let her follow her dreams. Are you kidding me? (hair-pulling time) It runs deep in the blood… But all the characters grew on me over the course of the series. The drunken photo lesson was hilarious!
Though I liked that the filmmakers spent time to develop character backstories (or front stories), they could have easily ended the series at Episode 11, honestly. But it was nice that there was full development for most of the characters, particularly for Bae Seok-ryu’s family in a coming-of-age fashion. In the end, I was just straight up annoyed at some characters for always going back and forth on their love that I just wanted the show to be over already.
Side Notes:
- Why even start a side story for some characters if you’re not going to finish it? The budding romance between Bae Dong-jin and Lee Na-yun seemed pointless, as it didn’t go anywhere in the end.
- It was refreshing to see a male lead not always sporting the currently insatiable curtain hair style. 🤢 The other show I’ve seen a ML without the curtain was Touch Your Heart and stuff from the 2010s period. It’s one thing when a few people have it but it’s annoying when it’s like almost every show nowadays. Don’t get me started on the hair craze from Boys Over Flowers. Lol
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