K-Drama 
If it were up to me, it would take them even longer to get together
SueaDueannao squeezed my heart and killed me in the best way. Yearning and clueless characters are truly a match made in heaven. I love that they're mostly on an even playing field and have the same hobbies. The whole "It's okay if your family sucks; I'll just share mine with you" is one of my favorite tropes. Bonus points for showing the lives and interiority of both leads equally.The acting is hit and miss. 75% of the friend group (North and Field being the exceptions) and 100% of Tiger's family members are portrayed by bad actors (especially his father and SinghaBen). Pie doesn't cry convincingly either, but otherwise the romance is adorable and nuanced enough that I choose to overlook this flaw in his acting.
The mafia stuff was part of the initial appeal for me but ended up a cringefest. Luckily these elements are mostly set dressing for the romance. This also means that the friendship and romance may be effective, but that the danger comes and goes whenever it is needed for dramatic reasons, which makes for nonsensical and awfully convenient developments.
Overall, I wish this were a 10-episode series with more budget. While the slow burn is delicious, the denouement is rushed. Just imagine if we saw Dueannao realize his feelings instead of having to listen to him monologuing his change of heart to North! But since SueaDueannao wound up being my favorite dynamic in the Fourever You universe, my rose-colored glasses stay on, and the rating reflects my bias.
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Partnes in (solving) crime
My little aromantic heart really appreciated that the slow burn between the main leads culminated in a comparatively subdued romance, but still dealt with huge emotions. Their partnership was delightful. The mystery was quite gripping too and kept me entertained until the end, even though not every twist was all that twisty.Since I focus most on the characters in the shows I watch, I must also emphasize how much I enjoyed the whole cast. Although I was at first a bit wary, when I realized how many characters were neurodivergent and/or mentally ill, because that comes with many pitfalls, I was pleasantly surprised by the rather competent portrayal of these realities.
Most importantly though, the Yoo Ryung is a lovely main character, and I'm baffled by the less than charitable comments about her in some of the other reviews. As far as I'm concerned, she's not only entertaining to watch, but also has a strong moral compass. Being a teensy bit head-strong and having a style that is maybe 1 % less attractive than that of many K-drama heroines aren't negative qualities in my book. The story also praises and rewards her all the time? So it's not even like she offends the conservative sensibilities of K-dramas?
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Too realistic for its own good
The characterization is where Burnout Syndrome shines, because the series depicts various degrees of assholery masterfully. Ko, the entitled man-child AI capitalist whose tragic backstory is just a flimsy excuse to ruin countless lives with his business ventures, makes me want to punch my fist through a wall. Jira, though he is more relatable because of the economic pressure that shapes his actions, is absolutely infuriating in his lack of integrity and his artistic tunnel vision. What do you mean, the only time you're inspired by Pheem is after he told you how much you hurt him? Speaking of whom, Pheem is truly something too, and I'm glad he doesn't have more of a backbone because you know that, in an alternate reality, this man would resort to domestic violence. And don't even get me started on Mawin and Ing and their enabler tendencies.Overall, the show is psychologically fascinating with genuinely flawed characters whose actions are frustrating precisely because they make so much sense in the context of the characters' selfishness and their need for validation from the wrong people. The show prioritizes realism (or fatalism?) to its own detriment, though. Not even everyone's acting skills and their great chemistry (Mawin and Pheem are a stellar duo) make up for the total lack of escapist qualities. As a result, I had to force myself through the last episodes. The AI conversation also doesn't go where I want it to, but it admittedly has more to offer than I expected, so I won't fault Burnout Syndrome too much for that.
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