This review may contain spoilers
A quiet season that almost bloomed
As someone who is a complete sucker for seaside and countryside slice of life dramas, it was no surprise that I would enjoy this one.
It did deliver exactly what I expected on the surface. And yet, the drama left me feeling kinda underwhelmed.
I started this with hopes of a light, hometown chachacha type of comfort watch and it did not disappoint in that regard. However, as the story progressed... it began to feel bland and emotionally unfinished in several aspects, as if the drama knew what it wanted to be but never fully committed to exploring it.
This show is heavily carried by its leads, and honestly... only by its leads lol. Both of them are super charming and perfectly cast. Their chemistry was CHEMSITRY-ING, and I genuinely hope they get more scripts together in the future.
ABH as Sun Jae Gyu, playing the "looks like a thug but is actually a golden retriever" character was pitch perfect. I genuinely can't imagine anyone else pulling off this role the way he did fr. This made me realise just how impressive his range is, and yes, it absolutely made me fall for him all over again. (he's SO HOTTT)
similarly LJB as Yoon Bom was just as incredible. Every time she appeared, all I could say was "woah". She brought such quiet warmth to her character that made her instantly lovable. ♡
☆ *What I disliked about the drama:*
1. The fl's stalker and assault storyline was my biggest issue. The writers set it up as something deeply traumatic and life altering, yet the closure was wrapped up in what?? like 5mins?? 😭😭 It felt shockingly unsatisfactory. The impact on the fl was huge, yet the closure treated it like a minor inconvenience smh. Maybe it's my fault for expecting a "the glory" type revenge but instead the writers were aiming for realism.
2. I think almost everyone can agree that the teenagers were a complete snoozefest! The nephew (hangyul) was written as an ungrateful mess. from being unappreciative of the uncle who raised him just to chase the mother who abandoned him, to deliberately ruining sports day and exams over a crush. it was so draggyyyy and exhausting to watch. His lack of connection to the person who actually raised him felt extremely off as well. Even the sister (sejin) was no better. She blamed everyone else for her failures and added nothing meaningful to the story. 🙏
3. The unnecessary redemption arcs were such a disappointment. The lawyer was clearly written to be disliked for the first 10 eps, yet suddenly he is forgiven and turned into a "bestfriend" figure. After lying, manipulating, and causing damage without even communicating properly, his forgiveness felt undeserved. like ewwww.
4. I'm sorry but as for the side characters, there wasn't a single well written and interesting one except for mrs seo maybe. None of them had any depth in them and I felt like skimming through every scene that had nothing to do with the leads. The fl's family especially made no sense. The father barely tried, and the mother, a famous actress obsessed with protecting her image, somehow decides to have a highly sensitive and volatile conversation in the middle of a public building lobby lmaoo. Completely unrealistic.
5. The leads' backstories were half baked too. We never truly understand how the ml moved and raised his nephew to a new town and became a rich ceo, or why the people had no idea what he did until the fl arrived.
☆ *What I loved about the drama:*
1. No dragged misunderstandings! The leads didn't keep stuff to themselves, communicated like adults and resolved issues within minutes. Such a refreshing and healthy dynamic thank goodness!
2. The comedic timing was surprisingly good. Yes, there were used clichés, but the leads executed them so well that they actually worked (for me atleast hehe :))
4. The pacing was on the slower side but it suited the slice of life genre. The story was allowed to breathe, giving emotions space to settle.
5. THE LEADS. THE CHEMISTRY. The sole reason I finished the drama. Both performances were phenomenal, and I am genuinely excited for their future projects 🌟
6. The cinematography and music were beautiful. Visually stunning! And the OSTs were too beautiful esp the one by miyeon!
Overall, the drama did meet my expectations, but it also... fell short in several important areas. The leads were everything, which is surprisingly rare for romcoms these days. It was relaxing, comforting, and enjoyable despite its flaws. I might as well rewatch it when i want something to be playing in the background while i do my work.
Thank you, spring fever, for making my mondays and tuesdays a little more exciting!! 🌸
It did deliver exactly what I expected on the surface. And yet, the drama left me feeling kinda underwhelmed.
I started this with hopes of a light, hometown chachacha type of comfort watch and it did not disappoint in that regard. However, as the story progressed... it began to feel bland and emotionally unfinished in several aspects, as if the drama knew what it wanted to be but never fully committed to exploring it.
This show is heavily carried by its leads, and honestly... only by its leads lol. Both of them are super charming and perfectly cast. Their chemistry was CHEMSITRY-ING, and I genuinely hope they get more scripts together in the future.
ABH as Sun Jae Gyu, playing the "looks like a thug but is actually a golden retriever" character was pitch perfect. I genuinely can't imagine anyone else pulling off this role the way he did fr. This made me realise just how impressive his range is, and yes, it absolutely made me fall for him all over again. (he's SO HOTTT)
similarly LJB as Yoon Bom was just as incredible. Every time she appeared, all I could say was "woah". She brought such quiet warmth to her character that made her instantly lovable. ♡
☆ *What I disliked about the drama:*
1. The fl's stalker and assault storyline was my biggest issue. The writers set it up as something deeply traumatic and life altering, yet the closure was wrapped up in what?? like 5mins?? 😭😭 It felt shockingly unsatisfactory. The impact on the fl was huge, yet the closure treated it like a minor inconvenience smh. Maybe it's my fault for expecting a "the glory" type revenge but instead the writers were aiming for realism.
2. I think almost everyone can agree that the teenagers were a complete snoozefest! The nephew (hangyul) was written as an ungrateful mess. from being unappreciative of the uncle who raised him just to chase the mother who abandoned him, to deliberately ruining sports day and exams over a crush. it was so draggyyyy and exhausting to watch. His lack of connection to the person who actually raised him felt extremely off as well. Even the sister (sejin) was no better. She blamed everyone else for her failures and added nothing meaningful to the story. 🙏
3. The unnecessary redemption arcs were such a disappointment. The lawyer was clearly written to be disliked for the first 10 eps, yet suddenly he is forgiven and turned into a "bestfriend" figure. After lying, manipulating, and causing damage without even communicating properly, his forgiveness felt undeserved. like ewwww.
4. I'm sorry but as for the side characters, there wasn't a single well written and interesting one except for mrs seo maybe. None of them had any depth in them and I felt like skimming through every scene that had nothing to do with the leads. The fl's family especially made no sense. The father barely tried, and the mother, a famous actress obsessed with protecting her image, somehow decides to have a highly sensitive and volatile conversation in the middle of a public building lobby lmaoo. Completely unrealistic.
5. The leads' backstories were half baked too. We never truly understand how the ml moved and raised his nephew to a new town and became a rich ceo, or why the people had no idea what he did until the fl arrived.
☆ *What I loved about the drama:*
1. No dragged misunderstandings! The leads didn't keep stuff to themselves, communicated like adults and resolved issues within minutes. Such a refreshing and healthy dynamic thank goodness!
2. The comedic timing was surprisingly good. Yes, there were used clichés, but the leads executed them so well that they actually worked (for me atleast hehe :))
4. The pacing was on the slower side but it suited the slice of life genre. The story was allowed to breathe, giving emotions space to settle.
5. THE LEADS. THE CHEMISTRY. The sole reason I finished the drama. Both performances were phenomenal, and I am genuinely excited for their future projects 🌟
6. The cinematography and music were beautiful. Visually stunning! And the OSTs were too beautiful esp the one by miyeon!
Overall, the drama did meet my expectations, but it also... fell short in several important areas. The leads were everything, which is surprisingly rare for romcoms these days. It was relaxing, comforting, and enjoyable despite its flaws. I might as well rewatch it when i want something to be playing in the background while i do my work.
Thank you, spring fever, for making my mondays and tuesdays a little more exciting!! 🌸
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