This review may contain spoilers
Nerd x Popular Boy
I actually have mixed feelings about this drama. It's marketed as a romance, I expected the story to focus mainly on Boreum and Yohan—and while it does, a lot of other things happen that I personally feel weren’t necessary. Alongside the romantic storyline, the drama also dives into school-related issues, a corrupt dean, preparations for a project competition, and even includes an LGBT subplot. I appreciate that it doesn’t stick to just one genre and that it attempts to blend romance with slice-of-life elements. I also like that it highlights the struggles students face and shows how much they care about their school, to the point of protesting for better facilities.
However, despite those positives, I often found myself bored. Many episodes focused heavily on school problems or Boreum’s life as a computer-science prodigy. If the title weren’t “Love.exe,” I might have understood the direction more—but since it implies a romance-driven story, I expected more romantic development and fewer scenes centered on individual problems or school politics. There were a lot of “dead moments,” especially when Boreum and her friends talked about tech topics that non-techy viewers might find dull. I caught myself skipping scenes and even felt eager to finish the drama just to get it over with.
In the end, I’m giving it a solid 6.5 because it does have potential. It has a story to tell, and the concept is interesting, but the execution fell short for me. I liked parts of it, but I was mostly bored. The drama covers a lot, but it still feels like something is missing—and with better balance and tighter storytelling, it could have been much stronger.
Boreum’s acting was also a bit mid. I like her as an actress, but I felt she failed to deliver the necessary emotion in several scenes that were supposed to be more impactful. Some of her expressions felt plain and repetitive throughout certain moments. While the character suited her and she portrayed the role decently, her overall performance still felt average to me.
Yohan, on the other hand, is noticeably improving. I liked his facial expressions and the way he carried his character, though he still has room to grow. His role in this drama was charming, and I genuinely enjoyed his chemistry with Boreum. Their scenes together gave me kilig moments, which is why I was a bit disappointed that they only had around 15–20% of the screen time together though I was hoping for more romance between them, especially for a drama.
However, despite those positives, I often found myself bored. Many episodes focused heavily on school problems or Boreum’s life as a computer-science prodigy. If the title weren’t “Love.exe,” I might have understood the direction more—but since it implies a romance-driven story, I expected more romantic development and fewer scenes centered on individual problems or school politics. There were a lot of “dead moments,” especially when Boreum and her friends talked about tech topics that non-techy viewers might find dull. I caught myself skipping scenes and even felt eager to finish the drama just to get it over with.
In the end, I’m giving it a solid 6.5 because it does have potential. It has a story to tell, and the concept is interesting, but the execution fell short for me. I liked parts of it, but I was mostly bored. The drama covers a lot, but it still feels like something is missing—and with better balance and tighter storytelling, it could have been much stronger.
Boreum’s acting was also a bit mid. I like her as an actress, but I felt she failed to deliver the necessary emotion in several scenes that were supposed to be more impactful. Some of her expressions felt plain and repetitive throughout certain moments. While the character suited her and she portrayed the role decently, her overall performance still felt average to me.
Yohan, on the other hand, is noticeably improving. I liked his facial expressions and the way he carried his character, though he still has room to grow. His role in this drama was charming, and I genuinely enjoyed his chemistry with Boreum. Their scenes together gave me kilig moments, which is why I was a bit disappointed that they only had around 15–20% of the screen time together though I was hoping for more romance between them, especially for a drama.
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