Pearl is the mother I never had. She is the sister everybody would want. She is the friend that everybody deserves. I don't know a better person.
No but seriously, her presence really livened up the show. Her natural banter with the boys is apparently contagious because now the two have started doing the same lol. The recent episode has been the best one so far.
Can somebody spoil me/ give me a theory of what she saw on the screen?
At the end? It was the exams for their year level. I think the intended implication is that Kim stole the drive from Kana since he's the only other person who knows she kept the exams in there (since he gave it as a gift for that exact purpose).
Caught up with the series over the weekend and the writing for this show is really its biggest asset. The jokes are so left field and the parodies so earnest that, for me, it successfully executes its vision of absurdist millenial humor. It feels at times like the Scary Movie answer to BL and BL sub-culture (poking fun at its conventions while shaping itself around a narrative that is entirely conventional) and also an improvisational sketch show where characters madly ad-lib back and forth. It's fun!
It is /so/ nice to have a female director at the helm, especially one with good credit to her name. Even from just the first episode, I could get a sense of how differently the set-up would have been handled by a male director especially because our lead is a young girl, so I'm glad Aticha Muilanie got the job.
What a stunning film. I've waited 3 years to see this since I first stumbled upon the trailer and I figured what better time to watch it than during a time where I have no choice but to feel isolated. I finished it feeling understood as a person—one of the rarest experiences you could get from a film.
I relate to Konuma so much. A few years ago, I was in her exact position. In a way, I still am. I'm in my 20s, still living with my parents, still going to college, still kind of clueless as to what I'm doing with my life—but I'm taking each day step by step. Like her, I also felt trapped... and that's why the ending meant a lot to me. If I was in her shoes, I would also be thankful to that person. (Trying not to spoil too much here!)
(If anyone's looking for subtitles, they're out there as a separate file. The movie's pretty easy to find as well. If you think you would like it, it's worth the trouble. I recommend it wholeheartedly.)
Wow, things are finally getting interesting and we have.... only 5 episodes left lol. I wish they hadn't doubled the running time for the episodes because it's done nothing but slow down the pacing.
This is a drama that definitely deserved more episodes (at least two more?) There was a lot of plot left to cover with the last two episodes and the pacing (which was near perfect throughout most of the show) was ultimately sacrificed. So many cases of tell and not show that I got a little frustrated. Still, it wrapped up cleanly and I was satisfied with things overall.
I haven't felt particularly captivated by a Korean drama in quite some time. Gorgeous cinematography, as others have mentioned. The story is what really impressed me though—the universe felt lived in and the characters very real. I liked how it balanced a plot centered around a big mystery with the characters experiencing a coming-of-age. They were still dealing with school, friendships and budding relationships—and all of it came into play as they were solving things. Definitely a top recommendation for dramas of the year so far!
The drawn-out pace, not to mention the serene cinematography, really makes it feel like a manga brought to life. It's quiet and you're given so much time to soak in each shot. What an interesting film.
This is a great surprise. It may come off as a typical high school romance at first but it's not. The real relationship it centers on is one of friendship and it gets quite heavy, dealing with themes of change and consequence. I wasn't expecting it to go this way considering the cast is mostly unknowns.
Honestly, I find myself struggling a bit with the series. The editing is abysmal at parts, with cuts being jumpy and mismatched to the rhythm of scenes . The audio levels are inconsistent and THERE'S SO MUCH UNECESSARY MUSIC. (Why are vocal-heavy songs playing so loud during dialogue?) The acting is... amateur at best (Win clearly breaks character often), save for a few Bright spots (catch my drift?), but I can't deny it's pretty charming when it gets it right. I think, if anything, I'm mostly just happy to see the fake dating trope play out. The miscommunication, the slow burn—it's all there and being executed well enough. I have no intentions of dropping it yet so I hope it doesn't give me reasons to anytime soon.
Welp, that ending was terrible. Having to see Haeyoung grovel his way through an apology just so we can get a last minute reconcilation and kiss... bleh. I genuinely thought we were headed somewhere after he rejected her but he ended up learning nothing. I'm not even going to get into the complete disregard for Sol's character development.
"The person you want to kiss and the person you love doesn't always go together."
We all know by now that Haeyoung is the guy Sol kissed, or at least that's what the narrative wants us to manifest in our heads because they're setting the two up as endgame, but I keep going back to what he said and I've concluded that I don't want her to end up with him at all. Your best friend who you never once considered a romantic interest suddenly becoming one? It's too obvious. I want them to subvert my expectations.
It could be anyone, but ideally I want it to be Yeonwoo. She's already built him up as a romantic partner. Haeyoung may have been the kiss she's dreamt of all her life, but I want her to grow up and realise that relationships are beyond fantasy. That it's possible she doesn't end up with the perfect kissing partner, but it's okay because she genuinely likes them and they like her back.
A surprisingly refreshing web drama. It carries a lot of the spirit of the Reply series, probably because it's set in 2008, which is weird because when the Reply series started, it had only been 4 years since 2008 and there was no way you could feel nostalgic for that era. Now it's been a whole decade and so much has changed in the way society is, that it makes it easier to long for the simplicity of that time.
Also a similar feature is the "Will They, Won't They?" plot. The open-ended nature actually feels like a response to the second-lead syndrome in the Reply series and I wouldn't be a surprised if that was actually the reason behind it.
Overall, it feels very much like a tribute but certainly stands on its own. Definitely recommend it if you're a fan of the Reply series or just coming-of-age stories in general.
Same, ever since Haru became self-aware again the last few episodes have just repeated the first arc's story beats. I wish they spent them more on Juda's newfound self awareness. At least the preview for the next episode looks like it might inject some life since the writer's meddling again.
I previously thought Hyunjoo was playing another high schooler who falls victim to the Witch Shop, but she's actually playing a de-aged version of the Witch. That's an interesting twist. I'm really excited to see where this goes now!
No but seriously, her presence really livened up the show. Her natural banter with the boys is apparently contagious because now the two have started doing the same lol. The recent episode has been the best one so far.
I relate to Konuma so much. A few years ago, I was in her exact position. In a way, I still am. I'm in my 20s, still living with my parents, still going to college, still kind of clueless as to what I'm doing with my life—but I'm taking each day step by step. Like her, I also felt trapped... and that's why the ending meant a lot to me. If I was in her shoes, I would also be thankful to that person. (Trying not to spoil too much here!)
(If anyone's looking for subtitles, they're out there as a separate file. The movie's pretty easy to find as well. If you think you would like it, it's worth the trouble. I recommend it wholeheartedly.)
I haven't felt particularly captivated by a Korean drama in quite some time. Gorgeous cinematography, as others have mentioned. The story is what really impressed me though—the universe felt lived in and the characters very real. I liked how it balanced a plot centered around a big mystery with the characters experiencing a coming-of-age. They were still dealing with school, friendships and budding relationships—and all of it came into play as they were solving things. Definitely a top recommendation for dramas of the year so far!
We all know by now that Haeyoung is the guy Sol kissed, or at least that's what the narrative wants us to manifest in our heads because they're setting the two up as endgame, but I keep going back to what he said and I've concluded that I don't want her to end up with him at all. Your best friend who you never once considered a romantic interest suddenly becoming one? It's too obvious. I want them to subvert my expectations.
It could be anyone, but ideally I want it to be Yeonwoo. She's already built him up as a romantic partner. Haeyoung may have been the kiss she's dreamt of all her life, but I want her to grow up and realise that relationships are beyond fantasy. That it's possible she doesn't end up with the perfect kissing partner, but it's okay because she genuinely likes them and they like her back.
Also a similar feature is the "Will They, Won't They?" plot. The open-ended nature actually feels like a response to the second-lead syndrome in the Reply series and I wouldn't be a surprised if that was actually the reason behind it.
Overall, it feels very much like a tribute but certainly stands on its own. Definitely recommend it if you're a fan of the Reply series or just coming-of-age stories in general.