scenophile

Honestly, I didn't expect to enjoy this one but wow, the standout of this drama were the two leads and the chemistry between them. Both lead actors are so good at showing subtle emotion, and the cinematography, the soothing OSTs, and the slow pacing of the show does an amazing job to highlight that.

For me, I do think it required a little bit of suppression of disbelief on my part, albeit only at the very start. The romance, while it's soft and comforting, is definitely a "love at first sight" situation. If the actors didn't sell it so well and have such good chemistry, I probably would never buy into it.

Also, although it's technically a sports romance, however, I think the sports/billiards aspect of the show is actually not very important. When you think of a sports drama there's usually a clearer through-line — maybe a character wants to make it to the Olympic team or win nationals. While there's SORT of one here (LYY overcoming his trauma and playing again), the focus is more on the emotional journey and less on the sports itself. Even though YG was also a pool player, she doesn't have a clear arc. The main focus is the romance and the characters just happen to be pool players, and they occasionally play games, but I as the audience was never clear on what the next step of their journey was, or honestly, even on the rules of the game. That's not a deal-breaker for me, but it's just a heads up for anyone who was interested in this drama because of the sports aspect.

Overall, though, this was definitely a comforting watch. I'm glad I watched it during winter because the snowy vibes were perfect.