scenophile

Made me cry like a baby

Damn. I really didn't expect to love this so damn much, because I've had a bad rap with Taiwanese dramas, but this was actually so close to perfect, and it made me SOB.

The friends-to-lovers trope is probably my favorite trope ever, and this show did a damn good job of portraying it. As cliche as the "don't want to ruin our friendship" excuse is, it was easy to see how big of a deal it was and why our main characters would choose to keep their mouths shut, even though Da-Ren acted so much like a second lead and broke my heart every single episode. This show is SO good at displaying the little subtleties in their relationship and emotions, especially through the flashbacks. There were definitely some extended flashbacks, but they were paralleled and done so well that I wanted to see more.

The beginning was honestly a little offputting, with the female lead running away from a gorilla looking creature meant to symbolize time. Thankfully this wasn't a long-lasting metaphor, and as the drama progressed, I started to really appreciate the cinematography a lot more, from the (day)dreams that the characters had (which broke my heart too) to the phone calls that brought them closer.

Something about the main female lead, You-Qing, is so damn relatable. She's the sort of everyday badass that stands up for herself, and doesn't need to resort to punches to do so. She can be a little arrogant at times, but that comes with the territory. And even though she's so straightforward and domineering in every aspect of her life, when it came to love, everything became so confusing and scary that she found herself away from it. SO. DAMN. RELATABLE. And when she finally grew from it at the end—it was so refreshing yet heartbreaking that I couldn't help but sob along with her.

That scene where she was apologizing to her parents and didn't want to embarrass them by calling off the wedding, but all they cared about was her happiness...honestly hit me hard, and it exemplified everything I loved about their family. The same could be said for Da-Ren's family, but something about the more subtle way it was shown in You-Qing's family was more effective.

Even though friendship wasn't a HUGE part of the story, I really really loved the high school gang, especially when they were at the bachelorette party and basically collectively knew that Da-Ren had been in love with You-Qing since high school. (Sidenote: Jasper Liu is hella fine)

I also can't remember the last time I cared so much about a side ship. Maybe because it was ALSO friends-to-lovers with one side unrequited, but Ping An and Ling Kai were adorable, and I honestly also love that they played out realistically and it wasn't a random happily ever after.

A few things that I didn't like as much:

1. Something about the time jump in the last episode where we saw You-Qing go traveling was very unsatisfying to me. I'm all about the FINALE where the characters finally reveal everything and are honest with each other, and I never really got to see that. I'm okay with the concept of You-Qing needing time to find herself through traveling, but...What did she say to Da-Ren? What was his reaction when he found out his unrequited love wasn't unrequited? These questions are going to kill me.

2. I kind of wish they didn't make Ding Li-Wei a cheating scumbag at the end. Even though it might be realistic, I liked the idea that he changed his ways and You-Qing had to repent completely for leading on a guy she didn't love. Making him cheat felt like an attempt at justifying You-Qing's actions by basically saying "hey, we both did bad things to each other."

3. A minor last thing: it's true that the drama dragged a little longer than I thought it would because You-Qing didn't speak up, and I hated that especially because I hated Ding Li-Wei that chauvinistic controlling pig with a burning passion, but at the same time—and I'm also saying this for everyone saying that she was horrible for leading him on, crying about being 30, and getting so far as getting engaged—it's easy to see how a thirty-year-old woman in Taiwan would be STRESSED out about still being single at that age, considering how women in their late twenties are already treated like garbage (ex: "leftover women" in China). Add the fact that Ding Li-Wei was an ex who she still had lingering feelings for and it's honestly harder to break up with someone than it sounds...what might've been an annoying character became heartbreakingly realistic and relatable for me.

LAST SIDENOTE: Why does Ding Li-Wei randomly burst into lines of English? Even though his English is good, it still makes me cringe.

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The only thing that really saved this drama for me was Cha Eun-Gyeol, who was the most lovable, adorable, relatable character ever.

The drama did that thing where they gave the second lead all the cute bantering moments, while the main lead got all the scenes where they had to save the female lead from the evil antagonists. As a result, I found myself rolling my eyes at all the K-drama cliches but fangirling over the domestic moments between Eun-Gyeol and Jae-Hee, especially because it felt like he was always there for her when Tae-Joon wasn't.

One thing that really bothered me was the premise itself—Jae-Hee literally flew to Korea all the way from America just because of a guy, and she ended up being so stalkerish and obsessive that I found her character annoying and creepy within the first few episodes.

I felt like this drama tried to be melodramatic, but the reasoning behind so many plot points were so stupid and cliche and could have been resolved with communication, ESPECIALLY THAT STUPID TIME JUMP AT THE END. Time skips annoy the hell out of me especially when it's as if everyone suddenly forgot that phone and email existed and just didn't communicate at all.

THE OST FOR THIS DRAMA IS SO GOOD., and it was another thing that made my heart feel more invested in the story and scenes, when my head was telling me to not be.

Lastly: I get that Jae-Hee came from America, but when her brother visited, was there a purpose to randomly switching between Korean and English every other sentence in every conversation? It not only sounded awkward but also made my head spin when I was trying to process what I was watching.

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This drama hit us with all the cliches, but it made it work, and the "Wednesday 3:30pm" idea was an adorable addition. As someone with a soft spot for best friend to lover stories, I knew I was going to love this right off the bat—and I did, for the most part. I loved the dynamic of the main leads, and I really liked how their feelings were gradual as we got to see how comfortable they were with each other.

The only reason this doesn't have a higher rating is because of the DREADED prolonged lack-of-communication plot device that makes me want to rip my hair out every time it appears in dramas...

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This show was completely carried by Seo In Guk and his adorable Louis character. Although Louis was dumb often, he was so adorable and considering his amnesia, I was forgiving.

I couldn't say the same for the other characters, especially the main lead. I've come to realize that I'm not really a fan of Nam Ji Hyun's acting in the first place, but her character in this show was even more frustrating to watch. Go Bok Shil never seemed to learn anything either, and add the fact that she initiated the lack-of-communication/noble-idiocy (MY MOST HATED PLOT DEVICE)...if you asked me what her character development was, I couldn't tell you.

A lot of the side characters were really annoying as well, including the director, who I wish had more of a father figure role instead of a love interest role—and even though his throat-clearing thing was funny at some times as it became a running joke, I also got really annoyed at it, and really annoyed at how he yells every line. His mom was annoying as well, and I didn't really see the purpose of her existence at all.

One thing I can appreciate is definitely the humor and the more light-hearted feel to the story by making the bad guys so hilariously incompetent that I couldn't help but laugh at their situations and misunderstandings. Though I liked the way it didn't show the antagonists as purely evil, I still wish there were more satisfying karma/revenge scenes, which we honestly didn't get any of., especially since neither of the main leads were the type to stand up for themselves.

The last few episodes really had a slower pace and felt more dragged out as well, and I felt like the story could have been wrapped up faster and more cleanly.

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Boring and uninspired

I know this movie received critical acclaim and a lot of people loved the plot twists but wow, it did not click with me at all. I liked how the plot was set up at the start but as the movie went on, it just felt like it was dragging a lot. There were a lot of scenes I didn't care much for, and all of the characters (especially the main guy) just felt very bland and uninteresting to me.

Part of my apathy, though, I know is just a lack of interest in this genre as a whole — I found it really difficult to suspend disbelief when the explanations were reliant on religious mythology, exorcism, and themes like that. If you are a fan of those kinds of movies, you might enjoy this more than I did.

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Comforting in a painful way

I really loved the vibes of this drama. It's a cross between kdrama and jdrama, but I actually found it to feel more similar to the latter; it felt very raw and gritty, while kdramas typically are more polished and touched up. The show really lets the acting and chemistry shine.

The theme of cultural differences between Japan and Korea is really interesting. We see the effects of it from an external source when Choi Hong faces discrimination at a ramen shop, but we also see its internal effects and how it shows up in the relationship between our leads. We see how the ML and FL are not able to speak their minds, and how this leads to CH's increasing loneliness in a foreign country. The way the language barrier is portrayed is so interesting and relatable, especially one scene where CH reverts to her native language when she's upset and overwhelmed.

It's such a good premise and it's why I wish this drama was more than six episodes, because I feel like the cultural differences was established well as a conflict, but not resolved quite as cleanly. The last episode feels a little rushed and it left me with more questions about how their relationship would work in the future in terms of where they would leave, what language they'd communicate in, how to deal with different customs and traditions, etc. It feels like the ending went for a "they both apologized so it's all okay" direction, whereas I would've preferred them have more conversations about the issues that arose in their relationship. We already knew they loved each other and that they would be okay in a vacuum, but I'm of the mind that love isn't always enough.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this and liked the melodrama vibes a lot. Despite how angsty it is, this drama actually felt very comforting to me. And I hope I see more K/J collaboration dramas in the future.

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This movie had a nice vibe and there were some really cute scenes between the leads but I still feel like it was missing something — namely, context/plot. Firstly, I wish we went more into the backstories, and secondly, there was a lot of potential for actual problems to pull the couple apart (which was what the blurb sold this movie as) but each time gap felt like it was pretty much just because they didn’t communicate. It felt like I was waiting for The Big Conflict, and it never really came.

Also, and this was understandable considering how less time a movie has vs. a drama, but I felt like the relationship between the main leads just wasn’t developed enough. They had their cute moments, but in terms of depth, every time they reunited, they just smiled at each other and it was a given that they would be together again; the time gaps just didn’t feel like time gaps because they were basically the exact same people with the exact same personalities years later.

I will say I really appreciated the entire vibe/aesthetic of this show — the lack of slow motion, special effects plus the color palette, transition screens, and not overusing OSTs…it all made the entire show feel that much more intimate and realistic.

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A missing spark that crashes and burns

This is the first drama that I've watched after reading the original source material (in this case, a webtoon), so this will be a review where I inevitably compare some elements, but I'm still trying to be as objective as possible.

I really loved the webtoon — the plot, the lack of cliches, the straightforward female lead — and was really excited for the drama. But from the start the spark was missing for me. It felt pretty well written but the development of the leads felt jumpy and I'm not sure the chemistry between the actors is all there.

Plot-wise, this was really a drama that needed a full 16 episodes because of how much plot there was. There's the 18th life backstory and Jieum's 1st life backstory, and I really feel like they glossed over the car accident (18th) just to make time for the other plot. The plot that seemed to kickstart everything felt very unimportant by the end.

Now, the biggest issue I have with this drama is the backstory behind the first life and all the changes they made to it. Just in general, the backstory of the first life felt lackluster, but if I hadn't read the webtoon prior to watching this might've been something I could forgive, but knowing what I know, I find myself realizing just how MUCH the overall message was changed. Whereas the webtoon seemed to give Jieum a lot of agency in choosing who could be part of her life and going against "destiny," the drama created a lot of rules to take that away. There were consequences from the universe telling her those decisions were wrong, and even more so, the fact that EVERYONE was incorporated into her first life (vs. the coincidental one in the webtoon) seemed to underline that fate does exist, and that people with so-called intertwined destinies would meet each other anyways. Being anti-destiny was one of the things I loved about the webtoon and I felt like the drama completely undid that.

Next, my other big issue is the ending. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate the amnesia trope, especially when used at the end, and this was the perfect example of why. It just leaves SO many plot holes because she lost memories of specific people instead of just her past lives — why wouldn't she question her life changes and memory gaps? How did she get her job back? What about where she was living? Wouldn't other people talk to her about the people she'd forgotten? The only direction I can see the story going is Jieum starting to second guess herself and the people who randomly started to insert themselves in her lives. But obviously, there were no more episodes. The story just...ended.

Overall, I actually think this had a promising start. The cinematography was gorgeous, and there is so much good material. Even if I wasn't immediately convinced, I was glad I gave this a chance and I did see a few scenes that I liked, some familial bonds that touched me. By the ending however, the backstory had become so messy, the philosophy had become unclear, and the romance had fizzled out. I'd lost all emotional investment in the story.

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It's missing something

This one got really glowing reviews so I was quite looking forward to it, and while I still like the essence of the plot and the chemistry between the leads, it just feels like there's something missing. Maybe it was the writing or the editing, but I constantly felt like the show was missing scenes or having really important reveals happen off-screen. I was looking forward to a lot of identity reveals — each of the leads and the villain — but they all turned out very underwhelming, like the characters found out off screen and then the next scene was them just stating it.

The plot itself is interesting but it was also written in a weird way. I wasn't sure how the leads found out about the villain, and I wasn't completely sure about the antagonist's motivations either, compared to a drama like The Untamed drama where got to see exactly how the leads worked together and how things went wrong. There are characters who I thought would end up playing a bigger role considering how much screentime and importance they were given, but they turned out to just be a subplot and not at all tied to the final arc, which ultimately felt quite rushed.

Overall, I think there's a story here, but from someone who hasn't read the source material, the drama itself is not executed that well outside of the two leads.

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Right Person Wrong Time

The chemistry is hands down the best part of the drama and I think the show did a fantastic job of intertwining historical events with the personal story of two people who just happened to meet and fall in love with each other during that time. The first few episodes were more lighthearted and fun, and even as the story became heavier and life became more difficult, I felt like we still saw the soft moments between the two leads, the stolen moments of safety and comfort. It really felt like two people against the world.

Maybe my only gripe with this is the ending. I have no problem with the plot itself, but pace-wise it felt like a rushed and forced tragedy and the aftermath wasn't explained well either.

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Relatable and heartfelt

It took me a little while to get into this and I liked the younger timeline a lot better than the older adult one, where there was a lot more annoying slapstick humor. It just felt more comforting and the family theme was really strong.

But the adult timeline really grew on me as the drama went on, and in the end, it was that one that hit the hardest. It was just a really beautiful depiction of family life in Tainan, and the bits of political and historical context that it included were also really raw and realistic.

I also have to especially give props to the lead actresses — both the adult and the younger versions did an amazing job of bringing the character to life and making it feel cohesive and natural. And the relationship between the siblings was actually one of my favorite parts in this show. Would highly recommend this.

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Amazing Chemistry

The best part of this drama is, without question, the chemistry between the two leads. From the very start they had the best kind of relationship — playful bickering, but with the added fact that they were two people who each had their own trauma, who had somehow found each other and the emotional support they hadn't been able to get anywhere else. There was something so beautiful and heart-breaking about every scene with the two of them just being together, something so intimate about the conversations they had whether or not there was any skinship (which we did get, satisfyingly).

Other than that, the second and side ships were also fun to watch and had their unique dynamics that added to the story. Even as independent characters, I really liked all the side characters.

The main plot of this drama surrounds Taeyang's past catching up with her, and this really takes center stage in the second half of the show. It was a decent plotline, but I definitely wish that it was resolved sooner because as much as I loved the angst we got between the leads because of it (those super emotionally packed scenes were where I cried BUCKETS), but I felt like the badminton part of the drama started to taper off — there was less about the risks that athletes take and their motivations and goals, but it was more about forgiveness and guilt. I have nothing against this drama veering into melodrama territory but I definitely think it lasted a little too long and we barely got to see any badminton matches, whereas the first half was a lot about the characters training and trying to improve.

With that being said, the ending did feel a little rushed too. I disagree with some of the main themes that the plot ended up seeming to say and wish our two leads had been given more agency; it felt like some plot development either happened out of convenience or they were waiting for other characters to change so that they could make decisions. While I understand that our main leads are simply two very selfless and patient (perhaps to a fault) characters and that Asian culture is very family-centered, if you're more confrontational and about self-interest/self-love (as I am) you might find it frustrating and plot-convenient.

Overall, still a really fun watch for me. Taejun is hands down the best male lead I've watched this year and will go down as one of my permanent favorites. This entire drama is just full of green flag male leads.

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Nice aesthetics, lacking story

I really liked how this movie vibed in general, from the cinematography to the overall quiet of certain scenes. For what it's worth, the actresses filled their roles well and had some nice scenes together.

With that being said, however, I just didn't like the characters themselves — this movie was by no means character driven; there's little to no character development and I felt like the toxicity in the relationship wasn't explored much either.

Ultimately, however, I also just felt like the story in this was lacking; it didn't feel like a story about running or dying — I didn't feel any sense of urgency or even any sort of direction. The time jumps back to the past felt like they didn't have much of a purpose either.

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