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Brilliant ending
Wow, what a cathartic way to finish the series. Everything really ties together in a surprising but really satisfying way in the end. I really appreciate how intelligent the characters are here, with each plot progression being intentional and decision-driven. Every actor continues to impress me, especially now that the plot unfolds and we get to see different sides of them.I know the romance aspect has gotten mixed reviews, but I personally still enjoyed it. Even if the drama didn't have it, though, I feel like I wouldn't like the drama any more or less.
The last episode is a little bit rushed, falling victim to some typical kdrama tropes, but I think the show, overall, ultimately sticks the landing.
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What a fantastic first half
Brilliant. Do-eun's past is so tragic and brutal, but the set-up for her revenge is the definition of a slow burn, intertwining so many characters and their motivations together. The drama does an amazing job of building up tension.Every actor absolutely sell their role. The casting was SO good, especially the parallels between young and adult actors. The trauma and heaviness in Do-eun's character is so powerful, and Yeon-jin really is intimidating and scary. I'm really excited to see how everything finally unravels.
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Great actors and chemistry, but kind of a cheesy plot
A hidden gem. As a lover of school dramas, this was a really light-hearted and comforting watch. The chemistry is actually really good between the leads, and both of their acting feels really natural. This, though, is sometimes interrupted by occasional cheesy dialogue, which seems to be an issue in the writing. The drama really is at its strongest when it's more down-to-earth, such as when it's about familial conflict, but that's not to say I don't enjoy the more goofy moments sometimes.Was this review helpful to you?
Surprisingly fun and light-hearted
I had been putting off watching this one for a while, worried it would be too confusing or heavy. But Part 1 of this drama was actually so funny and light-hearted. The family dynamics are really interesting to watch and the romance was delightful and full of tension.It does have the same issue that I have with many historical cdramas — that 95% of women characters are portrayed as villainous and manipulators , but it helps that the main character is headstrong and intelligent; she's one of the most refreshing parts of the show.
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Cried way more than I expected
I went into this one expecting a light-hearted school drama but this one turned out to be a surprising tear-jerker.There's some inconsistent pacing with certain arcs taking a lot of episodes and other arcs flying by way too fast, and the way the time travel works — by starting from scratch every single time — does get a little repetitive and frustrating sometimes. But ultimately, I found this drama extremely heartfelt; the leads are both likable and adorable together, and the male POV that we get is so touching and memorable.
It's true that the ending leaves a lot to be desired, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the show at all. Will be watching the film next!
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Warm
A very heart-warming story, with lots of side characters that ended up really growing on me. The story is deeper and more concrete than a lot of Thai BLs I've watched, and that made me really connect to the characters a lot more. There's romance here, but also a very warm feeling of found family and friendship.There ARE a few things that were a little frustrating, particularly in the last few episodes, where the drama goes for conflict instead of communication. It meant the ending and final episode is a little rushed, but ultimately I'm satisfied with the character arcs.
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Pretty cool
This was actually quite enjoyable, from the world-building to the set design to the dynamic of their little group., but it does become a bit cheesy at certain times both in the plot and in the acting — especially when it comes to the international side actors who are clearly not as skilled as the main cast.Was this review helpful to you?
Sweet but also depressing — but in a way that many Asian movies turn out to be.
I did enjoy this one and it was sweet and heart-warming at certain moments, with great performances and lessons. It did end up being a little more cliche than I'd expected though; given the blurb, I did not expect the plot to revert to some of those same tropes we've seen so many times before in other Asian media.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Sweet nostalgia
I'm not sure if it's just me but as much as I like youth romance movies, my enjoyment is almost always hampered by the addition of a really depressing and dramatic third act, which we sometimes, like in this movie, know is coming from the beginning. While I thought the story was sweet, it's also another instance of "maybe it would've been better in drama form," and we would have more time with these characters, like in the Reply series.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Aimless
It was pretty obvious after watching S2 that seasons 2 and 3 were basically one season split into two parts, and now that we've seen both of them, I felt like the set-up didn't end up paying off.I can kind of see what they're going with the nihilism theme, but it ultimately feels a bit shallow and not very coherent. There were a lot of character arcs that were randomly cut off because the story went for the route of everyone having to die, and side characters with originally really interesting roles, like the detective or the guard, ended up being really underutilized. It also felt everything started revolving around the baby once it was born — a trope that's always been a pet peeve of mine.
In terms of games, I think my favorite in this one was the jump rope because of its simplicity — I personally enjoy where there's no ill will in the game itself, and death only happens in terms of failure, which is when people start to sabotage others. The Keys and Knives one is a little too on the nose for me.
Ultimately, I think the first season is still the best. The second and third feel like a rehashing of it, with characters and games that are far less engaging.
And yes, the VIPs are still horrible.
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Bittersweet
A touching and beautiful story, but one that I wish was a drama with longer screentime because it felt like we just scratched the surface of their friendship.The story is pretty strong but it's still slightly hampered by the same issue a lot of older Japanese movies have — an overly dense and twitchy female lead who seems to have little personality beyond ultimate kindness.
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Didn't click for some reason
Ah. I was really hoping to love this one considering all the glowing reviews, and one thing I do appreciate is that it doesn't do the Hollywood thing of thinking action = excitement. The CGI is fantastic for its small budget, and the film actually takes its time setting up its characters and the world, and Godzilla is more of a vehicle for their development. It just...didn't really work that well for me.Was this review helpful to you?
Comfort is a person
I'd watched the Korean version and thought it was just okay, but the couple was much more endearing and comforting to me in this version. The leads are SO cute together.I still find the ending and time skip just a little bit too fast and frustrating (and yes I am already prejudiced against the separation trope), but I was still quite touched by the emotional scenes and their reunion.
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Cute but needs more runtime
This is definitely one of those adaptations where the longer runtime of the drama meant there was time to develop the relationship between the leads, as well as the depth of care a teacher has for his students.There are some adorable moments between Geng Geng and Yu Huai (and the acting is good too), but I found it hard to be emotionally moved by their separation and the reasons behind it.
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A feel-good show
A very warm show about following your dreams no matter how late it feels. Well-acted and well-written throughout, with a really nice bit of found-family theme that I wish the drama leaned into more, because Chae-rok's character felt very disjointed from everyone else (except for Deok-chul) until the very end. I think I might've gone into this one with expectations that were a little too high, because while I enjoyed this one and thought it was a solid, enjoyable watch, I don't think it did anything that I haven't seen before.Was this review helpful to you?
