zei

i’m not the type to fall for pure romance. my taste in k-dramas leans toward the extraordinary – fantasy worlds with time travel and supernatural beings, mysteries wrapped in crime and thriller, or intense medical dramas that keep my brain ticking. romantic comedies, on the other hand, have always sat at the bottom of my list. i usually find them too predictable, too repetitive – two people falling in love, misunderstanding each other, fighting, making up, and ending up together anyway. i tend to drop them halfway, wondering what the point was.

and yet, somehow, our beloved summer slipped past that wall.

i dropped it a long time ago after just three episodes. not because i hated it, not because of any flaw i can remember – i just did. and honestly, i don’t even understand why. maybe i wasn’t in the right mood, or maybe it didn’t click at the time. but recently, it started flooding my fyp, and curiosity got the best of me. before pressing play again, i read reviews – and the most common complaint was that it was boring. still, i gave it another shot.

and i’m so glad i did.

from the first episode to the last, it never failed to make me laugh. it made me smile in that soft, quiet way that doesn’t need big punchlines or loud moments. the main characters, the side characters – everyone added something warm, something sincere. this drama isn’t loud. it doesn’t try too hard. it just exists gently, like a memory you didn’t realize you needed. it’s light. peaceful. healing. it feels like taking a deep breath after holding it in for too long.

maybe that’s why some people find it boring – there’s no chaos, no dramatic twists, no villains. just life. raw, real, and quietly beautiful.

and let’s talk about the cinematography – absolutely breathtaking. every frame is filled with intention and softness. from the golden light filtering through trees, to the nostalgic haze of their past, to the dreamy stillness of ung’s house. even the opening sequence feels like a painting in motion. it’s the kind of visual storytelling that lingers in your chest.

i never expected a romantic comedy to break through my usual preferences, let alone stay with me like this. our beloved summer didn’t just meet my expectations – it gently surpassed them. it reminded me that sometimes, stories don’t need to shout to be heard. sometimes, they just need to feel honest.

oh, how i wish i could watch it again for the first time. till we meet again, ung and yeon-su. till next summer.