More than the sum of its parts...feels like I'm better off than I was when I started it
The writing, acting, and directing are all so strong...but the show is more than just the sum of those parts. It isn't a feel-good show by any stretch - it shows some dark events and explores some tough themes - but it unfolds in a way that leaves you feeling like you came through the other side better off than you were when you started. The themes of platonic love, family bonds, and neighborhood ties are woven together nicely.Was this review helpful to you?
A lovable diamond in the rough
What's good about this drama is so good, it makes you love it despite its flaws. Wei Wuxian (as played by Xiao Zhan) is one of the most lovable and interesting characters I've seen any drama, period. Huge credit has to be given to the screenwriter who elevated the story/characters beyond the source material, the casting director for picking these two untested lead actors, the director for pulling this performance out of them, and the music director for creating a gorgeous soundtrack. I hope the two main actors are incredibly proud of what they did, even though they've had a rollercoaster ride with the fandoms and fan-fiction it spawned. The story was a bit confusing to begin with - I had to stop and read a synopsis to understand what was happening, but I'm glad I stuck with it because the payoff was huge. It helps to know that it starts in the middle of the story and then flashes back for 20+ episodes - and the main character is supposed to have woken up in a different body, but they use the same actor for his first life and second life (so he looks different to the other characters but not to the audience). The flaws are mostly technical, with action scenes especially, and the acting of minor characters can be pretty bad. I read the novels after watching the drama, and I have to say the characters were not as interesting or lovable in print. It is a shame the romance was censored, but honestly, it isn't well integrated in the novels...mostly in the last book and more sexual than romantic. In the drama, you see a platonic relationship with a focus on different kinds of brotherly relationships - which ends up being rather powerful. The romantic relationship isn't shown or contradicted, it is left up to the viewer's imagination. There are plenty of nods to the BL content for readers to pick up on, and the behind-the-scenes content on YouTube is almost as much fun to watch as the drama itself.Was this review helpful to you?
Heartwarming...a feel-good ensemble show from beginning to end
So. Heartwarming. Cute kids. Sweet Gradmas. Beachy vibes. Strong chemistry and comedy between the leads. I thought it was going to be the typical big-city kid returning to save the little picturesque hometown story, but it turns out that the town reached out and saved him. Just a feel-good ensemble show from beginning to end. Dimples galore!Was this review helpful to you?
Chemistry between leads and coming-of-age theme supported by mellow cinematography and soundtrack
The chemistry between the leads is the highlight of this show, which the plot helps develop by showing them at different points in their relationship at different ages. I loved how they developed the ML. The FL was developed too, but it seemed more like just breaking down her walls, whereas the ML found himself over time. The coming-of-age theme was supported well by the mellow cinematography and soundtrack.Was this review helpful to you?
Humorous and poignant contrasts between NK & SK...kind of a love letter to the Korean people
Yes, it is blatantly implausible and swings wildly between genres - but there is so much to like between lovable characters, romance with tons of chemistry, and both humorous and poignant contrasts between North Korea and South Korea. I was new to K-Dramas on my first watch so it really made an impression, but it continues to stand out as kind of a love letter to the Korean people and how heartbreaking it is to be so completely cut off from each other. The composer gets an A++ for this soundtrack.Was this review helpful to you?
Mental Health Care
As much as I loved it as a narrative and jumping off point for meaningful discussion, I have to point out the conspicuous lack of mental health care. Suicide prevention 101 is that you don't yell at the person and you escort them directly to a mental health care facility or hospital, never sending them off alone after. That may sound like splitting hairs but it gets to my next - and more significant point - which is that the kind of depression suicidal people have would require medication and intensive treatment because it is not just a mood or a temporary state of mind. It is a disease with physiological causes and it's so hard to recover from because even when you "know" that life is worth living and you are worthy of a good life, you can't "feel" it. Even if you can drive the bad thoughts away temporarily, they keep coming back. Not to mention the strong correlation with other mental illnesses like bipolar disorder. All attempted suicide cases or people who are at-risk for suicide need to follow up with long-term care to really heal. Reducing the stigma around mental health care, helping build people's trust in it, and making it affordable need to be included in any critical analysis or deep dive into suicide. I recently watched Dreath's Game and I found Tomorrow to be much more empathetic but both focus too much on trying to guilt people out of killing themselves. Considering your loved ones is certainly important, but scaring people with threats of hell or eternal punishment is not the right approach. Daily Dose of Sunshine and Doctor Slump are the only two K-dramas I can think of that portray depression and suicide treatment accurately.Was this review helpful to you?
Iconic...flawed but lovable characters grapple with what is means to live and die and be reborn
This is just the total package: well-developed storyline and character development, iconic cinematography and set/fashion design, flawed but lovable characters who find reconciliation and redemption, funny and touching dialogue, and deep themes of what it means to live and die and be reborn. Chemistry and cuteness of leads is off the chart. And the soundtrack is also A . Buckwheat :)Was this review helpful to you?
Easy to get immersed...compelling story and chemistry
It was easy to get immersed in this fantasy because of the compelling storyline and the chemistry between the leads. It was a shock for them to then switch actresses in Part 2, but it did seem to serve a purpose (even if that wasn't their intention from the beginning) with the soul-switching. At some point, it did seem like the FLs were intertwined. The ML was really strong, from beginning to end.Was this review helpful to you?
Themes of family and found family support tricky depictions of neurodiversity and mental health
Man, with this plot and these characters, it could have gone so very wrong. But the writing, casting, and acting made it all feel organic and built up to a really satisfying conclusion. The themes of family and found family work together to help support the often tricky depictions of neurodiversity and mental health. Chemistry between the three leads was perfect. Bonus points for artwork.Was this review helpful to you?
Weird but interesting...with emotional payoff
The premise here is weird but interesting, and also fruitful in terms of episodic story arcs that support the overall theme/arc of the show. The prosopagnosia angle with the ML has been done several other times, but this show takes it to an extreme with the constantly changing appearance of the FL. I liked both the leads and loved the storyline with her mother. That's where I really felt the emotional payoff.Was this review helpful to you?
Understated but in the best way
This show is so understated compared to the other shows at the top of my list but in the best way. It is just pitch-perfect with its wit and chemistry between the characters - the writer gave it a pensive and yearning tone that really hit home and was reinforced by the A+ soundtrack. Bonus points for one of the most romantic first "real" kiss scenes in a k-drama. And so much love for Our Kitty!Was this review helpful to you?
Made my heart grow three sizes
My heart grows three sizes when I think of this show. I love its nostalgia, childhood friendships, family and found family bonds, slice-of-life moments, awkward young romance, and combo of humor and heart. It's one of those shows where you feel like everyone - writers, directors, actors, musicians, etc - were all putting their hearts into it. I really cried at the end when they were grown up and moving out of the neighborhood!Was this review helpful to you?
Nailed it...timelessly funny
The actress absolutely nailed this. This will be timelessly funny with her portrayal of a 21st-century man (a ladies' man, no less) stuck in the body of a Joseon-era queen. I was pleasantly surprised at how the romance played out and how the ML interacted with her in those scenes. The costumes and set design were also stand-out.Was this review helpful to you?
