Kate

The lost spark?

I have to sadly admit, this season was not that great. While it had amazing and fun moments, I was actually bored at times. While season 2 was also a bit disappointing in terms of the places they went to, the dynamics of the cast saved it. Here, the lack of So Min as a regular member could be felt and it was just not the same experience.

The guests were also the issue - some had little chemistry with regular members, some barely got any screen time since they barely interacted with others (Chan Young, I really like you, but during the whole episode you said like 3 lines…). I also feel like the regular members were a bit too focused on themselves and did not include the guests in the conversations enough. What’s the point of inviting people, when you end up just chatting and arguing among yourself?

I also do not understand why they cut down the number of games, when they were always one of the most entertaining parts of the show. With how most of the members are rather bad in them, it was fun to watch them try so hard while getting poor results. I’d take more games and less mukbang screen time anytime.

That said, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. There were some moments I replied a number of times - the debate game in episode 2 being one of them. Still love the cast and their interactions and chemistry, but I think it’s time to say goodbye to the show. The format starts to get boring, they have too many food related places.

PS. They get bonus points for using Woodz’s music more than once as a background song.

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Was it a perfect show? No. Did it have some flaws? Yes. But holy hell it was amazingly entertaining. So what exactly worked for me, what could have been better, and what was so bad I actually loved it?

The good

Dare I say this had one of the best set of supporting characters I have ever seen? They all were competent in their areas of expertise, but flawed in other departments, which made them more realistic and relatable. They had their own side stories that were simple enough not to overshadow the main plot, but engaging enough for me not to skip any scenes. The number of badass ladies this drama has is also amazing. I would be confident in saying this show was run by the girls.

The romance. I know a lot of people complain it was not this epic love story, but that's exactly what I loved about it. The romance felt natural and slow paced. The characters had so many important issues to deal with, the fact we didn't spend too much time on them being lovey dovey made sense. It made me appreciate the small moments between them more, as they all felt special.

The main characters and cast. I want to compliment Angela Yuen especially, seeing as it was her first main role in a drama. She made me hate Ming He so much, but also enjoy each and every scene with her. All the actors and actresses did a phenomenal job portraying their characters. A few Crystal Yuan scenes felt slightly off, but not to the point it made me annoyed or frustrated. Her performance was still quite solid.

The storytelling. Exactly my type. We had the main plot slowly unfold as we followed the main characters dealing with side plots. And these side plots were actually entertaining. With each story we were introduced to a new side character, that later on had an impact on the main plot. Nice! Not to mention the progression from revenge to justice leading to the well being of others that main characters wanted to achieve. The moral dilemmas they had to face and the choices they had to make were interesting to watch.

The fighting scenes and aesthetics. This show is simply beautiful. The fight in the rain between Yi Qing and Ah Jing was probably the most beautiful scene I have ever seen. The set design, camera angles, editing - it all contributed to this visual feast.

My boi Bi Luo.

The bad

The last episode felt... flat? Especially with how intense the few leading to it were. Quite anticlimactic. They were building up to something epic, but they did not deliver. It wasn't bad, not even that disappointing. I was just expecting something more.

Qing Lan reasoning in the last few episodes. Maybe I am dumb, but the lack of logic behind his actions was amazing. I think they have wasted a little bit of potential this character had.

Slight lack of consistency with the skill sets of few characters by the end of the show. For the sake of the plot progression, some characters that were known to be amazing fighters suddenly weren't that strong anymore. It wasn't that easily noticeable, but since I paid a lot of attention to them, it did make me sigh with a bit of frustration.

Too much poisoning, not enough death caused by it.

THE "SO BAD IT'S GOOD"

GLORIOUS UNDERWATER SCENES! The thing is, in all shows I hate bad CGI, but somehow in wuxia, I love it. The whole show is amazing and beautiful and perfect, but then the underwater scenes and CGI used there was so bad I loved it. I had the same experience with The Untamed - the bad CGI was one of the reasons I loved the show so much.

Yi Qing's coughing... slowly... I started laughing about it and appreciated it more.

Overall, if you want a show that focuses heavily on romance, this is not for you. While the romance is ever present, it's not slammed into your face every second. For me it was a perfect combination of nicely done characters, interesting plot lines, great production value and pure entertainment.

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The whole show was based on the lack of communication.

If they actually started talking to each other even a little bit, the show would be half of the length if not less. One could think this will be a rivals to lovers type of a drama, but it ain’t it. It ain’t anything.

The plot had potential, but they should have established the initial conflict a bit more. They “warmed up” to each other too fast, but to keep the story interesting we got some random miscommunications. If you want to make your show a full on cliche entertainment - fine with me, but lean into it. It was just too basic. It was not realistic in any aspect to appeal as a slice of life, but it was also not bold and fun enough as a mindless entertainment. It’s half baked fluff.

There was also one side plot that simply made me feel uncomfortable and it's worse the more I think about it.

The leads had a mild and mediocre chemistry and while the acting was decent, no one wowed me, but I also did not feel offended by the performances. Yes, the “nsfw” scenes were cringe and funny, but I blame the directing, not the actors themselves. The way they tried to frame it as sensual, but delivered full on awkwardness…

The production was the biggest clownery. I mean, I was more discreet about recording lectures at university than them acting as reporters. They could have done a better job with props and framing to make it a little bit less ridiculous.

Overall, it’s a show I’ll forget I’ve watched in two days, but I don’t regret watching it. It weirdly grows on you as you watch it. Watching it every Friday became my afterwork routine.

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Perfect balance of ups and downs.

Honestly speaking, I’m not that into makjangs. A full on makjangs is a trip to ruined mood and constant annoyance. What I do enjoy is a "soft" makjang, where the shenanigans are still ridiculous and over the top, but there are some breathers incorporated to make you actually enjoy the plot. Perfect Marriage Revenge is like that - perfect balance of ups and downs.

We get all the evil mothers and stepmothers, neglect, abuse, attempted murder, secrets and betrayal, cheating, crime - all the entertaining twists known. But we also have a healthy relationship of the leads, nice and smart supporting characters, some fluff and comedy. The leads are not exactly complete underdogs who are beaten to the ground to raise in the last episode and win the prize. It’s rather an even fight between them and the bad guys, and that’s what makes it fun to watch!

The show is beyond unrealistic, but if that’s anyone's complaint, you picked the wrong genre. Makjang is not supposed to be realistic. There were many scenes where I laughed out loud with how detached from reality they were - that’s the beauty of dramas like that.

For the romance - the chemistry was chemistrying. Sung Hoon ain’t a good actor, but he knows about romance, that’s for sure. What’s strange - his lack of skill was actually a perfect match for the drama. I honestly don’t think I would enjoy it as much with a “better” actor.

Jung Yoo Min won my heart with her performance as Yi Joo. I bought both the naive and good hearted, and cunning and strong. The emotional scenes tug at my heartstrings, the badass scenes made me clap like an excited kid.

Big props to Jin Ji Hee too. Han Yoo Ra might ended up as my favorite character. Amazing performance, and surprise nuance in how the character was written.

Overall, I binge watched it in 2 days. Once I started I could not stop. Addicting is a perfect word to describe it. I planned to just skip the scenes and watch the romance, but I ended up being glued to the screen and seated for 12 hours with hands away from that right arrow on the keyboard.

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I would like to start by saying: this is not really a school drama in the sense we usually understand it. While the plot takes place in the school, it’s more about the politics that go into being a teacher and how the school is running as an institution. We don’t get that many cute and lovable interactions between students and teachers, and it’s more focused on the power struggle between different departments, permanent and temporary teachers and other institutions involved in the education and internal struggles between doing what you find right and fitting into the environment.

That said, it’s not all rules and cold politics. We get to know an amazing variety of characters, with different motivations, behaviors and ways of dealing with problems, and as we watch, we learn that at times there is no good nor bad decision, but rather a variety of different choices and all of them have some pros and cons to them. The few interactions between teachers and students are truly meaningful and add to the emotional depth this drama presents.

I assume many people may not like Go Ha Neul since she at times acts really cute, unsure and innocent, but in my eyes she is actually a really strong character. With everyone saying she should not get involved or rebel against the system, she fights her battles and proves everyone wrong countless times. There is nothing wrong with being cute and strong at the same time. She wants to stay true to her beliefs, do what’s best for students and survive in a new environment. She makes mistakes but is quick to admit to them and learn from them.

The whole drama revolves around the daily struggles of realistic and complex characters with many flaws but even more good qualities. There are no really bad characters, just different people dealing with problems in different ways. While we might agree with some more than others, it's not hard to see the logic behind them all.

This was truly an emotional ride, which made me laugh and cry many times. By the end, I loved so many characters I disliked at the beginning, and it was all possible because of the amazing writing. We either got fantastic character development or a deep dive into their perspective, which helped us understand their reasoning. While the plot was not the most complex and thrilling, the relationships built between the characters were all we needed to fall for this drama's charm.

For whom: people who like complex and realistic characters, slow paced dramas that truly show problems from different perspectives, character driven dramas, beautiful cinematography.

Who may not enjoy it: people enjoying a lot of action, overdramatic style of filming and dealing with problems, high school dramas that center around students and not teachers, people that get bored with politics and behind the scenes of a workplace, romance driven dramas.

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The mundane pain that just makes sense.

Realistically speaking, I would not say it was as charming as season 1, yet the story itself was for sure more compelling. Yes, the delivery of the characters’ struggles had some misses, but I appreciate the realism of this season.

One thing I appreciated about it was the fact, it in fact had a plot. While many people wanted more fluff and the pair being all cute, I truly dislike the empty fanservice type of sequels. This was rather raw and I loved it. Seeing these characters struggle as individuals was great. A couple is not just a pair, they are also individuals. Some issues are personal, and while they might affect the dynamics between two people, the source of them is found somewhere else.

I also believe it was a smart choice to start the plot after the break up, without actually showing all the details of when it happened. Yes, seeing the in depth portrayal of how it affected Seo Joon would be great, it would also mean less time to see Ji Woo’s side of the story - and we truly got barely anything here anyway (more on that later).

Strangely, I liked the reasoning behind the break up too. I can imagine many people were disappointed. I know many people were disappointed, I was reading the comments as the drama aired. For me though, it all made sense. That's kind of how life goes. You don't always end a relationship because you have no feelings for the other person - sometimes it's one or a few bullshit reasons that at that specific moment of your life make sense, even though it does not for anyone else.

On the characters - Kang Seo Joon was as much of a loyal puppy as he was in season 1. It’s impossible not to love him. At the same time, I found his character miserably helpless and it was so amazingly human of him. The way he could not move on after a year, how he desperately tried to find any reason and opportunity to still make the relationship work, to be close to Ji Woo. How he did not take a “no” as an answer, how he came back after each emotional kick. It was obviously not a healthy approach, but being weak when faced with someone or something you love and care about is extremely relatable.

On the other hand, I agree with many that Ji Woo was not a likable character in most of the episodes. I hated his actions, but I also understood where he was coming from and how he ended up in such an emotionally exhausting and empty state. Being scared of being happy. Running away, because it’s easier to handle. Hiding your feelings and not knowing how to express your insecurities. He tried to be strong, but at some point it just all crumbled down and he decided to run away instead of facing the issues he had. I found his selfish behavior quite realistic and relatable.

That said, I wish some hints of his inner struggles were introduced as the show progressed, instead of dropping it all closer to the end. The show focused so much on Seo Joon’s pain in the first half, it was hard to relate and root for Ji Woo. I’m not surprised some viewers even wished the couple would not end up together by the end. We’ve got the answers for his behavior too late for some people to find the strength to care for his happiness. At some point, some viewers got tired of waiting and just gave up on him.

As for the other characters, I know the show faced a lot of criticism because of the inclusion of “useless female characters”, but I couldn't agree less with that. Not keeping your characters in a social bubble, where they only interact with each other is a good thing. People have other people in their lives than just their romantic partners. For me, adding more characters, be it female or male, is a good thing. It adds depth and layers to the main ones. They interact differently with different people, we learn more about them thanks to these conversations. They say things they would not say to each other, that are important to understand their inner struggles and thoughts.

If I had to complain about any characters, I would say Ho Min’s trainee/idol aspect came a bit out of nowhere and was not necessary - adding nothing to the plot. Seemed more like an afterthought than a planned plot point.

Now, to talk about one of my favorite aspects of the show - the shots. The scenery was just so beautiful and well placed as the transition scenes, it made the flow of the scene so much better than just faded to black. Production wise, it’s an obvious improvement compared to season 1, which itself was already really good for a smaller production like that.

The OST, ladies and gentlemen - what calming bops we've got. How perfectly they fitted the whole mood of the show. Not to mention, having the lead actors sing one of the songs was a perfect choice to make the delivery of the message and emotions even more hard hitting.

Acting wise - it was good. By now I’m a big fan of Son Woo Hyun. Can’t wait to see where his career will lead him. Kim Kang Min has improved a lot since the previous season. His delivery was more expressive and natural. Yes, we still got “crying with no tears, trying to squeeze a few drops like a lemon” scene, but overall, the performance was quite stable and good.

Overall, while I do prefer season 1 as a whole, I like the story of season 2 more. If I’ve got a bit more steady pacing for the characters and a few more hints about their motivations earlier on, I could possibly like it more than the previous installment.

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Countless misfortunes with Disney solutions.

Idol: The Coup opens with quite refreshing, more accurate depiction of idols and the Korean music industry as a whole, but ends on an over the top, makjang note. And yet, I truly loved the show. Somehow, it convinced me to ignore all the flaws and only focus on the true entertainment and emotional connection I have made with the characters. And for that, I am thankful.

The drama tells the story of Cotton Candy, who are deemed as "'망돌(망한 아이돌)” (mangdol - failed idol). Both the company and the members themselves gave up on trying to succeed, with Jenna, the driven leader, being the last person who still tries her best to make the team overcome the issues and survive in the industry.

Each member has her own traumas, hardships and obstacles they need to face, and as the drama progresses they learn how to trust each other again, how to work as a team, protect and support each other.

Idol: The Coup truly takes the viewers on a whole journey of “hate to love”. At first, you might despise the majority of the characters, just to end up loving them and rooting for them by the end of the show.

It’s also the first drama with an idol driven plot, where the songs are truly good, and something I could see in a music show. Both, the songs that are suppose to be part of the fictional groups’ discographies, and the songs that were only used as a soundtrack easily found a place on my playlist, with few favorites being: “Home”, “Honest”, “You Can Cry”, “Fly Up”, “Pray” and “Remember Me”.

It would be a crime to write this review and not mention the amazing chemistry between Jenna and Jae Hyuk. This dynamic was extremely entertaining to watch. While at first it might seem that Jae Hyuk holds all the power, each disagreement they had, leaves the viewer thinking he was the one who lost and was more affected by it. It became a battle of wits and determination, over one character just abusing another.

The acting was not outstanding, with some idols struggling to connect to the emotions and truly deliver the lines in a natural manner (I’m looking at you Kim Min Kyu and EXY), but overall, none of the performances were truly cringeworthy, and the few miss-deliveries became a charm of the show too. Maybe I am biased, maybe I just convinced myself to love even the bad aspects of the drama, but at the end of the day, does it matter? It was a fun watch, whenever it had or had not had any issues.

That said,

If you want to watch idol romance, this ain’t that. While the female and male leads have amazing chemistry, and many viewers wished to see some kind of feelings spark between them, it never crosses the line of hints and future possibilities.

If you want to see a realistic portrayal of idols’ life, this ain’t that. While the first 3-4 episodes did a good job showcasing the struggles “failed” idols might face and the industry trend to see the idols as replaceable assets and not human beings, at some point, the amount of tragedies happening to Cotton Candy reached a ridiculous number. The solutions were coming out of nowhere, just as the problems were showing up with little explanations, and at times, as complete contradictions to what already was established in the drama. That said, the issues themselves were not unrealistic, but rather the fact they all happened to this one group in such a short period of time.

If you want a wholesome drama with nice characters you can root for from the beginning till the end, this ain’t that. There were moments when I wanted the group to disband, there were moments when I totally understood why they were failed idols and maybe they should not work as a team. I went from “let them disband”, through “I’m an ot4 stan”, to “I don’t care if it will make no sense, these babies need a happy ending”. The characters are truly flawed, but you might end up loving them despite their shortcomings.

Overall, what a ride it was. Idol: The Coup has countless flaws, and yet it made so many viewers enjoy it and get excited for more episodes. The idea of one hour and thirty minutes long episodes scared me, but when they went down to just one hour, I was truly disappointed. Each episode made me want to see more, and wish for just a few more minutes of the content. I got addicted to this soft idol makjang with fun, but frustrating characters, over the top tragedies and Disney solutions.

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One could say it’s your typical Thai BL, but that would be insulting to all the mediocre Thai BLs. Technically it’s the same old story - two cute guys pinning for each other because they suck at communicating their feelings. It should be all cute fluff, pure entertainment, feel-good watch. So how come it was either boring or infuriating? The good aspects were toned down, while they exaggerated the awful miscommunication trope to some ridiculous levels.

Daonuea? Cute, chill, awkward. Somehow have like 3 guys after him, go figure. At the same time, I hated him. He claimed to care for people and their feelings while also acting like a coward leading people for whom he obviously has no feelings. It’s not like he was truly an awful character, he had his moments and overall I enjoy his interaction, sadly only with people that had no romantic links to him.

Then we have Khabkhluen… I don’t even know where to start. His whole story? Ain’t buying it. This level of lack of communication, but also ONLY when it involves Daonuea? Ain’t buying it. The “progression” of his feelings? Ain’t buying it. He was just poorly written, that’s that. While it was fun to watch his silent moody demeanor at first, as the drama progressed I simply got tired with it, since the guy had like -10000 initiation levels. He just did not do anything.

I don’t care enough about the side characters to write about them. Some had some random not well executed last minute stories presented, but who cares? Not me.

I think my biggest issue was how they built the conflict, or rather dropped it out of nowhere. What it felt like - they obviously did not have enough plot for 8 episodes, so they had to invent some random issues that had no place to exist and be part of the show, that’s how ridiculous they were.

The acting was… mediocre? I was fine with most scenes, but the cast failed me with anything involving deeper emotions.

Overall, damn this was disappointing. It had a decent start with the first two or three episodes, and went DOWNHILL from there.

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Rebranding to sport sitcom with slice of life undertones and romance as a guest role.

I think it’s important to set something straight right away - this is not a romantic comedy. This is a full on comedy with a sports/health setting and the romance is more of a guest role in the story. The poster, trailer and genres are completely misleading. Does this make it a bad drama? No. But it for sure is not a good rom-com.

Not what I think about it, the opening scene literally tells you all you need to know - the same way the gym with all the promotional material seemed like a club, when it was not. The same way this drama seemed like a rom-com, but it was not.

Yes, I did enjoy it. Even with over the top comedy and at times unhinged jokes, they were still able to deliver more often than once truly heartwarming messages. I truly appreciated how the message was more about loving yourself and striving for improvement because of that, rather than trying to meet a certain goal to start loving yourself. It had sitcom branding and a slice of life spirit and it weirdly worked.

That said - it’s simply not what I was expecting and it took away quite a lot of my enjoyment. And it’s not on me for having wrong expectations. It’s on the production team for misleading advertisements. If I crave ramen, but get an ice cream, it does not matter how good it is, it’s not what I wanted at that moment. They made me excited for a lighthearted romance, and they never delivered.

Since the romance was honestly so insignificant, I actually believe the drama would be better if they completely removed it. Lee Jun Young and Jung Eun Ji did not really have much chemistry and the constant break from the romantic vibes, to insert a punch line ruined it for me till the end. The show just lacked balance.

I did like both leads as individual characters. Seeing Do Hyeon Jung open up to others and start to understand different perspectives was fun. Lee Mi Ran slowly learning how to love herself was touching. Their partnership was great and I adored the whole gym community they formed. While I loved Roy (or do I just love Kim Kwon?), I did feel like he was out of place more often than not.

Production wise it was great. I am honestly surprised how many aesthetically pleasing scenes they were able to deliver without dropping that silly comedic tone. And I already added some songs to my playlist. Some special effects were more on the miss and Lee Jun Young’s body simply looked uncanny in episode one, but in general there was nothing major to complain about.

Overall, I am annoyed at the marketing of the drama because whatever we talk about the poster, genres and trailers, they have nothing to do with the reality of what the drama actually is. If they were more truthful to the content with their advertisement, I’d for sure enjoy it more.

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Missed opportunity

I am sad. This show had such an amazing opportunity to mix crime investigation with supernatural elements, and they decided to ruin it by adding tons of boring plotlines that had less than satisfying conclusions.

Imagine this, the show focuses on Lee Hwa Sun, as she tries to catch the serial killer that murdered her husband while the “end of the world” is happening. Instead of giving us paralel plotlines, make it more procedural - her meeting different types of survivors in different places while investigating. Keeping it rather simple is the way to go with a short format like that.

What we actually got were boring characters with typical stories, and literally no valid resolution for any plotline. Props for the writers to be willing to kill the characters, but even that was not satisfying at all, since I was not attached to any of them.

The whole mutants/zombie/alien deal: don’t waste screen time on plots trying to figure out what it is, if you won’t deliver any answers. How about redistributing that time to develop the characters more so I can actually give a shit about what is going on?

Conflicts resolution? Let’s just find a cheap way to either write it off, or deal with it in one clean way, no matter if it’s just lazy writing. ALL the conflicts (and I truly mean ALL) were resolved in the EXACTLY same way.

What was the purpose of Yoo Tae Han even existing in this show? No idea. He had no personality, no clear motivation, no goals, no nothing. He just showed up whenever convenient to help the “good guys”.

It’s hard to even comment on the acting, when the majority of the characters had little personality or were the typical stereotypical assholes. Song Sang Eun did the best and had the most diversity of the emotional performances from the whole cast.

Overall: Honestly speaking, it’s not a bad show, but it’s just amazingly frustrating because it could have been so much better. We do not get fresh and fun new concepts that often, so for it to be wasted like that does not sit well with me. I watched it being mildly entertained, but I kept thinking how every scene and plot line could have been easily improved.

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Cat and dog dynamics done in the best way possible.

For the main couple, this is close to perfection. Simple story that presents both enemies to lovers and friends to lovers trope, depending on the perspective taken.

The relationship progression between Shu Yi and Shi De was really well paced. It didn't feel rushed, the milestone moments were happening at the right times, and never felt out of place. The dynamics between them sold the show. Both Shi De and Shu Yi have this trickster quality to their actions, which makes We Best Love that much more entertaining. The plot could be simply described as: two main leads getting closer to each other, one step at a time.

Speaking of the cat and dog dynamics, Shi De reminded me of a Golden Retriever with his warm and patient demeanor, and Shu Yi was like a small cat - playful and curious. Seeing them interact with each other just brings happiness to my heart and a smile on my face.

Shou Yi was one of the characters I was the most curious about. Sadly, if his story gets any more depth, it will happen in season two. That said, him being the relationship MVP for Shu Yi and Shi De was one of the funniest aspects of the show. I never enjoyed someone being such a busybody as I did with his character.

Being perfectly honest, some side characters were unnecessary, or rather, they got unnecessary side plots. Some of the scenes and developments came out of nowhere since there was not enough screen time to dive deep into the side plot progression.

The production value was amazing. I especially appreciated the transition scenes, which are usually extremely generic, but here they became either pretty or fun screenshots (shout-out to best supporting character - Mr Skeleton). Music wise, I cannot remember one song. On one hand, it means OST was not that memorable for me, but on the other, it also means they were fitting for the scenes they were used for, since I was not bothered by them.

Overall, amazing chemistry that, at times, almost set my laptop on fire. On point acting, especially from Sam Lin - boy shocked me in one scene (good acting always gets me overexcited). One of the nicest and well paced BLs that tells a simple yet extremely engaging love story.

See you in season two!

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Nostalgic and warm, yet slightly disappointing.

Not to say this season was bad. There were quite a few elements I enjoyed a lot. It was simply not as good as season 1. Why? Because there was little to no development nor arc for the 4 out of the 6 main characters - they already went through it in the previous season.

First of all, in terms of the plot, the mystery seems impersonal since for the longest time we don’t really know why it’s even connected to the leads. It’s just something they come across by an “accident”. In season one Pan Seok was the connection between the male lead and the ghost. Here… it just happens because the plot needs it and there are no personal stakes and the few connections we have are not enough.

Characters wise, I liked the two new leads. Eun Sil was a great addition, but I feel like there was not enough focus on her - how she manages the village, how she interacts with others. Il Young is probably my favorite character. Obviously he had some issues and a dark past, but also seemed like a good person. That contrast made me curious about him. They did well in establishing the mystery parts like how he was able to leave the village, how he knew Thomas, what was his connection to the crimes happening in the outside world.

I feel like we only got glimpses of the village here and there and it was never truly the center of the show. The aspects I actually liked the best in season 1 were the storylines about the ghosts, not the investigation happening in real life. I wanted to see more of the ghosts perspective - depth of regret only someone who has no chance to fix their mistakes can have. Not to mention the whole idea of kids, their understanding of death and where they currently are, how the learn to be happy for the ones that leave the village - aspects that were not really explored enough.

Il Young is probably my favorite character. Obviously he had some issues and a dark past, but also seemed like a good person. That contrast made me curious about him. They did well in establishing the mystery parts like how he was able to leave the village, how he knew Thomas, what was his connection to the crimes happening in the outside world.

As for the rest of the main characters - nothing changed, nothing improved, nothing got worse nor better. They were all rather stagnant. Kim Wook got glorious hair and they tried to give Jang Pan Seok some interesting arc of not being able to let go of the past and traces of his daughter… but I felt like they dropped the topic at some point without conclusion.

The whole real life investigation was just mediocre at best. Random generic bad guys with no depth, little to no established motivation and awful fashion sense. The only good thing about the investigation was the fact we’ve got to see Shin Joon Ho a little bit more.

Production value was great - great sceneries, great set design, good special effects, nice visuals as all tvN shows have.

Acting was great - with this cast I expected nothing less. They did an amazing job with the casting, especially taking into consideration how many kids were part of it. Sometimes finding even one child that can deliver a believable character is hard, here they were able to find quite a few.

Overall, it’s exactly what one would expect from a second season - enjoyable, even if it did not get anywhere near the quality season 1 had.

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The campus love story of psycho and weirdo.

One of the sweetest things I have seen in quite some time. Keeping it simple was the blessing we all deserved. Extremely likable characters, where even their stubbornness could be viewed as cute and adorable.

The plot did an amazing job at setting up the dynamics between Jae Young‬ and Sang Woo, but also introducing them as separate characters with unique personalities. The introduction of the leads was done in such an effective way in episode one, I did not question their reactions and motivations in later episodes - I accepted that’s who they are and their actions made sense.

The plot that links Jae Young and Sang Woo is also believable, bringing up many funny interactions and ways of testing the leads' communication and patience. Enough screen time was used for it, so it never felt like a plot device that could be easily replaced, but rather an integral part of the story telling.

The gradual change in Jae Young and Sang Woo relationship was simply delightful to watch. We could see what moments were the turning points, what led to them, how they influenced the main characters. It was a well written and presented progression, and while the characters were falling in love with each other, I was falling in love with the show itself.

The thing that I appreciated a lot was how Semantic Error showed changing for people you are about is a normal thing, and sometimes you have to get out of your safe zone, but at the same time, they did highlight the importance of respecting and trying to understand the differences in personalities people might have. Mutual respect and mutual effort are the key to any relationship - be it romantic, platonic or professional.

The pacing was perfect, if we take into consideration the length of the show. They truly did their best not to waste the precious screen time on useless side plots that bring nothing to the table. Sure, Ryu Ji Hye’s character was not exactly needed, at least not in the way she was incorporated into the story, but it’s more of my personal view. I’m sure many viewers loved her the way she was and the role she played in the story.

Jang Jae Young‬ is probably one of my favorite male leads in any BL. Yes, he might be a bit of an asshole at first glance, but even his childish behavior was more entertaining and adorable, and less frustrating and annoying. It’s truly impossible not to fall for his charm. The guy shines the brightest when he tries to be patient and understand others. Him being so good looking is truly just a bonus, a cherry on top of his awesomeness.

Think of a completely opposite character of the social butterfly who goes with the flow - that’s Chu Sang Woo‬. His asocial personality was somehow endearing - he had his ways of dealing with problems, and was always straightforward about his expectations and rules. More often than not, I actually thought he was right in his approach - with freeloaders during university work, or setting boundaries with lecturers.

That said, I do think they went a little bit too far with his “robotic” characteristics. We get it, the boy has issues with dealing with his emotions. He needs time to understand them, he is flustered and sometimes scared. While all of this gave us many funny moments, sometimes I just went “okay, chill with the googling body malfunction”. Still love this child.

The supporting characters had enough screen time for me to believe they are more than just one dimensional fillers. Choi Yu Na was extremely cool, but also a caring friend, and Go Hyeong Taek was a ray of sunshine and cuteness that brought some fresh atmosphere on the screen.

I would not say this was an Oscar worthy performance from the cast, but it was on par with a lot of mainstream romance shows, not just BLs. Park Seo Ham truly aced the role of Jang Jae Young‬ - a lot of it was in his eyes. I replayed some of his reactions and scenes simply because I appreciated his performance in them.

Production wise, for sure the best we have seen so far from k-BLs. From the opening shot, the intro, the use of angles, light and shadows, to the set design - nothing I could possibly complain about.

I admit to adding the OST to my playlist. The songs are that good. Even if I have not seen the show and was not emotionally influenced and biased because of that, I would like them a lot.

Overall, this is a perfect sweet de-stresser. What adds to it are all the interviews and behind the scene videos that show the good atmosphere on set and great chemistry between the cast. You can see they enjoyed the filming and liked the story they were presenting on screen. Nothing better than people involved in the production actually believing in what they are creating.

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Ambitious project, maybe too ambitious.

This is exactly the type of a story that requires a longer format. It's not even about complexity, but rather the type of a storytelling - building it on the small hints about the connections and past events, the lasting feeling of familiarity between the characters that the audience cannot grasp at first. Slow buildup is not something you can achieve with less than 115 minutes or runtime.

I can clearly see the production team did their best, but some things cannot be overcome just by trying hard. Here’s the thing, I am not sure I would truly understand the whole plot if I was not checking out comments from people who read the webtoon. Especially Denis’ part of it, which also seemed to be made far more simple and passive? There was simply not enough time to present his side of the story and explain his feelings and motivations.

That’s about Denis, what about the other mains?
Dong Baek is such a stock character, the best of the NPCs. Rarely speaks when others argue about him right next to him, mostly interacting with people if they interact with him first. He acted the way the plot needed him to act, no matter if it made sense or not.

Yu Dam could have had far more depth and I wish we could see more… desperation and sadness? Taking into consideration his story, dude was way too chill about everything. Again, I do believe it was caused by the short runtime.

It does not mean I disliked everything about the show. I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads, I actually enjoyed how annoying Denis was and strangely he was my favorite character. I liked the production quality and the soundtrack. I loved the ending - truly. The conclusion and last few scenes were probably my favorite part.

Overall, a great concept that should have been kept on the shelf till the BL industry got bigger and more profitable, so they could do the story justice with enough support.

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Office drama that will evoke in you the makjang level of emotions.

A character driven tale on the workplace environment, self-worth, values, principles and one bug of a human being called Han Se Kwon that you want to step on with the heaviest shoes you own.

It’s not an overstatement to call this show a perfect office drama. Mixing realism with entertainment is not an easy task - On the Verge of Insanity managed to do that. With the variety of unique characters, it’s a story relatable even for people who never worked in a similar environment. It tackles issues like retirement, layoffs, job hunting, reassignments in the workplace, power struggle, but also more universal topics like acting in line with your principles, loyalty, friendship, selfishness vs selflessness.

The three main characters present different takes on life and dealing with problems. Dang Ja Yeong tries to go by the book, following instructions, seeing it as the best and most efficient way. Choi Ban Seok is a hardworking and loyal person, who is willing to risk his career if faced with moral dilemmas. There are many nasty ways to describe Han Se Kwon, and I’m truly forcing myself to stay civil here. Let’s say he represents the inferiority complex in the perfect way, spiced with his cunning and shady behavior.

As the drama progresses, we see how they manage to face all the problems happening in Hanmyung Electronics and what are the results of their actions. There is no plot that goes from point A to point B, as the drama focuses more on the relationships between the characters, different departments, higher-ups and the employees.

The comedy, though, how good it was! There is nothing better than situational comedy based on the character’s personalities and relationships. No cheap jokes that could work in any scenario.

The casting was a pure perfection. Each of the actors fitted their roles perfectly. Big props to Kim Nam Hee for his job on Shin Han Soo’s character, who became one of my favorites.

The production value is insanely good. I have truly nothing to complain about. The soundtrack has plenty of amazing songs from slow ballads to indie pop and rock.

Realistically speaking, this show might not have the same entertainment value for people preferring fast paced, plot driven dramas. There are many questionable choices made by all the characters, so if you look for a clear cut “smart at any occasion” or “good at any occasion”, you will not find it here. Characters excel in some areas, but fail on others - for me, that’s the charm and the realism of the show.

Overall, On the Verge of Insanity made me smile, laugh, cry, curse at my laptop, and hug my pillow. Vast range of emotions have been awoken and I’m so amazingly thankful. It’s a solid watch from the first to the last episode.

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