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Yeo Joon is for sure the star of the show, the most interesting and well portrayed character. They did a good job with his introduction and character development. It was gradual and realistic. We witnessed him try to fight his demons alone, still learning how to open to others, even as the drama got closer to the end. Park Ji Hoon did an amazing job acting - some scenes giving me real goosebumps.
That said, it was disappointing to see just a little bit of the screen time used to explore his relationship with the family, seeing how it defined who he was and how he acted for the majority of his life... so for it to not have more importance in the healing aspect was a bit... weird?
Soo Hyun might be the main character, but he did not get enough screen time as one. With that, his character development is nowhere near as well written as Yeo Joon's. It was not as organic and natural. He was one of my favorite characters, so I was a bit sad with the fact there wasn’t more focus placed on him.
And then there is the issue of Soo Hyun being straight in the show, when he is gay in the webtoon - truly hate it. It’s infuriating. They could have not given him any love line and use that time to develop his character more. Some people can ignore that, but some people would not pick up a show that is straightwashing characters, so do with this information what you want.
Last but not least from the three leads of the show: Kim So Bin, who technically could have worked as a main character, if she would be well written and incorporated into the story. She got a good character introduction, they set up some nice conflicts - both internal and external… but then did nothing with them. Her existence revolves around Yeo Joon - she is there for him to like, to make him want to change, to save her…
She had enough screen time for an amazing development, it was just not given to her. Even almost at the end of the show... she is there to be saved by Yeo Joon after making stupid decisions and not being able to say no. By that point she should have been more than that.
Young Ran and Mi Joo showed a realistic portrayal of "love rivalry" between friends. As much as I dislike the love triangle and how unnecessary it was, I still appreciate it gave us a good representation of female friendship.
That said, as individual characters, I find it sad most of their arc is focused on unrequited love as if they don't have anything else going on in their lives. Especially with Mi Joo… girl needs a hobby or something.
For a show that is suppose to focus on healing, realistic portrayal of college life and growth, the lack of consequences characters faced is staggering. How they resolved some of the conflicts involving the seniors was simply unrealistic. Sorry, but you cannot make a character that unlikeable and then for no reason say “well… maybe they are not that bad after all” - yes, yes they are unless you give me character development which would make me believe they are not trash.
Honestly speaking, I went into the drama without reading the webtoon, and started reading it only half way through the show. Was hoping for friendship, and romance as side plot. Sadly, the romance was the center of the directing, getting the most screen time out of all plot lines. By the end, they started to pair everyone up, was it really necessary?
If you want to watch it only for bromance after reading the synopsis, don’t bother - just check fan made videos on youtube. Otherwise, there will a lot of skipping scenes ahead of you.
Overall: I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy even a second of At a Distance, Spring Is Green. Some aspects were great, but some were annoyingly bad. It’s a good drama for a younger audience, far less tragic and serious than the first two episodes present. As long as you don't expect a masterpiece, and are willing to forgive some underdeveloped and forgotten plot lines, you will enjoy it. The production value is obviously high, and they use the university setting well. Not to mention great summer vibes OST.
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So like... nothing really happened.
Or rather, a lot happened, but no one truly reacted to it in any way. It's not like this show has been free of the usual over the top tropes. It's just the characters had little to no reaction to them compared to other series.When I started watching, I was ready for the cute, sweet, unproblematic slower romance, and at the beginning it was more or less just that. Then, they added so many random plot lines to make it more "entertaining/dramatic", but everyone just reacted to them in such an unnatural way, I could not connect to it at all.
That said, Solo is my baby boy. I truly love this kid. He was adorable and, as far as I know, Nut did the best job acting wise. The rest of the cast was meh. I skipped all the doctor and Kim’s scenes. That whole plot line was a true mess. I know many people loved Kao and Phuri, but again... I didn't care that much. They just felt awkward most of the time.
I don't even want to talk about that Disney ending, that made the whole second half of the show a joke. All the characters did 180 as if they were different people, because resolving conflicts in a well written manner apparently is not the writer's thing.
The music was nice though. But this ain't Spotify, I need me some good plot behind that soundtrack.
Overall... the show was so meh and boring I have barely any thoughts about it. The last episode was tragically bad, and even though it gave us a cute ending, logically speaking it made no sense. Solo and Gui were cute and I truly suffered throughout this just for them.
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We were running a marathon, but the end became a sprint.
What it felt like was watching well paced 1st and 2nd act, and then teleporting on the last line of the 3rd act - as if we skipped a whole bunch of scenes and plot line developments to only get a semi-satisfying conclusion.When you want a love triangle to become a square ⇢ Dynamics so good you don’t mind any mixes.
Probably one of the best love triangles (squares?) I have seen in kdramas for ages. No matter how I look at it, I believe in that aspect there was nothing to fix nor improve. Seong A with Gyeon U? Seong A with Ji Ho? Gyeon U with Ji Ho? However you mix it, they always delivered fun, heartwarming and entertaining scenes. And if we add one not so bad baddie to the mix, it becomes even more interesting.
You all could be heroes ⇢ Characters with individual charms and great presence.
As I said, all the dynamics worked perfectly, but that’s because these characters were actually well crafted individuals with distinctive personalities. Seong A might have seemed like a shallow cutesy teen, but under that bubbly persona there was so much emotional maturity and patience. Gyeon U might seem like your typical cold male lead with white wall personality, but there was actually so much warmth and determination behind it. And you might fear Ji Ho will be your typical jealous best friend, but this man had more heart in him than a lot of second male leads combined.
Turning casual jogging into race ⇢ When pacing escalates to ridiculous speed.
Up till episode 9 the pacing was amazing - balancing well the different plotline, building relationships, comedic bits and the thrills involving ghost and separate cases. You could clearly see it’s building to something bigger - the grand finale. And that’s where the disappointment lies - the ending. Honestly speaking the last act felt like watching a drama with a 9 years old child with zero attention span fast forwarding the plot to oblivion.
Maybe not everyone deserves a second chance? ⇢ Ending that leave a bad taste in my mouth
There were a few characters that had a bit too good of an ending if you ask me. Some got their “redemption” before the show ended and it all was just too… sweet and disney. I feel like the level of their bad decisions, acts and attitudes did not match the consequences they faced. Some characters had rather overwhelming stories that were concluded in an unsatisfying way. I understand the drama wanted to have a positive message and even the female lead was the pure ray of sunshine and hope, but maybe then they should have toned down the bad guys a little bit.
I actually really appreciated Yeom Hwa as a character. Her story was well built, explanations for her behavior hidden long enough to almost give me a heart attack from all the frustration, but not dragged too long I would drop the drama. Was the conclusion of her story satisfying? No. But then the only thing I truly found satisfying in the last 3 episodes was the comedy.
Fairytale land aesthetics - sometimes Disney, sometimes Grimm. ⇢ Production value fitting the story
I have to appreciate the aesthetics of the show. They knew exactly when to make it all pastel Disney to give us the cute and butterfly inducing moments. But they also knew how to make it more dark, but still well balanced and fitting the overall mood of the show. I must say, I liked the styling of the ghosts a lot and the way shamanism moments were filmed was just CINEMA.
Are you sure you are acting? ⇢ Performances that seemed natural
If I were to pick my favorite performances I’d go with Choo Young Woo (my guy was busy in the drama, delivered in all area, all type of emotions), Choo Ja Hyun (to make me hate a character so bad, and yet still feel pity for them, but yet still wanting them dead is a challenge) and Yoon Byung Hee (while Do Ryeong was mostly there for comedy, there were still many serious scenes, at times with more emotional impact that he was able to deliver perfectly). Cho Yi Hyun did a fantastic job too, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I was more excited for scenes of other characters than hers.
Overall, the ride was exciting and smooth until it wasn’t. The ending feels extremely rushed as if they cut 2 episodes from it. Technically we’ve got all the conclusions, but they mostly felt flat. Still - in terms of the rom-com vibes, it’s a solid A. Not even being a big fan of comedy, it was so good here, it became one of my favorite elements.
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Bad(ly paced story) and Crazy (good comedy and action).
As long as you put your brain on the shelf while watching, you will enjoy it a lot. The portrayal of DID makes no sense, the villain´s skills are so good, they seem magical as they have no grounds in reality, the plot has a number of plot holes, but oh boy, it was an entertaining ride.Bad and Crazy presents a rather basic story with predictable plots and twists. What saves it are the characters, comedy and the action. The dynamics between Soo Yeol and K are pure entertainment, delivering the laughs and emotional depth I appreciated a lot. Kim Hi Eo Ra and Won Hyun Joon also delivered a solid performance as Russian-Korean drug gang leaders, making me, and other viewers care for them, and wish them at least a bittersweet ending, even taking into consideration their evil deeds.
Sadly, the plot just does not connect. First and second half feel like completely different shows, shifting from an action comedy to a mystery thriller. Plots and characters were gone for a good few episodes, just to bring them back later on, as if it does not create pacing and continuation issues.
The last two episodes serve as a rather mediocre conclusion to the plot. Everything happened too fast with not enough explanation. They dropped all the information on me and I was supposed to just accept it without asking any questions. The moment you start asking , you see how the whole plot crumbles.
About the bad guys - the corrupted, the business duo, the magician. Out of them all, only the Russian drug dealers that were focused on their business and making money were realistic, interesting and made me curious to know more about their past, goals, reasons and motivations. The rest was either predictable and full of cliche or borderline supernatural making it unrealistic.
Performance wise, Wi Ha Joon stole the show. K was the heart, soul and the driving force behind the drama. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love - all thanks to his portrayal. That said, the whole cast did a stellar job with their acting and delivery. I truly could not think of one example of even mediocre acting. With such a cast, it’s not surprising.
The soundtrack just paved the way and got me excited at all the right moments. Not surprisingly, tvN delivered in terms of production value. I especially loved the long corridor shots that represented Ryu Soo Yeol’s consciousness.
Overall, the comedy, K and Boss Yong were the elements I truly loved and appreciated the most. Would recommend it as a fun and entertaining watch. Even if you won’t get absorbed into the plot, you will most likely appreciate the comedy and the action.
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It's never too late to redefine yourself and start anew.
Dear My Room is a short and simple story that gives hope to all the young adults that are still searching for their purpose in life, feel like they are stuck in a grim reality, not finding happiness in any aspects of their lives. It questions what it truly means to be a responsible adult and how (un)important it is to follow other's expectations towards ourselves.We follow the life of Eun Joo, who, after quitting her job, starts to explore her surroundings, relationships and finds her true passion. The drama shows how one small event in our life can be a start to self-improvement.
The show does a good job with not following the expectations of the viewers. Some plot lines went in a completely different direction that I thought, and I could not be more happy about it. We are also presented with truly wholesome and natural romance between main leads, with no painful Second Lead Syndrome (even though Jae Hyun was an extremely nice character, that quickly became my favorite).
Hye Jin was frustrating at times, but she plays an important role, showing us the contrast between her and Eun Joo. We can see how vital it is to have loyal friends, be true to yourself and your convictions and sometimes take a risk for the things you love and enjoy doing.
The production of the show just made me feel warm and happy. That's it. Each episode made me feel hopeful. People from their mid to late 20' could easily relate to the struggles of the characters and emotionally invest in the story.
The OST was perfect. It never felt out of place, had this sweet indie vibe. It perfectly matched the scenes, making them that much more enjoyable, and at times moving.
Overall, a perfect slice of life that tackles serious topics that young adults have to face, while not being depressing about them. The show truly motivates me to act on my ideas and hopes, instead of wanting to give up any plans I might have.
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Holding the lantern so others can see.
Through the Darkness is a show that, in a skillful way, shifts the focus from the criminals and their mentality, to profilers and the psychological consequences that their job has on them. Yes, we still get the fair share of why criminals do what they do. We still get the eerie conversations with serial killers - the look into their deranged psyche, but the story focuses more on the interviewer, not the interviewee.If you are looking for unreasonable wits and close to supernatural skills characters like Sherlock Holmes had in the BBC tv show, you won’t find it there. Profiling wise, it’s as basic as it can get. That’s expected from a show that is based on the book that depicts the beginning of Korea’s first criminal profiling team. And yet, it was never boring.
Song Ha Young was more fascinating of a character than any of the killers and criminals presented combined. The depth of the portrayal thanks to Kim Nam Gil acting was one of the best aspects of the show. The character represented pain, loneliness, desperation, fixation - all that could lead to a tragic outcome without a proper support system.
Kook Young Soo, who became my favorite character, was like an anchor that kept Ha Yeoung grounded. He was a perfectly balanced character - knew the importance of his work, but did not ignore his own needs, health and people around him.
What Through the Darkness does perfectly, is showcasing the variety of realistic characters that have believable flaws, but are never over the top caricatures. We see how some of them might be greedy, full of prejudice, corrupted, but there is a realistic limit to their flaws and how far they are willing to go based on just these characteristics.
The writing was that good. When you have solid source material and people who care not to misrepresent it, you get the quality content. The tension build-up in every episode was just phenomenal. The interviews were just... terrifying. The journey of Ha Young - heartbreaking.
Even the soundtrack leaves nothing to desire. Listening to Lullaby gives me chills and makes me tear up a little bit. Lyrics for Can’t Run Away are the perfect representation of Ha Young’s character, motivation and emotional state. Bloom and Fall Alone made me think about all the victims. Each song elevates different aspects of the story.
If I were to complain about one thing - how little we get Yoon Ji, the reporter. I think her narrative was also really important, since she served as a better connection for the audience to relate to, than the detectives did. How we as society view killers and psychopaths. What kind of narrative gets our attention, and what we find not "interesting". How we ourselves pay more attention to the perpetrators than the victims. I was waiting for her to be a more integral part of the show, but instead she started to show up less and less.
That said, as much as I loved the show, I would not recommend it to people who prefer action and fast pace. This is slow. There are countless scenes of main characters just walking around trying to find clues, observing the surroundings of the places the crimes took place. Ha Young is not this confident cop who is so assured in his skills and position, no criminal can get to him. We watch him waver, we watch him break, but we also see him push forward.
Overall, for me it was close to perfection. Last two episodes made me feel extremely emotional, as I got closer to the end. It was fascinating to see the journey the characters took, and it made me appreciate the people who are willing to step into that dark and twisted world, just to keep others safe.
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I have the artistic sensibility of a raw potato…
and yet I still enjoyed the drama a lot. I can only imagine how much of a cinematic experience it would be for someone who deeply feels the arts and experiences it on a more spiritual level.Jokes on me because I neither like the music style presented in the drama, nor this tortured obsessed artist persona Naoki had, and yet I loved every song here and even if I would avoid someone like Naoki in real life, I appreciated him a lot as a character. That’s this title's charm - it makes you feel emotionally involved and connected, even if usually you are more of a pop-girlie.
The music was the forefront of the show, the characters' motivations, the center of some of their existence. Can I relate? Hell no. Personally I find the ultimate obsession over your passion quite sad, hence it was at times painful to watch Naoki so deeply affected and connected to music. There was a level of selfishness under his love for music that I could not stomach. But that’s also what made him an interesting character and it gave me the ultimate question I had while watching Glass Heart - will he touch the grass or nah?
Personally I for sure gravitate towards more mundane and “normal” characters. While eccentric personas can be entertaining, it can also easily become exhausting. Luckily Glass Heart understood potential dangers that come with centering the show around “pure genius” and softened the dynamics with all the people surrounding Naoki.
Akane was not a ray of sunshine, she was the sun flare that demanded ultimate attention with her positive energy and determination that grounded Naoki and helped him get out of the artistic daze and focus. I loved this girl with all my heart and she was easily my favorite character.
Side note, but why was this girl so shippable? I shipped her with 4 different people and all of these seem legit and reasonable choices.
While Akane felt like the force that kept them going, Takaoka Sho was more of a pillar that made them stable during their journey. There is no denying he understood Naoki the best and had the patience of a saint. For all the bromance fans - this pairing will not disappoint you.
And then we have Kazushi who determined the structure and was the silent supporter willing to sacrifice his own goals and desires for people whom he cared about. As a soft potato myself I appreciated him a lot. He led me into the ghost ship that was destined to crush like titanic and I’m not even mad about it.
I have to mention Toya, because I need someone to explain to me why I even liked this rude ass? That styling was also a lot to take, and I did not even recognize Suda Masaki in episode one. Is this man for real? His ability to completely transform into various characters is honestly magical.
As much as I want to focus on the positive and uplifting aspects of the show like - chasing your dreams, found family trope, passion for music, caring for people around you, there was also some underlying sadness in it that drew me more.
The idea that your brilliance might be the downfall for people around you - whenever intentional or not. How deep insecurity and comparing yourself to others can kill whatever talent you have. How co-dependency in any form kills creativity and cages you with the thoughts of self-doubt. The hyperfocus on your passion that you are unable to see other aspects of life worth living for. The obsession is so deep you cannot even take a break - you rather risk dying with it, than live without it.
I truly appreciate how I was able to see the more dark and sad aspect of creative endeavors and how deep sensibility can create beauty while slowly ruining the creator himself. At the same time it highlights the importance of a support system and how slowing down, but being surrounded by like-minded people can be more rewarding than sprinting to your goal all alone.
Production wise this is beyond the typical high quality Netflix gives - here it felt far more intentional. It wasn’t pretty and flashy without restraints. They knew exactly what moments should be highlighted, what directing choices will make the viewers focus on the important aspects of the storytelling, characters dynamics and developments. And what’s most important - they knew how to use visuals to enhance the music. Also all, and I truly mean all producers and directors need to sit down and take notes on how to open a drama, because that drumming in the rain scene was a cinematic experience that perfectly set the tone for the whole show.
At the same time there were some choices I slightly questioned. All the guys saving Akane from trouble Boys Over Flower style. Or when Yukino started to sing at random moments - we get it, singing is your life, but you can in fact use spoken words to communicate too.
Now the music - slays. I love how much focus we had on drums here. Whenever the camera focused on Akane playing I wanted to jump from my seat - the excitement she experienced playing was perfectly translated to screen and infectious. It’s surprising how many dramas that focus on bands and music do not actually have good music in it. TENBLANK is basically a real band with real high quality music and I can 100% believe their songs would top charts.
I have zero notes on acting, because I feel like I’m not in the position to judge the perfection I witnessed. Name me one bad performance. You can’t.
Overall, this was an experience I did not fully relate to on a logical level, but connected on an emotional one.
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The plot was there, the twist was there, the emotions should be there, but the storytelling was just a mess. There was close to no introduction to the characters and till the end some of their motivations were simply not explained (why was Yool even loyal to Deok Gi?). Scenes were not concluded in a proper way which led to weird jumps in the characters’ arcs progressions. And don’t even make me start on whatever was going on between Yool and Sul Hee, because that made exactly zero sense and was just a massive waste of screen time.
As I was watching Memories of the Sword I thought “Did they lose some files? This literally feels unfinished, as if there are scenes missing”. You know how at school you wrote essays, used different sources and just wrote all the relevant information in, but after rereading it from the top, you saw how some paragraphs just don’t connect and there is no flow to it? That’s this movie.
The two good aspects were visuals and acting, but that’s barely enough to make me finish the movie. In theory, this movie works. If someone showed me the screenshots and described the plot I would assume it’s an amazing movie… but then, the end product I actually watched was a mess.
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This review may contain spoilers
Depending on what kind of drama you want to watch, it can either be a hit or a miss. If you want a nice romance with a plot that (more or less) makes sense, Are You Human Too? will make you happy. If you are a big sci-fi fan and that's the reason you want to watch it, it might not meet your expectations. THE GOOD
Likable characters with realistic flaws.
The majority of the motivations make sense and it makes it easier to put ourselves in the characters’ position. Not all the characters are developed to the same extent, but it's something we can't avoid in dramas - some just take more focus. As long as the mains are there making sense, I am content. Not to mention how refreshing it was to have so many morally gray characters.
The romance.
If you like fluff and cute, this will be one of the nicest shows you have seen. I could clearly see the chemistry between leads, and there isn't any unnecessary love triangle. It's hard to describe the growth of emotions in terms of Nam Shin 3, but we can clearly see that in our human protagonist So Bong - how her relationship with NS3 develops and how slowly her feelings change. The acceptance that she loved a robot and not a human was nicely presented.
Cinematography.
Being a person who values the visuals of the dramas, I must say this one was extremely pleasing to the eye.
The emotional aspects.
Basically, this drama is good at 'playing' with your emotions. In a good way. The pacing was fine and they didn't randomly change from sad to funny scenes. Since the characters were engaging, I could easily empathize with them, which made the watching that much more enjoyable.
THE BAD AND LESS CONVINCING
The villains.
I truly loved what they did with Nam Gun Ho. The way he played people around him to be played at the end. That said, the true main bad guy of the drama was disappointing. His motivations did not make much sense. They tried to frame him as a heartless person, but then introduced some scenes clearly showing that he is not as bad as portrayed and even he wants to protect people important to him, so in the end, it wasn't consistent.
The romance.
While the fluff was amazing, I believe they did not explore the robot-human relationship to the full potential. There are many questions that they never delivered answers to. How will society react to that relationship? Will So Bong be happy with a robot that might never truly love her back? Why had they never talked about getting old and how will they work it out? What will happen to Nam Shin 3 after So Bong dies? Is So Bong going to be okay without any intimate relationship? The relationship was cute, but the social commentary about it could have been deeper.
Real Nam Shin.
How much I loved his character and how much I did not want the writers to give him a quick last minute redemption arc . After all the bad deeds he did, we don't really see much change in his character. Instead of showing us the aftermath of his decisions, we get 'one year later' with Nam Shin being fine and everyone accepting him. No true apology, no reflection on what his choices brought on people he claimed to care about. The writers were so fixated on giving us a happy ending they did not stop for a second to think if it would make much sense.
Ending.
If for you getting a happy ending is the most important part, you won't be disappointed. If you rather have a bittersweet ending that fits the plot and is consistent with the characters, this might make you angry. The last ten minutes of the drama introduces even more questions than all the preview episodes combined, and gave no answers. We don't know what happens with the majority of side characters. What will happen to M-City? How were the legal aspects resolved? Why only few bad people who broke the law were punished for it? How is society dealing with AI being a real thing? The ending was a big plot hole.
Unresolved moral and social issues.
I would have no problem with drama not dealing with those deeper problems if they weren't introduced in the first place. But they were, so they should be explored more. When the robot is not just a robot? How human the robot must be? Is being conscious enough? Do you need to be able to feel emotions too?
Another EXTREMELY interesting plot point that was not explored at all: is the creator responsible for everything their creation does? If said creation is self conscious, can the creator control all aspects of its life? How far can the free will go? What is free will? The whole sci-fi aspect of the drama, instead of driving drama forward, has been just a plot device created as a background for the romance.
Ignoring the characters’ traits when they are not necessary for the plot and forgiving characters without a reason.
So Bong is a fighter, a really good one. Former athlete, currently bodyguard. And it's all ignored later in the drama. She does not fight, does not defend herself. The whole skill set is simply non existing. Reporter Jo is another character that has no place in the drama. She is supposed to be a funny friend of So Bong, but is she really? She kept getting everyone into trouble, manipulated them and used So Bong for her own profit. The fact that So Bong kept her as a friend till the end is irrational.
Overall, if you are searching for romance driven drama with emotional baggage that is not too heavy, go for it and you will love it. If you want more sci-fi, give it a try for a few episodes, but don't have high expectations. This drama presents many amazing dilemmas, but never explores any of them, and that was the biggest problem I had.
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This review may contain spoilers
To quote the drama itself: Ridiculous, huh?
I did enjoy the show a lot for most of it, but the lack of cohesiveness in terms of themes and tone made what could have been an amazing drama, into just a decent one.Here’s the thing - most of the show did not have one big plot that puts it all together. It felt like a borderline investigation slice of life - and I enjoyed it, but mostly because of the leads. I loved how Jiu Xuan Ye was not this powerful, cold male lead that changes thanks to love. I appreciated how Duan Ban Xia was not this badass lady warrior with no fears. They were both well written characters with great chemistry that felt more like a cosy fireplace than hell fires. Even the supporting characters were enjoyable, not following the typical copy paste filler roles.
Honestly - Ban Xia was perfect. She was so real with her reactions, the effect her traumas had on her, with how her character developed and progressed. One of my favorite female leads so far from the dramas I have seen in 2025. She was both adorable and vulnerable, but also brave. She was not fearless, but she was willing to act despite her fears.
But then the characters are kind of all the show had to offer for me. I know many people loved the demon stories, but for me they tried to both keep them eerie and dark, but also many scenes felt more whimsical and fairytale-like. On paper they worked, emotionally they felt shallow. The tone was neither this nor that and it made me disconnect from the story.
And that leads me to the biggest disappointment - the ending. I’m not even saying the ending was bad because it was bitter sweet. It was just an ending to a completely different drama than I was watching the whole time. While I agree that the theme of sacrifice was present throughout most of the cases, it was always related to sacrificing yourself for the person you love or cherish. So if the drama ended around episode 34-35 with Jiu Xuan Ye using the sword to set it all back to how it was before they met to save Ban Xia - I would be far more okay with it. It would make sense in the context of the show.
But then the last two episodes happened. Why is Jiu Xuan Ye’s conclusion about him saving the demon realm? This was never part of his arc until the last second twist. Why is Ban Xia’s conclusion letting Jiu Xuan leave? When her whole arc was about fighting to be with him - her choosing to stay with him no matter what was her gaining the agency for herself. Because no matter what happened and what everyone said - it was her decision. And now she is like: well, I guess that would be a goodbye.
I just simply do not feel satisfied with the ending, because it does not make much sense for him with how the characters were throughout the episodes. I don’t even want to talk about the fake cheap deaths - that’s another story. The last few episodes are a typical case of ending leaving a bad taste in my mouth, even though most of the meal was great. Sadly, the last bite is what we often remember the most.
No matter how many complaints I might have about the conclusion, I have to compliment the acting. Song Zu Er - she knows how to cry! The angst she delivered was pure perfection. At the same time the bubbly happy moments were also delivered in a way they were charming and fun to watch.
We all know Ren Jia Lun is great. I do think he might need to move away from romance though. My man is 36 years old and still delivered some of the worst kissing scenes.
Overall, somehow disappointed. I wish they would keep the lighter tone till the end. I loved how normal the supernatural plot felt, but then by the end they tried to turn it into something bigger and more grand than they were setting up.
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Sarawat, for the good majority of the show, was for me one of my favorite BL characters out there. The “I don’t care, could not be bothered by others” attitude he had in the beginning episodes was so amazing and refreshing and when you pair it with how much of a cute, shy and romantically awkward, but clingy potato he is, I can die happy. Straightforward, but not in a rude way, we stan. But then something happened in episode 12 - that thing is called lazy writing. There is nothing worse than giving your character 180 just to create artificial drama and unnecessary conflict.
Tine was just a clueless bunny. Seeing how this was Win’s first role, I must say he has done an extremely good job portraying all the emotions his character was feeling. The new actors often either underact or overact, but I see some nice balance from him.
Since Tine was quite not aware of anything that was truly happening around him, it created many funny scenes that were natural and did not feel like a cheap comedy. Truth to be told, Tine was probably the best written character in the whole show.
The whole supporting cast did an amazing job, creating a nice atmosphere and many memorable comedic moments. The interactions between Tine and Sarawat’s friend felt organic and were enjoyable to watch.
What surprised me the most was the fact that I actually cared for the side couple and did not feel like skipping their scenes at all. Man and Type had nice dynamics and I truly loved Sarawat’s brother Phukong - cheeky little thing.
The plot is simple yet told in such an endearing way I just smiled watching each and every episode. Few small twists here and there kept the story more interesting and exciting. If we exclude the mess episodes 12 and 13 were, it's quite a nice, slower paced sweet romance. The chemistry between Tine and Wat was better in the first, than second half though. I put the blame here on writing and directing. Why? What happened?
I was just confused what Tine and Wat’s relationship exactly is and what they are comfortable with. I have no problem with shows being more on a romantic “PG13” side with one kiss happening as a finale, sealing the deal. I never expected TT or WRU type of content in this. But then why did things keep being hinted at and then scenes cut without proper closure? Why was Tine shy about the smallest romantic skinship, but at the same time be fine with more explicit things (that were hinted at, but never shown)? They felt like best bros, a couple that just started dating and a couple that has lived together for a few years at the same time… When a couple high fives instead of giving each other a kiss. I was lost at some point.
I have to talk about the production quality, because it was truly amazing… to a certain point. The set designs were perfect and the rooms of the character well represented who they are. Technical aspects like lighting or camera work were also good. Too bad I can’t say the same thing about editing. There were some pacing problems here and there that made me and some other viewers confused about the time progression. Some romantic scenes were cut in such weird places, it felt like they were trying to censor stuff. While I know it was not the case, it gave me that impression.
Any random complaints? First kiss from Sarawat and Win. Damn I felt like Bright didn’t quite want to commit.
The ever-changing hair of Bright too.
Overall, it’s a cute fluff story that failed when trying to do something else in the last few episodes. It started as 10/10 for me, but as the quality of writing and editing dropped, so did my rating.
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Exploring happiness through hardships.
When the Weather Is Fine is definitely a well crafted piece of cinematic art, but it’s not made for everyone. I don’t mean it in a snobbish, elitist way, it’s just really clear in what it wants to be, and it does not try to cater to all the viewers - you either take it or leave it, both decisions being equally valid.It’s an extremely slow paced character driven drama that is much darker than it might initially seem. Hardly any of the characters presented does not face serious problems and issues they have to overcome. It does present a few side stories tho, that can brighten the mood, making sure we won’t get depressed after finishing each episode.
The journey we take while the stories unfold might be sad and frustrating, since many of the characters are rather shielded, slowly learning how to open themselves to the possibility of happiness. It’s not a drama to watch for escapism.
Being perfectly honest, till the last episode, I did not find Hae Won to be a likeable person. She points out everyone's flaws, while not taking a step back to see things from other people's perspective herself. The fact she was so flawed, was exactly why I enjoyed the show so much. Each character presented a completely different perspective on life and relationships - each being right and wrong at the same time, depending on the perspective taken by the viewer.
When the Weather Is Fine is an aesthetic feast. All the shots capture that melancholic and slightly removed from reality feeling - making Bookhyun Village feel like its own world, separate from the fast paced reality we live in. The soundtrack added to that sentimental feeling, making a truly cohesive picture.
That said, it’s not a perfect show. The number of flashbacks was surprising, especially since the majority of them were copy-pasted the same, not presenting alternative perspectives or adding to previously presented events. Another aspect that bothered me was the sharp change of mood between scenes - we went from tragedy to teen slice of life comedy in a matter of seconds. In the end, for some scenes, I was neither able to explore the sadness, nor enjoy the silly happiness of what’s presented - it just clashed too much.
Acting wise, almost flawless. I am not sure if I completely bought Park Min Young’s portrayal of Hae Won. Logically speaking her story was full of sadness, yet I could not feel it on many occasions. I knew it was tragic, but I did not feel it.
Overall, I would recommend it to people who like slow paced, character driven shows. If you prefer fast paced plot driven dramas with many unexpected plot twists and thrilling feeling, you will most likely not enjoy it that much. It’s a bittersweet story that allows us to peek into the lives of the characters, without presenting a sharp beginning nor the end.
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Interesting story with poorly written characters
This had some good potential. Even though, technically speaking, it deals with the same old story of corruption in politics, adding the Agency for National Security Planning and (basically) deserted agent made it a bit fresh.Sadly, the writers were incapable of writing intelligent main characters and villains. At the end, it was not about who outsmarts whom, but who will make more dumb mistakes. There were no winners, rather - bigger losers.
Han Jung Hyun was probably one of the least consistent characters in the history of dramas. Presented as outstanding agent in the past, the future version of him made too many dumb mistakes for me to ever take him seriously. At some point I assumed that the Agency for National Security Planning only teaches and cares about fighting skills, because he barely ever used his brain.
Then we have Im Hyeong Rak, another case of random nerve impulses - turning on and off his brain depending on what the plot needs. Mastermind that was able to cover up all his evil deeds for years… and yet, he cannot predict the most predictable decisions Jung Hyun makes. He overlooks the most obvious course of action. True disappointment.
That said, not all the characters were as bad. Choi Yeon Soo, even if boringly good, was fierce and smart, trying to work, limited by the rules set by corrupted people, to uncover the corruption. Then we have Do Young Geol, who was my favorite character - one of the most entertaining to watch. I wished the writers and director gave a little bit more attention and depth to his slowly growing internal conflict. Big props to the younger cast playing Jung Hyun’s kids - solid performance.
The plot itself could be better. It feels like there weren’t enough hints or clues leading to a “plot twist” to make it interesting, the bad guys were bad, the good guys were good. The guys that were at first good, without solid reasoning turned bad… and I was just sitting in front of my laptop questioning everyone’s motives. There was not enough payoff from any of the plot lines.
Overall, I think the burning frustration I felt while watching was the most entertaining part. The drama could be renamed “Why y’all like that?”. When all the involved parties became aware of each other, and you would have thought the cat and mouse chase would start… The drama ended. The last episode? Anticlimactic would be an understatement.
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One word to describe this show: wholesome.
It was just an easy, fast watch. Distressed me completely, but at the same time, each and every episode got me hyped and excited. I was on the edge of my seat more often than not, even though I know nothing about esports. I'm not a gamer and yet this drama got me focused on all the scenes and I was never bored with the technical talk and in-game fighting scenes.Best part of the show? The characters. I truly cannot express how much I liked each and every one of them (except Jia Shi's Team Manager, he can go). Ye Xiu is a dream male lead: mature, kind, driven, honest, hard working. Usually, this level of perfection drives me mad, but here I was just appreciating his existence. It would be hard to comment on every character, as the cast is truly massive, but one thing I can say is: with how unique and likable they all were, I'm sure everyone would find someone to relate to, appreciate and root for. Characters that caught my attention the most were Su Mu Cheng (loyal friend, but also a professional player), Huang Shao Tian (the talkative ray of sunshine), Yu Wen Zhou (the warm, supportive and understanding captain) and Wei Chen (the trickster that stole my heart).
That said, even though I loved the cast and the characters, there were some things that bothered me. One was Chen Guo and the fact, at some point, her constant mistakes made it hard for me to like her (even though by the end of the show I could clearly see how she fits into the picture perfectly). Another was a last minute redemption arc for one of the supporting characters. There was no character development done on screen to validate that.
Some people might feel overwhelmed by the number of characters showing up. I'm not lying when I say new faces were introduced every other episode almost till the end of the show. Everyone often wearing the teams' uniforms helps to distinguish who comes from where, but it still might be a bit too much for people who struggle with large casts.
The plot is simple: a path to glory. We follow Yu Xiu rebuilding his gaming character as he creates his own team and tries to fight his way back to the top of gaming league. While there is little to no development done on the male lead (he truly does not need it), he plays a crucial role in slow changes and the development of his team members. It was amazingly pleasing to watch them learn how to be a team, work together and support each other both in and outside of the game.
What's more to love? I have to applaud the effects in the drama. The game looks amazing. Not being a gamer, I would still love to play it. Even though it was not exactly realistic (the angles shown on the monitors would actually make it harder to play the game and the range of actions the characters could do was also "over the top"), it gave an amazing fantasy cinematic feel. If you ask me, I would love to watch a whole animated show about these game characters and their adventures.
I loved it so much, why not 10/10 rating then?
I had exactly 2 problems with this show. First was the ending. I know for a fact that the majority of people loved it and for those that will watch the show: will love it. Sadly, I am not one of them. It's hard to explain my reasoning, but the twist at the end, even though it made the drama even more wholesome and feel-good, stripped the show from a bit of the additional depth that the "original" ending brought.
Another aspect that made me lower the rating were episodes 32 to 35. I have no idea what happened. I know that the show needed some kind of breaking point and shift in dynamics, but the way they went about it just felt wrong. We saw the characters and their amazing development, just to see them back to their old selves for the duration of these episodes.
Overall, the show is great. The 40 episodes felt way too short, and I would love to see 40 more. I cannot wait for season two, hoping they will keep at least the majority if not all the original cast. The pacing was perfect, as I was focused the whole time I was watching, never feeling bored. The whole gaming industry in The King's Avatar felt like squad goals that I just wished to be a part of.
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Rage healing and glorious slaps.
Let’s start with the fact this drama is borderline fantasy. This is not a show you watch for realism. This is a show you watch for rage healing. Half of these teens would be dead or in coma after even one of these slaps delivered by one and only Na Hwa Jin. With that in mind, you just cannot take the delivery seriously, but at the same time, you can appreciate the serious and realistic themes presented.Teach You a Lesson is the purest form of entertainment. Gripping stories presenting many social issues that we all struggle with one way or another. Great heroes with fun and distinctive personalities. Complex dynamics between being victim and perpetrator and the moral dilemmas of rightful punishment and empathic help. Villains that are rage inducing enough it’s worth paying attention to their schemes, but not powerful enough to feel like the stakes are greater than life. Amazing fighting choreographies, great styling, soundtrack that makes your heart race and slaps that make your head spin. What more can anyone wish for?
This is by all means an easy binge watch type of a drama. While the bullies and abusers are awful, the way the stories are structured makes it easily digestible. No matter what, you know Na Hwa Jin will deliver his lessons and justice will be served. And the way he serves it is just magnificent. I have never seen better slaps in any drama ever. I am a strong believer that a good slap is better than a punch.
What’s more, I really like how balanced the characters were - cool Na Hwa Jin, professional Choi Gang Seok, crazy Im Han Rim and adorable Bong Geun Dae. Their personalities mixed and matched in all the right ways creating this unique and energetic synergy. While we had a rather meaningful and clear set up for Hwa Jin, Gong Seok and Han Rim and their involvement with ERPB, I wish we got the same clear answers for Bong Geun Dae. They hint what his background is, but it’s never as well stated as the others.
As a team they had their small conflicts and hiccups, certain disagreements on how to deal with presented situations and problems, but at the end of the day they always knew how to unite and work together.
For the cases, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend like they were well explored analysis of complex social issues, but I do appreciate how even with the simplicity they were able to highlight, even if just one the suffice, how complex these environments and dynamics between people are. Things like why do bullies bully? How much of them being prior victims should be considered when delivering punishment? Is resocialization always an option? Does everyone deserve a second chance? Do parents always want the best for their kids? Do kids bear sole responsibility for their actions? How much should the system be blamed for failing these kids? These are just a few examples of the themes tackled in the plot.
While Teach You a Lesson for sure highlights the bad deeds done by kids/teens and the lack of protection and authority teachers have, I do appreciate how we still got few examples of kids being the victims, teachers and parents being the abusers, and the system not protecting anyone - if the system does not protect the teachers, it does not protect the children either. If people who are supposed to educate and help raise these kids cannot do their job, at the end of the day it will mostly fail the students who will grow up into awful adults. Nothing was truly black and white (well, maybe some characters were closer to one or the other end of the spectrum), it was not all kids are evil and all teachers are poor victims. Everyone took part in upholding that failed system.
What I liked others can see as a flaw, so it’s worth pointing out. They don’t stay in one school for more than one episode. They are all one time close cases, there is not that much time for deeper exploration. This is not a character driven drama. The structure is simple, the set up is simple, the solutions are straightforward. But all that simplicity is just well crafted and delivered and that’s why it works.
On the actual flaws (though this is gonna sound bad), I hate how the female perpetrators did not get the same treatment as male. Ain’t no equality here - not one slap was delivered even if the girls were just as vicious as the guys. Especially since I heard it’s not the case in webtoon and there Im Han Rim does not hold back. It was especially evident with the set order of the episodes and the cases presented - one episode teen boys get their fingers broken, the other episode the girls get their collars grabbed and shoved a little bit.
For the more technical aspects - the performances were phenomenal. Shallow of me, I know, but Na Hwa Jin was extremely hot in this role. After every episode I kept thinking how attractive Kim Mu Yeol is in this role. Add actually amazing acting skills - that’s a whole package. Whenever empathy, ruthlessness, sadness, excitement, annoyance - no matter the emotions needed, he delivered. I don’t think I need to convince anyone that Lee Sung Min aced the role. I’m here just stating the obvious. Jin Ki Joo and P.O also shined in their own way - the roles they were playing were a bit less rooted in reality and extreme - nice contrast that worked well on screen. And then we have Lee Bong Joon - I am sorry, but I am going to question the goodness of any character he ever plays, this role had quite an impact.
Then we have production - I don’t think I have any complaints. The fighting scenes were perfect. That one cinematic experience in rain? I rewatched it a number of times. Not only was it exciting to watch, it was also shot in a truly aesthetic way. I also really like when dramas use light as a framing tool. The soundtrack? Perfectly matched to the scenes and emotional impact it’s supposed to have - “First And Last” being my favorite song for sure.
Overall, eye for an eye does not work in real life but damn it's healing to watch it in fiction. Na Hwa Jin literally treating the bullies and abusers 1:1 how they treated their victims was such a blast to witness. I was honestly having a huge grin on my face watching the episodes.
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