just a girl

SIAN’S INFERNO: A PREDICTABLE, HAREM-FUELED SNOOZEFEST

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION ON THE ENTIRE SEASON YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

My comment section is not safe for Sian and Junseo fans or sympathizers. I will probably call out everyone and you might not like what I have to say. To protect your peace I suggest you just keep scrolling because I am not be going to go back and forth with anyone over this show.

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OVERVIEW (SPOILERS AHEAD!)

I really thought Single’s Inferno 3 was the worst season yet, but Single’s Inferno 4 somehow managed to be even worse. A predictable, uninspired mess that revolved around one contestant—Sian—and her never-ending harem of men chasing after her like lost puppies. The show stopped being about romance and connection and instead turned into a glorified dating sim where Sian held all the cards, leading on multiple men only to predictably choose the red flag in the end.

The worst part? It wasn’t just the cast that made this season unbearable. The editing, production, and overall pacing were awful. Netflix completely fumbled what made Single’s Inferno work in the first place—an organic blend of romance, drama, and character development. Instead, we got shallow interactions, choppy editing, and emotional moments ruined by horrible music choices. They even changed the iconic opening song, and for what? Sorry but “SAY YES” will forever be the best… this new theme song didn’t do anything. Every time a moment could have been impactful, the editing undercut it. There was no buildup, no emotional investment, just scene after scene of surface-level connections that felt hollow.

And then there’s the predictability. This was yet another season where the entire cast revolved around one person, and by the finale, three men were standing there, waiting for Sian’s decision like it was the final boss battle of a romance RPG. The same thing happened in Single’s Inferno 3 with Gwanhee, and I’ve had enough. It’s lazy. It’s boring. It’s exhausting. We get it—people like the thrill of competition, but if every season is going to end with the entire cast worshipping one contestant, what’s the point?

Now let's get into everything that went wrong...


THE DOWNFALL OF CAST DYNAMICS:

From the moment Sian stepped into Inferno, she took over the entire season. It quickly became clear that every guy would orbit around her while the other girls were left struggling for screen time. This isn’t even about jealousy or whether she was “too popular”—the issue is that it made for bad television. There was no balance, no real competition, and no variety in storylines.

Sian herself? She drove me nuts. She kept insisting that she wanted a man who was thoughtful, kind, and vocal about his love—yet none of her choices reflected that. Who was she trying to fool? She wasn’t drawn to stability or sincerity. She wanted toxicity. She wanted the thrill of push-and-pull, which is why she clung to Jun Seo despite him being emotionally unavailable and a walking red flag.

She gaslit herself into thinking she wanted a sweet, considerate guy, but deep down, she craved an “alpha male” type. That’s why she played mind games with Theo and Jeong Su, leading them on for days before ultimately settling for the worst option.

Like many have said before, she treats men like Pokémon, collecting them for the thrill of it but never truly valuing them. The better men—Theo and Jeong Su—were strung along only to be discarded at the last minute.

And the worst part? Her indecision and selfishness meant no other female contestant got a real chance. Though I want to believe it's their choice not hers... there's no way the other men didn't want to get to know anyone else. I feel this season was written after the script, and the producers pushed the candidates in the direction they wanted to achieve the desired outcome.


THE EDITING & MUSIC RUINED THE EMOTIONAL DEPTH:

What made Single’s Inferno great in earlier seasons was its ability to pull viewers into the romance through music and editing. Remember the soft, sentimental background tracks? The perfectly timed instrumentals that made every confession feel weighty? All of that was gone.

The music choices this season were horrible. At times, they felt out of place, almost like they were taken from a generic reality show rather than a romance-focused dating program. It stripped away any emotional connection I might’ve felt.

And the editing? A disaster. Scenes were choppy, emotional beats were cut short, and crucial interactions were often rushed or left out entirely. At one point, we were getting random reaction shots from the hosts instead of seeing actual conversations unfold.

For example, they completely cut the scene where Dong Ho called Arin “chagi” (honey/dear), which would’ve made it clear he was never swayed by Hae Lin. Instead, they edited it to seem like he was conflicted, when in reality, he was always set on Arin.

Why are key moments being left out in favor of manufactured drama?

Oh, right. Because Netflix took over production...


THE SHIFT IN QUALITY:

This is where I need to rant. Season 1 and 2 were produced by JTBC, and the difference in quality was glaring. JTBC focused on love, friendships, and genuine emotions. Netflix? They just want toxic drama.

Seasons 3 and 4 had this overproduced, almost scripted feel that sucked the soul out of the show. Conversations felt more forced, editing choices felt more manipulative, and the cast interactions seemed heavily controlled to push certain narratives.

For example, I know some of the guys were told to create fake tension in the final episode. Junseo walking past Minseol like he was going to pick her? Jong Hoon walking past Hye Jin only to turn back? That wasn’t natural. That was producer interference to create a moment of “shock” that nobody bought into.

It’s lazy, it’s transparent, and it makes the show worse.


MISSED OPPORTUNITIES & WASTED CAST MEMBERS:

There were so many great contestants who got zero chances because of the production’s obsession with Sian.

Sian herself was frustrating beyond belief. She treated men like playthings, keeping Jeong Su and Theo on the hook while clearly being drawn to Jun Seo’s bad boy persona. She knew she was going to choose Jun Seo. Everyone knew. And yet, she kept leading Jeong Su and Theo on, acting like she was confused when in reality, she just enjoyed the attention. She thrives on chaos and emotional tug-of-war, and she got exactly what she wanted—men fighting over her while she played the victim.

Jeong Su, for all his initial coldness, actually turned out to be one of the more sincere contestants. When he finally let his guard down, it was heartbreaking to watch because, by that point, it was too late. Sian had already set her sights on Juns Seo, and no amount of sincerity was going to change that. Theo, on the other hand, deserved so much better. The fact that he still chose Sian at the end, despite everything, was hard to watch. He stayed true to his emotions, but for what? She never truly considered him a serious option.

Jun Seo, of course, was performative to the end. The way he strutted very near to Min Seol like he was about to pick her, only to continue walking and choose Sian, was disgusting. It felt producer-driven, especially since Jong Hoon did the exact same thing to Hye Jin. These fake-out moments didn’t add drama—they just made the guys look like clowns.

Then there was Tae Hwan, who had no excuse for his nonsense. When Ji Yeon confronted him about his earlier statement that he wanted to stay single, he tried to worm his way out of it with weak justifications about hoping someone would change his mind. But that’s not what he said when they were in paradise. He knew Ji Yeon’s dream was to get married and have a family, yet he clearly didn’t care. In the end, Ji Yeon still left with him, but it was obvious she didn’t really have another option. He looked almost nervous, like his ego was bruised by the idea that she might reject him.

As for the other women, they were done so dirty. Imo You Jin was hands down the best girl in the entire inferno. I like her bright personality and how she’s able to make everyone feel at ease / comfortable and light up an entire room. It’s just too bad she wasted her first couple days on Jun Seo. If she had more time in the inferno plus more time to talk to the other men, I’m sure she would have turned more heads. Her choosing Jeong Su in the end was sweet, but it was hard to get invested when we barely saw them interact.

Hae Lin, the wildcard / game changer, had a similar same problem. She was initially interesting, but coming in on day 5 basically ruined her chances. I feel bad that the men initially hyped her up so much only to basically ignore her or decide she wasn’t worth giving a chance or their time. The wild card contestants always get screwed over just like Minji last season and it pisses me off to no end.

Dong Ho and Arin were maybe the only couple I wasn’t upset at. They at least had some form of connection. The show tried to make it seem like he was wavering, but in reality, he was set on her from the beginning. Their paradise date confirmed that, especially since they worked in the same industry and lived in the same neighborhood. Arin calling it fate was a little sappy, but it was cute, I guess.

Hye Jin and Dong Ho were a pity couple. They only decided to end together because there was no one else. I’m sorry but I genuinely didn’t feel like there were any sparks between them. They seem to have an ok to mid rapport and are cordial with one another but to me it seemed like Hye Jin was just quicker than the other girls when it came to getting his attention after he got rejected by Sian.


THE FINAL EPISODE:

By the time we reached the finale, everything was painfully predictable and anticlimactic.

• Sian picked Jun Seo. Obviously. She wanted her “whirlwind” romance, even though he’s the least stable choice.
• Theo stayed loyal to his emotions. He deserved better.
• Dong Ho stayed true to his feelings for Arin but I still felt like production did Hae Lin dirty, typical whenever they bring in a wildcard.
• Jeong Su poured his heart out, but it was too late. I actually felt bad for him.
• Hye Jin got done dirty at the last minute. Jong Hoon’s little fake-out move was unnecessary af.
• Ji Yeon settled for Tae Hwan. Even though she knew he didn’t want a serious relationship. We needed Dex in the inferno!

Nothing felt satisfying. The entire structure of “three people chasing one person” is overplayed.

Netflix needs to take notes from the first two seasons, which were produced by JTBC. The difference is night and day. JTBC focused on love, friendship, and organic relationships, while Netflix is obsessed with toxic drama. That’s why the last two seasons have felt so off. The production quality has tanked, the editing is disjointed, and the emotional depth is completely missing. Instead of real connections, we get fake love triangles, forced drama, and empty relationships that don’t last beyond the finale.

And don’t even get me started on the final choosing ceremony. They need to do something else, having everyone spread out over the island waiting for the men to walk to the woman of their choosing is beyond ridiculous. I also wish contestants could choose themselves because girls like Ji Yeon and Hye Jin got the short end of the stick in that regard. Morevover, watching the leftover contestants stand there awkwardly after not being chosen was depressing. They should let them change their minds and couple up with whoever’s left. It would be way more satisfying than watching them stand there awkwardly while the camera panned out.

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MATCHES:

Couples —
• Dong Ho x Arin
• Sian x Junseo
• Jong Hoon x Hye Jin
• Ji Yeon x Tae Hwan

Singles (+ their choice) —
• Theo → Sian
• Jeong Su → Sian
• Hae Lin → Dong Ho
• Hye Jin → Jeong Su

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FINAL THOUGHTS:

Single’s Inferno 4 was an absolute waste of time. The production was sloppy, the cast was forgettable (except for Sian and her harem, unfortunately), and the season was so predictable that I almost regret watching it. The emotional depth that made the earlier seasons interesting is completely gone, replaced with surface-level connections and producer-driven nonsense.

I used to love this show because it gave me a mix of romance, friendships, and unexpected pairings. Now, it’s a tired, predictable mess where one person dominates the narrative while everyone else fades into the background.

The editing sucked.
The music sucked.
The cast felt wasted.
And Sian’s harem was the least interesting part of the show and ruined it for me.

I never thought I’d say this, but Season 3 wasn’t even this bad. At least that season had multiple storylines going on.

Would I recommend Season 4? Absolutely not! It’s completely skippable. I feel like it’s generous to even give this a 1/10. My rating doesn’t even reflect how I truly feel because I’d give this a 0 if I could.

Initially, I considered a 2/10 solely for Theo and Youjin, but even they couldn’t salvage this mess. Those two were the only redeeming qualities of an otherwise atrocious season. They deserved so much better than to be wasted on this trainwreck of a show.

Netflix needs to hand this show back to JTBC before they ruin it for good.

At the very least, I hope Netflix realizes that the one person with multiple suitors storyline has been done to death. It’s lazy and boring. I can't believe they are getting a S5 after this disaster of a season. Honestly, they need to pack it up! Like are they seriously not going to switch things up for S5? The same stale format is getting old. How about some actual eliminations to shake things up? And can we please make the contestants put in some effort to get to know each other? It's infuriating to watch the guys sit around all day, waiting for the women to do all the work.

And bring back the rule about not picking the same person for Paradise twice in a row! It's ridiculous that people can just fixate on one contestant (*cough* Sian, Gwanhee, Seulki and Jia *cough*) This season You Jin, Hae Lin, and Hye Jin were totally robbed of their chances / potential because everyone was too busy fawning over Sian. And don't even get me started on how Sian got to pick Jun Seo after spending time with him in Paradise the day before. I think 10 days in paradise is too short to actually fall in love, it's all a hoax, it's all for PR and I don't believe any of these couples will last. Four years has been long enough. I'm so done with this mess of a show – it's time for me to find a new guilty pleasure!

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SIDENOTE:

Just because I hated it doesn’t mean you will. You have to watch it and see for yourself, but truthfully if you are a S1 or S2 enjoyer this season is nothing in comparison. It's just as annoying as season 3, but it's somehow worse because Gwan Hee maintained his ignorance throughout but Sian and Jun Seo were very aware of what they were doing. In my opinion you aren’t missing out if you decided not to watch and you’d probably get the gist from Tiktoks / edits on YouTube.

Anyway, good luck but don't say I didn't warn you...

Thanks for reading!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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GWANHEE'S INFERNO - A WASTE OF TIME!

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION ON THE ENTIRE SEASON YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

My comment section is not safe for Gwanhee sympathizers. Additionally I will probably call out and drag everyone at some point so you were warned bc you might not like what I have to say. To protect your peace I suggest you just keep scrolling if you are any of the aforementioned people.
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OVERVIEW (SPOILERS AHEAD!) :

To say that this was the worst season would be an understatement. It was a complete and utter FAILURE. This season lacked depth, got boring halfway through and was a struggle to finish. I did not feel connected to any of the contestants at all.

Once the contestants have been to paradise it’s like they’ve seen it all and don’t really have any motivation or incentive to keep on going. The way the men sat on their asses all day and did not really try to pursue any of the women was disappointing. They had 9 days there and none of them showed any real impetuous to get to know the women. It was like a long winded free vacation where they put in minimal effort.

Gwanhee by far was the most annoying and insufferable person in the history of Singles Inferno. LIKE THIS MAN CANNOT BE A REAL PERSON. Idk how to explain my disdain for him without it coming off as hatred because it is. “I hate men”(tell me why this was my reaction every time he did something or came on screen) I can’t stand men who are spoilt, indecisive, cowardly and two faced. Gwanhee played almost all the women there and literally did not have any regrets or second thoughts about doing so. But what can people expect when he’s just a narcissistic, egotistical pro basketball PLAYER who’s been put on a pedestal his whole life because of his “rich” family background. Either way people out there who are making excuses for him being in a long term relationship for 6 years or his upbringing for his insecureness need to reassess. Just because he had a bad experience in a prior relationship does not give him the right to act like an asshole. He was way too carefree, inconsiderate and nonchalant towards all the women and their emotions / feelings.

I feel sorry for all those girls who kept on choosing Gwanhee despite knowing what a huge red flag he was. The only person who didn’t know and wasn’t in that room when all the tea was being spilt about him was Min Jji so in her defense she didn’t know / know better.

I enjoyed the panelist reactions this season (I feel like Dex was a good addition) but I feel like they became a bit side tracked and dim witted as soon as the season was coming to an end. Idk if they’re slow or what but it was so obvious (to me at least) how this would end.

Hyeseon finally got the courage to confront / tame Gwanhee as people were going on and on about and put him in his place making him reflect on his actions towards her and confront how he really felt from day 1 to day 9. I think it’s sad and ridiculous she had to really be doing all this and essentially telling him to pick someone else to wake up and realize he was losing her when she said “I’m done trying.” This man could not be any dumber. After all this time he still hadn’t figured out who he liked more even though he spent ample time with both Minji and Hyeseon.

I believe Hyeseon is at fault too. In the 1st episode during their trip to paradise, Gwanhee was ready to commit to her but she told him that she would prefer that he wait to choose her and instead spend time getting to know everyone else before making his decision. So can she really blame Gwanhee for being confused? She should have been clear about what she wanted because he fulfilled her request exactly, and at the very end she became upset and hurt. Tbh, she just seemed foolish confronting him about it.

And don’t get me wrong but nobody could ever make me hate Minji. She was a product of her circumstances. There weren’t many options because Minyoung decided to play gatekeeper and make her feel uncomfortable for even breathing near Jinseok. Minyoung's behavior was nasty and she just pissed me off after acting like she wasn't interested in Jinseok as anything other than a BROTHER then when Minji came she felt threatened and started showing interest in him? Idc... I won't forget and I still think Jinseok deserves so much better. Minji got her message and she backed off almost immediately. She thought they were a solid couple and she was getting in between so she had to shift to getting to know Gwanhee instead. Time was short and she had to make up for it because she was a late addition. I see nothing wrong with her trusting her gut and trying to make the most out of her time there because again, this is a dating program and that’s what they were there to do.

Minji’s conversations with Gwanhee as well as her night in paradise with him changed and clarified a lot. I thought they had good chemistry and could see the potential between them up until Gwanhee ignored her on the helicopter because he was mad at her. He was so petty then but I also think she could’ve maybe found a better time to try and talk to him, nevertheless him flat out lying and saying he didn't know she was crying was bs. WHY WOULD HE LIE AND HE WAS CAUGHT GLANCING AT HER IN 4K?!

She basically put all her faith in their connection and was ready to choose him. I mean for crying out loud she wrote a note saying “you’re the only one for me” and he still did not get it and doubted her feelings? LIKE WHATS NOT CLICKING?!

I wish Minji had been able to build her relationship with Jinseok (the greenest flag) instead of ever getting tangled with Gwanhee but that’s not the way things ended up. Instead she was led on by Gwanhee to believe she stood a chance after their final conversation where he comforted her and offered her tissues when she was crying. She literally thought he would finally feel her sincerity she thought he'd pick her. I honestly understand her confusion because from her point of view things were good between them. Idk why people keep on dragging her when she literally was left in the dark the whole time by everyone because she was a late addition.

Also side note but I think the hate Minji is getting daily on her instagram is unnecessary and people literally need to get lives instead of trying to whore shame her and call her “pick me” etc. Can’t ppl have minds of their owns and formulate a new opinion instead of just rewriting the same shit over and over again? The ppl posting those things are worse than her because at least she was able to go on this show and have confidence to follow her feelings and not back down till the end. She did what she was brought in to do – shake things up and create drama. Quite frankly without her the show would’ve been even more predictable and BORING ntm ppl would barely have anything to talk about. All these pathetic individuals hiding behind a screen and trying to bully her into committing suicide are actually weird and I hope they seek help.

I stand by the fact that Gwanhee will forever be the villain of his own story every time. He self sabotages so much and it’s clear he has some kind of abandonment issues which is why he cried when he finally realized that he fucked up with Hye Seon and she might not end up choosing him because of how much of a loser and conniving two timer he was being with her. He was so so so reckless with her feelings as well as the others.

Oh and Hajeong my goodness was she done dirty by him too! The way the instantly hit it off and had a good banter thing going until she too grew tired of his games and confronted him. The only difference is she came on super strong would not back down, did not take a kind tone and Gwanhee was offended / so but hurt that he immediately lost feelings almost as quickly as he had gained them. The way he avoided her after that was so cheap of him and I won’t stop saying it. The way he beat around the bush and tried to put all the blame on her was also insane. The way she succumbed to his mind games and eventually ended up apologizing to him even though she was literally right about his behavior and treatment of her was absolutely so telling. Gwanhee runs away when the going gets tough. He’s very immature and cannot handle when his (potential) partner is not coddling him and sparing his feelings. I swear to God idk when this man will grow up. I’m so much younger than him, more mature and clearly have more sense than him.

Yes Hajeong realized her worth early on but at what cost? The fact that Gwanhee caused her to become more dejected / depressed with his rejection was so unfair. Had he spoken up sooner she wouldn’t have wasted time on him hoping things would eventually work themselves out that and he’d circle back to her… maybe she would bc love is blind and she was delulu for him but I feel like had he shut her hopes down from earlier on she could’ve tried to move on with someone else. Idc that he told her on the day before the finale that he “loved” her. That was again another cheap move and another manipulation tactic in the hopes that she wouldn’t choose him anymore and feel somewhat better after being flat out rejected by him. I see right through that man and nobody can tell me that he wasn’t just doing all that and trying to be extra nice on the last day to clear his conscience and make himself look more worthy to the audience watching. NEXT! His behavior is so juvenile and in poor taste. Again, I feel sorry for all the women who fell for him and liked him in any capacity.

Needless to say Gwanhee is a total player / fuckboy and had the experience and ability to manipulate them and make them feel special then take it all away when they were no longer feeding him / his ego. He just felt pity towards Hyeseon and wanted to smooth things over which is why he picked her in the end. But had she stood firm and not cried / forgiven him so easily I don’t think he would’ve left the inferno such a happy man. See if I were Hyeseon I would’ve chosen Wonik just to piss him off and give him a taste of his own medicine. I forever stand on the fact that Gwanhee deserves nothing if anything he deserved to leave the inferno ALONE. But again, he was primary entertainment for most. People overhype and dickride him so much they are too blind to see beyond his facade. Yes he was self aware one time where he told the camera crew he was entirely the problem but it still doesn’t make up for his actions and all the people he ended up hurting along the way. For me actions speak louder than words and Gwanhee was seems like a bad person. Him trying to do damage control at the eleventh hour spoke volumes and I could see right through his schemes.

Gyuri annoyed me with the confronting Minwoo incident. It was literally like watching the pot call the kettle black. Everyone and their grandmother could see Minwoo was interested in Sieun from day 1 and that they just kept on missing their timing. Her comparing him to Gwanhee was so uncalled for. Just because she was hurt and her ego bruised by his rejection, it did not give her the right to go off on him the way she did. I don’t think she was thinking and her laughter was so off putting and offensive. They were having a serious discussion and it was like she was laughing him to scorn and mocking him just because he was younger than her. It’s like she was saying fine you wanna be with Sieun go be with Sieun — people thought she girl bossed that moment but she just showed her true colors when things don’t go her way and she doesn’t get the outcome she desires she retaliates and shows people the worst possible side of her.

What gets me is this show is just so unserious like she was supposed to be allowed to weigh her options between Minkyu and Minwoo but Minwoo wasn’t allowed to do the EXACT same?! Make it make sense. Also why was she behaving like that over a man she just met a couple days ago. It was just giving unserious because like girl STAND UP. Him not choosing you wasn’t the end of the world worse you were eager to be rude to him and belittle him just because you’re older and thought you were better than him? Please– I feel like she could’ve tried to understand him and at the very least respect his decision. The fact that they’re on a dating show and she knew exactly what she signed up for yet was behaving like this just because she did not get her way was just distasteful. She crossed all the lines and made the atmosphere tense even when Sieun came in and requested to talk to him and when she took the mic off herself. At that point she should’ve self eliminated if she really felt like there were no other options for her. The way she spoke to the camera people about Minkyu acting like he was just some secondary option and she shouldn’t have to choose him just because he liked her was insane. Minkyu kept choosing her from day one but she was too caught up in Min Woo that she failed to see his sincerity. Instead of completely throwing him to the side and pursing Minwoo she could’ve gotten to know him better but she didn’t. It’s so sad and I genuinely think Minkyu deserved better. Watching that back I’m sure he probably just felt like a second choice.

I don’t have much to say about Habin because he was annoying and only they're for free vacation lol. He got such a huge opportunity to try and get to know Hajeong and figure out his feelings and he completely wasted it. That man is too caught up in his head to the point that he overthinks everything and that definitely was his downfall. He was far too interested in the drama between the other contestants and constantly acting like a damn clown instead of trying to focus on himself.

Won Ik was another person I just found shady and insincere at moments. You could see how hard it was for Sieun to keep pretending around him every time he’d try to get to know her and ask her to paradise. The way she cried when she was forced to go broke my heart. Plus on top of that he gave weird vibes like he was enjoying her disdain because he was glad she wasn’t here with Min Woo. Won Ik was Min Woo’s biggest operative but in the end his plan to separate them failed. Even with the bad timing of it all somehow Sieun and Minwoo got to talk to each other and tried their hardest to make each moment no matter how little or insignificant it was count while they were in the inferno. Honestly I think this couple should be admired for their hard work. It just goes to show that with communication, transparency and trust you can go a long way. I feel like Gwanhee and many of the other contestants can take a leaf out of their books and actually try to learn something instead of beating around the bush and behaving childish.

IT’S 2024 PEOPLE BEING NONCHALANT IS OUT. VULNERABILITY IS IN. TELL PEOPLE HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FEEL IT. STOP PLAYING GAMES. PEOPLE ARE FAR TOO GROWN FOR THIS PETTY BS... ESPECIALLY ON A DATING SHOW WHERE THE TIME IS SHORT AND THEY’RE ONLY THERE FOR 9 DAYS!

Would I rewatch this train wreck? Immediately no. I’m the type of person who watches something once and has it engrained in my brain forever. I won’t stop saying it but the internal misogyny of some of these commenters / fans speaks volumes and I care not to interact with those who want to defend men like Gwanhee.

I’m gonna try as hard as possible to forget this season because it infuriated me so much. Love Catcher and Transit love are so much better than this. I am not interested if this show has a S4. I feel 3 seasons were enough for me and I could practically write the script on this show by now.
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Couples: Minyoung x Jinseok, Minwoo x Sieun, Gyuri x Minkyu, Hyeseon x Gwanhee

Singles (+ choice): Hajeong → Gwanhee, Minji → Gwanhee, Habin → Hajeong, Wonik → Sieun

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IN SUMMARY :

Fuck Gwanhee. The truth hurts, but everyone needs to hear it! I need these ladies need to stand up! (by this I mean stop taking back what they said / apologizing to spare his feelings!) The competitors should learn how to manage rejection and articulate themselves without being obnoxious. The best couple (Sieun & Minwoo) proved to everyone that falling in love doesn't require a trip to paradise or knowledge about ages and professions. Since communication and honesty were central to their relationship, they were able to establish a good rapport. To be honest, I was exhausted from watching, and I felt that some fans were going too far in their hate and over-hyping of their faves. Regarding GH, from what I've seen, I don't like him, and I wouldn't want to know / associate with someone like him in real life. Even at his big age he still has room to grow BUT it will be up to him to make those changes moving forward (w/ therapy ofc!) Ultimately, it's only a 9 day reality TV show, so it's hard to judge people based simply on that. They all have their own individual issues imo.

All in all I would give this show less but I decided on a 3/10 bc watching this became a chore. I was so annoyed.

In my opinion S1 > S2 > S3

I’m sure people disagree with me but again you’re entitled to your opinion as I am to mine.

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Anyway, don’t let this review discourage you. Just because I didn’t like it doesn’t mean you won’t. You have to watch it and see for yourself. But if you are a mature person you will get tired of Gwanhee’s games.



Thanks for reading & happy watching!

❤️

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IT WAS A MESS

DISCLAIMER: this review contains my thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to agree with me I’m just giving my opinion.

Season 1 >>> Season 2

Everyone felt super performative at first. Especially Seo Eun and Seul Ki. Like you could tell they were conscious of the cameras watching them trying to appear sweet and innocent etc. Over time some got better, some got worse so let’s get into it:

Singles inferno could’ve done so much more to improve this season and entertain the contestants. There isn’t enough to do in the inferno and quite frankly paradise should only be for deepening a connection that has already been established. They act like age and career is so pivotal in getting to know someone when to me that is the least. I’m sure the contestants can find other things to talk about and be more engaged and have an interesting conversation without feeling like they have to tiptoe around everything they’re saying in fear that they might give away their age or career. Imo everyone should have an opportunity to go at least once and the show should force people out of their comfort zones and allow everyone to truly get to know everyone. For example, a person shouldn’t be able to pick the same person twice or 2 days in a row and the dates / challenges should be more inclusive. They could also throw in a wild card like if the contestant is not enjoying time with the person they chose then they have the opportunity to switch out partners or something like that.

A major issue I had with the show and the men was how obsessed they were with Seul Ki. She is a positively bland person and I can’t even begin to fathom how she had all three men chasing after her. It’s obvious they only liked her because of her looks (ideal in Korean beauty standards) and because she is rich. Nothing else! It was very sad watching Dong Woo still choose her even after being rejected. And it was insane seeing her develop feelings for Jong Woo overnight just because he gave her the attention Jin Young was unable to express. I still believe Jong Woo is just a replacement for Jin Young. The way she phrased her choosing him as finally choosing the guy who chooses her first instead of going after the guy she likes??? Lmao if I was Jong Woo I would feel so hurt watching that back because I literally cringed. Anyways, I hear they’re still together now so I can only hope it worked out for the best, though I’m sure it’s just for PR and followers so they will break up.

The back and forth with Seul Ki and her feelings which she was unsure about until the night before was so unattractive to me. In my opinion, she is way too grown to be acting so immature and being so indecisive. I wish she and Jin Young didn’t take up the screen time but that’s exactly what happened and what the producers wanted.

Out of all the men the one I hated the most was Yoong Jae… he gave me cocky / narcissistic vibes with the way he treated So E and even Han Bin. Obviously the girl I hated the most was Seul Ki… she filled up the screen time and it wasn’t like she was interesting or had much to say. I’m sure she’s a great person deep down but I do not think dating shows are for her. The second person I found insufferable was Min Su because she stayed choosing Jin Young even though she knew Nadine liked him. Ugh it’s the way Jin young upset me with choosing Seul Ki even though he had the best connection and best vibes with Nadine. Platonic or not they were great and he would’ve been better off choosing her. But no he had to come with his bullsh*t talking about how he knows he likes a girl in 3 seconds and if he feels sparks or what not.

My favorite contestant by far was Nadine. I don’t care if people want to keep saying that she was only there for her Thesis and how she spoke English to try and "flex" on the others. If you watch her YouTube channel you can see what kind of person she really is. I appreciated her genuineness because even though she was nervous and shy at first (especially because she had to speak Korean) you could tell she was a really down to earth person. And even though she didn’t end up with anyone I feel like she grew from the experience and learned to be more vulnerable and stop being afraid of approaching guys first. I love her and I will be rooting for her beyond paradise because she made the show enjoyable and made me want to stick around.

With that said, another person I think deserved so much better was Se Jeong. You could feel the colorism dripping from the screen with each episode lmao. Because she was not paper white like the rest she did not have a chance to go to paradise, make it make sense! She was gorgeous and all of the men overlooked and forgot about her just because she didn’t fit their “ideal” type. I had to ask myself “are they blind?” more the a few times. I got even angry when Jin Young said she was only “girl crush” material indicating that she wasn’t even potential girlfriend or wife material. That comment was so insulting and you’d think that the world was becoming more open and progressive but no. People still judge others by their skin color first calling it preference or “ideal” type. I don’t think Se Jeong had a real chance in the inferno and it was sad to watch her day after day be lonely. I know people are gonna say she doesn’t have a personality and is bland but that isn’t true. People should be blaming the producers and editors for not showing her scenes and overlooking her like the rest. In small moments you could see her efforts in trying to get to know the guys but they just weren’t interested in her the same way. Some of them claim to have picked her on day 1 for ideal type and changed their minds but we don’t know how true that is. I say Se Jeong just had bad luck and was around the wrong group of men.

The only couple I truly enjoyed was Se Jun and So E. So E definitely came a long way since the initial episodes… at first I did not like her and thought she was fake and willing to steal other peoples men. But that wasn’t the case… she was naive and it was upsetting when you’d hear her say stuff like how she’d keep trying for Yoon Jae no matter how many times he rejected her. That in itself infuriated and annoyed me so badly because we were finally seeing her true determined nature however it was like she couldn’t recognize that she deserved better and should stop settling for less. I felt so bad seeing her put herself through all that even though Yoon Jae refused to acknowledge her or give her the time of day. He even tried to let her down easy / reject her but she refused to take a hint.

I was so happy when Se Jun arrived in paradise and finally saw So E. He truly saw her and accepted her for who she was and didn’t even care about her previous connections with any of the other guys before he arrived. He really put her first and took such good care of her. His kindness and compassion towards her warmed my heart. You could really see that he just wanted her to be happy and make the most of the experience. He didn’t want her to feel obligated or pressured into choosing him, he wanted her to explore her options and make decisions of her own free will. In my humble opinion Se Jun was the best guy in paradise.

I’ve watched the reunion episode with them reacting to their clips and I have to say I’m glad the cast members have remained in contact with each other and seem friendly / like friends. That was the only outcome of the show anyways because it’s just so unrealistic for people to “fall in love” in nine (9) days. Plus in eastern culture it takes so much longer for them to trust and have a connection or even get physical. Watching this show is such a let down in comparison to other shows. If I didn’t have anything better to do I probably wouldn’t have watched. The show needs more spice but lmao this is coming from a western viewer — I like shows like too hot to handle, the bachelor / bachelor in paradise, love island etc.

I just feel like the people the show casted are all adults and should be more forthcoming with their feelings especially if they choose to sign up for a dating show that only lasts for 9 days. They’re all grown so it’s so annoying watching them keep up the innocent childish act to preserve their reputation or what not. Like cut the bs. It’s why I have to give the show a 5.5 /10. I literally feel like I wasted my life and those are hours I’ll never get back. My own fault, obviously but I’m glad I got to see persons like Nadine, Se Jun and So E. Watching them made it worth it somehow 😂🤍

Overall, I felt like the show was predictable. If you’ve watched season 1 it’s the same exact thing to expect in season 2. There’s no difference except for the cast and I presume as the seasons go along it will only become more boring because persons want to appear a certain way to the audience watching and don’t really know how to be their true authentic selves. Also parts of the show are scripted like you can’t tell me each season there will be a girl who has 3 men choosing her??? Be fucking fr

Would I recommend this to others? Probably not. Not unless you want to purposely drive yourself insane for 8 out of 10 episodes or you want to stick around for the rare gem of a couple (So E and Se Jun)

Anyway, thanks for reading!

❤️

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The Best Korean Dating Reality TV Show Ever!

I don’t usually give shows 9.5 stars but I really enjoyed watching Transit Love / EXchange. Going into it I didn’t know what to expect and I was pleasantly shocked at the emotions this program brought out of me. The storytelling was amazing and you could feel how genuine the cast was as they expressed themselves. I loved how they were all anxious at first but eventually everyone became comfortable with each other as if they’d known each other all along. I went through so much and I feel like I got invested to the point where I became attached to certain cast members. My emotions went from 0 to 100 at times. You’re going to feel happy, sad, angry and confused while watching their stories unfold but remember these are real people and it’s their life and their decisions so there’s nothing you can really do. The last 3 episodes stressed me out the most but I was happy because one of the couples I was rooting for since the beginning came through. Yeah… couples you may be rooting for won’t work out but don’t worry too much because in the end everyone grew from the experience. I even felt like I learned so much from watching these ex couples talk about their breakups, find closure, love and more importantly friendship. You can tell that the producers really put effort into choosing the cast because they all seem to be very charming individuals. I hope the friendships and relationships formed there last for a very long time. I hope they make season 2 with a new cast so I can experience a show like this again!

Parts I didn’t like: The ending. It seemed too rushed (especially when the persons who brought in at the end only had a week to get to know everyone and make a decision) I didn’t like how everyone ended up confessing their feelings to each other. It would’ve been nice for them to meet each other individually as the car scenes made the environment and situation really tense / pressurizing. I also think next time around the producers should have challenges and actually pick the dates for persons so that everyone gets to go on a date with people they wouldn’t normally choose and get to know each other instead of picking the same persons all the time (at least in the first & second week) After that the contestants can be free to continue picking the person they feel a strong connection with and going on dates etc.

Other than that she show was definitely worth the watch. I don’t regret stumbling across this because it’s a show I feel like anyone can watch and easily like.

**I highly recommend it to persons who don’t know what to watch but want to watch more Korean dating reality shows like Single’s Inferno :) **

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GARBAGE ON STEROIDS!

***DISCLAIMER: These are just my thoughts on the show as a whole. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

AND THE AWARD FOR WORST KDRAMA OF 2023 GOES TO STRONG GIRL NAM SOON!!!!! (Except nobody is smiling, cheering or clapping and all you hear are crickets)

THIS SHOW IS SOOOOO BAD I WANT TO GIVE IT A ZERO BUT THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE SO I GIVE IT A ONE. It is the definition of unserious. Though this review may come off like I’m hating (which I most definitely am) it’s also plenty of shock and disappointment.

I had high hopes going into this and it just did not meet the mark AT ALL. Let's get into it...

This show lacked depth. The plot made no sense whatsoever and you basically have to turn off your brain to watch it. The focus shifted from Nam Soon to the mother, Geum Ju, and her heroic tendencies / saviorism, and unwavering determination to bring down Pavel and the Korean drug cartel. Even Nam Soon's grandma and her whole love affair got more attention than her. To say this drama did not live up to the hype or potential would be an understatement.

All the characters were unlikeable except for Nam Soon (earlier episodes) and Shi Oh… at least when he was around Nam Soon he didn’t treat her like a 5 year old. I sort of feel like her being childish / silly with him was healing his inner child so I was happy to see him smile and be content with her. I also liked Nam Soon's father... he was so supportive and seemed to genuinely care for his children unlike the mother who was always working / busy and could never see what was going on under the surface or spare five minutes of her time to get to know them better. Geum Ju was a horrible mother and I will not stop saying it. Her over the top emotions and tears coming out whenever her children were in danger and on the verge of death says so much. I don't even want to get into her fat phobic / insensitive comments and how that took a toll on her Nam In's mental health. While this show masked it as humor, it was in poor taste because it just was not funny at all.

It is safe to say I wasted almost 2 months of my life watching this tom foolery. That’s time I will never get back. The last 2 episodes were absolute bullshit and they lost the entire plot. Tell me why Ryu Shi Oh died by suicide within 20-25 mins of episode 16, Bread Song turned out to be Nozh, Grandma was supposed to die and didn’t and Nam Soon who is such a half witted, untrained and reckless girl became a cop? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.

Ugh and don’t get me started on Hee Sik’s gold digging family, Nam Soon’s mom flaunting her wealth and the obvious lack of chemistry between Nam Soon and Hee Sik. That last kiss was an immediate no, no hate to Yoo Mi, but why did she kiss him like she was eating noodles??! Everything about that kiss seemed weird / unnatural and awkward. Anyway I know people who shipped them from the get go would have eaten it up, but it just was so cringe in my opinion.

It's the way they tried to outdo SWDBS and FAILED. Again, you seriously can't outdo the doer and this show is proof of that. The plot was lackluster / sucked big time, the acting was over the top and it seemed like they were putting on a comedy sketch (a seriously bad one) rather than a serious drama / tackling real issues. Except for Ryu Shi Oh, the characters were dull, one-dimensional, and devoid of depth. Nam Soon was even more childish at the end than at the beginning. When she received her award, she acted like an immature hyperactive toddler / a crazy person in serious need of a mental facility. Not to mention her continual lifting up of Hee Sik (bridal style) was another a major turn off. I need someone to me why she was always acting RIDICULOUS?! My goodness, it was like she didn’t have an off switch and was always behaving like damn fool or a deer in the headlights. She appeared to always be on drugs and that’s putting it LIGHTLY. If you told me she snorted 5 lines of COCAINE and also did METH or MDMA I WOULD BELIEVE YOU! In my opinion, Nam Soon doesn't appear mature enough for a relationship, let alone marriage... and when Hee Sik eventually proposed – it was so underwhelming. NEXT!

I could not feel anything for the main couple or root for their happiness because there was no development whatsoever, it felt like they just forced their relationship down my throat. Nam Soon clearly had better angst / chemistry with Shi Oh and it was easier to see their potential because they had so many good moments together. Even Bread Song and the mom had more tension filled interactions – which is saying so much. The way the proposal was at the same cherry blossom tree as in SWDBS was a major eye roll moment. Also, the stupid, overbearing heartfelt moments between the Joong Gan and Jun Hee like? PLEASE SPARE ME. LITERALLY NOBODY WANTED TO SEE THAT. Even in the end, they attempted to build up the suspense and make it appear as if it would be the death of her character after she had used a lot of her power, but they still let her survive. It would have been more dramatic if she had died... and Jun Hee and her ex-husband were obliged to mourn her together.

I still can’t believe Jun Hee was just a bland / flavorless and spineless character (literally such a freaking simp) had no connection to the Russian mafia and didn’t turn out to be a secret bad guy. THAT WAS SUCH A MISSED OPPORTUNITY. The fact that he was just there to be Joong Gan’s sidekick and lover sent me over the edge. The amount of screen time the grandma's whole arc took up just because the writer was trying to live vicariously through her character was so annoying!

Additionally when Nam Soon and her adoptive mom both happened to nearly be killed by bombs was just so predictable. Your telling me the writers couldn’t have come up with a better plot?! Even bringing in this new guy to play adult Bin Bin at the end was strange – he had no connection to the people we previously knew and never popped up in the story before (at least not as an adult), so it was difficult for me to feel pity or anything else for him. Yes, he spared Shi Oh’s life by not betraying him / killing him as ordered and that was the only bonus. Everyone literally thought Bin Bin would have been either Bread Song or the kind man at Opulentia helping Geum Ju out with her investigation. AGAIN, ANOTHER MISSED OPPORTUNITY.

The only thing I liked about this drama was the fact that the girl vagrant took the money back from the male vagrant after he discarded her / threw her to the waste side. I have been praying on his downfall ever since he broke up with her and I’m glad to see he lost everything in the end and ended up penniless and homeless while she was free to live her best life without him. I also liked when Nam Soon's father suggested that all the single males live together. I could definitely see it because they would have started their own "weak men" empire (for lack of a better name) or something like that! Now that is something I'd watch. When Nam In said te refused to live with them out of fear of ending up like them I DIED, he was so real for that!

Needless to say I really HATED this drama and would never watch it again. I would rather kill myself or rip out my eyeballs instead. Even banging my head repeatedly on the wall would be better than rewatching this ridiculous parody. I stuck around for Shi Oh and in the end they gave him the worst possible death, no redemption arc and completely ruined his character. He had so much potential to be a better person and a changed man but the writers destroyed everything. I still refuse to believe he actually tried to kill Nam Soon and her family when he found out her identity. Though, what is enemies to lovers without both parties trying to kill each other? (iykyk) It’s even more sad when you think about the fact that he tried to help his birth father out and even bought an orphanage and turned it into a boxing gym. I won't stop saying it but – RYU SHI OH DESERVED SM BETTER THAN THE HAND HE WAS DEALT!

Anyway, I guess they just couldn’t allow him to live after he spiraled, went off the rails and took so many innocent lives. What gets me is that Geum Ju and Nam Soon believed Hwa Ja was capable and worthy of being saved but they could not extend the same right or courtesy to Shi Oh. I mean seriously? Hwa Ja even tried to murder Nam Soon at one point…. just because she was unsuccessful in her attempt does not make what she did excusable or justifiable. I don’t care what anyone else says but the fact that Nam Soon’s mom forgave her after all that and basically adopted her as a daughter was absolutely insane and I will never understand it. This show proves that Geum Ju's and Nam Soon's empathy is conditional on whether they feel pity for someone's situation or not. Ryu Shi Oh never chose this life and it's unfair because he had gone through so much as a child to just hang on / survive. Literally everything he did was just so he could finally escape / find a way out from Pavel's control. He was a victim or circumstance but the stupid characters in this show could not even see that. It's ironic because when they were starting to realize at the end it was ALREADY TOO LATE.

My favorite character was and always will be Ryu Shi Oh. They could never make me hate him! I understood all his motives and rooted for him endlessly — even when he was on his killing spree. Honestly he was not evil enough in my opinion. I’m not gonna lie, if I lived his life I would’ve been worse. It’s unfortunate Byeon Woo Seok was not enough to save this drama and make me turn a blind eye to how horrible the overall production and acting was. If the writers had gone with an enemies to lovers plot / dark romance, this show would have been so much better. I mean – most people were watching for the villain and rooting for him instead of the ML or even Nam Soon and her family. This drama was way too childish, and it was difficult to find benefits or reasons to stay. Each episode progressively got worse, and I had to force myself to watch for the sake of completion.

I sincerely hope the writer gives up and just ends this TRAIN WRECK / TOILET FIRE IMMEDIATELY. This shit show does not need a part 3 or spin-off. Whatever she writes next she will ruin it even further and it would just be wise of her to stop now.

I could have lived my life without watching this drama or knowing it was a sequel to the original Strong Woman Do Bong Soon. If you are contemplating starting this because you liked SWDBS, I suggest and strongly advise you skip this drama entirely and watch some edits instead. Their five minute screen time is not worth over 18 hours of torture and misery. Please save yourself and quit while you are ahead.

If you think I'm lying / joking then watch this circus act and see for yourself.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you though.

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P.S. No hate to new watchers or persons who enjoyed this drama. I'm happy for you, truly. I'm glad some people were lucky enough to be warned beforehand and able to go into this with very very very LOW expectations.

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(If you actually made it this far ilysm!)

(づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡


As always,

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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A cliche love story about your pick me ex-idol next door & the ordinary boy she falls for.

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion, we don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone. This review is kind of long so please bare with me.***

A/N: I went into this drama blind without reading the webtoon or having any preconceived ideas.

Tropes: grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, on and off / toxic relationship

General Overview:

I kind of liked this drama because it is really nostalgic and takes you back. The cinematography is beautiful and it seems like it was meant to be a documentary or memoir of sorts recounting Doona and Won Jun’s experiences and how they crossed paths and essentially changed the trajectory of each others lives forever.

An ordinary guy and a superstar girl – that’s a cliche if I’ve ever seen one. I found it kind of tricky getting into this drama because the first 2 episodes are slow and you’re not really sure what exactly is going on because theres not much context but as you keep on watching and bridge the gap between episodes 2 & 3 and really delve into episode 4 & 5 things start heating up and becoming more interesting. I like the relationship between Doona and Won Jun because it shows us what a new adult / young love is and how at times it can be messy especially when there’s a lot of miscommunication thrown into the mix.

Their love story is by no means perfect but it’s also realistic in the way that other people watching can definitely relate to it and look back on their own past relationships / first loves and be reminiscent of a similar time / experience in their lives. Even if you have never experienced something like there are a lot of important life lessons to be learned.

I honestly feel like this drama lacked depth and they could’ve done so much more to better capture the struggle between wanting to live a normal life with your love and choosing to chase/ follow your dreams and be an idol. The ending sucked big time but again, I had already predicted it would be a sad/open ending by episode 5.

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A More Detailed Review (spoilers ahead):

Doona opens with Doona submerging herself in a pool of water and seemingly sinking to the bottom of it and drowning… I believe this is a reflection of how she truly feels on the inside.

The drama follows Dream Sweet Doona, a kpop idol who has fallen from grace and has taken a hiatus from being an idol due to an on-stage accident in which she stated she could no longer sing. We see her smoking profusely in a lot of the shots... we're not sure what's going through her head. Doona appears forlorn and despondent, as if she is fighting to find her place in the world while being neglected by the individuals she most badly wants to hear from. The number one person is P (her agent), who does not respond to any of her texts or phone calls.

As the story progresses we see Doona meet Won Jun and a love/hate dynamic develops between them. She can’t believe Won Jun doesn’t know who she is and that he’s not a fan as she sees him sporting a sweet dream hoodie. Anyways a uncanny dynamic develops between them and Doona finds herself annoying him and asking him out to eat for the fun of it. Won Jun thinks she’s only teasing him and is not actually serious. They get into a spat one night as Won Jun says something that hurts her feelings and sends her over the edge.

From there they make up and you see them hanging out and Doona giving Won Jun advice on love as Won Jun still seems to have feelings for this girl (Jin Ju) from his past. It seems they were almost high school sweethearts and did like each other but in the end things did not work out. Now a year later, Jin Ju has re-entered his life and Won Jun wants to obviously be more just friends but they keep missing the timing. I think this is essential to the plot because Jin Ju is a symbol of the past… and past memories while Doona is a symbol of Won Jun’s present and future. Back then, Won Jun was weak timid and was not able to confess to the girl he liked and win her over. This past Won Jun seemingly no longer exists as he is intrigued by Doona. He enters unfamiliar territory when he is with her and so she seems enthralling and fun to hang around. Even though Jin Ju and Won Jun have all the history and memories, it shows you can only hold onto a person for so much and no more. This was demonstrated when Jin Ju finally starts showing interest in Won Jun and was able to confess her feelings, he had already mentally moved on and was now interested in pursuing Doona.

Insights:

Doona lacks emotional intelligence because she has never led a typical/normal life. She also has trouble controlling her emotions, which I believe is related to her lack of emotional awareness. As someone once said, you have to be good with yourself before you can be good for other people. I think Doona needs to take care of herself and prioritize her mental health. It was very saddening watching her go through these psychotic breaks and moments of weakness completely alone. If “being in a room of crowded people and still feeling alone” was a person, that would be Doona.

Given that Donna appeared to have been groomed from the age of 13 or 14 until her early 20s, my heart ached for her. Doona became codependent on her agent as he effectively made her into an idol. It's obvious that the agent did not view her as a real person, but rather as a product or item. He was a manipulative man who only valued her when she was complying with his wishes. Her agent was simply emotionally absent and only doing his job but Doona misinterpreted it for love and concern. In essence, he exploited her as a tool as Doona only piqued his interest when she brought in big bucks and advanced his career. The moment the flip switched in her head and she told him she could no longer handle the idol life he became very cold and distant. It just showed that his affection for her was conditional on her performing and acting a certain way.

It's clear that Doona is a complex individual who has led a very one-dimensional existence. She had a one-track mind because her life was always regimented and linear. Her walls and fences gradually started to come down when her celebrity faded and she had some alone time without others chasing her, revealing the shell of a girl who genuinely needed to repair her inner child. Her mom dropped her off and was too busy coning others out of their money, so only her grandmother took care of her. She did not regard Doona as her daughter or child, but rather as a paycheck. She seemed more liberated and at ease when she spent time with Won Jun. I feel like hanging out with Won Jun made Doona feel free and ordinary. In a way he came into her life as a blessing.

Likes:

I enjoyed the cinematography and the setting. It was a very cozy and fitting drama to watch in the fall!

I liked Se Jong’s performance as Won Jun. It was refreshing to see a very emotionally intelligent man grace the screen. He literally was such a green flag and gave off the impression of a man who was ready to open his heart to someone who didn't appear to deserve him. Se Jong portrayed his innocence and naivety to perfection. It was endearing, but it also demonstrates how males are capable of feeling emotions and having strong feelings for the person they love. I can understand why he was only able to see the best in Doona because love is blind and gives people rose-colored lenses.

The chemistry between Won Jun and Doona was off the charts, if that's what you were mainly watching for. Warning if you are currently single this drama will definitely make you feel even more so. I felt like a third wheel or like I was intruding when watching some of their scenes because it was a bit intense and caught me off guard.

I thought Ha Young’s portrayal of Jin Ju was endearing. Her character brought so much light even in darkness and was one of the best to come out of this drama. Ha Young is seriously so charming on screen and has one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen. Her story was so tragic and she smiled and pretended to be happy on the outside to conceal the fact that she was actually breaking inside. She has strict parents which I’m sure people on here can relate to however the emotional and physical abuse she faced daily was so uncalled for. I liked how Jin Ju handled it with grace and eventually left her home situation. I was lowkey rooting for her and Won Jun in the beginning because she seemed like the of ray of sunshine he needed in his life. To me their personalities seemed more compatible than Won Jun and Doona but they took too long to confess how they felt. Even though her and Won Jun did not work out I am glad they are still friends… and you never know they might have missed their timing now but they could always reconnect years from now.

I also enjoyed the performances of the supporting cast. I-Ra and Jung Hoon were cute and I am happy they got together in the end. The friendship dynamic between everyone was refreshing and I’m glad they still met up to hang out and drink together rather than the friendship being lost after everyone moved out of the building.

Dislikes:

I must admit that Suzy's performance was not the best and fell flat for me. I believe she could have put more effort into truly selling the role. She mostly just posed in the scenes and kept on smoking and sighing which got really repetitive. She seemed to be in unfamiliar territory and did not have a similar experience to channel when playing Doona (a pop star fallen from grace) This led me to believe that she had never really had a had first-hand experience with despair, mental health concerns, and depression / loneliness as an idol. This role was clearly daunting for her and it showed.

In the 3rd act conflict when Doona saw her ex (the agent) and dropped Won Jun’s hand not once but TWICE I was pissed. Like that was an immediate red flag! And then she legit got in the car with the ex and didn’t like that he wasn’t reassuring her and saying all the things she wanted to hear then she opened the door, threw herself out of the car and hurt her foot?! That was absolutely psychotic and batshit crazy. Then she wants to come crawling back to Won Jun and playing the victim?! LOL this was so toxic and messy but at the same time realistic portrayal of young (blind) love. But more seriously, in those moments I questioned if Doona actually had any care or sympathy for Won Jun or his feelings. She was saying one thing but her actions always consistently proved otherwise. I guess this is what people would call a contradictory character but to me it was apparent she needed to work on herself because her behavior was deplorable.

The miscommunication between the leads was absolutely unnecessary and they could have fixed their issues with a simple and honest conversation. When Won Jun asked her if she’s back bc her agent didn’t want her I was like damn! Get her again for me. Being the other person, who appears to be someone's fallback or backup plan in case they can't get the main person they're seeking, is a tragic situation. The exchange between Doona and Won Jun eloquently encapsulated how awful it is.

I was irritated by the agent's attempt to minimize Won Jun's significance. He pretended to be concerned about Doona's welfare, but his true motivation was to use her as a means of generating income for himself. He presents himself as superior to everyone else and shows pretends like he has no concern for those so-called "kids." Mind you he's in their business 25/8 and suggested they break up immediately. In my opinion, the agent acts like a whiny boy who gets upset when he doesn't get his way in a situation.

9 episodes seemed too short but also too long because if you think about it this drama could’ve easily just been a 2 hour movie lmao… there’s so much unnecessary dragging out of the plot.

As I reviewed my episode ratings, I realized that I only ever gave one episode an 8/10, while the others received ratings between 4/10 & 6/10. Tbh, this drama suffers from a severe lack of depth and overcompensates by focusing too much on ridiculous relationship drama. It does far more showing than actually telling. Then again, there is only so much they could fit into 9 episodes. Realistically speaking this drama only needed to be about 5 or 6 episodes long, after that it became tedious and started to drag on.

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Quotes I liked:

"Of course we won’t always know everyones story entirely because we all have a version of ourselves that we want to hide from the world."

“You once said to me that you and I come from two completely different worlds. That you never could’ve imagined we would ever cross paths. So to find ourselves sitting side by side was purely by chance. Or maybe even an act of destiny.”

“You may be right that we met by chance. But I’m still happy you were the one I met.”

“It’s not the people who were never there to begin with. But it’s when you lose the people that were always there from the start. That’s enough to drive you really insane.”

“You’re selfish and unstable and you hurt me without even thinking twice about it.”

“You came and totally flipped my world upside down! But still I’m feeling crazy because I want to be the one that you want.”

“Blaming the winner when you lose is really only going to make you look a lot more pathetic. It’s a bad look.”

_____________________________________________


Final Thoughts:

Overall this drama is the definition of a friends to lovers, toxic love story with miscommunication at the forefront. It was comforting and nostalgic in the way that sometimes you need a soft drama which you can relax and watch without focusing too much on a heavily plot driven story.

Doona is champagne problems coded — a total disaster waiting to happen. I believe most people only like this drama because of the “steamy” or “hot” kissing scenes, which to me is viewing this drama through a one dimensional lens. Chemistry alone is not enough to sell me on this drama or make me give it a high rating, if that was the case for all dramas what would be the point of watching and rating? Exactly. Additionally, ML also had chemistry with SFL but majority don’t care about that or don’t want to recognize it simply because toxicity sells.

Should people should watch it or not? I have no idea, it depends on your taste and if you enjoy cliche and predictable dramas or not. It seems like a drama for persons who enjoyed Nevertheless. As I said it's difficult getting into the drama because of the slow pace and I'm not sure how many people would actually stick around to see their relationship "progress." Their relationship is chaotic and toxic so if you do decide to watch brace yourself!

Would I rewatch this? Absolutely not. Once was enough for me, I don’t think I could put myself through all this drama again. These miscommunications could’ve been fixed with a simple conversation but no, the writers just wanted to drag out the plot and make it seem deeper than it actually is.

In my opinion, people encounter stories like these on a daily basis, but most of them romanticize the toxicity and fail to highlight the difficulties that come with relationships and the desire to be wanted or chosen in the same capacity / way that you pour love and care into your partner.

What was frustrating while watching was the fact that both characters had their short comings but Won Jun was willing to overlook all that and give Doona a chance but she was not emotionally available / mature and just carelessly played with his feelings because what she needed at the time was therapy not his attention and comfort. Even though Doona knew they wouldn't last in the long run, she effectively used Won Jun as a place holder in her life. Doona is a real emotional wreck, and I was annoyed to death the entire time I was watching.

Nevertheless, even though the plot is superficial and shallow, I also believe there are many valuable things that both younger and older individuals may learn. First and foremost this should serve as a warning or guideline for people who attracted to emotionally unavailable, toxic individuals and manipulative individuals. It's common to overlook signs and view your partner positively / want to see the “best” in them due to love or fear of loneliness or abandonment. However, it is crucial to recognize these patterns to avoid getting caught in harmful cycles. Doona and Won Jun both lack secure attachment, I believe she leans towards dismissive avoidant where he leans towards anxious attachment. That, coupled with Dona’s BPD, abandonment issues, her constant mind games and breadcrumming can be exhausting. In my opinion, what they both need is professional help.

On a brighter note, another message that can be taken from this drama is to cease the moment, learn to be emotionally intelligent, go after what / who you want before it’s too late. Some people believe Won Jun and Doona ended up together but I believe they met each other at a time in their lives where they both needed each other. Simply put, not everything is meant to last forever and if you ever want to find happiness, you have to learn to be okay with that.

Imo, this drama was is not that great and pretty forgettable for me. After assessing everything I settled on a 6/10.

Once again, this is just my opinion, you can watch it & see for yourself!


Thanks for reading and happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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ENEMIES TO FAKE DATING TO LOVERS!!!

I LOVED THIS DRAMA SO SO SO SO MUCH!!!!

It literally felt like I was reading a contemporary romance book, down to the tropes and everything. The enemies to fake dating to lovers is gonna hit every single time!!! Everything about this drama was chef's kiss. It was the perfect mixture of comedy and romance... you can't help but fall in love with the characters. I also couldn't take them seriously because they were so outrageously hilarious. The banter / discourse between the opposing viewpoints of men and women was refreshing. I found myself thinking wow that's really how men view women and vice versa.

Mi Ran has my entire heart!!! We love a badass heroine who puts men in their place. I adored how Kang Ho balanced her out perfectly. It's like both of them finally met their match and sparks just flew – LITERALLY. The chemistry between them was off the chartsssssss.

I also loved the second lead couple, they were cute... when they got together I'm sure we all screamed FINALLY. His pretty woman moment was so adorable fr!!!

I would recommend this to friends because it was so light hearted and easy to watch / binge in one day. If you are in a drama slump this drama is for you. You literally feel the episodes fly by so quickly one minute your at episode 1 and the next you're at episode 10. Now that I'm finished I am thinking of watching it again.

I gave it an 8.5 out of 10 simply because I felt like I needed more, the episodes were super fast paced which was good at first especially if you have a short attention span like me, but...I felt like they wrapped up the drama so quickly between episodes 9 and 10 especially. The third act conflict just jumped out of nowhere fr after the leads were having such a great time in love and being together which was kind of sad and unnecessary imo.

Either way it's a drama I needed to just sit back, relax and have a nice laugh. I literally couldn't stop smiling because it was so freaking cute!!!

Warning: If you're single this drama is gonna make you feel even more so like I cannot emphasize it enough. The way the couple is with each other is just aajhskjs!!!

If you haven't binge watched this yet you need to hop on the train and do so immediately!!

LOVE TO HATE YOU IS THE ROM-COM DRAMA YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE <3

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A FAILED ATTEMPT AT A KOREAN REMAKE OF ELITE

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS JUST MY OPINION. YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE AND I'M NOT HERE TO ARGUE WITH ANYONE.***

A/N: This review is long so please bear with me or just skip to the “final thoughts” section.


OVERVIEW:

The drama opens with a scared boy running away from somone who seems to be chasing him. It flashes back to some memories of him shouting at someone saying "you're all crazy". Then when he finally runs outside he is hit over by a car and bleeds to death. The camera zooms in on his ID card from Jooshin focusing on the motto which says “noblesse oblige” This is from French meaning, “nobility obligates” which touches on the belief that the wealthy and privileged are obliged to help those less fortunate. The boy who was killed is In Han who we eventually find out is the protagonist, Kang Ha’s brother. He then enrolls at Jooshin to exact retribution on those guilty and obtain justice for his brother.


GENERAL COMMENTARY:

The drama was, to put it mildly, unremarkable.

First things first, the high schoolers racing around a track driving million dollar sports cars in episode 1? Come on, be for real. This show is such a joke. That added nothing to the plot and I think they blew the budget on unnecessary things.

The FL irritated me. Although ML was seemingly in love with her, she only has tunnel vision for Ri-An. Watching her be so resolute was upsetting, especially in the beginning when everyone thought Ri-An was involved in In-Han's murder. It was clear that initially Jae-i was using Kang Ha to get over Ri-An, and she shielded him out of guilt that he might be related to In-Han. I was so annoyed by her passion for Ri-An but it just goes to show that someone can do everything for you and you’ll still mean nothing to them. I didn’t understand why Kang Ha didn’t just let go of her. He tried protecting her when on the flipside she told him she didn’t care about protecting anyone except Ri-an. I had assumed that the writers would have written the story that she was in love with In-Han (similar to Elite) but apparently not. It was just your typical rich boy in love with a rich girl and both willing to go to any lengths to keep the other safe.

It’s so ironic to me how she almost had to abort their baby because she couldn’t face her father’s wrath and yet she was still in love with him? Make it make sense. She knew they could never truly be together and so she breaks up with him but at the same time she still loves him and would do anything to protect him even if she knew he had a hand in In-Han’s murder? I’m sorry but Kang Ha deserves better.

This drama just shows that the rich will always have eachothers backs and do whatever it takes to step on those beneath them.

Which brings me to the another point, I don’t understand why she was so shocked / stunned to speak when ML finally revealed the truth than In-Han was his brother. That much was so obvious and even she was shown to have had a slight suspicion that he was related to him in some way because he continued to provoke the rich and popular kids.

I believe Roh Jeong Eui tried to create visuals similar to Han So Hee and Bona. However, I believe she overdid her plastic surgery, which is why her emotions don't translate properly onscreen. She was expected to play a cold, unfeeling and disinterested character but character lacked flavor and she had same expression throughout the drama. During the scene where she and Ri-An were lamenting the loss of their baby together, she cried but did not show any emotion on her face. It was quite unpleasant to watch ngl. Ji Hye Won reminded me very lot of Song Ha Yoon from Marry My Husband. She did her role justice and her performance was superior to FLs if I’m being honest.

Some claim Jae-i had no chemistry with either of the boys. That is not entirely true, as there was steam between her and Kang-Ha in episodes 1 and 2. I disliked how they built up the kiss so nicely in episode 2 and then nothing because the headmaster, Ri An, and Woo Ji had to intervene. But, while I agree that the chemistry / spark faded after that, her “slight” fondness for Ri-An and her friends was still somewhat present in the flashbacks. She tried but it just wasn’t good enough.

The show felt so flat and the romance between Kang Ha and Jae-i was just unnecessary like how did he let a trivial crush hinder his ‘revenge’? I swear so many characters needed to STAND UP. I hate how both of the guys were just pathetic simps for Jae-i. I had to ask myself if I was He-Ra in this situation? Bc I could not stand her AT ALL. Lmao those boys needed to bffr!

I will never see the appeal of Ri-an (I don’t get why Jae-i was so taken with him) I honestly preferred Kim Jae Won’s performance in KTL more. He was arrogant and insufferable not to mention the main reason for the violence on the less fortunate scholarship kids at the school and I doubt he was actually sorry at the end, he was just sorry he got caught. Imo he was just a one dimensional pretentious bastard and it took him learning that his baby died for him to break down his walls and have a heart? Spare me with the lazy writing fr.

Additionally, I couldn’t understand why Ri-an liked Jae-i and why her love for him was unwavering. I didn’t feel any warmth or real emotional or even physical attraction pass between them in the 7 episodes. I wonder if it would have been different had Chae Min played Ri-an and played Kang Ha. Idk why but I kept on thinking this through the entirety of the drama. The casting directors made a certain choice and I’m not sure if it was the best one. Chae Min would have carried the drama and stood out either way and so I applaud him for giving this role his best. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look much like Ri-An and Chae Min has that evil / gold spoon look in my opinion. I also don’t think 2MLs acting is that strong of an actor. He needs more training so he can improve. People were raving about his acting in episode 6 especially and to me it was just a mediocre performance that felt quite stony and flat.

I was not surprised that the teacher and Woo-Ji had a hand in In-Ha bring killed. From episode 2 they were the most suspicious to me not to mention the most taboo / disgusting couple. The moment I saw them sleeping together that right there was a 0/10 for me. 18 in korean age or not… (which is 17 in international age) IDC THAT’S A WHOLE ADULT AND A MINOR… EW!

The teacher was pathetic. She only cared about Woo-ji and then fakes empathy in front of the kids at school like she even gives a singular f*ck about In Ha dying… LIKE BITCH YOU WERE THE ONE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE.

I got so sick and tired of her patronizing attitude. She must feel so accomplished to be f*cking a student half her age and then trying to hit over the girl Woo-ji loves after she is forced to resign? Did she want to be charged for a second hit and run? Lmao. She was the definition of immature and unserious.

Jae-i’s back story of wanting to abort the baby then having a miscarriage is sad but the build up towards that took too long. Everyone knew or could infer that she aborted or lost the baby. I get that she was grieving and couldn’t face Ri-An, but if she just communicated imagine the difference that would have made. Idk the plot was just unnecessarily dragged out and she quite literally treated Ri-an like she hated him for more than half of the drama.

The resolution was terrible. It's a massive eye roll that they always manage to have Ri-an look like the "cool guy". It was so cheap and performative of him to acknowledge his part in bullying at the last minute. Dramas like this constantly give the impression that problems are easily fixed. Someone literally died for God sakes! Furthermore, I don't think 2ML's acting is that good. While I thought his performance in ep 6 was merely passable, many were praising him.

I find it cliche that the writers always make it out that the rich are envious of the poor because they can do whatever they want and find joy in the simple things in life. I could have told you I saw that scene coming from a mile away.

The farewell scene between Jae-i and He-ra was unnecessary. Imo they spent almost the entirety of the drama being horrible to each other so I stopped caring about them & didn’t want to see them rekindle their fake friendship.

“Take care of yourself, my mean and beautiful friend." lmao, this was such a backhanded compliment that I side eyed. The FL had the opportunity to finally express her actual emotions in that scene, but she failed. Like she even finds it difficult to smile? Bffr.

The bike scene between Ri-an and Jae-i annoyed me because that was literally Kang Ha and Jae-i’s thing. Ugh is nothing sacred anymore? Honestly I couldn’t care less about Jae-i and Ri-an. But I suppose they suit each other in the way that they’re lowkey the same / have the same trashy morals. Imo their chemistry is nonexistent and it felt like the writers were trying to force their relationship down everyone’s throats. She didn't even appear to be enjoying the "toast" either — like girl not even you believe it’s good.

“Kang Ha once told me that I should find and protect whatever makes me happiest in life. So I thought about it and that’s you Ri-an.” they need to stop forcing this actress to be endearing because she can’t do it. Also I find it ironic how it took Kang-ha sharing his advice for her to realize it. Jae-i is pathetic if you ask me.

I hate that knowing each other since childhood trope that they use to show that two characters “belong” together or are “destined” to be together. I also dislike the fact that there’s no real reason that they like eachother other than that they are familiar and comfortable with each other. This is a case of the “just ‘cause” syndrome again. Like yes, give us absolutely NOTHING. I would have preferred they stayed broken up. It was annoying how much screen time they took up in the final episode, as that was where the drama became a complete drag.

The scene where Ri-an and Jae-i say farewell to their baby by allowing the ultrasound to float into the river was not moving (to me) at all. I believe both actors are inexperienced and have not dealt with a similar situation, hence it didn't translate properly on screen. I wanted them to delve into their grief and actually communicate. I needed Jae-i to open up him about how she felt about keeping the secret and how she felt when the baby eventually died etc. She mentioned it to Kang Ha, but we never saw her explain herself to Ri-an. A lot was missing and that scene seemed to lack a lot.

I said it once and I’m gonna say it again; dramas doing these sacrificial love arcs need to quit while they are ahead because it never hits especially with no real backstory or build up. I think 7 episodes hindered them from doing that but they could have cut out the unnecessary drama and tried to create more multidimensional characters. Even Kang-ha’s home life beyond his memories with his brother. We didn’t see his living situation with his uncle or what happened to his parents. I feel like the writers could’ve explored this more.

I hated the scene where Kang-ha pitifully asked Jae-i if there was ever a time she had real feelings for him and she just smiled and he figured she was lying. Enough with that bs! It’s sad especially when you realize she only felt guilt towards him and that’s because In-han was so good to her and she saw similarities between the two.

The scene between He-ra and Kang-ha came out of the blue but I believe the writers threw it in at the end because they wished they explored that dynamic / pairing more. It was cute but unnecessary imo.

Not Kang-ha running pathetically towards Jae-i when she’s about to leave and confessing / apologizing for the 100th time. She needs to put in the work and chase him. Mind you she should be the one apologizing to him! I think he needs to get over her. I didn’t care that she finally admitted she had feelings for him because it means nothing and if it came down to it she would still chose Ri-an. I hate how they wrote him to be a loser simp… like he really lost sight of his revenge all because of her?! BE SO SERIOUS.

To be honest, I don’t ship Kang-ha with any of those mean rich kids. He deserves so much more than to be a mere option / someone’s sloppy seconds!

I’m glad that Jae-i left on her own accord to find herself and ended up going to visit her mom but imo, the ending was just bathetic. I mean we don’t even get to see her mom’s face? Bye.

After the credits they showed another murder with Kang-ha smiling at his phone “appearing” to send a message to Ri-An which said “you look shaken up” was so dissatisfying. It’s obvious they’re teasing S2. I’m so over it. NEXT!

Throughout the entire drama I was thinking what if ML played Ri-An and vice versa. Usually the poor characters have that wide eyed bambi look like Ri-An and Chae Min has that gold spoon look. I can’t explain it but the casting directors certainly made a choice because at least if Chae Min was Ri-an we’d actually see some chemistry or sparks (like in that final hug)


LIKES:

The cinematography was good but I felt the color grading at times was a tad harsh on the eyes and made the FL appear like she belonged in the Addams Family. Her skin was super pale which emphasized her ghastly demeanor. She was emotionless and she looked like the FL of a horror film.

I liked the scene in which He-Ra viewed the video of Jae-i and Ri-An. Rather than using it as a weapon against them much like Jae-i's cruel brother, she scolded and then slapped him. I had mixed feelings while watching because I thought I'd hate He-ra forever for wanting Ri-an for herself and then trying so hard to get back at Jae-i for many episodes, but that scene alone showed me how much she still cared for her and was hurt knowing all that it was all she was dealing with. On the other hand, she has feelings for Ri-An as well, so imagine how she felt seeing them be happily in love. She had to put her feelings aside because she knew that the intimate moment between the two should never get out and should not have been recorded in the first place. He-ra is a complicated character, with some layers. She's not the textbook bitch I assumed she was.

The more experienced actors in this drama ate down. Lee Chae Min and Ji Hye Won never disappointed. They both carried the entire drama on their backs. Jae-i’s father (Choi Won Young) and Ri-an’s mother (Yoon Se Ah) nailed their roles. I was also impressed with the headmaster (Bae Hae Sun) and her son (Seo Bum June) I also liked Kim Min Chul's portrayal of In-ha and Kang-ha's friend Tae Ho (Yoon Seok Ho) The bullies also did a good job.

I loved the ending cameo of Oh Na Ra as the new principal of Jooshin.

I also enjoyed the OST, that for me was one of the best things about the drama.


FINAL THOUGHTS:

The concept of this drama and it's execution does not stand out to me. You may have seen similar scenes in movies and tv shows in western media.

I don't think this idea is unique in Korea, which has had its fair share of aristocratic high school dramas (Bitch x Rich, Sky Castle, Heirs, BOF etc.) with affluent kids doing inconceivable things. But I still believe that younger audiences would appreciate this style of entertainment as that they now have a drama for their generation. Imo more recent dramas like Pyramid Game and The Glory do this type of plot far better.

Overall episodes 1-2 were the best, 3 was ok, 4-5 started dragging and had buildups that led nowhere / were resolved quickly, 6-7 were rushed, choppy and anticlimactic. I believe this drama is a waste of potential. The teaser seemed interesting, but the drama was a total letdown.

Imo the original Elite series is so much better than this, specifically seasons 1-3. I thought it would be a total copy of the plot but they changed things and put their own spin on it. For eg. I thought In Han was in a secret relationship with Jae-i and he was the father of her baby. This would've been more interesting and would explain how he got killed by Ri-an but it turns out they had other plans with the teacher being the culprit. That was predictable for me because when first came on the screen she looked very suspicious.

Hierarchy is not good by any means but not so atrocious that it’s completely unwatchable either. I think some persons can possibly relate where I couldn’t and find enjoyment in this series but sadly it was a miss for me. I’m not sure if this drama will be renewed for S2, if it is i’ll be very surprised.

In my opinion, this series is skippable. If you don't trust reviews then you'll just have to watch it for yourself and go in with little to no expectations. I say give it a try if you’re looking for something to binge quickly. This drama is primarily geared towards a younger audience, so beware if that is not your preferred genre. If it’s dragging for you then I suggest speed watching or watching something else entirely. Either way the choice is yours!

With that being said I give this drama a 4/10 and only because of effort from the more experienced / talented actors.

Thanks for reading and happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚


__________________

SIDENOTE:

This is simply my point of view and I don’t intend to offend anyone who thinks differently.

‎ ‎ /) /)
( ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ )<(thank you!)
/ づ づ ~ ♡

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LOVE ISN’T BLACK AND WHITE, NEITHER IS LIFE!

***DISCLAIMER: This is just my opinion after watching the drama in it's entirety. I will try to remain unbiased and give an honest review. We don’t have to agree and I’m not here to argue with anyone.***

This show should really be called “The Price / Cost of Love” , “Understanding Love” , “Walking With You” , “The Time of Us” or “Sandcastle” (iykyk❤️)

I enjoyed this drama so much. Contrary to popular belief that this show is “ trash” blah blah blah (insert other bad comments / non-constructive criticism) I feel like it was realistic and people can take various life lessons from it. The biggest lesson that was emphasized was for people to stop sitting around wondering “what if” and instead seize the day, go after what you want / who you want because it might turn into a missed opportunity and you will have to live with regret. The second was don’t make rash decisions in the spur of the moment or lie because you’re afraid of confronting and dealing with your feelings. And lastly, stop running away from your problems because they will eventually catch up to you.

Imo this drama was refreshing considering I’d only ever known Moon Ga Young in juvenile roles. It was nice to see her portray an adult and go through “grown up” issues. I feel like I can finally relate and empathize with her character now.

General Overview:

Su Yeong is a young woman with a dismissive avoidant attachment style who struggles with depression, scars from the past, grief from her brother's death and a broken relationship with her family. She first meets Sang Su when he comes to the bank and she’s his senior who has to train him and help him learn all the tricks to being a bank clerk. They got closer and she really was there for him. Fast forward 3 years later he has been getting promoted while she has remained in the same position. Su Yeong feels as though her life is stagnant and she won’t move forward in her career compared to her peers because they all have college degrees whereas she does not. She develops a bit of a complex because of this and realizes no matter how hard she works or tries she’ll never get promoted. She realizes her place in society as she is from a poor background and has no degree. Everyone looks down on her and makes up rumors about her even though they don’t have a clue about who she is. Sang Su seemingly has a crush on Su Yeong and at the beginning of the drama he attempts to pursue her. They go on one date and agree to go on another however when Sang Su was on his way to meet Su Yeong he hesitates. She can see him from the restaurant… notices his hesitation in coming to see her and she feels horrible. She immediately leaves and essentially shuts him out of her life.

As the story goes along you kind of understand why Su Yeong ignores him and pushes him away. For the first time in her life she was willing to let someone in and truly be happy but in the end she realizes they would’ve never worked out because of their places in society. She ultimately decides it’s better for her to go on without him and pretends to date Jong Hyeon instead at first to get rid of Sang Su and quell her feelings for him but along the way you can see her tenderness for Jong Hyeon as she feels sorry for his unfortunate circumstances and invites him to live with her instead of quitting his job as a security guard and moving away. Enter Mi Gyeong — a college friend of Sang Su who is clearly into him and will do anything to get him wrapped around her little finger. She eventually senses that there is something between Sang Su and Su Yeong and goes out of her way to befriend Su Yeong by giving her gifts, taking her to dinner and finding out what she likes / dislikes. Anything to keep Su Yeong at bay and also guilt trip her into backing off from Sang Su for the sake of friendship. If keep your friends close and your enemies closer was a person, that would be Mi Gyeong. Nevertheless, her plan doesn’t work out because as it is Su Yeong and Sang Su are incapable of staying away from each other.

There’s a lot of unnecessary drama in between of them fighting feelings for one another, entering relationships they had no business being in because they were still hung up on each other / pining for each other unintentionally. There was literally no need for them to bring other characters into their business/drama. I hated Mi Gyeong, Gyeong Pil, and Jong Hyeon just a little bit more than usual because even when they found out the truth they tried so hard to make Sang Su and Su Yeong’s life more unbearable. That to me proved that their desires were more important than what the people they claimed to “love” needed. If that’s not selfish idk what is. People can call Sang Su and Su Yeong selfish for wanting to break up with them but they were selfish in different ways. Like be so frl, I got sick of them acting like they got the short end of the stick and were done the worst injustice by Sang Su and Su Yeong breaking up with them. Like sometimes people have to make tough decisions for themselves even if it hurts someone else’s feelings. I feel like Su Yeong and Sang Su both always spent their lives putting others before themselves and the one time – THE ONE TIME, they wanted to choose themselves (be selfish) and go after love / the person they truly wanted to be with it was such a huge problem. At least they weren’t trying to stay with their partners and cheat behind their backs. That would’ve been so much worse / messy. The worst part is that they both tried so hard to spare Mi Gyeong and Jong Hyeon feelings but ended up doing the opposite and hurting themselves in the process. They even admitted their faults and apologized multiple times but somehow it was never enough… especially for Mi Gyeong.

Lmao don’t let me get started on her. I just hate how she pretends to be a “nice girl” when she is in fact very self-centered and mean. She befriended Su Yeong because she sensed that there was something going on between her and Sang Su and she thought that if she was nice to her and kept on buying her things she’d feel guilty and back off. It was so disgusting to me the way she’d worm around situations and try to have everyone bend to her will. She wanted to be so different from her father but eventually she realized she was just like him and then defended him by saying "that’s probably how he shows love"??? That was bullsh*t. Not her condoning her father's actions in order to justify hers, then perpetuating her continuous desire to control everyone and everything by trying to buy their favor.

In my humble opinion, Sang Su and Su Yeong’s moments were precious… anytime they talked — really talked and listened to each other on long walks, drank (playing the “truth” / “lying” game), or hung out by the seaside — it was really beautiful. I felt their emotions pull on my heartstrings and bring me to the point of tears several times. For me, it was like “How can two people be so right for each other yet not stand a singular chance of being together?” They had mutual understanding, comfort, and peace whenever they were with each other. The harsh reality is that both were stupid and allowed society and other people's opinions of them ruin what they had. People told them they shouldn’t and couldn’t be together and they believed them instead of believing in their relationship and what they had.

Her leaving Sang Su the last time — I’m sure he saw it coming. She always runs away except this time he decided not to chase after her because he felt like that’s what she wanted, he respected her choice and decided to give her space. Even after four years passed, Sang Su always kept Su Yeong close to his heart. While I’m sure he respected her decision he just couldn’t understand it. I’m guessing Su Yeong just wanted to disappear and have a fresh start but I’m sure a part of her also wanted Sang Su to chase after her or convince her to stay. It’s so messed up when someone feels like a burden and that they’re to blame for all the misfortunes that happen to them in their life. It’s like they feel like they deserve it but ultimately they also think they deserve nothing at all. This is why I can understand Su Yeong distancing herself from everyone and not believing she deserved love or even happiness.

One thing I disliked about this drama was the miscommunication trope. Don’t get me wrong it’s okay when it’s done right but there were a lot of moments you know could’ve been fixed with a simple conversation. Sang Su would’ve listened to her and appreciated the truth. There was so much sneaking around and lying for no reason. Like I can try and understand/empathize with Su Yeong’s reasons… she rather destroy everyone/everything and burn it all to the ground + run away rather than face and conquer her greatest fears. She is distant, cold unfeeling, and avoidant but that legit doesn’t excuse her always wanting to run away / disappear. Sang Su on the other hand never speaks his mind and prefers to suffer in silence / take on the weight of other people's problems. Yes, I get that he’s protective and always wants to save the day but lol some girls (ie. Su Yeong) don’t want to be saved. They just want to be understood and seen/heard for once in their life. Yeah, it sucks but that’s pretty much what I got from their dynamic. In the end, it worked because they really balanced each other out.

Another aspect I absolutely hated about this drama and a lot of others is that they always have all the characters make up with each other. Like even if there’s a huge falling out they always have that plot point where years later they come back and everything is all hearts and flowers. I wouldn’t say that’s realistic because sometimes a person really isn’t for you / meant to be in your life. Sometimes the friendship/relationship was toxic and you know that you’re better off without having them in your life, meeting up to discuss what went wrong, or even making amends. Usually it’s better to just let things be and move on. Live and let live as they say but idk maybe Mi Gyeong and Su Yeong are just super mature to see past their differences… though I doubt it because she legit had to remind Su Yeong how much she resented her in the past but at the same time she missed her ? Make it make sense.

The truth is, some people are just happy knowing you’re not as happy as they are in life — it brings them peace knowing they won and you lost. And I feel like that’s truly how Mi Gyeong sees Su Yeong… she looks at her life as small and inconsequential in comparison… saying it “suits her” Like bffr Su Yeong owns a drawing cafe while she’s a big manager in HQ. Su Yeong gave up her job and her life in Seoul because she knew she wasn’t and would never be accepted. I kind of wish she spent the last four years in college getting a degree so she’d feel better about herself and able to face the world and people with more confidence. Sigh. I also didn’t like the fact that Sang Su never rlly tried to move on from Su Yeong in those four years. I guess he decided a long time ago that she was the one for him and made her occupy all the space in his heart and mind. It’s kinda sad… I know Su Yeong would’ve wanted him to be happy regardless.


Final Thoughts:

If I could sum up this drama into a few words it would be “will they or won’t they?” ahhh if you don’t like slow burns, slice of life dramas or melodramas then do not watch this. Trust me it’s super slow and it’s more pining / longing than the leads actually getting their happy ending until the very last episode. I have to say though their chemistry is really good and you can feel the angst / tension through the screen.

Don’t watch this drama if you are going to view it from a one dimensional lens and blame the characters for being flawed as adults. People mature at different stages and as it turns out some people have to fall down and make mistakes in order to learn and grow from them. Nobody is perfect is what I’m saying and these characters all have their shortcomings, baggage, trauma and scars.

If you’re not willing to see them as actual human beings with issues and trauma to deal with / faults to overcome then again I reiterate do not watch it.

If however you want to stick around for these two love struck idiots who actually deserve a real chance at happiness and a shot at a real relationship together then do continue / start watching. It’s a rollercoaster ride (an unreasonably slow paced one lol!) so you're definitely going to go through the emotions and really feel for them (especially if you are emotional / have a big heart / empathize with others) If you’re looking for a drama that is more insta lovey and doesn’t have much plot / story building then I suggest you go watch something else.

Overall I gave this drama an 8/10 (initially it was a 7.5 however, I figured disliking the ending alone isn’t fair) My rating is primarily because still find myself thinking of these two and their tumultuous story. I can’t ever let them go / forget and I think that’s the point. They were the definition of “right person wrong time” and I just ate it up. This drama was enjoyable for me and I don’t regret watching at all. I think more people would’ve given this drama a higher rating but the open / bittersweet ending made them take off some points, so to each their own.

Long story short, this drama really stuck with me and I stuck with it because it’s a realistic portrayal of people living their daily lives, experiencing love, kindness, jealousy, heartbreak and everything else in between. It highlights the fact that that love is hard work. It’s not perfect, it’s not a fairytale and not everyone gets a happy ending. It’s solely based on people’s efforts and how much they are willing to compromise for someone else. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges and choosing / fighting to be together. It’s putting another person before yourself (no questions asked) and rooting for their ultimate happiness. It’s choosing to let them go even if it hurts, even if they are happy without you because if you love them you will respect them, their choices, and ultimately want the best for them.

I would recommend this drama to persons who like slow burns, second chance love and slice of life dramas. Honestly, I really liked it — I mean the first episode really drew me in because I was so shocked and had to know what happens next. Obviously this show isn’t for everyone but if it’s for you / worth watching then you should know by episode 3 or 4. Also I'm not sure if speed watching helped me enjoy it more bc I watched this drama on x1.5-x1.75. I find that the pacing in these types of dramas are unnecessarily slow and that tends to make it seem like it just drags on forever. So maybe you could try speeding it up if you're having a hard time getting into it.

I also really enjoyed the OST. It has the perfect balance of fun / flirty upbeat songs mixed with sad and emotional / heartfelt ones. I still listen to it from time to time.

Would I rewatch it? Yes because I am a sucker for slow burns, I loved their moments / interactions and even though the ending is sad / bittersweet… it’s their story. It’s a little messy but it seemed real and I felt like I was with them the whole time — watching, waiting and rooting for them to make it along their individual journeys + also finally coming together, to find peace at the end of it all.

There’s this quote that says “The beautiful journey of today can only begin when we learn to let go of yesterday.” And I feel like it perfectly captures Sang Su and Su Yeong. Even though though their journey came to an end, I believe that the open ending still offered a great deal of hope for them to eventually let go of the past, move forward, and create a new “future happiness” one filled with better memories and without regret.

All in all, I think that the drama did a fantastic job of portraying the ups and downs of love. Sang Su and Su Yeong are not perfect (so far from it actually) but they’re special in their own little way. In my eyes some people are meant to be, just not made to last.

This drama is not for everyone but what I will say is:
THE PEOPLE WHO GET IT GET IT!!!

Anyway, that’s my two cents <3

(Sending love to everyone who stayed and read all this ily!)


Happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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It Was Just Ok... Nothing Special!

**Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, please don't take anything I say personally. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone.***

(I'm so picky so please take this review with a grain of salt.)

Tropes: Workplace Romance, Rich Guy / Poor Girl, guy falls first and harder, grumpy/sunshine, enemies (ish) to lovers, forced proximity.

Idk usually I love rom-com's like this but they had me in the first half and lost me in the second half. It really seemed like Gu Won's character was built around his love for Sa Rang and he didn't have much development outside of that. I feel like they did more telling than actually showing us how hard he fought for the hotel and why he deserved to be president. Idk there could've been more obstacles at work and between the two leads imo. I think I would've loved to see them develop the tourist hotel together and be happy outside of the city. Or imo they could've actually have Sa Rang and Gu Won Break up bc she feels stifled by him his dreams and wants to chase her own dream of managing her own hotel / the tourist one. I also think the arc between his mom and his sisters hatred for him could've been expanded more and their resolution could have been more developed. I feel like the last 8 episodes lacked a lot of depth / actual plot. The last 2 episodes especially seemed rushed and episode 16 specifically seemed unnecessary. I felt her entire desire of owning her own hotel was quite lame... even the name of her hotel, "Amore" (Love in Italian) What were they thinking? As in she could've used her own name (Sarang) LMAO. And the fact that she wasn't able to find any personnel to assist her, and they wanted me to think that the president of King Hotel, Gu Won, had time to assist her (whilst managing King Hotel + all those international branches and trying to expand the franchise to Europe?) – that part was so unbelievable I had to laugh.

It was honestly a struggle for me to finish this drama. The leads chemistry was just "okay" but at times I wasn't feeing it as much. I think I prefer their BTS footage as they seem less in character and more silly and free. I fell in love with the airport couple (Pyeong Hwa and Ro Woon) I thought they were cute and I'm glad they got together. It took forever but they actually made it. I thought her other friend's storyline (Da Eul) with her dirty husband was completely sidelined and her giving her husband a taste of his own medicine was questionable. It's obvious their relationship is toxic and they should get divorced. I can only see the husband not learning anything and then trying to find ways to hurt her back – like cheating on her or something. I feel like the writers didn't have a clue how to wrap up the story or create more obstacles for dramatic effect. They almost got me invested when I thought Gu Won and Sa Rang were gonna break up but they failed and immediately lost me, again.

Overall, the ending of the entire drama was what you would expect, a pathetic male lead who's whole character arc is about him being in love with a woman who does not like him at first. ML falls first and harder. FL starts catching feelings then there's the slight forbidden relationship where people don't want them to be together. Them deciding to be together anyways, dating period, proposal (but not? because the FL wants to achieve her dreams first). ML still supporting her through everything a year later, her finally accepting the proposal. Then finally marriage and them living happily ever after.

This drama was boring and severely overhyped. I don't think I would rewatch. It definitely could have been wayyyy better especially when you compare this to other workplace romances like Business Proposal, Touch Your Heart, Suspicious Partner, Her Private Life, My Secret Romance, What's Wrong With Secretary Kim etc. Like they had so many blueprints and yet... it did not live up to the expectation. It's disappointing because I feel like I wasted my time and then felt like I HAD to finish it for completion sake.

Anyways, what you see is what you get so if you're looking for a lot of romance with barely any plot then this drama is right for you.

After careful consideration, I gave it a 6.25/10 (my real and objective rating) however, I decided to round it up to a 6.5/10 (purely because of how much of an independent girl boss Sa Rang was)


THANKS FOR READING AND HAPPY WATCHING!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THIS

From beginning to end, this film was a true masterpiece. If you want to experience a beautiful story filled with authentic feelings of affection and true love then watch this. It evokes nostalgia for items like DVDs and payphones, and the overall melodramatic, nostalgic, dreamy mood only adds to the plot.

Watch it if you want to be left feeling like a complete and utter wreck. Also don't watch it for those same reasons. I just feel the same as I did after completing 2521. It's literally so similar to that with the youthful, coming of age storyline filled with miscommunications and missed opportunities except there's a very big plot twist at the end.

Be warned, there is no happy ending to this story. I'm still not over it. Bo Ra and Woon Ho deserved sooooooo much better.

It's a solid 9/10 for me but I am so mad / confused I want to give it less but it was a really good movie, I think the actors did a really good job portraying these characters and sharing their love story. I was literally up at 3am watching this sobbing for 15 minutes after it ended. This film truly made me feel so many emotions.

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CLOSE YOUR EYES – NOW FEEL ⏯️

DISCLAIMER: I completed this a week ago and had time to collect / sit with my thoughts so please take my opinion / review with a grain of salt as I’m not here to argue with anyone.

I also have not watched the Taiwanese version yet (but I will do so soon) It will be interesting to see if my opinion on the show will been alter / change. Anyways, this is just a my summary of the drama. I watched it completely blind with no preconceived notions.

The emotions you will experience while watching this drama cannot be replicated by reading a plot synopsis or watching a summary video on YouTube. I recommend that you watch it without looking at the spoilers or hating / comparing it to versions you've seen before. Just pretend it's a whole new drama.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Fantasy

Tropes: Time travel, time loop, doppelgängers, friends to lovers, second chance romance ,found family, friendship, transmigration (body / soul switching), soulmates.

Likes:

This drama was interesting to say the least. The cinematography was beautiful and it felt very nostalgic because it takes you back to the 90s and 2000s. The time travel plot was very well done. I thought it would be confusing but it wasn't. It was easy to understand and found myself figuring out the plot half way through. I figured the scarred man was in fact Nam Si Heon and came up with reasons how this could be possible etc. My guesses were close enough lol. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat, thinking I had it all figured out, only to be surprised by unexpected twists and turns. I had to pay close attention because of the back-and-forth storytelling, but it was worth it.

Jeon Yeo Been's performance was outstanding, especially in how she portrayed the two different characters – she was convincing in showing us (the audience) that it was in fact two different people. The especially how she shifted her personality between the characters. The way she looked at Si Heon / Yeon Jun, laughed, walked, smiled and talked – all changed with the person and the timeline.

Ahn Hyo Seop gave me butterflies and made my heart skip whenever he was on screen, he really is very handsome and I think I developed a crush while watching. Si Heon / Yeon Jun was soooo boyfriend and just the greenest flag ever, across every single timeline. I mean he did such an amazing and convincing job as he portrayed the Si Heon / Yeon Jun who longed for his love (Jun Hee) across time and space. I thought the way he could immediately tell the difference between Min Ju and Jun Hee was precious and endearing. Min Ju could not fool him and unfortunately he would never be able to return her (or anyone else’s) affections becasue Jun Hee was his one true love.

Kang Hoon proved that even without a lot of lines, one's screen presence can be pretty impactful. Also, the way he emotes with his eyes is at another level altogether.

Rowoon's guest appearance was a pleasant surprise and I enjoyed seeing him on screen even thought it was short lived.

Min Jin Woong was a very compelling villain. He nailed the psychopathic murderer / serial killer role so well. I was definitely creeped out and on the edge of my seat watching and waiting to see what his character would do next.

Dislikes:

Some aspects of the time travel phenomenon weren't entirely explained, like why there were two people with the exact same face? I also found it puzzling how Chan Yeong looked exactly like his older brother. That resemblance was truly a mystery for me but I guess it made the storytelling easier from the writers perspective. It seems like that's just how the world of 'A Time Called You' works. I did not have a problem with Si Heon / Yeon Jun and Min Ju / Jun Hee existing in the same timeline like other people. It was very understandable and if you pay close attention you won’t be confused.

What triggered me was Min-Ju’s suicide. It captured a suicidal persons thoughts perfectly but reinforced the fact that no matter what you say / do to help a suicidal person, it won’t change the fact that if someone wants to die… they will kill themselves. They have to want to live for themselves and want to heal / get better and have something to live for. I’m not saying this to be cold/heartless because I just knew a girl like Min Ju. The only difference is she'd always threaten suicide for attention (unlike Min Ju) but in actuality, being her friend was exhausting. Safe to say we're not friends anymore and she still has her depressive episodes but I’m glad I’m not around for her to trauma dump on me or act like her issues are for more important / greater than anyone else's. She used to claim other's do not understand her and that she doesn’t have the mental capacity to care about anyone but herself (at least she was self aware, but imo she was also self centered and mean spirited most of all!). I don't think it was for a lack of love or attention, because it seemed she received both, but like Min Ju she was bullied a lot in her formative years and then kept attempting to transform herself indefinitely. Unfortunately she did not realize (and still hasn't to this day) that by doing all that she was killing the person she used to be, leaving her feeling empty and full of self-hatred (much like when Min Ju claimed to be Jun Hee lol!)

Anyway, it's ironic because thorough everything I was deemed selfish and told that I just don’t understand even though I always was encouraging, reassuring and supportive much like In Gyu. Seeing such a similar occurrence in this drama brought up a flood of emotions for me, which is why I think I felt overwhelmed then slightly irked while watching it. It was insane, especially when they showed inside Min Ju’s mind, Jun Hee trying to stop her, In Gyu pouring his heart out and trying to comfort her by lending caring / supportive worlds to then hearing Min Ju claim nobody cared about her. It was even more shocking to then see her catapult / launch herself off the building, thus killing herself (bleeding to death) and In Gyu taking the blame. I had so many mixed emotions but that very intense scene left me feeling sad and disheartened most of all. I could feel the same sense of hopelessness much like how Jun Hee felt, just being a mere bystander/watcher from that cave – not being able to do anything to help or convince Min Ju her life was worth living.

Moral of the story is choose your friends wisely, try your best and be kind always. If it’s not good enough (especially to the other person) and they don’t see the value in their life then know it’s not your fault / on you. Don’t blame yourself and go to prison for someone else’s choice or twisted wishes to be fulfilled like In Gyu. As Jun Hee said it was Min Ju's own expectations of people that made her miserable and she needed to take time for herself and take care of her wellbeing.

I wish the show explained the alternate ending better, I would’ve liked to find out exactly how In Gyu saves Min Ju on time. It would also have been nice for them to tell how Min Ju gets stuck in a cave where she see through the eyes of Jun Hee and vice versa plus how they escape from it and become the main host of the body.

I’m a very emotional / sentimental person so I did tear up while watching. If you’re the same (or worse) be sure to bring some tissues.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, each of their stories was beautiful as was the ending. Even though it’s an open and some what bittersweet ending I think it gives the viewer hope and promise of what is to come between the two main characters. While watching I felt warm seeing the kind of love that was portrayed throughout the drama. It made me feel the butterflies of a first love, the comfort of a mature love, the pain of separation and the overwhelming relief of their reunion.

The ending made me hopeful and happy, but it also made my heart hurt. I think it’s more so because of the realization that so many precious memories and relationships formed across various timelines would be lost forever, as if they never existed.

This was the kind of drama that stays with you long after you finish watching it. I still feel an ache in my heart when I think about it or listen to the OST (which by the way is just as amazing!) I think everyone who enjoyed this had that moment where they played "Gather My Tears" and tried to close our eyes and dissociate pretending we were going back in time like Jun Hee.

If this drama was a quote it would be: "In a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality – I'd find you and I'd always choose you."

It truly deserves an 8.5/10 and I will definitely be sure to rewatch it in the future, whenever "a time calls me."

If you read all this ILY! 🥹


Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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A CRASH COURSE IN LIFE

DISCLAIMER: These are just my thoughts; we don’t have to agree and I’m not looking to argue with anyone.

This show should be called Crash Course in Life, not Crash Course in Romance. Overall it had more comedy, slice of life and drama / thriller than romance aspects.

First off I wanna say that I really enjoyed this show and before it was finished I was excited to rate it super high like a 9/10 but now my feelings have changed and I give this show an 8-8.5/10. Studio dragon definitely doesn’t really miss with the shows they produce… for the most part, they seem well put together, thought out, and executed. You can feel all the actors efforts no matter the script and I think that’s what makes their productions truly worth watching / amazing.

For episodes 1-8 I was super invested and loved the direction the show was going in even with the annoying controlling moms but then after that, the show took a different turn and idk… it became very predictable, and I found myself not as invested as the first time. Maybe because I watched this drama weekly instead of binging it in one go is the reason, I feel this way but idk… the show ended up missing the mark in some ways. Don’t get me wrong the comedy and light-heartedness of the show was really touching and I even found myself tearing up a few times. At its core, you can really see that love and family relationships is an ongoing theme throughout and that these people will always fight for and protect the ones they care about.

In my humble opinion, since Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol got together I felt myself losing interest… there weren’t as many obstacles in their relationship prior to dating and it seemed like their romance got overshadowed with trying to find out more about the murders and who exactly was targeting Haeng-seon and her family. It was predictable because Dong-hui seemed suspicious from the get-go. Honestly, I was not satisfied by his suicide because he got the easy way out instead of having to rot in prison and pay for his crimes. I keep saying this, but I hate when female leads are always so carefree and nice to persons who clearly don’t mean them well… same goes for Su Ah’s mom. I literally did not care or feel sorry that her husband cheated on her. If anything, it was karma and it served her right. She was always praying on the downfall of other moms and their kids so that her child could remain on top and well… what goes around comes around.

Hae-e’s mom coming back the moment she got into a coma was your stereo-typical drama moment. I’m sure everyone could see that coming. I really felt bad for Hae-e because you could tell she didn’t see that woman as her mother after so many years and felt obligated/forced to be nice to her and tolerate her bullsh*t. It was painful watching her pretend to care for and be interested in Hae-e when you knew the real reason she was here was to try and pimp Haeng-seon and Chi Yeol (him specifically) out of money. She literally had no scruples or shame about doing it either and I’m sure at that moment Hae-e realized she was nothing like her mom at all… and she didn’t even want to be. Her bio mother was a nuisance and to me, she added nothing to the plot other than tension and unnecessary drama. She was only a plot device trying to create strife and break their little family apart.

In the end, I’m glad she realized that Hae-e grew up fine without her and she was just intruding on her life by sticking around. She was a sh*tty mom and I’m glad she realized that and packed her bags to allow Hae-e to be happy with the family who raised her.

This show really got me in my feelings, especially the last episode. Scratch a lot of the bad things I said before I absolutely loved this – THE LAST EPISODE CAME THROUGH!!

Chi Yeol and Haeng-seon both deciding to buy each other rings and proposing to each other was golden. They really are made for each other and I love that their feelings have never wavered. Even if this show is frustrating keep watching because the love between the characters will really get you. It’s about the pure love between a mom and her daughter. That scene when Hae-e ran into Haeng-seon’s arms just like in the flashback had me crying!!! Even Sun-jae's mom making amends with both her sons and accepting Hui-jae as he was touched me so deeply. Su-A's mom becoming a mentor/coach at the pride and helping other parents to get their kids on the path to seeking higher education was a good turn of the tables aswell. It seemed like everyone really changed for the better. A big surprise for me was Geon Hu and Su A liking each other, Hae-e actually giving Sun-Jae a chance and Jae Woo getting Young Joo pregnant. I mean they added it all at the end/epilogue but I still ate it up.

All in all, this drama was good. It gave what needed to be given and tackled a lot of situations while still maintaining the funny, lightheartedness of it all.

I give this drama a solid 8.5/10 and some brownie points for being able to tug on my heartstrings ❤️ I would 100% recommend it to others and I would rewatch it in a heartbeat.

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Enjoyable But... I Wish They Gave Us More!

***Disclaimer: This is just my opinion. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone***

(This review is entirely based on the show, I did not read the webtoon and went into this completely blind)

I really loved this drama... I thought the story was interesting, the acting was phenomenal and the OSTs touched my heart. I wish I could rewatch it for the first time and be able to experience and feel all the things I did all over again.

The way this drama had me in a chokehold for weeks needs to be studied! I honestly don't know if this drama would've had the same effect on me had I just binge watched it in one go. From beginning to end you can see the care / effort the writers put into bringing this story to life on screen. I thought the cast was beautifully chosen as the actors captured the essence of their characters so well. The emotions through the drama were raw / real and it was almost palpable through the screen. I heard the webtoon and the drama are different and that writers changed some stuff but idk I think that's the whole point of an adaption it gives the writers creative license and room to explore what the original story didn't have / lacked. Ahn Bo Hyun and Shin Hye Sun were so amazing. I need to see Bo Hyun in more leading roles... perhaps a historical drama next.

Overall, this drama was enjoyable. My only problem with it was that it was too short (12 episodes) and the last couple episodes seemed rushed and like they were trying to tie everything together at the last minute. They could've used the middle episodes to develop the plot further or have Seo Ha find out that Ji Eum was Ju Won's reincarnation earlier as well as her memories from her 1st life and how to break the curse. I found the shaman guy (Min Ki) so annoying. Especially the fact that they let his identity remain a mystery until the last two episodes, it was very underwhelming. They made it seem like he was a lover but as it turns out he was the reason why Ji Eum was cursed to be reborn each time she died. I found the ending of her forgetting everyone while they lived on remembering her very strange / not well thought out but I'm glad everything all worked out in the end and the drama ended on a happy note. I was initially so scared that it would end badly but then again I'm a lover of angst and pain. Either way I think I would've loved this drama bc the storytelling, acting and sequence of events was so entertaining.

I definitely would rewatch this drama sometime in the future. I think the key to enjoying this drama is just to go in blindly without any preconceived notions from the webtoon or constantly comparing it to it. As a reader myself it's just a fact that no adaptation can ever really live up to what you imagined in your head.

With that said I give this drama an 8/10.

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

❤️

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Give it a try!

**Disclaimer: This is just my opinion, please don't take anything I say personally. We don't have to agree and I'm not here to argue with anyone.***

"Destined With You" is one of those dramas that you have to stick with until it gets better. I’m not going to lie it was so hard finding motivation to keep watching but after episode 7 it started to pick up and I have to say I started enjoying the plot twists, mystery and thriller aspect of it. It is seriously so interesting. I especially loved the backstory of Mu Jin and Aeng Cho. Though their love was ill-fated from the start you can see he killed her to ensure they would not dismember her and that she would live on through the curse. The fact that Mu Jin said in another life let them be happy… and this life they want to be happy but were unable to because of the curse and that crazy psychopath of a man (Na Jung-Beom) was so frustrating and unfair.

Rowoon looks so gorgeous in this drama… that was enough to keep me watching haha 😭 Idk but something about him with the slick back hair as the serious / brooding lawyer is. He also was giving a buzz and then when its all combed down he looks like a cute puppy / golden retriever. AHHH I love how he’s giving us rangeeee and I can’t wait to see him in his next projects.

Bo Ah is such a good actress the way she conveys what she’s feeling through her eyes alone is literally a talent.

For once I actually prefer the latter half of a drama rather than the usual trend of the drama falling off / being disappointing the end.

Let’s talk about Rowoon and Bo Ah's chemistry in episodes 13-15, 15 especially – it was off the charts! I'm talking about that kiss, whew! — I can see why shaman lady (Eun Wol) called the next morning and was like Shin Yu and Hong Jo would be conceiving a girl. I mean, I got pregnant just watching that scene haha. Jokes aside, I'm not sure why people were doubting their incredible chemistry, but you know, there will always be haters or people who don't receive media in the same way and have no appreciation for the effort / artistry that goes into it. I think the writers did a good job of neatly wrapping up the ending. Obviously they would have needed more episodes to really delve into the magic and the lore of Hong Jo’s shaman powers / lineage etc… but so far they did well with the little they were able to keep / use.

I also liked the various side characters stories especially between Mr. Gong and Ms. Ma. They were kind of on / and off all the time but I'm happy they worked out their differences and got married in the end. At first I did not like Hong Jo's workers but I warmed to them because they are very funny / silly. I also liked the side story about Shin Yu's mother and father... it seemed like they were always playing cat and mouse with each other, and you thought they were going to divorce - but in the end, they're going to have a baby. To say I was surprised is an understatement. To be honest, I thought the mom was starting to like Shin Yu's lawyer friend and that they'd end up together, but the drama didn't go in that direction at all.

I didn't particularly like Mr. Kwon / Jae Gyeong, but I'm glad he remained a good guy until the end. Life is all about timing, and he completely missed his with Hong Jo, so he can only blame himself. I thought it was a little cheeky of him to tell her that if she doesn't marry Shin Yu within the next six months, she should call him, but whatever - at least it ended amicably.

One aspect of the show that I dislike is their inability to finish the shamanism/curse storyline. They expect me to believe that the curse has been magically broken and Shin Yu is completely healed? Honestly, I was wondering if there was something missing or if there was more to it because the final scene shows Mu Jin, of the past ,walking away with a spell book of the heavens or something? I'm also curious if Hong Jo's near-death experience, which included almost being poisoned and then being resuscitated... is what broke the curse in the end? Little details like this being forgotten / not being explained is what kind of irritated me about the drama and made me take off points.

In my opinion, the ending was very touching and adorable... I was smiling the entire time and was relieved that it didn't end on a sad / bittersweet note with the main characters suffering. Spoiler alert: Hong Jo is not pregnant, but they will get married and live happily ever after. It took them 300 years to get here, but they did it!

The OST they chose is just so beautiful and heartfelt. The songs perfectly complement the story and will stay with you long after you finish watching the drama.

I for one am impressed and proud of myself for not dropping this drama and I guess I would rewatch it for the vibes and cute moments.

If you enjoy light fantasy, mystery, and reincarnation dramas, you should give this one a shot. Hopefully, you will not be disappointed.

With that, I give this drama a resounding 8/10.

Thanks for reading & happy watching!

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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