I initially never forgot about Whale Star xoxo because of the premise: a WLW romance between a grocery store owner and a girl who strives to help her━ but with secrets of her own, and after watching the trailer, I am so glad that it turned out to be more than that!We finally have a WLW version of themes tackled by hit contemporary kdramas with mf romance pairings about work-life balance, the importance of slowing down in this fast-paced capitalistic society and healing; but Whale Star xoxo's pilot stands out through the short yet memorable mention of systematic misogyny that working mothers face. There's a lot to love about this pilot (as evident by multiple scenes saved under Moments in my Netflix account).I loved Wan's fiestiness and how her grief and work struggles make her a multi-faceted heroine. This series really begins with Wan coming back to her hometown to continue running her deceased father's store. Her arc of healing, restarting her (work) life and having a healthier perspective on work is what I'm looking forward to!I LOVED Wan and Maewnam's chemistry and what some modern romance pairings fail to achieve: compatibility. They're both workaholics who are grappling with the difficult circumstances surrounding their parents. I can't wait to see how they'll heal together and provide comfort for each other! 🥺💗The second lead couple played by June-Mewnich are adorable too. I was genuinely smiling and feeling butterflies while watching them! 🥺💗Overall, with a charismatic cast, chemistry between the two lead couples and relevant and relatable themes Whale Star xoxo starts with promise and I'm itching to see the story unfold. See you all next Wednesday! 🐳☂️
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The English language websites all state that Dear.M (2022) is about an ensemble cast of college students looking for an anonymous social media user called Dear.M but that couldn’t be further from the truth; the series was just a slice of life college romance.Dear.M (2022) is a spin off to the Love Playlist (2017 - 2019) anthology which is about young adults navigating romantic love, friendship and other relatable problems. The only returning cast member from Love Playlist’s 2019 run was Bae Hyun-sung as Park Ha-neul; who's on screen partner, Kim Sae-ron was replaced by Roh Jeong-eui as Seo Ji-min. This series delves into the problems they face after becoming a couple. NCT’s Jaehyun stars as Cha Min-ho, an intelligent Computer Science major/scholarship student navigating issues in the apps he created and the changing friendship he has with Park Hye-su’s Ma Joo-ah, a cheerful girl who has never fallen in love and had a dream. Yet. Lee Jin-hyuk plays Gil Mok-jin and Woo Da-vi stars Hwangbo Young, an unconventional opposites attract couple.Friends to lovers is my favourite trope and this series 👏🏽 did 👏🏽 not 👏🏽 disappoint! 👏🏽 NCT’s Jaehyun and Park Hye-su’s chemistry was so natural and the latter’s acting is impressive despite this being his debut acting role!However, what prevented my rating from being higher is much more than the series’ strengths. Namely, a lack of a cohesive theme tying all the characters and their emotional arcs together, the writers’ abstention of writing emotionally resonant scenes, etc. It makes scenes that require dramatic acting or emotional impact… awkward to watch? Min-ho and Joo-ah’s flashback scenes had SO MUCH potential to actually become emotionally resonant but always get cut short just to transition to Ro-sa’s schemes. Speaking of Ro-sa, dedicating so much screen time to the antics of a 1-dimensional jealous, and conniving “villainess” to Ha-neul and Ji-min’s relationship instead of developing underwritten female characters, female friendships, and character writing is irresponsible and echoes the mismanagement in the writers’ room.Hence, it resulted in a 12 episode tv marathon that had me press the “skip” button way too many times; but Min-ho/Joo-ah’ scenes, the series OST: Maple Latte, Look At Me, and Something’s Wrong did alleviate the series’ flaws.We need more college stories and while Dear.M (2022) may not be a classic, it is one step closer to the right direction.P.S. The representation of a diabetic character was natural and I appreciated how respectful and thoughtful Hwangbo Young’s friends were to her!
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