Reviews

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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Just read the novel instead.

This movie has changed and disrespected the original source material to the point where it's completely unrecognizable, from the little details to the overall messages and symbolism that ORV tried to convey, everything had been completely butchered. As an adaptation, it fails in every aspect. As a movie, the cinematography is amateurish, the script sounds AI generated, the CGI is a joke, and some actors with major supporting roles are just completely sidelined for no particular reason; it's underwhelming, to say the least.

This isn't a matter of an "accurate adaptation" anymore. This is setting a precedence for future adaptations to completely mess up a beloved story by removing all the aspects that make it good in the first place. ORV isn't loved because it's a generic male power fantasy, it's loved because the story subverts this. By stripping away everything to adhere to the general audience's expectations, there won't be anything left to love. There is genuinely so many things wrong with this movie from the erasure of Korean history to even misogyny (which wouldn't be noticed if viewers don't know the original story).

ORV is a love letter for its readers, but this movie spat on it, tore it with a paper shredder, stomped on it repeatedly, burned it, and threw the ashes into the ocean.

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Roller-coaster feeling

It's my first review about a drama so if I made any mistake please forgive me. First of all the storyline describes the drama well.The cast was amazing. You can feel every emotion. I usually don't watch melodrama cause I like comedy a lot. At first I thought I would not watch it but still I gave it a shot.It's not your typical idol type drama where the male lead is very popular and is surrounded by a lot of girls even though he is intelligent and handsome. The female lead is pretty,smart and talented in dancing. Those supporting roles played very well. What I liked is:
1.Good storyline.
2.Fabulous acting.
3.Drama fitting ost.
Now let me tell you a bit of this drama. It was love at first sight for the male lead. This drama reveals the dark side of reality and love. It also reveals the dark side of entertainment industry.Being born in a rich family doesn't mean that you have everything cuse you need your parents affection while growing up.Love is always not so sweet, sometimes it's hard,painful and filled with jealousy. Sometimes it's unrequited. Even though after all of this love can heal each other.I wanted to give a lot of spoilers but I didn't cause then you might probably become less curious of this drama. Overall even if you don't like melodrama a lot you can watch this cause it's really heart touching and you might feel like you are riding a Roller-coaster. Whatever happened in the middle the ending episode was the most beautiful.

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Romantic and Meaningful

Love is Science? (戀愛是科學) is an 18 episode romance drama that revolves around 2 couples, Yan Fei - Wang Hsuan Yu and Ou Wen and Mark. Love is Science? is a slow but very heartwarming series. No antagonist, the characters are just sweet and natural. Though the plot is it’s rather cliche but it has a sweet atmosphere that makes you invested in it!! Plus, All of them have good chemistry, little misunderstanding.

Love is Science? the premise revolves around two couples, one bxg couple (Yan Fei and Wang Hsuan Yu) and one bxb couple (Ou Wen and Mark). The first couple's storyline is really sweet, it focuses more on how Wang Hsuan Yu unrequited love is finally being reciprocated, and how Yan Fei comes to realization that Hsuan Yu has been by her side this whole time. Watching the first couple, you will feel butterflies in your stomach (but slow butterflies), Yan Fei feelings realization towards Hsuan Yu comes rather slow. Therefore, all their sweetness is around the last episode. But while watching the earlier episodes, you won't feel bored because you don't see their sweet moments. Rather, the earlier episodes and every extra scene (Hsuan Yu's and Yan Fei's childhood scene) make their romance buildup more interesting and meaningful.

On the other hand, OuWen and Mark couple focuses more on character development and how they grow together, as a couple and as an individual. Mark started off as a playboy and a homophobic (Mark expressed his disgust towards OuWen when OuWen touches him and more). But over time, Mark started to open his heart and realize his feelings for OuWen. Their love story is really heartwarming, that it makes you go "aww". However, Mark and OuWen's story does not only revolve around them. Their love story also revolves around Qiao Anna (Yan Fei's best friend) who once hooked up with Mark, then to find out that she's pregnant. (The second couple story does overshadow the main couple, but I don't mind since I find the second couple story actually more interesting than the first one and yes, they deserve a separate drama for the second couple)
Each character is also designed very well done and 3-dimensional. Personally, I love OuWen as a character, he’s honest and confident but also vulnerable. One of my favorite dialogues from him is, "why a gay man cannot be manlier than you?". He might be confident about being gay, but he also takes into consideration people around him. Love is Science? storyline doesn't all focus on romance and love, but it also provides glimpses into slice-of-life, how each individual how they grow, family, friendships, and more.

In terms of production quality, technical execution, Love is Science may not be perfect, but it is satisfactory. The drama uses soft filters and vibrant color palettes that provide a generally pleasant and vivid viewing experience. In addition, it also has decent camerawork. The cinematography and color palette makes this drama an enjoyable watch. There are also several setbacks in this drama, but the only major setback I can think of is the male lead comes off to be rather awkward.

Overall, Love is Science? is a good watch if you're looking for something romantic but meaningful as well.

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I won't call it an unhappy ending--it's actually nicely done

The first two episodes are very good. The third episode suffers from missing subtitles at crucial points (for international fans) and a negative portrayal of a female character. But I hope viewers would give the series a chance instead of rejecting it thinking that it has a sad ending. The ending is cleverly done and one one the most deftly crafted endings I have seen in a BL of late, as I will explain in the last part of my review.

THE FLAWS

Let me get the flaws out of the way first. I have to admit that the plot is rather clichéd: a teen guy has a crush on a schoolmate and enters a "Does he like me? Or does he like her?" sort of crisis, especially when he sees his crush being close to a female schoolmate. In Episode 3, the female character who likes one of the main characters gets him into trouble after she is rejected, by telling his mother the possibility that her son likes guys. The homophobic mother decides to send him elsewhere to study.

The redundant female villain in BL is becoming a thing of the past these days, and to be fair, the female character here isn't that villainous. She seems sorry for what she has done out of jealousy, but the problem isn't really that the story uses its sole prominent female character as a jealous villain. The actress is pretty good in her role, but the way she outs her crush to his mother seems out of character and written in purely to serve the development of the plot.

THE STRENGTHS

The series has rather good production values, however. The song that the main character, Best, sings is nice and suits the mood of the story. The cinematography and editing is generally excellent. There are plenty of flashbacks in Episode 3, but the flashbacks reveal a bit more than what the scenes in the earlier episodes show. Used to bring across the characters' thoughts and emotions, the flashbacks are rather moving, particularly the part with Best's voiceover reading the notebook/diary. I find War's acting as Best convincing, and he gives a fine performance in the scene in which he walks away after almost writing a message of Dew's shirt to tell him that he likes him.

THE ENDING

Many are slamming the series for it's supposedly sad ending, and I was actually quite ready to slam the ending too. But it is actually executed with finesse, It is not really an unhappy ending, and it's really touching for several reasons:

1. Some are upset that Best does not even get to confess his love to Dew--he starts writing a message on Dew's shirt, but stops halfway through. BUT: the reality is that he has managed to confess to Dew through the notebook that has accidentally ended up with Dew. The messages inside the notebook are actually more than what he can possibly write on the shirt, so Dew knows about Best's feelings.

2. The flashbacks in Episode 3 also reveal that Dew has been having a liking for Best quite early on and has known about Best's feelings for some time though they haven't really had a chance to be a couple.

3. The series ends with Best crying, but it's not really an unhappy ending if we observe carefully. Best cries after he gets a message from Dew. The message is a photo of a page in First's lost notebook, but with something added by Dew. Dew has written down in the page the same (incomplete) message that Best has written on his shirt (but with an ellipsis behind).

By sending Best a picture from the notebook, Dew is effectively saying that he knows how Best feels. (Consider Best's confession done then.) By writing the same incomplete message, he can mean a few things. Firstly, it can mean that he knows what the whole message is and is saying the same thing to Best (that he, he likes Best too). Secondly, the repetition of the incomplete message with an ellipsis may indicate that that he hopes that that's not the end for them--he hopes for a continuation of their story. This is perhaps also the message for the audience, whether there is a sequel or not.

Best's crying is actually more complex than indicating a sad ending. Yes, he may be sad that Dew is leaving to study elsewhere. (But that can happen even if they are a couple, right?) He is crying also because he knows that he has managed to let Dew know about his feelings, so he won't regret being so hesitant to confess all this while. And lastly, he is also crying because he knows that Dew has feelings for him too.

Unfortunately, for many international viewers, the subtitles for what Best writes on the shirt and what Dew writes on Best's notebook are missing. This contributes to the misunderstanding of the ending, I believe.

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O—K, so I managed to marathon this little beauty in about a day. This drama is concise and plays out more like a mini series.

Even through its dark and moody tone, the drama is surprisingly melancholy and understated. It strikingly fits the persona of the lead protagonist Michima Shin, a struggling novelist played by Noda Yojiro.

The characters are deep, and their character arcs are well developed considering that this drama is only 12, 25 minute episodes. Due to the run time, the story is very tightly written. Each episode beautifully plays into unraveling more of the mystery.

Million Yen Women has a bit of an off tempo. It is leisurely paced over 12 short episodes. I would highly recommend giving this drama a chance. I found that I was quickly pulled into the storyline. I will restrain myself from saying more so I won’t give too much away.

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An example of another drama I only watched because KAT-TUN members were in it. And probably wouldn't have if they weren't.

The idea was cute, and fun, but a lot of the times I wasn't that amused. I mean this isn't a bad drama, but it isn't the BEST one either. I think if you have time you should watch it but it's not one of those dramas I'd stop everything for to watch.

It has a lot of laughs in their along the way, and many strange scenarios. Junnosuke Taguchi playing a swedish guys son was pretty funny, especially with that blond hair, and those blue yes.

In closing this is basically a Japanese version of Scooby-Doo, and if you have some time to kill go ahead and watch it.

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I still can't believe I watched all 52+ episodes of this mess voluntarily.

I gave myself an extra week before finishing this drama because after weeks and weeks of this hot mess of a drama I wasn't quite ready for it to end. Watching this show has been slightly masochistic. The plot is possibly the most ridiculous I've ever committed to watching, the main couple was well past my threshold for cheesiness, and yet I couldn't look away. Every week I volunteered to be irritated by characters and baffled by their actions. The actors committed to some of the worst written characters I've ever seen, so I can respect them for that, but it is so way over the top that I couldn't take a minute of this seriously. If I could rename this drama I would call it "Why can't everyone just mind their own business?!!" since most of the plot ends up being about meddling parents and caring too much about what others have to say. I'm sure culturally this maybe resonates more with a Korean audience but I couldn't relate, and the actions of many of the characters felt insane. I felt insane too because I couldn't stop watching.

The main story is pretty basic. A young tutor/nanny and her widower boss fall in love in the most nonsensical way. There is also an implied HUGE age gap between them which already felt strange because in real life there isn't that same big age gap, and it shows. Their romance also feels extremely childish. The FL was constantly having random mood swings that went from obsessed crush to pouty brat while the ML was usually in robotic and gullible mode. They fought like immature kids, not lovers, for most episodes. Maybe people who like an old-fashioned love story will like how innocent they are but I felt like they traded in chemistry for a more "wholesome" style that was more cringy and corny than exciting and romantic. Still, this didn't stop me from waiting and watching to see what would happen, even when the same tropes kept repeating episode after episode. The silly music often played to remind us when it was supposed to be funny but I don't remember ever laughing... not even once in 52 episodes. I just stared at the screen wondering how something so terrible could put such a spell on me.

The rest of the characters consist of selfish parents throwing tantrums... a Sa Ra who is just as evil and slap inspiring as Se Ra's of dramas past, a lot of random family members in their own relationship messes, and 3 kids... 2 of which are super adorable and the show's highlight by far. All of these characters also constantly talk to themselves aloud which adds another layer to the ridiculousness. Still, I can only blame myself for tuning in each week. I dare say the end didn't disappoint, complete with a cringy musical moment that felt like our big prize for finally finishing this. There were also dramatic moments that left me completely dry-eyed but helped with the closure I need to move on.

Would I watch this again? Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa.

No.

Should you watch it? How do you feel about wasting hours of your life watching parents act like toddlers and the dysfunctional relationships they cause through meddling? Do you think dramas today aren't wholesome enough? Can you just not get enough of Amnesia plots? How about birth secrets and false paternity claims? Do you enjoy yelling "This is so stupid" at the screen? Do you enjoy being frustrated by characters doing things that make so sense at all? Do you love stories that drag out plots and jokes? Then by all means enjoy all 52 episodes of this train wreck of a drama. Scroll through the comments here and commiserate with others who also decided to watch this madness week after week. This is the one time where I feel like watching in real-time was better, and I just can't see binging this show for 52+ hours. The way so many parts of the plot drag on would be more blatant if watched back to back.

And don't forget the special... which could have easily been added to the last episode but maybe they needed more time for product placements and cheesy montages and flashbacks.

I admit that I will miss the "Do-Ba Do-bi-do-bi..." song during the awkward moments, which was a guilty pleasure.
Not to be confused with the more lighthearted "Dodo lehdehdeh..." lol! The music was definitely cued up to set the mood and will probably haunt me for years to come.

Overall, this is definitely a drama for a specific audience, so I don't want to trash it too much because I chose to keep watching. I'm still in shock that I made it to the end. If you dropped it, don't bother trying to watch it again. It doesn't get any "better" If anything it gets worse. Or maybe gather friends and you can heckle it together like "mystery science theater", because I know I wouldn't have made it without the comments here showing me I was not alone.

To all those who also made it to the end, We did it! I don't know why we did it to ourselves, but we did it!

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I will start by saying that although its clear where the story is eventually heading in the first few episodes, I think the title and synopsis are extremely misleading. If you are not prepared to watch a melodrama about star-crossed lovers, you will start to feel betrayed by this drama early on. This is from the writer of "Sorry, I love you", still one of the most epically melodramatic dramas I've ever seen, and knowing that helped me enjoy this drama more than I would have if I was expecting just a love story about two people who can't help but like each other.

For me, the MVP of this drama is Kim Woo Bin. He's the reason I wanted to keep watching no matter what. He mastered the charming jerk persona as Joon Yeong, and I was impressed by his range in this drama (from confident smirk to ugly tears). The story is so over the top, so It would've been easy to over act, but his character felt natural and real the entire time, which makes this crazy story work. I definitely became uncontrollably fond of him (sorry, i couldn't resist), and not just because of his shirtlessness. I missed out on Heirs, so this is my first time watching him, but certainly not my last.

He is paired with Suzy, who I think is a pretty good actress (even in one of my least favorite dramas ever "Big"), but she had her work cut out for her playing Noh Eul. Noh Eul is an interesting character, but also a frustrating one to watch. She also has a lot of weird wide eyed moments in turtlenecks, that kept reminding me of Shelley Duvall in "The Shining". Suzy has great chemistry with Woo Bin, but I think his charm deserves most of the credit for that. Suzy makes Noh Eul likable, and easy to empathize with, but there are moments where her actions are pretty ridiculous. That's a reoccurring theme for most of the characters in this show. They do things that make no sense, but the actors are good so it's ok.

That brings me to the rest of the cast. I think they all did a really great job considering how completely unbelievable most of the characters are. Jin Kyung is stellar as Joon Yeong's mom, but the way the character was written annoyed the hell out of me. Im Joo Hwan played his duality well, but the more melodramatic the story got, the less I liked his character. The junior romance subplot was also pretty cute. All the characters were memorable to me only because of the performances, but the characters themselves were often contrived, and lacked any real depth.

Speaking of lack of depth, I think that is what stopped me from really getting into this drama. In the beginning I was drawn in by the flirting, but then story turned into a revenge plot filled with greed, and betrayal, and everything you've already seen in other melodramas. Soon I found myself just watching the boring revenge plot just so i could see what would happen to Joon Yeong. I think that was the one redeeming thing about the plot. The cast's performances in the last 2 episodes got me in the feels so bad I was emotionally exhausted by the end, and was definitely underprepared in the tissue department. I finished the drama satisfied, though not impressed, which sums up this drama pretty well.

Overall, this was a great display of Kim Woo Bin's talent, but a pretty forgettable drama. The soundtrack is forgettable, the plot is forgettable, and even the title is forgettable. Still, I was entertained enough to want to keep watching, and It also didn't feel too long at 20 episodes. It was certainly cliché, but there are enough unexpected elements to keep things interesting. Interesting enough to watch again? No.

If you like melodrama, and tragic romances, there are a lot of things to like about "Uncontrollably Fond". There is not enough actual romance to satisfy true romance fans, or comedy to even justify having that listed as a genre for this drama. You also have to completely suspend disbelief, be able to empathize with horrible people, and be willing to believe the unbelievable... which is not a crazy request in dramaland. I can only recommend this drama with the disclaimer "Buyer Beware".

They also totally missed an opportunity to promote tissue boxes with Woo Bin's smiling face on them.

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This movie is definitely more of a comedy than a horror because I was laughing from beginning to end. The story has us follow Qie Xiaojin, a transfer student who at first glance is your stereotypical no good student. His fist was always faster than his brain. And his words were rougher than what he really thought. Yet, his thug-like behavior couldn't shake two parasites off him: Little Princess and Lu Qun. It is hilarious how they latched onto him after he accidentally saved them once from school bullying. Although he carefully tried to mind his own business after that, they wouldn't let him be. They went as far as following him to his grandparents' haunted hot spring hotel. And it was at the hotel, Xiaojin truly appreciated the strength in numbers. Seeing all three of them huddled together as they checked each room for ghost had me doing belly laughs. While the movie take away may be, " nobody is what they seem," seeing Xiaojin, Little Princess and Lu Qun's transformative friendship definitely put a smile on my face.

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Neo: I love you both, equally and at the same time.

It was so very apparent how much Neo loved them both but especially the way he adored Shin was amazing. Because towards Miw he was very manly heroic and protective, the typical dashing hero, you know? But the way he… mellowed around Shin, his whole behavior simply softened. Like Shin said to Miw, “[Neo] gets my sensitivities and your abrasive loud mouth.” They obviously both gave him something he needed.

And the same went for Miw and Shin. They both loved Neo very much, that was their common ground but at the end of the series, it was obvious they started to feel something for each other, too. For Miw, both Neo and Shin were softer than her but differently so. Neo was more her equal so she could be brash with him -but she couldn’t be that way with Shin without feeling guilty. Shin was squishy and soft and so he made her softer, too. For Shin, both Neo and Miw were true and genuine, but whereas Neo was kind, Miw was brutally honest.

So, if you want to watch a genuine polyamory story, not a love triangle, then do watch 3 Will Be Free. Because their poly love is not just explicit - as in sex - but also discussed openly.

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Story is nothing special, it's the usual time traveling plot. It reminded me a lot of Eternal Love (w/ MoLianCheng & Tan'er), so if you like that series give this one a go. The female lead time travels into the body of a daughter with a evil dad and sister. she is betrothed to a cold and smart prince, the prince falls in love with her first, but she just plots to leave. I am a sucker for these time travel plots, so I ofc had to watch this.

It's a short web drama, so there isn't a lot of plot thickening which might be one of the reasons why I loved this one. I hate extreme and complex historical court politics. I just care about the OTP. The show gets to the point and focuses mostly on the main couple. There are cute and romantic moments, a great OST, pretty cast, nice wardrobe and scenery- what's not to like. Only thing is, acting is a little meh at time, but I'm understanding about it, the main cast are all new.

I think this drama deserves a higher rating, an 8 at the very least. I don't think it's subbed yet, but hopefully it does soon and all ya'll people who didn't master Chinese yet can enjoy it too.

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