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this was one of the first dramas i ever watched and will always remain one of my favourites and one that i can watch over and over again without losing interest
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This review may contain spoilers
That Summer the Waves Brought Them Together
'That Summer', first things first, I really love the title. There's something about summer- it's fleeting, short-lived, but maybe that's what makes it all the more beautiful and of course, hotter too. A love named after that season, just like the season itself, feels like an escapade, you know a little world apart where everything is more intense, more emotional, and more unforgettable. And this series is really good- execution wise as well as plot wise.Davin, a prince who loses his memory after an accident, ends up being saved by Lava, a rebellious kid sent to live with his uncle for three months as a punishment. And that's where everything begins. Lava names the stranger "Wave" because, as he says, "The waves brought you to me." and their story quickly becomes a mix of bickering, teasing, and unexpectedly tender moments in between. Lava is a total tsundere- sharp, sarcastic, but secretly soft- and Wave, even without his memories, still has his princely charm and playful sass. And he is so damn cute. Like even when he is glaring at Lava, all I could see was cuteness. Their bickerings were hilarious but when they actually care for each other, it was genuinely heart melting. And after Wave and Lava finally acknowledge their feelings for each other, the story just gets sweeter and more layered. Their relationship blossoms from playful teasing into genuine intimacy, both emotionally and, at times, physically, but always in that heart-melting way. The cute bickering doesn't disappear- it just transforms into a comfortable, teasing language that only they share. Also, I absolutely loved the coming out scene of Prince Davin.
The side story with Lava's uncle Pheng and his doctor boyfriend Wut is sweet yet layered with it's own complexities. Wut's desire to live openly- no longer hiding who they are or what they mean to each other clashes gently with Pheng's hesitation and need for privacy. Still, instead of pushing, Wut chooses understanding Their relationship is filled with quiet but meaningful gestures. Their journey from hiding to being official was really worth watching.
Other side characters also add depth and fun. Tum, the wannabe influencer, is hilariously entertaining, and his interactions with Kratae, the kind nurse, creates a fun bickering dynamic. Also, the setting is gorgeous, the vibes are nostalgic, and the whole story just in a way sticks with you, at least it did with me. Recommended!!!
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I had just finished my first drama with So Ji Sub (Master's Sun) and was searching for another one of the same genre with him starring as well. Came across this one, and although an action/serious drama was everything I didn't want, I still gave it a try because, well, it's So Ji Sub. And, oh, thank God I did.
The story developed perfectly along the 20 episodes, although in my opinion there are way too many flashbacks and a few fillers. I loved how the flashbacks were displayed and how the quality was pretty different from the present time action.
I don't have many things to point out except I still have my doubts concerning some hidden cameras displayed in questionable flashbacks. Other than that, this drama got all my attention and was the best company for the last days of my holidays.
I had seen Ghost's poster before, but it never got my curiousity because it had Lee Yeon Hee and, well, I really don't like her acting from what I've seen of her. This drama didn't convince me otherwise. She's too... 1 dimensional. In my opinion (although I'm no acting expert at all), she still has a long way to go.
On the other hand, there's So Ji Sub and his eternal amused look with his sympathetic frown (it does make sense if you know what I'm talking about). Since I'm considerably new to So Ji Sub and thus I don't know him exactly well, I have to recognize he did a great job, but there's another actor that took the spotlight. Absolutely loved Kwak Do Won's acting. I saw him on Good Doctor, but his acting there is far from as good as it is in Ghost. He perfectly portrayed the frustrated and mad detective. I must agree with the awards given to the main cast. So, although I feel like taking a point off the acting, I think of both So Ji Sub and Kwak Do Won and I just can't. Lee Yeon Hee, I want to see more of your expressions. Being a pretty face isn't everything...
I took extra attention to the music ever since Phantom of the Opera's theme started playing out of nowhere. It caught me by surprise and it did scare my at first, but then whenever it played again I would just laugh. But that music isn't everything. Overall, the OST was pretty good. 10 points for P.O's sudden "Burn burn out out" at the end of one of the first episodes.
This drama exceeded all my expectations. Lately I've been into a melodrama, 16-episodes drama mood but this actually changed and surprised me. I recommend it to anyone who likes a bit of action, police-related series and really handsome boys. (y)
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To my surprise, as the story progressed, I found the drama raising interesting questions about finding love after death, about whether simply marrying into a family makes you a part of the family. Bringing these issues to the surface drew me further into the story, as did the growing love between Prime Minister Kwon and Nam Da-jeong. Seeing them display their love through little acts of caring before they even realized the true source of their actions, how their actions stemmed from love, really warmed my heart right up.
However, all of this was abandoned in favor of contrived angst. I don't mind angst in a drama if it's well-crafted and makes sense. Prime Minister and I's angst was neither, resulting in me wanting to slap a few tear-stained faces that appeared on my screen. Wanting to strangle your heroine is not a good sign. Add to that a political plotline that I'm pretty sure was added only to show that the Prime Minister has duties other than shuffling paper around his desk, and you have the elements that sucked the joy out of what should have been a breezy viewing experience.
(Speaking of sucking out the joy of something, what the heck happened to Yoon Shi Yoon in this drama? In every scene, he looked as if someone was kicking puppies off screen. He looked happier when he was filming an actual makjang than he looks here!)
Perhaps if this drama had done a better job of mixing in the heartwarming with the angst, I would have rated this higher. As it stands, Prime Minister and I became for me an unnecessary roller-coaster of cliches and forced emotions that ultimately left me not caring at all.
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Another breath of fresh air from Japan's part!
Japan has recently been providing the fantastic BLs that we all yearn for. Their plots are consistently unique and captivating. Old Fashion Cupcake was like that. This is a story of love between a boss and an employee. It's not the typical cliched office romance plot we have always seen. This is one of the most mature, realistic, and endearing love stories I've ever seen. I can't believe they managed to fit such a heartwarming and endearing love story into just five episodes!
On the one hand, there is 29-year-old Togawa, who aspires to live a regret-free and purposeful life. The 39-year-old Nozue, on the other hand, believes he is too old to try anything new and goes through life in a cycle of sleeping, waking up, and going to work. However, things changed as they went to a pancake shop. From that point on, Togawa had been seducing Nouze covertly under the disguise of helping with anti-aging treatment, deepening their relationship.
The leads had good chemistry together. They seemed so exceptional and natural. Watching their interactions and conversations was fun. I adored the way Togawa seduced Nozue and made the most of the anti-aging procedure. This drama was very satisfying all around. Every single second of it was enjoyable for me. It doesn't happen all the time, but sometimes I feel like I want more! I'm hoping that Japan will continue to make such unusual BLs like these.
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The plot was supposed to be about a girl who is very unlucky. Anything that can go wrong in a situation goes wrong for her. After being dumped by her boyfriend, she quits her job as a psychologist to begin a new career at a dating agency, so that she can help others find the true love she longs for. It just so happens, though, that a divorce agency opens up across the street. The boss of the divorce agency also happens to become enemies with her. Of course, that makes for a promising Asian drama, right? Especially when you throw in a kind, caring second male lead that keeps getting friend zoned and an ex girlfriend that just can't let go. Even though it was rather cliche, the first half was presented in a fresh way, devoting most of the time to the build up of the lead character's romance. We really got to see each step, the emotion, the reactions, the mental aspects. A great deal of time was spent on character dialogue and longer scenes, something most dramas do not do.
Then....
At first....
Nothing happens. You are waiting for the conflict to start. You know the signs, there is always a formula, right? It then happens and it's such a little blip in the story that you are left in disbelief. Instead, it is like the very distant roll of thunder right before a storm hits, except this storm is full of WTF, and I mean that in a bad way. Just a little after halfway through the episodes the story takes a big deviation. This is almost certainly due to very, very bad rewriting of the script. Suddenly, there is major conflict, but this major conflict makes zero sense, is stupid and DRRRRRAAAAAGGGGGSSS. Seriously drags on and on and on until the last episode, where it magically vanishes with a sudden epiphany and everyone lives happily ever after.
In conclusion, this drama had so much potential but just ended up being a huge, whopping disappointment.
I still heart Tang Danson though.
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Don't listen to the cliche korean viewers!
This is a kind of drama that I try so hard to find. why? It's free from all the unpleasant and repetitive elements of many korean dramas. Now, what do I mean by unpleasant and repetitive elements generally present in 80% of the romantic korean dramas?1) Childhood/prior acquaintance (the ML and FL have already unknowingly acquainted; i.e. their love story is fated) This is also present in one of my most beloved korean drama CLOY, which is pretty recent.
2) PTSD (even in many of the famed korean dramas , you will see that this element can't be avoided)
3) Rich ML, Poor or clumsy FL
Also ,this drama has very realistic and interesting storylines. I can understand if you don't find the main couple's story that attractive, but the progress of the story can be reasoned . The side storylines are very distinct and cover broad issues that one can face in relationships.
Please note that this is not the rom-com as written in the details section. Expect a slight melodramatic romance from the main couple. This is a light watch ,so don't expect very high emotional turnover
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Must watch 2023 drama..
This time tencent has done a great work with production of wonderland of love. WOL can fulfill any type of thirst of a viewer.... The pacing of show is fast and what I like most is how male leads have most screen time that s why there is not boring moments.The acting and chemistry is on point between leads. Although this is a quite tragic story because of many deaths but it has a happy ending and little comedy to lighten up overall story...
In terms of story, acting, cinematography and from every aspect this drama exceeds my expectation.
I hope upcoming project of Xu kai are as great as this is...
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This series is awful and pointless
Boy, the other reviewers are very kind.The only positives to this are that both leads are very attractive and they are both very comfortable with kissing scenes.
The acting is not good, which is surprising, because Green is a fantastic actor - one of the best in BL - and Chap is... well, he looks extraordinarily good with his shirt off. The side actors are generally unmemorable - not terrible, but noticably acting.
The story is so stupid it's not really worth spending time on. It's not so much a plot as it is a string of cliched tropes. There's nothing so stupid that they can't do it twice. There are two accidental kisses, and two times someone falls into a body of water. In fact, in what seems to be an attempt for the Stupidest Series of All Time award, they even combine these - an accidental kiss caused by both characters falling into a bathtub. Accidentally. Somehow. The second immersion has a character fall into a pool - there are about 50 people there, and nobody does anything about it whatsoever except stand around and wait for the main character to notice, except this takes him more than 15 seconds and this is a BL, so the guy drowns. But is revived and is fine. I don't think he even really coughs - just spits out a mouthful of water and then carries on with his day.
It's a typical enemies-to-lovers scenario, except they go so overboard with how awful Satee is that you hope he dies alone, and then the transition to love is so abrupt it feels like someone flipped a light switch.
One of the leads is an angry agoraphobe who needs to get to the tailor's shop. Besides his fear of leaving the house, he also hates the tailor, so the author has written herself into a corner. But she comes up with the ingenious solution of having the assistant lightly tap him on the back with a small hollow glass scupture, which knocks him out and they somehow drag his body to the Tailor. Problem solved.
I normally wouldn't nitpick the wardrobe choices, but the theme of this series is about a picky guy finding the best tailor for the best suit, so I would expect the clothing to reflect that. Everyone spends the entire series wearing dark, wool three-piece suits, which is more or less insane in Thailand. Nobody expires due to heat exhaustion - only being tapped on the back with a hollow glass scupture or being immersed in water for 15 seconds can do someone in.
But the clothing is all really poorly tailored! The trousers are too long, the jackets don't fit well, and the styling is terrible and unflattring. Also, the suit in question is not even a tuxedo, it's a boring ill-fitting blue business suit. The tailor does wear a tux to the main event - it is so horrible that it looks like something a guy might wear to a prom who waited till the last minute to rent his tux and so ended up with... whatever that was. The waistcoat was so over-sized that I wasn't sure if he was going to a party or volunteering for the defense of Mariupol.
The theme song is by Jeff Satur, and even that doesn't help. I'm surprised they paid an actual artist for something (or kidnapped his family and forced him to do this), but he only had to write two bars, which they play over an over again. It's a particularly blaring love ballad which becomes unintentionally funny because thy fire it up at a moment's notice whever something happens that is supposed to be romantic.
I'm shallow and I like attractive well-built men with their shirts off, but I have to say that Chap's body is so beautiful that it will catch you by surprise - and he knows how to use it - the way he stands and moves... That's why I gave the series a relatively high rewatch value. I have already watched his first shirtless scene several times and will be returning to it.
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A decently entertaining drama despite its undeniable plot holes. The drama is the epitome of a drama where objectively, is probably not the greatest drama out there, but subjectively, could become your guilty pleasure. You should only check out/watch this drama if you:1) Are a fan of one or both of the lead actors (Yang Mi and Huang Zitao)
2)Like noona-dongsaeng romances
3) Are interested in a brainless drama to watch to pass your time (I used it as a brainless stress-reliever in between studying for midterms, which was fun)
Story:
It tells the story of Xie Xiaofei, a seemingly bratty, annoying and childish young man. However, he turns out to be someone with a good heart and certain opinions/ideas that you may agree with. However, he is quite bratty, although also likable, but also annoying. He's quite bipolar, and a very conflicting character. I had an intense like/hate relationship with his character. However, after the big thing with his family, he kind of starts to mature, so there is change. May not be the amount of change you’d wish he had, but decent enough.
Tong Wei, is a closed-off, serious, strict, career woman, whose life is turned upside down when Xiaofei enters and causes a series of funny and not funny mishaps in her life. However, the pair is very likable, and probably the only likable parts of the drama. I know that most people were kind of put off by the age gap, but they do mention it in the drama that the woman is older.
What I liked:
1. The main couple is very cute (until the last like 3 stressful episodes)! Especially if you like noona-dongsaeng romances.
2. The drama is pretty well-paced. Despite the plot holes, I still found myself wanting to watch the next episodes.
3. Yang Mi’s fashion/clothes in this drama is A+++!! Literally loved most of her outfits
4. That it kept itself together (for the most part) longer than Les Interpretes. It got extremely frustrating for the last 4-5 episodes, but hey, at least not the entire latter half of the drama like Les Interpretes
5. Tong Tiantian was annoying as hell in the begining but redeemed herself about halfway through
6. There were some decently funny parts!!
7. I really like the OST songs
What I disliked:
1. The supporting characters my goodness. Most of them were annoying for a large portion of the drama (although Tong Tiantian and Shang Bichen were more bearable as the drama progressed and Tong Wei's aunt had a reedamable moment LOL)
2. Tong Wei selling her house to make money to help pay Xie Xiaofei's mom's medical bills??? Like girl......I wouldn't do that if this wasn't dramaland
3. Lawyer dude Qin Tianyu was annoying as hell sometimes. Like Tong Wei told him quite a few times that she didn't like him, yet he was still so persistent LOL
4. Zhao Chenxi............my goodness where do I start with this annoying supporting character!!
5. The story did have its plotholes throughout, and were quite bearable most of the time. UNTIL the last like 5 episodes I was basically riding on the wildest rollercoaster ever I was so confused and frustrated lmao.
6. Tong Wei's best friend was such a hassle and obstruction sometimes LOL. Plus she is the kind of women I would NOT want to be.
7. The whole Tong Wei and Shan Shan's tragedy thing in the last few episodes.......I won't say more because that would be too spoiler-y
8. The drama is called "Negotiator" but there really wasn't THAT much negotiating LOL.......maybe they should change the name.
Acting:
So I would say that the overall acting was okay by the entire cast. Many of you may have seen Yang Mi in Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms, where she showcased brilliant acting. Her acting in this one was okay. The character itself is very serious and work-oriented, but her character livens a bit more as the drama progresses. I liked a lot of her crying scenes, but even those, she didn't cry like crazy because of how reserved her character was. I especially liked her crying scene when she was arguing with Xiaofei in front of Chen Xiaoxi's house, as well as that scene where she found out about Shan Shan's fate.
As for Tao, he posted on Weibo when the drama just started airing that this was the first drama he's ever filmed (even though his other drama aired earlier) and I feel that as a debut drama, he did pretty well. I do think his emotional/crying scenes were better than his angry scenes. He makes me laugh when he's angry LOL but his crying scenes were actually pretty good.
Setting aside how annoying their characters were, the supporting actors in this were actually okay too. I must say, Dylan Kuo being the only Taiwanese-accented person in the entire cast threw me off a lot at the very beginning because his pronunciation was SUPER obviously different LOL but I guess I eventually kind of grew used to it. The guy who plays Sun Hao......does not sound like he was dubbed.......his voice sounds really raspy(??) and kind of annoying LOL or maybe that's just me but he's not in the drama that much so it's okay.
Also you may be annoyed by dubbing at times (I thought it was fine since I love dubbing lol). They had issues passing SARFT the first time, so their characters were all dubbed after stuff was changed. The English dubbing might feel kind of whack too since the actors were saying Chinese and then they were dubbed over with English. But I mean......at least there wasn't TOO much of those parts, and it's not like the actors can speak English very well LOL.
Music:
The instrumental music was sometimes quite bothersome….they were kind of too loud at times (which is why I docked off some points)?? But the OST songs I really liked!!! I listen to a lot of Chinese music, so I really liked the opening and ending theme songs, as well as the other OST song sung by Yisa Yu. I have all 3 of these songs on my phone and have been listening to them quite often these days.
Rewatch:
I would rewatch the parts with the main leads!! I really thought they were cute, and I’ve already rewatched quite a few of their scenes. But nothing else aside from the main leads LOL I watched this drama because I’m a big fan of Yang Mi and I often times enjoy noona-dongsaeng romances (thus fulfilling the two bullet points I had listed at the beginning of this review).
Lastly:
I used to think Huang Zitao was kind of annoying (me being a semi-kpop fan and all) but throughout the past month of watching this drama and scrolling through Weibo, my view of him as turned from annoyance to neutrality and a bare liking. His Weibo stories of him watching the drama were quite funny.
I'm hoping Jaywalk Studio can pick better modern cdramas for Yang Mi and her talents in the future.......I feel like they always pick up awful modern cdramas LOL it really wastes the potentials of their talents!! ://
In essence, a guilty pleasure drama XD
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1This review may contain spoilers
Love is Sweet.... and apparently dull as a door knob.
It may seem odd to find such a low rating among the sea of 9s and 10s. While watching the drama, I wondered the entire time how come everyone is falling in love with this except me? There is nothing that makes this drama distinct from the hundreds of other rom-coms that are coming out. There is no novelty to the plot, no substance, unimaginative and is quite frankly a nicely packaged ordinary thing.Premise
Twenty-eight year old Jiang Jun is trying to join MH, one of the top investment banks. At MH, Jiang Jun meets her childhood playmate, Yuan Shuai.
The drama starts with our FL sitting for a job interview. She is confident and kind, as she helps calm the nerve of a fellow interviewee and has a pleasant exchange with another female candidate. Although Jiang Jun gets to the final round, our ML (Yuan Shuai) who’s one of the managing partners, deems her “a sheep in a business filled with wolves” and lets her go.
Determined to get the job, she attends a function held for the who’s who of finance to bypass Yuan Shuai.
The drama didn’t even give viewers the chance to dip our toe in before it hit us with clichés in the first episode. Evidently in a world where physics is obsolete, our FL trips and falls not only in the arms of our ML but with their lips align to land on each other’s. This phenomena doesn't happen just once but twice as the gravity defying lips of our leads end up entangled again in a latter episodes.
I initially thought this drama would avoid the distasteful cliché of pitting women against each other given the early interactions between Jiang Jun and other female candidates. Alas drama world dictates that no two women, be it in love or career, can occupy the same space and time unless its to be rivals.
The male lead was written with the protagonist halo. Not only is he a genius in financial markets, but he's unbeatable in car racing and he can throw a punch or two. This financial wiz, in an industry filled with “wolves” is not a ruthless businessman but rather one with a heart of gold, who fights for the little guys. Of course a ML like that can only be matched with a FL with equal caliber. Our FL who has no prior experience in investment banking, not only is good at her new job she seems to do every task well. Her fellow new hires with their fancy degrees and experience can only be disappointed and jealous. I wish to take them aside and tell them that its not their fault they are written as supporting characters.
Romance
The ML has been in love with the FL since childhood so he does everything to protect her and make her like him. If you doubted they’d be good for each other, the writers made every effort to rid you of that doubt. To squash the idea that the love rival might have a chance, the writers took it upon themselves to prove to the viewers in a “scientific” way. The 2ML's dating app matches our leads with-100% compatibility. Yes, 100% match! Who is 100% with anyone? Not even twins are this compatible. To add to this preposterous plot, when the male love rival tried the app he had a 0% match. I honestly wish I had dropped the drama at this point and saved myself.
The romance of course also has the usual cliches, like the noble breakup, and 2 love triangles on each side. Mercifully two of the characters unrequited love plot was tackled without any major drawn out blood.
The main third party is another investment banker who is both a work and relationship rival to Yuan Shuai. This is by far the most inconsequential, irrelevant character in this drama. His entire existence is bewildering. The work issues and challenges were laughable and as for love he never even had a chance. And yet this character takes up too much screen time where he was neither a villain nor a hero until the last episode when the writers decided to use him as a last pebble our leads need to stumble over. What a pathetic existence. I really felt bad for both the actor and character.
Second Couple
The 2FL is our leads best friend. My initial take on the character was, strong, slightly wacky but confident and sensible. That assumption quickly evaporated. The 2ML played by Riley Wang is a college student who is working on a dating app. The algorithm he is working on for this app is based on his belief that data has a better chance of finding you a life partner than randomly meeting people and letting emotions dictate. This is the guy our 2FL decides to hang her love life on.
It is well known that a drama can enhance its quality with a good side story. A strong side couple can not only make boring parts of the drama bearable but can even salvage one. However, in this drama we have one of the dullest, uninteresting frankly quite annoying side couples. Our 2FL walked off her job to be a writer. However, this woman saw a handsome young man at a 7/11 and after learning he frequents that store for its Wi-Fi decides to answer the “help wanted” sign. She goes on to chase the guy in the most cringy, clingy way possible. I got confused if I was watching a middle schooler or a grown woman of 28.
The absurdity in this second couples plot continues when our 2FL tries the dating app and gets a 1% compatibility with 2ML. But this is drama so they have to end up together somehow right? So what does that say about the app AND the writers when this line of plot which matches one couple with 100% compatibility and our 2nd couple with a 1% chance and they all end up together? I don’t expect true and proven science in my dramas but I’d still like them to be sensible. To add to their nonsensical plot, these two people have no chemistry. No spark, no subtle vibe nothing. Every scene they were in was just dull. And they stayed that way to the bitter end. The fast forward button was invented for this couple.
So you can imagine with out an interesting side story to alleviate the dull parts of the main story, there was nothing to stop someone from sinking into boredom.
Good traits
Leo Luo’s character is thankfully not your usual cold, detached, arrogant type. He is actually goofy at times, friendly, funny. I especially love his scenes where he had to shout in surprise or shock, for some reason I find those scenes cute and adorable.
Bai Lu’s acting is wonderful as well as most of the supporting casts. There is a bit of over acting with some characters that just made them look weird, but not too much to turn you off.
The romance progressed quite quickly. Although I don't see the chemistry everyone seems to be fawning over, they at least work well. The romance was mature, in a way that it is based in reality of how actual humans their age date. There wasn't a lot of running around in circle or pretending that intimacy doesn't exist in dating world which a lot of c-dramas suffer from. They fought silly fights, and had ordinary boring nights just like any normal loving couple. Watching their domestic bliss was the only saving grace of this entire drama.
The production quality for this was definitely not cheap. From the outfits to the set everything was top notch. Which is why I was initially shocked by some of Bai Lu’s outfits. Its like the writers were confused which trope to follow. The FL showed up to her interviews well dressed in suit pants and heels. On the job, she immediately switched to baggy jeans, some weird shoes and oversized blazers until the manager scolded her like a child to dress more professionally. I don’t understand why they took this directions unless its to make the other woman look and sound mean and the FL sympathetic. It didn’t work on my part. FL was not some broke, penniless, farmers daughter who came to the big city to pursue her dreams. It just ended up making her look unprofessional. But thankfully this lapse in judgment didn’t last long and we see Bai Lu dressed fashionably for the rest of the drama. The makeup for most of the cast was tastefully done. The shooting locations seemed to be in a more affluent areas.
Conclusion
As I always say, two beautiful people does not make a rom-com. Content matters. The drama is just plain predictable and boring, littered with illogical and cliched plots with no substance to make up for its weakness. Personally even my love for Luo Yunxi couldn’t salvage this for me.
The drama would have benefited from shorter episodes. Frankly, 24 episodes would have been ideal but it could have ended on ep 32. But to stretch it from 32-36 episodes unnecessary and tasteless plots were included. For c-drama it seems to be fate that a drama can’t cross a finish line if it doesn’t shoot one of its foot and wobble through.
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A Must-Watch Drama That Redefines C-Drama Storytelling
As a fan of this director’s mini-dramas and familiar with the leads, I had this show vaguely on my radar, but wow—what a ride! This drama breaks away from tradition and delivers everything I’ve ever wished for in a C-drama. From the exquisite directing to the engaging characters, it’s a masterpiece through and through.
Directing and Cinematography:
The directing is stunning, with shots crafted with clear intention. There’s an artistry in how unspoken emotions are conveyed visually, creating a narrative that feels almost poetic. Every frame tells a story, and the attention to detail elevates the entire viewing experience, no additional voice narrating is necessary.
The Plot:
We start with a bold twist—our leads are at the end of their lives, poisoned and let down by the world. They connect on a profound, kindred level, only to die together. And then, just when you think it’s over, the story rewinds. The female lead wakes up in her childhood body, armed with memories of her past life. This familiar premise is brought to life in a refreshing way.
From the very first episode, you’re hooked. Unlike many dramas that rush through backstory in a few minutes, this one dedicates almost an entire episode to immersing us in the leads’ tragic past. By the time their deaths hit, you’re already emotionally invested. This makes their “redo” all the more meaningful—you want them to rewrite their fates.
The Characters:
-The Male Lead: He’s a brilliantly written character— just irresistible. Unlike the FL he did not keep his memories from his past life. A badass fighter unafraid to make difficult choices, he’s captivating from start to finish. Watching him fall in love with the FL and become a devoted husband was pure joy.
-The Female Lead: She’s smart, strategic, and compassionate—a true standout. It’s no wonder the ML (and others) are drawn to her. She is a badass queen!
Their chemistry is electric, and their relationship is everything I’ve ever wanted in a drama. They get married out of love (not duty!) in the middle of the series, and their relationship is free of miscommunication or unnecessary drama. They’re a true power couple and absolute #CoupleGoals.
-Ji Yong (3rd Favorite Character): A complex and fascinating character, Ji Yong is cunning, intelligent, and emotionally detached—but not evil. His ambition is understandable, and despite (appearing) to be on the opposite side of our leads, he’s impossible for me to hate. Knowing he gets a second chance also with his memories intact makes his journey even more compelling. Also, when his true intentions were revealed it made him the most interesting character in the show for me.
Palace Politics and Villains:
Though I’m not usually a fan of palace politics, the intrigue here kept me hooked. The villains are as twisted as they come, showcasing the theme, “No one can mess up your life like your family.” It’s painfully relatable and well-executed. Also, the showdown in ep.31 in the court kept me at the edge of my seat. And the finale is everything I expected it to be.
The Beautiful Happy Ending:
What truly cemented this drama as a favourite was the beautiful and uplifting ending. Despite the bleakness of their situation and the overwhelming odds against them, our leads stand together against the world, showing how love can transcend hate and bring light even in the darkest times. Their unwavering commitment to each other and their shared goal of a better future made the finale deeply satisfying. It’s rare to see such an authentic portrayal of love’s power, and it left me with a sense of hope and joy that I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Final Thoughts:
This drama came out of nowhere and completely swept me off my feet. The beautifully crafted story, unforgettable characters, and emotionally resonant themes make it my favorite drama of 2024. If you’re looking for a C-drama that delivers heart, depth, and an unforgettable journey, this is it.
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À la poubelle!
With all the honesty in the world: IDGAF how it ends. Whoever wrote this script, I hope they never do it again.The story is so weak that even the fact that the actors are cutie pies doesn't save it. It's a boat that should never have been put to sea.My frustration reached its peak after episode 7.
I can understand a weak communication in a relationship, but to be so, SO DUMB and insecure... I can't take it anymore. And this is coming from a super empathetic person who always tries to understand both sides. But Ba Woo is something else.
I really hope this guy ends single. He was a terrible friend to Ji Hoon and he'll be the same as a boyfriend. Having someone so insecure around doesn't lead to anything good.
I don't even want to mention the fact that WE got more flashbacks than anything else in the last few episodes. Are we a joke to you?
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