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Then it happened. There was a storm hit or an earthquake or some radiation leak or some kind of cosmic unconscious thing happened that some how messed with the brains of the writers that made them **** up (insert various curse words here) the drama at exactly episode 35. That is where the BS began.This drama went left. So left it fell of a cliff..ugh i'm so mad the writers messed the whole thing up.
The romance between the main characters Monghee and her love life totally was just turned upside down, punt in a blender, pureed, frozen and thrown out to sea. That's how bizarre her story was. Don't even get me started on the 180 half the characters made. The only saving grace for this drama is the story of the youngest brother. I can't put my finger on what exactly happened but if you are going to embark n this journey good luck.
I for one am not happy with the way it turned out. I don't think i have cursed so much at the ending of a drama and i saw When a Man Loves (that says a lot). That ending made me puke ugh I need the 50+ hrs i invested in this drama back.
In other words DON'T DO IT.
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The plot follows a special team of detectives that work together to solve cases that only have a "10%" chance of being cracked. The cases are dark and twisted and wonderfully portrayed.
Each member of the team has an interesting backstory and is played to perfection. Joo Sang Wook was amazing as the "less than noble" team leader with the soulful eyes. My favorite character overall, was Kim Sang Ho's lazy bum-detective character who is actually quite clever.
TEN has amazing cinematography and visual effects ... it seems a lot more artistic than the usual cop drama. The music is also lovely. BREATHE by Mad Soul Child is a hauntingly amazing song.
Overall, a slick and exciting mystery series that features great acting. Can't wait for the movie that will conclude the cliffhanger at the end of episode 10.
;)
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From Loose Cannon to Team Regular
This season feels a bit like staying too long at the same job: you know the people, you know the rhythm, and eventually even the surprises start to feel scheduled.That is more or less what happened here. In the first season, a lot of the fun came from Jin I-soo being such an unpredictable presence. He was impulsive, immature, a little reckless, and always capable of throwing both his team and the viewer slightly off balance. That unpredictability gave the show its spark.
This time, he has clearly matured. He is more capable, more settled, and a lot less irresponsible, which makes sense after spending so long as a full-time cop. But that growth also changes the energy around him. His teammates are no longer shocked by his methods, and even his new boss seems to accept fairly quickly that this is simply how he operates. As a result, the season feels more familiar than thrilling: still competent and likable, but missing some of that irresistible “what is he about to do now?” energy that made the first season so much fun.
Ahn Bo-hyun is still very solid in the role and carries Jin I-soo’s growth well, but the writing does not really give him many opportunities to do anything particularly fresh. Jung Eun-chae and Yoo Seung-ho also do well, but neither is given material that feels especially standout or transformative. Everyone does their part well, but very little feels genuinely fresh.
Most of the cases are well written and interesting enough on their own, so the season is never difficult to watch. But the final case, which should have delivered the biggest payoff, ends up being the weakest stretch. The build-up is there, but the execution is far less punchy and far more ridiculous than the setup promises.
In the end, this is not a bad follow-up at all. It is just a smoother, more settled one. Like an old job you have become good at, it runs efficiently, everyone knows their role, and the shocks are fewer. That may be maturity. It may also be why the season never quite recaptures the excitement of the first.
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Abusive Jerk Guy His Boss (watch suggestions)
Overall: I was hoping this would be the bodice ripper BL version of What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, but the abuse, idiotic decisions, repetitive plot and love rivals ruined the series for me. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/4736/bad-guy-my-boss-2024-e01 Later aired on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJx-XkJhYuVf6ejPVOOW2e3hwO8XfFMPO&si=QS9_ZMVBzioZJHRH and Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41071c-bad-guy-my-bossContent Warnings: murder, attempted murder, blood, violence, intimate partner abuse, non con kissing, manipulation, manhandling, stalking, drugging, kidnapping
Watch Suggestions (takes out love triangle/business stuff/violence and instead focus on cute/steamy scenes)
- watch episode 1
- episode 2 watch 27:40-29:40
- episode 3 watch ep 2 recap up to 3 min, 15:20-17:30 (which is a flashback) and 31 to the end
- episode 4 watch 4:30-8
- episode 5 watch 28-38:30
- episode 6 watch 12-13, 16-16:50 and 20-22
- episode 7 watch 36:30-38
- episode 8 watch 5:25-5:55 and 9:30-10:30
- episode 9 watch 6:30-7:15, 31-34:30, 39-41:06
- episode 10 watch 14:30-15:15, 19:30-23:15, 25:30-28:30 and 38:30-42:30
- skip episode 11
- episode 12 watch 2-5:40, 7:30-9:15, 24-26:10 and 37 to the end
What I Liked
- what I thought was the premise based on ep 1
- established 1 protagonist as queer and sexually active
- caring/sweet moments
- visuals
- the ex girlfriend accepted the rejection once it was made clear
- Kim made something clear to Pat towards the end, with a breadcrumb that he might find a different romantic relationship
Room For Improvement
- two of the characters were abusive yet we were supposed to root for their romantic relationships with non-abusive partners, examples of abuse included: physically violent (manhandling, choking, shove), manipulative, ignored boundaries, controlling, enacted retribution for perceived slights, one character shot a guy in the head and the next day the viewer is supposed to root for his romantic relationship...
- too many love rivals/love triangles
- there were many flashbacks/flash forwards and I was not sure a couple times where we were in the timeline including the intro (or was that a dream and not a flash forward...), this was worse in the beginning and not an issue later on
- the daydreams and what actually happened needed more differentiation
- a character had a terrible "plan", he acted like a total jerk (which granted is in the title) but had zero character growth
- bad production value things like music not fitting the mood, odd angles, odd 360 rotating shot in episode 2 when a character was talking to his friend
- cartoony villain who was sitting on a black couch in an empty warehouse sipping wine
- nonsense stuff: zero logical reason for why a character didn't communicate his feelings at the end of episode 9, why kidnap/kill the boyfriend when he could have kidnapped/killed the actual guy
- a CEO ordered around doctors and police officers, police not included when they should have been
- too much business drama in the final episode
- in episode 12 the kiss went on for way too long and Elyes was an idiot for not realizing why Pat was upset
- waited until the very last second for Elyes to say "I love you" to Pat
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Don't put high expectations.
Alright so I had extremely high hopes for this one because the sypnosis sounded so cool. Seriously, two detectives try to solve cold cases with a detective from the past using walkie-talkies. And knowing it's not one case but mutliple cases, it sounded promising, it won'thet noring they won't drag the subplots we get to see different criminals the way Hanyeong would profile them and use his 'skills' the whole new way of solving the case but the way it was underwhelming. So disappointed. It's not a bad show, sure it's interesting you want to know what would happen but the way the main idea was used very badly as, more of something at the side rather than the whole point of the show. First off, they didn't solve any cases together. Whenever someone discovered something and they tell it to the other, the other already knows about it. One of the two detectives in the future doesn't even know about the walkietalkie-future-past-communication until the 14th episode which takes away from how well it could've been. The only time she used the walkie-talkie was basically her crying the whole convo and getting sentimental.The way each time they were on a case they each detective solved it on their own, they could do without each other. The potential this plotline could've had and it just missed it. Another thing was the characters' writing they were written very badly. I'm a person who cares more about the characters than the plot, I would watch a show with an okay plot if it had great characters and would drop a show of a good plot with bad characters. This show didn't have well-written characters or a good plot as I've previously mentioned. The characters are very one dimesional, it seems like they have no life outside of the cases they solve, no other acquaintances, nothing. Which made them seem very dull and unlikable in my opinion I couldn't stand them and the way some lines sounded so forced. Like all three detectives are made up of one personality. Righteous, wants to know the truth,have no sense of humour, no quirks absolutely zero personality besides that. Each time I watched an episode I was not very hooked or interested with what was going on and then it ends at an intense part so I go for the next episode only to be underwhelmed with the events as they unfold. The ending of the show didn't feel satisfying at all??? I know they tried to pull an open ending but it just seemed like everything is starting all over again with the whole confusion and repetitiveness of the whole plot all over again. Was not a fan.
I'd give it a 6.5 stars because it could be enjoyable to a lot of people I just feel it could've been done way better.
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“A wise man once said that getting lost in life is an opportunity to find new way. But that’s only a saying I might end up remembering today as the day when I realized that such a saying doesn’t make me feel better at all”. Park Tae Suk.
“The heart I tried so hard to ignore gives a command to my brain “Please Persevere As Long As You Can, Persevere As Long As Your Heart Is Still Beating”. Park Tae Suk.
You take a look at the synopsis and read “Alzheimer” and immediately think to yourself “What? Alzheimer again? And what is even worse there is no romance, no fairytale, no young faces… nah I won’t bother this is clearly a tearjerker and I know how it’s going to end anyway so what’s the point?” Well, you have the right to walk away if you think “Alzheimer” is depressing topic I won’t blame you BUT please bare with me here and let me try to sell this drama for you, would you?
Yes, this topic has been used countless and countless of times in dramas, in movies….etc, so what makes Memory special? There is nothing special with the story itself or the elements it has presented. Family, regret, changing the way you lived your life, sorrowful past that you want to run away from, locking away your painful memories and the pain of losing someone…etc these aren’t new topics but let’s face it how many topics can be brand new? Searching for totally brand new topics is almost like a mission impossible honestly. The trick isn’t in the topic but rather in the way it is used and presented. Memory has brought in over-used topics and turned them into a wonderful emotional ride with diverse emotions that will leave you breathless and heavyhearted. The ride was raw, real and very consuming both mentally and emotionally!
I loved how the drama made me feel for each character without leaving the show feeling depressed myself. It is clearly isn’t happy go lucky drama, it has a lot of unfortunate events but it avoids feeling over the top and it also avoids feeling like stuff happens to force viewers tears. It takes you along and you just feel all of it naturally. Doesn’t that scream “different”? I feel bad if someone would call it a tearjerker (not that I have a problem with tearjerker dramas) it is just not what Memory really is.
The best and most important two aspects that made Memory strong felt drama is the award winning acting and the wonderful cinematography/scenery and direction. Usually it is hard enough to find a drama that is excelling in one of these aspects let alone all 3 of them. Even for those of you who never notice scenery or direction you will be forced to notice them here because it is just too good, simply beautiful. The feels that this drama possesses it is all driven from the acting performance. Acting has played the most essential part in this drama along with the heart-wrenching dialogues. I loved each and every sentence spoken here especially the scenes between Park Tae Suk and his wife and Park Tae Suk and his son. Those scenes are one of the most memorable scenes in the entire drama and I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I tell you to watch it for the sake of those scenes only because they are indeed EXQUISITE.
I would love to mention each and every member of this stellar cast because they really deserve the appreciation but that would just make my review endless and words won’t do them justice. I will just mention my favourite ones. First my most favorite misters of all times and our hero here,Lee Sung Min (Park Tae Suk). Kudos to this man, let me just say to the those of you who already know how precious this actor is “congratulations he NAILED THE HELL OUT OF HIS FIRST MAIN LEAD!!” And to those who still haven’t met this man in drama land “PLEASE don’t let my review stop you and go ahead STALK DOWN his profile”. It is sad if you decide to pass on Memory but at least pick one thing for this man and make the time to watch it please. He belongs to those class actors whom you as a drama fan have to watch something for because trust me “acting” doesn’t get any better than this. This man has no limits; every minute spent on watching him he makes it all worthwhile. I also want to mention the rest of my favorites two wonderful surprises Lee Ki Woo and Lee Jun Ho. Their performance both took me by surprise, I have seen Lee Ki Woo before but not as a despicable sorry excuse of human being (which he did WONDERFULLY) and I have seen Lee Jun Ho in a movie and he was likeable then but I had no idea what kind of hidden talent this boy had until I watched him in Memory (his first drama) and boy am I still surprised that he is actually an idol, very impressive! Looking forward to their future projects.
This is one of the few dramas that are blessed with storytelling OSTs and great ones if I may say. There are many great OSTs out there but I appreciate it even more when the OSTs speak the story too this way it gets me even more emotionally invested in the story than I already am.
I generally do not rewatch dramas but I do have very few ones that I'd rewatch. However even for those who do rewatch dramas I don't think Memory is rewatchable material considering how heavy and intense the content is I think once is enough to appreciate it throughly but I also could be wrong so that's for you to decide.
Overall
Clearly this will be one of the underrated dramas here on MDL, nonetheless I have faith that there will be fans out there who are meant for this drama and hopefully will appreciate it the way it should be appreciated. If you are willing to go in an emotional ride and if you don’t mind the predetermined ending, if you are looking for well crafted story, award winning performance and beautiful heartfelt dialogues then this drama should definitely be on your plan to watch list ^^
Don’t let “Alzheimer” keep you away from a great drama such as Memory. Realising what are our priorities in life this is something which never gets old nor boring no matter how old we get we still learn and there will always be a chance to set those priorities right even with little time. "The end is soon HOPE. With the strength you have now be happy" Memory.
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GOD BLESS THIS DIRECTOR, THE SCREENWRITER AND THE ACTORS (10 stars are not enough).
It's been ages since I've watched a K-drama rom-com that is this pertinent, funny and so well executed while tackling such a taboo subject. From the initial episode, Make Me Tingle will have you snorting laughter and rooting for our leads. The direct and multi-faceted peek into various relationships - sexual or not - was extremely refreshing and bold, emphasis on BOLD. So settle in for a thoroughly entertaining dynamic and enjoy!Acting - 10/10
Our leads crafted perfectly contrasting characters who seek the various aspects they are each missing from each other. Nam Ji Hyun shines as our inexperienced, love-first Gong Yeon Su. Her direct dialogue and confrontational manner with our ML proved very unexpected and effective. Whether asking our ML sex/relationship questions in earlier episodes or discussing various products at the company, her openness reflects what the screenwriter seeks from the audience - a willingness to receive. As always, NJH draws us in with great comedic timing and warmth.
Kim Jae Young (as Dokgo Dal) is unmatched as THE confident master of seduction, boyfriend of none. While our FL attempts to fulfill her family's expectation, our ML is forced to navigate an emotionally vacant existence, making him a commitment-phobe. Despite his shortcomings, you are pulling for him to get the girl. Rather than outrightly dismissing our FL's conservative values, he tries to honor them, allowing her to set the pace as their relationship blossoms. I adored the respect he shows throughout the series whether engaging with FL's ex or her conservative family. Easily KYJ's best work to date. Loved his micro-expressions during the FWB discussion.
The supporting casts are eclectic and so much fun. They are a huge, value-add for driving subplots and injecting humor. I adored the FL's aunt and brother - played by Inje Jeong.
Chemistry - 10/10
On fire. I cannot underscore the sublime perfection that is KJY on screen with his leading lady. Those hands. Those lips. That hair. The kiss scenes. If you get nothing else from this review, please locate the rewind button as soon as you hit play. And BONUS - we didn't have to wait 8 eps for the skinship!
Production/Direction/Editing - 10/10
Loved having a female director helm this project. The subject matter was handled with sensitivity, humor and respect. The storyboards for scenes such as the octopus and toy pairing during the ceremonial gathering was one of many unique images to hit the screen. Fantastic storyboarding and a brilliant creative direction.
The BGM/OST is outstanding. Various backtracks highlight and complement the action on scene. Huge variety in terms of genre - from sweeping orchestral movements to funky bass-heavy sounds, the music provided superb enhancement without going overboard or becoming cliche, which it could have easily done.
Set design complements our characters to perfection. Our ML's apartment - while spacious - is dark, sparse and void of any personal items to underscore his barren emotional existence. Conversely, our FLs home is historical and compartmentalized, emphasizing the traditional structure and defined roles within the family unit. A closer inspection of her room, which is plastered with Post-it notes, highlights her tendency to be mindful and careful of choices (and at worst, overthink).
Editing has us fully invested in our characters without bogging down the story. Flashbacks help the viewer understand our lead's viewpoints and motivations. Present time clips at a brisk pace, mostly showcasing our leads' and their budding relationship but also cutting to our supporting cast for a more comprehensive, flushed-out watch.
Writing - 10/10
Great shows start with a great script. Again, positively brilliant handling of a taboo subject. Compelling, entertaining and never disrespectful. From an unplanned pregnancy to bad boyfriends and curious teens, this is a full production with spot-on messaging and delivery.
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I expected more...
After I saw the casting and the trailer I was really excited to watch this show and thought it would be another thriller masterpiece. However, it turned out for me to be a bit disappointed. It's definitely not a bad show and I still enjoyed it overall but I just couldn't help feeling sad that I didn't like watching it as much as I thought I would.The acting and casting is on another level with Choi Woo-sik and Son Sukku as the main characters. Nevertheless, I wished for more screentime of Lee Tang (played by Choi Woo-shik) because I personally thought the thriller was going to be a bit more through the eyes of the killer than the police officer. Because of the lack of screentime I found it difficult to relate to the character or at least understand his traits a bit more.
The first episodes were all great and I couldn't wait to watch the show further but later on at approximately episode 5 and following I got a bit bored and it felt really slow. I personally didn't like the adding of Song Chon as a character but I do understand that he had to be there to make the story clearer. I simply wished for more thriller aspects. However, the ending really got me and I'm hoping for season 2!!!
(I did this review only based on the series I did not read the webnovel it's based on)
All in all, the drama disappointed me even though it may have been because of my high expectations.
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We are not used to uncertainty and hesitation about who is the good and who is the bad guy. It’s easier to watch something simple, black and white. That’s why probably some people think that something is missing in the drama. But complicated plot, labyrinth of possibilities and mysteries characters are strong point in this show and build a good crime story.
We get to know characters slowly. They hide more than we can read from their words. Truly I was fascinated of actors’ skills and how they portrayed subtle differences and nuances in characters’ mind and soul: the fear of lawyer Han Tae Joo, the rage of young policeman Kim Young Goon, Do Chi Kwang belief in his omnipotence.
I like this drama very much, although the plot is really complicated. The director is consequent and he created the show with the same pace and the same quality in all episodes. Actors are great. The emotions are great. The gray colours of filming are great. Sometimes the good script is enough for handsome Seo Kang Joon to shine.
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Now when the film is over, I am thinking, so what? What was the meaning of the film? What did the creators want to tell the audience through the movie? (I won't spoil your pleasure by telling the ending). And don't think I am saying this as a negative thing, though I really can't hide the empty feeling in me now... really empty, which, I didn't think I would have after this reach and beautiful movie. But I really do, I think the ending is not worth of the 2:20 minutes of this story that tells about friendship, love, passion, loyalty, pain, respect... and all the beautiful and highest things that should have brought the movie to SOME ending...
The cast is just... PERFECT! Wow, Song Ji-Hyo (a big Running Man fan talking here)... just WOW! So feminine and strong, her queen, GREAT!
Jo In-Sung... his general... when he had tears in his eyes, my heart was breaking with his... and I can't help but mention his face when he was kissing the queen... I was holding my breath to hear his... just... froze me... Saw him first yesterday, while watching The Classic... he is definitely growing on me...
This movie is definitely worth watching, though not everyone will and can watch it. The story is great, though, repeating myself, leaving an empty feeling about its ending... I'm shutting up, just watch it yourself!
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Joe Chen is really cute and a good actress, but Rong Jin Xiu wasn't the best role. For her character to be smart at one point and then to make foolish decisions. Well, her character paid for those decisions in a huge way. I think she had decent chemistry with Huang Xiao Ming who played Zuo Zhen. He is an excellent actor. I like how he showed control of his emotions without being a cold person. Plus he is HOT! Kelsey Lu is also a good actress, but the character Yin Ming Zhu is one of the most annoying I have ever seen. I get her past and why she did some of the things and I felt sorry for her when certain things happened to her that were totally not her fault. The problem is that I couldn't have cared less what happened to her by the end of the show. The other male characters weren't likable to me. The actors did fine jobs at playing the characters though. At least Qiao Kimi as Xiang Ying Dong admitted his selfishness. Let’s talk about some hotness overload in Qi Ji as Maeda Ryuichi. He plays crazy really well and there absolutely no redeeming qualities for his character, but he did it so well. I really enjoyed his acting. The other actors are good too.
The music is ok.
I won't rewatch this.
I recommend this drama. It isn't perfect, but it is entertaining.
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Meh...
Just my opinion: season 1 was far better than this season 2. However, I even felt season 1 became weaker with the "beach" plot. Everything before the beach was perfection. It still was an amazing 1st season though and kept you on your toes. This season however, had new characters I didn't care about and way too much dialogue. It sidetracked into back stories so often that it became a drag. The suspense of the 1st season was gone. There were whole episodes where the main character, Arisu, isn't even in them. The story was just all over the place, with some characters never seeming to die no matter how many bullets hit them or how much they bled out. The best games were with Chishiya especially the prison one. The rest of the games were meh and it seemed like there were less than previous season. Also there's a fare bit of male gaze moments that weren't needed such as a cheap crotch shot of a character in a school girl uniform. Then again the whole 1st game could be seen as one long female gaze moment. So I guess it balances out? As for acting it was average to below average. I know Kento has a lot of fans who would probably want to wring my neck after saying this, but I find his acting hammy. Very handsome guy no doubt, but he's not the best actor amongst the ikemen actors of his generation, not by a long shot. The fl that plays Usagi and has starred with Kento in many projects isn't much better. Lastly, I found the ending in this season very underwhelming.This gets a 6/10 from me.
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Jiayou, this is the best drama
I don't think I should be reviewing it 10 minutes after watching the last episode but here I am, this is my first review on MDL and my face is still wet from all the crying since I watched the last 4 episodes in a row. This one is gonna be a long one.Since this is my first time I'll write it as I feel it. Also English is not my natural language so please be patient.
Music: according to last.fm I listened to 坚强的理由 168 times last week :) I cried a bit when it played for the first time in that hotel scene. First bc I recognized Eric Tsai's voice (and I love him so much -listen to Fool and Idiot, guys); second, the lyrics and third, the was a sad scene and we were so warm with HZY and FZ travelling together and all. I'm also a fan of Wu Qing Feng who sings the opening song. Shout out to Fish Leong <3; Ma Si Chun and Deng Lun, I didn't know they could sing. The OST is really great.
Dubbing: as important as the actors on screen, dubbing can ruin everything. Just like those scenes you know you're supposed to feel sad, the actor on screen is suffering with his face but then he sounds like Marvin, the paranoid android and all the feeling is lost. This one is dubbed at some few lines maybe to correct sth and it's dubbed by the same actors so it's okay, it's not cringey and it doesn't affect the acting on screen.
Acting: I judge acting simply by how the actor makes me feel and if it matches the scene.
I came here for Ma Si Chun. She's my girl crush and I'm 100% biased by her. But I have to say I wasn't expecting her to be this good. Ma Si Chun came to a point in acting where you can't see her, you see FZ and FZ only. She didn't try to look good on camera, she was just her character. On the other hand, at first, I was negatively biased by Deng Lun. I'm really sorry but because of 'Ashes of Love' I thought he was overhyped. I didn't expect him to be a good actor... I expected him to be like HZY, a good looking so-so idol actor. I'm glad to admit I was wrong.
All the cast was superb and natural. They responded well to each other and their adlibs were really funny. They broke character A LOT and it was AWESOME. I'm happy the director made the best of these moments.
Characters: I liked all the characters (even if I hated NM sometimes). Fu Fangshu was my favourite. I'm a sucker for soft tsunderes. The way he welcomed HZY, his love for FZ, the bickering with NM, the brotherhood with GDP. Lao Fu is a wise man who sacrifices for the ones he loves without wanting anything in return, he's just happy and caring and grumpy. The character development of all of them was really good. To me, the best ones were: Jiajia and Niu Meilli.
Romance: the romance is not what some people might be expecting. HZY and FZ are really cute. They care for each other, HZY is loyal like a dog, FZ devotes 3 years of her life to him, they bicker but it's not aggressive, it's light and warm, the confessions are cheesy :} but it's not 8-camera-angles-kiss... Tbh the kiss was a peck and that was it.
Story: 44 episodes, 45 min each, less than 15 characters... It dragged at times. The synopsis is okay, that's the story. No surprises. You get yourself rooting for them and being frustrated when something goes different from what we expected. This happens a lot until it hits you... That's life. We expect it to be a drama and everything going according to what we see in dramas but that's a genuine slice of life with some elements of fiction.
TL;DR: Warm. Well acted. It drags but you can skip scenes. Character development well executed. Really good music. Funny bickering. Actor breaking characters at its best. Rough start to friendship to life time partners. Worth it.
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Incredible acting, important series, so so writing
The actors did a great job, I commend to the them cause they brought the characters to life in such an immersive way, even when the writing had some problems in my opinion.I appreciate the will to talk about the many struggles of a person part of the LGBTQIA+ community, but since the themes are particularly sensitive I felt some issues were rushed into the plot, like Yeong being HIV+. This is such an important question that it deserved more time to breathe into the story.
I feel like the overall length of the series was enough, the issue is how it was spent: some moments and themes needed more time and attention or the writer could’ve chosen to focus on one/two but do a better job. Some others got way too much space and didn’t even add much to the story cause of their repetitiveness (the many club scenes, the multiple scenes in which Yeong was with his mother, she said the same things and he then ran away leaving her with the caregiver…).
The religious guilt linked to the mother and Yeong Su is another sensitive matter and it was barely touched (like the scene where his mum clearly got him locked up in a psych ward when he was a teen?! You can’t just drop that scene and move on like nothing happened!)
I also would’ve loved a happy ending, gotta be honest, and I’m not one for them.
I often hear members of the community saying how refreshing it is to have representation that it is not only tragedy after tragedy when it comes to dramas/series/movies based on their experiences, and I feel like here we leaned way too much into the depiction of the hopelessness of a gay man. As much as it’s the experience of many and it’s important to represent it, I felt that Yeong Su was being the protagonist of a witch hunt more than a coming of age/slice of life to the point of feeling cruel for the sake of it. I feel very torn, cause it’s and important piece of media, but it was executed ok.
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