Reviews

Best 2023 Modern Drama. Realistic, non-cliche story, slow burn romance & fantastic cinematography

This drama tells the story of a female lead who is a spoiled princess until her father dies and she loses everything, and a male lead who is a ruthless investor but despite all odds, decides to help her revive her father’s old shoe company. The drama shows the realistic side of life and starting a business, with morally grey and flawed characters who make mistakes but learn from them. Both male and female leads go through a major character development, from a spoiled princess the female lead becomes a hard-working business woman and from a ruthless investor the male lead opens up emotionally and becomes more caring and loving towards others, realising that money and making the most profitable deals is not the most important thing in life.

The drama executed fantastically many important life lessons such as never giving up, no matter how much challenges life throws at you, that money is not everything, about selfless love and sticking to your morals and promises no matter what.

POSITIVE:
- Realistic drama about the struggles of life and starting a new business
- Morally grey characters that feel like real human beings (make mistakes and are not perfect).
- Non-cliche/predictable storylines.
- Hot chemistry between the main leads.
- Platonic relationships between men and women are done well (which is very rare to see in cdramas).
- Breathtaking cinematography - the aesthetics from colours to buildings and people’s wardrobe is on point.
- Exceptionally well done directing - when characters are experiencing internal struggles, it's visually represented very well.
- Stella cast with brilliant acting (especially the female lead).
- Slow burn romance.
- Cute dog scenes.
- Great pacing, engaging plot, no filler episodes or boring parts.
- Business talks are part of the plot and meaningful compared to other dramas that feel more like filler scenes.
- Male and female lead that are both strong willed and determined.
- Happy ending for both couples.

NEGATIVE:
- The first 8-10 episodes of the drama are quite heavy on business talks. If you don’t know anything about business you might find it hard to follow. But the talks are done really well and easy to digest. I especially learned a lot from this drama so it's not a hard negative but personal preference.

OVERALL:
This is one of the best modern cdramas that I’ve watched with fantastic cast, meaningful storyline and beautiful cinematography and OST. If you want to watch a realistic drama that feels like a biography, with an engaging and non-cliche/predictable story about reviving a business and a slow burn romance with characters that are human and real, this drama is for you.

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Intriguing at first but becomes average

The best thing about this drama is the acting, it's very good in general and Nam Joo Hyuk does a very good job as main character. I did also enjoy some of the music, it was certainly more up my alley. That's all for me.

Contrary to other people I didn't think this drama was fast paced, in fact I thought it was slow, going in circles sometimes, and I got bored at times and found myself doing other things while watching. The plot is quite cliché in my opinion and except for maybe around three characters the rest were very one-dimensional, especially the bad guys. We don't learn much about anyone anyway, so it's quite superficial and it didn't make me connect with any of them, not even the ML. I also liked Choi Mi Ryeo and Cho Kang Ok as characters but I so wish we had gotten so much more insight into them, I didn't learn much at all about them. The dynamics of ML with his classmates could have also been deeper, but because it wasn't what happened in the end of the drama made me feel nothing. It felt even the writers/director knew this though, because it's treated as very secondary, something that happened in the background.

I'm ok with anti-hero stories, I do generally prefer them over hero ones, but it's not new nor fresh, and cases of corruption at all levels have been done many times as well. I don't think this drama brings that much new to the table that wasn't there, so I was not awed by it and I thought it was average. It's still watchable, especially if you like action thrillers, but it's not a masterpiece by any means.
Echoing what another user said, the fighting choreography was not bad but the way it was filmed adds no tension and didn't do any favours to the overall fighting dynamics, at times I felt I was missing the good bits, camera in and out... quite chaotic in my opinion.
I don't think they achieve enough in terms of discourse, there isn't any depth in the corruption itself either, nor in its politics, or the police involvement. Obviously there is no real debate about the police as an institution, despite the ML being both in and out of it. I haven't read the original material and it makes me wonder if there was a lot more of that that was cut out of the story.

Recommended to those that like action thrillers, it's entertaining enough but keep your expectations low to mid level.

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Corporate espionage with a slice of life

Storm Eye is about a team of dedicated law enforcement officers tasked with investigating criminal activities relating to the potential theft of technological research undertaken by a leading tech company in Shuangqing City. This team, operating under the purview of the Ministry of State Security (MSS), is a collaboration between the provincial government and the National Security Bureau of Shuangqing City. The investigation is primarily focused on the sophisticated web of economic crime orchestrated by a secret criminal organisation with a connection to past transgressions and its current intention to steal proprietary technology from Dinghua Group.

This drama is a combo package with multiple genres incorporated into its premise. In addition to the overarching plot on criminal investigations, it contains side stories and character arcs revolving around slice-of-life aspects of family, romance, and office politics. The seriousness, thrills and suspense are balanced by the emotional scenes, introspective moments and some light-hearted ones too.

This 2019-produced drama features decent production values and a script that’s well above average. There are no discernible plot holes, clichéd plot devices or sudden inexplicable shifts in characterization conveniently added for dramatic effects. The story unfolds at what I would call “engagingly casual and unrushed” pace with a gradual development of the main characters, their backstories and relationship dynamics, where the depth of the plot and the portrayals of the characters are conveyed realistically and convincingly.

Some viewers may feel that the story progression is overly slow-burn and lacking in urgency, but I believe this is attributed to the build up of what would later be revealed as the convoluted grand scheme of the criminal operation. I personally think on the whole the key elements of the plot are relayed evenly over the course of 40 episodes, where the simmering tension throughout finally comes to a gripping climax amidst certain surprising turns of events.

To clear any misperception, it’s important to understand that despite the description offered by the synopsis and tags, this show is not about secret agents and evil villains frantically facing off with guns blazing. There are no outrageous stunts involving high-tech gadgets, parachuting off planes or slick martial arts moves. This isn’t the usual police procedural of cops going after robbers or murderers either. The action scenes are rather limited, it must be said.

This is a smartly depicted drama featuring corporate espionage with emphasis on intelligence gathering, surveillance procedures and undercover infiltrations. It’s worth mentioning the usage of the Sky-Eye system by the MSS involving satellite tracking technology as well as the urban network of CCTVs to apply visual and trait recognition as well as GPS monitoring for tracking potential suspects to aid in their investigations.

The protagonists are intelligent and resourceful while the antagonists are satisfyingly clever and ruthless adversaries with their own counter-intelligence capabilities and complex schemes. Both sides engage in a delicate game of cat and mouse involving much subterfuge and elaborate machinations culminating in an even contest where the battles are won as equally as they are lost in this drawn out war of attrition. The sensible and mature depiction of characters as being very human rather than the typical stereotype caricatures enables us to comprehend their motivations, actions, emotions and insecurities. The narrative is not just about the good guys versus the bad guys or simplifying everything to be either black or white but it is instead represented with a healthy dose of realism where individuals are morally layered with shades of grey and the concept of right or wrong is never perfectly defined.

The characters are very well conceived and realistically written, and comprises several interesting character and relationship dynamics. There are no illogical or exasperating characters while the interactions between the various characters are very organic and there is no dramatic angst anywhere near this show. These characters are brought to life by fine acting of the entire cast, notably a reunion of certain Eternal Love cast members. Another plus point is the fact that the main cast dubbed themselves for this drama. Zhang Bin Bin and Yang Mi lead the cast by portraying the MSS agents assigned to the case. Zhang Bin Bin’s Ma Shang is bright, cheerful and affable. He’s competent at what he does and is able to transition seamlessly into his role of an undercover agent. Yang Mi’s An Jing, on the other hand, is much more down to earth as the team leader of the Shuangqing City Bureau. Together they form a great partnership in work and in rekindling their past romance.

Two people that truly surprised me are Daisy Dai and Lawrence Wang Xiao. Daisy’s characterization of Miao Fei and Lawrence’s Cheng Lei are praiseworthy indeed and both of them demonstrated their impressive range through the development of their characters. The rest of the cast are equally compelling to watch. Wang Dong’s nuanced portrayal of Qiao Xi Chuan and Ning Xin’s Zhou Lian are intriguingly layered characters that I appreciated. Liu Rui Lin’s stoic and stone faced Du Meng takes a while to warm up to while Zhao Wei Lin played the single tropey but rather entertaining character in the show, in the role of the international hitman Bian Fu. I have to mention the veteran cast of actors who played the parents of the leads. Their experience shows and they are superb during the family-oriented slice of life moments which are genuinely heartfelt and convincing. I truly enjoyed all their scenes together and they even had some really amusing story arcs.

The show is far from perfect, however, and I do have major qualms concerning certain aspects. I feel that the inclusion of a tragedy involving a supporting character toward the end is quite unnecessary, and how it transpires is poorly executed. This relates to the choreography of the limited action sequences which, frankly speaking, is mediocre. Questions have to be raised as well on the authenticity of the procedure for making arrests.

The English-speaking segments, in particular the dubbing in general, isn’t great. The accent is quite laughable for the main villain who is the mastermind behind the entire scheme. The dubbing synchronisation for Wang Dong is quite poor but at least the spoken English is better. Zhao Wei Lin is part American so he sounds the most convincing while Lawrence and Daisy dubbed their own dialogues. The inconsistency in the dubbing, unfortunately, is quite obvious and is the one aspect that needs to be improved for future productions of C-dramas.

On the other hand, I’m quite pleased with the musical aspect for this show. The opening theme used for the title sequence is dramatic and martial-themed which fits with the premise of the story. Likewise the four tracks in total that are used with rather appropriately written lyrics. Track listing as follows:
Black Tea 平凡的样子 (电视剧《暴风眼》片尾曲) by Sun Xionglou 韩磊
Ellipsis" 省略号 by Jian Hongyi 简弘亦
Brave Enough 足够勇敢 by Tan Wei Wei 谭维维
It's All OK 都可以 没关系 by Jin Wen Qi 金玟岐

Despite encountering the few blips, I have thoroughly enjoyed Storm Eye particularly for the mature themes depicted and the engaging pace. I believe where the show excels is in the realistic portrayals of its characters and the direction of the story. If you’re looking for a drama with a sense of realism, compelling dynamics and evocative moments with an infusion of some suspense and tension, then consider giving this show a try.

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Final Review (my first impressions were added below the final review for comparison)

Let me be honest. It's not as bad as everybody makes it out to be. But it's also not as good as all the Shen Yue fans are making it out to be either (I'm an SY fan so I have no intention to 'shade' their opinion).

Acting-wise, I think it was quite good despite the dubbing. In fact you get used to the dubbing as the drama goes on so it doesn't turn into a big deal. Definitely not Shen Yue's best performance (please check out Another Me, she was amazing there) but you can tell she has improved a lot in terms of portraying characters like Dong Shancai and Chen Xiaoxi. Tong Xiaoyou is simply a better and more polished version of those kind of characters. I see a lot of hate for Jerry's performance but I don't think it was that bad as he was very boring in the beginning because that's how his character's development is supposed to be. He's great at emotional scenes. However, I do understand how some people are irritated at how slow he speaks and his vocal expressions in general.

The plot is cliche to begin with but it could have been presented much better. Lots of parts were dragged on just so that it would reach 34 episodes. It should be a 24-episode drama instead. The slow pace would have been alright if they didn't repeat so many instances (Jiang Yan's antics, Lu Xingcheng being depressed, all this is repeated a lot of times). I did enjoy the romance element of the story. I loved how they made it a slowburn relationship because it's very appropriate. Jerry Yan and Shen Yue's chemistry isn't even bad, not strong, but not bad at all. I find them cute actually in a couple of scenes.

In general, it really depends on your cup of tea and what things you can handle. The production of this drama is quite a mess as editing isn't impressive at all for a delayed project. If you don't mind slowburn relationships and prolonged character development, this should be an okay drama for you. In the end I definitely think it's more of a 6.5 drama but I rounded it off as I loved watching the characters and setting. It was simply overrated before release which may be why a lot are disappointed because it isn't as good as well expected. I enjoyed it while it lasted, so that's that.

(FIRST IMPRESSIONS)

Episode 1 was not particularly amazing but it gives you a good idea of the character you'll be dealing with in the next 33 episodes. The beginning of the episode is also very good! It's a nice introduction that shows how Tong Xiaoyou (Shen Yue) and Lu Xingcheng (Jerry Yan) will officially start their story. You'll want to keep watching to find out how they end up that way. After the prologue, time is rewinded a bit to explain what happened prior.

I'm perfectly fine with Xiaoyou (Shen Yue did a good job in making her adorable and relatable!) but not warming up to Xingcheng. He's only either quiet or scolding one of his employees. But! Based on the MV and credits of the drama, they actually have decent chemistry. Looking forward to the romance parts!

Cast is very suitable for their roles too. Right now I'm looking forward to knowing more about them.

Pretty sure the actors dubbed over their own voices but there's something off about it. Mostly bothered by Shen Yue's dubbing. It's like they gave her a poor quality microphone to record her lines. They don't match perfectly with the video. Looks unnatural. Good news though is you get used to it later on. I'm not so irritated about it anymore by Episode 4.

There's an interesting film style to this drama. A lot of close-ups to the characters and you also see this in the beginning. Not a bad choice, it may need time to get used to. But sometimes it comes out as awkward.

I like the theme song and closing song but the background music during some scenes bother me. Sometimes they're dramatic for no reason.

After watching more episodes, the drama does get better (Episodes 1-3 is not attention grabbing but by Episode 4 I started to enjoy it more). The drama is very promising. I say try it out. Not surprised if it ends up as an international hit. I'll absolutely watch until the end. Even if you have other concerns I feel like it's worth checking out because of the cast. That's all for now, I'll update my review when the drama is finished!

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First of all, these families’ heavy conflicts drama and for sure not a typical drama we’ve seen nowadays, this is the exact drama that I’ve been looking for so long. One of the most intense dramas I’ve ever watched so far, full of surprises. It tortured you so hard in the beginning and cuddle you so warm at the end.

Now I found the reason why this drama conquered a very high rating in Korea, 50 episodes I bet it’s worth watching till the end. I never found any dull moments from the start until the end. The screenwriter knows how to produce a good drama. When time goes around here there, everyone has their character and a reason to be there. In the end, we couldn’t find anyone to blame because they’re fated to be there and everything happens for a reason.

If we try to understand it, not try to pull it too much, and never try to push it too far, we are actually been here because we are destined to be this way. Massive conflicts in this drama teach us that we are today as we are and no one to blame and no need to regret it. Just accept it with an open heart and move forward.

Ujae’s determination finally changed, he learns to be a person who can give and take when he needs to. Seo young once fights for her pride even from her husband, in the end, the only thing that she wanted to and can comfort her is to be truly herself. My favorite characters are Ujae’s parents, even if you find them harsh and self-centered but actually, they’re warm-hearted and forgiving parents and believe in things with just simple common sense.

Seo Young’s aboujie, his kind of heart always leads to misunderstanding, and Seo Young always misjudges him. After reconciling, I bet your heart once at ease because everybody understands each other’s feelings.

Music the most Melody Day – Like Back Then, there are no words that can express how much I love this song. So beautiful.

For the viewers below 15’y.o, I prefer parents to guide them because this drama carries heavy messages and deep meaning, which sometimes could lead to misunderstanding.

Finally, Seongjae, or CNBLUE’s bassist Lee Jungshin, for his first drama ever, I rate him 9/10. He is so talented and doing very good job in acting.

I recommended this drama to ALL. I promise it is worth your precious time

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Wedding Impossible — When Love Is Trapped Inside a Lie

Wedding Impossible is a drama that only reveals its true emotional weight when watched in one sitting. Seen weekly, the characters can feel inconsistent or frustrating. Seen as a whole, their contradictions begin to make sense. This is not a perfect drama, but it is far more honest than many people give it credit for. Beneath the rom-com structure lies a story about fear, legacy, and the damage created when survival depends on deception.

A Marriage Built on Fear

At the center of the story is Lee Do-han, a chaebol heir living in fear of his grandfather. After his former boyfriend is violently attacked, Do-han flees to the U.S. But he is pulled back by family duty: his grandfather wants him to take over the company and, more importantly, to get married. What makes this storyline truly disturbing is the implication that the grandfather already knows the truth. He fears the “scandal” and, as later revealed, is even responsible for the attack that forced Do-han into exile. His love is conditional, shaped by legacy rather than compassion. To protect himself, Do-han chooses a fake marriage with his best friend, Na Ah-jung. At first, she refuses, believing honesty is the only moral path. But reality is rarely that simple. Economic need, emotional pressure, and loyalty push her to accept. This is not romance. This is survival.

The Brother Who Loved Too Much

Lee Ji-han, Do-han’s younger brother, is the emotional anchor of the series. He has lived in his brother’s shadow, rejected by his grandfather, blamed for his sister’s death, and treated as disposable. Yet he remains fiercely loyal. When he meets Na Ah-jung, he falls for her without knowing who she is. Once he learns she is to become Do-han’s wife, he sees her as a threat and tries to sabotage the wedding, believing it to be a lie—without knowing how deep that lie truly goes. When the truth is finally revealed, Ji-han’s anger is often misunderstood as homophobia. But the drama makes something much more painful clear: his rage is about betrayal, not sexuality. He is hurt because his brother never trusted him. Because everyone knew except him. Because love built on silence still wounds those closest to you.
As he says, in essence: “You can hide from the world. But you cannot hide from the people who love you without hurting them.”
This is where the series becomes emotionally real.

A Reflection of Reality

This drama speaks to a truth many people recognize: living in the closet is not just about protecting yourself—it is also about the invisible damage left behind. Women married to men who cannot love them. Families kept at a distance. Brothers who lose the chance to truly know each other. In chaebol culture, where reputation equals power, the stakes are even higher. A scandal can erase a legacy. And fear becomes a prison.

Why the Drama Divides Viewers

Online reactions often criticize Wedding Impossible for being messy, slow, or emotionally inconsistent. But much of that comes from watching it weekly. The story is built on long emotional arcs that only make sense when seen continuously. It is not a drama you return to often. But it is not the failure some claim it to be. It is a quiet tragedy hiding inside a rom-com costume.

Final Thought

Wedding Impossible is not about who ends up together. It is about the cost of living as someone you are not. And that cost is never invisible.

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The Queen slayed it .....

Tbh, I went into this drama without any expectations and I felt so satisfied after watching the entire show. I am hesitant to watch modern dramas with more than 24 episodes, because I have seen too much draggy plot where ML and FL fell in love, broke up and then reconcile again. But We are All Alone is an exception, though having 36 episodes, I never felt bored watching this.

Things that I like in this drama;
1.Realistic Truth of Drama Industry
I have wanted to watch a show about drama industry long ago, but never found one. This show portrays FL as an agent, encountering ups and downs in her career. Those ups and downs are not unpredictable but very realistic, they show about realistic truth of making and producing dramas, the ugly side of rumors and fandoms.
The story itself is not very special, but it was executed very beautifully.

2. Strong Female Lead
I would not want to see a dumb and unreasonable female lead in this kind of drama. Fortunately, our FL is so strong, and solves things out with her own capabilities. Qin Lan is perfect in this role, she can act very well and I would say the casting choice is very well done.

3. Production value and Acting
I don’t like those Chinese modern dramas with dubbed voice, where the voice is off. But this show uses their own voice, and it was recorded on-set.This makes me love this drama more.
I would say this is the best Godfrey Gao’s best drama I have watched and sadly, who would have thought that it would be his last drama?
Besides ML and FL, all the supporting casts did a very good job as well.

What I don’t like in this drama:
1.Overly Dramatic Lin Xiang
Lin Xiang character played a very important role. She causes all kinds of troubles for our FL, and this is her character, I understand. But sometimes, I feel like she is portrayed as an overly useless character. I think there won’t be an A-list actress as useless as her character portrayed.

2. Too much screentime for FL’s Dad
I would say, I enjoyed the storyline but her dad’s screentime is a little too much. But that’s understandable.

I’d recommend this drama if you would like to escape from lovey dovey stuff and see the life of a career woman. Kudos to the production team and director for making such a high quality drama.

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Who ordered the potstickers? Here's your tortellini and a side order of fairy dust!

Food, glorious food! This could have been so much better if they just stuck to that theme but alas, the writer took us down the garden path, deep dive a dank rabbit hole, before magically transported us to the Fairy meadow where the unicorns are frolicking like they were on drugs.

Any reader who has watched the original Karate Kid (and similar movie/show) would recognise the central plot. In this case, instead of martial arts, we have culinary arts. A Michelin star chef needs to find and train a new apprentice, but that person must have a supernatural sense of taste. Of course, this was not done through the kindness of his heart but because he is losing his own ability to taste food, so he needed that someone to taste for him when he creates new dishes. All this is hushed up so people were confused when he decided to mentor a girl (FL) who accidentally entered a top tier cooking competition but can’t cook at all. To compound his woes, he is quite a prickly character and very temperamental. In essence, a stereotypical master craftsman/creative type. All the classic clichés were deployed included the equivalent of the old wax-on-wax-off training trick to bring the hapless FL to some semblance of proficiency. However, this is a rom-com so the tale as old as time was given its due and the master/apprentice relationship took on a much more personal spin.

Speaking of food and cooking, this show has so much food porn. From street food to eateries serving local delicacies and all the way up to Michelin star restaurant. The food was a highlight, and those dishes were shot with skill and a singular focus. I do wonder whether the production team hired a food stylist and specialist photographer. This ended up being the saving grace of the show and I gave it extra marks.

You may well say there is nothing wrong with that storyline, sounds quite interesting and delicious. That is indeed the case, if they stick to it. However, into that pot were added several antagonists as well as dramatic change in tones. I mean descent into madness type of change. Most of this came from left field so what started as a light and breezy rom-com got darker and darker until you thought you were watching a different genre.

The OTP is an odd couple but when all the romantic ducklings are lined up, they can be quite sweet and engaging. You can't deny there is chemistry between them. Towards the end, there are truly swoon worthy moments. It would be tempting fate if this was the only game in town. We are confronted with the typical Chinese rom-com problème du jour, what I'd like to term Too Many Cooks Syndrome. On top of the OTP, there are 5 other CP’s! (Is that a record?) Most of the pairings are contrived and does little for the show other than padding out the runtime and force a change of scenery. This is particularly jarring when the show got darker and more intense. We’d suddenly flip to a CP and watch them do the mating dance or deal with some trivial matter.

All these extraneous stuffs would just be fluff if the show didn’t do a 180 on itself at the 7/8 mark. Every antagonist was reformed. Every problem (except the one concerning the ML) is swept aside. It made a mockery of all the angst and misdeeds that was dished out over the last 30 odd episodes. Some were explained away as historical misunderstanding, but more was left unanswered and frankly, baffling. This was quite strange as the bulk of the show was rooted in reality (cooking is about as real as it can get). When the ML was challenged by reporters as to how he can still be a master chef when he can’t even taste his own food, the writer finessed a clever and logical solution. It only served to highlight the inconsistency later on.

Around that 7/8 mark, we also have an attack of the unicorns as well. We are talking a herd of them. The last few episodes were all about tying every loose end up with pink bows. Happy endings were served to everyone, whether they deserved it or not. This was topped by a Deus Ex Machina solution straight out of a wuxia/xianxia drama. It is as if the writer has abandoned reality, just went all in and damn the consequences. The piece de resistance was the ending. It needs a health warning for diabetics. It was sugar overload. I won’t spoil it, just one hint, Bollywood.

Acting is generally solid but some were exaggerated stereotypes, especially concerning foreigners. Younger actors have room to improve but they show a lot of commitment even when it was an unrewarding role.

OST and production values were good. It would have scored better if the writer stays focused and kept its message clear. Make it sweet and bubbly or dark and crazy but what we ended up is a rollercoaster ride that looped back on itself and make us feel cheated and confused. Individual scenes can be well executed and acted but the whole is, regrettably, less than the sum of the parts.

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Okay why no one wrote a review on this yet?!

Story----It's the first korean gay movie and i was so so suprised how good it was...Of course there were some bad moments...But it was okay since this movie wasn't supported at all...The story is unique for me and possible-to-happend because in past ages those relationships happend often so i was happy that finally someone make the hystory come to life!

Actors-----The actors..hmmm chemistry was a bit stiff here because they knew what are they risking but it wasn't completely off so i had no problem while watching this!^_^

Music----No no no big no..There was boring music almost non of it so big dissapointment for me!

Rewatch value---I keep rewatching this very often since i love the theme of the movie and i love almost all yaoi made movies/shows.So when i'm in mood for live action yaoi i always watch this!

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One of the Best

First Review!

First Thoughts! - It is really gripping! The story is well-told in a way it feels like you know more than they actually tell you. I constantly doubt myself, (is he the one? Why would she do that?). There are so many twists that I would never see coming even, it's constantly keeping you on your feet as if you blink you'll miss something important. I feel like I am trying to solve alongside the detectives, nothing is as it seems.

FINAL THOUGHTS - I HAVE just finished this drama and wow, I knew from the first episode it was going to be a crazy ride and I wasn't wrong, I found myself shocked right up to the last second I never really knew where the story was going to go the writers were definitely not predictable (except for one instance).
The emotions portrayed from the Leads were exceptional I truly felt everything they were going through. The thriller, crime, psychopath concept was really well done and very interesting. The story felt fresh and new I don't think I have watched anything quite like it.
I would 100% recommend watching it.

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Like a pack of dry cookies that are strangely addicting, even though they taste like nothing.

I know it’s a drama loved by many, but I’m sadly not in that camp. I still enjoyed it quite a lot, it just never truly moved me that much, and I think that was supposed to be the biggest selling point - how touching it is.

I think the biggest reason I did not fall in love with the drama itself is the fact I never fell in love with two main characters - Choi Woong and Gook Yeon Soo. I was indifferent about them as individuals and completely not interested in them as a pair. Something about how they were written did not click with me.

On the other hand, I adored so many supporting characters with Kim Ji Woong being easily my favorite. Both episodes focused on his point of view were in my perspective the most interesting and engaging. I know for a fact I liked him so much because I related to him in many areas, but that’s the strength of the drama - they present many unique, but realistic characters, I’m sure everyone would find one to relate to.

I’m quite sad how little they showed of NJ. There was not one scene of hers that was boring, some were quite meaningful. I appreciate how they never made her a typical toxic second female lead - her perspective on the whole situation was refreshing.

While I understand the drama portrays a lot of important life lessons that young people face - from teens to late twenties, I weirdly never connected to this presentation. Sure, there were some scenes that were memorable, but overall I don’t think I’m going to remember much after a few months.

Performances? Phenomenal from the whole cast. Exactly zero complaints. The emotional scenes were done well, the comedic bits were truly funny, not one character was miscast.

Overall, while my brain understands why many people loved this show, my heart does not follow.

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Nice aesthetics and feelings, petty outcome for 2nd lead syndrom victims

"Every life is a work of art. And it becomes complete when all pieces come together."

What started as a very heartfelt journey had a somewhat wishy-washy end - and no, I'm yes, I'm saying this because I was under the influence of the stressful second-lead syndrome. But not because he didn't get the girl - I swear!

Our Beloved Summer on a first look basis seems to have any troop to appease the typical k-drama viewer: haters-to-lovers, second lead syndrome (to some, at least), artistic shots, unjoyful and earnest quotes, and a very nice soundtrack to back it all (I'm a sucker for any Sam Kim OST, sue me!).

And it does! I fell in love immediately with it all, the way everything felt like it was worked to the detail, with both the heart and the mind. This series felt clever yet sincere. I found myself rooting for every character, even NJ who I didn't enjoy 75% of the time. They were complex, more than pretty cardboard on a screen.

However, OBS was a victim of what I like to call "The Episode 13 Curse" where, around the episode 13 (from 11-15 usually), it looses its essence. The main characters' plot was pretty much concluded, still the writers thought this kdrama clearly needed more emotional trauma and suffering (the overdone type), especially for Ji-Ung, which pissed me off. At least, from the little they developed his plot in the last episodes, they added a delicate streak to his journey. I'm still pissed, since it felt...wasted, tossed aside, so we could have 30 minutes of lovey-dovey scenes. They could've easily spared some time and level everything.

By all means, I didn't hate the main leads. They had cute chemistry, I'm just the type of viewer that enjoys the push-and-pull more than the icing on the cake, the chase more than the destination. Basically, I love to see two people getting closer, but not them being close, does it make sense? Well, still, they were adorable, and almost everyone in the series is impossible to hate. In the end, I felt like this is the type of drama that is meant not to be watched, but to be carefully appreciated. The ending was just bittersweet to me.

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Ok, so here we go.
Story. The storyline was pretty decent, but I sort of felt like I got the grasp of how it was going to go along when I read the summary. Ngl I skipped over a lot of stuff when the frame didn't have the leads in them and honestly I still got through the whole drama understanding what was happening. The storyline wasn't surprising or anything, it didn't have a surprise pop, in the end, the whole storyline was easily predicted just through watching the teasers for upcoming episodes. Honestly, he was looking for his grandpa and his grandpa only showed up for like a few minutes. Bruh.
Acting/Cast. Most of the actors and actresses aren't the ones you would usually recognize once you saw them and I understand they are pretty new. The male lead. This was FCC's first drama, but it wasn't as bad as I thought and it was nowhere awkward. Personally, I believe he did his best and he carried the character well, but the only thing I found awkward was the way he hugged the female lead, it wasn't sweet and it didn't give me that sweet emotion. I guess it's the actor and actresses chemistry or whatever, feel free to comment on that.
The female lead. This is CX's second drama and honestly, I felt like her first drama was better. I completely understand that her character had a calm and cold demeanor, but I felt like she didn't express that really well. I hate to, say this, but some of her expressions were repetitive, there are many other female characters who probably have the same personality as she does, but it just wasn't portrayed that well here. In addition, her character was very still and it made her look really awkward at times. Maybe this character just doesn't suit CX? Idk man.
Second female lead. I'm not going to lie I stopped paying attention to her mid-series, but her acting was really good. She portrayed the hate and ruthlessness of the character really well. I'm pretty sure the actress is pretty young in their 20s? Her drama costume did nothing to touch up her looks, instead, it made her look older and not the mature kind of old.
The main bad character. Gao Yu? He was only seen in the beginning few and his character just disappeared and came back, got defeated or whatever and that's it. Basically, this drama is like a discovery drama, in the end, there was no big evil character he had to face off or something.
Music. The music was good. The music was sung by the leads and as idols/singers, they're not bad. I love the feeling the song gave. It's very calm and pleasant.
Rewatch value. Honestly, I, myself probably won't rewatch this and tbh if I didn't watch this because of FCC and CX and I came across it, I probably wouldn't have been interested at all. Sorry, not sorry.
Overall. I mean you can try it.
Note. In addition, I am not going to lie, but the plot is pretty similar to Legend of Awakening, where the male lead is out looking for their birthright or powers or whatever and they come across many help and friends along the way. Basically, the drama is focused on the male lead's search and growth, so don't expect some sweet and romantic storyline.
xx

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