Reviews

I wanted to write this review while my feelings are still fresh! If you're not in the mood for an emotional trip, this is the wrong drama for you. The story is about trauma, and recovery. It's about love, but also pain, and healing. There's no intricate plot with twists, instead there are beautifully complicated relationships. I couldn't wait to watch the lives of these characters each week. It's a different kind of escapism. The kind where you see beautiful moments in an often painful and unfair world.

The story revolves around a Mall's tragic collapse 10 years ago, and the plans to rebuild a new mall in the same spot. In the beginning I thought I would get bored by that plot pretty quickly, but the real story is all the characters directly or indirectly affected by this tragedy. Yes, it's also a great love story, but there are so many other interesting characters besides the main couple with their own struggles, romances, and personal battles.  The characters are also extremely diverse as far as their circumstances (age, status, abilities...), but they all deal with their own frustrations, and self realizations. The cast is basically perfect.

Lee Jun Ho and Won Jin Ah were amazing together. I was impressed by how realistic their pain, angst, and chemistry felt. They never felt melodramatic or over the top, no matter how heavy the story got. Moon Soo has a cool no matter what personality, while Kang Doo has a dangerous charm, and both are frustrating at times, and heartbreaking at other times, but also incredibly cute together. I will say that Jun Ho was exceptionally good, and I was extremely impressed by his range. Whether he was tough, sensitive, smirking, crying, sickly, seductive, or just charismatic... he nailed every single emotion.  I guess this proves once again that you can't underestimate someone by their past boyband status. I look forward to seeing many more awesome roles in his future!

This is the kind of drama where it's hard to pick out a few members of the cast because the whole cast is stellar. This review would be pages long if I tried to mention all the reasons why, just know that they are all realistic, sympathetic, imperfect, and that I genuinely cared about all of them. I will mention one MVP of the cast, which is saying a lot considering how good everyone was, and that's Kim Kang Hyun as Sang Man. There were many times that I thought his humor, wisdom, and emotional observations stole the show. It may be a stereotype to have the slowest person be in many ways the smartest, but he executed it so well. I loved Sang Man way too much not to mention him specifically.

I know I keep giving a lot of credit to the cast, but the writer and director deserve much of the credit too. The whole story feels extremely intimate. We get a sense of the Mall collapse's impact without it becoming too melodramatic.  The images were also more haunting than gruesome, which gave them a stronger impact. The writer also avoids having everything work out perfectly, or making everything doom and gloom, which is part of why it all felt so realistic. Even during moments where the story felt a little slower, everything still felt connected, and necessary. There was one point where a character kept repeating the same frustrating action, and just as it was about to drive me crazy, they explained why they kept doing it and it all made sense. There's also enough balance in the story where it's never too sad, or too happy, for too long. If you like character driven stories, you will definitely not be disappointed.

The question of whether I would watch this again is tricky. While it's certainly good enough to watch again, you have to definitely be in the mood for this kind of story. Some of the suspense in wanting to know what decisions characters would make would be gone, which may make some episodes feel slower. Still, the cast is so phenomenal  that I would enjoy watching these characters again even knowing the outcome.

I also really enjoyed the soundtrack. It was mellow, and moving, without being too distracting. I though that was perfect for a drama like this.

Overall, this is a must see drama, but be prepared for some tears... or many tears if you are a crybaby like me. With a story surrounding so many different characters, know that the ending is extremely satisfying (which I was worried about), as far as not leaving any characters hanging or forgotten about. I expected to be depressed when it was over, but instead I felt inspired to appreciate each day, even when life isn't exactly what I want it to be.  From the beginning until the end I was totally invested in "Just Between Lovers", and I'm so glad I took a chance on it when I had no idea what to expect.

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Story of a girl (Zanilia Zhao) who has no family love. Her father blame her for her mom death and does not love her as he thought that his beloved wife pass away after giving birth. Her step mom is very evil and always make used of the girl and make her suffer. She does not believe love and only obey his father. She finally met a guy ( William Chan) who care and love her but because of many rivals in between they finally broke off. She finally understand love and show her love but because of her father background, they cannot be together. The actor and actress chemistry in this drama is extremely good. Should have a better ending.

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A Bit Disappointing

This is a fairly ordinary Korean Romance. The only unique element was that the products the handsome ML chaebol’s company produce and market are sex toys. The “products” make a brief appearance and are quickly relegated to the sidelines. Lots of luck figuring out what any of the specific items are used for.

I appreciate that movie makers in Korea are trying to explore new themes–or even take a risk now and then. The characters are likable, but the tired old theme of the younger generation trying to break away and establish independence from their narrowminded elders has been done to death eleventy billion times. The acting was...well, let’s just say–pedestrian. Some very real issues regarding sex and love could have been explored in more depth, but the writers shied away from anything explicit or graphic.

Superficial but enjoyable.

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(This contains spoilers but they're inside asterisks, so you're safe.)

I feel like this is one of those overrated shows.

Honestly, the story wasn't very interesting and some parts were kind absurd.

In my opinion, the leads had minimal chemistry, and I didn't like the male lead at all, I felt like he was unnecessarily rude to her at times and it bothered me that he was so cold all the time.

As for the female lead, I felt like she was the savior of this show, although, some situations were kinda pitiful and I hoped she was a stronger character.

The side characters didn't interest me that much and I didn't like them. It was bothering that (spoiler inside asterisks) *the second male lead imposed himself on the female lead the whole show and never got over her until the end*.

The ending was another thing why I didn't like this show and the main reason for it. The crucial question about the male lead wasn't answered. (spoiler ahead) *how the male lead got to and from his planet since he couldn't do that for all those centuries, how did he do that all of a sudden at random times at the end and why was he dying on earth* Also their situation at the end ended up not being an ideal one (spoiler) *he kept going back to his planet out of the blue leaving her alone and coming back whenever*

So nope I would not recommend watching this one.

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This show is a masterpiece!

Okay, so this show is not for everyone, but please - if it's not your thing, don'y bash it. just step away kindly and let the unhinged ones enjoy their crazy. ty!

This show leans heavily into the absurd and if this is your thing, then I cannot recommend it enough.

The acting is excellent, the story is so much fun, and EVERY THING you see on screen is 100% planned and thought out. non of it is unintentional. The only issue I have is that not all the random mumbling is translated, so I hope it gets fixed because it is funny as hell (also quite easy to understand if you get basic Thai).

To sum up, this is not a 5.7 show.

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Self-sabotage your life…

It’s a character study on a really unlikeable character, dare I say unlovable person? By the end of the show I felt empty and following Go Yeong’s life was simply exhausting. While most dramas highlight the good traits of the characters, this one puts on the spotlight all the flaws and makes you feel uncomfortable.

I honestly cannot really say much good about Go Yeong. His egocentric nature, not learning from his own mistakes, double standards, unrealistic expectations, lack of motivation, constant negative thinking made me just sigh as I watched him self-sabotage over and over again.

And then you start to see all the unfortunate things that happened to him, all the small and big tragedies, events that completely changed his life and you feel bad for him. He was rather… pitiful, but one that you just did not know how to help, even if you had a chance.

Never learning from his mistakes was his biggest flaw. He understood many times what went wrong, he clearly reflected on his behaviors… and then when the time came to make a different decision, he followed the same wrong path. Over and over again.

He was surrounded by people, yet so alone.

What made this drama work for sure was the directing and the acting. They sell the story for me. I think we can all agree that Nam Yoon Su did a phenomenal job as Go Yeong, but I also want to talk about Jin Ho Eun as Sim Gyu Ho. There was something so… vulnerable about that performance I was honestly in awe.

Episode 3 and 4 were visually stunning - probably the best use of light I had seen compared to the other episodes. Visually it perfectly captured that part of Go Yeong's life - romanticized feelings of falling in love to then crumble into pieces.

On the bad side though, there were some storytelling aspects I did not enjoy at all. Inconsistencies about how important or unimportant specific plot points were, how much impact they had on character lives, what were the true reasonings and motivations for some actions.

Still, what a gripping story. Not enjoyable, but that was never the point of it. It’s not really a love story if you ask me. It’s a life story.

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He remembers

It's quite a straightforward premise but the attention to details is simply unbelievable, the plot is really precise from the start till the end, taking audiences onto the journey of a man's last mission. The intention of the protagonist unfolds just like him remembering his past as he latches onto the next target, with action sequences that will blow minds. As always Lee Sung Min never disappoints with his masterful class acting, but the more surprised performance from Nam Joo Hyuk really steals the scene a lot, the chemistry between them works so well it just makes the closing scene highly emotional, exactly like how a bittersweet remembrance should be.

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The Meaning of Happiness

I really enjoyed watching this drama. Zombies/infectious disease, police/military, romance, family values! This drama hit many of my favorite elements in 12 1 hr episodes..
Acting
The main leads are childhood acquaintances and it’s your standard boy likes girl while girl is ignorant of boys feelings. The male lead really nails the looks of burning intensity. I could tell from the first episodes that he really cares about her even though he claimed not to. The female lead relies upon him and he truly is her source of happiness. Putting two people in a survival situation brings all types of feelings to the surface. I’m glad she didn’t deny them once she understood the direction of her heart.
There were many villains. The infected people or zombie like people actually weren’t the most evil. This how really displays how the evil of human nature can make people more of a mo step than even zombies. We saw many different types of greed surface as the characters are quarantined inside an apartment complex.
Storytelling
I would have liked this element to be more expanded. We spend a lot of time with the charectors in group discussion. There are a few side stories of adultery, drug dealing, and murder. I would have preferred to delve into those stories more and how this virus affected them vs. group discussions in the gym. I loved that these were the traditional zombies and this happened in a post Covid atmosphere….you can see how nonchalant the residents are because of past experience in dealing with the pandemic. For this reason, many people were more cautious but some also treated the virus like they already knew what to do.
Production
This was a nicely done show. I can tell that effort was placed on making scenes as realistic as possible without going overboard. The scenes primarily happened in 2 locations..the complex and the shutdown school…there was a fair amount of blood shed but it limited use of weapons.
Rewatch value
I’d binge this again in a year.

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Went into it expecting something different, but it had its moments

I think, overall, my main issue with this show was that what I thought it was going to be, based off the insanely cool edits on my fyp. This was not what it actually ended up being. Was it a bad show? No. Was is meaningful? Yes. Could it have been better? Absolutely, because it wasn't want I was expecting out of the show.

As a social criticism drama - this hits the mark with a full ten stars. However, everything else was a mess.

The premise is absolutely the best part and is part of the reason why I was so interested in this show. I am a twin myself, so I am always excited to see them be the main characters. However, this show did not deliver on that front. White goes undercover to find out who hurt his brother - yet he quickly stops doing that. He barely investigated Blacks gang, he was way too trusting and even when they told him how Black usually acts he didn't try to change his behavior to fit in better. Actually, it seems as if he actually has no interest in his brother at all - which is a real shame bc his brother immediately came to him when he felt him getting hurt but he never did that for Black. It was always Black who found White first.

Including White, most characters acted very juvenile in their action. You are committing pretty harsh crimes yet they don't take the necessary precautions. They should be wearing gloves considering they could easily be found through their DNA for how severe their crimes are. The only exceptions of those who always seem to think things through or actually have the skills to get through severe rough patches are Gumpa and Black. Gumpa makes the plans and they are well thought out plus he has many skills he teaches to the others and form what I understand Blacks plans always worked out and he manages to get himself out of situations the others can't.

However, the most disappointing thing I've seen in this is the lack of showtime between Black and White - the whole premise starts with them but they have no scenes together and when Black is awake we never know what he's doing. He's the one with enemies yet we never know what he is doing. I believe the most interesting character is Black which is why its a real shame we never got to understand or see him in action better. The most disappointing thing about Blacks character is his extreme change form those growing up a privledged life and turning into the absolute opposite. i mean, there has to be a reason why he is willing to live like he grew up a gutter rat and is apparently mean to everyone around him. They should have gone into his character more. He was ironically the character I liked the most and I liked Euch as well bc of how she was necessary to the plot in basically playing devils advocate for the law to show both sides.

Besides the incomprehensible behavior of nearly al the characters - there were so many plot holes that could have been solved if they cut down on unnecessary side interests. Show more of the villain's motives so it feels like a well-rounded story and stop jumping from one activity to another without a leading line to show how we got there like the ROL suddenly gaining traction when there should have been more focused on it since it was important in the conclusion.

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historical masterpiece (uncut version is better though)

Overall: I applaud the writers for giving us this series. I read the book but reviewed the series on its own merits. Aired on YouKu app, GagaOOLala (uncut), YYDS YT channel https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoqdmwJPCU35AqHWHKLdr5RWqQhBiVl61 (depending on your country) Check out these 2 official movie cuts which center on Yai & Jom
Part 1 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/Tt5-Wa5z3RE
Part 2 of Jom & Yai’s Epic Love Story https://youtu.be/vT-HG57Nt7w

Content Warnings: (there were major content warnings that I will put under a spoiler), manhandling

What I Liked
- sweet moments and excellent chemistry
- finally we had well written female characters instead of cliche stereotypes, these women acted/felt/reacted how real women would
- strong messages without being corny, they showed the unfairness of wealth disparities, they addressed something that happened in episode 3 as traumatic and not romantic, we almost never see this between a married couple in fiction though it sadly happens in real life and then they showed the trauma of what can result from that circumstance
- unique premise
- that Jom had agency
- intimate scenes were done extremely well
- the cut version still made sense though the uncut did give additional context that I liked (I've the uncut only since ep 2 and watched both versions of ep 12)
- production value

Room For Improvement
- Jom was a bit frustrating in the first half though he really went thru a lot, I blame the editing for unnecessary long pauses
- the ending was extremely rushed and not really clear of what exactly happened, they could have condensed some of the side plots/scenes in the first half of the series to more fully show the ending
- that mustache was awful and not needed in ep 1
- Jom should have said quietly what the year was when he learned who that ruler was as international fans don't know the date (but it's in the series summary)

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You'll have to complete the story yourself (EDITED)

This drama is all over the place. Now that is a big word for this type of a drama. I know that being an 8 episode drama with screen time of 15 minutes max, there isn't enough time for the story to develop properly, plus the budget is pretty low so they did what they could. You have to put the missing pieces from each episode to make sense, because there is too much time jumping between scenes. It's not that bad but its noticeable in each episode. The story it self ain't that bad but its nothing special too. The actors were alright and the acting wasn't that bad, but sometimes was cringey to watch. I'd like to see them in another project. The ost wasn't mind blowing. But for a low budget, quick and easy drama, I'll have to give it a pass.

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"The sunset was so gorgeous; its clothes were made of clouds."

This series is so beautiful that I eagerly waited every day to watch it on time when a new episode was released. The actors all performed exceptionally well, bringing their characters to life in a way that I won't forget for a long time. I loved how everyone from Wufeng had their own story, and you could empathize with them. I was able to feel both sadness and happiness with the characters. The relationship between the two gong brothers (shangjue and yuanzhi) was what I liked the most in the series; they found comfort in each other and helped each other to keep going.

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