Reviews

♡Truly Amazing♡

STORY:
The plot of this show is absolutely incredible. It is very well developed for a cutsey romance show. It shows realistic themes and life-like situations along with heartfelt and romantic scenes to really give you a show that is entertaining and relatable for many in some ways.

ACTING/CAST:
The cast was well-chosen without a single doubt. Chen Zheyuan is an amazing actor along with Zhoa Lusi. They were able to play their characters with the perfect emotions and behaviors. The whole cast made the whole show an easy watch with their incredible acting.

MUSIC:
The OST of Hidden Love is absoutely perfect. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to the songs from this show because they are so good. My mom even listens to them even though she hasn't watched the show. They also perfectly match each mood of the show to give the watchers a better expierence.

REWATCH VALUE:
I rewatched this show with my sister who had not seen it yet not long after I watched it for the first time, and I payed attention to every single episode and always wanted to keep watching. The plot is not boring and enables past watchers to still enjoy watching it for a second, third, or even fourth time. This si also one of my go-to shows when I'm not fully paying attention and need some background noise or something I can look over and tune-in every couple of minutes. This show doesn't get old and is a perfect choice for a rewatch.

OVERALL:
Overall, Hidden Love is a pretty much perfect show (as you could probably tell from my rating). Every aspect of this show is amazing and, from my knowledge, it is one of the most recommended and loved Chinese dramas. This is definitely a show you should consider watching if you haven't already, or rewatching if you have!

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"Best Time" is a drama with many good points that deserved my score of 9, but some downsides that refrained me to give it a perfect score 10.
The storyline I think, was wisely drew on a mixture of a workplace setting with a very complicated and melodramatic romance that keep you hooked in your seat despite of the 47 episodes length. At the contrary of other business related dramas this one never was boring neither disappointing but catches your interest and make you enjoy of the competition and challenges that comes up. In reference to the romance has something really good and that is the unexpected outcomes. It seems for a moment that the plot is so evident and is leading you to believe that the female lead would tilted to love a one person in particular but later you realise that maybe you were wrong. So you keep waiting for what would happen next. I must say that this drama is based on the novel "The most beautiful time" by Tong Hua.
The acting was generally good. Although, I didn't like much the character of Su Man's best friend. I was so please to see Chang Janine here (who has a main role in the new Chinese drama "You light up my star", starring with Cheng Joe). I think she is very good at melodramatic roles. Plus she has a good chemistry with Chung Wallace in this drama.
I liked the music, about all the opening song that repeats throughout the drama.
I gave a reasonable rewatch value because there are some episodes really touching that you wouldn't mind to watch again although maybe 47 episodes would be more difficult to digest twice.
I don't like to disclose the ending but I think there is something that has to be said as it is important to understand for what the sequel " Best Time Special" stand for. At the same time, is a fact already known by fans who have read articles about this drama, so it cannot be considered as a spoiler itself, neither rest any attractiveness to watch the drama...
...This drama has an open ending, this means that there are some loose ends. I believe the intention was to leave the viewers to get their own conclusions about how the romance should ends. So when you finish to watch the last episode you are given the chance to conclude the story there or if you feel disappointed or are really willing to see what happens next, then you might opt to watch the sequel, a 2 episodes specials in which you get a recollection of the whole story with two different endings.

This extension with alternative endings I think was a fans service for those who were hooked with the emotions and heartbreaking fates of the characters and unhappy with not knowing what happened to them. However, I particularly found this ambiguous conclusion and added endings quite a negative downside. My reasons are that the drama does not give you all what you want when they already spent 47 episodes for that; in addition, the special doesn't get under your skin as it did the whole story, maybe because it felt to forced or just as a thriller that in its more tense scene takes a break for some adds and then ruins the suspense. I would rather preferred they finished the story in one or other way at once without need to make the specials,

Anyway, I enjoyed much of this drama and I definitely recommend to watch it if you like romantic stories. The good think is that you can choose what ending you prefer and even see what would could happened otherwise.

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Current vs Original? Original.

*Everything I wrote are just based on my opinion.*

I do remember a few scenes and overall from the original version so I had high hopes on this remake but all I can see are the loopholes and some scenes that are unnecessary/unnatural.

As it has more episodes so I thought they will add more to the storyline and make it slightly different with the ending or in between but it’s just almost the same and nothing stand out and if I would choose which version to choose, I will choose the original version.

I believe the current version can do better and make it more interesting. I know this plot lots of people love it but it’s super dragging and I got bored nearly half of the drama. I thought something more will happen so I continue to finish but it’s kinda disappointing.

I would only recommend this if you need something to watch and need not focus so much time and energy to it. If not I believe this drama isn’t worth the time.

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Chemistry at work, but angst and real growth is on break!

Have we seen the story of ex- lovers parting ways due to misunderstanding and reuniting in the workspace? Yes and honestly, maybe a better version does exist for the second chance love trope. So, while the premise is not new, the execution was just above the line. (Maybe subpar if I am being too critical)

This drama runs high on miscommunication and lack of communication simultaneously. It feels like two sides of the same coin.

Side A - Team Jin Hwan : Assuming others know what you mean and feel without stating your expectations clearly.
Side B - Team Min Jun : Hearing something and jumping to conclusions rather than giving a benefit of doubt and actually trying to sit and clarify the situation.

Starting with the positives, the chemistry between leads was the highlight for me. It was really good and evident from the start to finish. When they look at each other, I could sense all the hurt, the love and the weight of unfinished conversation between them!

Time alone doesn't heal everything unless you sit, communicate and truly process it all out. I am glad the drama didn't take the route of a fairytale reconciliation. While it was frustrating to watch at times, the back and forth between Minjun and Jin Hwan added the realistic layer of being too cautious and hesitant to re-enter into the same waters where both of them once almost drowned and barely survived in their own ways.

And a lot of people were mad at Minjun for not communicating and being as reciprocative as Jin Hwan when they met again after years but I believe that during those eight years apart, he was still struggling and had not fully accepted what exactly happened to him or why it happened. He actually never really had the opportunity to process it or work on his insecurities because technically, he never moved on. He was always under the impression that he was used and I do not think anyone can heal from something like that overnight.

Also the switch between past and present and vice versa was done well and very cohesively without being too messy or confusing. It gave a proper run down of what happened between them and why we are here right now. While in the past timeline, we get to see both the perspectives and it was interesting to see how the same situation can be interpreted in poles apart ways when communication takes a back seat.

Where this drama falters is the present day storyline that seemed rushed and underdeveloped. The emotional depth was missing and conflicts were left till the last minute to be resolved and honestly that is not my favourite kind of storytelling.

Don't get me wrong, it's not the worst second chance drama out there or it's not that the story didn't have potential. It did, but it just didn't dig deeper and enough to stir something inside me. I expected more believable character development where we could actually see them navigate their doubts, fear and misunderstandings together.
The angst between them felt lukewarm. Yes, there was tension and chemistry, no doubt, but it just simmered below the surface.
The short run time didn't help either. Maybe instead of 6 , 8 episodes could have made their journey and the ending more believable.

Clearly, the ending seemed rushed and very theatrical. It felt like we were robbed of the slow burn payoff. I still don't think either of them actually addressed their issues and if the drama existed in parallel universe and they are still together, I could see them making the same mistakes again. Again, I do believe in second chance romance but can it really happen if the people involve don't really change or atleast try to deal with their insecurities. Well, Minjun and Jin Hwan would never know because the writing didn't give them that chance.

Acting-wise both the new actors did a good job and their chemistry did all the heavy lifting here. I do feel with a better and strong script, we could have gotten something more because their performance does have potential.

Coming to OSTs, they were decent. I did like in a few scenes how they incorporated between dialogues without distracting from the delivery but nothing too memorable.

Overall, this drama isn't without flaws but the chemistry between them makes it a decent one time watch. I wouldn't say I dislike it but the pace and exploring their characters individually and then their dynamics together would have made this better.
Recommended if you are looking for something short filler like and wouldn't mind surface level writing.

Favourite Line from the Drama :
"I was stupid back then so I lost you,
If I have the chance, I want to do my best!"

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Novel formula boosted by some flawless contributions

"You Are My Spring" attempts to combine a rather grim murder mystery with a lighter romantic drama and it in large succeeds, though it is more due to how well some of the foundational components are executed than due to the freshness of the concept.

First, the photography is stunning. The composition of the shots and the editing in this production are as good as any video since "Parasite". It's that good.

Second, the cast as an ensemble is without a weakness. From Seo Hyun Jin to the major supporting actors (Kim Ye Won, Kim Seo Kyung and Baek Hyun Joo are especially strong), to the brief appearances, there is not a single below the bar performance. But special commendation must go to Kim Dong Wook who simply astonishes as Joo Young Do. It is almost certainly the finest acting performance of 2021 and should be a case study in how to use subtlety and silence in creating a compelling character

And the writing is excellent as well. All of the main characters are complex and original and genuine. The dialogue is smart. There's very little of the standard cliches and when one big one appears, it's done so well that it can be forgiven. Particularly well done is the character of Ahn Ga Young played by Nam Gyu Ri. What at first appears to be a stock self-centered celebrity type is surprisingly comical and sympathetic and bright.

It's not without shortcomings. The dual storyline concept works well when the main duo are closely intertwined in the plot with Yoon Park and the police detectives. But as the romance drama coalesces, the crime drama dissipates and when it inevitably reappaers in the later episodes, it blends in awkwardly and the storyline gets incomplete closure so that a late blooming side couple can have a share of the spotlight. There's also a minor subplot that appears regularly before vanishing and leaving the involved cast members either relegated to props or eliminated altogether.

Any criticism of "You Are My Spring" for trying to do too much with two very differently toned storylines is legitimate. The show cannot keep the threads wound tightly together for the full sixteen episodes. However, the stretch of "You Are My Spring" from episode seven through thirteen is wonderful. This drama should be on any list of the finest productions of 2021 and most strongly recommended.

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Watered Down Sex & The City w/Lukewarm Romance Centered Around a TV Station & Some Debt

Watched only for LYN's first foray into an ML role in a modern drama and he made me proud. The story itself was a bit trying too hard to fit a lot of things into itself at once. It worked in the parts of being female centric and cultivating the friendship between the three women but I felt it could have easily been a 30 episode series and covered everything as with even 40, it still left many unanswered questions. It was pretty much a watered down Sex & The City w/lukewarm romance centered around a TV station & some debt.

Pros: Though he was the ML and did a great job at it, his role wasn't as substantial as the three women whose plot this really was and their lives. That said I'm still incredibly proud of LYN for tackling this new challenge and his slow but steady growth as a leading character.

I liked the fact that all 3 women were very flawed in their characters and even stabbed each other in the back at work before realizing it really wasn't worth it. Their evolutions came from both the necessity and the fact that they had no other choice like in the case of HH and her runaway husband. In the first episodes she took hit after hit; the disappearing hubby, the mountain of debt, her show's cancellation, her mom's illness and becoming a single mom. Many of us wondered how she would handle it as it was just insane. But out of the three despite all of that, she was the first one to realize how quickly she had to change her outlook and mindset in order to survive and though they weren't yet as close as they became, the other two were very encouraging of her. The tv station was the main base for the entire series.

Looking at it from another perspective, JJH was like a male version of her, starting with being in so much debt thanks to her husband and owning nothing, to slowly building himself and her up as well. HH's new business became very successful because of him. I also liked how they incorporated LYN's real qualities and both former and current jobs as a chef, livestreamer, and singer into the show. It made his character more realistic.

BY and YY both were extreme opposites of each other; one would do anything to get what she wanted even if it was quite shady, while the other was the epitome of Joan of Arc with her righteousness and stubbornness. They butted heads often but only when they really started to stand in each others shoes did they understand where the evolution must happen.

Other great characters were Zimo, the two directors of the tv station, plus main boss, RJ, LL, and HH's parents. The antagonists, I believe there were 4 of them grand total, honestly were an after thought to the rest of the plot. Costumes, OSTs, locations, were on point.

Cons: The show could have just been 30 episodes because there were so many things that weren't properly done or finished. Like did the 3 doofuses who lost money to OKG ever get that money back? Yes HH and him got divorced and the 4 buffoons were arrested for whatever insane illegal activities they did but even that wasn't properly explained. I've got a business background and all of my degrees are in that and I have absolutely no idea what exactly they did, why OKG had to run, why he blackmailed them for 100 million RMB, why he swindled those poor folks out of whatever he owed them. It had to do with stocks and finance but it was so muddled and rushed, that I still don't know. That could have been explained so much better and written into the series.

Also some characters were shoved into the spotlight to make things really uncomfortable for our female leads which I felt quite unnecessary like that Zhang Ke guy who was a borderline stalker of YY and was willing to do whatever it took (like ruining her reputation and nearly getting her fired) for her to date him when it was obvious she didn't like him. And the chick who looked up to HH but did some shady things herself and acted about 12. These were just two of several characters that really just didn't make sense of why they required so much screen time.

The character of OKG wasted a solid 2 episodes trying to get HH to go on the run with him. They could have used those same episodes to fortify her relationship with JJH and the other two couples. The romance portion of this drama was almost like an afterthought. I felt like HH turned robotic towards JJH once she found he had developed feelings for her. She treated him better when they were "enemies". And the sudden turnaround when he'd done so much to grow her business and helped with her mom's health and death, could have been a lot smoother. It felt like a whiplash. There definitely were a few plot holes in this series that could have been better explained. It was also quite obvious that many scenes were cut because they appeared in the opening or closing credits but never in the show itself.

Would I recommend it? I would for the female bonding primarily. If you're able to look past the cons, you will enjoy this show.

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The Penthouse 3: War in Review

I was insanely skeptical about watching the 3rd season because of the ratings and the backlash it was receiving but, I because I am a die-hard fan of the Penthouse so I got through my fear of let down and watched it, and here is my review:

First, the pros, remarkable jobs creating such strong characters out of weak characters from seasons 1 and 2. An example of this is Bae Ro Na, who went from a person who couldn't even get anything her way to stealing Eun Byeol's spotlight completely. Another strong character was Seok-hoon who before couldn't even stop Joo Dan-Tae's abuse was now helping him receive the punishment he deserved.

Second is the incredible character development from some of the worst characters in the show such as Seok Kyung and Kang Ma-ri. Throughout seasons 1 and 2 Ma-ri treated Bae Ro Na like trash but later was able to steal the hearts of many viewers with her change of character filling in the role as Bae Ro Na's mother. Seok Hyung went from not even caring one bit about others to caring about an old man who she doesn't even know. She also became independent and worked without needing others. Her attitude towards others was a major character development that made viewers love her and her realization of all the bad things she's done.

Cons, the deaths... The deaths of major characters seemed too small. I felt like Joo Dan Tae's death was boring in a way that nobody really cared and it seemed like the death wasn't fit for his character because we all thought her would be the villain till the end. The same goes for Oh Yoon He and Yoon Cheol their deaths were made to lengthen the show but only let viewers down.

Next is the played-out deaths where they make viewers believe that characters die then bring them back to life as a way to wow the viewers or to please them. The ridiculous 'twin' trick played on for 3 people and it made it seem like the scripter writers just lost their touch. Every time a character dies viewers such as myself instantly think, "No they're not dead, It's the Penthouse after all."

Last is the ending. Such a cruel ending, Shim Su Ryeon killed herself for no good reason resulting in Logan also later killing himself. Finally they actually truly kill off a character but for the wrong reasons. Both their deaths were unnecessary, Seo-jin's cancer was also an unnecessary plot twist that didn't allow her to pay for her crimes because she was able to escape through death. The major deaths of all the parents with the exception of Kang Ma-ri and Min Hyeok's parents were all because of them wanting to leave a more peaceful living for their children and this can be seen in the way all of their children were living peacefully Bae Ro Na claimed her rightful place as a Soprano with Seok-hoon by her side, Jenny and Min Hyeok both lives peacefully by their parent's side and Seok Kyung was able to find peace in the simple life paying for all that she's done.

When Kang Ma-ri saw a figure that looked like Shim Su Ryeon I instantly went "see? She's not dead." I couldn't stop crying and was confused once the part where Bae Ro Na comes to Logan with flowers only to see a portrait and an empty chair different from the last scene. As the part played out we slowly start to figure why it was shown and this was one of the best but heart-breaking scenes from the show.

All in all this entire show as a whole was a rollercoaster with an incredible but sometimes ridiculous plot twist. I was able to watch and see such amazing actors and actresses. Sadly this is the last time we will all see them together. In my opinion, they should have ended at season 2 where all the key players get punished but I get why they sort of had to create and show what would happen once they are out of prison to ease the mind of people but all were wasted once they were killed off. The happy ending of this show was the most anticipated but we were only given 1/2 of it because of the main character's deaths. Though they die we are given a sense of peace once Logan and Shim Su Ryeon reunite with all their dead loved ones.

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A clean simple beautiful heart warming drama to watch

It's been a while since i watched a beautiful slice of life romantic drama like this. The best part is that it only have 8 episodes. Very light with simple and clean narration makes you feel very heart warming every single bit of it. Plot is also looks refreshing and the duration of Episodes is around 45 min.

I don't want to enter into the plot or synopsis which you can simply read on MDL website, i prefer not to read anything before you watch, its better to kept that curiosity with you while watching.. so many good things were there, it deserves much more attention. May be subbing is from viki they delayed too much. But thank god they bought the right if not then we could have miss this beautiful drama.

The mood which the ost create was so magical to see and every time we watch a slice of life drama you will learn something from it, here also nothing changes, the hardships of life they showed was very intense. Also the relationship goals and the friendship everything was fantastic.

Highly recommended to watch.. its very heart warming drama❤️

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Volume 5: A new strategy

I've been enjoying this volume a lot. I think it's a step in the right direction.

First of all, they expanded what I thought was possible in this vlog format. Previously, I assume they'd stick to "realistic" plots that at least have a semblance of real-life feasibility. But the whole Jihan VS his manager is anything but; not only that you wouldn't record a vlog of your secret relationship, the manager is an "evil parent"-esque villain... in a vlog! Well, any semblance of realism is out the window now. In exchange, I welcome the additional possibilities this approach allows (like the HongGyu kiss dream sequence).

Second of all, I appreciate them keeping this volume in Seoul. It allows them to focus on the plot, without the pressure of having to change scenery every episode the way a travel vlog does. Plus, this kind of fiscal responsibility is important if this project is to be long-lived.

It's not all good, of course. I don't understand why they reconciled Hyunki and Dongseop so quickly, for example. I think their conflict has potential, and I'd much rather if they foster it for a bit. At the very least, they should conclude the conflict properly, perhaps by replacing the running scene with a reconciliation scene.

On that note, I think I can confidently say that people don't really care for the platonic (I'm referring to scenes like Yunje's video editing or HongGyu+Dongseop's running). They're fillers, and that's something vlogs can do without, what with the fast-forward and skip ahead that are standard practices. So it'd be good if they keep it tight and make every scene ties up to the grand romance, or at least have a flirty undertone.

One last thing. About the HongGyu focus in the second part of this volume, I can understand. I know people must've been missing 2J, but Jaejun's time here is hard-capped by his mandatory military service (in less than a year, I think?). So I get the need to slowly shift the spotlight to the other boys.

And that's about everything. Looking forward to the next volume and their further growth.




Below is my previous review for vol 4:
First of all, I'd like to acknowledge how difficult this format actually is. It brings a lot of freedom, and there's no comparison point. So different people will end up forming many different kind of expectations. Heck, I'm pretty sure some people don't even know what to expect. Like, they can tell whether they like this volume or not, but if you ask them to describe in detail what they want to see, many would probably come up blank. Exactly because there aren't much reference point to compare this work to.

With that said, I like this volume. Mostly because, to me, they're returning to the essence of this vlog format. In a typical series, the storytelling is akin to watching a CCTV recording; we get to see any relevant information, whether the characters "wanted" to be seen or not. But in a vlog, the storytelling is more like reading a diary; we only get to see what the characters have curated for us to see (in-universe).

And so that's why I think volume 3 was so janky. It was a vlog trying to be a typical series, and so it couldn't decide on a consistent mode of storytelling (as evidenced by the plenty use of "external" camera in that volume, i.e. "omniscient" camera that's not hold by the characters). Volume 4, meanwhile, is a vlog through and through, just one where the characters happen to kiss. Now, there might be many different reasons why someone likes or dislikes vlogs, but the identity is clear. This is a vlog, it's not trying to move beyond the realm of vlogs, and if you show it to a naive viewer, they might not even realise that it's "not just a typical vlog".

So yeah, I enjoyed this. Yes, there's basically no plot, but vlogs don't typically have a plot. Do I want a plot? Of course, but only if it fits the vlog format. Otherwise, they shouldn't force one in.

P.S. for the next volume: more kisses, more stares, more privacy, more intimacy. We don't exactly need fraternal bonding moments (notice that volume 1 & 2 didn't really have those, and they did just fine). After all, no one watch a dating show for the friendship.




Below is my previous review for volume 3:

Needless to say, everyone is giving them a lot of "strong feedbacks" after volume 3. But I don't want them to take the wrong message. Instead of jumping to thinking about "what BL fans like/dislike", I think there are some fundamental storytelling and character building issues that they need to sort out first. Hence, I wrote this review to rant and list out my grievances about volume 3.

1. The lack of explanations. They could get away with not explaining the bathroom thing back then because, in the grand scheme of things, it was just a small part of volume 1&2. But here, Jaejun-Yunje relationship is THE plot. Not explaining it is like a detective story that doesn't explain how the murder was done.

2. Related but slightly different to point #1. Jaejun's behaviors, frankly speaking, don't make sense. And in order to make sense of it, we need him to explain what he's thinking. But he doesn't. We know very little about his intention. Is he willfully cheating, or is he just that naive/dumb? Who knows?

Even if he's conflicted about his own thoughts, he could've said something like, "I know I love Jihan, but then, why does my heart skip a beat when Yunje got close?". See, that'd be an understandable confusion for someone new to love (though not necessarily justify what he did). When he did and said all that contradictory things, we need to know his state-of-mind, so that at least we could understand his humanness. Right now, all we could do is make assumptions about his character, without learning his perspective.

This is probably the biggest problem in this volume, and the one that makes me wonder whether the writer actually understood the characters, or just made them do whatever the drama needed them to do regardless of common sense.

3. Looking back, that forest not-kiss was... "clickbait-y", for a lack of better word. Not only unexplained, it was unnecessary too. We could tell that Yunje is attracted to Jaejun even without that. So what was that for?

4. Pacing issue. Things escalated and de-escalated way too quickly. Though I think that forest not-kiss shares the most blame for the quick escalation. That's the moment everyone went on high alert, and by then it was still episode 2. If Jaejun had just fallen asleep on Yunje's shoulder, for example, it would've been a smoother escalation toward the ice cream almost-kiss. As for the quick de-escalation, the not explaining things is to blame for that.

5. And finally, all that just to end up where they started. We don't know if Jaejun actually learned anything, because, again, he didn't explain anything. Some people think/wish that they would continue this storyline in vol 4, but I'm skeptical. It seems that Jaejun has moved on completely, and if he hasn't, it'd make his refusal to explain things even worse.


That's about everything. On the bright side, the sweet scenes are as good as ever. If you can ignore the newly-founded suspicion on Jaejun's state-of-mind, that is.

I still root for them and hope that the next volume will be better. I really want this project to be successful and long-lasting.

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Love With... painfully slow pacing

Overall: If you are into love triangles and a really slow moving plot, then you might like this. I would have dropped it if it was longer than 5 episodes. Watched on YouTube.

Content Warnings: non con kiss and touching (character was asleep)

What I Liked:
- I think the three protagonists and the acting coach did well with the script that they had (I quite liked Gameplay portraying a moody/prickly character)
- the production value was decent for what I'm assuming was a smaller budget

Room For Improvement:
- the main problem was the pacing was too bit slow. If they had cut this from 45 minutes to 20-30 minutes, then I would have enjoyed it more. Everything was just too draggy and boring.
- also I didn't really see the motivation for changing feelings, it felt like the viewer was supposed to connect too many missing dots
- another stupid love triangle
- the acting coach being harassed, that whole bubble tea scene was not funny. I'm done with the stereotypical trans woman as comedy thing.

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If you're looking for something quick, quirky and a little bit random, then definitely give this a go. I watched this just after I finished You Who Came From the Stars and it's humour and weridness definitely lifted me up from my end-of-amazing-drama-withdrawal.

It's not a wonderful storyline but for some strange reason it's not boring either and in fact it got me quite hooked. It also wins some great gold stars for making me laugh after a bawling session from the final episode of YWCFTS.

The characters in this movie were all really cute and the cast did a great job.

If you're stuck for what to watch, or you're just feeling like a happy movie then give this a go! :)

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It wasn't bad but that doesn't mean it was good

Let me start this off with the two actual good things about this show: the casting and the cinematography . The cast was great and they did so well with they had to work. The cinematography was sooo nice, the scenes were shot really well, which usually is a big pet peeve of mine. These two factors made the show seem waaaay better than it actually was and on the surface it really seems like a good show. However, looking behind the pretty surface shows lack of care in character and plot development.

I went into watching this with little to no expectations, so at first glance it seemed like a good drama. I watched it in a day (4 episodes in the morning and 4 at night) and it was a smooth watch, something easy and kind of simple. Which is exactly where the problem lies in my opinion. I loooove a good easy show, something not too taxing to watch and that gives me a chance to enjoy a silly little watch. And Jazz for two could've done just that but they didn't and that was unsettling. I am no fan of big conflicts in shows but I do appreciate that when it happens there's room to solve the conflict and work it out. In the case of this show nothing like that ever happens. Be it the absolute toxicity of the side-couple's relationship or the SA that just gets sweeped under the rug. I get that with the running time being this short there's not enough room for big conflicts to get solved extensively, however, as a director there should be a certain awareness around what you can and can't do with your resources. If there's not enough time to properly discuss heavy themes then for the love of god do not introduce them?

Taeyis reaction to the kiss was absolutely vile and not justified no matter how internalized his homophobia is. For someone that had such a violent reaction to a kiss from another guy he got over it pretty fast, which is just poor character planning on the showrunners side. The inconsistency in the character development is baffling to me. Let's not get into how Seheon didn't even get a real apology, he just suddenly got kissed and a little "sorry" and all was well.

Doyoon and Jooha are problematic on a similar level but even having less screentime than the maincouple they somehow managed to make that relationship seem more controlled and plausible. The intense homophobia coming from every single couple, even the brothers (what even was that, introduced solely to serve as a poor reason for the maincouple to break up for like? 2 minutes?), is just too much to solve with that kind of running time when you're already trying to get two strangers to establish some sort of bond, then to fall in love and then to overcome a heavy topic like suicide within their relationship. All the while they're dealing with school work, a controlling dad that just suddenly disappears (seriously where did he go?) after he served as a plot drive to get the main couple to become closer and writing a song/winning at a festival. There's so much going on that you don't even have time to process everything that's going wrong cause they keep piling up new plot points for the watcher to digest.

So, as the title suggests, overall it wasn't that bad, it's just that it wasn't good either.

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quiet unique.

I think the story is different. There's many dramas and movies about mermaids but this story is different it's a big fish but not a other mermaid story. I just like the idea that it's about a giant fish it's not something I've seen before so the idea is great. Also heroine is great although it's as expected that she would obviously be scared or surprise at first but she's not cowardly or weak which is a plus.

The story has a twist so it's something to look forward to. As you watch the show you may have many questions and maybe confused about what are the character but it would be explained very clearly near the end of the movie.

I think it should be a drama instead of a movie. It just felt so rushed, there's no time for development. However overall it's quiet fun to watch.

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