Reviews

Put things in to perspective, and pretty good, but not very entertaining and hard to rate.

I am confused, very confused... not so much about the movie itself, it is pretty straight forward though it does have some interesting twists and turns pretty good cinematography for a J movie, it is not too hard to follow the story-line. So why am i confused? Well I just do not know how I feel about the message in this movie, and about how they portray this issue. Part of me thinks that it has a really interesting take on this that we rarely see. It is not like they over simplify the issue in hand or something like that, I find myself liking and disliking it at once... and wanting them to dig deeper yet make it simpler at the same time. Yes I am contradicting myself here (that is my point).

What I do like is the people here, the side stories and the side characters seem to have made for a better story than the main one. The characters are relatable, not detestable, most are actually pretty sweet. Some may need a lesson or to in communication but the story would be pretty dull if everybody was perfect.

The entertainment value is not very high, but there are some scenes that may blow your mind and the quality to the production and story are high. And it does help put things in to perspective... In a lot of more or less subtle ways...

Honestly I could have rated this anything between a 6 and a 10 depending on what I focus on and the mood I am in.

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Fifty Shades of Pink

Fifty Shades of Grey, this isn’t. There are parallels to be drawn involving primarily the contractual relationship trope and the BDSM theme, if it isn’t already apparent. That is where the similarities end, however. Despite the R-18 rating, I would consider Love and Leashes to be much less intense and provocative but rather more fun and heartwarming. After all, this film is meant to coincide with this year’s V-Day which takes place in just a couple of days. Hence the more upbeat and romantic vibe, this is definitely a case of love being slowly unleashed.

Jung Ji Hoo is your average salaryman working in a 9 to 5 job. Unbeknownst to his co-workers, however, he has another side to him - one that involves a fetish for BDSM. One day, due to a mix-up by the delivery service, a female colleague finds out his secret. What transpires subsequently involves a whole lot of awkwardness and embarrassment as well as the resulting suggestive intimate moments, before eventually leading to something more profound.

Directed by Park Hyun Jin, who also co-wrote the screenplay adaptation with Lee Da Hye, the source material is the Naver webtoon entitled The Moral Sense conceived by Gyeoul aka Winter, which was serialised from 2015 to 2018. The original score was composed by Kim Hong Jip and Lee Jin Hee, with Lee Sun Kyu playing the guitar. Principal photography took place from April to July 2021.

What I Generally Liked

Running at just under 2 hours, I thought the film was rather entertaining and eventful. The concept is refreshing, by Korean or even Asian standards, for a mainstream production distributed globally by Netflix. You don’t often come across BDSM-themed romance as the main feature of the story and in this case, the subject matter was handled in a very tasteful and mature manner.

For me, the main takeaway from the film has more to do with the relationship dynamics in terms of the emotional connection between two individuals rather than purely the explicit nature of the BDSM acts themselves to be manifested as a comedic effect or cheap thrills. I particularly appreciated the nuances drawn from the eventual growth of both leads and the organic evolution of their relationship. Additionally, the film explores elements of office politics and gender discrimination that are very much borne of a deep-rooted patriarchal culture.

Given the involvement from Netflix, the film unsurprisingly delivers reasonably high production values. I’ve enjoyed the overall quality of the visuals presented and the set designs, while the accompanying music score nicely complements the ambience of the scenes.

My first time seeing both Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young in lead roles and they gave a pretty decent account of themselves in their portrayals of Jung Ji Woo and Jung Ji Hoo respectively. I haven’t read the webtoon but I do think they managed to personify their characterizations the way they were intended to be convincing and relatable to viewers, to a certain extent.

The ML is just adorable, almost like a puppy who loves playing with whips, handcuffs and candle wax. The FL, on the other hand, is like a deer caught in headlights. At first, anyway, as she gradually gets a hang of the whole situation. In fact, her transformation from the down-to-earth girl next door to a dominatrix behind closed doors is quite remarkable.

For the most part, the film comes across as quite lighthearted but things do get a tad serious in the final third, where we get to observe a bit more substance in the portrayals of both leads as they finally deal with the repercussions of their actions. I honestly feel that Seo Hyun generally did more of the heavy lifting in this film.

Final Thoughts

As a feature length film that is meant to be mostly a romance comedy, I think the scope of the storytelling is quite extensive. Perhaps certain aspects could have been fleshed out more, such as the respective backstories of the leads and interactions with the people around them but I honestly think those aren’t particularly major issues. For all intents and purposes, and without giving too much away, I was rather pleased with the final outcome and closure to their story. Suffice to say, all’s well that ends well.

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Unconventionally fun!

First off, I have a very limited idea about BDSM and all I know from it was from reading novels so it's not really reliable. I have not read the webtoon too. My review is purely based on my enjoyment of the movie.

Well it was fantastic! I felt a rollecoaster of emotions. I felt happy, embarassed, ecstatic, confused and satisfied. I felt happy because they stuck with the romcom and it's not racy like how everyone who judged this show before its release thought. Some scenes I felt the secondhand embarassment. Some scenes I'm confused because I couldn't connect emotionally for obvious reasons.

I've been a fan of Seohyun because I'm SNSD's fan. I know she isn't the strongest actor in the group and I haven't seen her latest works. She improved by miles from the last time I watched her. And she sure does pick very interesting projects. She delivered really well. Her portrayal of Jiwoo is so relatable. I feel like I'm watching this movie in her pov. On the other hand, I'm not familiar with Lee Jun Young but he caught me eye and I'll look forward to his future projects. He acts so well and has great emotions in his eyes. How did I miss him in his previous projects? Their chemistry is so good too like damn I felt all the emotions in that kiss! I was a puddle. Bonus: both of them are so gorgeous!

Overall, I really enjoyed watching this and will definitely recommend for those wanting to watch a romcom but wants a fresh plot. Kudos to all actors and production team for investing in and going for something new.

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Romantic comedy fitting XXI century standards.

Not having much inside on how sub-dom relationships work, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the depiction, but I can for sure say the movie does an amazing job in presenting it in a positive light. The word best describing the movie is: consent. Everything that happens is the result of mutual agreement that focuses on the preferences and needs of both sides.

What’s more, while the movie presents Jung Ji Hoo as someone with, to call it broadly, issues, it flips the expectations the audience might have. It shows how the problems he faced were not the reason he sought that type of preference, but rather the judgment, he faced because of his preferences made him doubt himself. From the start, there was nothing wrong with him, but rather the society that puts unreasonable expectations and limits on everyone’s freedom of expression.

The thing that made me appreciate the movie more was the fact it never centered around sex itself. Focusing on other aspects of the relationship, with explanatory narration was a great choice.

Honestly speaking, the movie was just adorable. Watching Ji Woo and Ji Hoon try to figure out themselves, their preferences, but also work it out within their relationship was just an entertaining journey. I feel like there was a level of innocence presented on screen that will surprise many viewers.

The cast did an amazing job. There was only one scene that got me “this is just too scripted and unnatural for me to ignore” because of Lee Suk Hyeong’s delivery and the weird timing of the scene itself.

Production wise, I could not ask for more, though I might have asked for less. For me, some of the special effects were unnecessary. That said, they did not really lower my enjoyment of the movie.

Overall, it does a good job in presenting sub-dom relationship in a new light, that shows the more realistic and broad perception of it, without only focusing on the sexual aspects of it. It serves as a good criticism of the standards society creates, that serve no one and often hurt us. I would truly recommend it to all the 16+ audiences for sure.

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Let’s Talk About ‘ Love And Leashes’, Baby…

“Controversial”, “risky” and “unconventional” are some of the immediate buzz-words which come to mind when talking about Netflix’s South-Korean movie ‘ Love and Leashes’.

Directed by Park Hyun Jin( ‘ The Color Of A Woman’) and based upon the webtoon ( 모럴센스), ‘ Love and Leashes’ focuses upon office worker Jung Ji Hoo ( Lee Jun Young). Clean-cut, professional and adored by his female coworkers, Ji Hoo has always been able to maintain his prudish persona . However in reality “prim and proper” Ji Hoo hides a deep secret from his peers; he’s a BDSM enthusiast.

When bemused coworker Jung Ji Woo ( Seo Hyun) unknowingly stumbles upon his salacious desires through an open package, Ji Hoo soon finds his sexual fantasies awakened when he enters a consensual-contractual “slave and master” relationship with his coworker. However as their risqué relationship begins to play out, Ji Woo and Ji Hoo soon finds themselves questioning their sincere feelings for one another along the way…

Perhaps one of the most notable things which should be said about ‘ Love and Leashes’ is that it is a daring concept . Topics of sexual and amorous relationships have certainly been explore beforehand in South-Korean productions such as ‘ You’re My Pet’ ( adapted from its Japanese predecessor ‘ Kimi Wa Petto’), or more sardonically throughout ‘ The Handmaiden’ , ‘ Thirst’ and ‘ Happy End’ . However due to a respectfully conservative atitude towards sexual content in South-Korean culture and media , it is still slightly unusual to see this topic addressed in mainstream popular culture .

Despite its eyebrow-raising premise, ‘ Love and Leashes’ surprisingly starts off as a somewhat lighthearted rom-com and office drama. Jung Ji Hoo is established as a smooth-talker and highly liked by his superiors who tries to avoid conflict, whereas Jung Ji Woo is an “ everyday” office worker with a slightly stubborn streak. ( Helping viewers to understand the dynamic between the characters as well as foreshadow their later roles within their racy relationship.)

However despite the somewhat niche early setup, ‘ Love and Leashes’ wasn’t afraid to delve slightly deeper into some issues in the workplace- sexism , prejudice as well as several references towards homophobia and sexual harassment , bustling their way into the film’s early workplace vernacular .

Nevertheless whilst praise must be given towards director Park Hyun Jin’s open address of these current issues early on in the film’s narrative , it is hard to ignore that these references were rarely touched upon after their initial use. ( In theory this dynamic could’ve easily been explained more within the nature of the narrative.)

Yet ‘ Love and Leashes’’ seemingly mundane workplace setup soon begins to into an amalgamation of lighthearted and riskier comedy after main female lead Ji Woo stumbles upon the package.

For those expecting ‘ Love and Leashes’ to be a series revolving entirely around erotica and debauchery, it is noteworthy that ‘ Love and Leashes’ is predominantly a romantic comedy. Risqué and sexually suggestive jokes and setups were mainly used as the necessary pretext behind a surprisingly warm-hearted romantic love story for the main leads.

Naturally this isn’t to say that Park Hyun Jin wasn’t afraid to delve deeper into depicting the misconceptions and taboos surrounding fetishises, hedonism and casual relationships. The narrative would often diverge away from the typical tropes surrounding setups of sexual fantasies being “ nauseating”, “ unhealthy” or “ encouraging sexual abuse”, by instead shedding light into a fairly positive, consensual and healthy relationship between the main leads .

Yet when the film’s narrative wasn’t driving home messages about sensuality or comic relief, ‘ Love and Leashes’ did surprisingly touch upon some sentimental moments surrounding its main characters. In particular this became apparent through . Ji Woo’s uncertainty and gradually growing mixed feelings for her coworker , as well as Ji Hoo’s own struggles with his dating life. However whilst these elements of the storyline were present in ‘ Love and Leashes’, the backstories and problems surrounding the characters were often limited and subdued by the plot. As a consequence it could often feel as though our main leads were roughly sketched out as individuals; necessary plot devices for keeping the storyline afloat, but rarely being given definitive sentience also.

Of course it is hard to ignore the somewhat controversial casting choices also. Former U-KISS member Lee Jun Young ( ‘ Class of Lies’, ‘ D.P’, ‘ Imitation’ and ‘ Let Me Be Your Knight’ ; plays the unusual role of main male lead Jung Ji Hoo, whilst costar and Girl’s Generation’s Seo Hyun( ‘ Private Lives’) takes on the role as main female lead Jung Ji Woo. However despite the somewhat surprising and controversial cast decisions, Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young were delightful as our main leads. ( Both actors also openly spoke in interviews about their initial surprise upon reading the context of the script, alongside their enjoyment at being able to take on different roles.)

Admittedly the onscreen chemistry between both stars felt somewhat stunted in early parts of the film. Initial “ role play” scenes came across as awkwardly delivered for audiences ( in particular one scene surrounding Jun Young attempting to literally embody a “ dog”). However as the narrative progresses and allowed opportunities for their characters to grow, their chemistry did become more apparent.

The pacing is admittedly tightly-packed in the first half. Whilst this did allow opportunities in order to delve deeper into the characters’ relationship and certain issues, it did provide to be a double-edged sword. This is mainly due to the fact that the second half downplayed the pacing with a notably slower and sharper focus upon the bittersweet elements of the characters; prominent but admittedly rushed in the course of the movie. The attempted climax served in the latter-half felt somewhat anticlimactic. There was little buildup or foreshadowing and whilst the ending did serve a somewhat cheerful resolution for the events of ‘ Love and Leashes’, viewers may feel a little disorientated in parts with the storyline.

Under the directing reigns of Park Hyun Jin, ‘ Love and Leashes’ was notably a multitude of slick and professional cuts, scenes, editing and gradients. Notably Hyun Jin placed heavy focus upon the contrasting tones of minimalistic everyday life and the office, against the lustful neon, vivid and lively palettes surrounding Ji Hoo and Ji Woo’s role play sessions. ( One of the most striking scenes of the film came through Ji Hoo’s birthday “ present” . Against the pallid tones of the room’s surroundings, Ji Hoo’s present in an unopened black box, a pair of patent ruby red heels, greatly sticks out for viewers to visually engorge.)

It is notable that the OST is sparsely placed in the movie. ( Aside from the opening credits, emotional buildup moments and the ending.) Instead under the directing reigns of Park Hyun Jin, ‘ Love and Leashes’ is predominantly focused upon the characters’ dialogue exchanges and interactions. When the OST is present it is climatic; helping to reflect the emotional scope of characters and situations.

Despite its unusual setup and premise , ‘ Love and Leashes’ was foremost a love story between its main leads. It is arguably one of Netflix’s riskier moves from South-Korean production in recent years. Nevertheless despite the somewhat expected controversy surrounding the movie’s casting choices, Seo Hyun and Lee Jun Young’s onscreen chemistry and performances were solid and dynamic. The themes surrounding ‘ Love and Leashes’ are versatile if somewhat stunted in parts, but surprisingly delivered a sweet and risqué romance along the way.

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Wholesome Spice

The amount of times I paused to cackle like a maniac during this...oh man. What an experience.
Heartfelt erotica is hard to come by folks, so grab some while you can! (although the 'erotic' scenes are tame, it's still well-done)

Usually, with movie-length rom-coms I find it hard to be invested. But within 15 minutes, Seohyun and Junyoung's chemistry yanked me by the leash. They maintained a nice undercurrent of tension throughout the story. It made even me squirm a bit and I ain't no spring chicken.

It's pretty good at delving into the perspectives of those that are part of the BDSM community but I feel like it has only scratched the surface. This kind of story would work better in a 12-16 episode format as other reviewers have pointed out. But the movie is an excellent springboard for a future drama with the same cast. Jtbc, tvn, any network gutsy enough to take this on, you know what to do!

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Fun

I initially promised myself I wouldn't watch this, but I feel great now that I did.

My problem with movies or TV series that involve such controversial topics is that they are almost always bad-written and involve gratuitous sex. What was great about "Love and Leashes" was that the film cares more about the psychological journey of these characters than the rest of its genre. The dynamics are important. The characters discover stuff and discover themselves. Jiwoo may not be the most proactive heroine in the first 15 minutes, but once she decides to experiment with her newly-discovered interest, she's actually pretty cool to watch. And Jihoo, well if that ain't some good internal conflict, I don't know what it is. It was cute how he tries to balance the different sides of himself.

If there is one thing that bothered me, it was the fact that the plot was pretty basic. I could tell things ahead. The ending at the office didn't seem earned, but I can overlook that. My experience watching this wasn't affected.

I do believe there are some errors in the writing of the movie, but I am a slut for fun and enjoyable stuff, be it a movie or a K-drama or a book. Not the mot professional review I guess. Anyway, do I recommend this movie? Only to those that aren't prejudiced against the subject. Would I rewatch this movie? Maybe. I wouldn't rule out the possibility. I can see myself bored one evening and deciding to go for this one again, knowing it's gonna entertain me.

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this is why you don't peep on a murderer, kids

First of all, it's hilarious that this movie is tagged as a horror genre and not a comedy because I loved the comedical aspect of this movie the most. The story and the characters were intentionally messed-up and I watched the movie knowing that. But those messed-up characters psychology was very funny to me. There was no horror in this movie in my opinion because even those murder scenes were hilarious.

At some point, I felt like they were romanticizing the main leads relationship. Also, the male lead trying to change the female lead's character felt very hilarious to me and at some point, I felt pity for the guy because you could see that all that was happening in his life messed him up. But he still tries to remain like a good person till the very end. And he feels guilty about the peeping thing too, but he was too depended on the female lead and suicidal to restrict his behaviour.

I've seen Haruka Fukuhara's acting before, and she does a better job here. I couldn't imagine her as two-faced serial killer, but she does a fairly good job and honestly, I liked the way she kept both the angelic and eerie vibe around her through-out the movie. However, I loved Yosuke Sugino's acting the most. The others did a good job too, but they weren't that important to me. So, I didn't notice them that much.

I didn't really notice the music, so I don't know:") I'll just give it an average rating.

This movie is enjoyable if you don't think much about it because if you think much about it, it will be really weird. The whole premise of the movie was weird to me. But I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected:D

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Gut-busting scenes and total fun!

I'll preface this by stating I refused to read the webtoon prior to watching the movie. Reading first always makes the movies harder to enjoy for their own merit because it gives you *expectations* of how things should play out, and when they don't follow what you think should happen you get disappointed.

I found Lee Jun Young to be a total breath of fresh air in this movie. His portrayal of the character gave me absolute Golden Retriever vibes, and with his eyes alone he could express a frantically wagging tail while looking at his Master.

The story was a wild ride from start to finish and had me tearing up, laughing hysterically, biting my lip, and cringing so hard I thought I was dying. The *spicy* scenes were well done (although no sex was portrayed), had a really nice message about consent, trust with a partner, and accepting people for who they are. There was an excellent portrayal of how some men treat women in the workplace, and then showed what better men can do and say to those terrible men to point out their actions.

The OST was nothing memorable, to the point that I can't remember if it had any music at all.

I will definitely rewatch this movie MANY times, even if it's just to enjoy Lee Jun Young's puppy dog eyes and absolute devotion to his Master.

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Quick fun rom-com watch

I must say, the kdrama industry has moved so much ahead of the stereotypical plot lines and strict censorship rules. We’re getting something more out of it these days.

I was really anticipating this film. The acting was top notch, characters were likeable and overall it was one quick, fun, slightly kinky;) watch.
The dom-sub relationship parts were cute and nothing too awkward or in your face. It was a good way of representing kinks in sex and regular life.

So overall, If you are looking for a nice romance movie to watch on the weekend, this is a huge recommendation.

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Surprisingly wholesome and not what I expected

I'm writing this as someone who hasn't read the manhwa and tbh I liked it a lot. I was afraid that they would make BDSM into something that's only funny and weird but I liked how there were characters who treated it normally and not just like it's a weird kink. I liked both leads a lot like how Jiwoo was a strong woman who won't take shit from anyone like her misogynistic boss also she was really sexy in the scenes where they did a play especially the one in the red room (I screamed lmao). Jihoo was really vulnerable and honest with his feelings which I really was touched by especially when he said that Jiwoo was the one and only sun to him (I may have cried a lil). It's refreshing to see how he also owned up to his preferences in front of the disciplinary board/bosses unlike others who usually would keep quiet and let the girl/their partner take all the blame because of their pride. It also showed the proper way of BDSM as well as the wrong way so people will be educated on the difference and the importance of consent. It also showed that not only men could be problematic but women (Jihoo's ex) could also be toxic and manipulative which is not shown a lot in media. The only thing that I have a complaint about is that I feel that the development of their feelings into love could have been shown more if this was a series but alas it's a movie (unless they have a part 2?). Anyways, it's worth the watch! Just don't watch this with your parents because it is really suggestive (though there was no nudity so incase they walk in you're safe on that aspect lol).

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Fifty Shades should disappear so Love and Leashes can become the introductory standard for BDSM

Going into this movie I was afraid they would make a joke out of BDSM or portray male submissives as pathetic, but I was ecstatic to see that it was not the case in the slightest. This movie is a very solid introduction for what BDSM is and means if you have no clue about it-- even putting up definitions and explanations of terms on screen to make it easier to understand.

The portrayal of male submissives is scarce at best, but actually good, respectful, judgement-free depictions of male submissives are almost nonexistent in mainstream media. That was my primary concern, but if it's yours as well I am here to reassure you that you've got nothing to worry about. The movie does an incredible job of framing Ji Hoo's submissiveness as something that is simply his preference and there's nothing wrong with it, even when others may judge him. Another common problem with the depiction of men who have more submissive personalities is that writers tend to end up delving in the territory of trying to reassure the audience that the character is not *actually* 100% submissive in bed, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. That. Never. Happens. Here.

On the other hand, Ji Woo's character is absolutely incredible because she is the inexperienced Dom that had never been able to put into words what she is actually into. Maybe TMI, but that was me, once. Her quick ease into the Dom role even if she is unsure about doing a good job clearly stems from the fact that this has always been who she is-- she just never had a chance to explore it with anyone. The inexperienced Dom trope also sometimes falls prey to the sudden role switch where the male character takes charge because she is *so* inexperienced and gets *so* easily flustered because of it-- or he was actually in charge all along even if he "acted" submissive, but this incredible movie avoids that completely. He is the submissive, she is the Dom, and even when she may falter and worry she is not doing a good job, those roles remain the same.

You may think this should've been a multi-episode drama instead, but I disagree. Had they done that, the conflicts would've been dragged and many people who may give this a chance because it's  a movie simply wouldn't have watched it. The movie is incredible just the way it is.

This was made by people who took the topic seriously and approached it with nothing but respect, and I am eternally thankful for it.

*It should be noted that I have not read the manga, therefore my opinion is solely based on the movie as a stand-alone story about BDSM.

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This is my first review so please don’t judge me.

Lately i’ve been in a drama slump, everything i start is just not it. This movie, however, gave me hope.

First of all i want to talk about how visually pleasing it is. The over all use of warm tones throughout the whole movie is so pleasing to look at. It’s nothing new or what other movies haven’t done before but they executed it so well. Like the first ‘Twilight’ movie did or my all time favourite ‘Blade Runner 2049’.
The next thing is they don’t talk much. They let the viewer see and only when needed hear. What i’ve seen lately in crime/thriller/whatever dramas they think you’re so dumb that you can’t figure out a little tiny thing for yourself so they show you from the beginning everything. Here they show you piece by piece what really happened shortly before and after the accident. And you have until the end of the movie still time to speculate, even though it is pretty obvious but we talk about that in a minute.
I have to praise the acting. Like it was sooo damn good. No unnecessary screaming, no overacting and no boring facial expressions.
The plot was good but nothing you haven’t seen before. Sometimes you can predict what happens next but for me that wasn’t a problem because i really was captured by the psychological side of the plot. I can’t put it into words but i think through the lack of words spoken and the action shown by the main character i felt his guilt and how he thought he could deal with it.
So all in all 9.5 out of 10.

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Beautiful and a breath of fresh air

Everyone of course expected something raunchy or over the top. I really love how they truly put in the effort to show detail to the BDSM community as well. I did not read the manhwa but that doesn't matter because this movie even on its own was really fun to watch. I hope that many other people give this movie a chance and go in with an open mind, not one that expects it to be just like the manhwa. I knew from the beginning kdramas / movies rarely stick to doing things as they really are in webtoons , manhwas, etc. Recommending this to anyone that would love to watch.

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Hours of Waiting for a 2 Hours disappointment.

This Review is going to be long, but please be patient and read it before watching.

This movie was one long awaited movie for me and i have been waiting since the end of December for its release, since the original manhwa is badass in jokes, romance, friendship and maturity, but i was still doubtful over its quality since Netflix produces it, and my doubts were true, it was indeed crap and a disappointment to the Manhwa.

Basically they picked out the main leads story from the manhwa, and created a SM documentary out of it. And since i am a guy who hates documentaries, i had to skip through most of the movie to finish it.

Now this is my comparison of movie with its hundred times better manhwa. The manhwa had many great things which was lacking in the movie.
1. The manhwa was light hearted, no heavy SM, and each and every chapter was funny. No drama, no seriousness, but entirely mature was the best thing. But when it came to this Netflix movie, it was flipped over and the funny tone was switched off after first few minutes. Maturity was there, but the movie lost the tone of the manhwa, and it was frustrating.
2. Characters - Sure to crumple into that two hour slot, Netflix had to cut out many parts, but looks like Netflix had omitted the entire manhwa after adapting first few chapters and created their own story, and as Netflix goes, it was dark and bad. In the manhwa, there were great characters like Male Lead's friend, and a woman who works in the bar that male lead owns, the SM community that male lead is part of, second male lead and several others were omitted for the movie. If Netflix adapts a manhwa, it should do it properly, not like this, eating half a piece of cake and dumping the rest. Rather than all these good characters, they added few boring characters, and i couldn't even bother knowing it. If the movie slot was too small, they could have gone for a drama and did it good, but half assing would always be bad.
3. Basically this movie had swapped out comedy and bromance for darker concept. It's not like i discriminate dark SM, and to be honest i liked NANA TO KAORU, but here darker SM is not necessary, and comedy is only thing required. The swapping of genre made it dull and uninteresting. The relationships was dark and crap and the entire plot was dark.
4. The male Lead's character. This is another thing Netflix crapped it. Male lead in the manhwa is 100 times better than movie. In manhwa, male lead was strong willed, funny and always had a mature approach to relationships. But in the movie they followed the regular kdrama male lead with trauma concept. Why, why the hell should you do that??? Why should you swap good characterisation to cliche crap character.

Overall, this movie is a total disappointment. I am not a fan of those dark crap things Netflix makes, and looks like they won't come out of it soon. Either they make childish dramas similar to BOYS OVER FLOWERS, or very dark dramas like DARK DESIRE. They should learn to draw a middle line and make dramas in that line, where it will be more realistic to watch. For MDL users, i would recommend you read the manhwa rather than the movie. The movie is totally bad that i can't recommend anyone. Looks like WEBTOON picked this manhwa, but still if you want to read ahead, 121 chapters are already out.

Re-watch value - I missed this one. Watching it one time itself was a headache for me, so i don't think i will watch it again. This movie taught me that I should never believe Netflix with its adaptations.

And overall rating of 5.5 is generous from me, and i would have given it 5, but one extra for my manhwa.😔😔😔

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