Reviews

Long paragraph, but you must read this if you’re planning to watch it.

When this drama started, I honestly thought it would explore the idea that people working in the adult industry are no different from others that they’re normal individuals with their own emotions and lives. However, as the story progressed, it shifted focus and portrayed the male lead entering the adult film industry mainly due to depression and unresolved trauma from past sexual violence.
Unfortunately, the execution falls short. The storyline feels weak, with several loopholes and a lack of depth in the narrative. Character development is almost nonexistent, making it hard to connect with most of the cast.
The drama tries to juggle three different storylines, but only Lanlee and Sea’s arc feels engaging and worth watching. The rest lack emotional impact and proper buildup.

The hate to love dynamic, especially with the shared room trope and emotional scenes like crying during sleep, feels overly familiar. In fact, episode 1 strongly reminded me of "TharnType*" almost as if it was trying to recreate the same formula but without the same intensity or execution.

Overall, the plot feels repetitive and underdeveloped, which makes it hard to stay invested despite its potentially meaningful themes. All love to the entire cast, but this series and its plot could have been much better.

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The best and so good!!!

Absolute perfection. This easily became my favorite BL of all time. The story, the acting, the characters, the music, everything about it I loved. I recommend it so highly. This is going to be a long review, so buckle in.

The story:
I loved that if there was any conflict at all, it was solved so quickly. No miscommunication, no drawn-out plotlines that felt unnecessarily long, no breakups, none of it. Those things are almost always in dramas and especially BL's and this time there was none of it. The friendships felt so real and natural. Daung, Jamie, and Pae, might just be one of my favorite friend groups I've ever seen. I love how supportive of each other they were, how much they joked around with each, there for each other, etc. They truly felt like a real friend group. Even though we didn't see Qin, Tong, and Kim hang out as much, I really liked their friend group as well. Both were complete opposites of each other in some ways, but I think that is one of the reasons it was so enjoyable. I really loved the friendship Jamie and Qin had by the end of the show too. They really became besties and I love that. I think the show progressed at the perfect pace too. I loved how long each episode was and even though they were long, they still went by so fast. I love that the entire story took place over a years' time. It showed how much time has really passed and showed that nothing happened immediately and took time, which made it feel more realistic.

The characters and actors:
1. Duang and TeeTee! Nobody could've played Duang except 2Tee. He was the perfect Duang. 2Tee did such an incredible job. He made me laugh, made me emotional, made me feel all the emotions throughout the series. He is such an incredible actor. Duang has got to be one of the greenest flags ever. He's just the best. I love Duang with all my heart. He's so kind and caring and funny and was just so enjoyable as a main character. Loved him so much!
2. Qin and Por! I've loved Por since Your Sky and was hoping to see him in something else and little did I know it would become my favorite. Por did an incredible job as Qin. I, like I said with Duang and TeeTee, don't think anyone else could've played Qin except for Por. I loved Qin so much and loved seeing how he grew and changed throughout the story. I loved seeing him open up more and more to Duang and then get to open up to his parents as well. So beautiful. I love how much we got to hear him sing as well.
3. Jamie and North! North absolutely killed this. I didn't know North before this, and I am so glad this introduced him to me. I love him so much now. As for Jamie, I loved him so much too. Jamie was so funny. I loved seeing him with Duang, Pae, Qin, and especially Marvis. I just think Jamie was such a fun character.
4. Marvis and Otto! Again, this was my first time seeing Otto and GOD DAMN! I wish I knew him sooner. He killed it as this c*nty little diva. I loved Marvis a lot. He's so sassy but caring at the same time.
5. Pae and Wave! Once again, my first time seeing him and instantly fell hard. I loved Pae so much. He was so funny! I wish he was in the show more. The second half of the show especially felt like he definitely became more of a background character, but I kept wanting more. Either way love him, love Wave. He did an amazing job as Pae.


Couples:
1. Duang and Qin! COUPLE GOALS!! Where do I find this? They are such a perfect couple. They balance each other out so well in so many ways. They're helping each other grow in so many ways too. Best couple. I've never seen a couple in a show/movie feel so natural and real like them. From bigger moments between them down to the littlest kisses and gestures, they felt so realistic. They were such a true representation of what a healthy and in love couple looks like. I could talk about them forever.
2. Jamie and Marvis! I loved every scene between them, I just wish we got more!! I loved every time they came on screen together, but there wasn't enough. I'm hoping we get a special episode or something so we can see more of them (and hopefully actually get a kiss this time). I loved all their scenes though so much. The sexual tension was so strong. I loved seeing them have sweet moments too and see them start to fall for each other more and more.
3. Pae and Tong! (Yes, I'm putting them in the couple category) I thought we'd get more of these two together, even if they weren't going to get together in the show, I thought we would just see more of them together, but we really didn't. Pae kept mentioning a partner and with the whole Cherry thing I really thought they were going in that direction, but I guess not. If we get a special ep I hope they get at least some kind of scene just the two of them.

Overall, I just can't say enough good things about this show. It was incredible. I'm writing this on the first Saturday without Duang with You and I'm still so sad to see it done. I'm really hoping for a special because I don't want to be done with any of these characters yet. I fell in love with all the characters and actors and miss it so much already. I've had the music on repeat since they all dropped on streaming. I could genuinely talk about this show forever, but I'll end with this. Duang with You's thing is "not the best but still good" but this series truly was the best. I can't wait to rewatch.

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Strong start, weak middle, rushed ending

At the very beginning, this drama was very good. The concept of a high school girl like Seong A being a shaman at such a young age is something I have honestly seen for the first time, and that immediately made it interesting. The main storyline about Gyeong U being born with misfortune, where everyone close to him ends up dying, and the karmic connection with Seong A’s shaman life had strong potential.

The starting episodes really pulled me in.

But as we progressed, the shamanism angle started taking over a lot. I understand that it is the core concept, but considering the genre, I expected a bit more balance with romance. There was romance between Seong A and Gyeong U in the beginning, but in the middle it completely disappeared. Then a cute closure. It was sweet, yes, but it felt like all the build up was lost somewhere along the way. Their chemistry had potential, but it never fully reached it.

I also had multiple theories while watching. I binge watched it in one day, so I was fully invested. But some theories started contradicting each other at the same time. Certain developments did not make complete sense. The mysterious lady introduced at the beginning had such a strong aura, but since we already knew she was the villain, it did not feel that impactful. Everyone already knew she was the villain, so when things started unfolding, it did not feel shocking. They were reacting like it was some huge surprise, like oh my gosh, she is doing villain stuff, but as a viewer, we already saw it coming.

At some point, it genuinely felt like they were putting themselves in danger. Like khud ke pair pe kulhaadi maar rahe ho tum (you are hitting an axe on your own foot). If you know who is behind everything, maybe stop trusting the same person again and again.

Now about the second male lead, Ji Ho. He was very resourceful, and honestly, he could have helped a lot more. He was with Gyeong U the entire time when Seong A was not, and still he did not know half of what was happening. They kept saying I will tell you later or it is not that serious. If you want Ji Ho involved in the plan, then tell him everything. Either keep him in the loop properly or do not. That half situation was frustrating.

The acting was good. Not bad at all. Everyone did their job well. No complaints there.

Even beyond the romance, I feel like the shamanism concept itself did not shine the way it could have. The constant variation and modification of theories weakened the impact. The finale, which was built up as something huge, ended up feeling underwhelming.

I would have rated the plot around 5 or 5.5, but since I binge watched it and liked the overall vibe, I gave it an extra point.

Final rating 6.6 out of 10
Potential Yes
Fully delivered Not really

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A kawaii series, but with an annoying "ideal Japanese" FL.

PLOT: FL arrives in a new department (Sales) and encounters hostility, even malice, from her colleagues. However, ML (the head of IT, on whom she's had a crush for two years) discreetly helps her. One evening, she finds herself locked out (keys inaccessible) and he takes her in (he share an appartment with the head of Sales). ML (very introverted, almost autistic) and FL grow closer, confess their mutual love, and face their problems together. HE.

+++ Fujii Ryusei (but with a щ(ಠ益ಠщ) щ(ಠ益ಠщ) hairstyle) as ML
+++ A fairly realistic story that addresses workplace harassment, forced alcohol at numerous team dinners, etc.
+++ For once, quite a lot of kisses and skinship.

### Konno Ayaka is undoubtedly a good actress, but she always plays the same role (the Japanese ideal woman): submissive, hardworking, forgiving, clingy... stupid!!
### The OSTs are too Japanese for me.

=> A series to pass the time, not memorable either. The producers should give the actors the opportunity to have more substantial roles!
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Série kawaii mais avec FL "idéale japonaise" agaçante

PLOT : La FL arrive ds 1 nouveau service (Ventes), et se heurte à l'hostilité, voire la malveillance de ses collègues. Cpdt, le ML (chef du service informatique, sur lequel elle a 1 crush depuis 2 ans), lui vient en aide discrètement. Un soir, elle se retrouve à la porte (clefs inaccessibles) et il l'héberge chez lui (colocataire, chef du service Ventes). Le ML (très introverti limite autiste) et la FL vont se rapprocher, s'avouer leur amour mutuel et affronter ensemble les pbs. HE.

+++ Fujii Ryusei (mais avec 1 coiffure щ(ಠ益ಠщ) щ(ಠ益ಠщ) en ML
+++ Story à peu près réaliste, qui aborde le harcèlement au travail, l'alcool forcé ds les nbreux diners d'équipe, etc.
+++ Pour 1 fois, pas mal de kisses et de skinship.

### Konno Ayaka est sans doute une bonne actrice, mais elle joue tjs le même rôle (idéal féminin japonais) : soumise, hardworking, forgiving, cluless, ... stupid !!
### OSTs trop japonaises pour moi.

=> Série pour passer le temps, pas mémorable non plus. Les producteurs devraient donner aux acteurs la possibilité d'avoir des rôles + consistants !

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Great premise, awful acting

Things I loved

1 The premise. That would be great for a long series and I hope someone does it one day. It could be fun, original, romantic, whatever you want. The sky is the limit. Title: a 100 ways to break up.

Things I hated

1 The FL. Have you ever met someone who thinks is beautiful, smart and walks around with that belief written on their forehead? Well, if you haven't just watch this. The main actress can't act to save her life but she definitely can walk around like she's beautiful, smart and the world owns her. I hated her acting, I found her ugly because it's so obvious she thinks she's great, and her character wasn't better. I wish another actress would have been cast.

2 The ML. At first I wanted to put him in the dislike list because his character at least was a bit better. But after a few episodes his awful acting got to me. He walked around with eyes closed like he was a hazy state and it was annoying to watch.

3 The ending. I get now why they cast two awful actors. Because the writer also thinks he's smart etc. Why would you choose such an ending to a short series? It wasn't fun, romantic or even intriguing, Just frustrating. Therefore, 4 is generous, but as I said, the premise is perfect for a rom com, and that alone gets a 10. Add the awful acting, and the stupid ending, and it falls to 4.

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Ambition and Greed Fuel A Family War

This drama took me a WHILE to watch. But I've finally finished it. It was an interesting look at seeing how greed literally tore one powerful family and everyone else apart. The best character in this drama to me was Yoon Na-Young, she was a fascinating villain protagonist to follow. You could consider everyone in this drama (except for Min-Jae) villainous somehow. Even Jung-Suk was a weak enabler for most of the drama. I didn't really care for the romance. I grew to be annoyed by In-Ki eventually (yes, I understand why she was the way she was), but no, Na-Young did NOT intentionally abandon you. 💀 And then the whole relationship with In-Ki and Min-Jae (they were step-siblings!) rubbed me the wrong way.

The pacing was not good. 50 episodes was far too long, because the second half dragged on WAY too much for me. I was skipping full episodes towards the end. Because of that, I personally wouldn't rewatch this drama. The acting and the music were great. Top-tier! But the story suffered a bit because it lost steam after episode 20 or so.

I'd recommend this to people who like business dramas or melodramas with angsty romance. If not, then skip it.

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I wanted it to be great

Things I loved

1 The premise. so fun and original.

2 The ghost. Such a great actress and she did a fabulous job. She made me laugh and cry and it's rare to find such unique characters to rule for.

Things I liked

1 The FL. Unfortunately, and this is sad since she is one of my favorite actresses, the role didn't work this time. She was good, but she lacked personality which made me not care after a while. She's so talented and beautiful and I think the role would be perfect for her if the script was better. The script wasn't that good and her performance suffered.

Things I hated

1 The ML. I didn't like the actor, I didn't like his character, I didn't like the relationship with the FL, there's nothing left to like. All in all, I think he's not a great actor and the drama even with such lacking writing would have been better.

2 The ending. It felt like he wasn't in love with the FL which made me sad at first and then it annoyed me enough to lower my rating from 7 to 3. If a series fails at fails at the most important factor, here the romance, I don't think it deserves a better rating even though there were things I liked.

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how to watch this again for the first time?

I don't even know where to start, but I will say I kind of regret not watching. This drama genuinely altered my brain chemistry. It was that good, and it has immediately gotten into my top list of favourite dramas in the world because I don't know if I'll ever watch something as beautiful as this. I personally have not seen that many romance K-dramas, but I've seen a lot of dramas in general, and this is easily one of the best ones I have ever watched. It was so entertaining and such a good story throughout, and there were no inconsistencies and no problematic scenes where, like, oh, it's so cringe, I can't. And it was the most perfect ending I have ever seen in a K-drama. Lovely Runner when it was airing, but I say kind of because I had the most phenomenal time watching it right now. And yeah, maybe it is the time that makes it better, but I waited two years to watch this, and I had such a good, good time. I don't even know how to explain how. I just wanna say I love Soi so much. She has worked so, so hard to protect the love of her life and the whole concept of this movie, of him trying to get her to love him, but all she wants is to keep him alive, and the only way to keep him alive is by making sure he stays away from her. This concept is so painful, yet so beautiful, and they are dependent on each other. I'm so happy that the last episode was just fluff. There were no problematic scenes, nothing. It was just them getting the true joy they deserved after 15 episodes of pain and suffering. That's all I wanted. I didn't want a 10-minute scene of joy. No, I got the full hour, and I'm very, very happy. Lovely Runner is one of the best shows ever, and I'm so happy to have watched it.

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MY COMFORT SHOWW ??

Story: i luved the plot sm, it was calm relaxing and so nice wahh I love everything about this show. The ending was so fulfilling, I was satisfied after watching it.
Acting : i luved the TENSION between them, the anticipation, the slow burn was killing me, their chemistry was amazing, both of their characters were introverts and they acted so amazing.
Music : I WONT SHUT UP EVER ABOUT THE SONGS IN IT
The song breeze of love sung by lee woo jin wahh I cried hearing the lyrics, it was perfect for them, and also the song I'll always love you sung by Kim dae yeon was so calming to hear and I used to hear both of these on loop for days.
Rewatch : i have already rewatched it more than thrice lol
Overall : idk about others, but this is my comfort show and I will always love them sm.

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The most wholesome barber shop ever

If there is one word to sum up this show, it's wholesome. This is by far the sweetest and most wholesome show I have ever seen.

I watched it because Bogummy is one of my favorites and I am so glad I did. This made me love him even more. I had also seen Sang Yi and Dong Yeon from dramas before, but before this show didn't know their names, just their faces. After this, I will never forget their names and will watch whatever they're in. I have so much love for them now. These three guys have so much genuine care and love in their hearts and that was so beautifully shown in this show. Their friendship with each other was so beautiful and so cool to see. Their relationship with all the villagers was incredible to watch. The villagers are all such fun and kind people. I loved meeting and seeing all of the villagers so much.

This show was such a nice heartwarming thing to watch each week and I'm going to miss it a lot. I cried through pretty much all of the finale because I felt so emotional. Absolutely beautiful.

So happy to see it was already picked up for a season two! I love that the boys got to go back out there in their private time like they promised as well!

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An Authentic Gem That Never Gets Old

It’s honestly impressive how well this holds up considering it’s from 2018. I only discovered it a year ago, but it turned into an instant favorite—I’ve actually sat through the whole thing four times now. What really makes it stand out is how grounded the story is. You don't get any of that annoying, forced drama or over-the-top tropes that usually clutter these shows. Instead, the chemistry is just... there. It’s genuine. Seeing their relationship grow through the intensity of the volleyball setting feels completely natural, which makes it so easy to actually care about what happens to them.

The balance is perfect. You get the romance, but the energy on the court keeps the momentum from ever stalling. It’s just one of those rare, authentic gems that doesn’t need clichés to be good. Even after four rewatches, the ending still hits just as hard as the first time.

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