Reviews

Una sorpresa

Devo dire che io sono grande fan delle serie dove c'è scambio sesso/una persona viene presa per un'altra, insomma questo tipo di serie, ma vi devo dire che questa è una delle prime volte dove dico chapeau. Nel senso che quanro ho visto la prima puntata (e considerato che è un recupero già sapeva del plot twist alla fine di suddetta puntata) e mi sono chiesta seriamente se gli spoiler che sapevo (che quindi AE e Ayumi fossero la stessa persona) fossero reali, perché l'attore è stato formidabile nel creare due personaggi completamente differenti, solo per l'utilizzo di una parrucca. E il bello è che, quando vedi i due personaggi, non ti sembrano per nulla la stessa persona, se non quando quindi vogliono essere percepiti come la stessa persona. Questa serie ripeto è stata una sorpresa, quindi ho deciso che era giusto darle 10, non perché magari sia il miglior prodotto mai concepito sulla faccia della terra, ma perché c'è stata della cura nella sua creazione, nella creazione della storia e di come il mondo della moda, e dello specifico del punk's rock, si siano intrecciati con la storia. Insomma, una serie veramente fatta bene.

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Such a powerful story that you miss plotholes!

This is a fairly detailed review with my personal reviews and a lot of things that most people have missed out on while watching FHTS. The story was extremely gripping, the emotions were conveyed so perfectly well that it is completely normal to overlook some slips here and there. Overall, I must say this is one of the best kdramas I have ever seen.

Things I disliked about FHTS:

1. FHTS seems to be written from the point of view of Pi-O which completely overshadows Jeong-yu's back story. This would have been okay if Jeong-yu did not play such a massive role in the story's development, which he did. His disappearance and what exactly happened after he got shot, who saved him from the waters, how did he start living in the monastery were major things that the show missed on his side of the story. Another major thing is how did Jeong-yu even start following PI-O when he was meeting the abductor, what gave him away? This is what I mean by the fact that the story being from Pi-O's perspective and missing major developments in Jeon-yu's part of the story.

2. Pi-O should have had some form of emotional support and yes, his mother and Do Hyeon Su were not that. Hyeon Su silently favored Jeong-yu and initially even refused to give Pi-O a clear answer about what actually was missing from his playing. He only did so when Pi-O crashed out.

3. Pi-O's grandfather was extremely childish for someone of great talent presumably. He refused to ever tell Pi-O what actually was wrong with his performance. I also think that he had his own standard of what was good music and because Pi-O somehow did not fit that and to add fuel to fire, he did not like him because of his mom, it all added up to a stupid nagging that never seemed to move forward or backward. He was hypocritical in the sense that he did preach others that everyone has their own way of bringing life to music but somehow always dismissed Pi-O. I must say the character development towards the end was great.

4. Pi-O's mother was not criticized enough for being a bad parent. She was criticized throughout for her general nature and the bad deeds. Pi-O was just her weapon for getting her father's and everyone else's acknowledgement. She projected this onto Pi-O which is why he also always arrived for his grandfather's acknowledgement. In the jail scene, I absolutely disliked when she said that Pi-O was a gift from heaven that she wanted to show off to everyone. All of this was disguised as motherly love. She did not want any good for him, she wanted good from him. Yet Pi-O seems to forgive her at the end and even Hyeon Su tells her that she isn't a bad parent when she clearly is very toxic. This was especially evident by how threatened she felt by Jeong-yu's presence instead of being confident in her own son. I do agree her father had a major role in how she turned out to be.

5. Hong Jae in. This is probably the aspect of the series I disliked the most. To begin with, she was in the same art school as Pi-O and Jeong-yu, yet she had no individual storyline or character development nor did she pursue being a violinist. What is even worse is that she became Pi-O's manager and seemed to like the job partly because she had a huge crush on him!? She was at most treated as a glue between the two main characters. There was no explanation to why she did not pursue arts and just became a manager in her mother's company. The character was one badly.

6. Jae in and Pi-O's relationship was this huge joke. I only realized they were in some form of relationship when Pi-O initiated the breakup. There was one forced kiss, no proper proposal or agreement and whatsoever no couple scenes. At any moment, you could easily assume that she was a really good friend of Pi-O. I personally thought the relationship was completely unnecessary and as I said, it was glue to hold Pi-O together because all the adults around him professionally sucked. But anyways, if they wanted to put it, at least execute it properly. After everything was settled, the so-called relationship had no formal closure either. And exactly where was Jae-in's self respect? I still think the actress did really well in that role.

7. Kang Ji Hye's backstory and how she conceived Pi-O and who was the father was extremely necessary according to me. Tbh, I had a hunch that Hyeon Su might be the father based on the past relationship they had but there was no explanation for either of these things. Similarly with, Jeong -yu, I was hoping his actual father and a bit of his 'good childhood would be shown"

8. Towards the end, Pi-O's mother emotionally manipulated him over the abduction, when Pi-O said he would shift the blame onto him, why did she not take a step then and there but wait for everything to fall through?

9. In the chappel, Anna took Pi-O's musical scores, why? No explanation, no consequences.

10. Jeong-yu was way overstimulated after his return and maybe overlooked things and generally misunderstood pretty much everything, but that was necessary to the plot I guess.

11. What exactly is the relationship dynamic between Seung Un and Seon Ju? Why did she move out later?

Things I loved about FHTS:

1. The amount of yearning from both sides was very equivalent which is something I adored but what took me by heart the most was Jeong-yu getting injected so he could temporarily use his hand to show Pi-O and finish his guilt.

2. Jeong-yu's character change on his return was just EPIC and the coldness was so beautifully performed. I really liked how his first score was being written to being performed with Pi-O both times. Nemesis is now a very beautiful word in my dictionary, like a painful misunderstanding.

3. I loved when Kang Seung Un said in the end "Leave me alone with the music" as he wanted to say goodbye to his lifelong partner after wishing goodbye to others. The performance of Lacrimosa, the pain, the falling down, just perfect.

4. I am a huge fan of the pre disaster moments between Pi-O and Jeong-yu, especially the candle lit room scene. Pi-O and Jeong-yu equally helped each other out both times, in similar ways, which was warm to watch. The musical arcade scenes were probably my comfort scenes from the entire series. They were carefree and happy in most of them.

5. All the piano scenes and the conducting scenes were top-notch. It is extremely hard to mimic these movements if you are not a professional pianist or conductor but the actors nailed it.

6. This series was a lot about human nature as well besides music, I loved when Pi-O said to Jeong-yu that he would have thought of getting rid of him anyways because that is how a lifetime runner up's mind works. That is true human nature, no one can be pure. In context to this, there is a heavy religious undertone to the whole drama. From Ji hye's guilt and church scenes to the Lacrimosa performance and Seung Un falling, to the last scene in a church.

7. Pi-O's grandfather finally helping him out and acknowledging him and smiling the widest during the premiere of Nemesis was a very emotional scene for me.

8. The closure for Jeong-yu and his father was sad but needed. In terms of suffering and still striving, Jeong yu's character has always taken my heart. He is in short a good human despite what he went through and his instinct for revenge, especially because for the second half, he had absolutely no one to take care of him. On this note, I liked the dynamic between him and Yeon Su, it gave mother-son.

9. Overall, both main characters were very well done and portrayed different personalities facing different dilemmas, Song Kang and Lee Junyoung were an amazing choice.

10. The ending was very well done. It was good to see that both Pi-O and Jeong-yu started playing for people and for what made them and others happy instead of hyper focusing on stage performances where every single note is judged, because the most important instrument for music is the soul. And as Jeong-yu said, he wanted to play for happiness and not for revenge anymore.

11. Lastly, the opening scene of this drama was agonizingly beautiful. I think there is something raw and pure about bleeding onto the piano keys while playing.

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Great story about women empowerment

Absolutely loved most of the show. I love how they first faced the problem as a family in the first half, and then started the romantic plots for many characters in the second half. The way they showed so many different women's stories and how their decisions played out, even if you wouldn't have made those same choices yourself, it's nice how some of them played out.

Things I disliked:
The Emperor. God, how I hated him, and in turn hated the ml in the 2nd half for still loving and supporting his uncle. Especially after the breakup, I really wished they wouldn't get together, because by continuing to care about the emperor, it felt like he was belittling the suffering and deaths of all the people the emperor had wronged. I really wish in the end they could have played a more active part in getting rid of him instead of trying to save him.

I feel like in the end they put too much emphasis on the leads' need to be with each other over the problems of the world. Though I might be biased in that sense because by that time I didn't care for the romance and I just wanted my girl free and the emperor dead.

Solid performances from most of the cast (with the exception of one of course), and the female lead was so good. She might have had too much plot armor and was way too good at everything she set her mind to, but MLs are usually always like that and nobody minds. This ML was kind of useless by the end, he had only fighting skills and completely lacked any critical thinking or any kind of thinking really.

I absolutely loved Shaoyao n

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A Fighter, a Double Life and Three Smitten Men

OVERALL IMPRESSION🌟
An energetic and enormously entertaining workplace-revenge romance that I loved from beginning to end. The humour, secrecy, double life and lively characters made it incredibly binge-worthy.

WHAT I LIKED💖
• Zhao Qi Yue portrayed the twins so convincingly that they felt like two different people.
• Xi Er was the greatest attraction: strong, unpredictable and fiercely protective, with physical attacks practically serving as her love language!
• Watching her punish the workplace bullies was wonderfully satisfying.
• The three admirers were distinctive, likeable and surprisingly respectful of one another.
• The leads created enjoyable romantic tension through their expressions, playful conflict and nonverbal chemistry.

WHAT I DISLIKED⚠️
• The SFL was thoroughly unpleasant, selfish and infuriating.
• The romance was somewhat restrained, with the first genuine kiss arriving very late.
• My greatest complaint was simply that the series ended!

PRODUCTION AND PERFORMANCES🎭
• Zhao Qi Yue’s excellent dual performance was the highlight.
• The attractive cast, fast pacing and effective direction kept every episode lively.
• The series never took itself too seriously, which made its exaggerated situations even more enjoyable.

FINAL THOUGHTS💭
I really, really loved this drama. It was funny, energetic, romantic and wonderfully satisfying. I highly recommend watching it—you will not be sorry!

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A must watch for a reason

True Beauty was one of the first K-dramas I was suggested to watch when I first started watching them, but for some reason, I decided not to, maybe the hype or all the edits for some reason and the other I wanted to forget it and watch it later.

Now that I have watched this twice, I can confirm confidently, this is one of those dramas overhyped for a GOOD reason. The story is cliché, but it works! The acting, the comedy, and the seriousness mix up so well, making it so impactful.

The main topic of the drama is about a girl who is heavily bullied due to her looks, considered ugly since she was a newborn, criticized by everyone from her family to strangers. She grows up to being a "dumpling delivery" for her school bully, who abuses her every chance they get. The bullying gets so bad that she eventually decides to end it all, but is saved by a guy. Eventually, her family moves to a new part of Seoul, moving to a new school. She decided to change her life, and she resorts to makeup, transforming into a goddess. Finally, thanks to the makeup, she finds confidence and also makes friends, and finally feels like she can stand in the light and not disappear, but at the same time, lives in constant fear of being discovered and having to live two lives.

The story emphasizes a lot on the canon of beauty, so strongly dictating one’s destiny, especially in a society like South Korea where beauty equals success. Although the show adds a lot of comedy to ease some of the seriousness, I can’t help but notice how serious this problem is. It’s heartbreaking to see how looks can dictate one’s destiny and how it strongly impacts your life.
All this seriousness is covered in a lot of comedy that sometimes, honestly, makes me want to cry. The characters are engaging, bubbly, and with interesting side stories; dramatic but fun, engaging, with a bit of drama. I would say it’s definitely one of those dramas that you can enjoy. It might look childish, but it’s more than it appears.

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Like a mix of everything that's wrong with A.I. in film

I have not decided whether to drop this series or not, I really want to give the actors a fair shot because their potential is worth it I think. So much digital enhancement though! It has me struggling to watch, from the location shots, to the lack of emotion from the characters, to the unnatural voices. I'm using subtitles in English and although in many Asian series there can be a slight loss to translation, it doesn't usually affect the whole story. This on the other hand is hard to follow, not only from the dialogue & emotions aspect but the scenes/locations go from very rudimentary to quite elaborate

My brain hurts with this one, it's a challenge.

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Never watch this drama unless you are a misogynist.

Although I liked the drama at first it slowly became unbearable to watch. It's better than Overdo(in my opinion). Both main leads characters were stupid.

Pingjun: At the beginning, she was shown as an intelligent character but later she became dull headed. Whenever she fell in danger she would just go to male lead to either beg him to help her or to curse him. She hates him and also expects him to help her. How iconic lol. It was so annoying to watch

Changxuan: He met a girl at night on a rainy day and couldn't take his eyes off her. I would rather think it was lust considering in reality there's nothing called love at first sight. Then he met her at the theatre and found her interesting lol. I mean can't they think of something else? In every drama ML meet FL and think of her as interesting. Then he forces her to spend time with her and expect her to like him. She slaps him and he gets angry. Then he helps her. And they start talking like lover. And this happens on.

At first I thought the writer was a man because of how misogynist the drama was. Alas! It was a woman..... I won't recommend anyone watching this drama and never rewatch myself.

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The scars and the quiet brilliance of Eat, Run and Love

I am giving this drama an unapologetic 10/10 because it has been profoundly misunderstood by viewers who mistook a visceral study of socioeconomic trauma and somatic grief for a lightweight, fluffy romance. Eat, Run and Love was never meant to be disposable entertainment, it is a mature, deeply moving exploration of what it truly costs to survive the world, preserve your personal dignity, and earn the right to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the one you love.

Viewers seeking instant gratification and conventional romance formulas will likely find this story frustrating, precisely because it refuses to treat life's external brutalities as mere decorative plot devices. The drama understands that affection alone cannot shield anyone from financial ruin, illness, bereavement, or corporate sabotage. Instead, when stripped of romantic illusions and built on shared endurance, it shows how love provides the steady breath and discipline needed to weather the storm until solid ground is reached.

Viewing this narrative through the lens of pure genre tropes inevitably leads to misreading Ding Zhitong’s psychological defense mechanisms as mere 'bitterness' or Gan Yang’s quiet devotion as weak compliance. At its core, the series is a grounded post-mortem on how poverty, debt and survival instincts warp emotional intimacy.

1. the survival over Romantic spite compared to L&P

Unlike standard youth dramas driven by ego or misunderstandings, neither lead here has the luxury of petty pride. Both characters operate under severe economic precarity. Ding Zhitong’s worldview is forged in generational scarcity and the constant threat of financial insolvency, while Gan Yang is forced to navigate catastrophic structural crises that threaten not just his own future, but everyone tied to him. The choices they make aren't born of romantic melodrama; they represent the harsh, blunt calculations of young adults whose immediate realities leave zero margin for error.

2. the somatic Defense is not arbitrary angst

Dismissing Ding Zhitong’s emotional withdrawal as stubborn hostility ignores how deep psychological trauma and guilt actually manifest. Her instinct to push away intimacy is an involuntary defense mechanism, a somatic reaction to grief and the crushing fear that personal happiness comes at an unbearable cost. Her nervous system freezes when emotional vulnerability is required. Reducing her struggle to career ambition or coldness ignores an authentic, agonizing depiction of hyper-vigilance, insomnia, and self-preservation. There is a deeper understanding to such psychological situations.

3. this is not 'Mundane'

What some dismiss as slow or repetitive everyday moments is actually the philosophical backbone of the drama: reclaiming the baseline of living. For anyone who has fought through hardship or grueling workplace exploitation, simply having the space to eat a wholesome meal, sleep without dread and move freely without an invoice attached is an elusive luxury.

When Gan Yang focuses on breathing, posture, and nutrition, he is not playing an idealized idol; he is teaching someone stuck in permanent survival mode how to inhabit her own body again. Likewise, when Ding Zhitong fiercely audits every transaction and refuses unearned handouts, she is not being ungrateful she is protecting her autonomy. Their core dynamic boils down to two essential commands: 'Keep running' the discipline of forward motion and 'eat properly' the primal necessity to stay anchored and alive. That is not fluff; it is a code of human resilience.

4. as for the finale, it is a realistic, earned equality

The latter half of the story does not take shortcuts. True reconciliation cannot happen while one party acts as the rescuer and the other remains the rescued dependent (this would have been a fantasy story). The narrative takes the time to allow both individuals to rebuild their autonomy, process their grief independently, and establish professional and emotional standing. When they finally converge, it is not out of loneliness or surrender, but as two fully realized, battle-tested equals making a deliberate choice to CO-INVEST in a SHARED life.

If you appreciate grounded character studies, structural realism and a mature look at how external pressures test the human spirit, this drama is an exceptional, deeply rewarding work.

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Molto piacevole

Devo dire che per varie ragioni questa serie mi ha stupito. Non pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuta così tanto, anche se come sempre la GMMTV poteva osare un goccino di più, però tolto questo, sono molto contante di averla recuperata e aver inciso un'altra tacchetta nella cintura del rewatch di tutte le serie della GMMTV. Insomma, TOP.
Questa serie se la si guarda con un occhio, è una bromance (che però alla GMMTV vengono molto bene), mentre diciamo che se si usano entrambi gli occhi si riescono a cogliere i seri undertone di BL (tolto il personaggio di Singto, che indipendentemente da quanti occhi si usano, comunuqe è gay), e da qui diciamo il mio si può osare di più, anche perché la fine i personaggi di Lee e Singto, avevano e avranno sempre dei toni di BL. Detto questo una cosa che mi è piaciuta molto è che (indipendentemente dal BL o meno) il focus di questa storia sia l'amicizia fra questi 4 ragazzi, le loro storie e il piccolo nodo che ancora non permette alle loro storia di scivolare libere che riescono a risolvere, solo lavorando assieme e supportandosi a vicenda. Mi è piaciuto moltissimo il personaggio di Jamie e come non si sia "imposto" nel rapporto fra i 4 ragazzi, ma ne abbia fatto parte un po' a lato, aiutandoli, ma avendo anche lei una plotline da seguire. Devo dire che anche la parte giallo/poliziesca, è stata fatta bene (infatti la GMMTV in queste trame è sempre molto brava) e meno scontata delle altre volte (Mr. Kill e Dare You to Death docet).
Veramente, una serie piacevole da vedere, consigliatissima.

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When a Prude Meets a Libertine? The fun is anything but casual.

[I have a personal rule never to write a review before I finish the series. Yet, I write this review after catching only 5/10 episodes of “Make Me Tingle.” After all, if one wants to transgress some personal standard, what better type of show to inspire experimentation than one that blatantly challenges society’s sexual norms? While thick description of plot and character follow, I do try to minimize outright spoilers. In any event, I’ve yet to see the second half of episodes, so none of that can be spoiled here. You’ll just have to watch.]

Make Me Tingle exemplifies many of the traits that endear worldwide audiences to K-drama. The 10-episode series also exemplifies many of the theories discussed in any “history of sexuality” lecture hall. In fact, I could not imagine a better vehicle to combine those very different “entertainments” than what Make Me Tingle turned out to be. I strongly recommend this series for its witty script, its clashing characters, and the even-handed manner in which it makes any viewer rethink their notions of sexual propriety and sexual possibility.

Above all, the series unspools a cracking fun romantic K-drama. The story features the customary mix of tropes and fantasy that make K-dramas outstanding escapist entertainment. The central romance crosses a woman raised to mistrust physical contact with men outside of marriage with a man whose upbringing leads him to mistrust romantic love. One is a prude; the other, a libertine. And THAT is an outstanding start for any K-drama formula that will follow. And the series does manifest formulaic beats familiar to viewers acquainted with the genre’s tendencies. One lead is a CEO; the other, that company's employee. One lead is afraid of the dark; the other, afraid of appearing improper. Both have issues with their families. This iteration of those common tropes mostly succeeds.

The FL, Kong Yeon Su, lives in her grandfather’s home, along with her brother, grandmother, mother, and aunt. Portrayed as an over-the-top devotee of traditional Korean gender values, Kong Grandfather rules the multi-generational household like a patriarch of old. Women have been taught to serve their fathers, brothers, and husbands in clear subservience. Daughters need never trouble themselves with dating because their marriages will be arranged to suit family needs anyway. As a result, Yeon Su is a 30-something virgin who has never dared to rebel against the system into which she was born. If tempted to disobedience, she need only look at how the family treats her aunt, now divorced from her own arranged matrimony, to understand any rebellion comes with a price. She does have a secret boyfriend, but she has resisted his every entreaty for their years-long relationship to escalate to include physical intimacy because “proper women” simply don’t do such things. (Understandably, the frustrated boyfriend is pretty sure no contradiction exists between pre-marital sex and female respectability.) The only sense in which a viewer might regard Yeon Su as a woman with one foot in modern times arises through her professional accomplishments. She has forged a career as a successful marketer.

The ML, Dokgo Dal, is CEO of a small start-up that manufactures sex toys. The company embraces an outlook on sexual politics and sexual freedom that leads “respectable” segments of Korean society to look askance at the whole endeavor. (How progressive is the company? The office contains a space where employees can “test drive” the company’s products.) Outside of work, Dal eschews dating in favor of a string on one-night stands. Disillusioned about love by his father’s multiple failed marriages—Dokgo Dad is on Wife #4—Dal long ago soured on the whole notion of romantic love. He definitely believes sexual pleasure can exist independent of romantic attachment.

Make Me Tingle is largely a workplace comedy. Since any small start-up enterprise will benefit from the contributions of an ace marketer, the plot swiftly contrives for Yeon Su to join the firm as a contract worker. Overcoming her discomfort with the nature of the products, Kang Yeon Su quickly becomes immersed in the company’s efforts to make their wares seem less sordid and more "part of a balanced life." Office discussions on how to market the sexcessories (which are on screen a lot) sometimes lead to substantive discussion about the appeal sex toys can hold for all types of customers, from singles to long-married pairs. By K-drama standards, some of these discussions are refreshingly frank. As both Yeon Su and Dal begin to feel the inevitable tug of mutual attraction expected in any K-drama plot, their conflicting views on the role of sex and romance in dating lead them to debate whether the sex act can be disassociated from romantic love. Dal thinks “date night” implies a one-night stand. Yeon Su believes “date night” entails convivial conversation paired with food. “How is that different from lunch with co-workers?” he pointedly asks her.

For all that sexual mores tend to be taught to each new generation as if they are fixed principles, in reality each new generation (at least in modern times) finds itself confronted with rapidly evolving norms for "appropriate" that may render the elder generation out-of-touch. Since generational conflict is a routine feature of K-drama anyway, the genre is ideally suited to illustrate how evolving sexual norms create a clash between "what should be" and "what is." The writers incorporate a number of conundrums not terribly uncommon in contemporary society: characters debate the necessity of condoms to avoid pregnancy; how to support an unexpectedly pregnant girlfriend; how to foster a sex-positive attitude in a teen while discouraging them from having sex too young; and the importance of respect and communication to foster a healthy sexual dynamic between two people. Yeon Su must even struggle with how much to reveal to her grandparents about the nature of her new workplace. She felt a reasonable compromise would be "they make exercise equipment," only to have her mother and grandmother offer to buy one each. "Wait, mom," says Yeon Su's mother to her own mother, "Why buy two when we can just share?"

Meanwhile, a central goal of any course dealing with the history of sexuality centers on getting students to appreciate the clash between prescriptive norms (how society expects people to behave) and descriptive norms (how folks actually behave). Less salacious than it sounds, “the history of sexuality” tends to focus, like any other type of history, on change over time. That might include issues such as:

• How dating and courtship norms shift with changing economic systems.
• How the institution of marriage adapts to wider changes in the social fabric.
• How notions of “proper” masculinity and femininity evolve to reflect those other norms.
• How new types of identity and behavior challenge established ways of leading a life.

More than any other series I can think of, the story frame for Make Me Tingle lends itself to illustrating issues such as those. Indeed, the series leans full force into generational conflicts since the main characters’ respective outlooks represent a kind of inheritance.

Yeon Su’s sheltered conservative background embodies the prescriptive side while Dal’s upbringing reflects descriptive norms. That the series manages to incorporate these “lessons” so seamlessly into a romantic comedy reflects how skillfully the writers pieced together this tale. They never portray either Yeon Su or Dal as obviously right or obviously wrong. Instead, the opposing worldviews come across as differences in philosophy. If standard K-drama formulas require a mismatched pair to spar in early episodes, then the sexualized content of this series offers ample ground for that. This duo spars over questions like whether sex can/should occur without love attached, or whether sex can/should be pursued as a neutral form of human entertainment—just another type of “exercise.” Episode 3, all by itself, delivers an incredible dialog in which each party sets forth their world view. I don’t know whether the scene delighted me more for demonstrating principles I teach or for manifesting a classic K-drama trope with verve and wit.

Many K-dramas portray sexuality with a heavy bias toward prescriptive norms. (Likely to avoid offending sponsors!) That is why so many series feature 30-year old female virgins, unmarried adults living with parents, and characters who act shocked at forms of intimacy western viewers would dismiss as ordinary. The characters may indulge the shocking behavior anyway—but as long as someone on screen has registered disapproval, propriety has been served. Make Me Tingle seems aware of all these customary restraints and somewhat gleefully subverts them by bringing them into the open. The old-fashioned patriarchy championed by Yeon Su’s grandfather should remind us all that much of what society deems right/wrong with respect to sexual conduct actually manifests as notions of proper manhood and womanhood. Gender circumscribes our choices in life. Yeon Su remains a virgin BECAUSE she is a woman; Dal is free to hook up as he pleases BECAUSE he is a man.

With the series at its midpoint, and both leads feeling the tug of mutual attraction, I am sure the two will find a way to resolve their differences, overcome family opposition, and save the company. Because a happy ending (for love!) is part of the K-drama formula, too. Based on the first five episodes, I gleefully look forward to more debates on the tug between casual sex and sex in a committed relationship.

And, just maybe, they will find a way to portray both in a positive light?

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Whoever told me this was a sweet coming-of-age romance...count your days.

I really liked the atmosphere and cinematography of this film but the plot itself was really frustrating; it felt like horrible things were done for shock value and without taking the time to address the actual consequences. The female characters deserved much better writing.

The songs...I also don't think they're my thing. I didn't connect to the music and the text on screen felt more like pretentious conceptual video art than something integrated into the story.

Points for vibes and visuals, but I just found it not that interesting and not that touching either.

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My poor heart

The first thing I did when the credits rolled was google whether Man-seob and Hintzpeter were able to reunite in real life. Turns out they didn't, and my heart is absolutely SHATTERED.

This one started out kind of silly but it spiraled really quickly and by the end I was tearing up. By having a main character start out as pretty detached from the political situation, we gradually peel back the layers of brutality and learn how the different characters we've already met are involved. We watch the main character go through really powerful character development as he meets them, and simultaneously the tension never lets up — I found myself caring so much about all the side characters until the very end.

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enjoyable! + kimutaku is so pretty

the overall atmosphere and feeling of this drama is lovely. I loved the dynamic between the leads pre and early relationship. going from annoying him because of the failed one night stand to developing a crush was actually very cute to see. going back and watching again made me see moments of teppei showing interest and reciprocating those feelings as well but i wish we saw more and that riko didn't fall as hard as she did because it did feel a little unbalanced. the relationship moments were very cute and kimura takuya (who is just gorgeous in this) and matsu takako (also beautiful) have such good chemistry and line delivery. i loved the mini breakup scene, matsu takako delivers the 2m line so well.

teppei is kind of an asshole and i hate both of the second leads. perhaps in my head i rationalize the kiss as him being swept up in the nostalgia of their old relationship or as something that he did because part of him felt like he would regret it now that he had the chance, but i do think it was a spur of the moment thing that he genuinely regretted. maybe i'm wrong but i do actually think he stopped liking sanae, just that his brother was a complete and total ass and he felt obligated to take care of her. i think this drama would have been so much better without the constant sanae drama or even just separating her shit from the main leads.

the ending also left me wanting more and even though i agree that we had to see teppei beg for her, i wish they had solved it abt twenty minutes before the end so we could actually have a proper wrap up. overall i had fun watching it for the most part, the last three eps dragged on a bit and i did not care for a second spent on the second leads. i would watch again just for the chemistry of the two leads but will definitely be skipping through the second leads and most of the last three eps.

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