Reviews

Touching. Meaningful. Realistic. Worth watching and be inspired

Story is super touching with many small plots here and there to bring a deep meaning to the show, cried alot . Talked about really sad and triggering things but very realistic. Same time also very inspiring and worth watching. Its centres around a football team who all have their own struggles and how each of them are supportive and healing for each other. There is also light romance but more for cute touch.

Their expressions really match their characters

But certain hug scenes can be better and certain scenes do feel extra like why ?? But okay.

Overall still very worthwhile to watch

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The pig has to fall down on its back to see the world differently.

Well some of the reviews say that the mother was abusive and it was not right to show her like that somehow. First of all guys this series some how is an empathetic approach to these mothers. Mothers that carry their own complex and trauma when they are raising their child. Being a child raised by these mothers really puts weighs on the children lives. It is hard for the children to feel satisfied in life because they are always seeking parents approval. But the think this series pointed out is because this mother takes care of you you can't not love this person. Even though you go through very hard times in life because of the way they treated you at the end of the day you can't not forgive them. Because there is this love that you don't understand why it's there even when you are hurting because of it.
Last but not least the writer definitely showed that the mother had problem and showed through the letter that the mother finally understood and recognized how he hurt his son.
If the accident didn't happen not only kangho wouldn't be able to see the new world in fact the mother also wouldn't recognize how harmful her behaviors were.
The pig has to fall down on its back to see the world differently.

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The definition of a modern masterpiece

"Payback (Uncut)," which I have had the privilege of viewing in full, I pronounce a masterpiece of the highest order. It is a work of surpassing genius, and a jewel in the crown of modern storytelling. Not a single moment passed that did not contribute to the whole with purpose or delight. My eyes were fixed upon the screen, so thoroughly was I entranced by it

The narrative, in its unflinching and refreshing candour, made no pretence to conceal the carnal expressions of love shared among men, whether the soft press of lips or the deeper covenant of the flesh, nor did it withhold from them the grace of a joyful ending. Indeed, the erotic reveries in the 8th and 9th episodes were framed with such exquisite artistry and delicate sensibility as to command admiration. The gentlemen (ToptapMinlee) who assumed these vulnerable roles are to be lauded for their courage. They consummated their bond, undaunted by the regime of thought that stigmatizes the public espousal of non-straight/non-procreative desire

I will revisit "Payback" time and again to honor its brilliance anew

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Mixed bag. Some good, some bad. Overall forgettable.

First, the positives. The cinematography, framing and camera work almost feel like an MV at some points, which is actually quite refreshing, so I want to applaud the PDnim and DPnim and the entire production team for their hard work and unique style and for actually trying something different for once.

As for the plot, this series is a real mixed bag. It has a lot of dramatic elements clumped together. It seems as if every sad backstory trope you can think of, the ML and FL have experienced, yet they honestly just don't seem like people with pretty tragic pasts. Some of the performances don't land, and the drama is starting to drag towards the end. I am also just getting tired of all these reunions and second-chance romance plots. Seems like every other modern drama is following this template.

As many pointed out, SML and SFL have an interesting dynamic, but their screentime is literally like 5 mins per episode (it does increase later on, but at this point I'm checked out), yet it suffers a similar fate of becoming somewhat stagnant.

Overall, just struggling to empathize with any of the characters in this series, so this is just not for me.

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I'm trying really hard to fill the void left by The Glory, and so this is why I tried this one. They have lots in common.

The Korean title "3rd-Person Revenge" is so much better than the English one. They should have just translated it directly.

What puzzles me the most here is, considering the fact that lead actress Shin Ye Eun is by far the best actor on the show (shouldn't really be surprising to anyone who's watched The Glory), why have her basically take a backseat in her own story? Because that's what the writers did. That made no sense to me, and is the show's biggest sin. They also failed to give her character any kind of depth beyond the initial shock of her brother getting murdered. Sadly, it's a recurring phenomenon in kdrama where the female lead takes a backseat in her own story. It keeps happening over and over and over and I tire of it.

There's a word for that… it ends in -ism.

I like pretty lead actresses as much as the next guy but I also want them to have a personality. Depth. Character. Personal growth/development. Agency…

Anyway, I was a bit bored by the end.

However I would still give it a passing grade because it was decent and interesting enough. Music was quite good too. I just wish it was a lot better. I'm aching for a new show that's as good as The Glory, but… this ain't it.

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Simple but Fulfilling.

This is probably first time i watched a school drama that is not chaotic but smooth sailing.

I like the development of their relationship and understanding & care for each other. Didnt have any major misunderstandings and even small ones are clearly communicated early. Although there is separation but that doesn't seem long because it lasted only 1 ep for us, the reunion also pretty smooth. There is love rival - SML, but he is also their friend and cared & loved the FL. There are some moments of ML ans SML for grabbing FL attention but never gave negative impact on their friendship. I also like that he gave space for them when he fully understood that FL loves ML.

There are other two couples, one is typical childhood chaotic friends to couple which is quite good. But the 3rd couple are my favorite, although their screentime is less comparatively, what i liked most is their chemistry and subtle changes of relationship between them.

Just that after couples got together, they never shown the reaction of their parents.I really wanted to see their expressions and scenes between them especially about FL brother's relationship. But thay put aside, I don't if i can rewatch and remembered but it's a satisfying watch.

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Worth a watch?

If the writers wanted the viewer to feel frustrated, they succeeded. I was so disappointed with Han Ye Seul because she was too often too shy and did not speak her mind when the issue/confusion could have been resolved with speaking her mind. Go Soo was frustrating because he also did not say what was on his mind. If he would have spoken up, he could have avoided any misconception and he acted too naïve and at times just stupid. The ending was not completed as well as I would have liked but I will take the ending as a positive. I was very tempted to skip ahead with the episodes but I watched every episode. Both main actors did an excellent job portraying the character the writers wanted to show.

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A Vengeful Princess' Guide to a Happily Ever After

A troubled vengeful princess defying fate, achieving her goals, and taking her happy ending one way or another.

TL;DR: Overall, a very, very solid vertical with some interesting and refreshing takes (and lots of role reversal), but also a bit more melodrama than was probably needed.

The Good:
• The FL - Absolutely phenomenally sadistic, cruel, obsessive, and possessive yet sympathetic, pitiful, and troubled. She was a thorough red flag and some might even debate she was a black flag with how intense and unhinged she was, but I simply loved her complexity and how her backstory played into her present character and how she was cunning as a devil, always one step ahead, and unafraid to get her hands filthy. She was a great combination of ruthless and cruel, yet playful, spoiled, and flirty. The duality she showed while scheming against her family vs when handling ML was a TREAT for my role reversal eyes. Such an interesting FL!
• Romantic Dynamic and Role Reversal - I was shocked to see such unusual but committed RR. I loved how ML was almost like this religious figure that FL admired like a god yet was extremely possessive of him. He both outranked her and somehow ranked below her, and it was glorious. Her obsessive possessiveness of him was INSANELY good, and his reluctance but also obedience towards her, letting her have her way with him when he could easily stop her, and how he had this gentleness towards her that he had for no one else? Mhmmmm. And the heavy douse of enemies-to-lovers who fight all the time only to end up kissing and then crying about it? Amazing! So angsty and emotional and fun!
• Feminism - Now, maybe it's a bit generous to call this drama feminist, but at its core... it is. The story is about a mistreated, damaged princess fighting against her brothers, father, and even heaven itself to inherit the throne and have her claim in a patriarchal world hellbent on ruining her life and making her as miserable as possible. Though there aren't really any prominent female characters other than FL, there is one supporting female character near the end who was actually her ally and was also bloodthirsty for revenge, so double points for no female antagonism and for both getting to pursue their ambitions over anything else! It's so rare to see a FL get to not only vie for the throne, but actually successfully get it, get her man, AND get her happy ending (even after all the horrors she committed. Talk about women's rights and women's wrongs!)
• Tone - Consistently dark and moody, which makes sense for the angst-filled melodrama that it was. The bits of comedy added in were few and tasteful, making it a consistent and coherent watch in this regard.
• Plot - Surprisingly better than I expected. Was it well written? Eh, here and there, but it was far more coherent, interesting, and thought-out than a lot of verticals I've seen. I also liked the unusual approach to the "princess vying for the throne" plot and the atypical positions of the leads.
• Commitment - The drama really commits to everything it sets up. Unhinged batshit crazy red-flag FL? Check! Battle against fate and oppression? Check! Multi-layered fence-sitter ML? Check! Enemies with benefits? Check! Feminism? Check! Like, it really commits, and in this world of bait and switch and wishy washy plots, this is refreshing. There is literally never a moment where FL becomes weak and pathetic and ML gets to "man up and save her". The dynamic they establish in the beginning is the one that remains all throughout until the *very* end!

The Okay:
• The ML - Okay, so I liked him for the most part and thought he was compelling as a higher being (an immortal advisor that's considered like a deity, tbh) who has an unusual soft spot for the princess and her only, yet at the same time must put his personal feelings aside because his divination tells him she's evil. It was interesting; I just don't think it was executed in the *best* way. Very often he seemed more fickle than uncertain, and his actions were consistently contradictory without enough focus on him to really get to understand his why. His switch up by the end also feels... unusually shallow. It's like they needed the drama to end, so he suddenly lets go of all antagonism towards FL- like, idk... he was okay, but he could've been better. Maybe if the drama were more 50/50 as opposed to mostly focused on the FL?
• Villains - Now, I didn't really think any villain was bad. They were quite alright for a vertical cdrama baddie. Some might even consider them interesting and complex for these standards, unfortunately... they were a bit repetitive for me. All three of her brothers were evil and hated her, and it got a bit tiring. Also, her father was a piece of crap, and she also had to often fight against ML, and it was a bit much. Too many men, too many bad guys, too repetitive.
• Supporting Characters - Extension of the previous point: Aside from the bad guys, FL has a guard; ML has a servant that barely shows up; and near the end FL has her almost-sister-in-law. Neither show up enough to be considered real supporting characters, and only the last one has any semblance of a character arc. A shame, because the drama is also not as romance-focused as one would think, which means it's more plot-focused, which... for a vertical... is a bummer.
• Acting - Not Zhang Chi's best acting, tbh, but he still did the aloof, uptight scholarly type very well. Wu Jialu absolutely DEVOURED the unhinged, complex princess role! Her eyes were so intense yet soft when need-be. All supporting roles did pretty good given their characters.
• Ending - I liked the ending for the most part, but I did feel it was a bit sudden and rushed. I feel like they could've added another 10-15 minutes and fully fleshed out the leads' relationship and twist so that it made more sense... But FL inherits the throne and makes ML her consort, so like, I'm not mad either. xD

Notable scenes:
- Red bondage scene (Steamy scene after a ceremony gone wrong)
- Blue bondage scene (Scene of ML and FL together while FL's scheme unravels in the meantime~)
- Ending scene.

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An exceptionally heartwarming teen drama!

Plot mostly focuses on the characters’ school years, so viewers should not expect major developments in their relationships. Instead, simply enjoy their friendship, meaningful glances and charming conversations. After ep 20, the story shifts to their adult lives, although the most intriguing developments are naturally reserved for the finale eps

I found the storyline highly engaging. Although it may seem that nothing particularly significant was happening, the characters’ friendly gatherings felt so warm, comforting, and peaceful that it was impossible to stop watching.
Lin Zhi Xia impressed me greatly. Although she didn’t always understand the social norms established by society, she continued to remain true to herself, supported by her friends - especially Jiang Yu Bai. He believed in her from the very beginning and recognized her exceptional brilliance, while never making her feel like an outsider. Tian Xi Wei and Hu Yi Tian had remarkably natural chemistry and looked wonderfully harmonious together.
Yu Bai’s proposal to Zhi Xia was truly beautiful!

The soundtrack beautifully enhances the drama’s most important moments. During the scenes involving Zhi Xia and Yu Bai, it genuinely felt as though butterflies were fluttering in my stomach.

I highly recommend this drama. The storyline is light and easy to follow, while still addressing important issues relevant to teenagers lives and worries. Overall, the drama progresses so smoothly that it seems to fly by!

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First off, I would like to clear some misconceptions I read here about this drama. Hopefully this might help some future watchers contemplating on whether to watch this. This drama isn't low budget at all. Its budget is similar to "Moonlight Mystique". The cinematography, cgi and sets are beautiful. Especially the whale boat island. There are no whiny characters either. Now coming to the storyline, it's really good in the first half, the episodes were engaging and no-nonsense, keeping me hooked. Even up to ep28 or something it was still good.

For the last 10 episodes, the editing became choppy and many main scenes were cut out. The storyline started going downhill, still the twists kept me going. But the FL does turn stubborn and annoying for a while. About the ending, I am not happy, neither did I like the way it was presented. Again, heavy editing and removal of some important scenes was frustrating.

All in all, you can watch it once and enjoy the first 2/3rds of the drama. I personally didn't like the ending, but that's just a personal opinion. I am not a fan of one lead killing the other for "the greater good". The only drama which managed to pull off that trope well was possibly "Love between fairy and devil". Here they could've found a way to prevent that from happening, but I feel it was lazy writing in the end.

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SPOILED THEIR RELATIONSHIP A BIT

Didn't understand any mathematical terms used here. I aspire to be like Lin Zhixia nonetheless. Studytok is gonna eat up her study scenes. Her brother, Lin Zeqiu, my god, so handsome. Last saw him on Stand By Me. There his character was unbearable. This kinda feels like a redemption arc for the past choice of character. Saw Hu Yitian after so long, the OG red flag guy showed light right flagmess in initial episodes, however, that didn't last long when he finally realized he can't beat the mighty Zhixia. So he wifed her up instead. The doctor guy with the patient felt so forced ngl. Felt good seeing TingTing find her passion in her job. The restaurant owner was just a catalyst in their relationship. However she served looks. And the food looked so good ugh. Disliked Bai's parents.

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a great premise, a good pairing, a slightly disappointing execution.

my review contains four sections —
[1] singing the series’ praises.
[2] episodes seven and eight.
[3] the couples and the love triangle.
[4] my conclusion.
(please be aware the whole review contains minor spoilers about the story and ending.)


[1] singing the series’ praises.

i liked the overall story; it was simple but engaging. having Siyeol start off with his own ulterior motives was interesting, and i think the premise of getting revenge on behalf of a friend (and unrequited love) is great because it jump-starts the main romance in a way that feels character-motivated instead of coincidental or artificial. this has the opportunity to give the characters more agency, more life, and more depth.

the dialogue and acting felt natural most of the time. despite Aejun (Aejoon) being a massive fanboy and having a huge crush on Siyeol, his lines/reactions never felt too cheesy, dramatized, or unrealistic, which i think is a feat. he could’ve easily been a frustratingly exaggerated stereotype, but he remained fairly level-headed and rational during a lot of his interactions with Siyeol, which i think helped balance out the fanboy moments. Aejun’s timid/shy looks and behaviors also felt normal/natural, and often sold a scene for me. overall, the dialogue and acting for both Aejun and Siyeol in particular were major positives, but the whole casts’ acting was good.

i also really loved the way we got to see/hear some of the internal monologue of both the main leads in the first several episodes. not only does this obviously help us get the full story, and not only does it help build up the romance between the two characters, but it’s great to see/hear how Siyeol feels as he gets to know Aejun more and more.


[2] episodes seven and eight.

all of the above being said, though, the seventh and eighth episodes felt anti-climatic to me.

firstly, though i thought the premise and reveal of Siyeol’s ulterior motives was presented well, the resulting consequences once he was found out were lackluster and Aejun’s reaction seemed very mild. his idol crush appeared out of nowhere, started a relationship with him based on lies, and he found out about those lies while also finding out that his crush liked someone else the whole time. i felt like he should’ve been angry and insulted and heartbroken, and i’m assuming he was, but we barely got to see any of that.

secondly, Siyeol’s feelings started off so interesting, with depth and motive, but by this point i found myself displeased with the way his feelings were written. Siyeol’s reaction to being found out didn’t seem strong enough, plus his feelings for Aejun at that point hadn’t been developed enough. i realize that Siyeol thought Aejun had a boyfriend, but even so: having Siyeol earnestly say, in episode seven of a ten-episode series, that he still felt feelings for someone else was… disappointing, to say the least. this made the main pair’s romance fall rather flat for me. i had to agree with what Gyuseong (Kyusung) said to him: “you’re the one who needs to commit to one person.” and i also had to agree with what Juha (Jooha) later said to him: “think about what you did. you deserve to suffer a little.”

thirdly, the (mostly off-screen and mostly unexplained) revelation of Gyuseong’s reason for breaking up with Juha was lacking. while i understand that Gyuseong was trying to protect Juha’s career and public reputation, it seems like they were together for YEARS before the break-up. so, it made little sense that Gyuseong would cut Juha off so suddenly, without telling Juha about what happened at all. maybe if there had been a bigger threat/scandal, then it would’ve made more sense for him to hide it, but the actual threat didn’t seem like an end-of-career time-to-break-up issue to me — especially since the two of them just end up (openly?) together anyway.

all in all, i can’t say the ending was outright bad, because the last two episodes were much better than these two, but the direction this second half went in still left me feeling less than satisfied.


[3] the couples and the love triangle.

main couple: Choi Siyeol and Na Aejun were super fun to watch on screen. despite Siyeol’s ulterior motives and his feelings for Juha existing alongside his feelings for Aejun for most of the series, the main pair still managed to have a lovely chemistry with each other throughout the story. their scenes were also so cute and well-acted that it was often easy to forget Siyeol had any ulterior motives at all. this is partially why it was disappointing that Siyeol spent so much of the series thinking that he loved Juha more than Aejun, but at least the last two episodes helped make up for part of that. unfortunately, though, i found it kind of hard to believe Siyeol’s declarations about Aejun being the only person he’s actually loved — not because i think he was being insincere in that moment, but because this wasn’t really what we were shown in the series. (i’ll talk about this more in the love triangle paragraph.) still, it was nice to see the main pair get their happy ending.

side couple: Ji Gyuseong and Yeon Juha worked well as a side couple, despite the poor break-up reasoning. considering the limited time we had with them, and considering their exes-to-lovers storyline, i think their reconciliation developed at a decent pace. i also really enjoyed that you could easily tell what their dynamic as a couple used to be (especially in the last episode, when Juha confronts Gyuseong), and it was nice to see them get their happy ending too. when they’re actually happy together, their chemistry is good.

the love triangle: Siyeol’s feelings for Juha are present for most of this ten-episode romance drama, which is frustrating. the show tries to dismiss this by making it seem like Siyeol’s emotions were rooted in some sort of obsessive guilt rather than real love, but i just don’t buy that. there were a few times when Siyeol genuinely showed care and affection for Juha, and the fact that they have a long history and close relationship is brought up too. plus, the whole premise of the story is that Siyeol cared so much about Juha’s happiness that he wanted to get revenge on Juha’s behalf. AND it’s even revealed that Siyeol bought and now lives in Juha’s old apartment! so yeah, Siyeol’s feelings seemed like love to me, not guilt. you could also say it was infatuation mixed with guilt, maybe, but the point is that i don’t believe it was just guilt alone.


[4] my conclusion.

this was a cute, funny, and well-made series with a really interesting premise. the couples had good chemistry, and even the friendships had good chemistry. if the love triangle issue had been resolved a bit better and/or a bit sooner, i think it would’ve made the happy ending feel like it was truly earned and it would’ve made this series even more enjoyable. even so, the last two episodes really made up for a lot of the disappointment i felt, and i was especially happy to see that Aejun and Juha became friends.

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A fluffy ball of happiness wrapped in rose petals!

Our Sticky Love was such a sweet, warm and refreshing drama. It had a little bit of everything, romance, comedy, action, fights, mystery and, above all, a wonderful group of supporting characters who made the whole village feel alive.

Jung Hae In and Ha Young were both wonderful, and I especially enjoyed seeing a more playful and expressive side of Jung Hae In. His facial expressions, comic timing and physicality, the boxing and action scenes, were also fantastic. He truly made the character his own.

The people also around them were just as important. Hospital people, doctors and he villagers, the characters connected to the traditional sweets 🍡village and young couple, brought so much warmth, humor and personality to the story. I genuinely enjoyed spending time with them. Despite a few surprisingly intense action and fighting scenes, the overall tone remained warm, comforting and uplifting for me

Visually, the drama was beautiful. The cinematography, lighting, colors and sound created a bright, almost dreamlike atmosphere. And I loved the music, sometimes innocent and sweet, like the feeling of a first love, and at other times almost classical and elegant!🎶

There were a few moments when I wished the writing had developed certain parts of the story more carefully, but honestly, I didn't mind much. The overall experience was simply too charming.

I finished one episode wanting to watch the next, and by the end I was left with that rare feeling of having spent time somewhere that made me genuinely happier.


A comforting, beautiful, feel-good drama that feels like a warm hug. 10/10. 🌸

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