First time watching a kdrama where the couple doesn't break up
I've watched plenty of Kdramas where the leading couples always break up for whatever reason, so when they never did I was surprised which made me love this more!I didn't expect this pairing but they were actually really good.
I love the OST as well. Definitely on my comfort shows list, planning to rewatch again.
Aside from the main couple, I loved the second couple and they surprisingly looked good together and have such a great chemistry!
Some people said it's boring but I guess it's just not their cup of tea.
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I LOVE THIS!
It's honestly such an eye opener of the consequences of teenage pregnancy but I really like it how both of them took responsibility even though they struggled. They are such a good looking perfect couple, such good people and good parents as well. I didn't expect to love this as much as I do now, despite the fact that I don't like Lee Do-hyun always being associated with older women... I REALLY LOVED HIS ACTING HERE! Alot of the characters had very good character development while some people who were bad did go to jail. Honestly it's my first time watching a kdrama wherein teenage pregnancy at 18 is shown and alongside the struggles that they had to endure just to make ends meet. I love how the ml got to play basketball again even while he could and the fact that he was with his family all the time without them knowing. He is a good man for not leaving his woman back when she really needed him and instead took responsibility like a partner should do. ANOTHER KDRAMA THAT MADE ME RAISE MY STANDARDS IN A MAN. Didn't expect it to be this good but mostly I skipped watching the fl with ji-hoon. Anyways, aside from that it's somehow an eye opener about marriage.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
The meaning of Life in Death.
One of those movies, I want to keep a personal copy of because it's so deep and profound at its exploration of the meaning of life and death, grief and all about being a human being. It uses its characters, setting and props to tell a deep story. (broken phones, tombstone, remains, space, garden, dumpster)."The fact that he sold his most expensive tombstone for a pet, while people couldn't afford it and that there was a whole department of uncollected human remains people with no name in the end.
I personally think being a human being is a ridiculous burden that a few people feel.
It was both funny and profound, the way you just didn't have personal space reminded me of what all humans need.
The movie explores life and grief and what it means for different people. How do you get closure, how do you mourn for people you loved and people you hated.
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Wasted potential due to rushed ending.
Great for the first six episodes, but damn the ending felt rushed. I hate to be the one to say it, but this needed to be longer. Still, it's an enjoyable show with great acting and chemistry, but I kind of found myself wishing for better plot development and a more satisfying ending for Yumi. Soon Rok is my favourite ML of the show so far, but the writing forces him to make some questionable choices in the final two episodes, while Yumi kind of has to go along with it. I feel like the actress Kim Go-Eun didn't get all that much to work with, as her character didn't make as much progression as I'd hoped.4/5 | B+
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What a simple yet wholewome little gem !
What a gentle, heartwarming little show !Across its 4 short episodes, we follow the kind ML, a travel and food writer who wanders from region to region with his camera and an open heart. Guided by the cats he meets along the way, he discovers small local eateries and regional dishes that he tastes with such visible delight that his enjoyment becomes almost contagious. Every meal is savoured slowly, lovingly — as if the show were inviting us to taste it with him.
Alongside these delightful culinary moments, the series offers a handful of touching encounters with the people and their cats he crosses paths with. Each time, our ML listens, helps, or comforts them with his natural softness.
Food, photography, and these gentle connections blend into a wholesome, soothing and uplifting - but way too short- journey.
Thanks for the rec, https://kisskh.at/profile/toxicbybritneyspears/feeds/b3vWPZtd !
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The movie just hits the spot....
I know I’m ridiculously late for this, and honestly it probably feels pointless with thousands of reviews already out there… but after watching this masterpiece, I just couldn’t stop myself from putting my feelings somewhere.This one feels like home. I’m actually a little disappointed in myself for not watching it sooner, because now that I have, it’s settled itself so deeply in my heart. I already know that whenever I feel low, this is what I’ll come back to for comfort.
Outstanding story, and truly outstanding performances by Steve Noh and Kim Go-eun. What they portrayed together was so raw and beautiful that I’m genuinely at a loss for words.
What I really loved is how it stayed grounded in reality. It didn’t sugarcoat anything, especially the struggles faced by a gay man or a free spirited woman like jae hee...It felt honest, real, and quietly powerful.
This wasn’t just something to watch… it was something to feel. ❤️
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1A tender journey of love, growth, and the beautiful chaos of Yumi's life
~Disclaimer: You can watch this season as a standalone drama without watching the previous seasons, but keep it in mind, Yumi's Cells is a tale of the growth and development of a person navigating the ups and downs of her life.Yumi's Cells is my love-at-first sight comfort drama. It pulled me in from the beginning and kept me intrigued till the end. Yumi's journey that started 5 years ago in 2021, has come to an end. It made me happy for her little triumphs of life, got me sad to see her broken-hearted and enraged me to see her being mistreated by people. In conclusion, she became a part of me as I saw a reflection of myself in her.
I loved this storyline because it is a genuinely good drama that truly felt like a romcom, evoking butterflies during the scenes between Yumi and her love interest. It maintained its unique sense of empathy and excitement even after several years, with realistic emotional lines and a cheerful tone that resonated well on a personal level. The third season basically focused on a cute, introverted love story between Yumi and her editor Sunrok. It explored the themes of self-discovery, emotional vulnerability, and the bittersweet nature of the relationship in between them. It perfectly balanced the lighthearted comedic moments with sincere reflections on love and life, making it feel authentic and heartfelt.
Sunrok’s development throughout the story is particularly noteworthy. Initially, he seemed like a robot character; cold, detached, and emotionally shut down. But when he got in touch with Yumi, his internal and external conflicts became evident. His true nature and reactions felt authentic and nuanced, avoiding clichés and adding layers to Yumi's storyline. He's truly an introvert waiting to be discovered. His core value improved. Sunrok's well-crafted character whose complexity and emotional depth added softness to his outer rigid persona.
Cells play a huge role in establishing the inner engineering of a person to navigate day-to-day life. When situations felt light outside, Yumi's inner world was in full chaos trying to figure out what she wanted and what she needed to do. Showed how considerable she can be even if she doesn't want to. The animation and visual storytelling remained strong, with creative depictions of Yumi’s internal world that enhanced her storyline. The direction carefully balanced pacing, allowing viewers to savour both the comedic and emotional moments without feeling rushed.
Yumi and Sunrok's relationship sounds, looks and screams a healthy relationship. Their heart-fluttering interactions were to die for! Even though they're 10 years apart, their genuine affection and respect for each other make it impossible to like anyone else. Their slow-burn chemistry bloomed and gave us an ideal kdrama couple we didn't ask for.
Apart from the storyline, I loved the beautiful cinematography and lovely OSTs, which added a sweet essence to their awkward moments. The only problem I had with this drama was how short it was. Previous two seasons got 16 eps each and Yumi's endgame got only 8 episodes, was literally diabolical!
Overall, I highly recommend this and trust me, you won't be disappointed!
I'll keep my tradition alive as S1 got 10/10 , S2 9.5/10 and S3 doesn't deserve anything below 10 because it made a mundane life feel so special!
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Truly Tiring!
The series doesn't have anything that stands out if I am being really honest. There is nothing in the whole of the 10 episodes that shows any proper direction to where it is heading to. I think what I can say is that the series just shows one thing really clearly: co-dependence. I see that there is affection between the main cast, but I wouldn't really that it fits into love, at best if you were to give the benefit of the doubt, would be one-sided thing. Both of them wanted to live the way that they felt was best for them and especially for Mo-Eun A, would forego being together for personal growth. The relationship at the end was only something that helped them not to lose what they felt and to just keep it alive just for the sake of it. 10 years is also enough time to really take into consideration what means to oneself for the future rather than being frozen to the extent that they were portrayed.The second leads of the show actually do show more depth and connection to their own stories. I mean, they basically ended up doing what you expect when things in a relationship don't go your way; letting it go eventually. There was more to offer from them than the whole of anything that was shown otherwise. Moments like the name tags and the arrangements of internships and other opportunities showed how much that they cared for their respective admirers.
At the end, highly recommend not to watch this expecting that this is a usual slow burn thoughtful series. It has a lot of holes which it never supports to be patched up and hence, is a very lackluster show in general. Yeet!
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My village is still recovering the aftereffects of this season
I might sound more emotional than usual. I’ve fully accepted that this will be a sappy review filled with praise, so buckle up.This season was… too good. I adore Yumi and all her cells. Every single one of them has such distinct personalities, and the writing team truly did wonders here. I found myself cheering on literal 2D animated cells like they were main characters. That alone says everything.
I was initially very scared of the 8 episode run. I was convinced it wouldn’t be enough and that I’d be left unsatisfied, but it didn’t feel that way at all. The story feels complete in my heart. Would I have taken one more episode? Absolutely. But that’s just my greed cell wanting more Yumi and Sun Rok content.
This season made me laugh so much, just like the previous ones, but what really stayed with me is how much I’ve grown attached to Yumi as a person. Watching her across the seasons, seeing her change as she got older… I genuinely feel like I grew up with her. I felt so close to her, her feelings, her struggles, the way she processes things. Not because we’ve lived the same life, because we definitely haven't, but because she felt so real to me. Her emotions and her reactions made so much sense to me and her honesty and vulnerability is what made me connect to her so deeply, and for this, kudos to the writers.
The writing of this show is so honest, witty, and personal that it genuinely felt like reading Yumi’s diary. And I love that. It’s such an original way to tell a story that is, at its core, very ordinary, but that’s exactly what makes it special. Yumi isn’t perfect. She has flaws, fears, insecurities, and she makes mistakes. She’s lived, she’s learned, and she’s grown and that emotional journey is what makes this show hit so hard for me. I loved how grounded in reality a lot of the moments were.
Now for this season specifically; Kim Go Eun was, as always, phenomenal. She is Yumi. I genuinely can’t imagine anyone else playing her. Her look this season was also adorable, I personally loved the pixie cut, she pulled it off so well. What I loved most this season was seeing a more mature version of Yumi. She’s grown, she’s a bit more guarded, but that hopeful, bubbly core of hers never disappeared. It was just… quieter at times. But still there.
And her cells? Icons. The Naughty cell continued to be the showstopper and the cause of so much of my laughter. The hunger cell...I’m convinced if I ever peeked into my own cell village, my hunger cell would look exactly like that.
I also really appreciated seeing the contrast between Season 1 Yumi and Season 3 Yumi, while still recognizing that at her core, she’s the same person. That consistency in her character was so comforting.
Kim Jae Won as Shin Sun Rok was also genuinely perfect casting. He embodied that role so naturally, and considering he’s still relatively a rookie, acting opposite someone like Kim Go Eun couldn’t have been easy, but he held his own. Their chemistry felt effortless and real. I adored him.
Shin Sun Rok as a character? By far my favorite of Yumi’s boyfriends. Straightforward, proactive, emotionally present… just a genuinely loving partner. His naughty cell was also… yeah. An experience. You go, Yumi. And him being a cute reindeer? I was smiling at my screen so much my face actually started to hurt. If I get smile lines in the future, you're picking up the tab sir.
Also, if you watch this show for anything, let it be for the version of Sun Rok we get in the later half. I fell for him right alongside Yumi. I get it girlie. I fully get it.
I won’t spoil anything, but the way he handled things in the final episode, his attitude, his care, the way he approached Yumi… A MILLION GOLD STARS. Truly.
I also really appreciated that we didn't get into any unnecessary side plots/characters because the 8 episode run is already quite short so I definitely love that the showrunners kept the focus mainly on Yumi and Sun Rok.
Sun Rok’s cell village was also soooo good, there was so much personality and so much humor there. Whoever did the voice acting deserves a GOLD STAR, especially his reason cell. The tone, the delivery… I fully lost it every time his brain just short circuited and the animation was also so good, I couldn't stop laughing. But beyond the humor, it also added depth. His village made him feel just as layered and real as Yumi, which is something this show consistently does amazingly well.
For the story itself, I thought season 3 was very well paced, the change in relationship dynamics felt very natural, and I don't think I ever felt frustrated watching this season at all. I am someone who has a bad habit of fastforwarding some parts of shows, but this season was amazing. They didn't waste even a second. If anything, I wanted more. Honestly, I could’ve watched them do absolutely nothing for 10 more episodes and still been completely invested because I just love these characters so so much.
I think my review will forever remain biased, because I feel so much for this show and for Yumi, but I think that was also only possible because of the superb work everyone has done all throughout the seasons. While I can say that it's possible to watch this as a standalone, it would be such a shame for anyone to miss out on the adventure of seeing how Yumi became the person she is in season 3.
Her story was beautiful and made me both sad cry and happy cry many times, in the best way possible. This show will always have a very special place in my heart and I'll definitely be rewatching it from time to time.
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Xukai acting is excellent here.
I found that this drama had an excellent script and well written characters who are nuanced and layered. The relationship tension between father and son adds emotional depth to the storyline. I am so impressed by Xukai's departure from playing the good guy and romantic lead to this character that took many legal miststeps is wonderful to watch.Was this review helpful to you?
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I will definitely rewatch again.
This was one of my highly anticipated dramas.One thing tho, why was Duan Xu acting like a love sick puppy, threw away his ambitions and jumped into the void, yes ofc we love a man who's crazy when in love but gurl why, and Simu be all Tsundere too. After that bs it was fine tho.
Wei Zhe Ming did a really great job, Yan Ke's scene made me so uncomfortable especially in the later eps. My favourite character was the diva Auntie Jiang Ai and Duan Jing Yuan. They did my poor Fang Ji dirty, he deserves his HE w/ DJY :( also Luda was a good kid in the beginning I feel bad for him too. Yan Ke when I catch you Yan Ke. The execution of the ending was just perfection even without the extra ep and extra ep just made it even better.
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Goodbye, Yumi's Cells
I can’t believe this is goodbye. I still remember back in 2021 when I was hesitant to watch this series because I wasn’t a fan of animation, and the idea of mixing it with a K-drama felt so weird to me. But after the first season, I completely fell in love with it. I even watched Season 2 while it was still ongoing, and now, Season 3.I feel like a proud mom of Yumi. I’ve seen her growth, her character development, and the lessons she learned while loving different people in her life, as well as learning from heartbreak. I still remember how I couldn’t move on from Ung and kept hoping there was still a chance for them. I also can’t forget the impact Babi had on her life, especially the heartbreak she felt because of something from his past.
Now, I was hoping for more scenes with Soon Rok because, as viewers, we wanted to get to know him better and see more of their life as a couple. Unfortunately, everything wrapped up too quickly. Still, I feel sad knowing this is the last time we’ll witness all of Yumi’s cells. It feels like saying goodbye to your own babies.
It feels so personal because we’ve been on this journey since 2021. There’s no longer a next season to wait for or another love story of Yumi to look forward to. This isn’t just like any other K-drama for me, it feels more personal. I’m not usually the type to get attached to the dramas I watch, but this one is different.
Anyway, if you’re hesitant to watch this because of the animation, I’d say the animation is actually one of the best parts of the drama. It helps you understand yourself and the people around you more. All three seasons are highly recommended. They all needed to happen for Yumi to become who she is in the present, and I think that’s also true in real life. Some things need to happen for growth and development. Some endings may be sad, but they still contribute to who you become.
Yumi and her cells, goodbye. You will be missed.
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The Sun Sets on this Show
I loved parts of this show and then other parts had me scratching my head so hard in confusion. Some of the traumatic plot points felt kind of unnecessary, like they would just layer them on and I was like okay thats enough! The romance was very sweet and I did enjoy this new pairing. Overall I enjoyed this one, just chill out on the trauma guys LOL!Was this review helpful to you?
Yumi's Final Relationship Deserved More Than 8 Episodes
Note: I personally loved and still love Yoo Babi (Season 2). For me, he was the best man—not just for Yumi, but even IRL. While love is not my primary cell like Yumi, I therefore think about this season rationally. In essence, I think I just wanted to get to the end of this series—it’s been stretched far too long for my liking. In spite of that, this series is close to my heart because in many ways I relate to Yumi. That’s why I sat down to watch this season with as little bias as possible, keeping the same excitement I had in Season 2. And here’s my final take:➥ Storytelling with the Cells:
As with previous seasons, I love Yumi’s universe. I haven’t read the webtoon, so I found each season and relationship refreshing. The cells provide the internal dialogue and logic that characters—or we IRL—don’t say out loud but are constantly thinking. That was the case here too: cute, hilarious, and even if I don’t agree with Yumi’s cells being hellbent on finding love above all else, I still found it endearing.
➥ Kim Jae Won as Shin Soon Rok:
Shin Soon Rok was a big factor in my anticipation. I’d first seen the actor in the despicable drama Hierarchy, and then he did a complete 180 with a brilliant performance in The Art of Sarah. So I was excited to see him here. I don’t know the webtoon version, but if the idea was to portray someone introverted, quiet, a homebody who goes about life in his own way—he did well.
➥ Challenges with Season 3:
Where I struggled was with the time given to these characters and their relationship. Unlike the first two men, Soon Rok hit Yumi like lightning. That’s what people say about soulmates, right? That they come into your life and you don’t know what hit you? I get it—the subtext was clever. But the last two seasons explored relationships and people thoroughly over 14 episodes. Here, we only had 8 episodes, and it felt rushed. Even with Episodes 7–8 trying to explain the reasoning, I wasn’t convinced.
Especially since this is the endgame relationship we’re talking about, with the big step of "marriage". Yumi has always led with her heart, but she’s been hurt three times before. Even if the Love Cell insists the “window of love is small,” realistically someone with her past would need more time. It’s not about projecting past experiences onto a new person—it’s about learning from them and being cautious. Yet here, a few cute smiles and him calling her “noona” suddenly made him her life partner? That doesn’t feel genuine, especially when earlier she was annoyed with for a large part of the season.
Soon Rok, meanwhile, was underdeveloped. His quiet nature and even quieter cells made it seem like Yumi was simply the first woman he liked, so he decided to marry her. It's been depicted as he's someone who's simply been certain - but to me, it felt more like rushed closure than a well-earned conclusion.
➥ Final Take:
The leads were cute and had sweet moments, but the relationship lacked depth and authenticity compared to the last two seasons. If you’ve come this far, watch Season 3 to finish Yumi’s story. But if you’re starting fresh, the webtoon likely offers a richer, more nuanced exploration than this rushed ending.
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Still cute and funny, but fell short compared to other seasons
I've enjoyed following Yumi's journey through these 3 seasons, but this last season really fell short compared to the others. With only 8 episodes compared to the 14 in other seasons, this season felt too rushed and lacked depth. I still enjoyed the cuteness and humor, but didn't really believe the love story which is a disappointing way to end the series.Likes:
1) Sun Rok's unique character - I think it's the first time where I've seen an introvert's energy levels explained so well in a drama. I completely related to the energy depiction and also the sort of opposite work vs home personality. Even though MBTI has helped people understand a little bit about introversion, this depiction really captured how much being social can drain strong introverts.
2) Kim Go Eun as Yumi - I can not picture anyone else who could have played this role to perfection like she did. I love her. Her expressions in the beginning towards Sun Rok's rudeness were hilarious!
3) Of course, the anime cells - I don't need to explain that one. My favs were Yumi's enormous hungry cell and Sun Rok's enormous naughty cell. hahaha
4) The addressing of how we approach love so differently as we age. I loved watching this journey as I could relate.
Dislikes:
1) The rushed loved story - it wasn't believable. There wasn't enough buildup between the indifference to love. It needed more time to develop which is a shame because the acting was good and the chemistry had potential but because of time, the chemistry fell short.
2) While I like Sun Rok's opposite work and home personality, at times it was a bit too extreme esp towards the end. So sometimes it felt unbelievable.
3) The last episode was just too rushed in wrapping up everything. A big let down as it could have been all heart fluttery, but it felt like the writers/director just didn't care.
Overall still an entertaining watch, but most likely will be a bit disappointing for those of us that have been on Yumi's journey.
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