Reviews

Great Journey, Frustrating Finale: Too Many Deaths, Too Many Flashbacks

Royal Betrothal was one of those dramas where I had a LOT to say while watching because there was genuinely a lot to unpack. Court politics, investigations, power struggles, hidden identities, Zhongwan's history, and a female lead who actually knows how to play the political game.
And for most of the journey, I was invested.

Meng Tinghui & Ying Gua
Meng Tinghui is easily one of my favorite things about this drama. She's intelligent, strategic, ambitious, and capable of standing on her own. I loved that she wasn't written as the usual FL who needs the ML to solve everything for her.
Her role in the Censorate Bureau was especially satisfying because she became Ying Gua's independent blade—someone who could investigate corruption and challenge powerful people without simply hiding behind the Emperor.

And Ying Gua was a very good match for her.
Their relationship worked because they were partners before they were lovers. He respected her intelligence and trusted her judgment, while she gradually learned to trust him with the things she couldn't handle alone. Their romance wasn't the most overtly romantic I've watched, but the foundation was strong because it was built through shared danger, strategy, and mutual respect.

Also, obviously:
Liu Yuning. 😂
That voice in the OST was basically my emotional support throughout the drama. I knew my “bebe love” was going to have me distracted the moment I recognized him. 😂

The supporting cast deserved better.
This is where my frustration really begins.
I genuinely liked the supporting characters—Yin Qing, Shen Zhishu, Di Nian, Huang Bo, Xu Ting, and the people around the Censorate and Ying Gua. They weren't just background decoration; many of them had their own motivations and relationships with the leads.
Which makes the amount of killing toward the end even more frustrating.

Huang Bo's death was the first one that really made me go: WHY?!
Huang Bo was one of Ying Gua's trusted people, and I actually liked his character. His sacrifice during the attack was emotional, but from a practical standpoint, I couldn't stop thinking:
He could have pushed Ling Yunfei off the cliff without going over himself. 😭
So for me, this felt like a classic case of the writers choosing maximum tragedy over the most logical outcome.
I understood what they wanted the scene to accomplish—show Ying Gua the cost of the conflict and give Huang Bo a heroic sacrifice—but I didn't think his death was necessary.
And unfortunately, it didn't stop there.

Xu Ting
I actually had a more complicated relationship with Xu Ting as an antagonist.
I never saw him as the ultimate mastermind. He was conservative, politically stubborn, and often an obstacle to Tinghui and Ying Gua, but his concerns about the stability of the court weren't completely unreasonable.
That's why his eventual death bothered me too.
By that point, the story had already established that he wasn't the real monster behind everything. I would have preferred seeing him live long enough to face the consequences of his political choices rather than simply removing him from the board.

And then... Di Nian. 😭
Di Nian's death was probably the one that frustrated me the most.
After Huang Bo and Xu Ting, I was already thinking, please stop killing the supporting cast.
Then Di Nian.
WHY.
He had already become one of those characters whose presence added warmth and stability to the story. His death was meant to demonstrate the cost of the war, and yes, emotionally it worked.
But did we really need another death to prove that the war was devastating?
At some point, the tragedy became repetitive rather than impactful.
I would have much rather seen these characters survive and deal with the aftermath.
That would have been more meaningful to me than repeatedly using death as shorthand for emotional stakes.

And thank you, drama, for at least not permanently killing Shen Zhishu. 😭
When that death report happened, I was already preparing myself for another supporting-character massacre. Having him return alive, even badly injured and disfigured, was one of the few times the drama actually gave me the relief I wanted.

Zhongwan & Tinghui's choice
I will admit that Tinghui frustrated me around the Zhongwan arc.
At first, I was basically:
“Girl, after everything you've built in Dayning, WHY are you choosing this?”
But once she actually saw what was happening to the Zhongwan people, her motivation became much clearer.
She wasn't simply trying to resurrect the old Zhongwan royal clan.
She wasn't suddenly saying, “I'm the rightful ruler, give me my kingdom back.”
Her concern was the people.
She initially wanted peace, but then she saw what “peace” actually meant for the Zhongwan survivors—forced labor, exploitation, and humiliation. That's what pushed her toward taking action.
And I actually liked that distinction.
However, the transition could have been written more smoothly. The political shift felt abrupt at times, especially after Tinghui had spent so much of the drama building her life and influence in Dayning.

Yin Qing
Yin Qing was another character I found more interesting than I expected.
He wasn't simply a villain who wanted power. His obsession with Zhongwan came from genuine attachment to his people and his desire to restore what had been lost.
But eventually, the difference between him and Tinghui became important:
Yin Qing wanted restoration.
Tinghui wanted freedom for the people.
Those are not necessarily the same thing.
That distinction gave the Zhongwan conflict more depth than a simple “good side vs bad side” storyline.

And then came the finale...
JUSMIO. 😭
This is where I really think the drama wasted an opportunity.
After 32 episodes of political intrigue, investigations, identity revelations, war, sacrifices, separation, and emotional buildup...
WHY ARE WE STILL WATCHING FLASHBACKS IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES?!
We KNOW.
We watched it.
We were there.
We know how Tinghui and Ying Gua met.
We know what they went through.
We know why they love each other.
We know what they sacrificed.
And yet the finale kept reminding us instead of giving us the payoff.
What I wanted was simple:
Show me the reunion.
Let me see Tinghui and Ying Gua actually talk after everything that happened. Let me see what their relationship looks like after the war. Give me one proper emotional or romantic scene.
Instead, we got more reminiscing, dialogue, and basically:
“Will you return to my side?”
And then—
END. 😭
After everything, SHOW ME THE ENDING. DON'T JUST REMIND ME OF IT.
The actual resolution is peaceful: the rebellion is settled, the Zhongwan situation is resolved, and the three-year-later ending shows Tinghui and Ying Gua reunited, with Tinghui teaching at the Shazhou women's school.
So yes, I got my happy ending.
But I wanted to feel it.

Final verdict
Despite all my complaints, I genuinely enjoyed Royal Betrothal.
I liked Tinghui. I liked Ying Gua. I liked their partnership. I enjoyed the Censorate storyline and the political maneuvering. I cared about the supporting cast enough that their deaths actually made me angry—which is probably a compliment to the characters themselves.
But I think the drama became too dependent on death + flashbacks = emotional impact.
Huang Bo's death felt avoidable.
Xu Ting's death felt unnecessary.
Di Nian's death hurt, but felt like another sacrifice the story didn't actually need.
Shen Zhishu surviving was one of my biggest reliefs.
And the finale spent too much time looking backward when I wanted the story to finally let its characters move forward.

Still, this is a drama I'll remember—not because it was perfect, but because I was invested enough to argue with almost every major decision. 😂
Strong FL. Strong ML. Great political setup. Good chemistry. Interesting supporting characters. Too many unnecessary deaths. Too much reminiscing. And a finale that needed to SHOW more and REMEMBER less.
Good journey. Frustrating execution. And yes, I still want those last five minutes back. 😭

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A REALLY REALLY GREAT AGE GAP DRAMA

The Best Age-Gap Drama! I think some people get the wrong idea about age- gap love as long as it not illegal its fine. This drama shows love is hard to hold when you are of different ages and working in different working environments. But CEO falling in love with just an average cook well I mean a special cook is a great drama to watch. :3

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"If the world is this shitty, shouldn't the ending be happy?"

OMG, it is a very emotional watch.

This movie might have just wrecked me with a heavy, melancholic loneliness that lingers through each frame. It stabbed me right in the gut with the sad, unapologetic, and harsh beauty of alienation and identity struggles. It is a movie that melodically represents the tragedies of teenagers in a hyper-competitive, homophobic society—one that will stay with me for a very long while.

Shin Yong-ju made me feel the heavy burden of being a closeted gay youth who has to strive for academic success to support his single mother. I felt terribly sad, and my heart ached for his longing—the long, alonesome, tiring pining he had for Han Gi-woong despite the massive disparities between them. Meanwhile, Gi-woong felt more interesting with his hidden layers, which try to unveil themselves from past memories, cascading his forged, distant secrets.

As the narrative insights highlight the toxic effects of rigid social norms, academic pressure, and schoolyard bullying, illustrating these deep-seated problems, seeing Yong-ju have to secretly meet his gay friend in an abandoned gay bar named 'Night Flight' deeply troubled me. It infuriated me when the teacher told him to stop making friends and focus on his studies when Yong-ju actively asked him for help from bullies. If teachers—who are supposed to support students through their troubles—step back and pretend as if nothing is happening, how will students ever grow and heal from their problems? How many students still struggle today due to irresponsible caretakers?

I really loved how Yong-ju never gave up on Gi-woong and still saw him as his friend. Though there are so many scenes that poignantly ink the pain of his unrequited love and the devastating consequences of societal intolerance, I acknowledge Gi-woong's deep-seated loneliness. The way he masks himself with heavy anger stemming from his father’s imprisonment, projecting it by bullying others, lamentably portrays the core of his fear to accept himself and form a connection.

It was tragically beautiful and deeply painful how their interactions slowly reveal how suppressed identities and family trauma drive them toward self-destruction or aggression. There is a blue anguish in the movie that heightens whenever the characters try to move away from their surroundings. It is as if their current place doesn't accept them or approve of their true selves. The characters dreaming about flying away, far from their owned space, poetically weaves how vital the need for belongingness is for a person. To feel belonged, to feel and to be whoever they are, for themselves alone—and for their love to bloom without being confined or looked down upon as just "another daughter-in-law"—oh, to be!

"There's nothing stupid as minding what the world thinks of you."

I so adore Yong-ju's mother. I liked her catchy vibe, the conversations she exchanged with her son, and mainly her naturally genuine sense of maturity! I suppose her kind, easy words to Yong-ju when he asked "what if I'm different" were the only kind words he ever received from the world.

On the other hand, I loathesomely despise Gi-taek, even if he has his own sob story to justify taking 'revenge' on Yong-ju. Turning your back on the one friend who was always there and tried to help you for years is just wild!

"Having crushes on a straight is like taking a rat poison."

This is wholesomely true, because with Yong-ju, half the time I was on an emotional roller coaster. With Gi-woong, everything is uncertain, and that is what makes his character more deep and entirely plausible. Not once was he deliberately shown to be actively interested romantically in Yong-ju, which is incredibly hard on the latter. Even when he helped him and came back to him at the park, it's as if Gi-woong isn't ready, or never can be, for a real connection—even with Yong-ju, the waiting friend.

Those subtle glances of Yong-ju looking at Gi-woong while the latter looks unfazed, deliberately not meeting Yong-ju's eyes, and the perplexed hands of Yong-ju cradling Gi-woong's neck, yearning for a touch that never comes, meeting instead with a shooing hand—oh, I loved those moments of quietude between them. It is just one soul desperately seeking another's love, trying to flee away from the monsters in their path while the latter is drowned in his own tides.

Also, what do you mean—what do you mean Yong-ju was assaulted and documented?! That was so horrifying and VERY disturbing! And what even was the deal with that teacher who was normalizing that gibberish, homophobic talk with the students? That one scene was forwardly packed with heavy tension and disgust—disgust for the teacher and his nonsense, and the disgust felt deeply by Yong-ju. The fact that this tension even looms over Gi-woong, making him terrified and angry, was intense.

The last 20 minutes are just completely wholesome. The fighting scene where Gi-woong beats the heaven out of those bullies is the coolest thing ever. That held-back, suppressed anger finally showering down in intense action is just brilliant. It truly did justice to the revenge I really needed to see for Yong-ju. It brought me right back to Weak Hero Class 1 (I am crying). Gi-woong is too cool and completely in the right for beating those bullies.

Also, the follow-up hospital scene ended this movie with pretty, bittersweet crumbs. Gi-woong bought two tickets! He is alive and sound, and he even asks Yong-ju not to go!!!! Seeing Gi-woong ultimately seek connection and validation seriously had me weak.

Overall, it was a very good movie that made me incredibly emotional. I also absolutely loved the acting and the atmospheric cinematography.

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Engaging watch

First impressions: funny AF! Yeon-su's complete innocence and her reactions to sex, sex toys, and her assumption that the male lead is gay had me laughing. But beneath the comedy, the show tackles some really serious issues.

The family dynamics were infuriating. The way conservative families control their children, especially daughters, and treat their choices as shameful is something I find deeply disturbing. Being a woman and seeing women mistreated across cultures is exhausting. I loved that Yeon-su's journey wasn't just about losing her physical virginity, but about unlearning prejudices, becoming more open-minded, and finding her own voice.

The male lead deserves appreciation for his monologue about his company and how sex toys serve people from different backgrounds for different reasons. It was thoughtful and refreshing.

The brother's storyline, however, genuinely pissed me off. His girlfriend wanted an abortion, and he kept pushing her to reconsider through emotional appeals. It's her body, her choice. I really hoped the show wouldn't romanticise a woman sacrificing her future.

The chemistry between the leads was hot, especially as Yeon-su took a brave step to explore intimacy without love or commitment, while the supposedly love-averse male lead slowly caught feelings.

And just when I thought I had seen it all, the show wrapped up beautifully. The father's backstory was handled well, and the ending felt satisfying.

Honestly, I didn't realise the show had ended because I was so engrossed. Every episode made me feel something... laughter, anger, frustration, or emotion. An engaging, entertaining watch with a beautiful ending.

P.S. — 10 episodes felt just perfect. Not too long, not too short. The topic was refreshing and handled so lightly that it felt accessible to everyone.

P.P.S. — Lately, 12-episode dramas have been struggling to give couples enough time. The buildup takes forever, they date for two episodes, hit a rough patch, reconcile, and the drama ends. But this one got the romance right. The love was built beautifully, without unnecessary miscommunication or toxicity. Honestly, this made it more special.

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Book was bad but the adaptation is better

I already hated the novel, so I have to admit that the adaptation is better. But honestly, this story deeply disturbed me. I thought I would enjoy a toxic relationship, but this goes way beyond toxicity. This is straight-up abuse.

Pheem's behavior towards Pan genuinely shocked me. Between the physical and verbal violence and the assaults, so many serious things happen, yet none of them are ever properly addressed. And the worst part? We don't even get a genuine apology!

And I'm just going to say it: Pheem's redemption arc is probably the worst I've ever seen in a GL. It's impossible to feel even the slightest bit of sympathy for her because of how awful she is.

Meanwhile, Pan is such a sweet and kind character that it makes their dynamic and the reasons they stay together even harder to understand.

I completely understand the need for more morally grey characters in GLs, and I want more of them too! But in this case, I absolutely hated the way it was written and developed.

And seriously, what exactly is the message of that ending? That you should stay with someone who abuses you, humiliates you, and makes you suffer, only to end up marrying them? I find that absolutely insane.

At the end of the day, this is one of our first GLs to portray such an openly toxic relationship without trying to tone it down. So I guess we'll have to wait and see what future series bring to this genre.

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College Toxic Love Story

This is clearly a toxic relationship on both sides! And yet, you still manage to feel sorry for the characters and understand their perspectives, even though, as a viewer, some situations can be incredibly frustrating. Well, I'm speaking for myself, obviously.

Saeko and Miwa's relationship feels like something straight out of a psychiatric hospital. Neither of them has properly dealt with their trauma or taken the time to heal, yet they still decided to get together. Of course, things were never going to end well!

I genuinely loved this series! It deserved more episodes, but thankfully, we're getting a second season because there are still so many things left to resolve. The supporting characters are also memorable, and I particularly liked how the male characters were portrayed. Some of them genuinely made me laugh!

What I appreciated the most was how the series explored topics like internalized homophobia, first love, feeling ashamed of your sexuality, and the struggle to accept yourself. Everything was portrayed in such a realistic way, without trying to romanticize the characters' relationships or emotions.

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An absolute banger!

Every once in a while, a romcom comes along that reminds you why you fell in love with the genre in the first place. And Make Me Tingle is that drama.

What makes this story so good is how it brings together people from different walks of life, generations and stages of adulthood, and allows them to learn from one another. Through their different experiences and perceptions of personal relationships, intimacy and sex, the characters slowly discover that understanding someone requires being willing to question your own assumptions. And isn’t that what falling in love should be about?

The writing deserves special praise. The script is refreshingly mature, sex-positive and progressive without ever becoming preachy. It respects different perspectives, experiences and personal boundaries while making room for conversations that are often overlooked or awkwardly handled in romantic comedies. It understands that sexuality, intimacy and emotional connection aren’t one-size-fits-all experiences, and treats them with the nuance and respect they deserve.

And coming from the screenwriter of Soundtrack #1, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that the writing is this good.

Nam Ji Hyun and Kim Jae Yeong’s chemistry is simply undeniable. It was game over the moment their characters met. They were always meant to challenge each other, get under each other’s skin, question what they thought they knew and, inevitably, fall in love. Their dynamic is an absolute delight to watch, and both actors bring exactly the right amount of warmth, charm and vulnerability to their roles.

Ultimately, Make Me Tingle is everything I want from a modern romcom: sincere, emotionally intelligent, romantic without being naive, and mature without losing its sense of fun.

One of the best romcoms of the year. And a lovely reminder that sometimes the best kind of chemistry comes from two people who couldn’t be more different, but are exactly what the other needs.

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For its genre, IT SERVES!!

Genre - The Genre is Romcom with enemies to lovers as its sub genre. They have a bickering relationship but it never annoying. For its genre,its definitely ONE OF THE BEST.

Plot - The plot is simple. An undercover female cop who passes as a man, investigates a chaebol who seems like a diva on the outside but is actually a LAYERED man. Slowly, their relationship evolves into love.

Acting and direction - The acting is the strongest part of the drama. The actors have not overdone the silly side of romcom. That means, its LOUDLY A ROMCOM but doesn't make you cringe. The FL is an extremely talented actress who is perfectly endrogenous in her mannerisms but at the same time, you see that girly side of her when she is in her personal/safe space. What I really liked about the ML is the fact that he can go from this very funny crazy man to a serious mastermind and make it believable. This is a total entertainment package. Credit definitely goes to the director as well for making their chemistry very addictive to watch.

Supporting cast - I love the LAWYER❣️. This actor has never disappointed me. He is so good in grey characters and has an amazing comic timing. All the other characters also nailed their respective roles and I liked the girl who played the heiress too. The second couple's chemistry is just as entertaining as the main.

Overall, if you like romcoms...YOU WILL LIKE IT.

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Math, Banchan, and Academic Hell: The High-Stakes Romance

[Italian Version Below / Versione Italiana in Basso]

ENG

Earning a solid 8.5/10, Crash Course in Romance delivers a uniquely addictive blend of high-pressure South Korean academic satire, mouth-watering comfort food, and an unexpected enemies-to-lovers romance.

~ The "Ten-Billion-Won Man" and the Banchan Healing ~

The comedy and tension thrive on the stark contrast between its leads. Choi Chi-yeol is the ultimate "Ten-Billion-Won Man" — a brilliant, severely burnt-out math tutor whose emotional and physical state resembles a ticking time bomb fueled by stress, eating disorders, and strict schedules. Enter Nam Haeng-sun, a former national athlete turned side-dish shop owner, whose home-cooked meals become the literal and metaphorical cure for his exhaustion. The dynamic of a secret trade — private tutoring for top-tier home-cooked side dishes — forms a wonderfully chaotic core.

~ Academic Hell and the Darker Shades ~

Beyond the romantic friction, the series shines when portraying the ruthless "Daechi-dong mothers" culture, exposing the brutal pressure placed on high school students. However, the narrative missteps slightly in its final stretch, over-relying on a dark thriller subplot with iron balls and betrayals that somewhat smothers the bright rom-com energy.

~ The Final Verdict ~

A sharp, funny, and comforting drama anchored by Jung Kyung-ho’s stellar performance. While the thriller subplot dilutes the finale, the core warmth of food and family makes it a memorable K-drama milestone.

Recommended for: Fans of adult rom-coms with strong food themes, viewers interested in Korean academic culture, and lovers of dynamic "opposites attract" character tropes.

---

ITA

Matematica, Banchan e l'Inferno dei Tutoring: L'Amore ad Alta Pressione

Aggiudicandosi un solido 8.5/10, Corso accelerato sull'amore offre una miscela unica e coinvolgente che unisce la satira spietata sul sistema scolastico coreano, il cibo confortante fatto in casa e un inaspettato romance tra due mondi opposti.

~ L' "Uomo da 10 Miliardi di Won" e la Cura del Cibo ~

La comicità e la tensione vivono del contrasto netto tra i due protagonisti. Choi Chi-yeol è l'"Uomo da 10 Miliardi di Won" — un famosissimo professore di matematica brillante ma devastato dal burnout, con la stabilità emotiva e fisica di una bomba a orologeria alimentata da stress, inappetenza e orari rigidi. Dall'altra parte c'è Nam Haeng-sun, ex atleta nazionale che gestisce un negozio di contorni tradizionali (banchan), il cui cibo diventa letteralmente l'unica cura per il corpo e lo spirito del professore. L'accordo segreto — lezioni private d'élite in cambio di piatti fatti in casa — crea un motore comico e romantico esilarante.

~ L'Inferno Scolastico e le Ombre del Thriller ~

Oltre alle scintille di coppia, la serie colpisce nel segno quando svela l'ossessione feroce delle "mamme d'élite", mostrando la pressione disumana a cui sono sottoposti gli studenti. La narrazione perde però un po' di smalto nella parte finale, concedendo fin troppo spazio a una sottotrama thriller cupa (tra sfere d'acciaio e tradimenti) che rischia di soffocare la leggerezza iniziale.

~ Il Giudizio Finale ~

Un capolavoro sostenuto dall'interpretazione magistrale di Jung Kyung-ho. Nonostante un finale un po' sbilanciato sul giallo, il calore della famiglia e il valore del cibo come cura rendono la serie una visione caldamente consigliata.

Consigliato a: Amanti dei romance maturi a tema culinario, chi vuole esplorare il mondo spietato della scuola coreana e fan dei contrasti caratteriali pungenti.

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Disappointed

The ML and FL roles are much like "Love between the lines."
She starts working at the ML company because her internship applications were declined by many companies. She is smitten over him.

The ML acting and keeping within his role is top notch.
He had not overcome the death of his best friend that he grew up with.
He blames himself for not taking good care and for failing his friends family's trust in him.
He is trying to complete the program his friend created.
He takes care of his friend's family because he feels responsible for them, even though they still blame him

FL role.

She's studying but needs to do her internship but many companies have declined her application. The ML says she should work at his company.
She is good at acting cute and giving viewers some chuckles.

But, FL forgeting her role as a impaired hearing person.
Here are the hiccups in her acting.
She is impaired hearing in her left ear. I think she tends to forget to play this role because people talking to her on her left, she responds to them. Her boss calls her from across the room, and even though he back is turned towards him, she responds. 🤔

The supporting actors look like lawn that are full of weeds. They are all over the place.

It looks as if the writer thoughy it imperative for the FL to have a best friend. However, this best friend is either on a treadmill, running, cycling and trying her best to be sensual to win the Ben Ten's heart.

In my opinion if the writer didn't have a written script for the supporting actors, I wouldn'think they are wasting their time.

.

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In your radiant disappointment

I would like to start this review by stating that I love and actively seek out slow-paced, introspective dramas that deal with psychological issues.
Encouraged also by the many positive reviews, I had high expectations—and, in fact, I found the first episode wonderful!
I was also pleasantly surprised that part of the mystery was revealed as early as ep 2.
However, I soon had to adjust my expectations; there was a sudden shift in atmosphere—moving away from something melancholic and intimate toward more classic romantic-comedy dynamics, perhaps to lighten the weight of the themes. It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but I can see why they did it.

As the story progressed, I began to have doubts about the consistency and depth of the screenplay. I sensed some cracks here and there, but I held onto the hope that everything would eventually be explained, for instance:
- The complete reversal of the protagonists' personalities. Initially, the female lead is presented as a cheerful, positive, and outgoing girl; later, it’s revealed that she had already lost both parents in a horrific accident (which she witnessed firsthand) leading her to develop an anxious attachment to her loved ones out of fear that another tragedy might strike. This deep emotional trauma seemed entirely absent seven years earlier, as if the writers had swapped the sequence of events.
As for the male lead, he goes from being a troubled, solitary, and marginalized boy to someone outgoing and friendly toward everyone, (granted, he nearly died and even got a "memento mori" tatto, so let’s assume that a desire to live without regrets leads to such a radical personality shift.) These character transitions felt forced, serving only the specific plot the writers wanted to construct.

- Then there’s the matter of the messages exchanged via PC, with the female lead convinced she’s talking to her boyfriend. This dynamic remains quite unclear; it’s never fully explained what he actually writes or how he manages to respond without his true identity being discovered. Did she never realize she was chatting with a stranger? At this point, I already began to have doubts about the authenticity of the love between the couple, and her level of grief struck me as increasingly strange and disproportionate...

- Then there’s the speed with which the protagonist agrees to the "three-month trial." After seven years of isolation, depression, and a terror of forming attachments, she accepts an absurd proposal from someone who is still essentially a stranger to her. I let this slide, though—I understand that there’s a fixed number of episodes, and the writers needed to move things along.

I kept watching without ever getting bored, I’ll admit, but as the story progressed, the flaws became increasingly more apparent than the merits, and my disappointment only grew.

For starters, I couldn’t sense any genuine familial bond between the three sisters and their grandmother; they felt like disconnected figures, with never a glimpse of shared daily life—not even a meal together. Later on, the writers seem to realize this and toss in a scene where the three sisters open up to one another; yet, given that the looming threat of the grandmother’s illness was hinted at from the very first episode, it would have been far better to build a sense of closeness so that the eventual "tragedy" could be experienced with true empathy and emotional investment. Instead, even at home, the female lead addresses her grandmother as if they were a boss and an employee.

The growing bond between the leads was sweet to watch, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it because of the secret that kept hanging over them. Her newfound peace and the trust she placed in him were built on a lie—or rather, an "omission of the truth." It was maddening to watch the male lead constantly grapple with his guilt—realizing his own greed while choosing to stay silent—all while convincing himself he was doing it for her own good, to avoid reopening old wounds... ugh.

Then Chan returns to America, leading to the couple’s customary "separation"—yet another traumatic experience Ha Ran who finds herself alone once again, convinced that she must come to terms with the definitive end of their relationship. It’s never made clear how much time passes (days? weeks?), but could someone explain why, in 2026, it’s impossible to make a phone call or send a text message from America to South Korea? The mysteries of K-dramas.

From episode 7 onwards, the script descends into absurdity, burying us under the most tired melodrama clichés—seemingly just to pad out the runtime.
The grandmother’s "senile dementia" turns out to be nothing of the sort, but rather a condition that can be perfectly resolved with surgery.
The younger sister’s boyfriend suffers a silly fall, ends up under the knife, and faces the potential loss of his baseball dreams.
Chan begins having nosebleeds, and his life appears to be in danger due to a fragment lodged in his head—a remnant from an explosion seven years prior...

Then, finally, we reach the so-called "bombshell" moment, where the protagonist discovers the truth about Chan. This part was handled incredibly poorly—and, no offense intended, but some of the plot devices they came up with were actually laughable: she rushes to the café to find him (refusing to hear any explanation), while he rushes to her place, and—naturally—they keep missing each other. The next day, she suddenly comes down with a fever, yet drags herself to work anyway; that evening, she has a dramatic conversation with her middle sister, then disappears without her phone. Her worried sister calls Chan—and—wouldn't you know it?—he has a fever too! Despite this, he decides to get behind the wheel to go look for her—and I should point out that he already has trouble driving, whether due to an ear issue or some past trauma... the result?
Ha Ran returns home the next morning, completely unfazed, only to discover that everyone is frantic with worry because Chan never came back. Consequently, the protagonist never even gets the chance to experience or process her own anger, as it’s immediately eclipsed by the fear and anxiety that she might have lost him.

But the real stroke of genius—and a point of narrative consistency—lies in how the show explains the relationship Ha Ran had with the boyfriend who went to study in Boston. Essentially, they had started dating, but Ha Ran—swamped by a new job—didn't seem all that invested; the situation only worsened due to the distance and the time zone difference. The boyfriend, initially painted as a villain for cheating, is later almost exonerated, given that he fell for someone else after being so neglected.
We learn that Ha Ran only began to feel "truly invested" when our protagonist—posing as the boyfriend—started replying to her messages and even sent her a pen as a gift. It reaches a point where even her sister asks her why she’s suddenly so smitten. In other words, the immense pain Ha Ran carried for seven years was rooted in a mere month’s worth of long-distance text exchanges. At this point, I swear I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration; the abysmal writing completely undermines the already weak premise of the entire story.

Needless to say, the long-awaited reunion in the final minutes of the drama was also terrible—with her actually thanking him for lying to her "for her own good."

You might wonder, then, why I still gave it a 6? Because the cast, as a whole, did a good job despite the terrible script. I enjoyed the relationship between the grandmother and the coffee shop owner, as well as the character of the middle sister—though it’s a shame she received even less screen time than the youngest sister, whose teenage storyline took center stage.
As for the music, I didn't find it memorable at all—not a single song left an impression—and the direction is nothing special; quite the opposite, in fact. I noticed several times that during dialogues between the protagonists, the focus would be on a completely random spot on the male lead’s face, leaving the rest blurred. I don’t know the technical terms, but I can say for certain that it was distracting—and, frankly, an unpleasant effect.

Ultimately, this drama fails to live up to its premise, hampered by a lazy, superficial script that falls short of addressing the mature, profound themes it introduces—such as depression, PTSD, guilt, grief, and amnesia.
If you can manage to switch off your brain while watching, you might find it engaging; however, if you are looking for a solid story that treats serious subjects with the respect they deserve, look elsewhere.

I didn’t intend to be so long-winded, but as I wrote this, all the frustration I felt while watching came to the surface.
I’ve been watching dramas for 15 years—never with the goal of tearing them apart—but I feel it’s worth noting that, lately, people are far too quick to hand out stellar ratings. Even when a story is enjoyable and emotionally resonant, one should still maintain a degree of objectivity.

I apologize for any mistakes; English is not my native language.

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A different type of drama

This drama had me torn honestly. I actually quite enjoyed it up until ep 10/12. However after that, it became quite soap opera territory. My rating for the first 12 episodes is 8/10 but it kind of went downhill after that. Also, i skipped a lot from ep 22 till the last 2 episodes. Be aware that the whole premise of watching this is that the couple have a toxic relationship so know that going in. Watching the trailers should give you an idea of what you're in for.

Likes:
- ml acting was really really good. It was the best I've seen from him and he did so well. Unfortunately, while the fl was decent, because the ml did so well, she felt not as good in comparison.
- overall storyline. There were many things i did not like about the plot but i liked the whole war storyline. That part was well done. The ml character building in terms of being a soldier and a commander was also pretty good.
- i liked the cinematography and color grading for this drama as well.
- i also liked the ending. It was open but realistic and they tried to shy away from making it too sad.

Dislikes:
- the romance. It was so so repetitive and annoying after a while. The intimate scenes were well done but that's about it. They just kept going round and round in circles.
- fl character. Her character was great in the first 10-12 episodes but they fumbled after that. She did too many ridiculous stuff and made her too wishy washy especially with the 2ml. I was disappointed honestly. While the ml was a toxic person through and through, he stayed consistent. Whether he was evil, obsessed or whatever, he always knew what he wanted and went for it. This is not a fault of the actress but of whoever wrote the fl character.

Anyway, it was a drama i watched to the end though i skipped a lot of the second half. It does have some good qualities and bad qualities.

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