Reviews

What the what?!?

Friends to lovers. It's always nice to see it play out and I'm always curious how they will cross that friend line. I wish they'd take more chances and give us more to hold onto. Nothing was really different from any other drama. I thought the premise was friends to lovers, but the ending seemed like it was trying to say something else?

It kind of felt a bit choppy throughout and that ending was interesting. Idk I feel like Eun Ho has decided to make more of his life now, but no matter what, it still includes Do Hyeon. It might have been better to have a few more episodes to show how he changed his life going forward because now I don't really get why it was all a dream and from what part was it a dream? I guess it was before Do Hyeon's bday so he already liked him... idk. It was choppy.

The dream to me was fine, but wtf was the "we are always in this summer". Like a time loop? It was unclear. Idk if there is a novel about this show or not, but I'm a big believe in not having to read the book to understand the live adaptations. A lot was unclear.

Worth a watch, better luck next time. ✌️

Update: umm so apparently that dream wasn't what most people thought. This is what I'm talking about. This show is kind of confusing if you haven't read the story its based on. Literally 30 seconds more of him snapping back to his older swlf would have been helpful 😅

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I LOVEEE TRUE BEAUTY

look, i understand everyone thinks this drama is cringe and cliche but honestly it personally brings me so much comfort considering it was one of my first kdramas. AND HEY, i promise thats not the only reason i enjoy it, im not being biased here. I think the casting is absolutely incredible and i think ju kyung is one of the most relatable kdrama characters i have ever come across. I like being able to relate to a character in the dramas im watching and i find myself relating to ju kyung so much! I think the storyline was amazing and once again i think its a story line that you might find relatable in one way or another!!!

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Caught in Its Own Trap

Overall, Mousetrap was an intriguing show that ultimately tied itself up in twists, knots, and a few plot holes by the end. I went from feeling for and rooting for the protagonist, Jae-moon Jae, to eventually finding myself supporting the “villain.” There were also a few things left open-ended that made certain relationships confusing.

I was surprised that a theory I had around Episode 4 actually turned out to be one of the main hooks of the story. While it was satisfying to see my theory confirmed, I was also slightly disappointed by how predictable it made the direction of the show.

Overall, I liked:
The characters
The pacing
The action sequences
The themes surrounding jealousy, envy, identity, and madness

One of the biggest takeaways for me was the play idea that if you choose to live like a 'rat', you shouldn’t be surprised when you can’t live in the open, always being chased, always hiding, buried in self-delusion and always looking over your shoulder.

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The first cut is the deepest

Childhood told the tale of two high school friends who had the potential to become more. There was little dialogue, the story was told mainly through their interactions with each other and largely from Thanaphan’s viewpoint.

Thanaphan and Kantaphat are best friends and constantly spending time together kicking a soccer ball, swimming, and just lying around. Slowly, touches become more intentional, glances linger, and hugs go beyond the three second mark. Kantaphat is approached by a girl and they exchange info and begin dating much to Thanaphan’s chagrin.

The film didn’t cover any new ground. First love is the deepest and sometimes most painful, yet this story told with almost no words was still satisfying in the exploration of the boys’ feelings and sexual awakenings. First love when complicated by not being mainstream can be even tougher to navigate. Childhood captured the first tingly feelings, heartbreak, and awkwardness so often part of this time in life.

24 September 2026

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Great acting - Disappointing plot

My favorite k-drama genre is historical, and I typically am super drawn and invested while watching a historical k-drama, but this was probably one of my least favorite and most disappointing historical k-dramas to date.

Main reason: The plot -> The reasons behind decisions and character motivations were very unclear. I know that the actors themselves said that a lot of things were open to interpretation from the viewers but this was too much and made things not make sense and therefore, it also made the viewers not really invested in what happens to these characters. I found myself bored, confused, and not that invested throughout most of the show.

Spoilers below:
- #1: The foundation of the story is the bet, but their bet was very stupid (or it was very poorly explained). The bet was either (1) you win the widow's chastity and then you get to sleep with me or (2) I win and you impregnate my husband's consort because I want to raise your baby. Given the fact that they loved each other, this "smart" woman could've easily said hey I love you, can you please impregnate this consort for me, and then you get to sleep with me too – a win/win for both of us. The bet was illogical and so unnecessary.

- #2: I wish they explained the mourning situation for widows a bit better. What is typical of widows during that period? How long is a typical mourning? Is the widow supposed to kill herself or is it preferred if she does? What happens to the widow if she doesn't kill herself? What are their options for the future? It wasn't made clear so it added to feeling confused about what this poor girl's options for the future are.

- #3: Episode 8 - the final episode was a BIG disappointment. If our ML abandoned the FL and her manipulative love for the widow's pure love, that would've been real character growth and a beautiful arc. But the ending was disappointing all around. I found both the ML and FL's motivations unclear and confusing. The king finding out the ML lied because of the rain was also very stupid since the ML was in the city helping the widow escape that day so he 100% knew the weather so it made no sense for him to get the weather of that day wrong. Idk if the writers even read the script properly themselves to see this big plot hole. They really should've done some audience testing.

Anyways, the only good thing at the end was that the widow survived and lived on. I still didn't like the fact that the one maid she had, somehow joined the underground church that she was at (what are the chances of that?). They could've at least given us one satisfying ending showing that the widow got settled and found some sort of freedom and peace at the underground church. I guess I also liked the FL's ending of losing her love because of her own manipulations and games, and the ML's death was somewhat deserving given his playing/toying with the widow but I wish he had grown from that and lived to correct his mistakes rather than simply dying.

Great cast, great acting, and great visuals, but the story fell flat.

By the end, I was just disappointed by the story, and a little relieved that at least it was done.

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Does obsessive jealousy ruin a sweet love story? Decide for yourself!

[Regular readers of my reviews will know that I usually minimize spoilers when summarizing a series. This one probably spoils more of the story than my customary wont, though I endeavor to keep all revelations as obscure as possible. Also this review will pretend the badly edited final 5 minutes of the finale that generated so much justifiable confusion simply never happened.]

This Korean BL camouflages an obsessive, jealousy-prone seme behind a mostly sweet story that otherwise follows the standard playbook for friends-to-lovers (secret crush variation). Summertime is both difficult to recommend without reservation and too good to reject outright. Most of my reservation owes to the toxic behavior of one lead character, while most of my enthusiasm stems from the competent execution of a hoary old trope whose viability within the BL genre has been demonstrated time and time again. Following a comprehensive summation of the story, I shall first address potential negatives, then circle back to the series’ strengths. Then you, Dear Reader, can make your own well-informed determination about watching.

High schoolers Do Hyeon and Eun Ho have been lifelong friends, bonded since birth by the friendship of their parents. Do Hyeon is a star student while Eun Ho, indifferent to his studies, quests for “his crowd” among peers who drink, smoke, and cut class. Eun Ho’s new cohort excludes Do Hyeon, who performs adolescence (outwardly) in the guise of the model student. Somewhere along the line, Do Hyeon, now an orphan functioning as an adjunct son within Eun Ho’s family, developed romantic feelings toward his lifelong chum—a development Eun Ho remains oblivious to. Through the first quartet of episodes, Do Hyeon’s secret crush catalyzes the story. Those episodes worked well to sow the seeds of a BL relationship.

When Eun Ho, mid-series, eventually recognizes a budding attraction to Do Hyeon, the series loses some oomph. I would issue a mild demerit for how the series played this evolution because Eun Ho’s awakening felt like it responded to storyboard necessity—“we are at the point in the series where it is time write in a reciprocal attraction”—rather than springing from character interactions portrayed on screen. If Eun Ho’s burgeoning feelings do not come across as entirely earned by the writing, they are not entirely unearned either. (I did mention the series is a tricky one to recommend for or against! This angle represents another reason for my split thinking beyond the toxic boyfriend problem. I hate when BL characters just start liking each other for no apparent reason, but this series only goes halfway down that road.) One of the series’ strengths is the way the force of Do Hyeon’s personality constantly leaves Eun Ho feeling overshadowed or forgotten. That theme (more later) defines the dynamic between the leads, both while in high school and when they reach college. The latter’s cultivation of an alternate friend group (the smokers and drinkers) signals his growing realization that he and his lifelong best friend are growing in different directions. (Another theme we shall return to.) The new friend group threatens Do Hyeon’s primacy in Eun Ho’s world and prompts him to reevaluate how to handle his secret crush. Originally content to wait for Eun Ho to see in him what he sees in Eun Ho, the arrival of a transfer student who makes no secret of his own romantic interest in Eun Ho spurs Do Hyeon to bring his feelings into the open. The competition both unleashes Do Hyeon’s worst instincts, and supplies this reviewer’s chief reservation about the entire series: Do Hyeon is kind of toxic.

Toxic boyfriends are quite popular among some of BL fandom, while other BL fans have no appreciation for it. So, I’d expect this attribute of the series to yield mixed results in its popularity. If you find any of the following behaviors disturbing, maybe give Summertime a miss:

• Obsessive pursuit of a crush
• Jealousy (the angry type) over time not spent with him
• Seeking to control what friends Eun Ho can spend time with
• Ordering others to stop being friends with Eun Ho
• Yanking Eun Ho around by the arm without permission (repeatedly)
• Kissing without consent
• Ridiculing Eun Ho’s jealousy (the insecure “I’m not good enough” type)
• Acting as if he is entitled to get his way no matter what

This list does not even include the instance where Do Hyeon rats on Eun Ho to his parents that their precious son has been smoking. Why? Because getting Eun Ho in trouble in that moment suited the aims of Do Hyeon’s clandestine courtship. In other words, he put his own needs ahead of those of the person he has feelings for. In my personal subjectivity—both in real life and in choosing BL couples to follow—such me-first behavior ought to disqualify the perpetrator as potential boyfriend material. For his part, Eun Ho, rightly, perceives hypocrisy and betrayal. Yet because Do Hyeon’s romantic agenda is unknown to him in that moment, Eun Ho has no reason to reject Do Hyeon a suitor. He doesn’t even perceive that Do Hyeon desires something else. He simply sees a close friend being a jerk. In fact, the betrayal can even come across as Do Hyeon looking out for Eun Ho’s best interests: one best friend seeking to protect another from undesirable influences. Unlike Eun Ho, however, the audience is free to perceive either side of Do Hyeon: he’s either a dedicated romantic or a self-serving jack-ass.

In other words, viewers who do not enjoy red flag romances will find plenty to dislike in how Summertime unfurls its tale. Yet, so crafty is the writing that Do Hyeon can still be redeemed as a BL leading man for those who either choose to overlook the obsessive tendencies or who find such single-minded pursuit of a crush endearing. An example from later in the series highlights this paradox. The penultimate episode features a moment when Do Hyeon, now in college, shows up with his new college buddies at Eun Ho’s family’s restaurant, where a begrimed Eun Ho waits tables. The scene showcases the character’s selfish nature. “I came here because I wanted to see you no matter what,” explains Do Hyeon after the belated realization that Eun Ho feels nothing but embarrassment to meet Do Hyeon’s new crowd in that unflattering, servile circumstance. If a viewer adores Do Hyeon for the way he wants to see Eun Ho all the time, then the scene works as proof of Do Hyeon’s undying affection. (Or, as Do Hyeon himself sees things.) By contrast, the viewer who already regards Do Hyeon as a selfish, inconsiderate prick will see bringing strangers to his boyfriend’s workplace as a total dick move. No matter which interpretation you lean to, the scene is no isolated lapse in Do Hyeon’s judgment. Nor is it simply a foible of youth. That inability to consider Eun Ho’s needs before his own typifies the person Do Hyeon is and has always been.

Complicated and flawed lead character aside, Summertime delivers solid BL storytelling. Most aspects of the friends-to-lovers trope work well. Do Hyeon conceals his secret crush in convincing fashion until the appearance of a rival forces his hand. Caught off-guard by the confession, Eun Ho is at first appalled before warming to the idea of “no longer friends, but boyfriends.” Their confused attempts to redefine their dynamic, simultaneously portraying inner conflict with excitement, feel like a realistic response to an awkward situation. The pacing of that evolution was well-handled across the first six of eight episodes. That pacing even left time for the audience to experience the characters as boyfriends in the final two episodes, whereas many BL series simply conclude when the courtship phase ends. The angle where Eun Ho’s parents consider orphaned Do Hyeon a surrogate son lends substance to Eun Ho’s backstory and injects an element that feels original into the familiar friends-to-lovers storyframe. The writers also deployed the high school friend group to effective, if minimal, purpose—albeit, the transfer student (who arrived as an out gay character) had more potential to his build-up than was realized later. All things considered, Summertime executes its premise very well.

Two strong sub-themes added depth to the characters and story. I’ve already touched on one, Eun Ho’s feelings of inadequacy when comparing his own achievements to Do Hyeon’s. For example, Eun Ho’s mother and father, while praising their bonus son Do Hyeon’s academic prowess, occasionally managed to make their own son feel like an afterthought. Eun Ho’s inferiority complex recurs throughout the series, so that when his insecurity comes to dominate the emotional tenor of the final two episodes, that shift feels like a natural outgrowth of careful worldbuilding. The second recurring theme likewise informs how the endgame played out: that the friends of our youth may no longer be suited to us as we grow up into adults. In fact, people grow apart. Too many BL series just posit that high school friendships are eternal and that first-love will endure forever, but Summertime’s writers linked personal growth to our choice of friends. I particularly appreciated how early the writers seeded this theme. At one point a teacher flat out states that his charges should not expect the friends they have now to remain close when they become adults. That interaction caused Eun Ho, then struggling with the fact that Do Hyeon was on track for an elite university while he had no particular aspirations for his own life, to question whether their newly established romantic relationship had a future. In fact, the teacher’s comment pays off several episodes later in the scene described above when Do Hyeon brings his college friends to Eun Ho’s family’s restaurant. The emotional power of the moment derives from the growing estrangement (and jealousy) that Eun Ho felt because Do Hyeon’s life moved forward while his had not. That scene therefore tied both recurring thematic subtexts into a single elegant bow just in time for the finale.

The primary reason Summertime succeeds more than it fails, however, is because the viewer can sense the bond between Do Hyeon and Eun Ho. While the writing is solid, much of the credit owes to the actors. Their chemistry during the early “friends” portion of the series comes across as two people who do, indeed, know each other through and through. I keenly appreciated how Eun Ho could see Do Hyeon’s flaws (not the toxic romantic ones but the ordinary teen-aged ones). “That’s just how my friend is” reads his exasperated expression, but it’s also obvious Eun Ho never doubts their friendship. When the “boyfriend” dynamic kicks in later, the performers commit fully to selling the audience on the intensity of the physical relationship. I particularly appreciated that their first screen kisses were kind of typical BL lip presses, but the later ones showed two actors committed to their characters heatedly making out. That progression kind of mirrors how their characters evolved from lacking any kiss skills to being quite adept at the art during a time in their relationship when they ought to have had plenty of practice. In another late-going scene, the lads shower together, and the actors do not shy away from pressing wet skin against wet skin—a level of commitment to simulated sexual contact too few BL series manage to attain.

This review’s opening sentence asserted the series “camouflages” bad behavior behind a sweet story that relies on a popular trope. I think that camouflage will succeed in getting many people to overlook, forgive, or miss outright objectionable issues they might otherwise dislike. The most glaring example of this paradox arises in episode 8 (of 10) when Eun Ho and Do Hyeon celebrate their arrival into adulthood by having sex up against the window-wall of a high-rise building at night. By Korean BL standards, the scene is blocked and performed to create a first-rate NC scene. At one level, the moment feels both cathartic (the characters earned this moment!) and erotic (well-constructed titillation is a rarity in BL!). I have to credit the actors and the writers and the director for crafting an NC scene that feels unique and fresh. Yet I cannot feel as if the moment is just another example of Do Hyeon’s repeated attempts to convert his obsession with Eun Ho into possessiveness. True, Eun Ho never asserts a protest or offers resistance, but Do Hyeon never seeks consent either. He pushes his boyfriend into the glass. He strips down his pants. He starts screwing him from behind. That the whole world, if they happened to glance upward, could see this act seems like another way for Do Hyeon to proclaim his ownership: “This one is mine!” As an expression of lustful desire, the scene succeeds. As an example of a long courtship ending with a loving, tender denouement, it does not. Whether this scene strikes you as “so hot that nothing else matters” versus “it’s hot but it’s also kind of icky” may well indicate how you end up feeling about the entire courtship between Do Hyeon and Eun Ho. How you rate Summertime hangs in that same balance.

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Drama with potential, but just didn’t deliver

I thought the first few episodes were really strong. I was digging the religious and gritty vibes. The acting was good. soundtracks good at setting the stage. unfortunately, after 3-4 episodes, it just goes downhill. this drama had lots of potential, but I believe it would’ve served better as a full series. there was just too much going on with the plot to give every piece its own time, too little time to get familiar and maybe even attached with most of the characters, and because of that most of the characters were extremely frustrating for no reward. it’s worth a watch; it’s entertaining enough, and the cinematography is beautiful. that being said, I could just as well have done without watching this. it’s just nothing special.

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Strong first half undercut by unfortunate writing choices

I liked the first half of this drama very much. It’s a unique premise and the cast is fantastic. And the two leads had wonderful chemistry. Their scenes together were always interesting.

Unfortunately, the drama got a bit too caught up in its own cleverness with undoing everything the audience thought we knew, until there was precious little to grasp onto with the characters. I don’t appreciate twists when they undercut character to the point that your emotional connection to them is severed. And that’s very much what happened for me with Sakiko in the final episodes.

Additionally, story focus in the last few installments shifted away from Itsuki and toward Mitsuru, and the former is a much more interesting character than the latter. I found myself irritated sitting through whole episodes where Itsuki barely appeared and I was asked to be sympathetic towards a childish coward who harmed many people because he simply refused to communicate. The show’s attempt to give Sakiko an “equal” relationship crime to level the playing field between them also fell quite flat for me, and the whole thing kind of limped to the ending after that.

It’s a shame this lost steam. It’s rare to get well written dramas about adults with interesting interior lives. I’d have been more interested in a version of this story that saw the original premise through rather than undercutting it to try to make some larger thematic point that didn’t land.

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Title: A Gentle Story About Love That Doesn’t Change

This series occasionally felt repetitive in the middle, but the final episode brought everything together beautifully.

Asamiya’s love is intense and sometimes overwhelmingly heavy, while Mayama faces it with complete sincerity. Their relationship becomes especially touching because Mayama does not simply accept being protected—he finds the courage to trust his friends and openly choose their love.

I also loved how important friendship was to the ending. When Mayama finally told Sakaki and Tsunekawada the truth, their response showed that nothing between them had to change. It was a gentle reminder that coming out does not always have to end in rejection or drama.

The story began with a seat change and ended with love and friendship remaining unchanged. Even the principal’s homemade bagels improved along the way! A warm and satisfying finale.

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an insane journey, but a fun one

Where do I even begin with this show? It is absolutely insane. With many cheesy Asian dramas, you don’t watch it because it’s good from a critic’s standpoint, you watch it because it’s entertaining. What I like about this show is that it starts off with a lighter tone than your usual teleserye, feeling more like a teen romcom than anything. The chemistry between the characters is really there, you can really feel it. When they’re smiling together, you feel kilig. When they cry, you feel like crying. The comic relief in this show is extra funny, and the extended family have such fun banter. There are a few meta references to Philippine pop culture and some jokes that refer back to Forevermore, so if you understand those it’s added fun.

The show is separated into three books. The first book is about Serena and Tenten, two adopted children who exchange letters as penpals but unfortunately lose contact. Years later, Serena tries to save her parents' company and escape an arranged marriage to her best friend Giancarlo by going to the Philippines to strike a deal with a billionaire. Tenten makes a living by doing odd jobs around Manila. Through a set of bizarre circumstances, Serena and Tenten cross paths and find each other in the Philippines as adults. They eventually start a budding romance before being separated by an attempted kidnapping and subsequent car crash that gives Serena amnesia. The second book is about Serena meeting her biological family and learning the truth about the cause of her amnesia. She ends up breaking up her engagement with Giancarlo, but in his heartbreak he turns into a villain and attempts to kill Tenten, inadvertently killing Tenten’s brother Binggoy instead. To prevent more loved ones from being hurt, Serena makes the difficult decision to abandon Tenten at the altar on their wedding day and marry Giancarlo. On the day of Giancarlo and Serena’s wedding, Giancarlo is killed by a rival mafia family. The third book is about Tenten opening his cold heart to Serena again after she left him and rekindling their relationship. He comes to terms with his own guilt and grief over Binggoy’s death and learns who his true biological mother is.

Some positives are that this show is thoroughly entertaining. Some episodes are absolutely must-watches. The Bohol arc, the wedding episode, the farm confession episode is also reallyyyyy good (episode 76-77). It’s also exceptionally camp. Just like every other Filipino teleserye, this one contains a fair amount of cheesy tropes, badly written cliches, and a bit of cringe with the Italian stereotypes, but it’s just enough to keep you wanting more. Sometimes lines are so predictable that you can predict what characters are going to do next, or you can see how a character might be important later down the road. Cherie Gil is the absolute queen of contrabida. She does so well being a cold and evil mother up to the third book of the series. Enrique Gil also tugs at the heartstrings for very emotional scenes, like confessing to Serena. His ability to portray anger is also exceptional, Binggoy’s funeral scene being the most insane crash out I’ve seen. There’s so many times where an episode ends at an emotional high point and with a cliffhanger and you go WOAHHHH. This is a show that definitely keeps you wanting more. The main leads Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil have amaaaaazing chemistry. You just can’t stop watching them together. They just look so good together on screen. Them together is really what makes this show so great.

The musical element is also what makes this show great. All of the songs are really catchy. Tenten first writes a song to help his own lisp. He also writes a cute song to Serena when he first confesses that he’s her longlost penpal. Then he and Serena team up to write a song together “Kung Di’ Magkatagpo”, which becomes a key song used throughout the series. Tenten played a snippet of “Wala Silang Magagawa”, but unfortunately they never got to play the whole song. Binggoy and Angel sing some originals as well, and it definitely helps that their actors are professional singers as well. Let’s talk about the theme song. They’re really aggressive about using “Your Love” by Juris all the time. If any song has been the most played song, it’s literally this. It plays in the background. Even in universe, it seems like it’s the only song that exists. A character turns up the radio? Boom. “Your Love” plays. A string quartet plays music on a dinner date? Yep, “Your Love” once again. Even Angel literally sings “Your Love” on Tawag Ng Tanghalan on the show. There’s no escape from this song. After 100+ episodes, I’m still surprised I’m not that tired of it.

A tv show is not without its negatives, and this show is no exception. Though a very fun show to watch, there were plot elements and pacing that I felt was lacking. One big plot element is the audience knowing that Luciana is Tenten’s biological mother in book three. I really wish we didn’t know that she was the mother until the very end, just like Tenten. I think that would make the final reveal of Tenten learning the truth go way harder. I think it doesn’t hit as hard because we expect that Tenten will eventually learn the truth, we know what’s going to happen already but we just don’t know how it’ll be executed.

The characters are really flat, except for Tenten and maybe kind of Binggoy? I’m just wondering if Serena and Giancarlo have any other friends at all because none of them are ever mentioned lol. With an already gigantic cast, I imagine that there isn’t any room to develop characters that feel real. I’d say that this is really Tenten’s show, as he’s the one that goes through such a transformation arc. He started off as a raketero with a lisp living in Tondo, to becoming a viral hit songwriter that brought prosperity to his family. And if that wasn’t already enough, he made it even bigger by becoming a ruthless venture capitalist millionaire with a fancy house, fancy car, and a harem of girls courting him.

Some character choices also came out of left field without any real slow burn. Like Serena confessing that she still likes Tenten despite being furious with him several episodes before, or wanting to get married after Tenten accidentally “proposed”. Also when Tenten randomly wanted to ask Serena to get married a second time. Filipino shows really like when people get married don’t they? Also, when Luciana learned that Tenten was her son, she had such a 180 degree change of heart. She went from hating Tenten with all her heart to having a soft spot for him. I could’ve never imagined Book 1 Luciana to even fathom having a decent relationship with him. Also Liza’s acting whenever she does a confession or cries doesn’t seem very believable. The only time that I felt like her crying had an impact was when she went back to the Philippines to try and reconnect with Tenten after the wedding. Ruben’s acting as Serena’s dad is really not that good. His Tagalog is pretty stilted, but serviceable. Roberto’s a fun character so I’ll give him a pass.

There are definitely a few core plot elements that I believe were written from the very beginning, as some scenes were filmed in Italy. Like Serena meeting her biological mother, Serena going back to Italy after her amnesia, Giancarlo proposing to Serena, Binggoy’s death, Giancarlo’s death. Those are all key anchors that were definitely thought of from the inception of this show. Because of this, I feel like the pacing can be off at times, like when Binggoy dies several episodes after him and Angel went on their first dinner date. The anchor points are canon events that must happen, so unfortunately Binggoy’s death was written in stone, which I felt left the writers a bit cornered.

They also truly like repetition and callbacks. I feel like a lot of things they repeat three times. Like Serena and Tenten meet three times. They first meet in Manila, they meet a second time when we learn Serena has amnesia, and they meet a third time after Tenten goes to Italy to purchase Villa Marchesa. They also went to resorts like three times. The first time being Bohol, the second time being when they go to a resort in Pampanga with Sarah and Giancarlo, and the third time being with both of their families. They even do the introduction “My name is Serena Marchesa, your friend from Italia” and “Simon Vicente Ibarra” at least three times. Third time’s the charm, am I right lol.

I would only recommend this show if you want to commit six months of your life to watching the same show lol. There’s so many episodes yet no time to breathe. I felt like there was so much potential to build up something good, but sometimes you’re left disappointed. However, the one thing that is really good no matter how long you watch, is the actors’ chemistry. If you really like the actors this show is a must watch, especially after Forevermore. Their chemistry really shines here, especially in say the first 40ish episodes of the show.

I think for anyone that’s a new LizQuen fan, up to episode 21 is really necessary for this show. I think it was good up to episode 76-77, when Serena learned that Tenten and the others were hiding the truth from her. Especially beyond Giancarlo’s death in episode 106, you definitely don’t need to continue watching the show after that. The third act is mostly Serena trying to convince Tenten not to be an asshole venture capitalist and their journey making up and finally getting back together. Tbh wasn’t sure where the writing was headed after Giancarlo died.

I will realistically rate this a solid 9.2/10. But just for you Tenten, I’ll give at a 10/10 haha

If you want to read detailed summaries and commentary for each episode, read my posts here! https://dolceamoretv.wordpress.com/

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