Reviews

"Beside you and on your side"

I really love this drama. It's not perfect, but it has so much going for it! A really sweet, playful romance in which the characters talk through their disagreements and take care of each other, truth being revealed through art, a supportive connection that allows one to face difficult trauma and grow. The comedic aspects don't feel forced, they feel very natural. Oh, and extremely attractive leads with good chemistry.

I'm not into idol fanship stuff and parts of that feel really toxic, especially adults being expected not to date so fans can fantasize a romance with them. However, the theme extension into characters being fans of each other through life by cherishing each other and wanting to take photos is really sweet, both with the main characters and the writer and late photographer. I like the nods to defending the dignity of gay people. Somehow, despite the fangirl theme, I was convinced to watch the show and after I did, it became a comforting favorite.

The romance is cute and sweet, with a real depth to it. You can feel the attraction building based not just on physical beauty, but who the other person is and what they bring out in each other. It evolves into a very caring and accepting relationship. They look out for each other and Deok Mi's support enables Ryan to work through longstanding painful trauma. They talk through their conflicts. Kim Jae Uck's pouting face t is hard to stay mad at. It's physically affectionate and playful. They tease each other, but not in a mean way. The lipstick scene has got to be one of my favorite scenes ever.

I like the side stories, Deok Mi's family. The bickering friends. Eun Gi's character, at times annoying, really gains my sympathy and I love how he concludes, "I just want to see you smile." Even the Dad, seemingly unable to do much more than polish rocks, steps up to have a difficult situation when he sees the need. This drama has a lot of emotionally aware men, at least by the end. Even the young idol is surprisingly mature.

I found the adoption and longing for family storyline very compelling. A close friend was adopted in the US from Korea. My friend has similar wounds and never got the kind of resolution that Ryan Gold/ Heo Yun Je gets in this fictional story. The first time I watched this drama, I felt like I was seeing the healing I want for my friend, but know they will probably never have. That's definitely part of my attachment to the show.

I agree, it gets unnecessarily complicated in the last 2 episodes. Honestly, the story would have worked for me without the extremely improbable childhood connection . Adding in the forgotten little brother feels kinda ridiculous...like maybe just to show Deok Mi's family also had losses and give the mom's something to connect over. It reminds me of a critique of a band I heard once... that sometimes there when musicians are not really proficient, a band will have a bunch of different instruments to make the sound more complex instead of a few really well played instruments. I think these extra plot pieces are like too many instruments, when actually the music was already really good, both literally and metaphorically.
These flashy complications are unneeded. I was into all the other themes already introduced. I could have seen more time with Ryan's mom. Seeing a glimpse of his adoptive parents would have been fulfilling, too.

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Slowly Built, Rushed to the Finish

Between Steps started off as a very interesting and refreshing drama. One thing worth mentioning is that this isn't your typical fast-paced K-drama. It's a relatively slow-paced show with plenty of long conversations, extended discussions, and gradual character development. Personally, I really enjoyed this approach. The first six to eight episodes were beautifully paced, allowing the story and characters to evolve naturally. Everything felt realistic, almost as if we were watching real people dealing with real situations rather than a story constantly rushing towards its next plot point.

Coming to the performances, both Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun did a wonderful job portraying their respective characters. Kim So-hyun is personally one of my favourite actresses, and I've watched most of her dramas. It's always enjoyable watching her on screen, and she delivered another lovely performance as Im Yoo-jin. Choo Young-woo was equally impressive as Park Min-jae. Both actors did justice to their roles, and I honestly don't think the performances were the problem with this drama.

Unfortunately, the writing started becoming repetitive as the story progressed. The constant back-and-forth between Yoo-jin pursuing Min-jae and him repeatedly rejecting her feelings started getting frustrating. The cancer storyline also kept returning, making certain parts of the drama feel like they were going in circles. The sudden change in direction around episodes 7 and 8, particularly Min-jae's departure for the US, also affected the overall flow of the story.

One of the biggest highlights for me was the supporting cast, especially the laboratory colleagues. Kim Se-jin, played by Im Jin-hyo, was easily the funniest character in the entire show. His weird personality and comic timing brought so much entertainment whenever he appeared. I actually wish the writers had utilised the supporting characters more because there was plenty of potential there.

I also felt that Professor Lee Ji-hoon's character deserved better writing. His storyline was initially quite interesting, but considering everything he did for Yoo-jin, the way things eventually turned out felt a little unfair to his character.

Another major disappointment was the ending. After spending almost the entire drama building the story at such a gradual pace, the last four episodes felt increasingly rushed. The final episode, especially, felt like the writers were suddenly trying to wrap everything up at once. Honestly, considering how slowly and carefully the story had been developing, I feel they could easily have used another three or four episodes to give the characters and their storylines the conclusion they deserved.

However, if there are two things I absolutely loved about this drama, they are its directing and music. The cinematography, camera work, atmosphere, and soundtrack were genuinely beautiful. The music complemented the emotional scenes perfectly, and the overall visual presentation was easily one of the strongest aspects of the show.

Overall, Between Steps had everything needed to become a really special drama: a unique premise, two talented leads, a lovely supporting cast, beautiful cinematography, and an excellent soundtrack. Unfortunately, repetitive storytelling and a rushed conclusion prevented it from reaching its full potential.

It's disappointing because the first six to eight episodes genuinely made me expect something much better. A good drama with some beautiful moments, but ultimately, a lot of wasted potential.

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loved this version more than orignal

I think this is better
perfect well balanced story
every character is well and had some devlopment arc and flaws
not so much exgrating
simple and well balanced love storyyyyy
loved all characters good plot well written storyyyy
and honestly emotional funny and ending is also good and well written
miss this show smmm......

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Second Chances

Every time Han Yi Joo's name is spoken in this drama, I thought I was hearing honey dew :)
This FL's character started off as weak, and dense in the first episode but had a turnaround in her coming back to life one year earlier. She grew up in an orphanage, and desiring to be accepted, tried to please her step /adoptive mom. But her adoptive mom was cruel as well as her stepsister who is a spoiled brat, having a facade of a good girl.

I thought it was just Han Yi Joo who got the 2nd Chance, but halfway through the series, the mark on the wrist appeared also in Seo Do Guk. Towards the last episodes, even Do Guk got a 2nd chance though he did not wish for it. The story slowly unfolded, going back and forth in the future and present (which is the past year) to put together the stories of YI Joo and Do Guk.

The actors who acted as villains did a great job that sometimes, you want them thrown to jail all at once. But it gives us somewhat partial reality that justice isn't easy to get. It was interesting to see how well the villains made their moves, thinking that money and power can achieve their purpose. But in the end, all of us routed for good to win over evil.

I love how the family of Seo Do Guk warmed up to Han Yi Joo, as the latter didn't force her way to them. Her own bright attitude shone through with the help of her husband. I like that Do Guk has been patient with her till he was able to reveal that he also got a 2nd chance. I like Do Guk's grandma and mom who are quite sensible and not really haughty like Jeong Hye. They may be rich, but they did not belittle Han Yi Joo.

This drama showed so many aspects of family relationships. For one, till now society has a way of ostracizing the adopted child. But there are true-to-life stories wherein the adopted has equal rights to the true blooded children. I am glad that there is a balance wherein it shows that not all rich people are condescending nor judgmental, as in the case of Do Guk's family (except for the brother). It also shows that not everyone who seem loyal to an evil Jeong Hye are blind followers, as in the case of Jae Won, Jeong Hye's secretary. The drama confronts us to choose what is right, to get over insecurities, and to be truthful.

The revenge was really perfect, because they did not use evil tricks but rather gathered evidence to make the villains pay. The drama still has shown that not because you are family, you can get away with your crime. A good name is better to be desired than riches with so much evil.

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simple and cute

not so hard plot twist type story
a simple love story with slightest love triangle not into love triangles but I love this one not so much worshipping and good story

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if an FL that is despicable, unlikable, and dumb is your thing, this is for you

I very rarely write reviews on anything. But, I have sat through this piece of garbage up to episode 14 because of the ML. The writer of the series wrote the FL as a despicable, unlikable, selfish, rude, stupid piece of garbage. I cannot believe that anybody gave this a decent rating because the woman that this actresse is portraying is someone that the series would have been better off if she had died at the beginning.

The story should have been a really good one based on the description, but they spent so much time making the FL look like a piece of garbage that it overshadowed everything else.

Unfortunately I tend to watch things until the end, but this one is really tempting to just drop. But I like pretty much everybody else in the cast and in the storyline.

I'm just amazed that this piece of garbage actually got filmed. I would give a negative rating to the writer, director, producer and especially the financier for this garbage.

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So Much Wasted Potential, Yet I Loved Every Second

I have SO many issues with this show, but at the same time, did I absolutely love it? YES.

Where the Mask Ends is one of those dramas that has all the ingredients to be incredible but doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Still, I lost sleep watching it, so clearly it did something right.

First of all, the concept is genuinely intriguing. It grabs you from the very first episode, and the mystery surrounding the female lead’s identity was one of my favorite parts. I actually went into this without knowing the synopsis, so I was initially questioning whether our female lead was genuinely evil. I was like, are we seriously supposed to root for this woman? Then I realized what was actually happening, and I was HOOKED. The whole identity mystery was executed really well, even if it dragged a little.

Now, THE ACTING.

TXW absolutely ATE. I’ve seen people criticize her for overacting, but I couldn’t disagree more. I’ve watched a few of her dramas, and this is easily my favorite performance from her. She was phenomenal, especially in how differently she portrayed the twins. Her ability to switch between those two personalities was incredible.

And I LOVED that our female lead wasn’t your typical innocent, morally perfect character. She was practically a walking red flag, and honestly? It was refreshing. She’s complicated, manipulative, frustrating, and sometimes you genuinely want to scream at her. But she’s also someone who grew up with so much trauma and emotional baggage that you can understand why she behaves the way she does. That doesn’t necessarily excuse her actions, but it makes her fascinating to watch. I don’t think everyone will resonate with her, and that’s completely understandable. Personally, I loved following her journey, especially her slightly unhinged moments.

Now, Yan An.

I LOVE THAT MAN.

I might be biased because every time he appeared on screen, I was genuinely mesmerized. The face, the hair, the outfits, the way he carried himself? GORGEOUS. I thought he did a great job, especially considering he’s still relatively new to leading roles, and I genuinely believe he has so much more potential to show.

His character was basically a whole GREEN FOREST paired with our red-flag female lead, and somehow that dynamic worked perfectly. The patience this man had with her was unbelievable. He kept choosing her, understanding her, and waiting for her even when she wasn’t ready to love him back. He was exactly what she needed, and I loved that contrast between their personalities.

Which brings me to the BEST part of this entire drama.

THE CHEMISTRY.

OH MY GOD. THE CHEMISTRY WAS CHEMISTRYING.

I cannot emphasize enough how incredible these two were together. It’s the way he LOOKS at her. The tension, the longing, the kisses, the little gestures, the constant push and pull. EVERYTHING.

What I especially loved was that their romance wasn’t built around your typical cute, fluffy moments. Their relationship was intense, complicated, and sometimes downright toxic, but the chemistry made every interaction so captivating.

And the best part? It NEVER disappeared.

During their push-and-pull phase? FIRE. During their divorce? STILL FIRE. When they finally fell in love? EVEN MORE FIRE.

Usually, I find that romantic tension starts fading once the couple gets together, but these two managed to maintain it throughout the entire show. Every scene they shared felt electric. Honestly, their chemistry carried this drama for me, and I could not get enough of them.

Yanan also reminded me so much of Duke Su from The Double, which probably explains why I loved him so much. Although, as I’ll get into later, Duke Su was definitely the better-developed character.

I also really enjoyed the storyline involving the sisters and their estranged cousins. The family history, the identity switches, and the complicated relationships were genuinely interesting. There was so much potential in these storylines, and I loved the overall direction the writers were going for.

NOW, THE PROBLEMS.

My biggest issue with this drama is that it desperately needed more episodes. This should have been a 40-episode drama, and I will stand by that.

The editing was choppy, there were noticeable gaps in the storytelling, and so many important developments felt like they happened off-screen. The show started INSANELY strong, became noticeably weaker around the middle, picked up again toward the end, and then somehow rushed through its conclusion.

It’s frustrating because the story itself was good. The ideas were there. The cast was there. But the execution just wasn’t consistent.

One thing that particularly bothered me was how underwhelming some of the biggest turning points were.

For example, the moment he discovered her true identity should have been HUGE. This was one of the central mysteries of the entire drama, yet the reveal felt strangely dull. I expected something much more emotional and impactful between them.

The same goes for Jundai’s death. That should have been a grand moment, but the way it was handled didn’t give the moment nearly enough weight.

I also noticed that so many important events were revealed through flashbacks or conversations rather than actually happening on-screen. Why? These were moments that could have made the drama so much stronger emotionally, yet they were treated almost like afterthoughts.

Speaking of afterthoughts, let’s talk about the MALE LEAD.

As much as I adored Yanan, I genuinely hated how underdeveloped his character was.

I understand that this is a female-centric story, and I have absolutely no problem with that. In fact, I love dramas with strong female leads. But you can have a female-centered narrative without making the male lead practically nonexistent outside of his relationship with her.

His entire personality revolved around supporting and saving the female lead. She gets into trouble, he appears to rescue her, and then he disappears into the background again.

He deserved his own storyline, his own motivations, and actual character development. Instead, he often felt more like a supporting character than an equally important lead.

And that’s what makes it so frustrating. You have an incredibly promising actor who fits the role perfectly, yet you’re barely giving him anything to work with.

The imbalance between the two leads was obvious, not necessarily because of their performances, but because one character was written with so much complexity while the other barely had a personality beyond being devoted to her.

Imagine how much MORE incredible their chemistry could have been if his character had been equally developed.

Also, a tiny complaint: I wish they’d experimented more with his styling. He looked gorgeous, obviously, but he was practically styled the same way throughout the entire show. Give the man some variety!

Now, the supporting characters and villains.

This show was FULL of horrible people. Honestly, there were more annoying characters than likable ones.

And while most of them eventually got what they deserved, I wasn’t completely satisfied. Some punishments weren’t severe enough, and several villains’ endings happened off-screen.

After watching these people be absolutely awful for so many episodes, I wanted the satisfaction of SEEING their downfall. Even the aunt who switched the girls didn’t get a proper on-screen conclusion.

The villains themselves were also surprisingly underwhelming, especially Han Lao.

That man was SO ANNOYING.

Not because he was some terrifying, intelligent villain, but because he was honestly just a loser. He kept getting defeated, coming back for revenge, getting defeated again, and repeating the same cycle. At some point, it felt like his only purpose was to annoy us and occasionally appear shirtless.

He never felt like a genuinely powerful threat.

Another thing that bothered me was how the main characters always seemed to be ten steps ahead of everyone. Every supposedly shocking revelation turned into, “Oh, don’t worry, we already anticipated this and prepared a solution.”

EVERY SINGLE TIME.

It became unrealistic and took away some of the suspense because apparently these people could predict absolutely everything.

And while we’re discussing the plot, the court intrigue wasn’t particularly interesting to me. I actually found myself skipping through some of those scenes because I was much more invested in the characters, their relationships, and the identity mystery.

Finally, THE ENDING.

I have mixed feelings about it.

First of all, WHY would you introduce an entirely new storyline in the last ten episodes when you already have so many unresolved plotlines?

Everything felt rushed, and when the final episode ended, I was literally sitting there thinking, “Uh-huh… that’s it?”

The thing is, I don’t necessarily dislike the direction they chose for the female lead.

Her journey from growing up in the slums, constantly feeling inferior because of her background, to eventually becoming the Princess Regent actually makes sense for her character. It’s a fitting conclusion to her story, and I understand what the writers were trying to accomplish.

But the execution was WAY too rushed.

Like, what was chasing you guys? TAKE YOUR TIME.

And would it have killed them to give us another ten minutes? Or even a special episode showing the couple’s future together? Maybe a child, maybe a glimpse of their married life, just SOMETHING to give us proper closure.

I’m glad our main couple got their happy ending, especially considering everything they went through, even if we unfortunately lost the brother along the way. But I wanted more time to actually enjoy that happiness.

Ultimately, I think Where the Mask Ends is a drama with incredible potential that suffers from inconsistent writing and underdeveloped storylines.

It had the concept, the mystery, the cast, and the chemistry. It just needed more time to properly develop everything. With 40 episodes, a stronger male lead storyline, and better execution of its major turning points, this genuinely could have been an exceptional drama.

BUT despite all my complaints, I still had an amazing time watching it.

It’s incredibly easy to get into, fast-paced, and only 30 episodes long. Even with its storytelling issues, I never found it difficult to keep watching. In fact, I was so invested that I literally sacrificed sleep for it.

And that’s largely because of the actors.

TXW delivered an incredible performance, Yan An completely stole my heart, and their chemistry was honestly some of the best I’ve seen. I am SO excited to see Yan An take on more leading roles because I genuinely think he has so much potential.

Would I recommend it? ABSOLUTELY.

Especially if you enjoy morally complicated female leads, devoted male leads, intense romance, and chemistry that practically sets your screen on fire.

It’s far from perfect, and I could probably spend another hour complaining about everything it did wrong.

But somehow, despite all those flaws, this couple left such a special mark on my heart.

And I think that’s what makes this drama so frustrating.

It could have been SO much better, but I still loved it anyway.

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I love it, more than I thought I would

I'm not going to lie, I often avoid period dramas both in English and Korean as I cannot imagine myself in the shoes of the people well enough to enjoy it, but with this show I don't have to imagine, I feel. I can feel the pain and the suffering and the small moments of hope and love, the small moments that genuinely make me smile and laugh and the moments where I'm balling my eyes out or literally shaking with anticipation and fear.

I was hesitant to watch this, not only because it's still coming out as I watch this (which I've never watched a drama as it's being released so this different for me), but also because I saw it was a period drama, and I hadn't watched any of the main actors in anything else, but I was scrolling through Netflix one night and I decided to give the first episode a shot, I thought why the flip not. That was one of the best decisions I made, the actors are all incredible, the cast immaculate, the story phenomenal.

And watching that first episode I kept getting this nagging feeling I'd felt this direction somewhere before, and I looked it up, the director, who has directed my other two favourite dramas of all time, was the directed this show as well. Honestly I could tell just from the first episode and the first scene, the way the camera moved and the anticipation I felt throughout the scene had me on the edge of my seat, and it was perfect once again. Yoo In-shik did it again, made me fall in love with his art once again and the other director too, although I'm not sure what of theirs I have watched I feel the emotion in every scene so I'll definitely watch more of their stuff in the future.

The writers have created a masterpiece, the plot, the characters, the setting choices, all perfection. I didn't know much about the Joseon era and the following years before watching this show but it intrigued me so much so I did some research of my own. The time and thought I can imagine that was put into making this script feel so natural and so well completed, with all the hidden foreshadowing that is weaved through this beauty of a show, I feel the love for it and for the country of Korea and it's history.

I truly hope you all watch this drama, I can't see this being topped for me for a while, I don't mind if I haven't watched it all yet, I genuinely believe no matter the ending the beginning of this show has given me enough to put it at the top of my list. I've recommended it to everyone I know and I will keep doing so because everything fits so perfectly and feels so complete and I need people to talk to about it. I have theories and excitement that I struggle to feel in a lot of other media, so I am really glad I picked up this show as it was coming out, because I get to make my theories with no spoilers, and I get to anticipate for the next episodes to come out. I can't wait to watch these actors in more things now that I have found them.

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Painful, brilliant drama.

I think people are rating this drama based on it being a painful story to absorb, but it is brilliantly done. Congratulations to all the actors and staff, and to the writer. Wow!

I rate a story based on whether or not it accurately reflects truths about human existence and makes me think and perhaps consider something I hadn't before. This drama excels by that criteria.

Yes, it was intense to watch at times, especially the last 2 episodes for me, but I found it compelling and potentially helpful for people to reflect on their own relationships and tendencies. It made me think about... how we can be different people in different situations and the roles we perform for loved ones, how there is a balance to find between not being able to accept failures versus being too comfortable with them, how a stranger can sometimes see you in ways someone who has known you for decades cannot, what makes a family, what is necessary to manifest real change. etc. .

Gotta love these very clear titles that tell you what's up like Now We Are Breaking Up and a Love Other Than Yours!

If you are looking for a light, feel-good rom com, this is not it. If you are up for a deep, messy, but well-written and acted exploration of human needs, connection and behavior, A Love Other Than Yours will deliver.

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Casual Watch

I watched this a few months ago so I can't remember it all too well sadly but I did enjoy watching this. I think this is something easy to watch and there was moments that made me cry during it. I will say it got a little annoying though when they had that back and forth of wanting to be together or not. This was also my first Jdrama ever so I'm not really used to these short seasons everything felt like it moved pretty fast. I will say though I felt like the ending was incomplete? I don't know if endings are usually this open ended in Jdramas but that's usually not my taste honestly. I loved the deaf aspect of this show I found that really unique I wouldn't know if their signing is accurate but to me it seemed very well done and acted as well when they also expressed with their faces. I recommend this if you want a semi relaxing watch as you might have some emotional moments lol.

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