Reviews

side characters have stronger story appeal

i was excited for this series going into it and massively enjoyed the first two episodes but i’ve lost interest for the main pairing by the end of episode 5. I did read some of the novel to get an idea on the characters and storyline. Five episodes in and not much has progressed with the main pairing, it feels like i’ve watched the same episode five times. While I know it’s still technically relatively early in the series, I’m slightly bored and find myself skipping a bit. I’m much more fond of the secondary characters and their interactions with each other. If I pick up the next episode it will be to see what lies ahead for Duang’s friends vs Duang & Qin.

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Easy-to-watch family rom-series with a (too) classic plot, but an unusual FL.

PLOT: The FL, a workaholic beer designer and anti-marriage, meets a CEO, also a workaholic, with trauma 😉. One drunken night, they have a one-night stand. The FL then discovers he's the new vice president of her company. A month later, she finds out she's pregnant 😉. The ML wants to be responsible and marry her, but she refuses. He'll do everything to protect her and help her pursue her dreams.

+++ Choi Jin Hyuk is excellent as usual. I'm not a fan of Oh Yeon Seo (too old for the role), but her independent, strong-willed, and tenacious character is a refreshing change from the typical damsel-in-distress type.
+++ Endearing characters: niece, parents, friends, team.
+++ Directed with a good balance of emotion and humor
+++ Very good OSTs.

### The story is poorly written, with too much clichés, caricatured characters (sister-in-law who should see a therapist, clumsy secretary), childish behavior for adults, etc.

=> An enjoyable series, but not one that will be remembered.
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Série Rom-Fam easy-to-watch avec 1 plot classique, mais 1 FL inhabituelle

PLOT: La FL, workaholic conceptrice de bières, anti-mariage, rencontre 1 CEO, workaholic aussi, avec trauma 😉. 1 soir d'ivresse, ils ont une one-night-stand. La FL découvre ensuite qu'il est le nouveau vice président de sa Cie. 1 mois + tard, elle découvre qu'elle est enceinte 😉. Le ML veut être responsable et l'épouser, ce qu'elle refuse. Il va tt faire pr la protéger et l'aider à poursuivre ses rêves.

+++ Choi Jin Hyuk est comme tjs excellent. Je ne suis pas fan de Oh Yeon Seo (trop âgée pr le rôle) mais son personnage indépendant, volontaire et tenace, change agréablement des damsel-in-distress.
+++ Des personnages attachants : nièce, parents, amis, team.
+++ Réalis° avec un bon équilibre émotion / humour
+++ Très bons OSTs.

### La story est mal écrite, avec bcp de clichés, des personnages caricaturaux (belle-sœur qui devrait voir un psy, secrétaire maladroit), des comportements puérils pr des adultes, ...

=> Série agréable, mais qui ne restera pas ds les mémoires.

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Solid Thriller, But Drags a Bit

Mouse kept me hooked with its wild twists and killer acting—everyone nailed their roles, and the core story about psychos and revenge is super intriguing. That said, it got complicated fast, and I wish they'd explained things clearer without dumbing it down. At 20 episodes, it felt way longer than my usual sweet spot (I can binge 16-20 eps easy, but this one exhausted me toward the end). The 2 special episodes? Hands down the best—such a perfect payoff. Why not weave it into the main run and trim to 18 eps? Still, solid watch overall if you like mind-bendy K-dramas.

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Slightly more niche and refreshingly reasonable romance between CEO and employee

As another reviewer mentioned, this show is truly nothing special. You go through the typical tropes of CEO-employee romance, VR/video game dating, family-influenced breakup, etc.

The difference between "Love Between Lines" and many other scripts that follow the same formula is how excellently the pacing is executed. Despite the fact that the story is nothing to write home about, the storytelling is never completely stuck or too rushed. You can watch an episode without skipping scenes if you'd like, or you can skip scenes yet still understand the plot. Few shows allow both to be viable options.

Anyhow, the first standout of this show lies in the romance. The female lead, Hu Xiu, is mature, independent, and loving, but she can also be clumsy and somewhat "easily appeased". The male lead, Xiao Zhiyu, is an ingenious yet cold architect, but he can also be both socially and romantically awkward, willing to grow (especially in the area of communicating feelings), and clingy. My purpose for the obnoxious "character-trait listing" is to say that both leads are imperfect, making them more interesting, human, and likable than many of today's "perfect leads". It goes without saying that Lu Yuxiao (who I find extremely endearing) and Chen Xingxu both performed their roles wonderfully; anything less would flatten the show's romantic core.

The romantic development between the leads was executed in a similarly compelling fashion. There is no unexplainable "love-at-first-sight" or irresolvable sexual tension to hinge the relationship on. Instead, the relationship between the leads progresses organically (this is difficult to explain without overt spoilers). There are many small bumps on their journey to love, but most (if not all) are realistic and avoid the pitfalls of melodrama. While I dislike that a lot of these bumps are resolved through make-out sessions with a small side of communication, the conflict-resolution mechanism is internally consistent with the male lead's awkwardness/touchiness. The relationship is not perfect, but it is—truly—romantic.

The final thing I'll address concerning the romance is the breakup. I understand that the most skepticism for potential viewers comes from fearing the breakup that commentators have argued is "out-of-character" for the smart female lead. I actually don't agree here. The female lead is shown to be altruistic, family-oriented, and prone to small bouts of guilt. Considering the then-unresolved tension and grief between the two leads' families, I found Hu Xiu's decision to break-up reasonable and in-character. If the break-up still sounds bothersome, know that it lasts only one-and-a-half to two episodes.

The second stand-out is the integration of the game "Ju Ben Sha (剧本杀)". I found it to be a compelling vessel for communication between the leads, and much of the dialogue that happens in the game is implicit but critical direction for the plot. I did hope to see a few more game scenes, but I understand that, for both leads, some part of the past must go.

All in all, I believe this show is worth a watch! I apologize for the abstractness in the review; I would be more concrete if not for the risk of spoiling too much.

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Expectations met

You know when you see a trailer for a new show and you have high expectations for it because of the story, characters, actors whatever, and then you watch it, and it exceed your expectations!!

I've been watching Japanese/Korean dramas for so long that I started to kinda know what exactly they are going to offer, and tbh Netflix shows have the same pattern in term of everything.

I was so excited for this drama that I kept pushing watching it till I get in a slump and have nothing to watch, and I enjoyed every minute of it, it was exactly what I expected and more.

First let's state what I liked:
I've been a huge fan of Shun since Hanakimi, I don't care about what he does in his life, I just like his acting, and HyoJoo is one of my favourite Korean actresses so this combo is a win, no matter what, like it has to be the worst story ever existed to ruin this for me, also the rest of the cast were great, Jin, Yuri and Ryu, everyone is just a magnet for me to like it.
Story: a unique one, it's not original but I still find it interesting and fun, I love that they didn't magically cure them by the end.
Acting: as I said, everyone is an indication that you will enjoy the acting here even if you don't like the story.

Now is it the perfect drama?? Not at all, not in the slightest, it has many flaws, but the only thing that made me love it so much is it was as I expected it to be, it didn't disappoint me because I knew exactly how this is going to be like, all the cliché and expected twists I saw them coming, and everything fits my taste and preference.

Now what I don't like the most is the editing, specially in some episodes endings and the begining of the next, also not something I don't like but I still don't know the reason behind the 2 cameos at the end, like the last 30 seconds of JoongKi? And a minute of Kentaro didn't add anything to the series? But I don't hate that, it's just odd.
The storyline and the way everything has to be solved in the last 30 mins and the cliché moments like how the FL was actually saved by the ML not his friend, the way that the ML sometimes forget his phobia and touch stuff and knock on doors without disinfectants as in the whole 7th episode and the way they didn't explore more of the ML brother death and the reason for his phobia all were questionable moments, but can easily ignored IMO~

That been said, I'd definitely rewatch it and recommend it, because it is exactly my taste I really loved every second of it ❣️

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A Good Watch That Will Keep You Entertained

Don't let the first episode fool you! While the premiere was honestly terrible, I am so glad I carried on because I ended up completely hooked. Once the story gets moving, it becomes a thrilling ride.

It was so satisfying to see how Han Yeong handles each case. Since he knows the future, he is always ten steps ahead of his enemies, and watching him dismantle corruption using that knowledge is the best part of the show. It gives the legal drama a refreshing "superhero" feel.

I loved the "Found Family" dynamic in this drama. Watching the reporter (Na-yeon), his loyal friend (Jeong-ho), and the team of prosecutors unite to fight injustice was wonderful. They became one solid unit, and their teamwork felt genuine and earned.

The villain, Shin Jin (played by Park Hee-soon), was fantastic. He was a formidable match for Han Yeong. My only wish is that the writers had explored the history and friendship between him and Han Yeong even more—it would have added so much emotional depth to their rivalry.

While I enjoyed this more than The Devil Judge, it felt like it lost its momentum in the last few episodes. To be honest, I think it would have been much better if the drama were shorter by a few episodes. By stretching it out, the high energy of the middle part fizzled out a bit toward the finale.

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An Interesting Story That Lost Its Direction

This drama had an interesting concept and a strong start, but weak writing and inconsistent character development prevented it from reaching its full potential. While it was enjoyable in parts, especially because of the male lead and the fantasy premise, the story became slow and less engaging toward the end.

Character and Acting

Xiao Wudi (Chen Zhe Yuan)
Xiao Wudi was easily the highlight of the drama. He is intelligent, manipulative, and emotionally complex, and his gradual character growth was the most compelling part of the story. Chen Zhe Yuan did an excellent job portraying both his cunning nature and emotional vulnerability. His performance carried the drama.

Nan Xing (Shen Yue)
Nan Xing was introduced as a strong athlete, but her character felt inconsistent. She switched between being independent and helpless depending on the scene. Shen Yue did fine overall, but some emotional scenes lacked depth. Her athlete backstory and trauma were not explored properly and felt unnecessary.

Lu Zi Chen (Luo Ming Jie)
Lu Zi Chen was a soft, flawed, and somewhat childish character. His awkwardness and emotional confusion made him realistic and occasionally funny. Luo Ming Jie portrayed him well and brought charm to the role.

Ye Qing (Qu)
Ye Qing was calm, independent, and supportive. She was one of the more stable and well-written side characters. Qu delivered a solid and convincing performance.

Supporting characters
Nan Xing’s mother stood out the most among the supporting cast. The second and third couples were interesting but lacked proper development and screen time.


The Good

• Xiao Wudi’s character and Chen Zhe Yuan’s performance
• Strong and interesting fantasy concept
• Fluffy and entertaining early episodes
• Male lead falling first was refreshing
• No frustrating or dragged love triangles
• Some emotional and heartwarming moments
• Strong supporting characters like Ye Qing and Nan Xing’s mother

The Average

• Main romance had sweet moments but uneven chemistry
• Second lead couples were interesting but underdeveloped
• Comedy was present early on but disappeared later
• Fantasy elements and powers were underused
• Workplace and side plots lacked realism

The Bad

• Weak and inconsistent writing, especially for the female lead
• Nan Xing’s character felt poorly developed and inconsistent
• Confusing identity and novel plot elements
• Slow pacing and boring final episodes
• Emotional impact weakened toward the end
• The last part of the drama felt unnecessary and confusing

This drama had a lot of potential and started off strong, but poor writing and inconsistent character development held it back. Chen Zhe Yuan’s performance as Xiao Wudi was the biggest strength and the main reason to continue watching. It was enjoyable in parts, but not memorable enough to revisit.

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Little Underwhelming

It is indeed a unique story, in the korean ent context ig. it is modeled after a lot of western superhero concept - its almost a copy paste - the only difference is the very strong and very *functional* family value systems. The same old "i have superpowers but people only see to use me as a tool for their own personal gain"

As a common problem I see with western platformed /produced k-ent, this drama too was rather shallow and very underwhelming. The score was VERY good. Everyone in the cast was a known face - stalwarts, very good casting. However the plot was very lacking esp for the 20 ep length. I was just about to drop the series , but the story arc about the parents' past awakened my sleeping interest.

In brief
ep 1 to 9 intro
ep 10 to 15 flashback - peak
ep 16 to 20 current and climax

As you can notice the intro section was painfully long. The only interesting part was the middle. There werent any cliffhanger endings - which is good. But they did handle part 3 (and 1 ig) in such a manner to leave a very open space for season 2. Which is frustrating, it seems that is the cause for such a lacky and draggy plot. It makes this show too predictable and brain dead. Many characters who were introduced with a lot of attention just faded out without any use - again ig they kept space for a season x, or spin off y.

peak talent under utilization. i am quite underwhelmed.

yeah you can watch it...

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HELLOOOOO?!?!?!?!?

i NEED every episode right fcking now like HELLOOOO?! BOOM?! EARTH?! GEWIN?! HAAAAAA? NAHHHHH DROPPP THOSE EPISODES I KEED THEMMMMM, like the story is already amazing and its only the first episode i am so excited for that like i only see red flags but who cares lets just pretend that i am colorblind, i am sooooooooooo excited for the series

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Robin Hood and Silk Shoes

A beautifully executed Saeguk tale with a commanding heroine and hero. I went into this for Ji-Hyun and Sang-Min is winsome, too. The story was well laid out, with a nice tense political arc and personal relationship dynamics. The pacing was perfect, I was engaged every week and crucially it started off with a bang.
What usually makes it for me where romance is involved is the chemistry and these two had a solid connection that built up as the story developed and some incredibly beautiful cinematography and costumes. It was the most intricate plot but I liked that for this drama, it just worked well, it didn't over complicating plotlines. The side characters were all fantastic and added to the overall story. Surprisingly the second female lead was adorable.

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ALMOST GOT ME

Firs of all I loved them so so so so so much and I could've watched their activities,fights and giggles all day, along with silly football friends, but the plot was so exhausting and I feel they've been robbed for a chance for SUCH A BETTER kdrama!!!!???
FL and ML are amazing actors, both fit each other so well and their personality was unmatched mixed together :3
Regardless...there was a period between episode 4 and maybe 8 where I truly started to love this kdrama, beginning was weird but fun, and ending was absolute nightmare😭. It started as a funny rich girl rich guy type of show that really got me giggling and hoping for something that didn't come. In the middle we got to know the characters better and their chemistry expanded and reached the full potential, and then director got bored of his own show i guess LOOOL????
I didn't care for the ending and if I wasn't a person who has to finish drama till the end, I probably wouldn't finish this one.
Villains were the worst part of this drama, they were just... there? The point of villain is to be scary and all that, these were embarrassingly bad. Other characters too had zero to none personality.
Overall, all my stars went to their chemistry, and nothing else 🫤

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Over promising

I started this drama uneducated about its manhwa version but with hopes and excitement without fearing or caring for the fans’ complaints about the cast.
The synopsis was looking fun and engaging, the kind of light story full laughters. I was happy with the cast as I have seen many dramas with both of them. They always delivers solid quality acting but never really bad or extraordinary neither.

The first episode was somehow ok, not strong enough to start a serial but we all know that Kdramas don’t work with the pilot model where the first episode is craft to the perfection by going through rounds of approval, testings, viewers’s reviews, reshooting, recasting….
But after finishing painfully the drama in 3 gos. First one I watched the 4 first episodes and then a few weeks later the next 4 and I came back went the drama was over to watch the last 2. Unfortunately the first episode was the best.
Most scenes take place in the office where they are focused on making beer…which for me it’s such poor taste mixed with a pregnancy story. But God knows how much money those beers brands can pull of. Very fast the show lost the promise and went to a boring office romance with an evil character. The kind of story we have already seen too often. They also threw a love triangle, a cliche trauma and a pathetic evil sister in law. The story ends well but leaves you under whelmed as there isn’t one memorable moment worth watching.
All characters are under-developed, the story felt empty and bland.

So if you want a nice drama with mature love this isn’t the right pick as they just behave like 20 something.
If you want a story about unplanned pregnancy it isn’t the right pick either as after episode 3 that pregnancy is basically a very far subplot.
If you craving for an epic love story it ain’t the right one there isn’t any depth or amazing chemistry.
This drama has nothing special it was delivered without any care or ambition to say something about anything.

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Are Koreans allergic to happy endings?

I swear this is like the third Korean movie I’ve chosen to watch and all of them ended either tragically or with death 🤣

I would’ve been sad and crying over the ending of this movie but it was just all too predictable and I knew one of them was going to die-

Is it genuinely impossible for Koreans to make a happy ending movie lol?

Besides that, I think the movie was absolutely beautifully shot and the premise was good too. Nothing too extraordinary but it had good humor and I liked the relationship between all characters.
Loved seeing the the FL accept her grievance and no over the top crying scenes where its all hootin and hollerin, above all, I love how Yohan survived his attempt and made his journey into something beautiful to commemorate his best friends.
Out of all tragic death trope endings I’ve been seeing lately, this one was refreshing and didn’t feel heavy at all to the point where it just ruins your day lol. Lovely movie! Sad that it had to end that way though.

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There's no way everyone watched this with a straight face...

SPOILERS AHEAD FOR LAST EP SORRY..

First of all, the effects and editing were so bad. When they started to shoot down their little hideout, the effects of the shooting were FRYING ME. Was the hideout made of metal? How did it not go through? Another thing that pissed me off was just how, when people got shot, it didn't look realistic at all. The effects were sloppy, and the fake blood was, too.

The whole family thing with Pheem was fine i guess. The whole plot of the show was who was going to get the hospital, which kinda made NO SENSE. Did the whole family just want power over each other?? Evil villians I guess. Pheem's backstory is kinda sad. I mean, his mom did die, but how come he didn't die in the car crash? Unrealistic, like I said. The whole rivalry with his brother felt repetitive. His brother and his bodyguard had the potential to become a thing, but we didn't get anything. I was actually rooting for them. Pheem's sister, I feel, they wanted female representation to run too, but knew in the end, Pheem would end up on top? The whole family just pissed me off.

Pheem's character. In the beginning, we see him and feel bad for him, right? Pheem had a downfall as soon as he got control of the hospital, making him become a villain. He became obsessed with control and power; he seemed to forget how he was bullied by the power? To the point where you shoot your own lover..okay cause I was wondering..?

The romance acpect of it. The idea of Than just becoming his bodyguard randomly when they were lowkey enemies does not go over my brain. Yeah, Than saved him and shit, but cmon now. I bet he didn't even get paid. Then literally did so much for Pheem, to the point where he got shot like a thousand times, and didn't die? Same with Pheem..The whole lovey-dovey period was one episode long and ended as soon as Than found out Pheem was evil. AND THEN PHEEM SHOT HIM??? WHAT. Pheem acted like he did nothing and then PROCEEDED TO SHOW UP AT THE HOSPITAL AND BRING ORAGE JUIICE AND FLOWERS?! HE PROCEEDED TO CRY AND ACT LIKE HE WAS THE VICTIM. Than did not deserve his ass, but then it was so easy, and he forgave him in the end? I liked how he dropped him and left him. Period, as he should..BUT THEN OF COURSE HAD TO COME BACK BECAUSE PHEEM WAS IN TROUBLE. Also, the idea of them meeting as kids just didn't stick with me. How convenient they met. I guess it was cute for Than to protect Pheem when they were kids and called him "Thunderman" or whatever it was. Unnecessary, I'd like to say, but it was a fun idea.

The final episode. I will not try to spoil it, but let's just say I had to 2x speed that because it was so bad. Everyone was thinking Pheem died, and then he didn't? Unrealistic again. The whole family dying, and then Than and Pheem just living happily ever after? Sounds like they got tired and lazy at the end. What happened to the hospital? Did the police just say, oh they shot eachtoher lets pack it up. Did Than become a police officer after this? WHY DID HE FORGIVE PHEEM IN THE END? Holy pmo.

The first eps were the only good ones of the whole show. I don't recommend it, but I love the actors and the acting was okay, so?

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