Reviews

I saw a clip of this, on IG I believe and I was intrigued by the ML.
I didn't know who he was back then, then I happened to watch another drama of his and I loved him there, didn't like the drama so much, it was ok-ish, so I thought I'd give him another chance and try this one, maybe I'll be a fan.

This wasn't the best choice, to like this you have to be already a fan of the ML before starting, not the opposite. But aside from the story the performance was ok.

The story is not coherent, made worse by the wrong subtitles, now my Chinese is terrible I know but in some parts I hear something and the subtitles says something else, that's how bad it was...
Even a non-Chinese person can spot the differences.

Now the end was weird and in some parts I didn't even know who is bad and who is good and the funny scenes at the end were odd too.

The acting was nice, I didn't know what was going on and there were too many characters unnecessarily, romance was non existent, I know the ML did a lot for the FL but they didn't have any type of intimacy or romance happening between them, i didn't realise that till the last minute when it suddenly hit me that the two leads didn't even kiss lol they hugged once maybe xD and the genre is just romance!! Nothing else in the tags and that's the main thing the drama lacked of.

I don't know if I like it or not, but I'm sure this isn't the best VD to watch if you want to enjoy the ML performance ~~

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full of symbolism that leaves a lasting impression

The entire concept of this series was a hit imo, I'm genuinely surprised some people rated it so low.

To start, Dew was everything. I loved his acting I loved his character and I loved how symbolism followed the story from start to finish. I was rooting for both pairings at different points, while knowing full well that OffGun was the end game.
Pheem totally deserved better and there is no argument that could convince me otherwise, but he *was* obsessed with the idea of Jira. I think a lot of people can relate to that, idealizing someone without fully understanding them.
Each character had their flaws without them being brushed over or excused, and I *loved* Emi's character for keeping it 100% real with Jira when he was being indecisive, self loathing or ready to stay stagnant in his sadness.

The episode where Dew's character destroyed things in the rage room was so raw that it felt borderline red flag-like, but it was such a contrast from the Pheem we saw leading up to that point and that in and of itself felt so poetic.
In my opinion, as a former art student, the entire series was a work of art. There were so many comparisons to be made, and the controversy that comes along with AI art was well executed. Jira had every right to be furious and heart broken over Koh doing something so carelessly, but it gave a very real insight to what our current and future will be. AI isn't going away any time soon, and while that's no excuse for anyone to utilize AI to take over the real-life blood, sweat and tears that artists put into their work--it is unfortunately something we have to work a compromise with. At the end of the day AI is us, and what we put into it it will spit back out, as much as I hate to admit.

The constant contrast between machine and flowers had me over the moon, but I might be biased as I love contrast and seeing things that are opposites mesh together.
The art Jira (did gun really paint these? bc ohmygod) made was absolutely beautiful, and very much up my alley, I would spend hours at a showing looking at this form of art. My favorite piece was 100% the piece of Pheem from the rage room, it was almost heart breaking to look at and the edges of the painting reminded me of wings coming off of him, which tied back into one of the first pieces Jira painted of Koh where the angel is coming down to kiss him.

Also the music for the series was chef's kiss, I don't think any series has made me save as many songs as I did with this one.
All in all I think it was a fantastic series and I can't wait to see Dew in more complex character roles.

I forgot to mention the whole concept of "burnout syndrome" was so extremely well done as an active theme from start to finish--I cannot praise that detail enough.

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Almost Great, But Overloaded

The series started strong and genuinely pulled me in, but there was always this underlying feeling that it could’ve been tighter and better. It tried to do a lot at once — touching on mental health, leaning into romance, flirting with rom-com energy, and then suddenly shifting into something more serious. Because of that, it ended up feeling like a mixed bag. After about eight episodes, the emotional weight started to feel exhausting rather than engaging, mostly because the story kept stretching itself instead of refining what it already had.
Honestly, this would’ve worked beautifully as a shorter mini-series. Six well-paced episodes could have delivered a more focused and impactful story, instead of dragging things out. Since it’s on Netflix, the binge factor (and fast-forward option) helps, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as a first K-drama. That said, it’s still a decent watch — not bad by any means — and it feels like there were more stories and depth here that just needed better structure to truly shine.

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The Best GMMTV Show So Far

this has to be anucha's magnum opus and one of the best shows that came out of gmmtv's slop factory. burnout syndrome is a complex and unfiltered character study of three individuals who are all desperate for human connection, inspiration, and salvation from the tolls of capitalism and artificial intelligence.

what truly stuck with me was the show's refusal to whitewash its characters and view them as monolithic. despite its political themes, its creators did not feel the need to make jira an untainted representation of an artist who will not "sell out" to capitalism and AI despite the looming threat of poverty. once faced with the scarcity of employment opportunities, he eventually caved to the chance of financial stability despite its questionable sources.

similarly, koh was not given a stereotypical character arc; instead, he turned out to be a capitalist through and through. love, if you can even call it that, did not redeem him in the end. despite jira's complaints, koh will continue to inflict harm on the world, uncaring of the artists and workers he stole ideas and job opportunities from. even jira, the only person he truly trusted, was not spared from this.

on the other hand, pheem's character subverted the "second lead syndrome" by casting dew, an undeniably attractive actor who knows how to weaponize his looks to garner empathy from the audience, while masterfully portraying the concealed sleaziness of pheem, who, 1) frequented the burnout bar to have sex with people at their most vulnerable; 2) studied all of jira's interests and claimed them as his own to impress him; and 3) expected sex in return for all of his unsolicited efforts and had a (honestly terrifying) reaction when he did not get what he wanted.

despite their questionable characteristics, the show did not deprive us of their humanity and gave us plenty of reasons to care for these characters. for example, jira is the most relatable out of everyone. like most of us, he is just trying to stay afloat as the job market becomes less and less stable. at the same time, he is trying to keep his spirit alive by doggedly pursuing whatever can ignite the passion and creativity that capitalism tries to stamp out, regardless of its consequences.

meanwhile, koh perfectly portrayed the soft underbelly of an otherwise deplorable character. a capitalist and an ai investor was also the very same person who had to steel himself when going to public places; who cried when he saw jira's paintings; who let pheem win a race to make him feel more comfortable and honest; who grew a garden of flame lilies in memory of his lover; who, despite his attempts to protect himself, cannot help but to let jira in his life. these things did not make him a better person, but they helped me see the human behind the machine.

lastly, pheem had the best character arc of all of them. starting as an individual who refused to face his lack of identity by wearing the skin of a perfect employee, friend, or lover, he eventually underwent the painful process of transforming into a human being capable of vulnerability, selfless love, and freedom from validation-seeking behaviors. at the very end, his embrace with jira finally felt real— devoid of any expectation, performance, or pretense.

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An underrated drama!!

Tbh I didn't even know this drama existed, thank you to Instagram algorithm which decide to show me clips of this drama. Why are people not talking about it! It is such a well written drama- kept me confused till this the end about sung hoon.
This was an emotional and moral rollercoaster, I stand with in any circumstances murder is wrong, but the people involved were so frustrating!!!! But yes killing their family who were not at all involved in the incident was very wrong.
And if anyone is wondering there was a real incident involving children being abused and exploited in the same way. I remember seeing a documentary about the same.

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Beige contract Cinderella

this feels a bit like a role reversal contract marriage done beige, very, very beige.

While the male lead is an adorable little puppy , the female lead is a bit of an over acting bulldog scaredy cat combo.

The male leads styling is completely off , it takes talent to put a cute guy guy in a suit and make him look less attractive. The female lead has more moodswings than a swing on a school playground adoring break time. They seem to try to make her look independent but fail at every turn...

An okay watch, that is a bit different than many others like it but sometimes different does not mean actually good.

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Almost Perfect Detective Stories

Detective L follows the famous detective Luo Fei, who is assisted by rookie police officer Qin Xiao Man, as they solve murder cases together. The drama consists of 24 episodes, each around 30–40 minutes long, with one case typically solved across 3 episodes.

Detective L definitely has good and interesting stories. While the concept isn’t entirely new and some cases feel familiar if you’ve read or watched other detective stories, it’s really fun to watch and keeps you engaged throughout.

I also love the Chinnese Republican era background. This was my first time watching a drama set in that period, so I’m really happy that Detective L was my introduction to it, and I definitely want to try other Republican dramas now.

The acting and chemistry are the real highlights of this drama. Bai Yu shines in the role of Luo Fei, perfectly handling everything from sharp analysis to the comedic scenes. He nailed it all.

However, the CGI is not good. Also, the last two cases feel underwhelming, especially the very final one when some new characters are introduced with very little background story, which left me confused. The main villain’s reveal is a plot twist, but it didn’t emotionally move me. The ending also leaves many questions unanswered.

Overall, even though there were some disappointing aspects, I still really enjoyed watching this drama.

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High potential, cheap execution

Taken straight from a horny 15 year old's notes app and filmed on an umidigiG9X.
I won't be too critical because it's niche and filming probably cost less than a satsfying Nando's order, but 5 minutes per episode is way too short - I'd have finished the series before even getting to my third peri-peri wing!?
I've honestly seen better quality in Hudson Williams pre-Heated Rivalry short films, BUT the bi-curious, angsty young woman who probably wrote this definitely has some good ideas. Or, if it was written by a man, some very creative wank fantasies. Either way, I found it relatively enjoyable.

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light cute and funny

As a “Wow the world” fan seeing them in a drama together felt so refreshing. I’m so used to seeing them bickering with each other. But! now it makes sense cause this drama was filmed before the variety show thats why they knew each other better~

The plot is something like Love Game in Eastern Fantasy/Dream within a dream. LHE travels into the story of a book and has to make GHM fall in love with her. The issue is once he falls in love with her she will disappear as her mission ends.

So the drama is her process of getting his attention by helping him alot in his work. He slowly warms up to her and starts liking her. This is when she realises her time is running out so she starts to distance herself.

Now, the leads are cute they have chemistry and there are comedic moments. However, sometimes i felt like the plot was a bit draggy also cause the story of the second leads was not interesting so i ended up skipping all of it.

You cant really watch this drama with logic in your mind because most of it is being controlled by the “system”. So she is often thrown into ridiculous missions randomly.

Overall a funny cute romcom~

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A Powerful Follow‑Up Season

Wow! If I loved the first season, I loved this one even more! The friendship between Si Eun and Jun Tae is wonderful. From my point of view, Si Eun didn't want anything to do with Jun Tae in the first few episodes, but then she changed her mind because she saw herself in him during that fight in class and decided to be Jun Tae's Su Ho. In addition to this, let's not forget Baku and Gotak, who are also fabulous, and together these four make a really nice and likeable quartet!

Now let's talk a little about the series in general: what I liked most is that the shots in this season are never from behind, meaning we never see Si Eun from behind because those shots in the first season are from Su Ho's point of view, meaning we see him looking at him. Another thing is that Si Eun feels guilty about the coma of the person she loves most and therefore does not want to have other friends so as not to make them suffer. Finally, he always goes to the hospital but never enters and stays outside the room, but writes to her every day as if it were his diary.

SPOILER ALERT
If I had to choose my favourite scene from this season, I would find it really difficult, but if I had to mention the two that impressed me the most, I would say:
-the scene where Jun Tae calls Si Eun and tells her that it's not her fault that Su Ho is in a coma. This scene is really powerful because no one had told her that yet, not even her parents, so she really needed to hear those few words from Jun Tae, and in fact, she decides to stay in the end;
-the final scene, of course, the scene where she meets Su Ho is wonderful; because, as we understand from the first season, Si Eun doesn't like running, but once she finds out that Su Ho is awake, she runs faster than ever. Then, of course, the meeting scene is just as I expected. We see Si Eun smiling again because the only person she smiles for is finally well, and then Su Ho asks who those three are and Si Eun says, “My FRIENDS”, and Su Ho smiles because his worst fear was that Si Eun would withdraw into himself.

I'm eagerly awaiting the third season, even though I'm a little scared, hahah.

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Powerful Acting and Exceptional Storytelling That Left Me in Tears

A series that stole my heart!

All the acting was magnificent, but Park Ji Hoon and Choi Hyun Wook's performances were on a whole other level, if I may say so.
The story is really well written and was carried out in the same way! The fights were exceptionally done, everything feels real, so it's enjoyable to watch because it doesn't feel fake. What's more, you can feel the pain of betrayal and the loss of an important person, the anger at injustice, but also the affection of the friendship between Su Ho and Si Eun. The scene that will stay with me for the rest of my life will always be the last one: Park Ji Hoon did a truly exceptional job.

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Losing something you did not even know you had it

Love Letter is one of those movies that feels less like a movie and more like something that has always existed, something passed down quietly, the way families pass down stories, or pain, or love they never fully talked about. It’s visually stunning, yes, but its real power comes from how deeply it has embedded itself into collective memory. Like Titanic in the West, its scenes have been recreated endlessly, its emotions echoed across music videos and films. Even before watching it, I already felt like I knew it.
And maybe that’s why I waited so long.
I knew this film would hurt me. I could feel it. And I think part of me wasn’t ready to sit with that kind of sadness.

Plot*
The story follows Hiroko Watanabe, a woman still grieving her fiancé, Itsuki Fujii, two years after his death. Time has passed, yet Hiroko remains unable to let go. While going through Itsuki’s old belongings, she comes across his high school yearbook. Inside, she finds his old address, and despite knowing that the house was destroyed years ago.
Almost impulsively, she writes him a letter. Maybe it’s for closure, maybe it’s simply because she doesn’t want to forget him. To her shock, she receives a reply.
The letter is not from her deceased fiancé, but from a woman who shares the same name: Itsuki Fujii. As they continue exchanging letters, Hiroko learns that this woman went to the same school as her fiancé. Through their correspondence, the film slowly reveals fragments of the past about the man Hiroko loved, and about the lives of two women connected to him in very different ways.

Watching My Heart Slowly Break*
As I watched, I felt myself sinking deeper into the story, almost without realising it. The sadness isn’t loud. It doesn’t scream. It creeps in quietly, through small moments and gentle discoveries. When Hiroko begins asking female Itsuki to share memories, the truth begins to surface.

Female Itsuki never knew. She never realised that the boy with the same name in high school, the boy who lingered, who always found reasons to be close, was in love with her from the very beginning. His feelings were constant, invisible. His confession never reached her. She lived her life unaware that she had already been loved.

At the same time, Hiroko, who loved him openly, deeply, and completely begins to understand something devastating. That perhaps the reason he fell in love with her at first sight was because she resembled the girl he had loved all along. That realization doesn’t erase his love for Hiroko, but it complicates it in a way that feels unbearably human.

What broke me most is that there is no visible romance in this film. No grand declarations. No dramatic embraces. Despite being called Love Letter, love is discovered only through memory, silence, and absence. Through things that were never said.
Female Itsuki, realising love was next to her and lost it before she ever knew it existed. And now, she can never go back. He is gone. That kind of loss feels especially cruel, the pain of understanding too late, of mourning something you didn’t even know was yours. This made me so melancholic!!

I don’t know if it hit me this hard because, in some way, we’ve all lost something we didn’t even know was ours to begin with. Maybe it was love, a job, a friend, or an opportunity. Grieving something you never truly got to hold in your hands, something you only realise mattered after it’s gone, is a unique, type of aheartbreak.
When the film ended, I walked outside and just stood there, staring at the sky, feeling hollow. Not crying, just… heavy. Like the film had reached inside me and rearranged something.

Acting*
Nakayama Miho, playing both Hiroko and Itsuki, is astonishing. For the first few minutes, I genuinely thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. The resemblance was uncanny. I had to pause the film to check the cast. Yet as the story unfolded, I never confused them again. Her acting creates such a clear emotional divide that they feel like two completely separate souls, carrying different kinds of loneliness.

Otaru, Hokkaido *
And then there’s Otaru. Snow-covered, quiet, almost suspended in time. The winter landscapes give the film a dreamlike quality, as if everything exists inside a memory rather than reality. It makes sense why couples still travel there, even in the harsh cold, to chase a feeling this movie captured so perfectly.

Final Reflection*
Love Letter is not just a classic, it’s an emotional experience. It’s about grief, unspoken love, and mystery. It reminded me that some of the most painful realisations in life come not from what we lose, but from what we never realised we had.
Even now, whenever I see snow falling in Japan, my mind drifts back to this film.
And I don’t think it will ever leave me.

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