Reviews

Want to see a drama that paces the story really well? Here it is

An enjoyable drama with a strange but happy ending. This drama was unique in that, unlike so many, the pace was so good you never noticed each episode was over an hour. There were no frustratingly long pauses between the love interests. Every scene was tempered to satisfy. And while there were numerous times going backwards in time to fill in the details, it was not annoying.

The story was well written, and the characters felt real. Misunderstandings were well done, and even if a character takes a wrong turn, you can truly see their perspective and feel their humanity.

Although the synopsis is rather deceiving and the actual story is quite different in its direction; I knew long before this drama went "on air" I wanted to watch it. And I'm so glad I did.

All the young people are about 20 years old so I guess it isn't that strange that the ending was a bit storybook like. And while I stay away from dramas that focus on pre-twenty-year-olds, this one felt more relatable from my point of view.

I highly recommend it as an engaging and entertaining series. Simply beautiful and well done.

The missing star is for the weird happy ending; the ordinary soundtrack; and bizarre changes in tone during the last 2 episodes. The final minute gives me the feeling there may be a season 2. I guess that would be ok but not necessary.

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Byeon Woo Seok deserves notoriety - but LR was just above average; not great

Everyone's favorite drama from 2024; my opinion is it had unnecessary storylines just to make it 16 episodes long. Still, in the end it was worth watching - and enduring the few stupid parts - for a pretty engaging and beautiful story.

The choice of actors for this drama was truly wonderful. And as a viewer who did not find her previous roles appealing, I absolutely give Kim Hye Yoon high marks on this one. Byeon Woo Seok is always great in every role I've seen him, and he was particularly well chosen for this role. If this is why Lovely Runner was everyone's favorite, then I have to agree. I also truly loved Song Geon Hee as probably the most complex role in the series - superbly acted and believable in every scene. And all the other supporting actors and actresses were fantastic.

The ending was beautiful - except for the stupid parts added. But I doubt the writers were aiming at a masterpiece, so I "forgive" them...I guess.

I might re-watch this at some point; it will depend on how many other dramas are out there to engage me. But I certainly recommend this one as a must watch - if only for conversation with your other kdrama watching friends. It's kind of sad not to be able to discuss what you like or dislike when you haven't seen something.

Soundtrack was good; Cinematography also good. Length of series - too long. Quality of storyline - above average but lower than BEST. Casting = EXCEPTIONAL. Director - could have done better directing the female actors.

SPECIAL NOTE: This is by way of comparison.' Lovely Runner' FAR, FAR!!! outperformed another popular drama called 'Love Next Door' which I found a complete waste of time.

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Well known doesn't always mean you can't endure the heart ache

You need a stout heart to watch this one, and I barely managed it. As one of over 50k subscribers harassing Viki to get this drama back for viewing, I was determined to see it through. I'm not disappointed to check it off my "must watch" list. But goodness gracious me, it was a bitter journey. Frankly, if Viki didn't limit it to 5 episodes each week, I might have ruined myself. It took about a week to recover after watch each 5 episodes.

Definitely one of the best dramas‼️ The soundtrack was too good. And the choice of cast actors was Directed in an exemplary manner from start to finish. The costumes were beautiful, but some wigs were really terrible distractions. The story was great fantasy but heart rending from beginning to end. And the end was disappointing. Now I understand why so many people have spent years crying for the second season. But too many years have passed.

While I highly recommend it as HIGH quality, not everyone can endure the ultimately sad journey of such wonderfully crafted characters. So in the world of Korean Dramas, this one is definitely a 10⭐️. But in the heart of this viewer, the end didn't satisfy. And as a person who loves a happy ending and can accept well written sad endings - I simply cannot endure ambiguous holes for an ending.

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What starts as fluff develops into worthy fare; give it a chance and patience

This story is really good and eventually surprised me with its sweet sincerity. Of course, the first episodes are fairly annoying like most dramas of this kind so by episode 8 the story gets going and characters settle down to show who they really are.
It is interesting to see how a matchmaking business works and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing both main male characters (Namkoong Min & Choi Tar Joon) develop into stronger personalities.
Once the romance and confessions begin, our lead female is less pathetic. Hwang Jung Eum seems to fit these kinds of roles because she's cute. Unfortunately her acting during kissing scenes is flat. The male actor does all the work, making the hearts of viewers flutter but she is stiff and unresponsive (really disappointing). Goodness me, Namkoong Min is so handsome 🤩🤩
At episode 17 the main characters became precious amidst competition and jealousy but as per kdrama stipulations, it's time for roadblocks and misunderstandings.
I used the FF (fast forward) liberally as there's a lot of dead space in the 32 episodes. I gave this drama 8 stars overall, but the male actors for the main & supporting roles all deserve 10/10 🌟🌟👍🏾👍🏾. Especially Namkoong Min who has charisma oozing from every pore.

Since putting this series in my Viki watchlist & completely watching it. The rating went from 8.8 to 9.2 on Viki. Maybe the ratings here will also increase.

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Know as 'Hwayugi' -- an Odyssey none the less

AKA: Hwayugi and considering how long this series is, and how many scenarios it covers that makes absolute sense it be called an odyssey. This is definitely a must watch for anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

This is yet another tale about relationships between human and supernatural beings. And it's the fabric and quality of these relationships that give all the substance for this feature. However the love story is both its strength and its weakness - long, drawn out and in the end melodramatic.
Our main supernatural character is well written, and superbly acted by Lee Seung Gi. Our main female is also well written but I found actress Oh Yeon Seo a disappointing choice (she seemed wooden at times in her portrayal & was not a convincing kisser) 🙄. Most other actors were fantastic. The soundtrack was good and the cinematography was great. All in all a great tale to watch and enjoy.

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A review is not meant to judge the character’s personality but the value of the show

**SPOILER**

People are leaving bad reviews because they’re upset Ah Jin never redeemed herself and Jae O and Jun Seo sacrificed themselves for nothing. I think every choice that was made by them was in line with their personality and makes sense. It started out toxic and stayed that way until the very end.
No one is defending her actions, the flicker of humanity in her eyes makes the audience hope things can get better but she’s damaged goods. She buried herself so deep in darkness, her admitting she’s wrong would make her whole world fall apart, she was never going to stop.
The story was captivating, the characters had depth, the actors were all amazing (especially Kim Yoo Jung). Let’s not leave negative reviews because they successfully portrayed the main character as the bad guy.

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Joy who plays Tae Hea, lights up the screen with her smile

Screen play: 8/10 moral of story lacking
Drama Direction: 7/10 not balanced by a moral
Actors: 10/10
Characters: 10/10 well drawn
Entertainment value: 6/10 due to sociopathic behaviors
Soundtrack: 10/10
Art Direction: 10/10
Cinematography: 10/10
Series classification accuracy: doesn't classify as romance comedy. Watch at your own risk if tender hearted.

Comments: excellent acting by all, not just the leads. This is a high intensity drama with roles showing clear sociopathic personalities. 19 year olds with too much money, little responsibility or direction in life. Idleness is indeed the devil's playground. The Director could have adjusted the end storyline to show how (if at all) the main characters were molded into responsible adulthood. So the end was a real slash and burn with little satisfaction for 15 hours of high-level emotional trauma. In other words, an overload of emotional distress dismissed by 5 minute happy ending.

Final thoughts: the greatest consolation in this drama is Joy who plays Tae Hea so remarkably well. Her smile lights up the screen and brings transforming joy, beauty and peace into the darkness Shi Hyun's world.

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Excellent drama - but not every drama gets the funds for spectacular cinematography and production

Compared to many favorite romance dramas, this one seems highly overlooked. This drama should be sporting an overall rating of 9.8‼️

Although the cinematography isn't the best, the story, actors, characters, soundtrack, pace and romance are exceptionally good. In a word, Excellent. There are no stupid fisheye kissing scenes. In fact, the kissing is on the adult level - no immaturity involved. And while this might seem slightly a spoiler, there's no love triangle. How spectacularly refreshing.

Jo Bo Ah is one of my favorite actresses. First saw her in Destined With You, Tale of the Nine Tailed and then Doberman. Most recently her role in Dear Hongrang was also compelling. Park Hae Jin I am less familiar with, although he was good in My Love from the Star. With both actors being so attractive and well matched, the drama was easy to get into from the very beginning.

Highly recommended. I enjoyed it so much.

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Worth the watch even if a bit mediocre at times

An incredible and enjoyable story that bounced back and forth from remarkably good to lame and cheesy. I seriously enjoyed it because it landed on the side of 'almost great'; but what an effort to get there.

What I loved was the fresh manner of presenting the main characters; the thriller/mystery part of the back story; the amazing martial arts scenes and the underlying complex story about human beings.

What I didn't like was the terrible let down in handling the main love relationship in the last 2 episodes. Too much time is spent breaking hearts and leaving all the resolutions until the last minute. I despise when drama writers think a happy ending is something that can wait for the last 30 seconds of the last episode. Besides that our lead female character is written to be an odd combo of a childish and stupid 30 year old who at a few moments in the script becomes wise & mature - just so the story falls into the usual kdrama parameters. Seriously. Still, she and all the main characters are very likable and I would recommend anyone to watch this for sparks of freshness in the kdrama world.

The BEST things were the soundtrack (which outperformed the series); the actors cast for each part; costumes; cinematography; and martial arts choreography.

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Unique doesn't mean perfect; but can be the means to finding a fresh and entertaining drama

A really different and entertaining drama. Watched before reading any reviews & was extremely surprised many didn't like it. For me it's not the best ever, but certainly worth the time and emotional investment getting into the story.

An unusual pairing of lead actors who made their roles extremely believable plus the way all cast members interacted in their varied roles was phenomenal. I've seen Na In Woo before but not Seohyun (until I snuck a peek at 'First Night With The Duke' and wanted to see more of her acting style). She's a very good actress and I like her style. Will be looking for her in other dramas now; but am waiting for all episodes of 'First Night...' to complete. This review is dated 7/6/2025.

My opinion is, the story got a little off track towards the end with several characters being reconciled after a lifetime of bad choices. Granted it was a tricky/tenuous way to achieve the desired ending (which is happy but also not fairytale - be warned; watch until the very, very end). So, ignoring this one caveat, I found 'Jinxed at First' a very satisfying drama in my opinion. Maybe other viewers had preconceived notions about how everything should have gone. After all, people's tastes differ when it comes to entertainment. I say, Give it a chance. You many enjoy as much as I did 👍🏾💚

Special Note: . When we first meet the main character is Seul Bi, she's the most innocent and joyful person imaginable. Midway through the drama, you the viewer, will have to endure changes in her personality as things get complicated and very unhappy. It's well done but also heart rending. Another actress might not have done as good a job. So I personally think our lead actress made this drama a real treat‼️

Additionally, the soundtrack supports the tale telling so well - never causing the viewer to disengage from the plot. So WELL DONE you might overlook it how brilliantly he music worked.

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It is rare to see such satisfying plot

There are heartbreaks, yes, but never in vain and not without a sound cause.

At first, i was drawn on how good the fighting scenes, gorgeous costumes and CGIs scenes. All these visual pleasantry paired with such ambient music made it even more otherworldly.

And then comes the characters, I think TLC is the best fictional anti hero ever created in chinese dramaverse. He is a master of scheming, seemingly heartless, and a tsundere to a fault. All the misunderstanding stemmed from his unwillingness to share his plan to his companions, which i would find unreasonable if not for the complexity of the situation he faced. I usually hated misunderstanding plot, but i did realized from the get go that TLC really could only conceal such situations, i would do that too if i was in his shoes.

At first, i felt this series focused on too much characters, but then these characters have profound existences and i can't deny their importance to the plot.

The death of characters doesn't feel unnecessary, sad, but it moved the plot onwards. And at the end of the series, i feel attached to all the characters involved that i felt the ending is rather satisfying than bittersweet.

The only sad part of the whole plot is where they all forgot they ever worked with an important companion. It is the most sensible ending that could happen in such times, hence my satisfaction for the ending, but i can't help but feel sad to the forgotten one.

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A Drama with Some Great Scenes... But Not Overall

Like I wrote in the title, the drama had its good and bad parts. Quite a few of the scenes were surprisingly mature, which I actually prefer especially since most dramas featuring young adults is always inaccurately portrayed. I appreciated their openness to addressing some topics seen as "taboo" like queer relationships and sexual curiosity.
The editing is quite subpar, giving low budget, but I was able to get used to the style within five or so episodes. The main couple was cute but because they didn't really have any angst it wasn't as heart-fluttering when they got together. I'm surprised I actually managed to finish it.
That ending was probably the worst ending of 2025 though hahaha

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There is experience and then there is EXPERIENCE!

I'm late to the party, but somehow this movie popped up on my suggestion list unprompted. I'm glad that it happened. I'm years late, but who's counting. ;)

If you just take the subject matter on face value, you might think the movie will be sentimental, maudlin and full of self-pity. There are elements of each yet the sum is far greater.

The start of the movie is almost like a mirror on the reality of many disabled person. They felt like they are invisible, protected by their friends/family, struggling to establish an identity. In this case, the plights of our FL is even more intense as her mother is super protective and her manga drawing talent has been subsumed by her collaborator.

While trying to break free of her one dimensional existence, she tries her hands on drawing hentai. Her initial submission was rejected because (cough) she has no relevant experience. While her concept and drawings are good, her intimate scenes are obviously illusionary. The editor kindly suggest that she should seek some (cough) experience before submitting again.

We watch as she took the advice to heart. She tries to discover her sexuality, and to a larger extent, her place in the world. What she wanted the most is to reconnect with her estranged father.

I'm not going to spoil the movie. You really need to experience it first hand. It is not an action packed story, but the plots move along at a steady pace.

There are lots of new experiences for her to take in. She encountered some shady people, but they are all decent folks. They live in the margins, but they won't take advantage of her. Is that realistic?

As if to test her determination, the FL and her impromptu helper traveled overseas. It is not easy and she went to locales with questionable infrastructures. Let's call it movie magic. Ask no questions, chingu.

In terms of acting, it is solid efforts from all involved. The star of the show is obviously the FL. If the main protagonist faces challenges, our RL actor have to climb mountains. Kudos to her and the production for making it happen.

I can ramble on, but seeing this came out in 2019, it is diminishing return.

In the end, this is a good, heartfelt movie. The sensitive subjects are handled well. There is no grandstanding nor shaming. It was a normal human story except the lead is extraordinary. Enjoy!

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haven't been able to watch dramas for years, saw a random edit about litc, i'm hooked

the cinematography, the chemistry between the lead roles, the soundtrack, love in the clouds has got me hooked on watching c-dramas again.

enemies to lovers energy, angst, the intimate moments!?, yearning, he fell first and he fell harder

ever since i started the first episode i could not put it down, each moment leaving me hungry for more, so much so that i was binging it late into the early mornings of the day despite having work the next day. i still haven't moved on from it and i'm struggling with starting another drama. sure there were moments where i wished the plot would pick up or move on to another plot point, or the yearning arc was longer, but everything i loved about this show has made up for it undoubtingly.

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The drama everyone is judging but few truly understand…

First of all, I have to say that if you’re reading reviews instead of forming your own opinion before watching the series, you’re already starting off on the wrong foot—you’re letting yourself be influenced.

As a fan of Yoojung, I obviously wasn’t going to miss this series. It had me hooked from the very beginning. Everything is tightly connected, and contrary to what most comments say (I’m guessing they wanted a romance or for Ahjin to continue down a certain path—even though the drama has nothing to do with any of that), every development in the story has its own justification.

In the final episodes, we see an Ahjin who’s running out of options because she believes she has already achieved everything. But that’s not the case. That’s when we once again see the reflection of teenage Ahjin—the one living with her father in the rooftop house, the girl who didn’t know how to navigate her circumstances without using others just to keep going.

The drama is incredibly well made—so much so that it makes you empathize with a sociopath and root for things to work out for her.

That’s the level of performance Kim Yoojung delivers here.

If you haven’t watched it yet, and you decide not to because of other reviews, you’re missing out on what is possibly the drama of the year.

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