Reviews

Cheng Lei's best role. Chang Xuan, you will always be remembered. Fly high, among the autumn leaves

I want to start by saying that I hate sad endings with all my heart. But this drama delivered an ending worthy of the story. Even though I still can't stop crying, there's something so subtle about the way this story gets under your skin that, by the time you realize it, it's already too late. By episode 40, you're completely emotionally invested in every single one of these characters.

Some will make us furious, some will break our hearts, some we'll grow to love, and with others, we've been accomplices all along.

Thank you to Cheng Lei and Xu Ruohan for saying yes to a project that has become a masterpiece in my heart. Yes, the storytelling has its flaws, but its strengths shine as brightly as the midday sun.

This drama goes far beyond dark romance. It's a story about belonging to a nation, about feeling part of a people who refuse to kneel before oppression or invasion.

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So cinematic and beautifuk!

I adore this drama! It’s so beautifully shot and the OST (and entire soundtrack) is so beautiful. i’m still listening to the soundtrack months later. i thought the casting of XCY and FQL was perfect, Kuma is so stunning! i loved the dreamy, warm, and saturated lighting, the slower pacing, and the richness of the story. so much kissing too!

the only thing i wasn’t crazy about was the side couple, i felt like they lacked chemistry and i wasn’t invested in their story, i usually skip it now on rewatches. but overall it’s a top tier drama and i’ve already rewatched it a couple times. easily my top drama of 2026

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The Perfect Mix of Chaos, Comedy, and Heartwarming Moments

This drama is soooo good! There’s just so much happening in every episode, and that’s what makes it so entertaining. I absolutely love how it balances comedy, awkward moments, heartwarming scenes, and an interesting storyline. The characters have such fun interactions, and some of their scenes are just too funny not to laugh at. 😂

Honestly, it’s been such a long time since I’ve watched a drama that made me laugh this much. I love how the story doesn’t feel boring or draggy because there’s always something happening to keep you entertained. Even the awkward moments add so much charm to the drama and make the characters even more lovable.

I’m really enjoying the overall vibe of this drama. It’s the kind of series that puts you in a good mood and makes you look forward to the next episode. Definitely one of those dramas you start watching for fun and end up getting completely hooked on. So far, I’m loving every bit of it! ❤️

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A great romance with an actual plot, but not without its frustrations

One thing I really appreciate about Dali and the Cocky Prince is that it's a romance with an actual, interesting plot. I'm someone who primarily watches romance dramas for the relationship between the leads, but I also appreciate when a show gives me something else to be invested in. This drama does exactly that, combining humor, romance, and an intriguing storyline into something that kept me hooked almost the entire way through.

One of the show's greatest strengths is its atmosphere. The art gallery setting, the characters, and the overall vibe give it a unique charm that really sets it apart from other romances I've watched. There's something so enjoyable about the contrast between the two leads and the completely different worlds they come from.

Speaking of the leads, Moo-hak was easily my favorite character. If you had described his personality to me before I started watching, I probably would've told you there was no chance I'd enjoy this show. He's loud, obnoxious, uncultured, and occasionally a complete idiot. And yet, somehow, I absolutely loved him. He's genuinely hilarious, and his personality brings so much life to the drama. That's not to say he didn't frustrate me at times, because he definitely did, but his humor and surprisingly lovable personality more than made up for it.

The romance itself is also fantastic when the show actually gives it room to breathe. Moo-hak and Da-li have amazing chemistry, and their interactions are an absolute joy to watch. Whether they're teasing each other, having heartfelt conversations, or simply spending time together, I found myself smiling constantly. I genuinely wish we had gotten more of those moments.

And that's probably my biggest criticism of the series: there simply isn't enough time spent on the actual relationship. While I appreciate the gallery storyline and the effort put into making the plot interesting, I think it eventually takes up too much of the show. Between the corruption, family drama, redevelopment schemes, and constant interference from other characters, there were times when I just wanted the writers to give the couple a break and let them enjoy being together. I would've happily sacrificed some of the gallery storyline for more romantic development.

Another frustration I had was the amount of unnecessary miscommunication. I understand that misunderstandings are a common part of romance dramas, but some of the conflicts in this show could've been resolved with a simple conversation. There were also moments where it felt like the writers were deliberately trying to make the audience anxious for no real reason. The final episode is a perfect example, making it seem as though the leads had separated for an entire year, only to reveal that they had actually just been apart for a week. I don't really understand the appeal of manufacturing frustration like that, especially when it adds so little to the story.

Da-li herself was also occasionally frustrating to watch. I understand that she's meant to be gentle, reserved, and sophisticated, but her inability to stand up for herself in certain situations genuinely got on my nerves. There were so many moments where I just wanted her to speak up and defend herself rather than let other people walk all over her.

That being said, I have to give a huge amount of credit to Park Gyu-young. I first saw her in It's Okay to Not Be Okay, and she absolutely nailed her performance here. She's incredibly expressive, elegant, and convincing in the role. Not to mention, she's genuinely stunning. I really hope to see her in more leading romance roles because I think she has everything it takes to carry a great romantic drama.

Something else I want to emphasize is just how emotionally invested I became in this show. During the storyline involving Tae-jin trying to marry Da-li, I was genuinely losing my mind. I remember feeling so frustrated and angry at what was happening that I had to stop watching for a few minutes. As much as I disliked those moments, I also think that level of emotional investment says something about how much I cared about the characters and their relationship. A show that can get that kind of reaction out of me is clearly doing something right.

Overall, Dali and the Cocky Prince is a charming, hilarious, and surprisingly engaging romantic comedy with two fantastic leads. It isn't perfect, and I think the unnecessary misunderstandings and excessive focus on the gallery conspiracy hold it back from being something truly exceptional. But the chemistry, humor, atmosphere, and emotional moments make it a drama I'm really glad I watched.

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korean soft horror series for those who cant handle horror (?)

its seems like they want to recreate squid game with alice in the borderland attributes (?).
first of all i always liked when a series split their episodes well, 1 case at a time, 1 place per episode. however its not clear wether they want to make each episode connects or not, no pattern or hints to follow, nor had anything to look forward. they just throw anything. flash backs are nonsense too, since there are nothing to take notes flashbacks explains nothing too. no clear border of which is limbo which isnt either. whole things like want to say "i will throw shits as i want, just put up with it and you get your money". kid these days would say "its all buildup for season 2", why tf would i expect season 2 when the first gave me nothing ?, they will just put more bullshit.

writing is definitely not unique nor fresh or anything. at the very least if they could just try to put it as typical pure horror nonsense, they can just leave everything illogical like final destination, nightmare elm street, or friday 13th, though personally its still to soft for a pure horror. yeah i know they all movies its not apple to apple. fucking netflix original all their horror series mixed with too much drama. fuck, now i kinda understand why the writer made it like this.

other than that not much to be reviewed, i can apreciate music and intro production, cinematography is not the best, some is kinda confusing, like why would they do that ? but bearable. not much to say for the character which is pretty much fine for a horror. honestly i can see this promising as a movie, but tv series ? kinda meh. i can see its not a blockbuster project since likely 80% of cg budget drained for the first episode. if i ever seen news that this is a massive budget project. im for real

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Sad ending

I liked the drama, but after the female lead lost her memory, the story started to feel boring. Nevertheless, I continued watching it because it was a love story. However, the ending left me upset.

The male lead's obsession with the female lead gave me goosebumps. Initially, he was not a good person because he tried to force her to love him. At times, he even kept her against her will. On the other hand, he was also a kind and honest man. He repeatedly saved her and even helped her mother.

The female lead was always kind to him out of gratitude. After some time, however, she became confused about whether her feelings for him were based on love or gratitude. Eventually, she accepted him.

What I still don't understand is why the writer chose to give the story a sad ending. Since it was a work of fiction, what would have been wrong with giving it a happy ending?

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It's the most realistic form of love I've ever seen

All these motherfuckers are trying to label this greatest k drama ever as the worst shit they saw in their whole life. But i actually fucking loved it. It's realistic part that makes it more exciting. This might be the best k drama i ever seen. Not all that fairy tale love crap other k dramas potray. Ignore the people having huge problems with this drama because they just want to take their romantic partner and tuck them in bed at midnight, with fake promises of an eternal long lasting relationship and this k drama shatter their perspectives. that's why they are pissed off.

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Hey, at least I don’t kiss my cousin

This show had really good potential, but they ruined it by rushing through the ending; that’s all you really need to know, lmao. But yay, I am going to yap about what I liked, what I didn’t (it’s lowkey a dogpile, my bad), and then do an episode overview. OH AND I would give it an 8.2 (but fuck that, I am gonna give it a 7) out of 10. Let’s run this shit (we finished this show the day it ended; I don’t know what’s taking me so long to write the review, but just ignore that).

Likes:

One of the true greatest things in this show was Daddy Leng. I literally love him, and he is so fucking fine, so having him as one of the main characters was just a true pleasure on the eyes. He is also really good at acting, and I hope to see him in some more things that aren't absolutely ass lmao (I haven't finished Kidnap yet, but we are just gonna ignore that lmao).

I talk about this in my dislikes, but despite the start being ass, the second episode was mad addictive, and the way they had the perfect amount of everything in it really helped me not drop the show. I was actually intrigued and wanted to see what happened next, so that was good.

The whole plotline with the servants was literally one of the only good things that came out of this show. I wasn't expecting it, but part of me was really hoping for it, so when it happened, I got very excited. It was a true pleasure every time I saw them on screen, and I think the two of them actually have pretty good chemistry, so I would go back and watch just for them; I can’t lie. (One scene that comes to mind is when Gaew's servant, whose name I can’t be bothered to remember, is cock fighting with the others, and his man is just ogling him from afar, LIKE I AM SICK THAT WAS DONE SO WELL I LOVE THEM).

Another thing I liked was how everyone was a doctor in the future. Like they were all still connected somehow, and I loved that a lot. Do I think some part of that was a little ass? Yes, and I will talk about that in my dislikes, but I loved that, and it gave me some form of comfort, like no matter how many centuries go by, destiny always brought them back together. Some may even say it’s love destiny...see what I did there? I will be here all day, don't worry.

Followed by our side couple being enemies to lovers in the present and dating, and their sex scene, though random, was fire. Loved them, but they took away from the main couple a bit, which was irritating, but you know what fuck the cousin kissers. I feel like this show didn’t really need another side couple, but these two...it was just perfect in this weirdly imperfect way. I can’t really explain. I think that their plotline could have definitely used some work, but I think the fact they were together in the past and present really got me, because you know, dead gay people make me sad as fuck lmao. But yeah.

And I truly liked nothing else in this dumb ass show.

Dislikes:

Starting off INCREDIBLY STRONG with things I really didn’t like: THEY ARE COUSINS. Like, we find that out at the start, and I mean technically, because Great is a time traveler, he doesn’t see him as his cousin, but HE is in Gaew’s body, which SIDE NOTE MAKES THEM FUCKING COUSINS. LIKE WHY COULDN’T THEY BE FRIENDS OR ENEMIES, SOMETHING, BECAUSE THAT WAS ACTUALLY GNARLY AND VERY HARD TO IGNORE. ALSO, DECH KNOWS THAT HE IS HIS COUSIN AND STILL FELL FOR HIM???? I'M SICKKKK. I HOPE WE DIE.

Following this, I think that the start was confusing and not in a good way. Like not in an “oh wow, I can’t wait to see what happens next" kind of way; it was more in an “is it too late to drop the show” kind of way. But yeah, I feel like this was such an easy fix, just by adding more explanation to this episode, but no, we want to play in the audience’s face right out of the gates.

Another thing related to the start, but broader because it’s the start of each episode. THE RANDOM ASS CARD READING. Okay, so I understand what they were trying to do with that shit, like a My Magic prophecy kind of vibe, but do you want to know why that worked in that show? Because it is actually related to the premise of the show, not just thrown in there randomly because Great wanted to get turnt one day and get his cards read. That just doesn’t work at all, and it was a waste of fucking time for something that wasn’t even related to the show.

AI SLOP. I AM ACTUALLY SICK. The city was AI; like every time we saw that bitch, my friend and I skipped, like, actually, don’t piss me off. If I wanted to see AI, I would have watched those AI TikTok dramas come on now.

WE SLOW BURNED TO CLOSE TO THE SUN, AND IT EXPLODED ON US. The entire show was a slow burn, and for the majority of the show it worked, and I never thought I would say that, but it did, and then at the end, we smashed so much into 2 episodes and everything that we had built up in this show was for nothing and actually turned to slop, which I hated. Just awful. I feel like an easy fix would have been to add more episodes, but I also understand people have low attention spans and also it’s more money, so I think we just could have paced the show out better, keeping that slow burn, but not taking damn near 8 episodes out of 10 to fall in love.

Some of these episode endings were so abrupt it was making my head fucking spin. Like we would spend all episode DOING FUCKING NOTHING and then we would rush something at the end and just end it so randomly. Like I know why shows do that; it’s to get people hooked, but I don’t feel hooked. I just feel irritated, because every single episode they did that. I mean, that’s just bad screenwriting at that point; don’t piss me off. I am actually getting irritated thinking about it right now, like what the hell. Like, (sorry, going to continue ranting), I would have understood if they did this for just a couple of episodes, like truly I understand, BUT EVERY DAMN EPISODE WAS LIKE THIS, WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR BRAIN THAT CAUSED US TO DO THIS?

With that, Dech's doctor subplot. Like, truly, this could have been like our side couple and how they are together in the future, but we already knew that wasn’t going to happen because they weren’t together when what’s his face got transported (Great), but you know, we still could have made it work. BUT NOOOO, WE NUKED THAT SHIT. It would have been so good if we just slowly built up to every episode, but no, we missed that chance, and then that shit just felt random and rushed, like the entire latter half of the show.

Okay, also a follow-up: in episode 7, HE WAKES UP FROM THE COMA. Okay, so that would make sense, because Great and Gaew, I guess, technically switched bodies, so they are living in different time periods. BUT WE DON’T DO A DAMN THING ABOUT HIM WAKING UP FROM THE COMA, LIKE WHAT? So Gaew or Great, we don't know, wakes up in Great’s body and just looks confused, and THEN WE DON’T TOUCH ON IT EVER AGAIN UNTIL GREAT IS NOW IN THE PRESENT DAY AGAIN. WHY DID WE DO THIS IF IT SERVED NO PURPOSE TO THE PLOT? I’M CONFUSED.

THE BROTHER SHOULD HAVE DIED EARLIER; I’M SICK. I know we are all thinking that; I just had to go out and say it lmao. Why did we see him on screen, no joke, more than we saw our main couple? I am so lost on why they did that; why did he get depth, and truly, why do we care? We don’t; it’s actually that simple. And I actually can’t come up with a reason why they did that. Just pissing me off, silly.

Next up in bullshit that didn’t need to be in here: the random French side plot. Another case of, hey, if the show is centered around the main characters, why do the side characters have more depth than them? Make that make sense, truly, because it doesn’t. Like, I know they were trying to be time period accurate with a lot of these characters, but it felt very random in the grand scheme of things, and I didn’t really like that, like not at all. So fuck that.

Related to this, the costumes got a little fuzzy lmao. I think that all of the traditional Thai costumes ate, like that’s one thing they did good, but the...French ones were mad sus and look like they got that shit from Spirit Halloween; I am actually sick. I was also waiting for them to slip up and say something about Americans (because we lowkey weren’t a thing yet), but they didn’t, which I am happy about lmao.

And finally, the ending. I said this in my final review. "I wanted this show to be good too. I'm so sad. I wish it was 12 episodes. We set it up pretty okay, and the middle was good, and then the shit with the brother took away from the plot. Also, didn’t he wake up? Also, we fucked up the plot pacing badly. Tying them by fate is so fucking random. This happened at the start. This was done terribly. The part where he is coming back. Muen not reacting at all. We slow-burned for 7/10 episodes, and now this is what we get: a plot that hardly makes sense. This flashback means nothing bc this show was done so poorly with plot pacing. Total Drama Island, ah name. Leng was fucking it up. Scooby-Doo ah reveal with the glasses. I’m done with them." And I really wanted this show to be good; I did, but no one cares about my wants in a review. It’s all about what I am given, and truly I was really disappointed, and the ending was no different.

Episode overview time! (These are just my thoughts from the episodes, so please enjoy lmao):

Episode 1: “I think I was really confused, and I don’t quite enjoy being confused, so yeah. But they r cousins...which I am not fond of.”

Episode 2: “Hoping it’s a distant relative and not a sister.”

Episode 3: “I mean, technically Dech is a cousin kisser, and Great isn’t, but you know.”

Episode 4: "MI BOMBO, WE ARE KISSING OUR COUSIN, I REPEAT, WE ARE KISSING OUR COUSIN."

Episode 5: "Prince Ali ass back track. Luke got a Spirit Halloween ass costume on fr." "ARCH WHEREEEEE. I’m sickkk. COUSIN KISSSERRR."

Episode 6: "WHY DO WE WAIT TILL THE END TO DO SHIT? I’M SO IRRITATED, RUN ME MY MONEY NOWWWW, BITCH, I’M NOT PLAYING. I KNEW DECH WAS A DOCTOR, LIKE I FELT THAT IN MY PUSSY FR FR. BUT DECH BIG AS FUCK, I NEED HIM BAD. BUT DADA LENG, MY JIZZLE, I DON’T PLAY ABOUT HIS SEXY ASS; HE IS LUCKY I AM NOT IN FRONT OF THAT. Love moles, almost as much as we love our cousin...right right right. At least I don’t kiss my cousin...or wait, I’m sorry, edge my cousin lmaooo."

Episode 7: "THE SERVANTS HELLO? The heart wavered, the mind wandered, the full nine yards. SO WHAT HAPPENED ON THAT TRIP? I DESPERATELY WANT TO KNOW. Dech got hella rizz, im dead. We are officially a cousin pecker bc that was weak af. Make out when? I literally couldn’t give a fuck about the brother. HELLO, WE R UP FROM OUR COMA?"

Episode 8: "Can't yell at him and go sit 3 steps away. At least go to your room." "We have one damn xylophone sound effect bc holy shit. DOWN AND DIRTY KRATHONGS IN HAND. I’m dead. Booty call but we walking in the water."

Episode 9: "CAN WE PLEASE FOCUS ON OUR COUPLE AND NOT THE BROTHER? I'm so done. Just bc we wrote a few poems, ain’t no one give a damn. Yay, your brother just got exiled; let’s go play in the water !!! WE'RE RIDING A LOT MORE THAN THE WAVES. Cousin fucker btw. Randomly stop the French subplot because, god forbid, we pay attention to our main couple. I'm sick of English fr fr. The brother got fucking executed. Right."

Episode 10: "This flashback means nothing bc this show was done so poorly with plot pacing. Total Drama Island, ah name. Leng was fucking it up. Scooby-Doo ah reveal with the glasses. I’m done with them."

Yeah, so maybe don't watch this one. Of course you can make your own decisions, but I think with the starting episodes your expectations will be really high, and then they are just going to get fucking crushed. So save yourself the time and just don’t watch this shit lmao. Okay bye!

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Heed my warning...

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.

This was a depressing drama. But you only really understand that once you watch the final episode. And while it was clear that the relationship between the main leads had reached a rocky place from Episode 1, that was interesting because it made you wonder how they were going to overcome it.

Spoiler Alert. They don't.

A Love Other Than Yours is not a love story. Instead, it's a tragedy about watching a nearly 30-year bond of love die in the most nonsensical and unnecessary way.

Do not make the same mistake so many of us made, dear future viewer. We, who watched this show while it was airing, came back week after week. Driven by a morbid curiosity. Wanting to know what would happen next in this messy drama and speculating on how the story would end. Allow me to save you some time. Something I wish someone could have done for me. I'll stick to the key elements of the story that are likely to make people think twice about watching it.


1. Even though it doesn't seem like it at first, the story ultimately rewards cheating. The FL betrays the ML because she meets a man, the SML, who gives her 'butterflies' and 'lights up her dark life'. By the end of the story, she breaks up with the ML and replaces him with the man she cheated with.

2. The FL is obscenely unlikeable, but she is portrayed as a good person. Even as a 'hero' to the ML. Likely to soften the blow of her infidelity to the viewer. What's more, her attraction to the SML makes no real sense. None of us who were watching the show while it was airing could understand or justify it. He threatened her. Destroyed her property. And even went so far as to threaten to ruin the ML's life, a man she repeatedly claims to love more than anything. And yet, still, her 'butterflies' persist, and her attraction to him only deepens as the story progresses. Even when he's disrespecting the ML right in front of her.

3. Then there is the ML. Pathetic. Spineless. Weak. But those words only describe him when it comes to the FL. He's actually a pretty likeable, funny, and dependable guy in general. But he becomes an absolute doormat for the FL. To the point where he willingly allows her to go sleep with the man she cheated on him with to 'sort out her feelings' before they get married. It's genuinely painful to watch him at times. He truly doesn't deserve half the shit she puts him through. Though, to be fair, a lot of it is self-inflicted due to his intense loyalty to her. Something not remedied until the final episode.


4. But the biggest crime in A Love Other Than Yours is the poor writing choices.

- The writer has FL attempt suicide for no other reason than to progress the story. After which, the attempt is forgotten and never brought up again. Something like this happens again later, where a boy randomly starts drowning out of nowhere just so the writer can make the main leads have a 'meaningful' conversation.

- The writer has the ML spend an entire episode breaking up with the FL. Then the aforementioned suicide attempt occurs, and he goes from wanting to break up with her to being okay with her sleeping with another man if it helps her sort herself out. Therapy? What's that? Can I eat it?

- Both the main leads end up with the second leads, but the romances with the second leads are poorly developed and felt rushed in places. Particularly the SML. Then again, you might like him if you're a fan of dark romance where an evil piece of shit who takes advantage of the FL when she is emotionally vulnerable (twice) is shown to have a tragic past. Then he cries a bit, and suddenly that makes him a good person.

- But the thing that really frustrates me is how they portrayed the love between the main leads. By the end of the story, we as the audience are expected to accept that the foundation of their love had too many cracks to truly last. However, we don't find that out until it's too late to turn back. Prior to that revelation, we are shown several flashbacks of the main leads genuinely in love and happy with each other. Even now, I find myself wondering when that changed and why. But the story never tells us. It only gives us the opportunity to watch it fall apart while wondering why these two people, who had been with each other for so long and loved each other so deeply, had to start dating other people before they were finally capable of having one honest conversation with each other. The poor communication in this story would have made a lot more sense if the main leads had only known each other for 3 years. Not 30.

The acting in the show was great. The music was also good, though nothing I'd want to listen to over and over. Even the premise was interesting on paper. Really, this drama had the ingredients to be something truly great.

But the execution...

Based on the ratings in Korea, the idea clearly was more than the writer/director could handle.

If you still choose to watch, I recommend getting to Episode 8 and then deciding if you want to continue. Episode 7 was the last episode that could have been said to make sense and, arguably, the most enjoyable. But Episode 8 is where everything starts going off the rails.

And I promise you, if you're finding flaws by the time you get there, it's only going to get worse.

You've been warned, friend...

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All Drama, No Substance

It's disappointing, really. I imagine that the writer couldn't decide whether they wanted to write a nuanced/mature exploration of a 10-year relationship or a makjang about a 10-year relationship. It's laughable if it's the first. A Love Other Than Yours started off by pulling you in with a promise of an exploration of a 10-year relationship between Nam Gung and Mi Do. The premise started strong; I loved the storytelling format, which compared some of the happiest parts of their love story to the present, when their relationship is beginning to fall apart. And slowly, as more episodes were released, it was as if we turned to a different genre, as more of the writing became absurd. Initially, the drama felt like an exploration of their relationship, the ups and downs. The setup of the drama was one of a kind in kdrama land, where relationships always start with couples falling in love and yet here are Mi Do and Nam Gung in the middle of a relationship that is slowly falling apart. One was ready to take another step, while the other was stuck and unsure about their future. It’s the main reason I was hooked when I first saw the first two episodes. The story was a nice setup to explore long-term relationship challenges. What happens when two people who have loved each other for so long begin to outgrow one another? Is love alone enough to sustain a relationship? How important is that spark that you get in the beginning, 10 years into the relationship?

What initially seemed like an attempt at a nuanced drama gradually devolved into something much more sensationalized, overblown, overexaggerated dare I say, rage bait. Instead of allowing characters to grow and develop their relationship, whether that be them realizing they should break up or stay together through meaningful conflict, the story relied on unnecessary drama and forced situations to create said drama to keep the audience watching, even if they hate it or not.

The writing is overall a mess. Turning Mi Do's depression into an excuse for cheating? And just for that plot point to be set aside. The writer made depression a way to move the plot forward; being depressed is used to justify the leads falling in love with other people. It's so ridiculous and cheap writing. It would have been a bit more justifiable (not the cheating part) if the writer had wrapped up this part of Mi Do's life better. You can't introduce something so significant in a character's life, use it to justify major decisions, and then conveniently abandon it when it's no longer useful to the plot. A 10-year relationship itself is complicated enough; add in second leads and this plot of a month-long trial period with them. It was such a cheap excuse to turn to the second leads as a plot device to move the story forward into a more complicated and messy situation. It’s a silly plot point to add if the writer was trying to write a melodrama. Their lives are so intertwined with each other, yet they want to jump into another relationship without breaking things off properly first. There were so many unsaid feelings and problems, so of course your relationship was doomed in the first place. If you have problems, communicate with your partner, not turn to other people and drag them into your mess.

I'm honestly so lost about what the writer wanted to communicate through this drama. What exactly is the message? I understand it to a certain extent, but whatever the drama is trying to say gets lost because none of them are given the proper development they deserve. On the surface, the drama has plenty to say about long-term relationships, communication, love, incompatibility, and the ways people change over time. But introducing all these themes is one thing; actually exploring them in a meaningful way is another. By the end, none of these ideas really leave much of an impression because they're buried underneath an increasingly ridiculous plot.

Sure, you could argue that the themes themselves are realistic. Long-term relationships are complicated. People fall out of love, grow apart, struggle with their mental health, and sometimes find themselves drawn to other people. These are all very real experiences. But there's a difference between exploring realistic relationship struggles and using them as a foundation for increasingly outlandish melodrama. The characters' circumstances might be rooted in reality, but their actions, the consequences of those actions, and the way the story chooses to resolve them often feel anything but grounded. And this is where I think the drama crosses into makjang territory.

It's almost as though the writer mistook the seriousness of the subject matter for depth. Just because you're tackling complicated themes doesn't automatically make your story nuanced. You still need to give those themes room to breathe, allow your characters to experience the consequences of their decisions, and give their conflicts some meaningful resolution. Otherwise, what's left is a collection of potentially interesting ideas buried underneath a convoluted plot that ultimately has very little to say.

My other issue is that we never really get to see Nam Gung and Mi Do grow individually or as a couple. Meaning it wasn’t until the very end that they became honest and communicated. Confronting the issues in their relationship and the truths they hid from each other. Mi Do's growth as a director and her depression were pushed aside, and Nam Gung's internal conflict with himself, his guilt and his trauma, I feel, was never properly developed, and it felt abandoned towards the end. It was frustrating that the drama saved some of its most important conversations for the very end when they should have been addressed long before. It’s a shame that the beginning was strong enough to carry the entire story on its own. Using Mi Do’s depression and the second leads as plot devices to manufacture conflict and prolong the narrative was unnecessary. The drama already had the necessary compelling plot to explore. The writer just needed to let it flow on its own path. Instead, they spent so much time creating unnecessary complications that there was very little room for actual character development that could have made the story worthwhile. Besides the very badly written script, I think the cinematography, actors and production design were well done, and they did a fantastic job with it too; it's a shame the story will overshadow these aspects of the series. Will now be mourning the wasted chemistry between the lead actors in this bad script. They were cute in the beginning; it makes me wanna see this pair in a rom-com.

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