Reviews

This is my first time writing a review here, and I just couldn’t help it.

This drama is truly enjoyable, and what stood out the most for me was the strong chemistry between the ML and FL. The FL embodied her character so well that it became very appealing to watch, while the ML added a wonderful sense of humor that made the story even more engaging. I especially loved the scenes where their inner voices led to misunderstandings, which created both tension and lighthearted moments. The supporting characters were also memorable, and even though the drama was short, each of them managed to show distinct personalities within the limited screen time. I feel this story could have been expanded into a longer drama, but despite its short length, the production team delivered an excellent piece that left a lasting impression.

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What a Lovely Chaotic Family

I completely enjoyed watching Kita-kun, Our Shared Love from start to finish. It was such an adorable and heartwarming drama.

The story follows an established polyamorous relationship between four people: Minami, Toko, Nishino, and of course, Kita the “angel” who is loved by everyone. Since they all love Kita, they decide to “share” him in their quirky 33% Club, and from there they grow into a family that is always there for one another.

The show kind of uses an episodic format, where each episode brings new challenges or fun developments in the family, with an overall story that digs deeper into each character’s past. Every member of the family has something to overcome in order to move forward and find happiness.

What really makes the drama shine is how wholesome the family dynamic feels. Even though Minami, Toko, and Nishino all love Kita, it’s never about rivalry. Instead, they care deeply for each other and support one another through ups and downs. It’s warm, chaotic, and touching all at once.

I loved all of the leads, each with their own unique personality, and even the side characters were written with care. The chemistry among the cast was a joy to watch.

Overall, this was a fun and refreshing drama that I’d definitely recommend. I’ll truly miss this chaotic, loving family.

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An emotional ride

This series is a true emotional rollercoaster — intense, addictive, and brilliantly acted.
The toxic relationships and twisted dynamics kept me hooked from the very first episode to the last.
Each scene is charged with tension, showing how fragile and dangerous human connections can become.
The actors deliver powerful, authentic performances that make even the most uncomfortable moments fascinating to watch.
Most of the time I was left speechless in the best way.
A bold, gritty, and unforgettable experience that lingers long after the final episode.
Make sure to watch this masterpiece.
You won't regret it.

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Destiny against love

After a long time, the historical drama in bl genre, and a bittersweet ending....it's a masterpiece.

After watching all type of bloodshed historical dramas, where the main story belongs to battlefield, politics and no love to die together, this series brings freshness for me.

Duan is a lover everyone craves. But what happens if at the brink of being together, destiny brings you far apart, unable to watch, and if you still watch the love of your life, it will bring pain.
Yes, such a heart wrenching love, where you have to cautious of your own love and lover, the love thats country apart, proper enemy to lover but have to be enemy for the same of people.

It's overwhelming how many times they get apart from their lover, and the next time they see, it's more tragic. It's sad how destiny plays the role in our life. It's not about how strong your love is, if it meant to give you pain again and again, even at the point of death.

I love how realistic everything this drama has, whether the bond of father as a king, the brother who was crowned, or the lover who is future crown prince of enemy country. And the most realistic is ending, no matter how hard you try to hold the water in your hands, it will slip.

I don't know in what category I should keep this series, its sad, romantic, historical, etc....but it's sure is a MASTERPIECE. Do watch it.

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Love is Not Perfect, But That's What Makes it so Human

"Beyond the Bar" is an intricate show based on the legal field and through a legal lens, explores a variety of themes and ideas which all eventually point back to one singular concept - love. From the beginning, the show starts off with the generic smart, top-of-the-class FL being late for her interview at the law firm but eventually manages to impress the panel judges and joins the only team that is not expecting anyone to join, spearheaded by our cold yet capable ML. Despite the generic opening, audiences are hooked by the second episode, opening with the FL going through a break-up right from the start, using the analogy of a relationship as a tea bag. When faced with troubles or problems, that which is likened to "hot water", a strong tea bag would releases its distinct flavor while a weak tea bag will result in the tea becoming bland and distasteful. Similar to a relationship, a strong relationship grounded in common interests and values will survive in the face of troubles while a weak relationship characterized by differing interests and values would crumble in the face of disagreements. This analogy stood out to me a lot and made the script feel a lot more genuine and well-written.

Almost every episode is titled with a similar interesting analogy or interesting concept. For example, the analogy of a mother's care and protectiveness being a butterfly's cocoon. If showered with too much love to the point of obsessions and overprotectiveness, the development of the child would become hindered and render them unable to make their own choices and decisions. Similarly, if an individual helps to open the cocoon that a developing caterpillar is in, its wings wouldn't be able to develop properly and it wouldn't be able to take flight. Other examples include "Love in All It's Colors", referring to the different forms that love can take similar to the different colors there are on the color spectrum as well as
"Salieri's Monologue", referring to the inherent human emotion of envy and judgement and how it can lead to our own misery. Besides that, some of the episodes are also titled after interesting concepts such as "Lex Talionis" which refers to the principle of retaliation, or in other words, enforcing a punishment that corresponds in degree and kind to the offense of the wrongdoer and "The Right to Life" which questions the morals and ethics of individuals who literally get to decide who lives or dies i.e. judges, prosecutors, surgeons etc. Once again, this proves just how meticulous and thoughtful the script is.

Another strong point of this drama is the character development that took place as the series progressed. The ML learned to open up to his colleagues and new juniors, to spend time with them and to eventually forgive his wife. The FL learned to be less reckless and more sensitive to others while maturing into a fine attorney and was eventually recognised by the ML as his "greatest masterpiece". The parents of the FL learnt from their mistakes and apologized to FL and her sister for "abandoning" her and eventually making up. The mother's character development esp. stood out to me because many of her decisions, including the decision to be bystander to school bullying despite the moral image that she projected as a prominent figure in the legal field, was what caused the FL to distance herself from her parents. Even side characters such as the second couple FL also experienced development, learning to put herself first and welcome a new relationship as well as reconnect with her daughter. Even the big boss of Yullim learnt to accept that he had gone down the wrong path and decided to step down and hand over the care of the firm to the mentor of the ML and his friend, who recognised his wrongdoing, did not simply ignore it but chose to do the right thing, even if it meant voting out his long-time friend and business partner.

Lastly, I really liked how the last episode linked all the previous episodes together to the common theme of love and its different forms and expressions - love between a parent and child, or btw. a couple, or between an animal and owner or even the love that we show to strangers. I also enjoyed how they highlighted how love can and should be imperfect because nothing in this world is without its flaws. Yet, if we choose to ignore something because it is imperfect, then we are ignoring the very essence that makes us human (e.g. mother abandoning sister because she is deaf, final ep. couple choosing to marry without having love involved). In addition, I was also thoroughly impressed with how they depicted marriage as "the process of enduring that imperfect love together" because it truly reflects the essence of a marital union and acknowledging that both will have their flaws and disagreements but being able to embrace that and get through those rocky times together is what
makes marriage such a wonderful and precious gift. The proposal speech in the last episode further adds to the depth of this concept, especially the line "no one tells us how we are supposed to love each other ... we only learn what love is after being hurt, and we only realise its value after losing it". Once again, this confession highlights that nobody really understands what love is, because it is impossible to put a definition to it but the journey of trying to understand this human emotion together and making those mistakes together is what makes it so worthwhile and intimate.

Some complaints about the series include how unrealistic it was for the newbie FL to keep winning cases and the unnecessary office romance which was inconclusive. For the former, I feel that it is not that unrealistic considering that the FL was a genius, valedictorian, mentored by one of the best lawyers in modern Korea, has both parents in high positions in the legal field and is surrounded by friends and colleagues who help her earnestly. For the latter, I really appreciated the slow-burn romance from a distanced relationship between a disapproving boss and a reckless junior to one filled with admiration and respect. Personally, I think I could feel some degree of intimacy between their gaze, their time spent with each other such as the car rides, coffee room discussions and date in the last episode, and the way the FL speaks about him. To me, the open ending is satisfactory because the relationship could end up in 2 ways. One, they remain professional and continue as colleagues. Or two, they decide to pursue a romantic relationship. Both cases can be equally justified and therefore the open ending remains as an
ideal closure for the series. In conclusion, "Beyond the Bar" will likely stay as one of the most thoughtful and well-written K-dramas that I have come across.

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For a specific audience

If you are looking for an action-filled series with lots of drama, this is not the one for you. Neither does it feature a soul-stirring love triangle. People are so used to the importance of a passionate romance plot in almost all dramas that they forget it does not have to be and does not need to be dramatic. Love does not need to be loud, love can be comforting, safe and subtle. This idea is supported by the cinematography of the Hong Kong scenes (which I absolutely adored).
The portrayal of love and the struggles in adult life in this drama brought me to tears a few times, even as someone who does not usually get emotional to this extent. Especially scenes featuring Munjeong and her husband. Who does not wish to have such a supportive and loving partner in life?
To end the romance part argument of the series, I enjoyed the subtle hints at the fact that Changwon adored Heeji. But would it have been logical if this subplot developed into a dramatic love triangle? The answer is in the genre of the series. I believe people forget what slice of life is and enjoy slow pace in such an accelerated way of life in the modern world.
For the law-related aspect, it is admirable how they portrayed the hardships someone working in this field can go through.
As a conclusion, the general audience is not ready for a mature drama like this. But if you are an adult who can enjoy things other than action, and you are also somewhat interested in the world of law, then this might suit you.
P.S.: Lee Jongsuk looked fantastic in glasses.

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A love story too heavy to breathe, even in its tenderest moments

Feud had all the right ingredients: a cast I admire, a premise rich with tragedy and longing, and a world built to test the limits of love. And yet, for me, it never quite became the story I hoped it would. On paper, Hua Ruyue and Bai Jiusi should have been unforgettable — two souls tied by fate, torn apart by grief, and bound together again by the stubborn endurance of love. But watching them, I rarely felt joy in their bond. Even their happiest times seemed weighed down by shadows, as if their love existed only in the margins of sorrow. It was never just about misunderstandings or bad timing — it was about two people whose fundamental ways of seeing life and mankind often felt irreconcilable.

That doesn’t mean the drama lacked power. On the contrary, its exploration of grief, guilt, and moral ambiguity carried real weight. Hua Ruyue’s compassion, twisted by loss, and Bai Jiusi’s quiet devotion, smothered by silence, made for a pairing that was layered but unbearably heavy. Their love wasn’t soft tragedy like in One and Only, where fleeting joy made the heartbreak all the sharper. In Feud, joy was barely allowed to exist at all. And that’s where the drama lost me. Instead of feeling the ache of love shining through pain, I felt buried under the pain itself. It’s a beautiful, well-acted story — intelligent, somber, and full of depth — but for me, it lacked the balance that makes heartbreak worth enduring.

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I was scared the series was gonna be to toxic but...

Alright, I watched the trailer and everything looked so cozy but when I started watching it I almost stopped. So when Jin Yu Zhen was introduced I thought; "he must be such a toxic red flag male lead", but I was wrong. Jin Yu Zhen is just a misunderstood (even in the series) person. His actions are not meant to hurt others, but they do. I love how, I, as a watcher, felt the same way Shi Lei and the other co-workers felt in the beginning. They did a good job with how watcher felt while watching, every single emotion, I felt them the same way Shi Lei did.

The side characters story kinda sucked, but it also wasn't really the main focus ofcourse, though, I still find it funny that all of the side couples got together before the main did. I'm not disappointed with how long it took for them to start a relationship, since their relationship developed slowly but they did act romantic. It was a bit of a ragebate on when they started dating. I was almost screaming each time they layed together and still DIDNT admit their feelings,

Aside from this all loved it!!

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He ain't heavy, he's my brother

A very touching and emotional youth and family drama. The first 6 episodes are heartbreaking and sad, but in a good way. We see the reasons for the younger brother's depression and anxiety very well. I was moved to tears, which is rare. I found the drama quite a realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional family.

The older brother, violently ousted from the family, is not a knight in a shining armor, but comes to the support of his brother, just because he's needed. The "way home" in the title means that he slowly admits to himself how lonely he has been and that he actually longs to return to the family. But this happens by his own terms. The brothers first have to break free from the suffocating family environment before they can bring the whole family back to its tracks.

The father figure in this drama is the kind that I constantly wanted to hit him in the head with a baseball bat. But unreasonable people like that do exist in real life. The mother was just a little less frustrating. The kind of a meak i'm-just-a-mother person that do exist in real life.

I found this from Youku by browsing the family dramas category. Somewhat crazy that people think the relationship between two brothers could or should be BL. Nothing in the drama even remotely gives that kind of ideas. Although the brothers are not related by blood, they grew up as brothers in the same family and didn't even know the older brother's dad (younger brother's uncle) wasn't his real dad. This is not "bromance" either since it's all in the family.

The writing takes a small dive towards the end. It's good that it's this short. I didn't particularly like the meddling gossipy villager characters. But the drama wanted to portray how also a dysfunctional village community can come together and build better relationships.

All in all, a very heartwarming drama which I give 8.5.

Ps. The title refers to the song by The Hollies. The lyrics and atmosphere fit the drama just perfecly:

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where, who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share

And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

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Great chemistry and fun to watch

From the very beginning, it felt fun, light and easy to watch but at the same time it had depth in the characters and story. I liked how the FL is funny, kind, and down-to-earth while the ML’s past makes him more complex and interesting. Their chemistry worked so well that I found myself smiling at their sweet moments and the romance didn’t feel awkward or dragged out.
The balance between the fantasy plot and the emotional side of the story was just right, so I never felt bored.
The production is also quite nice, the costumes, settings and fight scenes make the drama enjoyable to look at, even though a bit of the CGI could’ve been better. Toward the end, the pacing got a little rushed and the ending had a bittersweet feel, but overall it still left a strong impression on me. It’s the kind of drama that makes you want to keep watching and think about it afterward.

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