Reviews

Turning a masterpiece into mediocrity

Kaibutsu is guilty of the most egregious sin a remake could commit, it's bad but not bad enough for a hate watch. It's simply a mediocre crime drama, that uses dry storytelling to mask the way it relies on sensationalism. It's dime a dozen in the world of J-drama mysteries.

It's too sad to list all the wonderful qualities of the outstanding original K-drama Goemul/Beyond Evil that weren't utilised in Kaibutsu so let's just focus on the positives. Yasuda Ken creates instantly likeable male lead who is easy to root for; he isn't overacting at all, it's just that the male lead is one of the two characters allowed to emote in the drama (otherwise we might forget that we are watching a Gritty Crime TV™). The other emoting character (Tadokoro, not the second male lead) is charming as well. The OST is really well-made, and the production design is fun if your watched the original (J-dramas and K-dramas portray creepy basements very differently). It has to be said that Kaibutsu does realistic costuming much better, as in unkempt characters do have unwashed hair and ragged clothes unlike Beyond Evil where "unkempt-coding" is used instead.

Sometimes the story is so strong, it shines even through a bad retelling. That's why the episodes of Kaibutsu focused on the plot reveals still manage to be gripping and compelling. But the original is so much more than a who-dun-it with a couple of shocking twists, existence of Kaibutsu all but boggles the mind.

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Empty vessels really do make the most noise

Just for my edification, I need to know who signed off on this. I would then like to snack some sense into them by travelling to a time before they agreed - and this stupid setup I've come up with is aces better than anything they did.

Who? Who thought this was okay? This is a masterclass on how to create lackluster hype and somehow ruin the lowest of expectations anyone has for you. Because even the combined forces of over ten seasoned professionals could not save this sinking ship.

The non - existent plot follows Tae San, who is the incarnation of the tiger zodiac. You may be wondering why I say that when the show is called Twelve.
Let me explain.

The story is mostly about Tae San, while the other seven zodiacs are basically reduced to his rag tag bunch of followers. And there are only eight zodiacs! Because the very first scene introduces us to their backstory, but we're left wondering for over two episodes why there are only eight of them.. when the show is called Twelve. This is because their absence was explained in a truly blink and you'll miss it moment. Seriously, blink and you will miss it.

Thereon, the entire setup of the show is that the Zodiacs were basically guardians of the universe, who are now living without their powers after they saved the world the last time around, which they lost when they sealed all the evil in something called the Hellmouth. So now all they do is lend money and eat. They spent more time eating than they did saving the world.

Of course if you have heroes - you need villains. Here it's a group of evil spirits who want to awaken the spirits of two ancient evil beings. I say evil because if you look deeply enough, you could argue that they were more than just villains. But the show didn't care to be anything more than superficial and I don't care enough to be dissecting their past and personalities.

The two evil spirits they want to awaken are Ogwi and Haetae, the crow incarnation and some random name they pulled out of a hat for reasons. Basically, they free Ogwi and they need to collect some soul stones to free Haetae, so they can all be evil again. Avengers knock off but not really so I'll forgive them. And they do it! All while our heroes are powerless and of course, they take over the town! This is six episodes by the way, this is all that happens in six episodes.

Then we find out that Ogwi was some angel adjacent and involved in a random soulmates storyline with Mirr, wanted to become a zodiac adjacent, couldn't for some unknown reason and chose to become a demon instead! Someone call the Academy, man, what a brilliant plot! You have conveniently thrusted every Kdrama trope into your trash narrative only to wrap it all up in the name of.. love?

After all that, we got the actual backstory in the final episode (which true to form made no sense), a bunch of corny and senseless fights and a return to mukbangs. It was all so bad. And if they were setting up a sequel with that, just ask them to read my review, because IT'S NOT NECESSARY.

This is an incredibly basic plot - and they couldn't even execute this properly. Episode after episode is spent watching our heroes eat, while our villains stand on rooftops sporting red eyes. They pretend like there's some plot - we have a bunch of moments where Won Seung (Monkey), Mal Sook (Horse), Kang Ji (Dog) and Jwi Dol (Rat) go on random side quests as debt collectors, to show off subpar fighting skills and terrible editing, Doni (Pig) and Bang Wool (Snake) are used as comic reliefs, and Mirr (Dragon) is straight out of a melodrama, like she transmigrated from some other series. None of it makes sense together, they're all in their own worlds, painstakingly held together by Marok (Manager) and his magic staff.

Episode after episode these people stand by and watch as Tae San attempts to deal with his emotional baggage, as Mirr deals with hers and Marok runs around trying to get them all together because some pendant they have notifies them that evil is back. Kind of like when your food is out for delivery, but you can't really track your driver because the app is broken. Their app is also broken because their powers are non existent, so they spend six episodes running around aimlessly and causing more damage than they repair stuff.

This may as well be the worst thing I've ever watched. You wait.. and you wait.. and you wait for the story to pick up.. and you'll keep waiting. All the episodes are spent setting up nothing, it's the continuation to a story we don't know because apparently we all had the script beforehand and knew the entire story, introducing random plots and characters like we're supposed to know who and what they are.

And I will complain about this, because this is one of the reasons I don't trust K Dramas, why the hell do you need romance??! Like this didn't already have ten thousand other genres to cover, romance?! I don't understand this obsession with forcing romance into a plot that has no substance, for what? To create some emotional connection? To make me feel for the characters? If anything, I felt more distance after that reveal, because on what level did they think romance between Ogwi and Mirr, two characters who had twenty minutes of screentime combined would be something enjoyable? STOP. FORCING. ROMANCE.

All the characters were terrible, just FYI. I hated all of them and for having actors with such name brand recognition, not a single one of them acted well. Half of them did not move their face muscles and the other half went to extreme levels of overacting.

If they'd spent just a shred of the budget they did on the cast on good writers, editors, costume design or VFX, this could have been watchable. There's no way I say it would have been amazing because this was rock bottom, but I genuinely believe there was a levél below they would've hit if it went on longer.

Do yourself a favour and do not go anywhere near this - it is irredeemable levels of terrible and even Seo In Guk couldn't do anything for me in this. And if you're watching for Park Hyung Sik, he had 10 minutes of screentime and his character is so forgettable, just do yourself a favour and stay away.

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You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear!

This drama is a standing example of how the brightest of the stars can't outshine bad writing. From start to finish, it's a masterclass in how to do absolutely everything wrong. I wish I could sugar coat it, but I can’t even count a single redeeming moment on all ten fingers. 
  
First off, the plot or rather the lack of it. The premise is 12 angels fighting against evil spirits to protect humans. Sounds interesting, right... But the character introduction was an absolute disaster. In episode 1, I found myself remembering who was who half the time, except for Tiger, because they had given him a loud tiger-print suit. Halfway through me playing Dora the Explorer, I notice it very late that 4 zodiacs have died, and they give that information in a glorious flashback scene of 2 seconds at the introduction. If you miss seeing people lying on the ground, you have missed a very important detail.
  
I failed to understand and comprehend all the characters' motivations or the conflict driving the plot forward. Also, we are bombarded with endless flashbacks that are so irrelevant and at the wrong time. Imagine an intense fighting scene playing, and suddenly you are transported to Tiger's younger self, eating and reminiscing about an old memory.  
I felt the writers were in a constant state of doubt on what to do next, and the best plan they came up with was to confuse the audience with the randomness and leave us bewildered as to why we are still watching this. 

They finally decided to grace us with the backstory in the very last episode because why make any sense until the finale, right? That crucial info clearly had to arrive fashionably late, just to keep us delightfully confused all season.

Coming to the team dynamics... sadly, we see nothing substantial. 
Somehow, everything was about the leader Teasan (Tiger), who, in my opinion, wasn't a good fit for that role. Marok, the manager, was more logical than him and apparently has a better understanding of the team. When you put a show centring a team, show the TEAM... show their strengths and weaknesses and not just their leader acting like a monarch and his only concern is the restaurant lady.  
I expected each of them to show distinct personalities and thematic connections to their animal traits based on their zodiac signs, but they had zero impact. The fight scenes were badly choreographed, especially those of Teasan's.  
  
Second glaring issue (when I say glaring, it is in your face glaring) was the visuals. Again, I don't want to sound harsh, but I dressed better in my fancy dress competition when I was a child than the costumes here. And guess what, my family was working with a shoestring budget. The wigs and the costumes were laughable. You can argue that I am a naïve drama watcher who didn't understand this niche plot, but you can't defend the visuals. It's like 5-minute DIY crafts.  
Also, the magic weapons looked like child props bought at discounted rate. I will not get started on CGI because I literally have nothing nice to say. Everything was so underwhelming, taking into account that they had PHS and Seo In Guk as the cast!  
I want to take this moment and ask the team - "Where did the damn budget go?!!"  
  
Humans tend to desperately find a silver lining in everything and I did too. The only thing I liked was that Park Hyung Sik's character Ogwi had wings and that he looked really good with those red lenses.
I was excited to see him in an antagonist role, and was intrigued by his backstory, but the lack of context in both present and past just somehow wasted that potential too. 
  
Coming to Romance, Hyung Sik had better chemistry with the rooftop than with Miss dragon. I mean, that's the only explanation I have for him standing there for 3 episodes and doing nothing to save this sinking ship.  Jokes apart, the chemistry between them was non-existent. There shouldn't have been romance in the first place, but if you are serving it, at least build it up gradually.  

We had another antagonist, Samin, who was as unimpressive as everything else in the drama. His character lacked the command and curiosity that were needed to make him a good villain. We are told reasons for what he does (vaguely) and why, but they feel empty. Somehow, things were very convenient for him and I just didn't care about him at all.
  
Acting-wise, it was just something else... in the sense that I would rather forget it. With the script like this, all the big names seem weighed down. The overall performance felt very stiff. I want to see the reading room footage, just to understand what convinced the entire cast to say yes to THIS script. 
Production-wise, it was atrocious. I have seen a fair share of low-budget dramas, and they are better than this. I know they were aiming for the stars but sadly it turned out tragic. 
  
Overall, this was a disaster dressed as ambition with a star cast. The only thing consistent here was the disappointment. This had every ingredient to become an epic fantasy drama, but I will remember it for all the wrong reasons.  I can't even say it is entertaining because it is anything but that !
I see a sea of wasted potential and missed opportunities, with a sinking ship stranded in the middle with 12 angels, a snake and a crow sitting on the damn deck (because apparently misery doesn't love company...) all flailing desperately just to survive! 
Will I recommend this? NO. 
  
Thank you for reading my review! <3  
Usually, I am a sweet person, but the number of crash-outs I had yesterday after my binge-watching session is the reason for this sarcastic/harsh review.  
If you enjoyed the show, please take this as just one opinion among many. :))

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Loved every second....!!

This was a complete surprise. Every single character's acting and role was done fabulously. The FL lead casting was bang on, the way she potrayed her character was such a delight. No delicate darling nor over the top unrealistic skills. Just a regular smart person who has strong survival skills and loves her family and wants to prove something.
This was my first Ding Yu Xi drama and i absolutely developed a massive crush on him or rather the role he played. One of my personal favourite things is to see actors who have some meat on the bones and are not sticklike or too skinny. Makes the roles they play comical imo.
The story was very well written and potrayed. I was absolutely immersed into it from episode1. You love the characters you are meant to love and hate the ones you should. No over the top overacting with comedy.
This is my second time watching this drama and many times I have found myself just looking for YouTube edits of my favourite scenes...just like that.
Highly recommend this drama. It deserves all the love it got and more.

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Not the best.

The rating might look harsh, because I really did enjoy watching the second season, but honestly I just can’t rate it higher.

As always, Shou Yi and Shi De were everything. Their chemistry is still my absolute favorite part of this whole series. And Sam Lin… someone explain to me, am I crazy or was he actually even more handsome this season? Like every time he was on screen, I was dying o///o. His acting also went to another level, especially that drunk scene. Normally when characters cry I get so uncomfortable, I just pick at my nails and wait for it to end, but this time I couldn’t look away. My chest felt heavy, and I really thought I might cry with him. These emotional and intimate scenes were the best part for me, I keep replaying them in my head..

But even they can’t save the entire season. The plot was just so weak. I hate miscommunication in romance shows. In real life you can solve it just by talking, so why are they acting like they enjoy torturing themselves? Are they masochists? Please, just talk to each other. And that random woman… what was that? I thought it would become an important plot point but then it was never explained. Honestly, it just left me confused. And don’t even ask me about the job stuff. I didn’t care, and I didn’t understand anything happening there.

The side couples… sorry but I didn’t care at all. I’m not a fan of multiple couples in one BL. I like when all the focus is on the main couple. Their scenes were so boring to me, I was close to skipping them just to get back to Shou Yi and Shi De. I don’t even remember their storylines. That’s how forgettable it was.

Even though this season disappointed me, it doesn’t ruin how much I love We Best Love overall. It’s still one of my favorite BLs, and I will definitely watch any BL if Yu or Sam are in it. They already have my full heart <3!!

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A MESS

If I'll have to summarize this drama in one word, that would be MESS.

When I saw people posting about Twelve, I was initially very intrigued. The concept of the zodiac angels living like humans while trying to regain their powers was very interesting and unique. I love fantasy and mythology so I decided to watch the drama from the day it started airing.

Looking back at it, I almost want to laugh at my excitement and curiosity.

The first two episodes were lukewarm to say the least. The plot didn't seem as interesting as I had expected and the characterisation wasn't engaging enough for me to care about the characters. Still, I decided to remain optimistic. It was only the beginning and the story needed more time to unfold properly. Although Twelve didn't have the strongest beginning, I still had hopes because the story had some interesting traits and I believed that as the series would go by, it would improve.

Alas, the show just went downhill and crashed harder than the Titanic.

The first red flag which indicated that this would be an unpleasant journey was the fighting scenes. Let me tell you that when I watched Tae San fighting these thugs for the first time, I was baffled. Messy choreography. Weird angles. Tacky editing. I felt like I was watching a project made by amateurs and let me tell you that I've seen fanmade videos on YouTube about different franchises that put Twelve to shame.

When you describe your drama as action heavy, one would expect something better than these chops of fighting scenes. There were times when it was so painfully obvious that the actors did not hit each other, it was honestly so laughable how unconvincing it was. And don't get me started on the bad guys getting beaten one by one, waiting for their turn patiently instead of attacking together.

The direction and production added more salt to the wound. There were times when I almost wondered if the showrunners were mocking us and if I was part of a social experiment. At least that would made a more interesting plot than the one we had. I am confident that all the budget went to the actors and the rest received dust. There's no other way to explain what I saw on my screen.

First and foremost, the costumes they showed in the flashbacks were absolutely tragic. For a fantasy series, they didn't even bother try out more effort and creativity in the clothes. I've seen cosplayers with much better attires and with clothes that do not look like cheap Shein products. The armors were so bad, the clothes were so mismatched and the wigs were so comical to look at. During some more serious scenes I just couldn't take the characters seriously because of the way they looked. The most prominent example is the scene where the 8 angels mourn the death of the other four. Aside from the bad editing, I couldn't bring myself to care and instead of focusing on the heaviness of this moment, I had to surpass my laughter every time the camera would focus on one of the Angels in these ridiculous costumes. The CGI, albeit not horrible in some parts, left some things to be desired. O Gwi's wings could have definitely be better, they looked bizarre sometimes, especially when he used them to fight.

The lack of a powerful and epic OST was another element that failed to elevate the emotional impact of Twelve. You need a good soundtrack in order to create emotions and Twelve failed to provide us with anything memorable. I'm currently watching The Untamed so I feel spoiled because every episode cause euphoria in my ears so the discrepancy between this and Twelve is very funny. There is a scene where Tae San opens Hellmouth and the background music is a hip hop track. What are we even trying to do?

When we're talking about fantasy, the visuals play a fundamental role in order to establish your setting and magic system. But I was willing to cut them some slack. Some fantasy series might not have the best effects but at least they offer an interesting script.

In Twelve's case, the story was even worse.

When you're making a drama with 8 episodes, one would expect more straightforward storytelling. With short dramas, you cannot afford to waste time. But it's clear that the budget was cut short because neither the story nor the characters delivered what was promised.

It's a serious crime to create a fantasy universe and put barely any effort to expand it. We are thrusted into this world as if we have any prior knowledge about it. Aside from the small intro from Episode 1 and some information via poor dialogues and awkward flashbacks, we never really get to learn many significant things regarding the Angels and God. And what about the Angel's identities? I had to read the description of the actors from my drama list in order to understand which Angel represented each animal. Aside from the most obvious ones (Tiger, Pig, Monkey, Snake, Dragon) the rest weren't that clear. Had I not read the information, I would be stuck trying to figure out the animals Mal Sook and Jwi Dol were supposed to be.

Aside from the poor world-building, I'm still trying to understand the reason why the series was called Twelve when four angels remained dead for the most part. If you wanted to create a series about the twelve zodiac signs, you should at least give information about all the angels and integrate them into the story. Had we seen more of the four angels and how they contributed to humanity's safety, it would have made more sense and it would have added more depth in the dynamic among the Angels. Such thing never happened and instead we basically got deceived.

The structure of the story killed every remaining possibilities of development. Everything felt so hectic and not in a good way. The pacing was painfully slow, sometimes it was as if time had stopped. I have no problem with slow-paced dramas, some of my most favourite series are actually slow-paced (Beyond Evil, Through The Darkness, Black Out). However, in these shows the pacing was necessary in order to explore the characters and the story and prepare for the built-up. In Twelve, that simply never happened. There was no deeper exploration regarding the characters, the story remained monotonous and the payoff was definitely not worth it.

The editing contributed to the amateur image of the show. Was there even an editor in the first place? I seriously doubt that. They left so many unnecessary moments uncut. Some scenes dragged so much, they felt like they lasted for hours and hours. Give me one reason why it was necessary, according to the director, to show every single Angel's reaction when something significant happened.

The four angels die? Zoom into every Angel's face and show their reactions. One by one.

Tae San arrives during a dangerous situation? Make each Angel exclaim "Tae San". One.by.one.

The Angels are fighting enemies or getting beaten? Show them fighting. ONE.BY.ONE.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!? At one point I started taking guesses about the order of the Angels' appearances! Moments like these are the reason why the pacing was so off. We wasted too much time in insignificant scenes instead of using it for more meaningful storytelling.

The usage of flashbacks killed even the few hyped moments in the series. They were so random and the majority of them did not even contribute anything to the plot. Instead of using them meticulously in order to give further information without ruining the pacing, the writers put them in the most bizarre moments. For example, Episode 3 ends with a flashback which came after.a.supposedly.dramatic.moment. They could have chosen to end the episode then but nope, they had to ruin the mood with this good-for-nothing throwback.

I cringed so hard when the series tried to become comedic. It was so painful to witness all of these attempts to add some funny elements. As if it wasn't enough to sit through this wannabe epic fantasy tale, they tortured me with poorly written humor too. Let me tell you that I laughed harder at the scenes the writers did not intend to make funny. I wasn't like with them, I was laughing AT them.

And now the characters. Oh boy, where to begin? To put it frankly: I gave zero f*cks about them. It appears that the writers would take it for granted that the viewers would sympathize with the Angels simply because they were the good guys who had been wronged by humans. Surprise surprise, this is not enough. When the writers do not bother to put any effort in the characterisation, I am not obligated to side with the heroes. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything about these people. They didn't even have proper personalities. Some of them had interesting traits but they were never utilized. A pity if you ask me, especially since they are supposed to represent the zodiac signs so there were many opportunities to incorporate that in their personalities.

Among the Angels, the one who was highlighted a lot was Tae San, portrayed by Ma Song Seok. Which makes sense considering he was involved in the writing process too. Too bad he couldn't invest in his character. Tae San was supposed to be this sympathetic leader who has fallen into depression after the tragedies he has experienced and yet I couldn't bring myself to care. Not in the slightest. The writing of his character was so messy, instead of coming across as badass and yet vulnerable, he became comedic. Instead of having so many scenes about him or his interactions with the grandma, the screen time should have been shared among the rest of the Angels in order to flesh out their characters just a little bit.

The story tried very hard to convince me that the Angels are a family. I'm sorry but I was never sold. Whether it was the acting or writing, the chemistry among the Angels was bland and barely existant. They never gave me the vibe of a family that tried to stick together and help each other. It was like watching a bunch of coworkers. Instead of showcasing their bond more through actions, the writers tried to sell it via poorly written scenes. The worst part was the scenes with the characters having discussions while eating. They failed so much to capture the domestic feeling.

The only characters which managed to capture my interest even a little were Won Seung, Mirr and O Gwi. Won Seung was fun to look at and I was curious to see if his character would have been explored more considering he was marketed as one of the main ones (spoiler alert: he didn't receive any development). Mirr and O Gwi seemed to have interesting backstories and I wanted to learn more about them. But of course the poor writing had to ruin everything.

Can someone give me one good explanation about why Mirr was written as such a weak Angel? She was supposed to be the only one to retain her powers and yet she struggled more against the bad guys. I swear to God, for the majority of the series she was either sleeping or she was a damsel in distress. Shebarelt had any personality. I feel sad for sounding so harsh but unfortunately this is the plain truth.

O Gwi was one of the biggest letdowns. I tried to remain hopeful and believe that we would see more of him but once again, I was deceived. It's so funny how hard they tried to market him as the main threat for the Angels, only for him to barely have any significant scenes in the first episodes and then be turned into a wannabe misunderstood antihero. There were so many layers that could have been explored but clearly the writers did not care. We learned almost NOTHING regarding his backstory and his motives were presented in such a superficial way.

When the plot is not plotting, what is the best solution in order to make it more interesting? You guessed it: romance. And which characters did the writers decide to pair together? Of course the heroine with the villain, Mirr and O Gwi. The problem is that when you're writing romance, you ought to make it believable. I'm sorry but Mirr and O Gwi gotta be one of the most fraud couples in the history of kdramas. They barely had any meaningful interactions. The one kiss we got cannot even be described as a proper kiss with the way it was filmed. Tell me, why should I care about them and their story when the writers did not bother to explore it? "Oh, but you don't understand, it's a tragic love story and they wanted to be together even though everything was against them and..." AND NOTHING. You cannot write a romance in such a shallow way and expect me to care. You are not writing tropes. You are writing a love story. We never learned how they met each other. We never saw them interacting as a proper couple. We got a shitty montage of some of their happy moments as if it came straight out from a fan made YouTube video from the 2010s. And last but not least regarding this subplot: I apologize, but the actors did not have chemistry. I'm sure that both Park Hyung Sik and Lee Joo Bin are good actors but they were unable to sell the chemistry between them. Their interactions seemed so wooden. I know that this is partially fault of the writing but something was off with the actors too.

I feel so grateful for not being a fan of any of the actors prior watching the series. Had I been a fan, I would have built higher expectations regarding their screen time and characters, whereas I went blindly into the series and spared myself from a bigger disappointment. I am desperate to learn about the actors' paycheck. Did they read the script before signing up for it? Were they happy with the final results? If I were them, I would have stormed out the setting the moment they'd make me wear one of these poor excuses of wigs. It's such a pity that their talent got wasted in this mess of a show.

The acting was not horrible. But it was poor because the writing itself was poor. The actors did not have many opportunities to showcase their range more and their performances came across as awkward. The delivery of some lines was unconvincing, it was as if the actors themselves couldn't feel the characters or the story. The only moment throughout the drama where an actor delivered a performance with some emotional impact was on Episode 6 when Won Seung mourned the death of a particular character. Kudos to Seo In Guk. The rest of the actors were unable to showcase their full potential but that is the fault of the script. Park Hyung Sik carried the character of O Gwi on his shoulders but even he wasn't enough to save this mess of a plot.

At sixth grade, me and two of my friends made a short film for an English project. Our amateur movie, filmed by my dad's phone and edited from a free computer app was more consistent and entertaining than Twelve. Whatever it was supposed to deliver, it simply didn't. I didn't want to drop it because I am the type of person who refuses to give up on series but I am so happy it was 8 episodes only. I am very sad that such an interesting concept got wasted on such a lackluster execution and I hope that none of my favourite actors will get to work with these writers and director.

A message to kdrama producers: good casting does not guarantee good writing and good numbers. Audiences are not as naive as you think. If they realise that what they're watching is poorly made, they will give up. That explains the reason why viewership plummeted after the first two episodes. May this be a lesson to everyone, viewers and creators.

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I LOVE THIS SERIES

I never expected Leap Day to hit me this hard, but it truly did. The story was solid, the production flawless, the OST beautifully haunting, the visual effects polished, and the acting… honestly, beyond words.
The moments that broke me the most were in episodes 11 and 12, when Day (Pond Naravit) sacrificed himself to save his brother Ozone. I cried so much during those scenes.. like I couldn’t even breathe properly. It wasn’t just sad, it was devastating in the most beautiful way. Pond Naravit’s performance as Day was absolutely unforgettable. He didn’t just play the role, he became Day. Every tear, every struggle, every sacrifice felt real, and that’s why it hurt so deeply.
and also the entire cast was incredible. From the leads to the supporting characters, everyone delivered genuine and powerful performances that made the whole story come alive. The chemistry between them felt natural, the emotions raw, and the effort they poured into each scene was undeniable. Together, they made this series shine in a way few shows ever do.
For me, Leap Day isn’t just a series, it’s an emotional experience. It made me laugh, it made me cry endlessly, and it reminded me how powerful storytelling can be when every detail is done right.

Truly, one of the best series I’ve ever watched.

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The Agony and Ecstasy of a Lifelong Friendship

GENERAL OVERVIEW:

Friendship, in its truest form, can be a shelter against life’s tempests. But in “You and Everything Else,” it IS the tempest: violent, consuming, and relentless. This decades-spanning drama charts the entanglement of Ryu Eun-jung and Cheon Sang-yeon, two women bound together by intimacy and enmity in equal measure. Their friendship, fraught with rivalry, betrayal, and longing, ultimately bends toward reconciliation, painting a portrait of love and destruction intertwined.

From their first encounter as fourth-grade students in 1992, when Eun-jung was poor and sharp-edged and Sang-yeon seemed perfect as the new transfer student, their dynamic is shaped by mutual resentment and envy. What begins as hostility morphs into a fragile bond through middle and high school, only to become more complicated in college when both fall orbit to Kim Sang-hak, complicating their already fragile dynamic. When they collide again in their thirties, their professional lives spiral into betrayal, jealousy, and stolen ideas within the film industry. In the present day, a terminally ill Sang-yeon re-enters Eun-jung’s life, requesting accompaniment to Switzerland for euthanasia.

What makes this drama remarkable is how believably it captures the way friendships shift with age. Childhood friendships break over small things and reconciliation is just as easy then, but as you get older fights become harder to undo and reconciliations rarer. You could just stop seeing each other and move on. The way the show makes the troubles deepen with time is believable, and it quietly shows the subtle shifts between liking and resenting someone. I especially liked that Sang-yeon and Eun-jung weren’t tied up and made to fight over love alone.

At first Sang-yeon had experienced the death of Cheon Sang-hak, and then mid-series her mother dies, but only after being given a terminal diagnosis does she seem to finally face the lifelong triggers she’d carried. She was full of fear: would she follow her brother into suicide, or suffer like her mother until she died? She said she found comfort in knowing that Switzerland exists. I liked that she had the chance to choose while she was still coherent, and with Eun-jung by her side she was no longer lonely. “Nobody will die happier than me.”

The script, direction, acting, and music were all so calm and composed, with muted colors and long takes that mirror the characters’ emotional restraint... almost documentary-like, and that’s why it made me cry.

It showed so well that Sang-yeon exists as she is now because of Eun-jung, and Eun-jung exists as she is now because of Sang-yeon. Even though their friendship wasn’t all happiness and fond memories, in fact, it was filled more with resentment and jealousy, even those memories became the driving force that shaped them. And so, the show convincingly insists that the two could only ever be each other’s one and only.

Eun-jung felt inferior to Sang-yeon, and Sang-yeon felt inferior to Eun-jung, but I think they were really just trying to fill their own lacks. They drifted apart out of mutual blame and envy.

Eun-jung has always been the one to reach out, so Sang-yeon probably asked her to stay with her at the end knowing Eun-jeong wouldn’t be able to refuse. All the awkwardness, annoyance, and hatred faded, and only then did they find peace, but the saddest thing is that there was no time left to be together. Eun-jung’s face, telling Sang-yeon without hesitation “you did well, you held on,” stuck in my chest.

The final episode in particular was so well made. It was undeniably sad, yet also beautiful. I’ve never seen a drama like this before. It just left me with such a strange, indescribable feeling.

____________________

INSIGHTS:

Eun Jung:

Ryu Eun-jung is the central protagonist, portrayed as a resilient, empathetic, and multifaceted woman shaped by hardship, complicated relationships, and a lifelong struggle between bitterness and compassion. Born into poverty, she grows up in a semi-basement with her single mother, a milk delivery worker. Early exposure to inequality, such as school surveys exposing her fatherless home, bullying, and constant financial strain, leaves her both envious of privilege and fiercely resilient. Helping her mother and hiding her shame about home life forge a toughness that coexists with deep vulnerability.

At her core, Eun-jung is considerate and sincere, qualities that draw others in. Even as a child, she refuses revenge when wronged, showing empathy that becomes her quiet strength. This warmth attracts Sang-yeon’s mother (a mentor), Sang-yeon’s brother Cheon Sang-hak (her first love), and later Kim Sang-hak (her college boyfriend). Yet this same natural charm sparks Sang-yeon’s envy, as Eun-jung effortlessly wins affection Sang-yeon struggles to gain. She can be pessimistic, shaped by traumas which leaves her with guilt, anxiety, and a fear of loss.

Her growth is defined by moving from envy to self-preservation. Academically strong but always second to Sang-yeon, she sacrifices personal wants for her mother’s sake. Inspired by Cheon Sang-hak, she pursues photography, but her college romance with Kim Sang-hak collapses in a love triangle with Sang-yeon. Though jealous and insecure, snooping through mailboxes and drawers, Eun-jung ultimately breaks things off to protect herself, showing her shift toward independence.

As a working adult, she remains principled and uncompromising. She clashes with Sang-yeon over ethics, refuses to let victims apologize to abusers, and calls Sang-yeon a thief after being robbed of her work, rejecting compensation to keep her dignity.

Eun-jung’s photography becomes a metaphor for her perspective. She captures moments of truth but struggles to see her own worth until Sang-yeon’s memoir reveals how deeply she shaped Sang-yeon’s life.

Her guilt over Cheon Sang-hak’s suicide stems from believing she could have saved him, a burden that parallels her later decision to support Sang-yeon’s euthanasia, showing her growth in accepting what she cannot control, even while bitter about the timing.

Alone afterward, she embodies the survivor’s paradox: resentful of betrayals, yet unable to hate fully.


Sang Yeon:

Cheon Sang-yeon is a complex antagonist-protagonist: brilliant, ambitious, and deeply flawed, her life arcs from privilege to isolation, driven by envy, loss, and unfulfilled desires. Introduced as a transfer student in 1992, she comes from wealth and stability: an apartment home, intact family, and prestige through her minister grandfather. As class president, she appears the perfect model student: authoritative, disciplined, excelling in academics. Yet this façade conceals insecurity. Rumors about Eun-jung’s milk deliveries (whether started by her or not) spark conflict, and her strict punishments betray a defensive need for control. To Eun-jung, Sang-yeon embodies utopia, everything she lacks, yet Sang-yeon herself suffers from favoritism, neglect, and longing for love.

Her personality blends confidence with fragility. Exceptionally capable, she is also envious and insecure. Her mother favors Eun-jung, her brother confides in her, and Kim Sang-hak loves her, all of which stoke Sang-yeon’s jealousy. Her provocations stem from this longing for validation. Most often she is secretive, manipulative, and destructive which shows when she sabotages friendships through betrayal and rivalry, steals Eun-jung’s work, among other incidents.

Tragedies accelerate her decline. Her brother Sang-hak’s suicide leads to divorce, poverty, and her mother’s eventual cancer. Overshadowed by her brother’s memory and by Eun-jung’s growing importance in her life, Sang-yeon spirals further. In college, she joins the photography club too late to win Kim Sang-hak, fueling regret and obsession. As a working adult, she is ruthless: sleeping with a director, stealing projects to launch her company, and forcing unethical compromises on staff before quitting under pressure.

Her manipulative streak peaks when she steals Eun-jung’s film project, but later revealed that this act stemmed from desperation to prove herself, not just malice, adding nuance to her character.

Her pancreatic cancer diagnosis mirrors her mother’s illness, deepening her fear of losing control and driving her to seek euthanasia as a way to reclaim agency.

Flawed, selfish, and destructive, yet painfully human, Sang-yeon embodies the tragedy of unhealed wounds and unrequited longing.

_____________________

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

I keep wondering, did Eunjung always want to take Sangyeon back, no matter what? I think so, especially after rewatching episode 2.

Episode 2:

“I don’t even know what’s making me this angry. The accountant’s rudeness? Sangyeon’s stubbornness in never showing weakness? Or my own incompetence; this helplessness? So I write. Whatever story this becomes, let’s not be afraid of it.”

→ From her teens to her forties, it’s always Sangyeon who comes to find Eunjung. Yet Sangyeon has never shown her true feelings, not once. Even now, when she comes because she’s hurting, it’s the same.

Episode 8:

“That rigid, proper face that stubbornly refused to ever look back at my feelings. I could hear the sound of something breaking, the sound of my heart going cold.”

→ The 40-year-old Eunjung is reflecting on what her 20-year-old self once thought. The younger Eunjung wanted to know Sangyeon, to truly understand her. But Sangyeon never answered her in their twenties, and that’s when Eunjung’s heart broke.

→ I keep thinking of this scene: when they reunite in their twenties. Eunjung thought they’d have so much to say, but the meeting ends up awkward. As they part, Eunjung stops her and asks directly,

“Sangyeon… back then, when you moved, why didn’t you tell me? Were you mad at me?”
Sangyeon says no, and keeps denying each question until finally, Eunjung laughs.

Even in that reunion, they both smile, but during their later reunion, it’s Sangyeon who feels pure joy. For Eunjung, this earlier moment, the one where she could finally laugh again, was the real reunion.

→ To go deeper: teenage Eunjung thought Sangyeon was angry because

“I thought if I waited, you’d answer me. But you never did.”
That line, to me, defines Eunjung’s lifelong feelings for Sangyeon.

From childhood, Eunjung is described as talkative... chattering endlessly to her friend, to her mom. So of course she wants the person she loves to talk back, to share. But Sangyeon is someone you can only wait for, and even waiting doesn’t guarantee she’ll respond.

Episode 9:

“You wouldn’t even show me you were in pain, so why bother touching someone’s life at all?”
“That’s why I came. To show you. Because I already know what you must think of me.”
(“What do I think of you?”)
“That I’m obsessive, prideful. That I’d make a whole show about dying before I’m even dying, Switzerland and all that nonsense.”

→ The 40-year-old Sangyeon comes in with this bold, unfiltered energy; her new persona is practically “I’m done pretending.”
It’s fascinating that this version appears right after the show finishes sorting through the 20s-era memories.

40-year-old Eunjung sees Sangyeon and thinks, she still won’t show weakness, even now.
But this time, Sangyeon’s here to reveal herself.

→ She says, “What you think of me…” and that’s key. Eunjung has always been transparent, easy to read, while Sangyeon is the opposite. For years, Eunjung longed to understand Sangyeon but never could. Meanwhile, Sangyeon had understood Eunjung from the start.

That line from their 30s makes this clear too:

“How is it that you never once surprise me?”

And that deep, bitter self-loathing Eunjung feels, "I could never be like her," that only comes from knowing someone intimately.

→ Sangyeon’s words here echo what she says in episode 14, after reading Eunjung’s writing:

“You caught me at a very unfair time, you know? Can I keep reading? This is just your version of me.”

To Sangyeon, Switzerland was a comfort, a death unlike her mother’s or brother’s, something she could choose, something peaceful.
But to Eunjung, it looked like pride and perfectionism, another act of control.

And that line hints that there’s always another version, the 20s Sangyeon, the 30s Sangyeon, all different, depending on who’s telling the story.

Episode 15:

“I know there’s no answer. Still, I’ll share this time with you.”

→ This mirrors Eunjung’s narration in episode 2: “So I write. Whatever story this becomes, let’s not be afraid of it.”

Eunjung doesn’t choose whether to go to Switzerland or not; what she chooses is to go for Sangyeon, even though she’s terrified of coming back alone.
That’s who she is: she does it anyway.

→ Beyond Eunjung and Sangyeon, there’s another unforgettable presence: Sangyeon’s brother, Cheon Sanghak.

He once told young Eunjung, “Taking a photograph is collecting time.”

But in this drama, it’s not photos, it’s writing that matters. Eunjung’s writings about Sangyeon. Sangyeon’s writings about her own life. So many words, all acting in place of speech. If photographs are the collection of time, then writing is the collection of emotion. And Eunjung being with Sangyeon, that’s the collection of existence itself.

After waiting so long to finally understand Sangyeon, when she’s at last allowed to see Sangyeon’s weakness, to accept her completely, that’s what I’d call the collection of the soul.

...But then, “four days”? Only four days of happiness for Eunjung and Sangyeon? God, that’s just suddenly so unbearably sad.

_____________________

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I have to say this drama left me in a reflective haze after finishing. It's one of those stories that doesn't just entertain; it burrows into your soul and makes you question the messy threads of your own relationships.

Philosophically, the show burrows deep. It made me think about how envy and loss can warp us into unrecognizable versions of ourselves, how the people we resent most often reflect the parts of us we lack. It’s Nietzsche’s abyss refracted through friendship: stare too long at your insecurities, and they consume you. Yet the drama insists redemption doesn’t come from erasing the past, but from choosing compassion in the face of it.

What I learned here is that forgiveness isn’t for the offender, but it’s freedom for yourself. Grudges are stones in the chest; only by letting go can you breathe. And lastly, pride is an illusion; chase it too long and you end up alone, begging for connection at the end.

The last episode was undeniably sad, yet achingly beautiful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s melodramatic yet deeply human, heavy yet strangely liberating.

I don’t regret a single scene. If anything, it made me want to text an old friend I’d drifted from, just to say, “Hey.” Because if this drama shows us anything, it’s that love and hate aren’t opposites. They’re entangled threads, woven across decades, impossible to fully untangle. And that’s what makes them endure.

May all the Eunjungs and Sangyeons of this world, even if they never truly understand each other, still find a way to live side by side.

Thank you for reading!

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decent.

Overall, this drama was… just okay for me. The beginning was fine, nothing too special, but around episode 6 it suddenly got really fun and strong. I enjoyed that part a lot! But sadly, at the end, I felt kind of bored… I started skipping ahead just to finish faster T_T

My feelings are really mixed. First couple was cute, the pacing was good, and I liked how Seheon was not only passive but actually stood up for himself sometimes. That was nice to see. But honestly… the second couple was the one who caught my heart. I always find stories about internalized homophobia interesting, especially when it comes out as anger or violence toward the person you actually care about. It feels very real and painful. Their relationship had so much potential, but drama didn’t give enough time for them. I really wish they got their own focus instead of just being side story. Also… too many dead-fish kisses. Please, at least look like you want to kiss!

If the second couple was not here, my rating would be much lower. I had fun overall, but the side couple completely stole the whole show for me. Bonus point: I also liked the A Shoulder to Cry On cameo in the beginning! I didn’t expect it, so it was nice surprise.

Last thoughts, it could have been good! I say this about many lackluster series, but I did really enjoy watching the show. If only it gave us more time....

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The female lead doesn’t deserve the criticism she’s been getting.

My favorite drama this summer. The acting is solid, the production is polished, and while some may find the costumes a bit flashy, they actually fit the setting. The show delivers a clear message throughout. Some of the fight scenes are super cool, and the soundtrack is absolutely on point.

I’ve seen a lot of comments about people dropping the drama because of the female lead, but I personally find her setup reasonable. She’s actually the most clear-headed female lead I’ve seen in a book-transmigration storyline. For an ordinary person suddenly thrown into a fictional world, you can’t really expect them to treat the characters as if they were real people.

That said, the male lead’s character is perhaps too well written — he’s often the one suffering, his inner struggles are well portrayed, and his tragic backstory is fleshed out, while the female lead’s past and inner world remain underdeveloped. This imbalance makes many viewers feel more sympathy for him and resent her.

One strong point of the drama is its supporting cast, especially the female lead’s father, whose character is well crafted.

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One of my favourites

After watching so many BLs with zero chemistry and actors who look like they want to run away from the set, finally We Best Love came and saved me. It really broke the streak and honestly went straight onto my list of all-time favorites.

Even before I passed the first 10 minutes, I already knew I would like it. Rivals to lovers is my absolute weakness. Every time I eat it up like crazy. And wow, the chemistry between Shou Yi and Shi De… maybe the best I’ve ever seen. Their acting made me forget this was even a drama. Usually when actors are stiff, I start thinking things like, “Ah, how embarrassing must it have been to film this scene?” But here I was just fully inside the story, like I was watching real life. And thank god, no dead-fish kisses! They kissed like people who were really in love, which is unfortunately so rare in bls. That alone made me so happy I wanted to clap.

I loved both of them so much, but honestly, Sam Lin stole my heart. He was shining the whole time. Please, someone cast him again as a BL main lead. He is too handsome, it actually hurts. T_T

I can’t even nitpick.. I tried to think of something negative to balance my review, but nothing comes. My mind is empty. We Best Love is just amazing, that’s it!

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