Reviews

The Love Did Set

Indeed, there is much to unpack in this series. Unfortunately, rather than trying to deal with it with any cornerstone to reality, they choose to deal with it in the make-believe world of BL. One can guess what the direction is going to be and indeed you would be correct. It is your standard use of tropey storylines. The story tries too hard to cover too much and fails in almost all of it. Through all of this, redemption does happen. While there are certainly redemptive arcs in the storyline, to get there requires twisted logic and implausible plot twists. Plus, the angry rich father who then ‘sees the light’ and/or rejected mother who begs for forgiveness routines are getting way over used and are now officially trite. Each one of those redemption arcs required and should have had a whole episode in and of itself. Regrettably, there is also no serious screen chemistry between the protagonists although they ‘look’ good together. One cannot act out sincerity; it must be felt. It needs to come out of the screen and grab you. Unfortunately, those two lacked a passion in their relationship. They only went through courting motions.

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The Fate of a Cash Grab

Don't get me wrong. I liked this season, but my biggest issue is the lack of continuity in the writing between season 2 and season 3. By the end of the season 2, they hyped up an upcoming plotline that ended up having almost no importance this season. Overall, writing was over the place. Instead of going with one long storyline and multiple side arcs, we got what I liked to call chopped short stories. Also, I'm one of these people who didn't tune in for the romance. Every time writers focused on it, I was reminded that LJH and PYJ have zero chemistry.
Honestly, I'm kind of glad it seems like TD is done. The writers were struggling with this season. That said, you never know with SBS. They tend to milk their original series until there’s nothing left (example Penthouse).

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A visually gorgeous drama that makes you work harder than a detective to figure out what's going on

Two storylines, zero correlation, and a cop who barely does her job—The Frog is a masterclass in how not to structure a thriller.

Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

The Good

A Mystery Wrapped in a Postcard
I was about to say there was nothing good about this show until I remembered how visually stunning it was. Yeong Ha’s rental home was tucked away in one of the most breathtaking locations I’ve seen in a drama yet. If scenery could carry a plot, this show would’ve been a masterpiece.


The Bad
When the Comment Section Becomes a Study Guide
I originally gave this show a 1.5/10 until I dove into the comments and realized other viewers had become full-time detectives trying to make sense of it all. And while I appreciate the effort… that’s exactly the problem. If random internet strangers can explain the story better than the show itself, something’s off.


Two Timelines, Zero Connection
My biggest issue? The two stories had no meaningful correlation. Aside from the shared presence of the police officer, they may as well have been happening in alternate universes. These weren’t parallel stories; they were just two separate cases loosely glued together by theme. Yeong Ha could’ve sold his property at any time (which he eventually did), had a wealthy daughter, and wasn’t exactly struggling. Sang Jun, on the other hand, poured everything into his motel and lost it all.
And may I remind you, Yeong Ha got his happy ending. Everyone lived, he became a grandfather, and got to sell his home for (most-likely) a lot of money. Sang Jun lost everything. His wife killed herself, his son became a killer and almost killed himself too, and for a cherry on top, he lost his mind and is now trapped in a time that no longer exists. The contrast is so big, it’s almost laughable.

The Proverb Stretch
And that brings us to the frog proverb. “A frog dies from a stone thrown inadvertently.” Which is a poetic way of saying: careless actions can cause unexpected harm. Except in The Frog, no one’s careless. Hyang Cheol knew exactly what he was doing. He was malicious, intentional, and had no regrets. And Seong A? Her actions weren’t accidental—they were extremely personal. If anyone caused damage by accident, it was Yeong Ha, and even then, he was more passive than careless. His suffering came from deliberate inaction, not from being blindsided. A better fit would be “The frog pays for the hand that chooses to strike.” or something more fitting.
*I do realise that the proverb does kind of work with Sang Jun. He innocently gave the killer a room and then the whole thing played out.*

Plot Convenience Was Doing Overtime
Apparently, the police in this drama were just there for decoration until the final act. Seong A literally rammed Yeong Ha’s car in the middle of the day, in front of a police station and somehow, she’s back home in the next scene, like nothing happened. And Bo Min? Queen of being suspicious at all the wrong times. She’s always circling the cabin when nothing’s happening, yet nowhere to be found when a cop is killed, a man is beaten nearly to death, and a girl gets choked out. How are you suspicious about the cabin for five episodes straight but miss all the actual crimes?

Then there’s Gi Ho and his magical rifle. In case it needs saying: owning a gun, especially a rifle, in South Korea is near impossible, let alone sneaking one around, practicing with it, and staging a public hospital assassination without being caught. But somehow, he pulls it off. He misses his shot (sigh), dashes through the hospital like he’s in an action movie, shoots the killer point-blank, and escapes through a window… completely unseen. No security footage. No witnesses. Not even a blurry hospital hallway clip.


The Man Who Dug His Own Grave (Then Complained About It)
Yeong Ha was his own worst enemy. Let’s be real, Seong A murdered a child and he just… cleaned it up? He stayed quiet and endangered everyone, treating Seong A like a minor inconvenience instead of what she actually was—a literal murderer. He didn’t act scared of her or the police. He just… wanted the whole thing to go away.
And the worst part? He gets a happy ending. After actively endangering everyone around him, wiping away evidence of a brutal child murder, and indirectly getting a cop killed, he ends the show laughing over dinner like he didn’t throw gasoline on the entire plot. Incredible.


Final Thoughts
This entire drama tried to sell me a frog proverb and then fed me plot holes, weak connections, and a cast of characters who either did too much or nothing at all. At some point, it stopped being a thriller and started feeling like a cautionary tale about what happens when your protagonist does literally nothing for a year straight.

The biggest issue? There was no meaningful connection between the two plotlines. When Yeong Ha finally met Gi Ho, it should’ve been the moment everything clicked… but instead, it barely registered as significant. If they’d made them the same person or given Sang Jun a real reason to intervene, some kind of déjà vu storyline, it would’ve elevated the entire show.

It felt like the writers trusted us to just “get it” without doing the work to guide us there. I kept waiting. For it all to tie together. For the chaos to converge into clarity. Instead, I got beautifully shot confusion and a finale that said, “We good?” when all I had was more questions. So yes, it looked great. But no amount of cinematic sunsets can hide a plot that forgot to finish the puzzle. Sometimes a story needs to show you the frog instead of just telling you that it jumped.

~~~

What were your thoughts? Were you on team “We love a metaphor moment” or “what the heck is going on?”

This isn’t even everything loll! I even went into detail on what I would do instead if anyone’s interested 💕

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Captivating Yet Frustrating

This 2nd installment both captivated and frustrated me to no end. Coming off the high of the 1st season, I was looking forward to this season. How could they outdo themselves from the absolute phenomenon that was the 1st season? Unfortunately, I was not impressed as I'd hoped.

🔬Fang Yi Jen - At the end of season 1, I was impressed by how he had changed, or rather, by the changes that he was making, especially with the people closest to him. His greatest desire was to have those around him understand him. By the end of that season, he had already started making steps to involve himself in their lives. However, in this installment, he seems to have reverted to his season 1, episode 1 self. Throughout the series, he doesn't talk to his friends. He remains closed off and keeps secrets, although those around him are actively trying to help him. It was frustrating to watch
Now, idk much about autism, so I cannot speak to how autistic people interact with those around them. So with my limited knowledge, I'll say this: it felt like the screenwriters didn't know what to do with Fang Yi Jen. They didn't know how to make him 'interesting,' so they stalled his character growth.

📰Hsu Hai Yin - How she is listed as part of the main role in this is beyond me. Miss girl had so little to do with the overall plot till the last 2 episodes. In this installment, she gets a new job with the most suspicious guy ever and largely does nothing about it. Is this the same Hsu Hai Yin from the 1st season? The one with the inquisitive mind and tips and tricks to help her get to the bottom of all her cases? Where did she go, and who was this passive person who replaced her?
All she had to do was open her mouth, talk to Yi Jen, and this case would've been solved in 5 episodes. I wonder why she kept quiet. Part of me thinks it was to save her job. Because I refuse to believe that part of her saw the good and trusted in Ming Cheng. She didn't know the man, and she's not a very trusting person.

🫧Hsiao Meng - I liked her story arc in this. She facilitated death in the 1st season, but now, she's helping with the aftermath of it. It's also kinda nice to see real-life consequences of her actions. School is hard, and finding a job is harder after what she previously did. Her name and face were everywhere. Sure, she was manipulated before. Someone took advantage of her immense sadness to put her in the middle of all the murders in season 1.
But life goes on. And society isn't that forgiving, making it nearly impossible for her to integrate. I love that she found her way through it all, though. I was scared for a minute that she'd be taken advantage of - Thank God it didn't happen. The last two episodes gave us hope that she might go into the same field as her father. She has his smarts. Yi Jen has thoughts about it, even though he never quite voiced them

🔬📰Yi Jen & Hai Yin - I am confused by the relationship between them. In ep 2 (?) Hai Yin mentions that they aren't romantically involved, I think, because Yi Jen said that he cannot handle that. So.... what exactly are they?? She looks like she 'like likes' him. Their dynamic gives romantic, but their words said something different. At the end, once everything is sorted, they talk about their relationship. Saying that they are good now.... I just... somebody explain to me like I'm 3yrs old and tell me what's up with these two.

🔬🫧Yi Jen & Hsiao Meng - Their relationship frustrated me to no end. Yi Jen would not tell her that he was in trouble & Hsiao Meng kept lashing out and also not talking about her feelings. It was so frustratingto see. I just wanted them to talk. I had so much hope for them at the end of the 1st season, only to witness this. But at least they finally talked. Like in sn 1, I took something life-threatening to bring them back together. The end of the story shows how beautifully their relationship has grown and evolved. Hopefully, they don't argue again and wait for something life-threatening to bring them back together.

👮🏻‍♂️Chang Keng Hao - The following is what I wrote about him in my notes, probably 4 episodes in ' The prosecutor dude is being a POS to Fang Yi Jen for no reason. So far, we know he hated the old teacher. We don't know why, but he's clearly taking it out on Yi Jen. He tells Yi Jen of the coincidences in the teacher's cases, but when Yi Jen says he wants to investigate it, he shuts him out. Yi Jen has already been shown that he isn't the killer, so why does he keep nagging him about the teacher if he won't let him help? Out here being an annoying little bitch.'
Clearly, I wasn't a fan. With the end of sn 2, they seemed to hint at a 3rd season. This time, with Chang as the main character and the police force as the new victim of his hatred. IDK if I like him enough to watch him as the new protagonist.

The Murders
I liked the story in the 1st season more than this one. The murders are more gruesome in this installment, though. Something that I rather appreciated. There was this really disturbing beauty and precision to how they were done. Unfortunately, the mystery didn't hold till the last episode. I clocked the 1st murderer early, and they gave away the 2nd serial murderer too soon. All I'll say about these murders is that Hsiao Chia Ying was the real victim here. I don't like how dismissive she was about the death of the other boy, who was accidentally killed by young Ming Cheng.
The story says that the saddest part about her life was carrying her mother's secret about how she killed her father. It should've also been highlighted how hard it was to have to hide her love for her father and the parts of her that were like him, which were all good by the way. I understand her mother's feelings towards the dad, but putting such expectations on her child was terrible. The mother did so much to avenge her daughter and clear her name, but at the end of the day, she was the one who made her child run away, unfortunately putting her in that horrendous position

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An explosive and fun drama with only one issue

LIKED:

- ABH as explosive and overbearing at times but warm inside Jae Gyu is just perfect casting. He has really good comic timings something we even saw in Flex Cop. The same goes for LJB who as Yun Bom being polar opposite off Jae Gyu also nails her role. The chemistry between them is fuckin good and fun to watch.

- The supporting cast does so well especially in humorous moments.

- So far the story is engaging and funny at times. The relation progress between the leads isn't too fast and at a good pace. The story isn't something out of the box and does pull of some generic tropes but still manages to make you chuckle.

DISLIKED:

- The only two characters and the arc I am not liking at all is between Han Gyeol and Se Jin as both are just atrocious to look at.
One on side you have a doormat of a boy who has no respect for any other relation in his life and would rather hurt them all and even risk his career for an obnoxious and selfish brat of a girl who wouldn't give two shits about him. I do get they are trying to show the girl as rebellious but all you see is a disrespectful little shit who really needs a reality check and on the other side a boy who writers wanted to show as someone who fell in love for the first time but damn his character is just pathetic and selfish with no care for all the sacrifices his uncle has made for him.

I don't know what writers were trying to pull off with both of them if it was to make it look cute then they have failed with flying colors. Every time these two show up on screen, I simply skip through it as it makes my blood boil to look at them both.

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Misunderstandings Galore

I really hate dramas that drag misunderstandings on for way too long. I’m honestly still shocked this drama only had 21 episodes because it felt so much longer than that. Perhaps if the drama was shorter, I would've enjoyed it more. I skipped a lot of Liang Mu Cheng’s scenes because she was just exhausting and boring to watch. I mostly stuck around for Ren Guang Xi and Xiao Le. Those two were always such a delight to see on screen.

Liang Mu Cheng is righteous and selfless, and that’s fine. What I couldn’t stand was how bad she was at communicating. Misunderstandings were constantly happening between her and Ren Guang Xi. Because she was so secretive, Ren Guang Xi misunderstood her, built up a lot of resentment, and ended up being vengeful. I actually understand why he reacted the way he did. She had plenty of chances to be open and honest. What really annoyed me was that she still had the nerve to be upset and surprised when Ren Guang Xi started taking revenge and trying to make her and everyone around her miserable.

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Obsessed

This story has it all. Obsession, passion, betrayal, destructive manipulation, brilliantly crafted mind games, schizophrenia, over inflated ego, love and character development.

The story is a must watch and there is no other way one can understand the plot without watching it.

It starts with manipulation and ends with humility for our younger ML (burnt to oblivion black flag). He learns the hardest way how love is to be earned and given. And truly deserves the pain and heartbreak he endured. Our older MC (green flag) is a worthy opponent. He doesn’t let our ML get away with it. He suffers greatly, but brings his lover/manipulator down to his knees and ultimately escapes. He takes his lover back on his own terms and only after the both of them have healed.

Theirs is a love story fraught with way too many unforgivable blows, but somehow manages to redeem itself and heal. The emotional damage is real and lasting. But the story line is way too captivating and the leads far too well written to be not obsessed over.

Both the actors did a phenomenal job and deserve high praise. Their chemistry is off the charts, as is their respective skills. The script writer/s, author, director and production team worked brilliantly. It’s a 10/10 for me.

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Starts engaging, muddles in the middle and freefalls in the end with no proper closure for viewers.

LIKED:

- Go Youn Jung really pulled off the characters Cha Mu Hee /Do Ra Mi so good. Kim Seon Ho needs no introduction on how good of an actor he is and the way he acts with his eyes is beautiful to watch.

- The chemistry between both of them was exactly how it should have been that is not too intense, raw and passionate but slow and warm with both breaking each other out of their cages.

- Fukushi Sota was fun to watch especially his character being charming at times while other times him being a funny melodrama queen.

- Not going for the generic love triangle trope. Normally you would expect SML to be someone who keeps crossing lines and act all possessive and how badly he wants the FL but the drama did nothing of that sorts and gave us a green flag of a guy who despite being bratty sometimes knows his limits and when to back off. A total gentleman who you would root for his success in life.

- WS and YD's relation arc although fast paced and appeared for quite less time but was still fun to watch.

- The locations were beautiful and matched the vibe of drama. The costumes and dresses too were beautiful to look at.

DISLIKED:

- After looking at the trailer I wasn't expecting something out of the box but the same old generic korean romance drama so my expectations weren't too high to say the best and I am glad I kept it that way. It always baffles me how majority of korean dramas screw things up when it comes to mental health.

- The drama starts fun in start but in the middle of it becomes somewhat dull with generic arcs being pulled that we have seen many times before . The same old leads having trouble confessing, same old breakup for stupid reasons, same old living in agony. Thank god they did well with the love triangle stuff and kept it light.

- The final part of the drama was just TERRIBLE. The way FL's past and family arc is dealt with is just terrible and gives no closure to us as viewers at all. All this could have been done over episodes instead of rushing and shoving everything in the last episode. The generic breakup before leaving because one lead needs to deal with some shit all by themselves and then getting back together in last 5 minutes is just tiresome to watch again and again.

- Out of nowhere adding the twists that FL's parents are alive in the last half an hour was plain stupid. It was unnecessary if they think doing that would have been a good way of giving closure if anything it only makes thing worse.

- It was clearly visible writers had no idea on how to keep a proper pace of things over entire course and conclusion of this drama.

WISHED:

- I would have loved had they gotten together by E8 and then taken time to figure out the FL's past trauma properly with her healing from it slowly over last 4 eps. No need to add all the parents being alive after all these years bullshit in the end but showing her journey towards healing properly from all the pain her family caused, her parents death and her coming to terms with it is what I wanted to see in the last episodes.

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NOT ONLY A ROMANCE !!

This drama had been on my watchlist for a very long time, mainly because I am a fan of all three leads. Kim Seon Ho is such a warm and gentle presence on screen; he often plays similar roles, yet he always manages to make them feel sincere and comforting. Go Youn Jung, my second favorite actress, shines once again in a role she knows so well — a beautiful, slightly clumsy female lead with a subtle badass edge. And Sota… whether in thrillers or romance, he is always charismatic, radiant, and deeply engaging.

A love triangle involving these three was honestly painful for me — but in the best way possible. Thankfully, the drama handled it with great kindness and maturity. This is actually one of its strongest points: the love triangle never felt exaggerated, frustrating, or unnecessarily dramatic. It was balanced, respectful, and emotionally grounded.

The story itself isn’t particularly original, but it truly shines through its execution. The performances are solid, with each character perfectly placed in the narrative. The filming locations and cinematography are stunning and diverse, giving the drama a very immersive and cinematic feel. Beyond romance, the drama also touches on post-traumatic stress. While this theme isn’t explored as deeply as it could have been and mainly serves as a metaphor and emotional bridge for the romance, it still adds an important layer to the story.

What really captivated me was the blend of cultures — the use of multiple languages and the diversity of the cast felt refreshing and meaningful. Above all, the chemistry between the leads was beautiful, whether it was with the main lead or the second lead. Even the secondary romance was incredibly sweet and heartwarming. I was also genuinely impressed that Sota learned Korean for this drama despite struggling with the accent — his effort truly showed.

The OSTs were beautiful and emotionally fitting, and I have to give special praise to the kiss scenes: intense, well-executed, and full of emotion.

Overall, this is a gentle, warm drama with a sincere heart. It’s not perfect and does have its flaws, but despite that, it left me with a very soft and lasting impression. A truly comforting watch.

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A mixed bag

I loved the look of this series, especially the first half. The cinematography, the settings, the styling of the characters. The art studio, the main character’s house, the prison rooms were so fittingly and realistically set, it pulled you right into the story. An Yusu’s hippie styling in contrast to Moeun’s dreary look worked very well.

The pacing was also a great element throughout it, even during the less interesting second-half. It kept you going.

In terms of the story, it’s like a common revenge tale with a clever twist. It would’ve been much more enjoyable if they had cut about 1/3 of the episodes and tightened up the narrative. Some side plots just didn’t feel necessary, and a lot of tropes ended up repeating again and again. It dragged on after the first half, and by the time you got to the end, the killer reveal just wasn’t impactful. The killer killed because Yunsu’s husband wouldn’t apologise? I mean....come on. The last thing I want to see after 12 episodes of a who-done-it chase is that some random side character did it because they have psychiatric issues. That’s always the easiest way out for any crime story. I would’ve preferred the husband’s lover did it, or Yunsu herself, anything but that.

Lastly, for me, the narrative felt preachy by the end of it and that was the worst element tbh. “Divine punishment” was a recurring motif, and it was like we were being instructed by the narrative to”forgive" or "not forgive" each character. Everyone’s basically good, the main characters deified and their revenge justified, except for the psychos who are just born evil and deserve to die. There’s no realism to that, I would much prefer if they told the story without all these far fetched details (meant to make us sympathise with the characters). Human violence always exists in a gray zone, there is nothing black and white about it.

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There are very few shows or drama's that I have seen that have gotten this kind of emotional reaction out of me.

Way Back Love represented a feeling and memory that I have long since locked away. Feeling responsible for the passing of someone, carrying that weight and thinking that you could have done more or done something differently. Thinking about how you should have told them how you felt before... This drama was everything for me.

Kim Min-Ha's perfromance was my favorite from her thus far. Every scream, every tear, every ounce of pain I felt through the screen.

This drama explored what it means to greive, process pain and eventually move on from it perfectly. And I highly recommend people to give this one a watch. I promise that you won't be disappointed.

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Decent Crime Drama

This was a decent crime drama, solving several cases with one over-arching one. The last case, which connected all the previous ones, was my least favorite unfortunately. Especially the last episode was kind of melodramatic, and I felt like the police forces were wasting time a lot (how long can it take infiltrating that building after Han Feng gave them the signal??). The last two episodes also feature a lot of shooting scenes, which I didn’t really enjoy that much, either. The sequences were wild and chaotic, the police officers just shooting shot after shot as if the guns had an infinite number of bullets available. Their aim was also all over the place (even if they are trying to eliminate a moving target). In earlier episodes I found their investigation style confusing because it seemed like the writers believed the audience to be blind to “details”. Background checks on individuals were lowkey incomplete, only to do a full one 1.5 episodes into a case while highlighting information from a witness account (I’m referring to the young woman not believing her mother died of natural causes; a colleague of hers tells the police that she had always been a top student in her grade, only to miss the college entrance exam. This was ignored for a while, until they decide to run another background check; here, the show gives a flashback to that testimony as if it’s such a minor detail that could have been easily (dis)missed… meanwhile, they could have solved the case quicker had they actually looked into the missed exam?! Also, Officer Zhu initially went to check that woman’s home, but did not see the medication scattered on the floor? When Ding You Mei’s mother first takes the blame for her daughter’s crime, she says how she threw the meds out of the woman’s reach… and when they go back to investigate the scene again, what do we see? The medication on the floor. Was this missed the first time they went to the premises?) … Anyway. Did the detectives have a life outside the police station? Doesn’t seem so. They went to eat out maybe 2 or 3 times, but that’s it. It’s a strict case-by-case show, and doesn’t really show any of the characters outside passions, which I found a bit unfortunate, but oh well.

Except for the last case, I enjoyed the smaller cases a lot, especially the early episodes were tense and very intriguing. I found the performances of those supporting actors for each case compelling and well-executed since they actually had something to work with. The three main cops, later only reduced to Han Feng and Qi Si Zhe delivered good, but not outstanding, performances. I feel like they just weren’t given that much to work with (except episode 17/18; this personal loss was a good way to add a layer to the characters), and especially in the last few episodes I was missing tension, or rather emotional involvement.

Overall, a decent show with interesting cases!

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