Why is this hyped?
This was such a bad drama, if I was the female lead, I would file a sexual assault case against the guy lmao. Not going to watch the next season, the premise is great but sometimes the acting is not that good. This drama does not show Kim So Hyun's great acting skills for me, she's better than what role they give to her in this drama, and the guy also has a better role on Sweet Home rather than in this drama. I don't think this drama shows the real potential of the actors maybe that's why I hate it, but the story is a little bit underwhelming too, I don't know why people is so hyped about this honestly.The highlight of the drama for me is realizing that this show is bad and overhyped.
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I really hope Netflix won't dog as they have with most poc series they have with this one because the ending was so far from complete being only 8 episodes. I really hope people watch it because nothing about it predictable or familiar in the way most k-drama are after a while. Like you can't genuinely tell at all where they are taking this. How they use technology in this series is very Black Mirror in the best way whole maintinug a very real slice of life feel. I never cry watching series but this had me at times not going to lie.
Recomend to everybody. Especially if you like something unpredictable and original. Netflix did a whole lot of right in this series.
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One of the most weak storyline featuring the most illogical romance ever
This drama just proves that the writer has never been in a relationship or in love before.The first season started off well with an interesting-but-yet-realistic creation of love alarm app, aesthetic visuals and mystery of the missing creator of the app, Duk Gu. Hwang Sun Oh and Kim JoJo were made to be the main leads in this season. Their puppy love was undeniably weak and unconvincing. I simply couldn’t understand why Sun Oh and Jo Jo were attracted to each other. It made Jo Jo looked like an indecisive cheater. She had a boyfriend but she liked Sun Oh. Their chemistry never made sense because she couldn’t reason out why she liked Sun Oh and it completely didn’t even make sense as to why she decided to end the relationship with Sun Oh when she actually liked him. She ended the relationship by using the shield that Duk Gu gave her exclusively to download in order to lie to Sun Oh that she never liked him. Perhaps that’s the essence of puppy love. Nevertheless, I shipped the two because the director wanted it that way. At the end of the first season, Duk Gu was hinted to be alive and it showed that sun oh’s new girlfriend rang her alarm for Sun Oh while Sun Oh and Hye Hyeong rang their alarms for JoJo. Jo Jo’s alarm didn’t ring because of the shield that conceals her feelings which was why she desperately wanted it to be removed.
Season 2 made the whole storyline went down hill. In season 2, Kim Jojo decided to date Hye Hyeong even tho she did not like him. She flinched when Hye Hyeong kissed her at the beginning and let Sun Oh kissed her in the later part. This shows how indecisive and needy Jo Jo was. She looked like a lonely and needy girl that that didn’t mind dating a guy she did not like. In this season, you are going to be confused as to who you are going to ship because Hye Hyeong became the male lead of this season with greater screen time. In this season, Jo Jo was desperate to find Duk Gu so she could have her shield removed, be honest with her own feelings and hope to ring someone’s alarm in the future. She was always triggered whenever she bumped onto Sun Oh. Initially, I thought the reason that Jo Jo wanted to have the alarm removed because she wanted to be true to herself. But no, she wanted to get it removed because of Hye Hyeong. She wanted to use it to ring Hye Hyeong’s alarm. The ending was evident that Jo Jo chose Hye Hyeong and Sun Oh going back to his ex-girlfriend. This storyline is basically telling viewers that as long as you make an effort to love someone who loves you and treats you right, you will love them eventually. Sounds illogical right?
I waited almost 2 years for season 2 because I was curious if Duk Gu had actually taken his life because of a rejection. It hinted that he was alive. I thought his disappearance was going to be way more interesting in season 2. Turns out that he as been hospitalised for 4 years and his brother was the one running his love alarm app business. Duk Gu later woke up and gave Jojo an armour to download so she could ring Hye Hyeong’s alarm. Yea I just wasted my time on the season 2.
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Interesting Concept but Poorly Written Story
Love Alarm's dull narrative voice and excessive flashbacks undermine the interesting concept the story has.This series might have been better if it had more episodes to slowly unravel the plot and to let the viewers sympathize more with the characters. However, everything feels so hastened, from falling in love with a stranger to breaking up with hardly a closure that could have been easily fixed.
This drama is overhyped, to say the least. Sun Oh gives me chills because he is like one of those nice-looking stalkers. His stalking and unrelenting efforts to make Jo Jo his girlfriend should have terrified the viewers but it has done the exact opposite. Sadly, I was among those who fell completely under his spell. If it weren't for Song Kang's mesmerizing eyes and abs, this drama would have been a total flop so kudos to him.
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wasted potential
when i watched i did it within a day since it was kinda addictive but the overall story was cliché as hell and the characters the worse except for hyeyeong imo.two best friends fell for the same girl but why? she was the poor girl but what was so special about her? we didn't get know anything about her personality, like her personality was her past. the protagonist was boring as hell to me and you never really root for her bc she is just.. yea boring lmao.
and ofc these two best friends kinda fought for her (i wonder why?! she isn't rlly worth it) and its so sad bc they were best friends and in the ending it's just over. idk how season 2 will be tho.
the concept was actually interesting with the love alarm and IF hyeyeong and jojo will get together and it should've started differently and jojo's whole character shouldn't be so plain th. and sun-oh is the worse. idk why many people hype him up bc he is just straightup selfish and betrayed his friend and BROO when sun-oh and jojo kissed in episode 1 i was like what?! you know damn well that your best friend likes her AND that she got a boyfriend- same way w jojo. it's just messed up and none of the characters are good except for hyeyeong and his mom. + the editing was good and the cinematogtaphy btw lol and the actors weren't bad.
the app with love alarm had so much potential and you could've written something more interesting with it. i kinda liked the webtoon better too so i'm only criticising the drama.
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WROST KDRAMA
This drama was a waste of time. The second season was a joke. The female lead was the most confused character. All the love relationships were toxic and others forced. This drama has really bad definition and vision of relationship and friendship. Would never recommend it. This is the worst kdrama I’ve ever seen. I repeat “THE WORST KDRAMA” ... The second season was boring and so bad written. What was the point for a sequel if is to destroy the all drama. Should have just saved this money and make another with a better story. This drama is just overrated. Really wasted my time. Shame on the writerWas this review helpful to you?
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It's one of the most boring drama of 2019. It has a weak storyline, none of the characters were interesting and convincing. Nothing is memorable in this drama. You'll forget everything within days after watching the drama. The idea behind the Love Alarm is pretty interesting though, and it reflects how a real society would behave with such an app, it creates many opportunities, but it turns out to be more of a boon than a blessing.
The kissing right from the 1st episode was very unusual and a bold move from the directors, however it was interesting too, as no other drama i've watched has done that.
However back to the story, there is nothing memorable or special about the story of this drama, just usual highschool crush and drama, however the "useless breakup" takes the cake to make it a confusing, forced and badly executed drama.
This drama had much more potential with the idea of the love alarm app, and with such good acting, however it greatly failed to deliver it. Definitely won't be watching season 2.
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I think this drama really opened up eyes to how the world would be if something like this actually came to real life. If an app like this we’re to come out if would destroy friendships and would cause bullying all because of who liked who. I think the drama showed really well how the world would act, how many feelings would be hurt. I’m sure everyone has probably had this fantasy before, like what if there was an app that let us tell who we like that we like them anonymously, but it shows the reality of how this app isn’t as blissful as it sounds. The heart wants what it wants and sometimes it’s not returned and it was really shown in the drama. Episode 3 especially hurt watching that boy get beat up because he was attracted to another man, and then the boy who beat him also liked men it just really made me sad, but also how people were getting assaulted because of not recognizing peoples feelings through the app, which happens in real life already and brings a reality to how harmful the app is, it shows how yes they’re attracted to you, but doesn’t guarantee happiness or safety. Now based on characters Sun Oh really bothered me, yes he’s attractive, but he was possessive and creepy in my mind, but he also went after the girl that his best friend liked, I thought it was kinda an asshole move, he’s gone for 2 years then comes back and steals the girl. Like yes their relationship was cute, but I thought he was really overdoing it, there were times however when I was like “damn I wished someone was like that towards me,”. I felt very bad for Sun Oh though as Jojo broke his heart basically and lied to him that she no longer loved him. I thought it was very messed up on Jojo’s ends because you can tell he really loved her and it really hurt to see him like that. I’m excited for a season 2 though and see how it plays out, I hope she doesn’t end up playing both of them and tbh I’m on Sun Oh’s side. I hope there’s more character development and for season 2 I hope it starts with where it ended. Was this review helpful to you?
???? xxxxxxxxxxxxxNetflix is doing it again with a series that ends in the middle after only 8 episodes and no resolution to the story. By the time they realise that the show is well received and decide to make the second half of the series too long has passed and I just don’t care about the characters anymore. Very annoying! I might stick to Vicky or at least skip the shows that start off with a 8 episodes run. Not a happy customer, Netflix ????
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This review may contain spoilers
Through its different approach to love, Love Alarm also denounces the excesses of technology.
~ This review covers both seasons ~There are plenty of spoilers ahead, but if you want to avoid most of them, feel free to skip to the conclusion in the comments. Thanks in advance for reading! (and sorry for the insane length)
P.S: I want to clarify that I do not hate Sun Oh (not that my username is related to him). I actually appreciate his character a lot, he's definitely interesting and saying that I didn't feel anything for him would be a lie.
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This conclusion is perfect because it's healthy and realistic. That Jojo should end up with Sun Oh was inconceivable, she loved Hye Yeong, not him. Sun Oh found happiness on his own and moved on, such is life. He wasn't the person Jojo needed, and vice versa.
From the beginning of the story, Sun Oh's character didn't come across as a very nice guy, but he's also somewhat pitiful. Is he a monster? No. He actually has a pure heart but that doesn't change his immaturity which turns into toxicity for the people around him. Yes, we can see that he starts to have genuine feelings for Jojo, but what he did was distasteful nonetheless. In fact, the story and the characters aren't so simple (despite seemingly clichéd?) and that's obvious from the first episode. What I loved most at the beginning was how they actually showed a situation involving gay people. I especially appreciated how Hye Yeong handled that situation wisely (the fact that the closeted guy had feelings for him ahahah love this) and then later on fought back for his best friend no matter what. It made me fall completely in love with his character and Jung Ga Ram himself.
On the whole, the drama focused more on the psychology of the main characters and I love this kind of romance, the transition from high schoolers to young adults really makes the difference with Season 1, the tone changes (highlighting the contrast), you can feel the characters coming of age and the fact that we've followed them through several periods of their lives gives way to a nostalgic feeling, the music etc. also plays a big part.
I loved everything : the cinematography, the sets, the styling of the characters, the acting, the writing, the music, the sci-fi aspect, the fact that so many things are represented in the form of drawings (even animated ones) and the whole thing around Jojo's drawings and their meanings.
More about the drama makes it relevant. The complex family relationships, individual struggles and so on. Take Gul Mi's storyline, for instance—believe it or not, I grew to like her in Season 2. Referring to the collective suicide we saw at the end of Episode 5 in Season 1, the drama also shows people using Love Alarm as a scapegoat to justify their choices. We even see disturbing elements like pedophilia and obsession—such as the case with Jojo and how one deranged individual fixates on her drawings, sparked by nothing more than a trivial coincidence.
In Season 1, I recall a conversation between the teachers that struck a chord—Love Alarm itself wasn’t the cause of societal problems, but medias disguised it as that. And when you reflect on it, Love Alarm 1.0 has both advantages and flaws, much like any cutting-edge technology we encounter today, which always sparks protests—just as it does in the drama. I think the collective suicide is talked again in Season 1 or 2, I don't remember by who exactly and what they said, but it was similar to what I'm saying.
Some viewers blame Jojo for kissing Sun Oh in the beginning. She was on bad terms with Il Sik and eventually she was able to breathe thanks to Sun Oh. It's true that he was forcing, but she ended up accepting the kiss. They were where no one could see them (well, obviously it's a drama, so it doesn't go as planned), and she was tempted. When we know that many adults (men and women) have already cheated in their lives, it's not a teenager who lets herself go with this kind of context that shocks. One can argue it was wrong, but what about Il Sik? And Sun Oh? That’s where the complexity lies. Like so much else in the story, it’s not black and white—it’s human. This isn’t a story about perfect people.
Jojo didn’t initiate her relationship with Sun Oh. He pushed for it, despite knowing she had a boyfriend—something he learned from his best friend, Hye Yeong, who also had feelings for her. Sun Oh knew all of this, yet still chose to pursue her. And they dated for what, two weeks if we remove the time after the accident?
After the breakup, four years passed before Jojo met Hye Yeong. At first, she was emotionally distant, but his persistent efforts eventually paid off, and she gradually began to open up to him.
What can we expect from a character whose childhood was so painful, whose youth was full of struggles, a traumatized teenager with burdens so heavy to bear? Yes, you could say she acts in an annoying and selfish way, however, unless you are biased because of Song Kang and that you have a superficial view of the drama and her character, you will feel nothing but empathy. Don't even make me start on the impact that such an event can have on someone. Survivor's guilt, yes, but it was her parents who tried to kill themselves with her.
Again, I want to emphasize the fact that she needed to do what she did. Please read this post : https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans - It's not long and I love what she said. It fits into my review but I'm not gonna copy it all directly.
Sun Oh's behavior can be explained because of his family situation, right, I do get that. But if you think it's all Jojo's fault or that what Sun Oh did at the beginning is right but what happened afterwards isn't, I don't know what to say.
Conversely, Hye Yeong is portrayed as a loyal and kind-hearted individual, yet he may also yearn for his own independence and quietly struggle with the weight of his connection to Sun Oh's family. Then slowly, we learn even more about him and his family. I immediately connected with him because of his personality, and I found myself deeply relating to his experience, as I too have had my life negatively impacted by my father.
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What Deuk Gu says to Hye Yeong, "It was Jojo's will to use the shield and spear. Without it, she would never have gone out with you. It was because of the shield that she broke up with Sun Oh and you appeared on the list of people she could love. The shield being a variable, Jojo's will intervened, and you became a potential love interest. She wanted to ring your Love Alarm, even if it meant using the spear. She was willing to go that far to express her feelings for you. If that's not being sincere, what is?" This sums it up perfectly.
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Another thing about the end that I love is that Jojo still doesn't ring Hye Yeong's Love Alarm without the spear and she still has the shield, but they know their love is sincere and it was really beautiful when they confessed their feelings out loud. It reminded me of when Hye Yeong was courting Jojo the traditional way without relying to Love Alarm, and the fact that he wanted to build his relationship with her bit by bit was great. Of course, there's that final scene where we see the key moments when Jojo rang Hye Yeong's Love Alarm, they left before it started working but anyway, it was obvious. Nonetheless, it was perfect as a conclusion, for us viewers.
Fun fact: Okay everyone noticed it but I appreciate how "Love Alarm" in Korean is said "Joalarm" which obviously refers to Jojo, and clearly, her role is important in the actual story surrounding the app.
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I transcribed two other dialogues that are important :
(the discussion between the two brothers) - Five years ago, I told you that we shouldn't release 2.0. - You don't realize that the Love Alarm you created makes people feel lonelier. Version 2.0 was created for those lonely people. If they'd known that lots of people would love them, there wouldn't have been any mass suicides, 23 lives would have been spared. - Is that really what you think? People only go out with the app's recommendations. Just like we only read articles from our search portal. Just as we only watch movies recommended by the algorithm. - What's wrong with that? - It eliminates countless possibilities. If there's an error in the suggestions, version 2.0 prevents love from being born. - An error? How are you going to prove it? - Kim Jojo. When she installed the shield, the person she loved changed. - Programming bug. - It wasn't a bug. It was Jojo's will. With the introduction of synchronization and willpower, this little mistake changed her life. Do you understand now?
(Deuk Gu talking to Jojo) "It was obvious you liked Hye Yeong. Do you know why you hesitated so much? You've never seen his Love Alarm ring. That's why. Even though you knew it was because of the shield, you doubted your feelings, because his Love Alarm had never gone off. That's why I wanted to stop the new function. People have become too dependent on technology."
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Going back.
Season 1 Episode 5 analysis (accident scene) : Exactly as shown with the narration and the cinematography, it was like a dream of happiness for her. She ignored and escaped reality thanks to Sun Oh. During the trip to Jeju, her trauma was already triggered once, but the accident heavily triggered it as it involved Sun Oh (who became really important for her—so no she didn't "not consider his feelings", it's not that simple). The call from the hospital where is her grandmother, the memories from her childhood if we can even call it that, her memories with Sun Oh, the flashback of Gul Mi threatening her... It was a build-up of different factors until she had to take a decision. She lost her friends, people judged her, she became the center of attention, and because Gul Mi knows her too well, it was also easy for her to use all the guilt that she tried so hard to hide deep inside. Then as if it wasn't enough, Sun Oh was locked up by his family because of her (that being the final trigger, the last straw), and she was also aware of Hye Yeong's feelings. Also, like, you're telling me that's the normal life of a high-schooler? I'm not doing a recap but in case anyone forgot, this person explained it all in her review : https://mydramalist.com/profile/9262161/review/150547 - I really like how she ended the Jojo paragraph with "Because she doesn't want any help from anybody, BECAUSE she feels and will feel small. And that's actually one of the reason why she was burdened on being in a relationship with Sun-oh and finally installed the shield." And yes, it's also true that their final year of high school was coming.
On a side note, it is known that people can live with the memories of their childhood, but for the people who don't have anything happy to remember, they live their lives trying to heal these scars (I mean Jojo has some good memories with her grandma, but...it's still way too sad, her grandma had to fall ill and then all this?). It's not easy for them to be happy and live a normal life.
Because it still wasn't enough, she literally became someone's target.
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More observations : At the end of the first episode in season 1, Jojo's narration says "If I had Love Alarm on me, would it have rung? No. They would have both remained silent. Because the desire for a kiss preceded love." It really shows the difference in the building of relationships. At the end, Sun Oh and Yuk Jo are ready to build a healthy and mature relationship together, just like what Jojo and Hye Yeong did, with Jojo eventually developping feelings for him. Love Alarm is not everything, so it shouldn't control them. Their reaction when it didn't ring showed exactly that. Just like Hye Yeong and Jojo leaving before the app's confirmation. Whether Love Alarm rings or not is not the question, what matters in the end is YOU and not the program. Love Alarm doesn't guarantee your happiness. It works when you have a crush and when you are in love, but not for the process of falling in love. We are not so simple. This is why 2.0 was really bad, but honestly, I even wonder if 1.0 would really last. Some will say the ending between Yuk Jo and Sun Oh was forced, but for me it would have been forced only if Sun Oh made Yuk Jo's Love Alarm ring. I liked how he went at her home everyday...it was great. Genuine effort matters, even small moves. Hye Yeong proved that already. And yes, it made sense, it wasn't random either. I could feel the growth in his character and his sincerity so the app was irrelevant.
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Additionally, I feel the need to share my thoughts on the portrayal of love and relationships in the drama :
Not all relationships are rooted in passionate love, and intense emotions don’t always lead to healthy relationships. Love Alarm touches on this idea by showing that true connection goes beyond initial attraction or infatuation. It explores how relationships require more than just strong feelings to be stable and healthy, emphasizing the importance of understanding, respect, and emotional compatibility. Passion can fade or become problematic if not supported by a deeper, more meaningful bond.
Learning to love someone romantically is a complex, evolving process that involves understanding, patience, and emotional growth. While romantic love can begin with intense feelings of attraction or infatuation, true love often deepens over time as you get to know the other person on a more intimate and vulnerable level.
To "learn" to love someone is to recognize that love isn't just about fleeting emotions; it involves a conscious decision to commit, care, and nurture a connection. It includes appreciating the other person's individuality, respecting their needs and boundaries, and supporting their personal growth. You learn to love not just their best qualities but also their imperfections, accepting them as a whole person.
This process also requires self-awareness and the ability to reflect on your own emotional needs and limitations. It challenges you to be open to vulnerability, to communicate openly, and to resolve conflicts in a healthy way. In this way, love can grow into something deeply meaningful and enduring, rooted in trust and mutual respect.
Ultimately, romantic love is a journey rather than a fixed state, and learning to love someone is about embracing that ongoing process.
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Unfortunately, MDL reduced the character limit, and this review is so long that I now have to add the rest in the comments. (aside from the conclusion)
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Conclusion under
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Bonus links that I recommend to save :
- https://www.mentmagazine.com/issue001/sensus
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/imanirine/review/155009
- https://mydramalist.com/profile/Claraamorim/review/133999
- https://www.tumblr.com/lucymontero/646944171870109696/love-alarm-lovestruck-in-the-city-and-a-womans (in case you haven't read it when mentioned in the review)
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An interesting concept that fails to translate into an experience worth watching
I really wanted to like this drama. The concept surrounding the love alarm was intriguing, and there were so many cool things that they could've done with it. Unfortunately, very little is explored with this.In addition to the love alarm theme not being used to its full potential, I disliked the acting/writing. The main character just seems to exist, it was difficult to tell how she was feeling, and she doesn't speak often. Not to mention the unbelievable scenarios that happened throughout the drama, starting with following a complete stranger to a secluded area and being kissed by him.
They touch on homosexuality for about two minutes, and it had me thinking that they would continue this plot-line into something more substantial for the show; however, it just... disappeared. I thought that was quite unfortunate. Overall, this drama has an interesting concept but failed to execute it in an entertaining and engaging way.
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I don't understand why do people really hate Sun-oh's character though. I liked him, and I'm rooting for him and Jojo. I don't think he is a bad guy because he fell for Jojo, he didn't want to fall for her in the first place but couldn't stop himself because she was different than the others girls. But their love was beautiful and very charming, you could see that they really loved each other. It's maybe because I love strong male leads, but I had no problem with him at all - but on the other hand I didn't like Hye-yeong's character. He was just too silent in my opinion, if you don't like it then you have to say it or the other person won't really understand your problem - best friends should talk about their problems openly with each other.
Anyways, I'm pretty sure we're going to get a second season (I'm having the same vibes as I did when they finished My First First Love in the middle of the story), so I'm really hoping they are going to drop it in a few months! I can't stop thinking about this series :)
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