Andante (2017)

I am not writing this review as a crazy fangirling EXO-L, and that has not affected my opinion of this drama at all.

Story: 5/10
Andante’s story was soooo boring for me. I do have to admit that it was really realistic, but it had snail speed from beginning to end so I could never sense in which direction it was headed until the last fourth of the drama. But what should I expect? The synopsis is basically: “Getting through unfamiliar experiences, he [the MC] realizes the meaning of life and love.” This synopsis accurately sums up the entire storyline of Andante, and literally screams boring boring boring. However, Andante’s strong points come from its characters, their development, and their chemistry.

Acting/Cast: 9/10
I consider Andante’s entire line of leads to be rookie actors, and they did a pretty good job overall, in my opinion.
Let’s start with our leading man, Kai. I didn’t head into this drama with big expectations for him. He is, after all, an idol-actor, and this just his second project (after Choco Bank). While acting in Andante, Kai became humble Jongin, so if you are here for dorky Jongin, you will not be disappointed:) But since the focus is not always on Kai's character, you might find yourself staying for other things. Kai, as the naughty yet kind-hearted teenager named Shi Kyung, did an okay job. His acting was a bit shallow, and he did an okay job of portraying deeper emotions. However, Kai did seem super relaxed in his role and didn’t look as stiff as a piece of cardboard the whole time. Nothing bothered me about his acting and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the drama, but he didn’t leave a lasting impression on me either.

Lee Ye Hyun, one of the female leads, is a rookie actor. This is fact, but I could not believe it. Ye Hyun made her character, the rebel Lee Shi Young, come alive. She could convey the emotions really well and make her character carry so much depth. Sometimes Shi Young felt like a supporting character, but at other times, I felt as if she was the main character of this drama because of the way her character stood out (it seems that every time I scroll past the cast section on this drama, Shi Young’s character would get moved up a slot haha). You might think that the way her character acts is annoying, but I feel like that makes her really realistic and relatable. I would definitely watch any future projects that she is in!

Kim Jin Kyung, the other female lead, also did pretty well for her first project, but her acting was not as memorable to me.

Characters: 9/10
This drama carries the power of making the viewer love all the characters introduced to the story. Why? Because it delves into the stories of every single character (yes, even the supporting ones), which shows the me their point of view while leaving little space for plot holes and unexplained story threads. Some time was spent on every character so that they got development, but the show doesn’t deviate from the main storyline of the MCs. All the characters were really realistic, well-written, and nicely developed.

Music: 6/10
Andante’s OST was okay. It did add a lot to the mood of the drama, but none of them were really memorable for me.

Enjoyment Level: 7/10
From episode 1 to episode 5, nothing really happened and I was about to drop this drama. But after I got past that point, the characters started developing and I enjoyed and appreciated this drama a lot more. The plot did bring down my enjoyment level by a lot since it was really slow the whole way through, and the only thing that convinced me to stay was the characters. Also, the comedy was pretty good. There was just the right amount of comedy, which helped balance out the sadder parts of this drama.

Rewatch value: 2/10
I wouldn’t really want to watch Andante again because how boring its story is, but I might come back to it one day to fall in love with all the characters again.

Conclusion: Great characters, slow plot, but not a must watch.
There were some small things that I didn’t like about this drama, but there were also other things that left a lasting impression on me. If you dig great characters, you should consider checking this out! Just get past the 5th episode and you will find yourself loving every character that you see in this drama. But if you can’t deal with a plot moving at 0.0001 miles per hour no matter how lovable the characters are, then it might be best for you to skip on this one:)

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The reviews and many of the comments for this drama seem to be from people who didn't really get what this drama was trying to do and don't personally enjoy dramas that move at a slower pace, which is rather unfortunate as that has unfairly colored their reviews, in my opinion. Yes, this is a slow drama, but that is intentional. You need only look at the title to be able to see this.

Andante- moderately slow; usually used as a direction in music

It's perfectly understandable that slow paced dramas are not for everyone, and they're honestly not for me most of the time either. Even with Andante, a drama I clearly very much enjoyed based on my rating, I took multiple long breaks in-between watching episodes, because it really was just slower than what I enjoy in a drama. But that is not a flaw in the drama. That is a personal preference that I fully recognize. If you do not enjoy slow paced dramas, I recommend that you maybe watch something else, because you might not be able to fully appreciate the story this drama tells.

That being said, if you enjoy slow paced dramas with simple but affecting storylines, then I highly recommend Andante. It's thoughtful and moving with stellar performances by the entire cast. Even Kai does a decent job. But I have to say, my favorite character is Bom. It's technically not her drama, but it also kind of is. She's the driving force behind much of the story and character progression, and her story arch is a deeply emotional one that spans the entirety of the drama. It's ultimately through Bom's actions and words and presence that the rest of the characters are pushed into growth and reconciliation and developing new hope for the future. If no other reason compels you to watch this drama, then watch it for Bom.

Word of warning: The last two episodes are a sob fest, so have your tissues at the ready.

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