The plot was refreshing and really well developed. I was impressed by how the backstory was used, not only to add depth to the characters, but also and essentially to serve the plot. Most (not all of them, thankfully) of the dramas I have seen only gave them a painful backstory so that we could either understand why the main guy was being so mean to the girl he liked, or why they were destined to be with each other.
In this case, what happened to them still had significant consequences. One of the reasons I liked this drama so much is that these consequences were never really solved, which makes the story more realistic. Going through something traumatizing does leave an imprint on you, the aftermath can be devastating and it doesn't just go away, as it is too often depicted in Korean dramas. It wasn't about being completely healed, but more about getting better and learn to cope with it. The main characters viewed the world differently because of it, and they understood each other in a way that probably no one else could. They stuck to each other in the hardest times, even when the other pushed her/him away.
Junho was a revelation in this role. He was really impressive, the way he portrayed Kang Doo's pain and distress left me in awe. He conveyed such strong emotions while keeping a blank face, I didn't even know it was possible. I feel like the drama wouldn't have been as good without him. Like, really, he was MADE for this role.
And Kang Doo will probably be my favorite character of all dramas. He was broken from the beginning and went through so much (okay, I may have a thing with problematic guys and painful pasts, I don't know why it just draws me in... And let's be honest I'm not the only one here...). It really made the story complete, because he dealt with things differently and didn't know how to love someone when his life and his mind were a complete mess.
In conclusion : if the depth of this drama isn't enough for you, then Lee Junho will make you fall in love with the drama for sure.
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Lee Jun Ho *claps loudly*
Story: I'm giving the story an 8/10 because there were things that felt unresolved for me by the end. Plus, there were some scenes that lacked impact (particularly ending scenes on episodes) and it would just cut to the next scene weirdly. This isn't an editing issue, but a writing issue. However, with the negatives out of the way, I loved the story overall. Obviously, as a melodrama, it was quite the tear-jerker and played my emotions like a fiddle in a way that left you thinking about it. If you've read any of my other drama reviews, you'll know I'm a sucker for themes of friendship and family. Especially when those relationships are developed in such a beautiful way. I love sismance and bromance dynamics and this show had both. I also loved the developing friendship between the ML and a certain female character (that's not the lead). I appreciate what the writers did with her character and how they didn't make her into the classic "evil female" character. She was never threat, but rather a helpful pusher. That's all I'm going to say about the story, otherwise I'll walk too far down the spoiler city. OH wait. one more thing; I LOVED Gang Doo as a character. He's so loyal, sincere, lives with raw emotion, determined, hard-working, selfless, and caring. I loved how honest he was about his feelings and how determined he was about them if Moon Soo tried pulling away. He had some amazing lines. Moon Soo was also a pretty solid character with great qualities, but she did get on my nerves sometimes.Acting: First thing's first, I need to talk about Junho's acting in this because WOW *chef's kiss*. I honestly couldn't fault it and I'm very critical when it comes to acting performances. I've acted before and grew up acting in drama class too, so naturally, a drama or movie can be easily ruined for me if the acting doesn't feel real. Thankfully, I didn't have that issue with this drama whatsoever. I didn't find myself analysing the casts' techniques or possible awkward gestures, simply because if there were any flaws, I didn't notice them. And Junho in particular was fantastic. Every facial expression, enunciation and gesture was perfect for the line and scene. I feel like I should note that I wasn't a fan of his before watching this drama - I don't listen to 2PM and I haven't watched Wok of Love (or anything else he's been in). Therefore, my review of his acting is completely unbiased. I'm so excited to watch his future works and maybe his past ones; can someone tell me if I should watch Wok of Love? I really don't like love triangles so I wasn't planning on giving it a try, but now I'm wavering because of Junho.
Music: Great soundtrack! I love when kdramas have a fitting soundtrack that you remember, it makes the experience so much better than if it didn't.
Rewatch Value: I rated this low because I don't rewatch things often anyway, but if I did, I wouldn't rewatch this. Mainly because it's a melodrama. I love melodramas and would rewatch them, but only if there was a good mix of comedy in there or something to make it worth the rewatch (e.g. It's Okay to Not Be Okay, Goblin, etc). Plus, this drama is 16 hours long so I don't think I would want to.
In conclusion: I recommend this drama and thoroughly enjoyed it <3 especially Junho's acting. I don't think I would have enjoyed it this much without him.
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Healing comes to people at different times and in different ways. Pain is real and needs to be faced at one point or another. Yet, life is still beautiful to live by.
Kudos to the director, staff, and all the actors.
Oh, the OST is perfect.
I wish more people will watch and appreciate it. Enjoy watching!
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Do you believe in love at first sight? Well, i do, because "Just between lovers" hit me right to the heart from the very fisrt scene of the trailer. I felt like i was bound to it by a steel wire. "Just between lovers" is THE drama: the story and the development is so realistic and well written that you could think that is a true story. Every actor wasn't an actor who was playing a role, it seemed more like they were truly themselves, in particular Juh No, he entranced me and touched my heart to the core. His character is the most heartwarming, frustrating, sad and loving character i saw in a drama. The pace of the plot is a bit slow sometimes but for me it is the point that made this drama so realistic, because the bonds between people and the relationships take time to be built and to become strong. You have the right amount of time to felt deep in love with characters and story. The melodrama in this show is truly heartbreaking, nerve wracking and breathtaking all in one, the sadness and the despair are so deep that it seems you could touch them, but in reality the drama is not about suffering and despair, in the contrary is about life, love, strength, hope and justice. It talks about how to return to live a normal life after a very bad moment, it tells you not to blame yourself for all the thing that happens in life, because most of the time the things just happens and it is nobody fault. It tells you that the ultimate meaning of our lives lies on what we do after things happen: to accept the imprevedibility of life and live every moment trying to be as happy as possible, to accept that to feeling happiness even after a tragedy is not a fault but a bless, to understand that it's never too late to change ourselves and turn our lives in better ... all this is "Just between lovers". Watching this drama is a very deep and emotional experience that could change the way you look at yourself, the others and the entire world.
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2. Good ending that finishes up the story well.
3. There is no perfect character, all the charcters were realistics each with their faults and strengths which is realistic and how characters should be.
4. Great soundtrack that fit scenes well and the show also used silence really well in key scenes which needed it.
5. cinematography was done really beautifully.
6. no cliche romance, no car crashes or amnesia etc. to build up tension.
7. it's daily life - nothing over the top, everything is realistic to even the smallest details like gang doo's phone and no stupid misunderstandings.
8. The plot was written really well and everything comes together perfectly.
One of the first dramas where there isn't a single thing which would only happen in drama land.
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I've never really written a review, but I thought this drama deserved it.
This drama is about broken people trying to heal together. Everything in this drama was protrayed achingly true to life. A sad, but beautiful story; a well thought out script, amazing actors/actresses, and the wonderful soundtrack that really tugged at my heartstrings. The OSTs really had a big impact on me.
This drama completely played with my feelings. As it is a melodrama, prepare to weep oceans of tears, and keep tissues near you - a whole lot of them.
Junho incredibly protrayed the character and captured the intensity of his pain. You can't help but fall in love with him. This my first time seeing Lee Jun Ho's performance on TV, and he is an amazing actor, and I'll definitely be watching more of his dramas, as well as Won Jin Ah's! Jin Ah is an amazing actress, one of the best I've seen. She will definitely not be forgotten by me. I laughed with them, and I cried with them. There are scenes in this drama that are completely heart wrenching. Overall, the acting was incredible, and I am so pround of the whole cast, they've done a great job.
Even though I emotionally suffered while watching this, I wouldn't hesitate to watch it again. And again. I can't believe this drama has ended, and I'm craving so much more. This drama deserves an award. Nah, not an award, but a whole lot of them. This drama is a MUST WATCH, I definitely recommend. The end of each episode leaves you craving for the next. I am so thankful that I came across this masterpiece.
Enjoy watching this drama, it is unforgettable, and truly the best K-drama I've watched up till now.
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This started out perfect but unfortunately, like a lot of other dramas, halfway through cliches took over and the main focus of the plot shifted towards the romance and added up struggles that I thought were unnecessary.
I wanted the plot to pay more attention to the menatal health aspects. What they suffered and went through obviously haunted them and affected their lives to great extents. But the plot, at some point, steered in a different direction and I was left hanging with no actual healing or acknowledgement of their state of mind.
The second lead annoyed me quite a bit. I had a hard time empathizing with him. All the other characters were better devolved than he was even though he was a lead. Makes me wonder if it was just the actor that wasn't able to deliver the part.
On the other hand Kang Doo was phenomenal. Junho is slowly becoming one of my favorites. Moon Soo was also amazing. At times she was a little frail but still. I don't think I came across a similar character in Kdrama. Kinda timid and cold, yet still passionate and courageous. The actress, it was her debut drama I heard, did amazing.
The grnadma, the Noona, the inn keeper and her son. Basically anyone associated with the main lead were lovable and beyond awesome.
Other than the second lead, all the cast was amazing and the chemistry was so natural. The characters were new and none of them fell under the cliche usual characters in Kdramas.
The romance was so sweet and I found myself hungry for the times Kang Doo and Moon Soo were on screen together. Other side plots were also exciting and interesting.
The cinematography was phenomenal. That rain scene with the two leads took my breath away. The special effects when that building fell down were a little meh but whatever . The music reached to the depth of my heart and clenched it.
This drama was set to be perfect and to a lot of people it was, but I'm very critical when it came to the things I like and and I can't let things slide easily.
All in all it was definitely worthy of all my time. I don't usually rewatch dramas, especially ones with such heavy plot, but Junho is really growing on me and I find myself wanting more of him.
Hopefully we'll see more dramas like this in the future. Ones that are more realistic and really delve into dark places. And hopefully next time around they won't shy away from seeing it through till the end properly.
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I thought that I wasn't going to finish it, because I already saw, but I was very wrong. In the very first episode I was caught by it, like the last time. It has such a heartbroken story, such good actors and the OST is breathtaking, it's all so well connected, it's true that is a little dark, but some moments will surely warm your heart. I realized that the first time you watch a drama, you don't take much attention to the little things in the story, so in the second time watching you will see things that you didn't notice before.
Overall, I loved this drama very much, it's one of those that you can watch as many times you want that you will surely become caught by it.
If you didn't give it a try, YOU SHOULD, if you already seen it, SEE IT AGAIN, you will not regret it.
Thank you for your time, and I'm sorry if it is not perfectly written, but is my very first time writing a review.
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While watching the drama, I can't keep myself to relate to it.
When the lead character struggles, I felt like being soaked and stuck in a heavy rain, it's dark , I am alone and helpless. In a typical story, the plot lightens up whenever a conflict is being resolved. But as I kept watching, I felt like the rain won't stop yet will keep on pouring really hard. Problems just kept on coming that made the characters to be afraid of happiness.
2. Sound
The file I watched purposely omitted sounds on some of the scenes. I do not know if it is or will be the same with everybody. But great thanks to subtitles I still had great time viewing . It will sure be even nicer if I can view it with all the sound effects including the background music though. Sigh,.
3. Characters
I am not that familiar with the actors so I was indecisive at first whether to watch or not.
I decided to watch at least the first one or two episodes to determine if its worth the time. I am glad I did. They really did great portraying their roles, it is not easy to show emotions that will cross the monitor and the viewers' mind. I must say, I cried a bucket watching this drama. Tears won't stop falling until the last 3 minutes of the last episode.
4. Video
To clear things, my viewing experience might not be as same as yours; for it will depend on the file you got. Mine is good at first, it was clear but it was quite blurry in the middle then it got clear again at the latter part. It was like watching a 5 year old movie. It's still a good thing for me, it made me feel dreamy, like it really happened in the past.
5. Verdict
Me writing a review makes it obvious that I liked it a lot. Dramas nowadays become closer and getting even closer to what is really happening in real life. Maybe it is just me being pessimistic why I like it, but to give credit to the writers, directors, producers, actors, and the uploader of the video, I would like to highly recommend this drama.
I hope, rather I know you will like it. Because I do.
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"I like men who eat carrots"
While watching Rain or Shine (alternate title), I wanted to try my best to write a professionally written review after a long time, but here I am holding back myself from an expression-rant of how much feels I am getting, so this will be a kinda fusion review.I have come to realize what Just Between Lovers is about. It is not just about a romantic story between two people who have been scarred and brought together by an unfortunate mall collapse incident (that is I think also based from a real-life incident) which costs the lives of many people, (well actually yeah it is), but also a graceful interpretation of life and the humans in it, the wonders of living, the struggles and fortunes, and a tribute and memorial itself for victims, survivors, and for the family of the bereaved. It wasn’t just a plot that revolved on bringing up a new building after a tragedy and the few people involved in it, but an overall depth into all those affected. It is a process of recovery, healing, and remembering. This drama alone has given me so much emotions, feels, reflection time, and thought processes in the span of 16 episodes. I love it.
I would like to introduce everyone to my new comfort character, Lee Kangdu. I’m not even sure if he’s considered as a comfort character. I don’t exactly relate entirely with him, though, I have a very very very big soft spot for him and I just love him, I don’t care what he does I will always love and support him. He was given the character that was strayed far away from the cliched cold, unspoken, rich, stuck up arrogant rude bad boys. Instead, he was given a new meaning to the bad boy term (idk what im saying). Truth is, I’d usually dislike mannerless characters like him. Kangdu grew up with harsh poor circumstances, but still preserved, worked his hardest to get by each day, and still was morally righteous and was really a kind caring soul. Tbh, now that I ponder over it, he’s a good boy brought up well. Hard to explain, but you’ll understand when you watch too.
Now let's talk about romance. Oh my god. What in the world. I have never once thought that this kind of drama which looked gloomy in glance would give me so much butterflies and heart-fluttering jitters, me watching this drama is basically just a try not to scream and cry at the same time challenge everytime I see the couple interact on screen. They are sososososo cute, like sooooo cute. I didn’t think I’d crave this much skinship for them. I’m not even talking about what, but simply just holding hands. That alone, was to me, the most romantic thing ever. I literally died.
It’s slow burn, but watching them together is just so comforting and happy. It’s a fresh type of feeling I get despite the traumas that the characters went through. Their actions, dialogues, and every moment are always so pure, sincere, so personal, and simply just feels so intimate, warm, realistic, and full of love. Watching this, there is an odd specific description I am unable to give them, but I just have to say, there is just something so special about the relationship they have.
None, I mean none, of the characters are written in 2d, everyone is so complex in their own ways. There is a central focus on the two main leads, but the supporting characters have the sufficient glaze of their own specific personalities, character, and depth that makes them the more sympathetic and realistic. If it even makes sense to say, they’re all portrayed very subtly, not in the direct type but it takes a slow buildup for one to gradually observe how they are with time. Relations between every character are also explored and delivered in different forms of development, which makes the overall experience and telling very heartwarming. We have the two leads, but we also have the second leads and more of the side characters in which any kind of connection can be drawn from one another and it’ll all be a different but beautiful form. Everyone seems to have their own reasons for their actions, and by the end of the drama I didn’t fully hate anyone despite disliking or misjudging some of them at some point. I want to list out some that I really love but that’ll be almost everyone. Though the one who gave me the strongest emotions is Kangdu’s “Granny”, I genuinely truly cared about everyone.
I'd like to highlight this quote--
"Granny once said, "Living is a repetition of regrets and failures." I sarcastically asked, "Then what's the point of living?" Granny spoke again saying, "It's to make even better regrets and mistakes," and advised me not to be intimidated.”
Idk but this quote really hits home, and was enough to settle this drama for the "well-made" stamp.
I love everyone’s performance, especially the freshness of Jinah and Junho (considering at that time they’re new). I can't imagine anyone else as their respective roles because they fitted so well. Their chemistry is too good, and the way they look at each other is too romantic. But damnnn I am so impressed by Lee Junho. He’s not only way too charming and handsome to be true, but his emotions are so raw I can’t believe it. I have negative prejudices against idol-actors but he proved me wrong. I’m so crazy in love with him now.
Can’t let this review go without mentioning the sound. It’s a very sided detail, but I want to commend for how great the incorporation in music could set the mood and tone of the drama. Not just speaking about the OSTs, I mean they were great too, but I’m talking about the BGMs and musical instrumentals from Nam Hyeseung. I always admired them while watching.
To be honest, I’m resisting the urge to give this drama a 10. Maybe because I’m having post kdrama syndrome as I write this review since I just finished it 2 hours ago, but subjectively, the overall impression on me could last me for a good month of non-stop thinking. But I’ll be objective, the quality was not really the best. While there were scenes where the cinematography and settings were bomb, some driving scenes had obvious green-screen, and the building collapsing CGI still fall very shortly, as well as some old-school tinted settings and production (but we can understand, it probably lacks the budget). And also, well maybe the events of the story went a bit for the cliched sad route somewhere in the middle. It stopped by the sappyfest bus stop for too long in some episodes, but at the same time that can be considered a good thing, depending on how you see it. Well while I was a tad bothered by the prolonged events, surely for me it didn’t stop my love for the drama.
**Other quotes I feel deeply for--
“Knowing that ignorance is bliss is a strength”
"There's no such thing as being relieved because things could have been worse. Being unfortunate is just...feeling miserable."
"People say this as a word of comfort, “this, too, shall pass”. They are right. No matter how terrible the situation, they do pass. Except, the problem can always come back."
“What you can't force, just let it be. Don't try too hard. Being sad and painful. Those things are always with us. But instead, you can meet someone better and live a fun life.”
“I really like right now, when today is becoming tomorrow and not much is going on.”
"Saving a person so they can remain as a shell of who they were is us being greedy."
“When a person dies, I heard they go back to the time when they were prettiest.”
“The phrase, “a prison of one’s own making,” isn’t it strange? No one's locked us in. Then why can't we get out?"
“It's been said that life is about getting used to parting. No. There is no one who gets used to parting.”
Overall, Just Between Lovers may not be the most mind-blowing dramas out there, but definitely will be one of the most memorable and loved dramas to me, and yes I will rewatch it again someday, and yes I really do recommend it greatly to potential viewers.
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A Drama Not to Put Off
So I saw this drama recommend to me on Hulu and I always put it off. I finally decided to settle down and watch it and I wish I had just listened to Hulu's recommendation from the beginning. Comparing it to the perfect recipe, this drama had everything. It's a wholesome drama that had me so caught up in my emotions I had to remind myself it was just a story. The acting just drew you in. The storyline realistic and in some people's cases, relatable. Lee Jun Ho did such an amazing job with this role, I almost caught feelings (again had to remind myself, it's just acting.) It's shows like this one that makes me want to shout from the rooftops to wake people up from the sleeping they've been doing on KDramas. Don't put if off, just watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
Endurance
The acting was superb and the content emotional but.... it was unrelentingly bleak for the most part! I understand it was about the survivers and bereaved families trauma and grief - making them prisoners of their guilt and loss, but oh it began to drag! They all seemed to be wallowing in their pointless self blame and the FL parents,esp the mother just heaped more damage on her daughter - totally selfish.As one reviewer put it, the "noble actions" of first the ML and then the FL in the penultimate episode just became too much. After they both suffered so much they then put each other through more heartache. Plus the architect began to act out of character. I got so frustrated that I skipped thru the last 3 episodes , kept up with salient developments just to finish the gruelling experience. Apart from the ML noone seemed mature, many got worse and alot of many characters past actions were hinted at but not exposed till the final episode. The sister acted selfishly till she realised he was ill - maybe because he left the family, but he borrowed money and worked like a dog for her to become a dr. Is self sacrifice and blame a cultural thing in korea?There were some lovely scenes with the two leads and with granny but not enough to outweigh the long slog of emotional assault on the viewer! Would have been better if less episodes.at least the last episode was good!
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