This review may contain spoilers
I am upset about how Jojo never considered Sunoh's feelings.
First of all, let me say that I never really write reviews, but this time I got so baffled I had to.The story evolved around 3 characters where one(Sunoh) got completely walked over because he wanted to get his happiness back, second(Jojo) stayed as messy as ever, not even bothering about how her actions would affect Sunoh. And third(Hyeyeong) got the girl just because he somehow became a certain option but we don't know why it was never made clear why Jojo couldn't choose Sunoh anymore when she swore that she'd never love anyone more than him. Yet she kept running away from him, not even trying to give him an explanation. She just pierced his heart with her words and left. I really wanted her to become more mature as the years passed, but she stayed as a victim and never came out of that state
And above all the "Love Alarm". The app remained in their daily lives even after everything.
If we think that this whole drama was about not trusting an app for choosing a loved one but our own hearts, then why did JJ go to such lengths to get the "spear"?! The application was not destroyed, nor ever used by main leads. They still relayed on the app and who rang whose alarm Although that couldn't be trusted. As Sunoh's mother said her husband still rings her alarm even tho he's cheating on her. Or we could think that this drama was about the pain of unfulfilled first love and moving on but they failed to deliver that message.
Furthermore, I knew SO & JJ had no chance(it kinda become more clear when teasers came out), I hoped they'd clear out their misunderstandings as grown-ups should. but oh boy.
I am upset about what they did to the characters and how they pushed Sunoh away. He had so much potential to emerge from a broken teen to an accomplished adult, to grow and learn self-love, but writers ruined his character. They destroyed him and then gave him a "happy ending" I'm sorry what?! he isn't even being himself around Yukjoo. He had to heal first and then get back with her. However, at least she treats him right, and really loves him so I hope she'll make him happier.
Jojo never returned the smile she stole from Sunoh. She made him cry and walked away after saying "I'm sorry" but never solving for what.
Despite being painful as hell, I really loved the last meeting scene of JJ & SO. That scene carried so much pain and nostalgia, their thoughts of what it could've been or what will never be. I wish she told him the truth behind everything right there, the entire dialogue they shared lacked honesty, and that meeting had to make them let go of each other. (mostly SO) but of course, the writers had to make Sunoh accept the confusion instead without any clarifications.
On the other hand, Gulmi had more character development than I expected, watching her chasing hearts was rather entertaining. even tho she was faking it she was learning to treat others better. (hopefully)
I don't know why nobody said anything about Dukgu, his appearance was rather short.
I must admit actors did a great job portraying their characters with what was given to them. The cinematography was wonderful, the scenes were shot beautifully, and the brightness was a bit off but it was still fine.
Edit: For those who think I disliked the ending because JJxHY was endgame let me tell you that it's not like that. Since I knew that would be the ending from a long time ago. My main concern was what they'd do to characters and how they'd end up developing them. what would happen to the love alarm & if they'd stopped using it?
JJ returning a smile to Sunoh didn't imply her dating him. All I meant was for her to give him any clue of what happened because at least he deserved it. The best she could do for a person that still makes her emotional was to give him proper answers, so he could move on. That would be a humane thing to do. (from my point of view obviously)
My (and the majority of comments) main complaint here is still the execution of characters and not giving them decent conclusions.
SO basically became the wasted character for the convenience of a writer to write the JJxHY arc, he was used as a plot device for the ending. he was portrayed as a pitiful person who tried to hold on to what made him happy in season one and in season 2 they still continued using him as just that.
the writers didn't even bother to give him proper closure at the end of the season, we see him still holding on to his feelings, but right before it ends he lets go. The writers were so bet on pulling that "it's all fine" card that they somehow thought that ending him up with someone he doesn't even love (for now) was a solid idea.
The only reason why I watched this till the end is Song Kang who is one of my fav actors. He keeps getting better and better, turning into a prominent actor. Can't wait to see his upcoming projects.
As for If I recommend this or not, watch it if you can deal with heartbreak. Season 2 has a whole different vibe from Season 1.
Was this review helpful to you?
The bad rating really isn’t about the endgame
PROBABLY SPOILER ALERT!I dont even know where to start. At first I felt sad we were getting only 6 ep, but I couldnt wait for it to end.
It was the most tiring, slow-paced, boring season ever. I have watched season 1 probably over 5 times. It was my first kdrama and that’s why I was so invested. For someone to wait for almost two years and checking every month to see if there was an update, this was a let down. The bad rating is not because of the endgame, trust me.
Let me just start by saying that the characters were all completely different (in a negative way). We knew none of them really. There was no character development. Sunoh was pretty much non-existent (like how can you give the most important character so little screentime while he was the one that made almost everyone watch and like this show). Jojo was the most toxic, indecisive FL I have ever seen. How can you still be like that at that age? She was only hurting everyone around her for no apparent reason. She had no characteristics and no evolvement. No goals, no dreams- nothing. She was never studying, never caring for her friend (seriously what was the purpose of putting her in the show?) or anyone around her. Yet she always felt like everyone around her was hurting her. Instead of wanting a boyfriend (I think her having 3 bfs in a kdrama is a record), she should’ve just let the brothers alone to avoid their friendship to break. She just toyed with them. They did Sunoh so dirty, both Jojo and Heyyoung.
Heyyoung grew up with him and let a girl come inbetween them. Yes, maybe he liked her first but that never means he should’ve had her from the beginning. He worked with her for years and she never, ever knew him, never cared for him. That says enough about him. He was a very passive person. When Sunoh wanted to communicate about where they went wrong as friends (because Sunoh really did care), he just had the audacity to completely disregard him and just walk away without saying anything. That was wayy worse than what Sunoh did to him (even though in s1 Sunoh was like “Jojo is not an object, let her choose”). They both broke the bro-code. Heyyoung was the most boring character ever. When characters are silent and shy, they usually have an inner quirky-ness. Heyyoung had nothing. I still dont know what Heyyoung was doing at his internship or what he wanted to become in life. Just like Jojo; no dreams, no goals- nothing. His only obsession in life was someone he loved for over four years without knowing a single thing about that person and having never really talked with her (seriously, what did he like about her again?!).
Sunoh on the other hand was the only normal character (plus Gul-mi, never thought I would say this). He was trying to communicate to understand what was going on and what happened. He wanted to give Jojo all his love when he never even had love from his closed ones. He was never a rich brat. I never understood why people thought he was a bad person. There was not one bad thing about him. He was always there for others without judging them. He never cared about his money or fame and even did good causes. He was not a toxic character nor was he the unhealthy factor in his relationship with Jojo. Even with Yukju he was straighforward and she knew everything about what he did and didn’t feel. Throughout the series I kept thinking of how Jojo did not deserve him and how Yukju was a sweet girl. I wish instead of making him go through so much pain, they should’ve just focused on his relationship with Yukju. I am sure more people would’ve liked the show then. The scenes with his parents were really confusing and the whole production felt rushed. In s1 everything looked more real and thought-out, now we didn’t even see one single worker of his mother next to her.
There was literally no plot, no plot development. Romance consisted of them just walking each other home and texting if they have eaten. They were so boring. Jojo was just a pathetic character and I don’t get how no one left her in her life without dying. Jojo and Heyyoung both lacked the skill of communication and communication is key. That was a major red flag. Also how she did the same FAULT again when using the spear for Heyyoung. Like you used the shield and regretted it and now you use the spear? No wonder he had left. I was glad he did to prove a point.
I never thought I would’ve said this but the only one I really liked in this show was Gul-Mi. Such a funny, insane but still sane girl she was. I was glad that Duk Gu hadn’t died and she got her karma.
Duk Gu was annoying to me about how Jojo would’ve rang Heyyoungs love alarm regardless. Because there was no reason for her to like Heyyoung. There was nothing that he had that Sunoh didn’t have. It was all about timing. She breaks up with Sunoh because of her past issues but four years later she still has those issues and no character development, yet suddenly gives Heyyoung a chance. Why? Why not Sunoh? Because suddenly Heyyoung came to the damsel in distress. She would’ve liked anyone at that point.
ALSO, where was the whole Anti-Love alarm group? Why put that in the drama in s1 only to never go back to it in s2? That would’ve made it more realistic and interesting. We all were waiting for that.
The saddest scene were I broke down was when Sunoh and Jojo met up for closure. It felt so forced and if it was just for SK and KSY they probably would’ve chosen JojoxSunoh. I felt like it was all about timing. It looked like a missed chance. Her saying that she would install the shield again if she went back was disrespecting Sunoh. She should’ve felt ashamed for causing him so much pain. I felt like Jojo would’ve liked anyone who came in front of her. If Sunoh would’ve stayed by her side regardless, I wonder what would’ve happened.
But to be honest, I am glad she ended up with Heyyoung. Both passive and no chemistry but Sunoh deserved better so I am glad. He is way too precious to end up with a toxic person like Jojo. There was also zero reason for him to like Jojo. She was not worth it. I am sure the actors all think the same way and I am happy Jung Ga Ram is serving in the military cause he won’t get all the backlash now.
Nobody should feel sorry. Netflix knew what they were doing. We all warned them for not putting out a half-assed season. The fact that they also took away our Sunoh moments and made them Heyyoungs (liking list etc) was so painful. The scenes were lacking and a lot of things were left out or rushed (where the hell is the love alarm 2.0 event scene?!). I won’t watch anything of this director and screenwriter again. I cannot believe how they passed this. Even my cat could write it better. There was not even one “wow” moment. I just feel pain for my wasted two years.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Felt like a different drama
From the first time i saw the trailer, I was scared that it would be too different from the first season. The whole feel of the drama felt forced, not just the storyline but also the shots and pacing. Because of the change of directors, the season felt like a whole different drama compared to the first. While the first season had more of this lighthearted, comic feel to it, this season had a more serious, adult vibe. At first, I thought this would be appropriate since this is where they mature but it lost some of the dramas charm. Even though the first had this lighthearted vibe, it didn't take away from the seriousness of situations. This season made the maturity and seriousness feel forced.The setting are also all different than the previous season which made it further feel like youre watching a whole different drama. The school, the houses, the convience store. Like, they had to change the CU to a 7-Eleven. Even though it had 2 episodes less than the previos, the pacing made it feel longer. And the OSTs was forgettable, unlike the first.
Eventhough I dont agree with the ending, i didnt like that the relationships weren't developed that much and it made me not sympathize with Jojo unlike the previous season. The drama didn't solve Jojo's real problem: running away. From the very start, when things get hard, she runs. She said that she put on the sheild to "protect" Sunoh, at first sure, i can see that, but when Sunoh found out about it, "all she can think about was Hyeyoung". Like, girl, you gave this guy that was so in love with you, hell for 4 years, and now he knows about it, you can't even think about how you've hurt him. She didn't give Sunoh the proper apology that he deserves. She said she loved him, but she loved herself more, leading to both their suffering. And with all this, unresolved problems, she runs to Hyeyoung. It felt like just because he's Hyeyoung, she should end up with him.
With all this, I think the story and especially the direction the director chose in filming this season is really disappointing. I think even if the story turn out the same but had the same style, or even the same colour palette of the first season, I would have enjoyed it more because it would connect; but from the first episode, I already knew this wasn't the same drama I waited for. I felt like it wasted the 2 years I waited for this drama. It made me hate Jojo and made me feel bad for Hyeyoung and Sunoh. I'll just pretend this season never happened.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Disappointment
I would describe this show as a big disappointment; I did not have high expectations for this show. The bar was low, and somehow the show manages to go lower than that. As someone who watches a lot of Netflix shows, this is at the bottom of the list. Everything was flipped here; the way Netflix executed this show was horrible. In the first season, we all can agree that Sun Oh had a lot of screen time and Hye Young did not. However, here is the opposite I wouldn't even consider Sun Oh a main character when he had minimum screen time. I went from liking Jo Jo's character to hating her. The whole "spear" situation was just wrong. She goes from installing a shield to using the "spear" to ring Hye Young's love alarm.. and they want us to think that she is sincere and is a way to show Hye Young that she loves him? No, it was stupid and idiotic; why couldn't she be honest for once in her life. I was so happy when it came crumbling down when Hye Young found out. She deserves no one! They tried to make Sun Oh into a villain when we all know we all feel pity for him, at least give him a good ending him crying all the time is not going to give closure to his character. This was poorly developed and horrible written. The only reason why I kept watching it was for the developer's storyline and because Jo Jo's cousin, she was the only interesting character on the show besides the developer(s) and Hye young. Hye Young was a sweetheart, but he deserves better than Jo Jo. I want to say that I am neutral in the whole love triangle situation, but Netflix did a horrible job. First, they make a majority of the viewers in season one like Sun Oh, and with little information about Hye young, expected people to like his character be happy that Jo Jo ended up with him... NO. The ending was no better than season one's ending. Jo Jo was the villain in her own story; she created all the problems herself.Was this review helpful to you?
Let's focus on the quality. Idk if it just me or what? The lightings and the brightness is too much. It's so hard to watch because of the brightness unlike in season 1.
It feels like I watched a different drama. The whole vibes is too much different than the first one. I like the first one especially the sweetness touched of the whole drama is still in there ( romance between sunoh and jojo) but after watching the season 2 it feels like I am watching a different drama with more mature vibes. It's so serious and I can't even finish a episodes without skipping some parts.
I skipped most of parts and I almost drop this season 2 while watching a few minutes of episode. It's clearly most of people who waited this season 2 want jojo to be end up with sun oh because of their iressistible chemistry and the fact that sun oh don'y deserves to be hur like this. The trailer scammed us and build us a high hopes that she will end up with sun oh but in the end... I think they should end it up in season 1.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Just stupid
So I’m relatively new to k-dramas and this was one of the first k-dramas I watched on Netflix and up until season 1 episode 6 I loved it,it all goes down hill from there, jojo and sun-oh’s relationship seems genuine and they both care for eachother a lot, atleast that’s the way it looks?! But then they flip it on its head by making jojo heartless, cold and indecisive in the process messing with everyone else’s feelings just because she can’t get her shit together, they way she breaks up with sun-oh pisses me off because why?! It doesn’t make any sense the fact she drops him just like that after 6 episodes of them building the relationship up what was all that for!? Then there’s Hye-yeong who’s a good guy but it just doesn’t feel real between them two, anyway season two is just more indecisiveness and throwing sun-oh and jojos connection out the fucking window,until she finally decided that hye-yeong is who she wants, shows like this make me tired, jojo becomes heartless towards sun-oh when he never did anything wrong?! By then end of it I started leaning more towards jojos cousin more than her and that’s saying something! Watch it if you want but for me it was a waste of timeWas this review helpful to you?
Unrealistic boring AF
I regretted watching this...*wasnt as cute as season 1
* all teasers or pictures promoting season 2 was songkang... so whats that huh?
* too many slowmotions
* frustrating story line
* i dont like hye-yeong visually (expressionless)
* dark cinematography
* is it just me? But i was convinced till the very end that she likes sun-oh. Time with hye yeong was too boring and forced...🤨. When you are inlove it should be fun but this one is gloomy..
Ugh! Never been frustrated like this... so annoying!
Was this review helpful to you?
Did Love Alarm Season 2 Ring Another “ Alarm” Bell For Bad Story-writing?
With a nearly two year gap between season 1 and 2, an additional director Kim Jin Woo onboard, anticipation from drama fans about the fate of Jo Jo ( Kim So Hyun)’s love life, and high expectations about the overall production value , it may surprise a lot of reviewers scrolling through some of the top reviews, how many fans have scored the drama with adequate ratings. Some of these comments tend to argue along the same ineffable and biased notions that it was a “ bad ending” and “ not as good as season 1”, however, how does the story actually play out through an objective criticism in terms of characterisation, coherency and storyline in season 2?
“ Love Alarm Season 2” picks itself up during the initial time-skip of season 1, with previously “ high school” characters now ensuing careers or studies; Jo Jo is a university major, her current “ complicated ” boyfriend Lee Hye Young ( Jung Ga Ram) works as a technician at JoAlarm ( the development company for “ Love Alarm”) and former flame Hwang Sun Oh ( Song Kang) is becoming a famous national model and endorser for the app, however, Jo Jo has been hiding a secret about her app that allowed her to cut off the signal in order to inhibit her true feelings from Hye Young and Sun Oh . With the desire to reveal her feelings again, Jo Jo decides to pursue the mysterious Brian Cheon in order to unlock this feature.
Before addressing anything about the show, it is probably most prominent to point out the confusing chronology at times within the opening of season 2, by not initially “ leaving” off from the cliffhanger of season 1. Although it is understandable that a wide gap between seasons could have left viewers a little cloudy upon events and thus starting on a different storyline wasn’t “ too illogical”, it was a little head-scratching that screenwriters Lee Ah Yeon and Lee Na Jung didn’t attempt to even address or explain this suddenly “ different” storyline from season 1’s ending. This naturally left a massive hole within story development, not least for our main trio and their previously poorly-tackled characterisation from the past season.
Kim So Hyun wasn’t entirely “ unwatchable ” within her role as Jo Jo, but her performance did feel a little lacklustre due to general line deliverances. In terms of Jo Jo’s character development, there were a couple of more notable traits for Jo Jo than her season 1 counterpart , by actually acting out upon her emotions rather than remaining “ obliviously unaware” as well as a fairly traumatic backstory. On the other hand, Jo Jo still failed from breaking her initial mould as the “ prosaic heroine” of the series due to the same ridiculously staid personality traits imposed onto the character by screenwriters Lee Ah Yeon and Lee Na Jung.
The most evident example of this being Jo Jo’s “ complicated” feelings between Hye-Yeong and Sun Oh, which whilst evidently used to “ heighten” the tension of Jo Jo’s love life, still seemed fairly cruel by Jo Jo’s similar indecisiveness as the first season at times, by not forthright addressing her affections rather than leading on both male leads in such an immature manner . ( This is advocated by a later plot development which proves Jo Jo’s true nature.)
It is important to address this factor of immaturity, due to the evident age difference from different seasons often allowing a character to develop and mature as a consequence of their experiences. Instead, Jo Jo seemed to make the same mistakes as her past self by making ridiculously stupid decisions questioning how on earth she lived so long, let alone pass her exams to get into university. This is exemplified in an early scene of the series when she is working at the convenience store and hears a love alarm go off and her stalker’s uncomfortable actions towards her, Jo Jo’s first thought is to walk home by herself, talk to her stalker and then proceed to run away without thinking to call the police or at least her friend Mon Soon ( Bae Da Bin) in order to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again. Whilst this scene was used to “ drive tension”, it did seem to gloss over the uglier possibility of what could have happened to Jo Jo as a consequence of her stupidity in reality as well as the more “ romanticised” tones of emotional and physical abuse appearing in the series.
This naturally draws us onto the biggest elephant in the room since season 1, the “continuously brooding” ( and “ preferred” love interest by many devoted fans of the series ) Sun Oh. Similar to his costar, Song Kang is a fairly good actor, however, his performance consisted mainly between stoic, constipated expressions and furious yelling for a major proportion of the series.
Arguably there were some better insights than season 1 into Sun Oh’s fairly estranged relationship with his mother Jung Mi Mi ( Song Sun Mi) and his unhappy family life, however, rather than screenwriters allowing this to gradually mature or allow Sun Oh to develop from his inferiority complex in season one, his personality is still written off as fractious, immature and egotistical within his portrayal in season 2 by often storming off, breaking things and hurting others in the procedure. In particular, this is seen through how Sun Oh interacts emotionlessly his “ girlfriend” Yook Jo ( Kim Shi Eun) and often manipulating her overt feelings towards him, as well as his interactions with Jo Jo.
With his unrequited love towards Jo Jo since high school becomes the main highlight of their “ possible pairing” for many fans and whilst it is understandable why Sun Oh felt anger or upset towards Jo Jo not replicating her feelings, it does not excuse some of his terrible actions towards our female lead. Sun Oh’s actions of publicly embarrassing Jo Jo in front or her classmates , kissing her without permission whilst she is respectfully dating Hye-Hyeong and then throwing another temper tantrum by flaring up in Hye Hyeong’s face without accepting or apologising for his mistakes , made him an incredibly difficult individual to truly romantically pair with Jo Jo by his lack of respect towards her feelings ( and his former best friend Hye Young).
This naturally draws us to the lovelorn Lee Hye Young, who viewers are made aware early on in the series that he is aware of Jo Jo’s ambiguous feelings towards him in their relationship , yet nevertheless does not force or implicate Jo Jo to give him an answer. Whilst Hye Young remained the most respectful towards Jo Jo as an individual and as a love interest, his obsequious beliefs that “ one day she will love me too” seemed a little questionable towards Hye-Young’s fairly hot pursuit of his own feelings towards Jo Jo in in season 1. Consequently, the introduced relationship between the two characters felt more “ obliged” in order to keep the “ storyline moving ”, than intricately complicated as it should have been with Jo Jo’s feelings. In addition to this, there still remained many unanswered questions towards how Hye-Young landed a job at the company as well as more realistic insight into his qualifications at work whilst presumably not in full-education.
Perhaps the one actual interesting element of the second season remained within the mysterious appearance of Brian Cheon ( Ki Do Hoon) who makes the characters ( most notably Jo Jo) wonder if he is actually their “ dead” classmate and seemingly former developer Duk Gu. Whilst this is an overarching storyline in parts of the episode, the ending result felt incredibly letdown and lacklustre by lacking development or screen time as well as wider development for second female lead Park Gul Mi( Go Min Si), rather than in favour of the heroine’s questionable romantic pairings.
As a consequence, the pacing of the show felt oddly imbalanced between moments of genuine interesting development, and dragging scenes of puppy dog eyes by Hye Young and Sun Oh towards Jo Jo from a distance creating many notable plot inconsistencies . The ending of the series was more a matter of opinion that particularly “ bad” or “ good”. Diehard fans who haven’t really acknowledged the direction of the plot, may feel disappointment, yet whilst still undeniably half-baked in comparison to the initial premise introduced in the show back in season 1, it was not an entirely “dire ending” for the show as well .
Ultimately, “ Love Alarm Season 2” did initiate more mature themes and backstories behind our characters, however, lacking character development, inconsistencies, a coherent and riveting plot line in a fictionalised reality and rushed development in parts, made the second season feel more like a surreal dream phase, than a coherent and complete finale for “ Love Alarm”.
Was this review helpful to you?
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. I know this is very long, so thank you for reading in advance.
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
For instance, the distinctive use of color in Season 1—like the specific grading in flashback scenes—along with the psychedelic visuals and dreamlike atmosphere, added a unique and compelling touch. I’m also fond of the main poster especially, which stands out beautifully.
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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: 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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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. (Jojo has some good memories with her grandma, but it's still really 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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
In the end, Sun Oh was allowed to move forward once he reconciled with his mother. Everyone had a beautiful character development on their own and the story ended well for everyone.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion under
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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)
Was this review helpful to you?
Full of crap
I mean did director and writer make this drama when they were drunk and they don't know what they were doing i mean seriously this drama sucks waste of time and emotion don't even worth to watch full of crap actor rating just for sun-ho(song kang)❤️sadly cant give less then 1 rating otherwise it deserves 0 i mean why they stole sun-ho smile like she left him for crap reason why im says crap it should be for no reason and then choose his friend i mean are u a girl or player no story just crap writtenWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
SUN-OH and JOJO'S Fans Don't Watch Seriously Advised
Not Worthy Sequel Of Love Alarm. WHY??1.)If you watch it then it totally destroys your expectations of waiting for 2 years.
2.)You will turn into anti-fan of Love Alarm and would hope that it would have better or the best to not watch season 2 as it break your all hopes being rooted for ideal happy ending in pieces.
3.) I hate second lead who has more scenes than main lead. In which drama the main lead is made to cry so much and not even given perfect match.
4.) The so-called happy ending is really not happy for any fan of this show. I really don't think it was really really necessary to follow the Manhua novel so seriously and to force everything according to that.
5.) If the writers really can't predict what the viewers want then they aren't even worthy to write something new in future.
Why I WATCHED IT??
1 .) Like everyone I am also fan of Sun-oh and Jojo from the arrival of love Alarm season 1. So was hoping them to meet at the end of season 2 and to have a good and happy ending.
2.) From Trailer like everyone I also hoped it as going according to our expectations but really felt disappointed by this cheap trick to get viewers.
3.) Only having Great cast but the plotline and story made it worse for all of them.
4.) Best character of the whole show is Park Gul Mi. You will know why?(only this worth watching)
SHOULD Watch Season 2 For what??
1 ) Just Ost is 👍.
2.) Plot of Gul mi and the love alarm 2.0 developer.
Expect this nothing is worth watching.
Last warning ⚠️:-
If plan to watch watch then should have 0 or negative expectations .
2.) Fans if not want to be very upset or left heartbroken then in my opinion skip the scenes of sun-oh crying and the forced chemistry of second lead and jojo.
Final Thoughts;- After watching i am feeling like an anti fan same as the ones that came and protested against love alarm app in season 1 last episode.
Feelings:- Heartbroken, Sad , And Angry on Writers of the season 2.
Wishing To Not have To be This Sad On Any Other Shows Sequel As it destroys the expectations, hopes, as we waited for almost 2 years to get a sequel but it was not even an average or 1/4 of love alarm season 1.
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED AS A VIEWERS AND HEARTBROKEN AS FANS ❗❗❗.😭😭😭😭😭
Was this review helpful to you?
1This review may contain spoilers
The Story (plus Ending) is Beautiful!
I love the story so much! I would ring Love Alarm's Love Alarm 10x a day!
I love how the story changes from First Love to True Love. It is actually very realistic! These *effing teenagers here* dont understand what is the real essence of love.
And now I wanna explain to all who plans to watch it (you might be spoiled tho) and already watched it on how the story really goes.
It's not that I dont like Sun-oh, he's actually kind of a nice guy, and we can really see he loves Jojo, but you might've forgotten that he took advantage of her because his bestfriend liked her. And continues to break her protective barriers to the point Jojo can't handle it anymore.
If you're a real fan of the show, you should read the manhwa where it contains more details and explains why this happened, why that happened, I absolutely know the drama and manhwa might have different sequences, but bro— they are still under the same writer, still the same characters, still the same story.
So let me tell you that Sun-oh actually admitted that the reason why he chased after Jojo in season 1 is because he knows Hye-young likes her, and wants to steal her away from him. It was also mentioned by their driver that Sun-oh tends to be obsessed with Hye-young's company to the point he doesnt want him to be friends with anybody other than him, even doesn't want to let him save phone numbers other than his!! So that's where Hye-young developed his skills on memorising numbers and being good at math—which led to his future job on being an accountant/stock holder in LA corp. This where comes why Sun-ho decided to tail Jojo, because he is intrigued why his bestfriend likes her so much. So you might wanna throw me your "Hye-young denied that he likes Jojo" card, but you better rewatch LA again and properly read the lines and underlying actions, because it's very clear to me that Sun-oh KNOWS Hye-young— his bestfriend AND somewhat like a brother, likes Jojo.
I know Sun-oh wants to do his best to show all his love to Jojo but how it goes creates a heavy burden to Jojo. She gets all the unwanted and (physically and mentally) painful attention, specially from her cousin Gul-mi.
Remember!!! Jojo doesn't have a very great childhood. A survivor of a family mass suicide—with severe trauma about what happened, bullied by her aunt and cousin, overworked and feeling pressured so that she can pay her grandma's hospital bills and pay her mother's depts, which result to sacrificing her LUNCH MONEY, and forced to eat EXPIRED goods and even results to running laps instead. Blamed by everyone that it is her fault that all bad things is happening, even telling you WHY DID YOU NOT DIE, ( more like telling you to Kill yourself ). Majority of the people watching this show are teenagers, probably because the first season is in a school setting. BUT PLEASE CHECK LOVE ALARM again because it is an 18+ show. (Not all 18+ shows contains sexual content) I've read a comment which they said Jojo is a gold digger, EXCUSE ME??? I bet you're a kid leaving comment hun, grow up first then watch this show again so that you CAN understand what really happened in the story. Jojo is NEVER, and NEVER WILL BE a gold digger. She couldve just asked for a house or a car ot to pay all her mother's depts, but SHE DID NOT. She's even frustrated that Sun-oh paid for her school lunch and other things. 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.
You're blaming Jojo that she broke up with Sun-oh, but you didn't put yourself on her shoes. I bet you didn't even properly follow the story, and just want to watch the fluffs happening between Jojo and Sun-oh, cuz boi-oh-boi this show is not for you.
Hye-young is and will always be the right choice. He is just the perfect fit for Jojo's life and Jojo is just the perfect one for his as well. You all are too focused on Sun-oh's good side and ignored how toxic he became. In real life you will be mad as hell if your bestfriend/like-brother or sister just even stole your crush, let alone kissed them! And dated them! Lucky us, Hye-young is very mature and understanding he didn't even had a chance to show that he is mad and hurting. But thankfully blessed to be given a chance to court Jojo after 4 years! He held it in, endured it and he deserved the ending. They both deserved the ending.
Please take time to think how the actors and even the production staff worked hard to make this show. Atleast give it a good rating. You all are so childish.
And to those who planned to watch it, you should have a mental checklist — you should be mature enough to watch this show.
Was this review helpful to you?
