Love Alarm Season 2 (2021)

An actually decent watch

I've binge watched the show from season 1 to season 2 in one go and for me it was clear from the beginning who she would end up with. She felt physically attracted by one (kinda problematic) guy, but on the long run started a family with someone more similar and stable. It's actually realistic. When she disappeared from the potentials I knew it was because she is 100% in love from that point, because she let go of her past and was sure now.
I wish they showed the creator more. Maybe they could make a spin-off with the new app for lie detection.
Overall it wasn't as terrible as I've expected because of the ratings. It's nice to see a k-drama where the protagonist changes her love interests over the course of time, instead of the "virgin that marries the first love" cliché. I also like shows that think over the impact of the technology on our lives and it's evolution in history.

Read More

Would you like a real Love Alarm app?

I will give my honest opinions about the series having watched and wait for 2 seasons. Quality wise, I believe Season 1 had better cinematographic effects + it felt easier to watch while Season 2 made used of more visual cues & was a more serious tone? Also, it didn't help that it took 2 years for the next Season to be launched and I felt kind of disconnected from the first season already.
While watching Season 1, I was Team Hyeyoung, but of course we can deny the chemistry Jojo shared with Sunoh. However, I just wished that they provided more explanations to justify the relationships and actions of the leads. Just some points I would like to point out which I felt awkward:
- so why did Jojo left Sunoh in the first place ? why did she install the shield for him?
- did i miss something, because it's suddenly Gul-mi & aunt were suddenly caring for her?
- so Jojo ended up with Hyeyoung alr since start of S2? How?
- what's Dukgu back story + Brian Cho involvement --> i get some ending cues from this, but was hoping for more explanations
- so Sunoh just suddenly goes for Yukjo now?

Regardless of the loop holes, I believe it was realistic for Jojo to end up with Hyeyoung and here's how I intepreted.

If the notion was right, at the end of S2, Dukgu mentioned that people becoming increasingly reliant on this app that may not actually be true representation of their heart? It is actually evident, since Hyeyoung was the true inspiration of Love Alarm app? He loved Jojo secretly, even before the presence of the app, Probably it mimicked Dukgu's inner feelings of loving, but without a courage to confess, which was why the app was created. In S1, i actually felt awkward for Sunoh & Jojo to fall so quickly for each other, but I won't say it is entirely wrong. It just felt like the relationship blossomed purely because they complete opposites + Sunoh was direct and straightforward and of course ringing her alarm. However, Jojo was self-conscious and insecure of course due to her childhood trauma. She has fear of loving someone, because it also meant sharing insecurities with the other person + possible abandonment. Probably more so it didn't help that Sunoh was of a higher status, which made her wanted to hide herself more and of course doubt herself whether she deserved such feelings. Its also proabbly why she wanted a shield as she didn't want to get hurt. Hyeyoung on the other end, was patient and was willing to wait. He didn't place pressure on Jojo with his feelings. He placed Jojo's feelings & well-being before anyone's and made her realize she is a person worthy of love. He was also the person who taught Jojo what love was and that feelings itself makes one stronger and not vulnerable. Which was also the reason why Jojo had wanted to remove the shield later on.

If you think about it, Jojo had feelings for both people. However, it's probably Hyeyoung who made her want to be a better person. Sunoh on the other hand loved her, but made her more insecure since she was already struggling with her self-issues. Ultimately, it made as it seems that the app itself had made people forgot how to love themselves first, before loving someone else. It was also because of this app that people are having less control of their feelings and volatition. I just felt that maybe all these were not well-portrayed through out season 2, which was why viewers are left confused. It would have been better if more explanations had been made on Jojo's actions/decisions. In all, I am just happy Jojo and Hyeyoung finally found each other with/without the app :)

Read More

This show is just pointless.

This is such a shame.. the story has such high potential, yet it falls flat on every single front. I was so angry with the first season, yet I kept going hoping it would improve.
It does not. It gets more insufferable as each episode goes on. I haven't watched a drama where I hated every single main character, yet this one has done it flawlessly. None of these characters are likeable in one way or another.
I haven't read the webtoon, but it feels like this show was written with 0 direction and it makes absolutely no sense sometimes. From characters randomly changing their personality, to the utterly ridiculous yet predictable twists, this should be a hard avoid to anybody who isn't a toddler.

This is an embarrassing mess. To see such potential wasted on this utter trash is heartbreaking.

Read More

Unpopular Opinion - I liked it!

Despite the very low overall rating of Love Alarm 2 currently - I personally really enjoyed it, and easily prefer it over the first season of Love Alarm. I like how Love Alarm 2 gives off more mature vibes, which I think was definitely needed in order for the story to progress. I would also like to point out that the OST is surprisingly sublime, meaning I will be listening to it on repeat, starting today!

It wasn't perfect, for example I did find some scenes quite cringe or irrelevant as they didn't really progress the story that much but overall it didn't hinder my positive experience on an overall scale that much.

While I do prefer Love Alarm 2 - I don't think there should be a Love Alarm 3 now. I'm only mentioning this because I feel like a Love Alarm 3 will happen - we shall see if my feeling becomes more than a 'feeling'!

Read More

In desperate need of closure

Disclaimer: This review is coming from someone who knows nothing about the webtoon, haven't watched the teasers for S2 AT ALL (as to not give me a hints as to how it'll end), also no idea about the change of directors (which I just read about recently) and other supplementary data about the series.

I have been reading comments that some of you guys already knew from the beginning that HY ends up with JJ but as someone who knew nothing about the webtoon, I was disappointed with the ending.

I'm happy with the fact that the girl ended up with the good guy after all, but the process leading up to this ending just doesn't sit well with me.

I mean I'm satisfied HY ending up with JJ but the fact that she had to install that shield so that he can break it off with SO and not giving him any CLEAR explanations (until the end at that!) was a big meh for me.

I rewatched S1 before watching S2 and it just doesn't add up for me. The fact that JJ installed the shield so that she can break it off with SO and just leaving him there, always coming back to her asking for explanations as to why she broke up with him in the first place is just SO FRUSTRATING.

Like girl, how hard was it for you to just tell him that you did this for him yada yada so that he can understand. I know this is directed for the writers of the series but I just expected them (the characters) to be all mature knowing that they're not in high school anymore - I wished this was handled differently.

S1 was all butterflies and rainbows - diving in just lightly into the complicated love stories of the characters but S2 had a really different vibe - it was a feeble attempt to handle the complicated relationships in a mature.

I try not to be biased toward SO but from the fact that his character was introduced in S1E1 and the build up towards the end of S1 - I really expected him to somehow get the girl.

But hey come S2E1, and I got the small hint that he won't end up with Jojo but I accepted and understood it as the series progressed but I was praying & hoping for closure, at the least, for SO but sadly - they didn't give it to him *sigh

Read More

More than I expected and more than welcomed

This was a perfect conclusion to another surprisingly good Netflix Kdrama. The Sci-Fi genre tag got me interested in this drama in the beginning, and then the first season's finale had me invested in what was going to happen next for this alternative universe that was heavily influenced and indebted to an app called Love Alarm.

What I appreciate more than anything is the conclusion and logic making sense until the very end of the show. It was completely rewarding to stick with the show until the end of the second season finale. I'm glad the series is short because it feels like it makes the story better. No excess airtime to waste time and put in red herrings, or smoking guns in the series that takes away from the plot and character's development.

From the outside, the drama seems average. Average cliche stories and character stereotypes with repeated plotlines that we've all seen before. I wasn't expecting much when jumping into it. I just wanted to know how much of an impact will an alternative universe with an invasive but innovative app called Love Alarm will have? The impact was major.

First and foremost, the drama isn't a Romantic Comedy, Coming-Of-Age, or Love Triangle with an emotionally constipated chaebol and the 'nice guy' who is just a friend. This drama is Science Fiction in a way that overshadows the other genres of this drama. It was during the season finale of season one that I first realized that this drama's only important and constant main character is the app: Love Alarm. This drama is about Love Alarm and how it affects society and the individuals that reside within.

There's a time jump in the story and a well-done one at that. It jumps forwards and later reveals important and crucial details that happened in the time jump. The cinematography was perfect, as well as the music and acting from the small cast. These otherwise flat and one-dimensional, trope-like characters were able to showcase deeper and complex emotions and experiences in a considerable amount of time. Worth a standing ovation in my opinion. Everyone has a just end that made sense for their characters' decisions and development. I particularly like the fact that the son and mom of the horrible husband and father politician have a.....mutual understanding and concern for each other despite the trauma and pain they went through in the past together and separately.

There was growth and healing in the drama. A journey of self-identity crisis, self-discovery, and self-love that was missing in a world monitored by an app. The main female, JoJo was able to make peace with herself and heal from her Survivor's Guilt that she carried with her since she was a young girl. A tear-worthy moment at the 2nd season finale in Jeju. It was beautiful and I cried I admit. I think anyone would too after the positive message that was relayed to her by Duk-gu, the founder of the app. I like what he said in the end, that he doesn't regret making the app despite the fact that he didn't directly benefit from it as he hoped. He was glad it worked out for others. However, he realized that too many people were depending too much on an app and not their own instincts and feelings. What I got from that was the idea to always seek out companionship and connection in person as well and not just through algorithms suggested through an app. There's always room for error in science because science is man-made and humans make mistakes. Get to know yourself, love yourself, and trust yourself.

I think the great message that I took away from this drama is related to the Sci-Fi genre of the app Love Alarm making decisions for humans that humans can never be able to calculate through science. Love isn't an exact science, just like any area of science isn't exact. Humans are too complicated and complex to be conveniently computed and researched into data.

I'm always down for Sci-Fi dramas and this was a great but wonderful surprise and I would love to see more of this Netflix! You hear me?!?!? Make it happen!

Read More

Jojo and hye young was good pair because hye young was loving jojo from 1st but he didn't tell her because jojo have boyfriend. But sun oh loved jojo and he didn't even think about how it would feel for hye young and sun oh only cared about his love because sun ho was knowing that hey young loves jojo to. And most important is for sun oh there was other girl but for hye young only girl was jojo and hye young didn't expect and forced jojo to love him but he always waited and hope for jojo's love and always there for jojo. So I love this love alarm 2 i am very satisfied with season 2.

Read More

Failed to surpass Love Alarm 1

Let's start with the positive. I liked the ending because I'm happy with whom she ended up with. The acting was good and the music was excellent.

Now the the downside, the script for the season 2 was average. It was obvious they didn't have enough material for s2, i spent a lot of time skipping through staring into space and walking aimlessly on the streets scenes. These scenes made this season quite dragging and boring, they were obviously fillers and there was a LOT of them *sigh*.

I probably would not watch this again. I wasm't impressed like in s1. I dont't hate it but I don't love it either.

Read More

IT COULD'VE BEEN MUCH BETTER.

Season 2 was a little better than the first in some ways, but it still wasn't great. I would have liked her to end up with Sun-oh, not Hye-young. They looked much better together, although there was more chemistry and love between Jojo and Hye-young. Overall it was good, but not great, and the acting wasn't the best. I'm not talking about the actors who took part in this project in general, I'm talking about their acting in this series. It could be much, much better. Another thing I didn't like was that, both during the first season and the second, you always had the question "why?" printed in the mind. Jojo and Sun-oh could be happy together, but it wasn't to be. They made my heart beat faster than she and Hye-young did.

Read More

Song Kang is not enough.

I watched 2nd Season few days ago to let me sometime to think about it and write constructive without any personal feelings. And I'm dissapointed. I have to set 1.5 , because the story was so boring. I don't really know why the distance between 1st and 2nd is so big, but I have information to the directors - pretty Song Kang is not enough. To be honest, the fact that I watched it until the end is due to my love for Kim So Hyun's work, which I am a fan of. If it were different actress, the show was be "dropped" after the first episode.
I also have problem with crying. They all the time crying and nothing more. In some scenes I thought to myself: "Wait, wait, wait, why are you crying? Are u not too touchy?".
But....it doesn't just have negative sides, scenery and music are very good, which really fit to the drama and characters. I also think the acting was nice. Hopefully we will get a third season which will be alternate and BETTER. If not, then my advice to the actors - don't do that shit anymore. It is a pity to waste your abilities.

Read More

Only here to annoy those annoying me. Yes I know I'm a very petty person and I love being this way.

I watched this drama back in August so it's almost two months since I finished it and since then I have been lurking around over here just reading people's opinions. Some I could agree with and some I couldn't and then there are those who are just straight up annoying and these people all belong to one set. The Hyeyeong supporters. Gosh they really get under my skin. I would probably never have chosen to leave this "review" here if they hadn't gotten to me. This is hardly even a review.

I have always been a huge dramaholic. I have grown up watching American and Indian TV shows and have only been watching Korean dramas since 2022 but of everything I have ever watched, Love Alarm has had the deepest, most emotional impact on me. I don't hate this show but I don't love it either. There was so much potential here and all of it was wasted. Especially in the case of Sunoh. Like my gosh! What did they do to the man??!!
Especially after he finds out about the shield the man just goes completely bonkers and I'm left staring at my screen. Like what???
And then there's Jojo. Oh God this girl!
I saw a comment on YouTube that said, "this drama had 99 problems and 70 of them could have been solved if she just talked" and I wholeheartedly agree with this comment. Throughout season 2, I just kept screaming one thing "girl talk! For the love of God just open your mouth!!!" People say she didn't need to explain herself to Sunoh. I don't agree with that but I didn't just want her to talk for his sake. I wanted her to talk for her own sake. For four years she kept carrying the guilt and shame she felt towards him in her heart. I wanted her to be kind to herself by speaking up and getting rid of that guilt. She may not have owed Sunoh anything but she did owe it to herself. She did owe herself that compassion and she didn't do it. She refused to acknowledge the deep emotional impact her decision had on Sunoh and just tried to move on with her life. It didn't even occur to her to try and make peace with her past before choosing to love someone like Hyeyeong until AFTER he walked out on her.

I empathize with both Jojo and Sunoh because I see a part of myself reflected in both of them but I cannot give them a pass for their stupidity. Sunoh was annoying and Jojo was frustrating.
On more occasions than one this drama had me doing the facepalm or going "bro, wtf?!" and that kiss outside the college scene just made me want to tare my hair out!

I have so many thoughts about this drama I feel like I could write a 100 page thesis on it and it still won't be enough for me. That's the impact this drama had on me.

Now to talk about the thing that really matters to me. Sunoh and the hatred the Hyeyeong supporters have for him.

First of all, it's so sad that they refuse to see him as anything more than a pretty face with plenty of money.
Secondly, it's infuriating how snobbish and condescending Hyeyeong supporters are towards Sunoh supporters. They don't seem to realize that their condescending behaviour makes us want to hold on to Sunoh even more. Not only that, but their behaviour makes us (or at least me) like Hyeyeong less. Their behaviour is so off-putting it's annoying.

Sunoh is a toxic, manipulative, red flag they argue. Well I could argue that Jojo was toxic and manipulative too, would they agree with me if I say she's toxic too? No, of course they won't. It doesn't fit their narrative.

For me, for someone to be truly toxic, for them to be a true red flag, their actions have to come from a place of malice. The intent of the action has to be to cause hurt. For me it's the intention behind an action that defines toxicity or "red flags". Neither in Sunho's case nor in Jojo's was there ever any real intention to cause hurt. There was something really interesting I read on a Twitter post "hurt people, hurt people" and this immediately made me think of Sunoh and Jojo. They were causing hurt to others because they themselves were deeply hurt not because they intentionally wanted to hurt anyone.
This is why I see both Sunoh and Jojo as more tragic than anything else.

If the Hyeyeong supporters are so hell bent on finding a red flag then maybe they should look to Gulmi. She's the REAL RED FLAG. She's the one who's truly malicious, toxic, selfish and just over all obnoxious.

I didn't like Season 2 but I also didn't like Season 1. Season 1 was too fast paced for me while season 2 was too slow paced. Not to mention, that if it weren't for all the filler scenes, this season would have ended in just three episodes. That's how little of a story there was to it.

Honestly I don't know if I would have watched this show had it been for any other actor. I might have dropped it somewhere along season 1. It's not my kind of story especially with the pacing. The only reason I stuck it out is because of the presence of Song Kang. So if I'm giving any rating to this drama it's because of Song Kang and only Song Kang.

Oh, and because I'm petty and I want to annoy the Hyeyeong supporters I'm going to hope the ratings of this drama fall even lower than they already are. It's fun to see them throwing tantrums. And I'm going to encourage my friends to come and leave bad ratings here on purpose just because of these annoying people.*insert wicked laugh* 😂😂

Read More