This review may contain spoilers
Top 5 dramas of the year so far
A amazing lovely,heartwarming,funny drama.do not let the ratings put you off this drama!The story revolves around do yong shik a guy who has a hard time since leaving school and is not progressing well in his life,he has no job,low self esteem,very anxious in pressure situations he bumps into his first love by chance after not seeing eachother since school she is now a doctor and treats Ed And do yong shik has ED(You know where this is going) - I’ll get to this because I think this is why it’s got a low rating which is bizarre.
What I love about this show is it so different from other k-dramas it sort of reverses roles where the male lead is the one with vunrablility and in need of help and emotional security,- it’s nice and refreshing to see because not every guy in a kdrama has to be a ceo of a major company or a smart successful confident guy,sometimes people get beaten down by the burdens of life this is just a reality and the male lead does a amazing job of portraying this and everyone of the actors are amazing!
The relationship between do shik and ru da is one of best in kdrama for me,ru da is still in love the do shik that she knew at school but she understands he has changed and is not confident with himself. Throughout the show as ru da spends more time with do shik he slowly start to gain confidence and come out of his shell abit more and it’s just really nice to watch.
Last thing i want to say is they make a comparison from the start of the show to end of the show and I loved it
Do yong shik gets invited to a dinner to eat for a reunion with his school friends,one guy keeps going on about how sunccesful he is in his job and how much he his making,do yong shik feels inferior and feels like a failure because he doesn’t have what everyone else has
Fast forward to the last part of the show he now has a job although it is only with a small company do shik is happy and satisfied with his life,he is content with what he has,the same guy tries to belittle him because he doesn’t have a big salary but he doesn’t care because that isn’t what bring do shik happiness. - my point is having success it’s not everything in life,money is not everything in life,you don’t have to strive to have so much money to be happy,it’s about finding things In your life that genuinely make you happy and no one else
Ps if your rating this low because it has references of sex and talk about more adult topics,think you need to grow up
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great show but you must put yourself in the kdrama mindset
this is a really really good show..it deals with a lot of real life issues.. no matter how old you are.. some of these things are real...
yes its true.. u probably wont like anyone in the drama for the first half of the drama.. even maybe till the 6th episode.. except the male lead and his best friend..
and even more so if your not in the kdrama mindset.. (ie suspend real life thinking.. ) then you probably would hate EVERYONE except the forementioned male lead and best friend...
but if u can get past reality (or just suspend it) and just listen to the story and see the growth of all the characters.. it really becomes a joy of self love.. self discovery and acceptance.. of who you are and what your limitations are.. whether its real or imagined..
the acting from the male lead is great.. the fl lead is decent.. was the chemistry between the two.. depends.. on how u see it.. its not lovey dovey.. and in my opinion. it shouldnt have been.. its acceptance. that.. your partner may be lacking in areas.. but.. u still consider them.. wonderful enough to be with.. as in real life
the music was good..
the support cast was fun and good.. though.. the sister.. i just wonder why they wrote her.. in.. headcount..? :)
really really good show.. yes.. it has its issues and yes in real life..what some of these characters did.. should be and would be despicable.. but.. thats why i watch kdrama.. to escape real life.. and to suspend my belief in reality for a few hours at a time
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A clean simple beautiful heart warming drama to watch
It's been a while since i watched a beautiful slice of life romantic drama like this. The best part is that it only have 8 episodes. Very light with simple and clean narration makes you feel very heart warming every single bit of it. Plot is also looks refreshing and the duration of Episodes is around 45 min.I don't want to enter into the plot or synopsis which you can simply read on MDL website, i prefer not to read anything before you watch, its better to kept that curiosity with you while watching.. so many good things were there, it deserves much more attention. May be subbing is from viki they delayed too much. But thank god they bought the right if not then we could have miss this beautiful drama.
The mood which the ost create was so magical to see and every time we watch a slice of life drama you will learn something from it, here also nothing changes, the hardships of life they showed was very intense. Also the relationship goals and the friendship everything was fantastic.
Highly recommended to watch.. its very heart warming drama❤️
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Will This Series “ Raise” Your Patient Levels ?
Even by K-drama standards pushing the boat out from “ first lovers meeting again ” to “ let me treat your erectile dysfunction” is definitely a bold and risky concept to work with. However screenwriter Mo Ji Hye and director Kim Jang Han’s ‘ You Raise Me Up’ is arguably one of the most “gutsy” dramas in recent years by focusing on a risky subject area, combined with an oddly heartwarming and profound tale also.
Do-Young sik (Yoon Shi Yoon) works multiple part-time jobs at a restaurant bar that he perceives as “ menial” work and being unable to pass the civil service exam. A self-proclaimed “ loser” ( made even more obvious by director Kim Jang Han’s choice of ‘ Creep-Radiohead’ being played briefly in the background of the main lead’s inner monologue in episode one), Young-Sik lacks self-confidence both within his life decisions and his manhood. When he decides to consult a professional about his erectile problem, he ends up unfairly running into his first love and now a urologist Lee Ru Da (Ahn Hee Yeon).
In an attempt to prove her ex-boyfriend Ji-hyuk (Park Ki Woong), a successful high-flyer psychologist wrong about misconceptions of her first love ( after bragging to him about Young-Sik), Ru Da decides to make it her mission to “ boost his self-esteem”. However Ji-Hyuk’s wounded ego gets the better of him as he enlists himself to “ help” Young-Sik in order to “ expose” him. However as Young-Sik and Ru-Da begin to spend more time together sparks once more begin to fly between them…
As far as the acting is concerned our main cast are fairly good throughout the drama. Of course Yeon Shi Yoon never fails to impress his dual balancing act of adding comical goofiness as well as a more profound note to his roles . As a character Yong-Sik fits very much into the category of the “ unconfident and antisocial” male lead. Aside from his evident sexual problems, Yong-Sik struggles with his self-image as well as his obsession over pink.
Yet whilst Yong-Sik’s initial struggle and sexually suggested scenes aim for more comic relief than melodrama, it is undeniable that the series does offer some opportunities to explore a more complex edge to Yong-Sik’s background and self-loathing ( stemming back from initial trauma). On the other hand whilst the direction of Yong-Sik’s character was taken in the right direction to explore his kindhearted and altruistic side over the course of episodes and revelations, the drama rarely devoted itself to more possibilities and depth surrounding Yong-Sik’s traumatic past and psyche. ( Especially considering his more serious actions in the first episode as well as his repressed attempts to hide memories and associations.) For example an evident source of regret for Young-Sik is consulting his mother about his current occupation and life. Whilst it is understandable where these anxieties might lie due to feeling rejected, it felt odd that the series didn’t offer many opportunities for Young-Sik to at least attempt to consult his mother or address hus anxiety surrounding this head-on.As a consequence it often felt as though Yong-Sik was often shoehorned into the role of the “ pitiful” main lead; easy to feel sympathy for and to root for, but rarely truly escaping or at least shown to struggle more with his journey by his emotions.
Naturally this moves onto our female lead Lee Ru Da. Ru Da is the epitome of the stock “ successful yet regretful” female lead. Yet whilst she is played played with a sweet charm by Ahn Hee Yeon during more heartfelt moments, her character is admittedly a little hard for audiences to truly be won over by. Of course the female lead isn’t necessarily a “ heinous person” per say and whilst her flaws help her to feel more human amongst later revelations, it is easy to understand how screenwriter Mo Ji Hye’s intentions for us to “ root” for Ru Da as a character were often harder than perceived due to ambivalent feelings for the female lead by viewers.
The main reason for this indecisiveness stems from the fact that whilst a lot of “ revenge” romance setups stem from the cliche of “ revenge upon my ex”, Ru Da takes it one further by taking advantage of Yong-Sik’s feelings and mental state initially. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad if we could have understood more about Ru-Da’s oppressed emotions, her interactions outside of her romantic relationships ( with family, friends or other patients), reasons for staying with Ji-Hyuk for so long ( aside from the brief flashback from their “ shared past”) as well as exactly how and why she lost contact with Yong-Sik ( especially after effectively saving her life) , but a lot of these “ details” are often brushed over. Whilst the series did attempt to offer some more sympathy for her character through her “ emotions rising to the surface”, it was a little hard to indicate exactly how Ru-Da grew or developed as a character by instead reverting back to her younger-self’s emotions rather than trying to make amends through a sincere apology to Yong-Sik.
As far as the romantic setup is concerned ‘ You Raise Me Up’ the creme de la creme of tropes; “ the love triangle”. This naturally brings us onto one of the most easily dislikable second male leads seen in a K-drama in a long time; Ji-Hyuk. It isn’t necessarily the case that merely because Ji-Hyuk is the “ jealous ex” that he can get under viewers’ skin. Instead it is rather the case that Hyuk is conniving and manipulative and would rather allow his biased emotions cloud his judgement, rather than remain professional in his line of work as a psychiatrist. Of course whilst Ji Hyuk is necessary in the series to acting as the “ antagonistic foil” for Yong-Sik and does help to drive the plot as a consequence, a lot of Ji-Hyuk’s reasoning, goals and feelings often felt and domed throughout the series.
Then of course there’s arguably Yong-Sik’s most loyal friend in the series, Jennifer ( Kim Seol Jin). Whilst some viewers have remained uncertain towards the show’s tropes and cliches surrounding the transgender woman shaman, Jennifer did remain an instrumental supporting character in the series by offering Do Yong Sik positive advice such as to seek professional help, as well as giving Yong Sik guidance towards his own feelings for Du Ra. Perhaps the only thing which would’ve been interesting to have explored with their friendship would have been Yong-Sik consulting Jennifer about his attempted act in episode one. Whilst it may have brought some pain and hurt into their bond, it would’ve certainly cleared some more evident uncertainty within their friendship after this action.
The ending was admittedly sweet yet expected- not bad per say and offering things on a happier as well as arguably a slightly more realistic edge within the main leads’ life decisions , but slightly predictable also.
Overall ‘ You Raise Me Up’ is arguably one of the most quirky romance dramas of 2021 with an impressive cast lineup. The sweet and lighthearted premise adds a more bittersweet edge and whilst certain characters felt unexplored or shoehorned into certain roles ( alongside cliches), the main leads’ later decisions and revelations did add a touch of character development in between. Overall whilst not a flawless drama, ‘ You Raise Me Up’ is certainly a decent watch for those looking for something a little avant-garde, or more risky within K-dramas.
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Sometimes Ok is good enough.
I was really curious about this drama after seeing that, with only 8 episodes, it has such mixed reviews. I avoided reading many of them to avoid spoilers, and I will now attempt my review without spoilers on what I think fuels such love/hate for this drama. When it comes to the actual plot I would rate this drama as completely awful, but the theme and performances made me not want to stop watching it. I was pretty entertained the entire time I watched even when the story was at its most nonsensical. Kdrama often defies reality and logic but this drama throws logic away with reckless abandon. I thought most of the criticism would be because of the adult subject matter but the problem is the story itself. It also depends on what you're looking for how much you will love or hate this drama. If you are in the mood for an actual comedy, you will probably not like this drama much. Sure it starts off as if it will be funny, but unless you find men crying hilarious, you will be very disappointed. If you like dramas that are realistic you will probably quickly lose your patience with this drama too. If you want to emotionally bond with an empathetic lead, or are a big Yoon Shi Yoon fan, you will likely really love this drama. I fell somewhere in the middle... which explains my rating.Yoon Shi Yoon plays Do Yong Shik, a depressed man who can't get ahead in life the way everyone expected him to. He is the kind of character you want to hug through the screen, and that's because Shi Yoon plays him so well, down to his puppy dog eyes and perpetually hunched shoulders. Do Yong Shik also has a problem with erectile dysfunction which is what's behind the "punny" drama title. With a lesser actor, there is no way I would have kept watching. My only problem with his performance is not his fault, It's falsely advertised this as a romcom, and although there are silly moments that are comedic the majority of the episodes involve him either crying or being on the verge of tears. Quickly it turns into a borderline melodrama and that made me sometimes cringe at what was happening to him more than care.
He is matched with Ahn Hee Yeon as Lee Ru Da, and they do have great chemistry, but she plays one of the most unlikeable female romantic leads I've ever seen in a KDrama. She plays the part of the confident but not so ethical urologist pretty well, but unlike the male lead, I just couldn't empathize with her. I know unethical doctors are a common Kdramaland trope but she and Park Ki Woong as Do Ji Hyu were so morally bankrupt as doctors that it distracted me from the love story too much. I also know her overconfidence, bluntness, and pushiness were meant to be a kind of opposites attract thing, but I wish they gave her more depth. Can it still be a good romance drama if you hate the idea of the main couple? I just couldn't root for them even though many of their scenes together were what kept me watching. Part of me was even secretly shipping Kim Seol Jin as Jennifer being the FL instead. Jennifer is the real MVP of this drama, hands down my favorite, and the only voice of reason.
Would I watch this again? Surprisingly, maybe. I decided to watch this while impatiently waiting for on-air dramas to air their next episodes and it's the perfect quick binge length for that. Yes, the story is disappointing but the overall theme of self-acceptance makes up for it, so maybe with lowered expectations, I would like this drama more than I did at first. I did like the ending and its message, but not enough to completely forgive some things like Do Ji Hyu's hair and all the terrible wigs involved in this drama. I also wish they found some real teens for the flashback scenes because they looked pretty silly pretending to be so young. They also could have fleshed out the past a whole lot more.
Also, the super literal lyrics in the songs were killing me! Lol!
Overall this drama is like a song with good music but terrible lyrics that you still find yourself wanting to dance to. It takes a pretty immature and silly look at some serious and mature subjects, but if you look past the lack of character development and immorality of all the doctors, the root is the story of an underdog and his unconventional journey to confidence and self-acceptance, with some romantic chemistry as a bonus. This drama is quickly made ramen you decide to eat instead of a full meal. It felt like a one-night stand that I didn't regret but would have dropped for sure if it was any longer. Still, like another theme in this drama, I can appreciate it just for what it is. Every drama can't be amazing, and sometimes mediocre is enough entertainment for the moment. That was this drama for me.
Now I really want some ramen.
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What goes up must come down
I was quite taken with the first episodes. They were funny, and I had a lot of hope that this would be a cheeky. slightly risque (for Korea) exploration of male sexuality. Sadly, it quickly devolved into a predictable romance. I got tired of Yoon Shi Yoon looking - and being - so pathetic (although I think he does pathetic and hang-dog better than anyone else). It dragged for several episodes, and then magically wrapped up far too quickly. Overall, I felt it was not worth the time. Once you've seen the opening, it's downhill from there.Was this review helpful to you?
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It is unfortunately not for me....
Hate to be a wet blanket but whew I have many thoughts and this will be long. The writers of this drama were incredibly confident, to say the least, but the numerous issues presented throughout the show were astounding. You Raise Me Up was something that intrigued me due to the more mature plot. The trailer made it seem like it was quirky and creative and I will say, it most certainly was different, hence the reason why I picked it up to begin with. It’s not every day you see a kdrama discuss sexual topics such as erectile dysfunction, especially in a comedic way. Unfortunately, I did not find myself laughing as much as I had hoped. If anything, I was deeply disturbed by the direction this show went.Before I immediately jump into the negatives(which will be a lot) I want to at least discuss what I actually did like. The show definitely wasn’t boring and because it was short, it was very easy to get through. I also thought Hani and Yoon Shi Yoon did a great job, especially Shi Yoon. Yong Shik was such a lovely guy, and I really enjoyed how he brought this character to life. The pain he was feeling was real, and his low self-esteem was relatable. Overall, I am a sucker for soft male leads and he definitely fits the bill. I also really REALLY enjoyed the two lead’s chemistry(though there are power dynamics I did not like, which I’ll discuss later) and thought they were great together. It didn’t feel awkward or forced, and I genuinely found myself smiling from here and there during their scenes. The acting for the most part was pretty good so I don't have a single complaint in that department.
Another thing that I did like to an extent was the general idea of YRMU. The show was clearly trying to push some boundaries in the kdrama landscape, and I can appreciate what the writers were attempting to do. It’s not common to see a drama about a young man with erectile dysfunction who also has an obsession with pink and pretty much hates his entire life because of it. Quirky dramas have come out before, obviously, but they’re considered quirky for a reason. I was excited about how this was going to go and how Hani’s character, Ru Da, would fit into all of this, but that’s pretty much when it begins to enter a territory that I am not entirely happy with.
Medical malpractice is huge in this show, and I tried to excuse it at first because it is fiction, and kdramas are known for glamorizing poor work ethics, but for some reason, it really bothered me here. It all starts when Ru Da makes a bet with her boyfriend that she can “fix” Yong Shik in order to get back at said boyfriend for essentially not being a great partner. She wants to show him that she can find someone much better than him, and overall, it makes me feel icky. Bad enough romance is going to take place between a doctor and a patient, but then they also wanted to add in not one, but two, of these very doctors conspiring against our male lead just so they can be petty and spiteful; I say they because Ru Da’s boyfriend, Ji Hyuk, is no angel. He takes Yong Shik as a patient for a short period of time and within that time manages to purposefully humiliate him in front of Ru Da, air out confidential information, and continuously states that he is hopeless and pathetic(this man is supposed to be a therapist by the way).
What really grinds my gears is the fact that neither of them suffers any consequences for their actions. Yong Shik finding out that she was only helping him because of a bet was incredibly anti-climactic. He not only forgives her that very same episode but then he implies at the end of the show that he was only upset because he liked Ru Da and not because they were literally fucking with him and his treatment. Both Ji Hyuk and Ru Da apologize but there was no reason to add in such conflict to begin with if these two characters had nothing to lose and if no consequences were going to take place. I understand that Yong Shik is a forgiving person(and a doormat ahem ahem)but it would have been nice to see Ru Da actually work for forgiveness. I am trying to be more understanding since the show was only 8 episodes, but I can’t help but think about how they could’ve gone about this differently if they felt the need to cram the show with medical malpractice every chance they get.
Personally, all of this is what makes the romance undeserving and incredibly uncomfortable. There is an obvious power dynamic between Yong Shik and Ru Da as she is his doctor and he is her patient. It was hard to ignore this brutal fact considering all she put him through beforehand. Despite the fact that they very much did have chemistry, it was completely shattered by the way YRMU went about telling this story. Yong Shik was not in the best place mentally and was clearly suffering from depression and possibly even anxiety and/or OCD. To see Ru Da use Yong Shik, speak harshly towards him when he isn’t making progress at the pace she’d like, and then get romantically involved with him while still treating him just disgusted me and I couldn’t get past this fact, no matter how strong their chemistry was. Even the way she guilt trips him and calls him pathetic, yet again, to continue receiving treatment from both her and Ji Hyuk(who he felt extremely uncomfortable around)was awful.
The way suicide was handled also made my skin crawl, especially because so many kdramas are incredibly ignorant when it comes to this topic and how it works. The way Ru Da tried to shame Yong Shik for wanting to take his life and hammering home the very things he already knew was very nasty. Suicide is not selfish, it’s not meant for someone to be pitied and it is a very real and serious issue that is more common than many realize. If YRMU wanted to address mental health, I am not understanding why they couldn’t do actual research and why they wrote the doctors as unprofessional, uneducated, and apathetic. It was beyond frustrating how the entire premise of the show is about Yong Shik overcoming his trauma, seeking help for his mental health, and finding the underlying cause of his erectile dysfunction, and yet, not a single writer knows a single thing about any of these topics.
Also, Yong Shik's character development for an 8 episode drama was almost nonexistent. The show decided to cram almost everything pertaining to him healing into the last 2 episodes, especially in the very last episode. He mainly stays consistent throughout the drama and the constant self-pity and deprecation became incredibly old by the 5th episode. As much as I rooted for him, it was hard to continuously feel bad when he was like this for the entire show. Pacing can be difficult when you only have so many episodes to work with, I get it, but what was the point of writing a drama about a man overcoming mental health in order to help with his erectile dysfunction if we weren't really going to get any of that?
There were a few other issues such as the subtle transphobia thrown in for laughs and the plot being a general mess, but I am not surprised considering the nature of YRMU in its entirety. It was clear that the writers were overly confident and that they wanted to make something that would stand out in an oversaturated industry; it felt as though they were trying to make a less offensive and more palatable version of Backstreet Rookie, which is a very loose comparison(very, very, VERY, loose), but you get the point I’m trying to make. *sigh* A lot of kdramas that follow this specific genre tend to be extremely hit or miss and it is difficult to find a good one. I was just really hoping this wouldn't be one of them.
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After watching two episodes
You raise me up is rom-com drama starring Yoon Shi Yoon and Ahn Hee Yeon .This drama is about a man who live an unlucky life in every corners of life, meanwhile he is also impotent which makes his life bit more miserable. This drama have a different story board from others dramas that I had watched and so I give a 9/10 for storyline .The cast is not so strong .I prefer this drama just for a binge watch. But hope the rating increases and story becomes much more better in upcoming episodes and so the title will suit perfectly for the drama.Was this review helpful to you?
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Not a comedy but an emotional healing drama
When I first read the synopsis and watched the trailer, I thought this would be a romantic comedy. Well, I was wrong. This is actually a very emotional healing drama of the journey our ML has to go through to get out of his funk and to heal his trauma, low self-esteem and anxiety. It's very un-Korean to have a drama about erectile dysfunction and have a proud transvestite/transgendered character, but I am loving it.Our male lead, Yoon Shi Yoon was amazing in the drama. He portrays his character so well, from a low-self esteem traumatized "loser", to someone who found himself and grew into a better version of himself. I cried with him but also fall in love with his adorable, shy self. This is my first Yoon Shi Yoon drama and I'm glad I found out about him. He's not your typical good-looking actor, but he has his charms and the drama is right, he has great body proportion (nice broad shoulder and muscular torso..LOL). On another note, who doesn't love Jennifer! He/She is the best friend that anyone could ask for. Is there a reason why cool characters have "Jennifer" as an English name? I also love Jennifer in "Thirty but Seventeen". Yoon Shi Yoon and Jennifer are the reason why I bumped my rating to a 8.0 instead of a 7.5.
What I dislike the most in this drama are all the medical professionals. They are all unethical and unprofessional. It really makes it difficult for me to suspend belief and just roll with it for the sake of the drama. I don't think our FL deserves our ML. She did redeem herself a little in the last episode, but overall, this is so unrealistic to have ML continue treatment with FL after finding out the real reason for her assistance.
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Anxiety disorder and erectile dysfunction treated compassionately
This is first and foremost a mental health drama about a male lead struggling with anxiety and erectile dysfunction which lead to depression. It introduces the topic of ED with a cheeky sense of humor (lots of wilting bananas LOL) but it's really refreshing to see this important and taboo subject addressed. It also shows how the pressure to get a "good" job can be really crushing and dispiriting for a young man in modern Korean society. Actor Yoon Shi Yoon does a fantastic job portraying the male lead Do Yong Shik's fear and sadness in such a way that I empathized with him but never thought of him as pathetic. Similar to Yoon Shi Yoon's performance in Psychopath Diary, he humanizes the ML as he goes through difficult mental health challenges. I was especially impressed that this drama demonstrated (in an extreme form) how Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy challenges work in the treatment of anxiety -- basically the idea is to face the situation you're afraid of, without the support or compulsion that you've developed, and to realize that you "survived" the scary situation so you'll be less afraid of it next time. Now, the problem with this drama is that the way they performed ERP challenges is almost traumatic in itself.It turns out (in typical kdrama fashion) that his urologist is actually his long-lost first love from high school, she's dating his psychologist, and they make a bet about his treatment which launches a host of medically unethical and unprofessional meddling by both of them. They almost become a roadblock to his recovery and the stress they put him through might actually deter a viewer from seeking treatment for anxiety if they thought this is what it would look like! Because of this, the romance that develops felt a little unsatisfying to me, and I think that's the source of some of the low ratings for this series. However for anyone interested in the portrayal of mental health issues in kdramas, I'd consider this title a MUST-WATCH!
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A short series definiely worth the watch!
I didn't really know what to expect, the synopsis was original. It's a really good surprise! It is a realistic drama talking about very contemporary subjects.After living several hardships in his life, a guy goes through depression and... erection problems! He let himself go for years, until one day, he decides to consult a urologist. Once in the consulting room, he finds out the urologist is a childhood friend he had a crush on. Saddened by what he's become, she'll try to help him. One by one, he will try to overcome things holding him back.
There are dramatic and touching moments, but also hilarious and risqués ones. This series is for adults not kids. A feel-good drama with diverse and endearing characters (there's even a trans character which is rare!).
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