Completed
Ronin
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 21, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 9.5
Rewatch Value 6.0

The mental health of a celebrity

It makes you feel that all celebrity are people and have personal life, and how much that can efforts their life. Really enjoyed watching the drama u can see how much work they put in to make the series and how much knowledge (from personal experience or just thoughts that they think may happen) what they want to say is to not judge celebrity for what they do and why they do it so harsh. I don’t think will watch this ever again but it was enjoyable and unforgettable to watch it. I highly recommend you to watch the series at once and understand why they make such series and what they want to say to the audience by creating them.

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Completed
jungbareumshoe
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 31, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.0

A Subtle Change of Atmosphere

Admist all the hustle and bustle in the world, we all need some tranquility once in a while.

And who would’ve thought that a miniseries like Doona would be the embodiment of just that. Doona! Is the type of film you’d watch on a downcast day, socks off, on the couch while you’re stuck inside admist a huge downpour. It is a healing, serene, and realistic film unlike any other dramas I’ve seen so far. It is unconventional, and surprisingly, some aspects of it are even thought-provoking.

Compared to CLOY, I found that the director experimented with Doona a bit. Still retaining his own unique, creative flair, the film had many "silent" moments— that is, moments that had no on-cue soundtrack placement, since it’s just background noise. Although it did feel awkward and a bit of getting used to at first, I later realized how songs that were used in the drama were so strategically placed. Although silence is there for a majority of the film, I find that the background noise is what sets the films tone. In a way, it allows one to interpret the scenes better.

Acting-wise, you really can’t go wrong with Yang Sejong and Suzy. Although an unexpected duo, these two had insane chemistry that completely swept me off my feet. Characters were dimensional, fun, and flawed. The characterization in this drama was great, and it was only made possible by the actors portraying them.

All in all, Doona! is a really good drama if you’re looking to find something to munch on. It’s may be a mini-series, but the production of this drama is actually really good— as expected from the same director of CLOY, and the plot gives some nice food-for-thought.

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Completed
Crazy about Asian dramas
1 people found this review helpful
May 25, 2024
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers

Higher expectations for the conclusion of the story.

Doona" tells the story of a girl who was a K-pop idol but left the band due to health issues and started living in solitude. One day, a boy moved in next door to her in a building where the neighbors share a common yard. Living a solitary life, she often found herself in pain, and the boy would always help her. Gradually, she began to feel a sense of closeness toward him, and their love story began.I was eagerly anticipating a scene where he would stop her from smoking. The drama beautifully portrayed the internal struggle she felt about her feelings, which made her hesitant to open up to him. In one scene, she left him to be with another boy right in front of him, ignoring his calls and not returning for many days. His anger and frustration were understandable. Although they eventually reunited, the ending was ambiguous, leaving us to speculate that they were together and continuing with their lives. However, I had higher expectations for the conclusion of the story.

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Completed
ackerman
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 23, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 8.0

Somber. Mature. Realistic.

"Be careful when you're alone in a crowd. It's obvious."

"What do you mean? What's obvious?"

"Your loneliness."

Doona! Wasn't what I expected it to be, instead, it was much better. It was somber, mature, and it featured realistic dialogues.

"Your desperation to be loved, to try to compensate for never having it. You're afraid of losing people's interest."

I think Suzy did a good job portraying a female character as complex as Doona; a compulsive, miserable, and highly irresistible washed-up popstar desperate for love and attention driven by her abandonment issues.

"I wanna know what goes on in that mind of yours."

If you're looking for the usual fluffy Korean drama with feel good romance, skip this one. But if you want a more subtle and slow burn story with heartfelt confrontation scenes, go watch Doona.

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Completed
Regal-KeiEm
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 24, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 8.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 5.5

Suzy's back and this time with Doona!

It was bit hard for me to finish the first episode, but when I got hang of it, it was really difficult to say goodbye.
I'd recommend that YOU watch it!
The only thing I did not like was too much smoking. Netflix have really infected the Korean shows as well. No one can deny the amount of bare skin they show, and almost every other character smoking. Overall, it was a decent show.
The ending was not tricky to get as each episode had bits of ending scenes. So safe to say, it was a happy ending for me.
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Completed
yanaaa_jae
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 23, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 8.5

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS DRAMA!!

I was actually 50/50 if I should watch it because I already saw spoilers about it. But watching it is one of the greatest thing I did this week, Imagine I finished it after 2 days when I'm super busy at school!! In the 1st part I don't pay much attention but as the story goes on I'm freaking hooked at it!!!The visual of the two lead is given, but their acting chefs kiss!!! Even the side characters, I really like the build-up of the characters interaction. Mixed emotion crying then getting excited for the next scene and crying again. But the ending is lacking for me, I know that those things really happen in their industry. And I think it's the real ending from the webtoon but I guess I'll just work with the next event from the last scene of the show with my imagination. But I'm very happy with their success in the show. So still a very good series in 2023 ?

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Completed
sunny4ever
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 29, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 10

With this one you will need to towel off.

Doona is an exquisitely paced romance rich drama, which will leave you needing to towel off after viewing. It is one of those Korean dramas which you do have to sit through to the very end, however. The Koreans always show you how to make a romance rich and sensually alluring drama without even showing much skin at all. The romance scenes never get above PG 14. However, with the great natural acting talents of Suzy Bae and Yang Se Jong and the fire hot chemistry of this physically attractive couple in this unique drama, you might feel that a rating of PG 14 is too low. (Scenes do contain smoking and some slight cursing).


The story centers around a college kid named Won Joon (Yang Se Jong) who becomes a tenant in this share-house near his College campus. One of the long term tenants in the share-house is a burnt out former big name K Pop Idol named Lee Doona (Suzy Bae), who is from a popular girl group. Won Joon is a 21 year old green kid, a young man who is more versed in books than life. Won Joon is not impressed at first by the credentials of this older woman named Doona, and he just finds her to be someone who seems always to be in his way. The slow evolution of this romance may leave some impatient, but this pace is meant to leave you irritatingly anxious and fully invested in the lives of this couple. Both actors give stellar and sensual performances, befitting of their characters as defined. Doona and Won Joon have close to 80% of the screen time in ‘Doona’. This is physically and emotionally challenging for actors.

Doona is actually a female Korean name. For me, the title is a play on words for the word noona (older sister). The drama is based on the Webtoon titled ‘The Girl Downstairs’.

Suzy Bae (While You Were Sleeping, Start-up) and Yang Se-jong (Still 17, My Country: The New Age)

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Completed
Sue
2 people found this review helpful
Aug 14, 2024
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 9.0

A Short but Unforgettable Journey into the Heart of Fame and Love

"Doona!" is a K-Drama that deeply moved me. From the very beginning, it pulled me into a whirlwind of emotions I haven't felt in a long time while watching a series. The character of Doona, with whom I could personally relate, is one of the most important aspects of this production. It's rare to see a lead female character with such a complex personality – strong yet full of inner turmoil. With each episode, I understood her choices, pains, and joys more and more.

What I truly appreciated about "Doona!" is the way it portrays the world of K-pop idols from a less-known perspective. The series reminds us that life in the spotlight isn't always as glamorous as it seems. More and more stars in show business struggle with depression and other mental health issues, and "Doona!" shows this honestly and without sugar-coating. It's not just a story about love but also about the cost of fame, pressure, and loneliness.

The ending? Well, it didn't meet my expectations. Instead of satisfaction, it left me with a sense of emptiness and sadness. Perhaps because I grew so attached to the main characters, it was hard for me to accept how things turned out. Sometimes love isn't enough to overcome everything – and what "Doona!" reveals hurts but also fascinates.

I understand why this drama might not appeal to everyone. I, too, had mixed feelings while watching, but for me, it was worth it. It's a story that stays with you for a long time, even though it consists of only a few episodes. It’s short yet intense, and although I feel sad that it ended so quickly, I know it left a lasting impression on me.

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Completed
JulienneSunnyLee
1 people found this review helpful
Nov 9, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Enjoyed every second

I finished this drama in one day and it was really one of the most beautifully shot dramas I’ve ever watched. It’s been awhile since I’ve enjoyed a slow paced slow burn type drama.

Although the drama may seem slow each scene and interaction was purposeful, the focus on the main characters and how they slowly developed their relationship really took me on a journey and resonated with every single one of their emotions.

At first I was a bit confused about the ending as I felt like it might’ve seen like it ended on a negative note but upon further inspection we know that from the opening scenes of Ep8 and ep 9 won joon is wearing the same jacket and suit he was wearing at the end of the ep9 and we know from the buildings and train tracks that they were in Japan. Letting us know they they were able to continue their relationship and finally be happy together.

Overall this drama definitely surprised me because I saw some mixed reviews but mostly watched it for Bae Suzy but it was amazing and she did an amazing job with the drama and acting and I loved all her outfits!

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Completed
sooba
1 people found this review helpful
Oct 22, 2023
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
This review may contain spoilers

NOBODY ASKED BUT-

I am shedding tears right now. I feel as if someone was spying on me and told my story to then world lol. I felt as if I was Won Jun/Doona. I could relate to their story so much that I cried to sleep and I am writing this while crying lmao.


As for the ending, I am not a fan of open endings.

In my mind though they end up together, from the last dialogue of Doona telling him to say sorry and then to tell her that he regrets it. The rest is just montages of them in their lives but the theory is good that they have to keep away from each other as she is an idol.

Obviously the Japan stuff in the beginning of last two episodes shows they at least arrange to meet again in the future multiple times.


Imo, this was Suzy's best performance so far. Sejong did justice to his conflicted, restrained, self conscious, shy character too.

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Completed
Ce Re
1 people found this review helpful
Mar 17, 2024
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.5

WHO TF LET THE JAPANESE IN HERE

No seriously who let the japanese in here. The story has a structure reminiscent of your avg slice of life anime and manga down to a T. The drawn out silence during intimacy, letting the love the two characters have for each other be what’s loud and in your face is so reminiscent of japanese cinema it’s insane. This was good and certainly above average compared to your typical drama. I love how alluring Doona was and the air of mystery and mystique around her character. You’re drawn in from the get go and her relationship with Won-Jun is the backbone of everything. Won jun is the first real connection Doona has ever had and Doona brings him a sense intrigue and wonder. And while that might be the initial reason they grow close you see a subtle shift as they slowly start to depend on each other, influence each other and without noticing it, they reach a point where they aspire to be what the other needs. Together there’s a sense of completion which makes the ending all the more heart breaking.

overall great watch. Don’t let the weebs or japanese write for dramas cause my heart can’t take it.

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Completed
Juan Duque
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 12, 2024
9 of 9 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 10
This review may contain spoilers

Muy emocionante

La historia se desarrolla con buen ritmo los dos protagonistas tienen sus momentos aunque siento que Suzy suele tener más protagonismo y la actuación impecable la verdad que te atrapa en la historia y sufres con ellos, el desarrollo del final muy bueno aunque me gustaría que tuviera un final más bonito o por lo menos que no hubiera quedado en que estaban en el mismo lugar y casi se encuentran, creo que la historia puede ampliarse mucho más que solo en quedarse en que ambos siguieron sus vidas.
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Doona! (2023) poster

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