Serendipity's Embrace (2024)

Great visuals, romance is flat

I love everything this actor does, and one thing he does incredibly is bring the chemistry with the way he interacts, looks and kisses his FLs. Sadly though that didn’t show up. But honestly I kind of expected. This FL is pretty much frozen fish. You can imply chemistry all you want but it didn’t show up here, which, since the premise of this whole show is romance-impacts the plausibility of the entire thing.

I’m not really quite sure why comments are calling the ex toxic? I felt for him almost the minute we discover the reason for the break up. Naturally there is frustration at his lack of communication and honesty, but they do a massive disservice to those who are struggling with mental health issues by villianising him. That felt really uncomfortable.If they wanted to make him a part of the plot there should have been more development there, and some growth, instead we get one scene where she continues to just be mad.

The length of the drama probably leads to the under development of too many sub plots. I almost feel grateful they tied up the bestie relationship because I was started to feel that might drop off too. Bestie was the best part of this show, she had such a well written role.

At the length of the “Soundtrack” dramas, you can’t really go beyond a couple plots-and Soundtracks do that expertly. They have all the sexual tension and simple plot. This one had beautiful wide cinematography and a OST that hits Sh**ting Stars vibes, but I felt almost nothing with the romance, the hugs the frozen kisses made it real hard for our ML to make up the difference.

Disappointed honestly-the ratings are high but I can’t give it more than 7.5.

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Uma nova palavra aprendida

Gostei muitíssimo desse drama. A história não tem nada de especial: são dois ex-colegas de classe que se encontram 10 anos depois. No entanto, é daquelas que aquecem o coração e vc passa o tempo todo suspirando. ? Ótimo para descansar. A OST também é demais! Super animada.

Aprendi uma palavra nova: serendipidade.
Ato ou capacidade de descobrir coisas boas por mero acaso, sem previsão.
Circunstância interessante ou agradável que ocorre sem aviso, inesperadamente; casualidade feliz; eventualidade: encontrar meu irmão depois de 30 anos foi pura serendipidade.

Lição: Não deixe as oportunidades passarem. Se deixar, que não seja duas vezes.

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Not bad if u want to watch short drama

The finale was genuinely satisfying. There was no unnecessary drama, and the story wrapped up neatly, with plenty of sweet moments between the leads and their side characters' plotlines being resolved as well. The K-drama felt like a cozy hug, especially in the last two episodes, where we saw the main couple truly in love, overcoming all their issues and backstory problems. The series, titled "우연일까?" ("Is It Fate?") in Korean, is centered around the themes of coincidence and destiny.From the start, it’s clear how intertwined Hoo Young and Hong Joo’s lives have been, with their paths crossing in ways they hadn’t even realized.

For some, the story might feel rushed, but that’s part of its charm—its simplicity. The way Hoo Young and Hong Joo find and fall for each other through a series of coincidences, as if guided by fate, is what makes it beautifully touching. Even within the short span of 8 episodes, the series manages to explore the main plot and side characters thoroughly, presenting everything clearly without extreme highs and lows, making for a heartwarming watch!

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A short and sweet romance drama

I clicked on the 1st episode because i wanted to watch something short and i got hooked on the first episode onwards. Its a story told quickly yet briefly in 8 eps of two people reconnecting and falling in love. I liked the pacing very much. Since it was short they didn't pull all the annoying cliches. All the characters were so simple yet complex people. I loved the romance and even the angst we got from the ex-bf. Even the side characters were well done, they were fun to watch on their own and when they interacted with the leads. The only annoying thing would be the last conflict they put in but even then it felt a bit different from usual romance drama. The solution also felt good. There were no unnecessary misunderstandings or arguments, even the one argument they had became an opportunity for them to see each other's pov.
I'm glad i decided to watch this, I really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a short simple drama to make you smile I would recommend this to you

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Where is the depth that the title hints to?

A good drama which run on the clichè trope of ML running to abroad and breaking up but gone wrong ?? Cause The (Actual ML) another dude shows up to give her the love she deserves or rather give her hope for a romance. Before the ML(Ex) could come finish the angst part of the drama episodes after.

I initially went in thinking this would delve into a grander theme but it was to put it simply shallow. Not to say that it doesn't have depth but I wanted to see him struggle through more emotions I wanted to see her be more torn to some extent (not to say give the jerk Ex a chance). ?

I loved the side couple's relationship dynamic it gave birth to many hilarious moments. The Main couple was enjoyable to watch too.

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Started of great, but needed a few more episodes

I binged watched this show due to clips I saw and it started off great but I do feel that they need a few more episodes. I have not watched many Korean dramas in the recent years, but I feel that 8 episodes was not enough to develop the storyline. It needs at lease 4-6 more episodes. Don't get me wrong, the actors and actresses did a wonderful with what they have, but I would have liked to explore the story and conflicts more. I am a sucker for misunderstandings to be solved quickly, but I also feel that they needed to work on the chemistry.

It just feels weird that he wanted to change his whole life for her after meeting her again. She wasn't given enough time to "fall in love" with him. The only inkling that we got that she may also like him 10 years ago, was when they were stuck in the pit but then she was always about Bang Jun Ho.

Speaking of Bang Jun Ho, his character was giving me a total stalker vibes(?). I mean, he left her without a goodbye but yet, he expected her to always loved him because she had always loved him in the past. Like dude, you BROKE her heart, do you think she'll jump for joy when you return? Like Mr. Kim said to him, he should have told her his reason for leaving when he left, because now, it's only excuses. He hurt her and just waltz into her life like nothing happened. He was obsessed with her and I hated how her boss encouraged it too. Like lady, did you see how affected she was by him? Couldn't you just assign someone else to the project? I get that she was the one who wanted to project in the first place, but circumstances changed. She can be as professional as she wants, but if he's not being a professional towards her, what she can do? I am still shock that her own boss would throw her into the project when she clearly knew what happened to her. Smh.

Hye Ji and Teacher Son's relationship was also so sudden too. I mean, they could have explored that story line more with more episodes. I get that they "fell" for each other during the hiking trip, but it was just so sad how they wrote that love story. Hye Ji had confessed to him and he flat out shut her down. I get that he is awkward around women, but what the hell. He was such a gentleman, and then they made him someone who was so clueless. I would have love to see more of their relationship.

I do like how he confessed to her, but I didn't like how "short" it took her to accept him. Like what made her like him when she has always seen him as nothing more than a friend. Like I said, the only inkling we got that she might have liked him was during the night they got stuck, but then that was the only time. Nothing else. She had been helping her friend get him before he left. So for her to suddenly accept him didn't make sense to me. I wish she would have hesitated more and come the realization that yes, she was falling for him. I feel like it was too fast for them. He disappears for 10 years, and then return for a few days and he just throws everything away for her, that part never made sense to me too.

Now, let's talk about her past. I feel like they wanted us to know that she was abandoned so that's why she had issues with people leaving without saying goodbye, but then they never really explored it too. There was like a clip that was part of her nightmare and then Kwon Sang Pil telling Kang Hu Yeong about her drunken talk and that people have wounds. I wish they would have showed us what exactly happened to her because they never showed her parents or mentioned her parents.

And then the ending, I'm just confused about it. She made a whole scene about not leaving with him, but then she leaves with him? Like, what? All I am saying is that they needed a few more episodes. The story feels incomplete.

Overall, I took points off because I feel that it wasn't complete. To me, this is a 7/10. If they added more scenes to elaborate the story, I will rethink my ranking, but for now, as it is, it's a 7. I was disappointed towards the end of the drama. I feel like I wasted my time binge watching this show.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Serendipity's Embrace '' is a romantic melodrama.

The drama presents the current storyline, with what has happened in the past slowly being unfolded as the story progresses. That way, the drama got nostalgic and also kept the interest high, as the main story was more or less predictable.

The romance, in addition, was sweet and was nicely paced, though, in the final episodes, things got weaker.

Still, the side couple kept things interesting when the main one got boring.

On the other hand, the performances were all enjoyable.

So, overall, six out of ten.

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Short and simple

This was a cute watch for me. I liked the fact that it was short, a nice change of pace and not much of an investment. It's not an original story by any means, but it was sweet. Being a short series, it felt rushed, especially since they had two couples to tell us about.

What I liked:
Kim So Hyun as Hong Ju. She is such a cutie, and I really enjoy watching her.
Chae Jong Hyeop as Hu Yeong. I've liked him in other works, and for the most part I enjoyed him (see below).
Yun Ji On as Jun Ho. I loved him in Tomorrow, but to me, his storyline seemed very forced.
Hwang Sung Bin as the PE teacher. He was terrific! I loved his straight, military demeanor and how out of his element he was with the 2FL.
I'm a sucker for when the man falls first, and we got it in both couples.
Chemistry, for the most part, was good. I hate to keep using the word "cute", but that's the thought I had as I watched it.
Second couple. I loved the second couple. They were very amusing. However, there was a lot of time spent on them, which took away from the main couple, but maybe that's okay.
I liked the friend with the restaurant and how he was trying to play matchmaker.

What, to me, could have been better:
At times, Chae Jong Hyeop's acting seemed a little forced, especially when he was hugging her and they focused on his face. His expression was totally blank, and his body language was stiff.
So much drinking!!!
Her leg injury - she's limping one minute, the next she's not, then back to limping, then the boot is gone and she's walking like she was never injured!

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If you want a quick fun watch this is it

After watching the first few episodes, specifically up to episode four, I decided to put the drama on hold. It wasn’t that it was bad, but perhaps it didn’t immediately grab me the way some other shows have. It felt like a typical story, and I wasn’t sure if it would go beyond the usual tropes we often see in dramas. The characters were interesting, but at that point, I wasn’t entirely invested in their journeys I love the FMC n her friend their friendship was another good thing in this drama.
However, curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to pick it up again. I’m glad I did because, as the story progressed, it started to make sense. The characters began to understand eachother. Although the storyline was somewhat predictable and followed a cliché format, it was executed well enough to keep me going with the drama. There’s something comforting about a story that feels familiar but still manages to pull you in with its charm.

The ending, in particular, was satisfying. I think the way the story wrapped up was one of the drama’s strong points. It didn’t feel rushed, despite the limited number of episodes, and each character’s arc came to a natural conclusion. It’s rare to find a series like this.
As for the characters, they were well-crafted, considering the constraints of the series length. Each one had their own quirks and flaws, making them relatable and enjoyable to watch. Even though the storyline was cliché, the characters brought it to life in a way that felt fresh enough to hold my attention.

Would I recommend this drama? Absolutely, especially for those looking for something light and easy to watch. It’s perfect for a day when you want to binge-watch something without committing to a long series. The drama is compact, but it delivers enough entertainment to make it worth your time.

However, when it comes to rewatching it, I don’t think I would. It’s one of those shows that’s enjoyable the first time around but doesn’t have the depth or complexity that would make me want to revisit it. While it was nice for a single viewing, it can't draw viewers back to rewatch like their favorite series. it was a pleasant experience, and I’m glad I gave it a second chance.

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