1
depressed
Easy watch but nothing ground breaking
Sweet Teeth is one of the easiest/lightest dramas you can watch in 2021. The plot isn't heavy and easy to follow, the characters are all good-spirited (yes, every main character), and the overall vibe leaves a sweet aftertaste, albeit not a particularly impactful one. I'll examine the pros and cons and help whoever reads this decide whether it's something they want to watch.
Pros: 1) Leads. Both main leads are relatively new into the acting scene but I thought they carried their weight well. I especially thought Betty Wu did a great job balancing the cuteness/comedy/romance aspect of her character. Her acting isn't perfect but for an idol drama, definitely passable. I will bring up that I would have liked to see her change up her hairstyle once in a while - she has dyed hair w/ long straight bangs the whole show, a tad on the unfashionable side haha. I thought the male lead did alright as well. We're finally able to see a "cold/cool" main character actually be nice, affectionate, and most importantly, not perfect. He has his insecurities but doesn't bring out any of the stalker vibes like some CEO dramas. Shows off a well-rounded character as opposed to the typical "perfect, quiet, cool" main characters that are plaguing cdramas. Once again, not perfect acting by any means but good enough.
2) Light plot and pacing. Watch this if you don't want to watch anything too heavy. Nothing about revenge or angsty breakups. For the main leads, it's a relatively sweet story. A bit of a love triangle that plagues the middle of the drama but as the whole series is only 22 episodes!!! (LOVING THE SHORT MODERN DRAMA PACING). This eliminates pacing issues that many series struggle with. Lots of shows struggle with plot and character development after the characters get together which is why the final arcs in many of these dramas result to angsty breakups, disapproving parents, or other wacky misunderstandings. As Sweet Teeth is relatively short and the main leads get together relatively late, there's little drag. It's a simple watch although because of the light plot, it might not be something to draw viewers in to binge, but it's a show that you can watch a couple of episodes at a time.
Cons: 1) Low budget. Viewers can tell that the budget for this isn't the greatest. There's definitely inconsistencies in the dubbing which may be distracting. The setting is fine but the outfits are a bit bland (although the director might be going for the bland look for realism) - but the blandness makes it harder to binge.
2) Hard to binge. As mentioned before, it's a sweet watch but hard to binge because some parts are a bit bland, the middle is a bit draggy, and many moments are so cringe that you might need to put it on pause and take a breather. The slow really lacks that magnetic quality that some other shows have, and this might stem from the con #3.
3) Chemistry isn't exactly electric. I thought the main leads were good, but together, I didn't see that spark that some of my other favorite dramas have (Love is Sweet, You are my glory). But to each their own.
4) The damn interruptions. So many inopportune interruptions during key moments. Became way more frustrating than enjoyable/funny after a certain point.
Conclusion:
So should you watch? I think this will depend on whether you want to watch something a bit lighter. The interruptions during confessions or important moments is honestly a bit distracting. This show is unique in that the show establishes the leads like each other very early, but they don't get together until way later - maybe this keeps up the "magic" for you, but maybe these types of relationships are annoying for you. One thing I didn't mention is, there's a lot of focus on the 2nd and 3rd couples. I honestly did not find either of the side couples very entertaining and they do take up a lot of airtime. The main leads are relatively stable characters so some of the randomness/quirkiness/typical cdrama angst are thrown onto the side couples. If you're on the fence, watch a couple of eps and if the side couples are not entertaining, just drop this drama. There is a lot of focus on the side couples, and in my opinion, is a detriment. Overall, I think you should give it a try. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but might be a nice watch for many as well - just don't Shakespeare quality. I know for sure I will check out Betty Wu's future dramas.
Pros: 1) Leads. Both main leads are relatively new into the acting scene but I thought they carried their weight well. I especially thought Betty Wu did a great job balancing the cuteness/comedy/romance aspect of her character. Her acting isn't perfect but for an idol drama, definitely passable. I will bring up that I would have liked to see her change up her hairstyle once in a while - she has dyed hair w/ long straight bangs the whole show, a tad on the unfashionable side haha. I thought the male lead did alright as well. We're finally able to see a "cold/cool" main character actually be nice, affectionate, and most importantly, not perfect. He has his insecurities but doesn't bring out any of the stalker vibes like some CEO dramas. Shows off a well-rounded character as opposed to the typical "perfect, quiet, cool" main characters that are plaguing cdramas. Once again, not perfect acting by any means but good enough.
2) Light plot and pacing. Watch this if you don't want to watch anything too heavy. Nothing about revenge or angsty breakups. For the main leads, it's a relatively sweet story. A bit of a love triangle that plagues the middle of the drama but as the whole series is only 22 episodes!!! (LOVING THE SHORT MODERN DRAMA PACING). This eliminates pacing issues that many series struggle with. Lots of shows struggle with plot and character development after the characters get together which is why the final arcs in many of these dramas result to angsty breakups, disapproving parents, or other wacky misunderstandings. As Sweet Teeth is relatively short and the main leads get together relatively late, there's little drag. It's a simple watch although because of the light plot, it might not be something to draw viewers in to binge, but it's a show that you can watch a couple of episodes at a time.
Cons: 1) Low budget. Viewers can tell that the budget for this isn't the greatest. There's definitely inconsistencies in the dubbing which may be distracting. The setting is fine but the outfits are a bit bland (although the director might be going for the bland look for realism) - but the blandness makes it harder to binge.
2) Hard to binge. As mentioned before, it's a sweet watch but hard to binge because some parts are a bit bland, the middle is a bit draggy, and many moments are so cringe that you might need to put it on pause and take a breather. The slow really lacks that magnetic quality that some other shows have, and this might stem from the con #3.
3) Chemistry isn't exactly electric. I thought the main leads were good, but together, I didn't see that spark that some of my other favorite dramas have (Love is Sweet, You are my glory). But to each their own.
4) The damn interruptions. So many inopportune interruptions during key moments. Became way more frustrating than enjoyable/funny after a certain point.
Conclusion:
So should you watch? I think this will depend on whether you want to watch something a bit lighter. The interruptions during confessions or important moments is honestly a bit distracting. This show is unique in that the show establishes the leads like each other very early, but they don't get together until way later - maybe this keeps up the "magic" for you, but maybe these types of relationships are annoying for you. One thing I didn't mention is, there's a lot of focus on the 2nd and 3rd couples. I honestly did not find either of the side couples very entertaining and they do take up a lot of airtime. The main leads are relatively stable characters so some of the randomness/quirkiness/typical cdrama angst are thrown onto the side couples. If you're on the fence, watch a couple of eps and if the side couples are not entertaining, just drop this drama. There is a lot of focus on the side couples, and in my opinion, is a detriment. Overall, I think you should give it a try. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea but might be a nice watch for many as well - just don't Shakespeare quality. I know for sure I will check out Betty Wu's future dramas.
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