Dumped the slump

The best I can do for my mental health right now is to drop this kdrama. This comes from someone diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorder since 17 years of age.

I shouldn't have picked it up. I don't enjoy this writer's dramas. I will stop trying, not matter how much I like the cast. It's not worth it.
The writer hasn't learnt anything since secretary Kim when she suggested wine to fight insomnia and/or didn't do her research.

I do understand Asian culture has intricacies that I might not totally appreciate or understand but they seem detrimental no matter what part of worldly society we're talking about.
Depression is, for sure, a real illness just like breaking a leg but its treatment isn't as straightforward. Depression is not something you work on like dieting to get a "summer body" (which is also problematic). It doesn't have a schedule and it's not a race to the top. It's more like a hurdles race in the middle of the forest with no signs or GPS, at night and alone and without a prize at the end.

Generically calling it depression when she seems to have a burn out from overwork and lack of rest and PTSD from the accident doesn't seem quite right but I'm not a doctor. Her psychiatrist also doesn't seem like one. I never saw a psychiatrist as smiley as that one. It was scary.

South Korea has a problem with work hours, making their workforce work the regular 40 hours plus 12 hours of overtime which amounts to 52 weekly work hours. And their government keeps wanting to increase them.
Dramas are, ultimately, a comment on society. If you're not accurately commenting or trying to breakdown society's problems, you're probably amounting to them.

If a drama doesn't intend to do social commentary, it should at least be entertaining. I wasn't entertained. Everyone turns out annoying. There's only so much bickering and immaturity one can handle.
There wasn't even romance. There's a limit to how many "I like you but I'm not ready, I'll only be ready for love once I'm not broken" one can handle. Most human beings are indeed "broken" and even "broken" people deserve love.
There was no romance, no chemistry, no humour. I won't be watching any more dramas by this writer. They're obviously not my thing.

p.s. don't drink alcohol to fight insomnia, alcohol is a stimulant and it will do you more harm than good, especially in the long-term. also, don't drink alcohol while taking medication, especially ones for a mental illness.

p.s.s. if you're struggling with depression, ask for help if you can. Also look around you to find out the root cause. It could be your brain chemistry fight against you or it could have another cause. Many times, it can also be a symptom of the capitalist society in which we're forced to participate. Taking meds when your brain is not ok is absolutely acceptable and fundamental but don't forget to get therapy as well.

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Glitters Everywhere

They didn't have to do her like that.
I was expecting a different kind of story, still dealing with the struggles of coming out but I wasn't expecting women to be the butt of the joke and a mattress for men's shortcomings.

Yes, coming out is hard. Loving someone is hard, and sometimes bad decisions are made, but betraying the person who loves you the most and has supported you throughout her life and expecting her to take care of you while you build yourself up again after also destroying her and her trust in yourself? That's too cruel and I can't stand for it.

I don't believe in forgiveness. It's okay to be angry and sad when you're betrayed. She also needs to process her feelings and she's not allowed to because she has to appease the guilt in someone else's mind. She deserved better.

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Procrastinated Love

That's how I feel about this story. The love I imagined was unrequited. It's procrastinated love.

This drama stays on the surface and doesn't go where the feelings are. A photographer whose work is all over the place and that we hardly see with a camera in hand and a writer with absolutely no imagination or the ability of putting herself in other people's shoes. Writing requires perspective, not ego.
Also I've never met a photographer who just deletes all their past work or fun photos. They're all archived somewhere, usually in more than one place so they don't lose their work. Even worse, I've never met a photographer that had a darkroom and made someone else develop the film so he could be on the computer?!?!?!? DEVELOPING THE FILM IS THE MOST FUN PART! It makes absolutely no sense.

This drama perpetuates the idea that art is suffering instead of it being a skill, a different way of seeing and a profession where money and power have a lot of influence. Honestly, the most unreal part about this drama was the PD님 accepting the rejection without damaging her career. Especially her being a woman. It's absolutely inconceivable, especially because he said he gave her a chance because of her beauty.

About the love. There is no love. You can feel a bit of passion in the first episode and that's it. I love both actors but this wasn't it. The only love that was there was when they watched a movie and he started crying while we saw Park Bo Young on the screen. I cried too!

They try to convey that love is caring and it truly is, but romantic love shouldn't be the same as parental love. The fact that she couldn't tell it was her mother and not Seonwoo who was at her place is somehow very telling.

This drama feels like warm beer on a summer day. It does absolutely nothing for you. Two people looking at each other in different ways and running away from each other and ending up together. They didn't even run that much, how could they have found each other?

I get it. Love is hard, it ruins friendships and life happens. That's a given. However, if we looked at people differently and at relationships differently as well, life could happen in a different way.
Love should be easy. The person you're with should be respected during and after things are over. And women and men can certainly be friends, even if there is a physical attraction at some point. People shouldn't be reduced to their urges. Fiction is a way of producing change, not just perpetuating stereotypes.

This drama aims at the notion that women and men can't be just friends. I really think that's a terrible message to put out there that will send us back even more. Women are already shamed for "putting men in the friendzone". The problem with this notion is that it puts women in the ever demeaning position of only being of interest to men when they can serve them in some way. How can we make progress if we keep pushing these notions forward? Yes, friends to lovers is something beautiful and common but it shouldn't come at the expense of true friendships between two different genres. Those last sentences about this in the drama should not have been said.

The last tarot cards suggested to follow her heart with determination. I didn't see any of that. I saw hesitation, pettiness and hidden feelings. I didn't see the feelings bursting from the chest like she said they were. If they were there would be unrest, impatience and yearning in the eyes. When she's confessing you can't really read Seonwoo's face. It's like he's being told the weather. There lacks emotion, surprise for being found out, confusion and giddiness for what's being revealed.

It was all very lukewarm. A warm beer on a summer day. It doesn't do much for you.

[And I don't even like beer]

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It's not love

This isn't Crazy Love, this is everyone is an *ssh*le but they seem to have apparently good reasons to be one, or so they think.
They even try to reform someone who did a hit and run over a bet and someone who left his best friend to die with absolutely no reaction whatsoever and even fed him something that could potentially kill him.

The main male lead is an *ssh*le and only stops being one after someone threatens to take "something" he thinks belongs to him. He then turns into the complete opposite by letting people who betray him gain his complete trust just because they feel bad or are crying. He's seen as a rational, logical person and all the logic goes out the window.

This would have been great as a shorter story and one where both leads don't end up together. We can't give a pass to guys who are rude, egotistical and arrogant just because they're hot and have money. There's absolutely nothing likable about him, he just has a difficult past. So do a lot of people and they don't go around being an absolute menace to others, especially staff.

To make things worse, as per usual, the female lead goes from being opinionated and strong to being a decorative vase on the night table. In the last episode we can't almost hear her voice from how low her voice got. The crazy is left to a demonstration of possession in the last episode.

As if this wasn't enough, the mystery culprit had so many layers that it made me lose interest completely. When we found out, I was ready to give up on the drama.

I don't like Disney in the kdrama world, we should leave things separate. You don't have to reform everybody, toxic masculinity is not desirable, women aren't meant to be tamed, suicide and mental health problems aren't excuses to commit crimes, the happy ending one should hope for is not always a ring or marriage, it can be choosing oneself.

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Just because it's common, it doesn't mean it's the best for everyone

If this is the type of propaganda the South Korean government is making to fight the "marriage crisis", I can see why it's not working.

I wasn't expecting much from it. It goes along what's to be expected from a web drama. It was maybe more well produced and not as obviously reliant on "in your face" advertising, which made it easier to watch.

I don't agree with the plot. I believe it's forced and doesn't make sense. The woman who didn't want to get married is the only one who ends up married. That's not a plot twist because it goes against what she wanted for herself. It comes from an ultimatum. Both situations are ultimatums. The only way you can get women to do what men want is through ultimatums and social pressure and not through their own accord.

The woman who was taking in information that made here weary of marriage was the one who only had the choice of either getting married or breaking up with someone she was only seeing for a year. They obviously had different goals in life, she was still figuring out what she wanted and was made rush a decision against her instinct.

The other couple was obviously very immature, even if they had been together for longer. It doesn't make sense to break up because she's doing an internship in another country, especially after he was in the military and they didn't break up because of that. It was good that he came to his senses and didn't try stopping her from pursuing the career she wants. It doesn't make sense breaking up because you're trying to better yourself as a person. A relationship is supposed to be common growth and shared growth as well. It must be an Asian ideal I don't think I'll ever understand.

The single girl didn't make sense in all of it. Why would she intentionally mess with a taken man? She wasn't even in love with him, she just wanted to get married and she thought they were a match because he wanted to get married as well. It's really grim when basic manners are perceived as affection or even love. That should be the basics of human relationships.

In conclusion, this show makes it seem as if every woman wants to get married and to a man. The truth is that more and more women are choosing to be single. A recent study showed that single women are the happiest and most satisfied demographics. Maybe we should start reflecting that in our media instead of trying to push an outdated model that doesn't server and wasn't designed to serve women at all.

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Too gray, just a little gay

It was a good story but I have some issues mostly with how they decided to tell it.

We have too many fillers and too little context about their relationship. We see more about the functioning of his job than the background of what happened when they were younger.

There are too many questions and no answers. Who made a move when they were younger. How was the reaction. Why did he run? Why was it so difficult to accept him. He had already said they weren't family. He's OK with being gay since he openly says he's having sex with men. I don't seen where the issue lies. They don't even have a relationship with their parents.

It's all way simpler. The character, much as the writer, decided to complicate something that could be way simpler.

The chemistry between the leads was excellent. There was an overall annoyance that was perfectly transmitted but it was too much to enjoy this drama a bit more. Maybe there's a fine line between frustration and annoyance. According to the tittle there should be a little more sadness and a little less frustration.

All in all, it was an interesting watch.

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How about the journey?

I hate how kdramas depict capitalist struggles and the stoicism they attach to it. Suddenly the struggle gets 100 times harder than it already is without the stoicism.
I hope, as a global community, we can all go to the root of the problem so we can move forward as a healthier and more humane society. We're not made for capitalism and we're social animals, we need community, we strive in community.

I don't believe the FL had low self-esteem. Not relying on other people is usually a symptom of trauma. It's usually experienced by people who have, throughout their lives, found out they don't have anyone they can rely on. Having to pay back every help you were offered, means you have had many people let you down and know there are no free lunches. Failing to build trust and friendships as a result is what she would have to overcome. It doesn't make much sense that she can't seem to rely on anyone since she has a very supportive mother and she had received help from a friend. She doesn't seem to know how friendships work. It would have been better to end at episode 5 instead of painting the issues with the relationship in such superficial terms.

The male lead suffered from something very typical of heterosexual men. They don't listen or pay attention and do as they please. Not listening to something someone with trust issues says or goes through furthers the trust gap. Where there's no trust, there can't be a healthy relationship.

Capitalism in action, where your worth is dictated by what you do and how much money you have, will certainly interfer with a normal relationship. A fragile relationship will certainly suffer even more. But, all the money in the world can't get a man to start listening and paying attention. He did, however, show maturity when he proposed to communicate instead of ignoring the issue.

Camiño de Santiago is seen as a spiritual journey and a journey of faith, very closely linked to the Catholic religion and the spiritual struggles of being a Catholic. It felt like they treated the journey as a vacation, we didn't get to see the impact, we saw all the problems solved but we don't even know to which extent. Did she relent all control? Did he start to listen?

It seems weird that she goes on a journey of self discovery with company. I honestly don't understand the message. Is there a message?

Anyway, it made more sense than the first one. I know shorter dramas can be challenging to adequately portray a story. It was a good and fun, at times, drama to watch.

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Capitalism is the problem

It's one of those dramas where everyone's an asshole.
Probably Ari's brother is the one that is not actively an asshole, but he was hardly in the story.

They chose to go for an anonymous hater, with no real motive who represents the working class, instead of addressing the real issue with this stratification of society. Calling someone with depression and someone who clearly sees the disparity in society a nut job is dismissive, offensive and villainizing. It was a choice to make her a hater. It was a choice not to go to the root of the problem.

Their self-importance remains unchanged in the end. They didn't learn anything.
I do know there are a lot of online haters and trolls but social media is only a reflection of society. If we cared for the people and solved the disparities there would be a lot less hate. Many people are mad at the disparities and don't have the tools to figure out why they're mad. This drama made it seem like a jealousy problem instead of the real issue, which is inequality, that derives from some having access to privilege and also from salary theft.

The love interest (I can't consider him a male lead. He wasn't a lead in the story) said if it wasn't for him his workers would be unemployed, so he doesn't mind providing them with undignified work because, for him, he's being charitable. We don't need charity, we need proper salaries and proper jobs and we need the rich to pay a fairer amount of taxes that will support a strong network of social services. Then no one needs to die because they can't afford food, healthcare or even a house.
We all know millionaires and billionaires don't provide for more work or for more money to be in circulation, they are hoarders of wealth. Trickle-down economics doesn't work, and there's no such thing as an ethical rich person, just like we saw, those rich influencers weren't ethically created as well.

Social media is a way to numb the working force and to make sure we don't organise and create a fairer world. They kept saying throughout the drama that life is unfair. Yes, life is unfair, but knowing the root of the issue helps us create a fairer world. If you were going to talk about inequality, you should have gone to the root cause. I believe art has the power to conduct change and this drama could have been a spark in that direction.

It was a good mystery drama. It was annoying, especially for someone who doesn't care about influencers, like me. It was a good social commentary, but it will go over people's heads if they aren't aware of the root causes of our social imbalance. With all the fascist propaganda going around, I'm assuming that it will be a lot of people.

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Not just summer, a strike of a lifetime, hopefully

Why did you kill Halmeoni?!!?!?!

Now that that's out of the way, let's get into the review.

I find the dramas and films with the most dreamy posters tend to be the most traumatising and yet again it was proven true.
Besides the trauma, the drama was peaceful, purposeful and exciting. I loved that the main couple decided they didn't want to live up to anyone's expectations and did their thing. I'm hoping that's what I'm doing too, so it was relatable and inspiring. I wish I were that brave sometimes.

In kdrama world we're often bombarded with a work ethic that is unhealthy and inhumane, it's refreshing to see someone realising exactly that and going the other way.

The romance was inevitable since the leads are two of a kind. I would love to see it being developed more but I know they're shy and that's part of their charm. Still, you robbed us of a kiss IN THE RAIN and I'm never going to forgive that.

I found the solving of the mystery sloppy, it could have gone horribly wrong. It was probably the most fictional part of the story. The mystery was important but wasn't as interesting as the more mundane parts of the story.

The vibe was good, the place was beautiful. I wouldn't mind moving there too. I hope one day I can live by the ocean.

One last thing, there's no need to follow harmful Disney stereotypes. You don't need to have dogs growl at bad people. Dogs can't measure morality, that's a harmful stereotype for people who can't get along with dogs for whatever reason and that doesn't make them bad people. It didn't even make the ones in the drama bad people. Whenever you think that's a good way of telling people's intentions, please remember Hitler had dogs that loved him.

I'm still not over Halmeoni. I cried so much watching this drama. Note to self: don't trust dreamy posters.


15.02.2024
I rewatched the show again (except the Halmeoni part) and I've been listening to the soundtrack since yesterday too. Summer Strike has, indeed, turned into one of my comfort shows. The theme, the ambience, the characters, the struggles, the simplicity in the way of life they enjoy and pursue are what mainly draws me to it.
It's the definition of contentment and that's my ultimate objective in life. To feel content. To feel like nothing is missing and I can simply enjoy every second of all that life brings.
Friends, food on the table, time to oneself, a fulfilling and paying job I can do from wherever, a calm city by the ocean, access to art materials and the internet and health and energy to enjoy it all.
It does seem like the perfect life. A life of enjoyment and contentment. A goal and, hopefully, not just a dream.

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Healer or Ji Chang Wook always delivers

It's a good drama but, naturally, it has its flaws.

The story was interesting and engaging up until episode 15. This could have easily been a 16 episode drama. The back story was sometimes confusing.

What put me off the most was the increasing eagerness to make Chae Yeong Shin afraid and/or repulsed by Seo Jung Hoo. She was the one who believe in his good side from the start, even before she met him, it makes absolutely no sense that she would be afraid of him after knowing him. It didn't seem natural to the character and so it made absolutely no sense to me to lead the story that way.

I liked the yearning, that's something I find myself missing in the dramas I've recently watched.

The OST is of its time, you can definitely tell it's an older drama because of that. It's very cringy at times but the start of the main theme and ending theme still get me excited.

Driving people to change for someone else will lead to resentment. I'm glad they put the parallel between being a journalist and a truth seeker, it's something that is missing in journalism today, they report without informing and without putting the truth above all else. Maybe watching this drama could inspire some journalists.

It disappointed me a little that they went with such tropes as asking the father for permission to date. Their meaning of being normal turned out being boring. You can be interesting and exciting without committing crimes. At least I'd like to think that I am. lol

I know he's supposed to be somewhat the best at everyhting but it didn't add up him being bedridden without any strength to push her out the door and in the next moment they have what seems to be hours of intense love making. He could barely open his eyes! Be for real! It took away the supposed "magic" of the moment.

Some other things don't add up but we'll leave it at that. It was a good watch nonetheless. The action was fantastic, Ji Chang Wook is one of the best in kdrama land.

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Most of all, it's calm

I'm writing a review exclusively because I can't get over the fact that a partner (or any other person) reading a private diary is framed as cute. It's not cute, it's a violation of privacy. Being someone's partner doesn't give you the right to their privacy.

Other than that it was a drama that transmitted a lot of calm despite all the traumatic events it dealt with.

The supporting cast was excellent and without them, this drama would be reduced to almost nothing since I don't find the main characters remarkable or important enough to the action. To me, it would make more sense if the drama was set from the aunt's point of view.

There are some things in life that can never be amended. Not even time can do that. Time can't amend treason or violence. I don't understand the love for a physically abusive parent and it doesn't make a difference who stepped on the gas pedal. It was self-defence from someone who was threatening their lives and had already made their lives miserable for so many years. I do see a reason for the aunt's actions, she was hit too and her sister's and her life were in danger. It's very logical to me. Even if the lead's father had never hit the aunt, she had every right to protect her sister. Her sister's bruises hurt her as well, it's surprising to see that the mother's bruises didn't hurt the daughter. Her loving father is the same person that tried to kill her mother and her aunt and that's not something you can separate from that person, it's the same father.

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Love in times of a global pandemic

Ok! The word baby has been redeemed! I don't mind if someone calls me like that anymore! Hehe

It's cute, real, a bit cheesy sometimes, a bit sad as well, fun and heart fluttering.

Love in times of a global pandemic.
Or what a relationship is probably like all the time for me! Lol

The whole series has several layers of relatability. Besides showing what living is like during a pandemic, it shows life stories that I can recognise even in my own life and it shows the dynamics of relationships and dating long distance.

It's a rollercoaster most times but we all have those phases in life. It seems like nothing really happens for a long time and all of a sudden the whole world falls on you.

Their jealousy quarrels made me feel very uncomfortable because I lived that. It was pointless and frustrating. I don't think I can see a way out of the circle an argument like that creates. I didn't seem to see a solution in what they presented and in real life that would have resurfaced once again.

We'll see if it carries to season 2. (Hopefully not because I really hate jealousy!)

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Meh not meow

The beginning was promising but it turned into something else.
As soon as she realised who Hong Jo is she becomes distant and annoying. I almost dropped it right then and there. I honestly should have since it doesn't get any better.

The ending wasn't satisfactory at all. Cat live up to almost 20 years. If he was 3 at the ending, will they live in limbo for 17 years more waiting for the occasional Hong Jo appearance.

The second couple was honestly cuter. I loved that she's shy yet she's had life experience and they don't portray her as a 30yo damsel.

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I don't think making fun of the #metoo movement and having men saying they're now afraid to interact with women was a smart move in 2019.
This was just the last drop. Ageism, story holes, unfunny jokes or the old fashioned body comedy. I also don't think they know how amnesia is supposed to work. Also how come can they walk after 20 years of not using their muscles? Even if they're frozen, there has to be some sort of adaptation period.

I really have to talk about ageism.
The actresses playing the leads' mothers are supposed to be in their late 60's from what I can understand, one of the actresses (the girl's mother) is 55 years old in real life and is playing someone who is 60 something but talking as if she's in her late 80's. The woman doesn't even have wrinkles. How are we supposed to know how we'll age if the media doesn't depict ageing accurately? I know it will vary from person to person but we need more realism in the media. They also depict most of the 40-year-olds (his sister, the girl's friends) as if they're walking xmas trees with aboslutely no taste and the need to be flashy to avoid aging. Just stop. Put real women in your dramas already!

Another thing that really got to me was when the leads' brother is praying at the temple. He wishes for his daughter to grow beautiful. Not successful, not happy, not intelligent but beautiful. The girl is sassy, smart and doesn't go by stereotypes. That character should have been treated with more respect.

I really wanted to check out Ji Chang Wook's return but I just can't with this drama. I'm hoping he gets a good one next.

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I guess there was a reason I waited so long to watch this. It did disappoint me a lot.

The theme is great and the relationship is mature and those were the only positive sides for me.

At the beginning it's all extremely silly, instead of it being a comedy, it turns into just silliness. The soundtrack didn't help with that at all. I do understand this drama is adapted from a webtoon but sometimes they forget the adaptation part.

Then there's a point when the main actors don't seem to be acting anymore and everything turns into a melodrama we can guess how is going to turn out that we've seen time and time again. The magic that was barely there (except for the scene at the writer's house) disappears and the overconfidence and comfort appear but that just left me uncomfortable. It was like I wasn't invited to the story anymore. It disengaged me completely.

Everyone keeps talking about the chemistry between the leads but I couldn't feel it. There wasn't any spark in their eyes and they didn't manage to put one in mine.

In the end, it was extremely boring to me. My love for the leads wasn't enough for this drama to leave a positive memory in me.

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