Reconnecting and Growing from Childhood Friends to Lovers

Love Next Door, the new hottest romcom, isn't exactly a "romcom". It leans more over to the melodrama side, which can be misleading. This features the classic childhood lovers to friends trope. We dive into the main leads' complicated pasts and how they rediscover each other.

The ML, Choi Seung-hyo, is not your classic pure male who's never touched another female in his life. He has past relationships, though it seems like they weren't very deep. However, it's cliche that he fell first, and liked her for majority of his life. His whole family is kind of on the outs, at first. They barely talk to each other so ML ends up spending more time with FL's family.

I believe many people weren't quite happy with the FL, Bae Seok-ryu, at the start of the drama. Don't be discouraged in the first few episodes at the fact she seems so easygoing, and uncaring. It seems to be her coping method. I was starting to not like her, but then a lot was revealed.

She struggled. She struggled so much, always trying to be perfect and never allowing herself to make mistakes for her parents. But it's too hard to always be "perfect". So when she was sick, she couldn't bare her parents hurting because of her. She's one of those people who take on everything themselves, and never ask for help because they don't want to burden, disappoint or hurt anyone else but themselves. That was so relatable to watch because I'm the same. I always struggle with telling people who are close to me about things like this because I don't want to see them hurt and I don't want it to impact their lives so I'll just deal with it myself. Her character was relatable for me, and it was healing when she finally got the support she needed from her friends and family.

She was burnt out and at a loss while other people might just see this as pure "laziness" which was what was depicted in the first few episodes.

It was a really realistic touch to see this portrayed so well. o +1 point. It's very reassuring to see the FL eventually discover her dream and excel at it while being happy. She became my favourite character from this drama.

There's a lot of family dynamics going on in this drama too. Obviously, ML's family heals and everyone's happy lol. The main dynamic, is Seok-ryu vs her mother.


The acting skills are undeniable. Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min, top actor and top actress. Hae-in and So-min can speak through their eyes, and they have diverse ranges in emotions.

The crying, hurt and guilt felt so real? They can really channel emotions into their acting. I think they were the only ones who could've played Seokryu and Seunghyo so well. Honestly, they are perfect for these roles. The characters' interactions all feel genuine.

Kim Ji-eun and Yun Ji-on were perfect for the second lead couple too! Honestly in this drama, everyone was played out their characters quite well. This is an amazing cast with star names! Yeon-du is really cute :).


Seunghyo and Seokryu are the absolute, perfect match for each other. They bicker, fight, but they're the only ones who can heal each other ultimately. They just get each other. They know each other so well, no one can beat that type of relationship. There's metaphors hidden in the show. They're very subtle but they show that no matter what, they're there for each other.

The two leads have great chemistry, imo. I've watched all the cast content and behind-the-scenes on youtube, and honestly they look like great friends IRL and I'm glad this drama brought them together.

I liked all OSTS played in this drama, but honestly "Words I Could Not Say" sang by Jung Hae-in, HIMSELF, tops the cake! His voice sounds so angelic and expresses so many emotions.

DISLIKES:

- The mother was undoubtedly my least favourite character. She really had no emotional growth the whole drama. She has an inferiority complex and believes everyone's making decisions to spite her. There were many chances for potential character development but we never got any. It was like placing a seed, and it sprouts just for it to die before it can grow any bigger. It was just painful whenever she was arguing with literally anyone. It might have been an attempt for a realistic portrayal of an "asian mother", but it was just frustrating when this is meant to be a healing drama and she had literally no character development.

- The SML, is introduced to us as a single father. However, later we learn he's actually the uncle of the child. That was annoying because I was really hoping we could see a single father heal, and open himself up to a new relationship. Though he did lose his whole family and obviously did have to heal from it, it's just not the same yk :(.

- The FL and ML, mostly the ML, did act like teenagers in quite a few of the scenes. They're in their 30s but act like teenagers sometimes. There's a scene where the ML mentions he has "dirty thoughts" that he's not allowed to think of, but he's literally 30? I found it a bit weird, but it's nothing major.

- The writing often relies on injuries/diseases/accidents for emotion breakthroughs and communication to occur.

- The ending was a bit underwhelming, often an issue in kdrama land, I was really expecting them to get married especially cause they built the story up to marriage!


OVERALL:
I really did enjoy this, apart from the cons lol, it's a good watch. It tells a beautiful story, with a lot of healing and growth. I wouldn't list this as a romcom, but more of a melodrama, romance, slice of life with a side of comedy. Overall, it's more like an 8/10, but I gave it an 8.5 because the cast is amazing! I hope you all give this drama a try :). And, let's all remind ourselves that we are all entitled to have different opinions that can coexist.

If you do decide to watch this, I hope you enjoy it!

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ONE OF 2024'S BEST. ??

I am SO GLAD, I waited for the drama to finish just so I could binge-watch it. This was such a ride!

Let's start off with the plot/storyline. Of course, there's a ML who is a big rich loser for the FL. There's obviously a cute FL, who is hated / irrelevant in her workplace. And obviously, there's some hospital scenes! Is it even a k-drama if there's not a single hospital scene?

And duh, her love life is related to her childhood! The FL and Hyun Woo were very close when they were young, but he vanishes one day and is never seen again. ofc she's been looking for him her whole life, basically. i mean, i wouldn't blame her, we got dozens of flashbacks and he was so sweet, nice and kind to her. if i was her, i'd be looking for him too. she even becomes a kid's content creator because of him! that was rlly cute to find out. but, there is a plot twist that we find out in like episode 6, but ofc the FL only finds out at the END of episode 13. so if you're not a fan of waiting for reveals, you will probably tear your hair out but i swear it's worth the wait.

the acting is superb. that's all i need to say.

the ML, our emperor penguin ??, is WHIPPED for the FL. he's such a loser and binge watches her videos on her channel. the first few times they meet, the situation is so weird but i guess it adds to the comedy. usually, you'll catch me yelling through the screen at MLs for not confessing their feelings but emperor penguin looked genuinely confused, hurt and scared about confessing. his reasons were also so valid, i felt empathy for him. but be aware the confession takes until ep 10. for the actor, he did an amazing job. he portrayed every emotion so well and made it seem so real. if you watch interviews and other irl things of Uhm Tae Goo, you'll notice he is SO SHY. he barely speaks but he is very sweet when he does.

the FL, Eunha, isn't cringy, selfish or clingy. she's smart, makes up her mistakes, and stands firmly by the ML for majority of the show. ofc there are certain moments where she gets pissed off and they have their hard moments, but she would definitely choose him over any other guy. that's what makes her mature in my eyes. Han Sunhwa did a really good job too, her acting is amazing and not dull like many other actresses out there. :( I like that throughout the show, some of her outfits are repeated, making her seem like an actual ordinary/average person. idk if it was just my eyes, but i feel like her bangs look very different in episode 16, compared to episode 1. also, i think she has a few similarities in appearance to kim jiwon, just slightly.

Usually, I don't feel much during hard moments of couples in kdramas, but I definitely FELT for this couple. every bump they went on, it felt so real. you could intensely feel that they both care for eachother, it's just the problems that SJH faces.

NOW, the SML. This is one of my favourite topics from this drama. At first, i HATED HIM. especially in episode 6, like he was on my nerves... He's so obsessed with SJH and won't stop breathing down his back. he won't let the fact go that Thirsty Deer is made up of ex-cons who are just trying to live a normal life!! Instead of looking into the Cat Group, the real antagonists, he's hellbent on investigating SJH and thirsty deer, who have done nothing compared to the cat group. but then I started warming up to him in later episodes. he showed that he genuinely cares for the FL and just wants her to be happy. he doesn't try to manipulate his identity to her and make her believe false lies. AND he finds out who the real hyunwoo is and tells Eunha despite knowing he'll lose his chance with her. that's because he wants her to know the truth and not be manipulated. *cough cough, yoon eunseong from qot..* AND, he saves her and gets hit on the head by a BRICK. he even teams up with our ML to serve justice, so his morals are on point. and in the end, he supports the ML and FL's relationship and isnt a sour bitch. *cough cough, yoon eunseong from qot..* ultimately, he's genuinely a good guy.

now the SFL (she didn't have many scenes but shes basically the SFL), Kang Yena. Honestly, after I found out her motivations for "liking" the ML, she reminded me so much of Star Jin from my demon. they both have the sort of, loyalty to the ML and similar reasons for having that loyalty. but in the end, they're both good people even if they act like desperate bitches at first.

i think this is one of the dramas where i love the side characters (obv only the good ones). this drama did a GREAT job building on everyone's backstories and motivations for why they do the things they do. there's a huge sense of brother-hood in this. We witnessed Dong Hui's unfortunate history and the guilt he lives with. i'll mention that one because i found it quite interesting. also jae-soo and hong gi, any scene with them is never a dull moment. i was laughing so hard, i almost became ripped asf. and il young is like a smiley puppy, i love his smile omg.

the music used, especially in the intro, are quite catchy. i never skipped the intro for MSM because i love the music.

anyway, some people say this drama should've been 12 eps, i partially agree. certain bits felt drawn out, but overall it was paced really well imo.

also i was expecting the comedy to be cringe, but everything feels so natural. and its so funny.

BUT for the romance, there's not as much as there should've been. i wanted more kissing scenes and more heartfelt conversations so i was hoping the last few episodes would have more of that.

OVERALL:
this drama has minor flaws, but it really is great. the story is entertaining and the characters are built well. acting is on point and the comedy is just perfect and everyone lives happily ever after! i truly think this will be one of 2024's BEST. it might be a stretch to put it in the top 3 , just yet but its quite up there!

still, this is just all my opinion. you may think this drama is trash and that's fine because we are different people who are entitled to different opinions!

if you haven't watched yet and decide to, happy watching! :)

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had me at first, then lost me

The first few episodes were captivating. The sense of mystery and a dark plot lured me but then the horrible ending and outcome blew everything down that the previous episodes had built. I say I enjoyed the show from episodes 1-3. 4-7, lost me.

Kang Ha, the ML, comes to the school for revenge and then gets attached to a girl for absolutely no reason and ends up messing up the whole epic revenge we were all waiting for. There’s no reason for him to fall in love with Jae-i, friends is all they could’ve been. Their chemistry was weak and dare I even say he loved her? It was pure attachment at its finest.

This show does depict the difference between attachment and love. Ri-an truly did love Jae-i and would undoubtedly do anything for her. She’s truly happy with him and did what she thought would protect him. On the other hand, Kang Ha comes out of nowhere and believes he can top years of trust and love Jae-i had with Ri-an.

I thought this would be an epic revenge delivery story, but the romance ruined it. The romance didn’t even take place, which I won’t complain about because Jae-i’s true love is definitely Ri-an but the show wasted limited episodes on telling this story of “romance” when the view could’ve been on revenge.

The only character who was tolerable was He-ra. She did do inexcusable things, but she still knows right from wrong.
- Slapped Jae-i’s brother for filming such an inappropriate video
- Got upset at Woojin for going to Jae-i’s dad and resulting in her getting sent overseas

Additionally, He-ra was the only character I genuinely felt bad for. Her dad’s company went under and I could feel what she was feeling through the screen.

Moving on, the cliffhanger left us with some questions. I don’t feel the need for a season 2 but if one is made, it could possibly redeem the whole show. Questiosn were left unanswered.
- Is Kang Ha a chaebol?
- This new principal, what is she about?
- Is this principal related to Kang Ha somehow?
- Who was murdered at the end?
- Why was Kang Ha not wearing a tie at the end?

Overall, this was a small mess. It wasn’t horrible, but it was disappointing.

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definitely very creepy

Terror Tuesday: Extreme. 8 episodes of 8 horror stories based off of people’s real-life experiences (apparently).

The stories are all really good but obviously some episodes are better than others. They all have plot twists but some episodes have more interesting ones.

MY FAVS:
1 - Our Little Sister (loved the story)
3 - Ode to My Family (plot twist!!)
7 - Dear Granny (really enjoyed this one)

LEAST FAVS:
2 - Wedding Dress (mediocre story)
5 - Spectral Class (found the story a bit boring)

I didn’t watch the episodes in order. This is the order I watched them in: 1, 4, 3, 7, 6, 8, 2, 5. I recommend watching them in order by whatever interests you the most in that moment, it makes the viewing experience more enjoyable overall, obviously since they’re stand-alones.

The acting was great every episode, I really loved the acting in “Our Little Sister”.

Anyway, this is a great filler for in between other shows. I don’t think I’d ever binge this though. I may or may not rewatch selected episodes if I forget the story.

OVERALL:
8/10. Great horror stories! Sorry this review is short lol! I must mention though, your opinion may be highly different to mine and you may love or hate different episodes. It’s up to you!

If you decide to watch, enjoy!

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TOLD MYSELF I WOULDN'T CRY BUT STILL DID.

*This is my opinion, you are entitled to have your own opinion! :)*
i literally have no words for this. i just like idk. it's left me with an empty feeling and i just cant stop thinking about them. honestly i would've given this movie a 10 if it wasn't for that flipping ending. also i took so many notes about this movie so im going to share them with you. honestly, if you want to cry, watch this. i don't usually cry because of movies so i told myself this would be an easy watch for me. (i knew the ending btw and i just wanted to see what people meant by "it's so sad") despite literally knowing the ending, i poured my heart out watching this movie 4 times.

firstly, the acting is really good. kim yoo jung did a great job but she's definitely better in my demon. and byeon woo seok also did pretty good. honestly, idk if i like how he looks here more or how he looks in lovely runner more. the casting for this was really good, both the main leads are really attractive and good actors. and tbh the FL could've worked with hyun jin (SML) too because their friendship was really funny lmao.

i honestly wonder, in the start how they didn't notice her literally following them around??

LIKES:

so i have a few moments that i found funny and some cliche. firstly, lmao when hyunjin was in love with her and basically asking her out and she tried so hard to make him not like her. literally went to the point of talking about how much she farts. and when woon hoo and her were about to kiss but a fucking plum hit her on the head.

the plot twist though, her friend getting them mixed up and so bo ra had to keep her feelings a secret. im happy yeon-doo wasn't a stuck up bitch about it and let bo ra have him.
and gosh, this movie had SO MANY sad moments where i was either tearing up or bawling my eyes out. like when he wrote her a letter talking about his feelings and he dropped it on the floor bc she just rejected him. and him waiting for her all night at her house. and when he was leaving and said "i'll definitely come back for you," LIKE MY HEART??? and then after time passed and they weren't in contact anymore, bo ra thought he flat out ghosted her when he was DEAD.

DISLIKES:
i hate the fact he had to die. the ending was so unnecessary i hate it. this movie is so good, its a 9 but the ending just flat out ruined it. why couldn't they just end up happy? and together? married? now bo-ra's love life is ruined and love's probably too traumatic for her now. and when joseph was saying, "The happiest moments in his short life were when he was with you," I SOBBED. and then the video tape at the end, i cried during that too. why did the writers make him die.??? i swear

OVERALL:
it's amazing except for the ending. so i give it a 9. i still 100% recommend it just be prepared to CRY. and after you cry, watch lovely runner to heal your heart (i haven't watched it yet but im pretty sure he doesn't die in that)

have tissues and enjoy watching!

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good watch!

I started this late while it was airing, around 4 days after episode 10 dropped. Within a day, I had already binged all the available episodes and as soon as episode 11 and 12 were released, I had finished it. It was hooking and addicting and I have that hangover feeling you get after watching a great drama lingering.

This goes over adult themes many kdramas don't mention which gives it a fresh charm to it. I really liked how open everyone was about sex!

There's many of the common cliches and tropes, but they're done well and still manage to entertain.

This I would say, is a TRUE romcom. The jokes are incorporated into the script well, and honestly it's all really funny. Many people said they were laughing every episode. Even though I wouldn't say I laughed EVERY episode, I did laugh in many of them! Moving on, the romance is there. Do not be deterred by the age gap between the ML and FL, because the chemistry is very visible. I even felt it. This pairing was amazing, they compliment each other so well. Shin Min-Ah is just absolutely an amazing actress with stunning visuals. I really liked her outfits, her hair and her overall appearance in this drama. She really is a star in comedy. Kim Young-dae was amazing here as well. Don't even get me started on his visuals! LOL. I really enjoyed his acting here.

The second-lead couple was also really great. It was nice to see Lee Sang-yi again after My Demon. Han Ji-hyun is new to me and I'll check out some of her other roles because I've grown fond of acting in this drama. This couple also got a lot of screen-time. Their trope is also sorta enemies to lovers?

The characters are pretty well fleshed-out.

This drama has pretty good writing, especially in the first half, and a great ost.

DISLIKES:

I do feel like the ending was pretty rushed in the last episode. For both couples. But the second-couple got more screen time than the main couple in the last episode. And they also get a spin-off, it was sort of disappointing. Nonetheless, it's still definitely worth watching this drama.

The killer plot is a bit unnecessary and the final episodes were not all that good. It felt underdeveloped.

OVERALL:
This was a great watch. The couples both had amazing chemistry, it was funny and it has an amazing plot, for the most part.

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A BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED STORY

Twinkling Watermelon deserves all the hype it can get. Every part of it is beautiful, from the story to the actors and to the name. "Twinkling Watermelon"?? How bizarre. Turns out the strange name has a beautiful meaning behind it! The characters all felt extremely realistic which is crazy for a time-travel story LOL. For multiple reasons, this drama made me appreciate life more.

This story is so beautifully crafted and I'm grateful that I got to witness it. When Eun gyeol time travels to the year where he is the same age as his father, despite his father being immature, Eun gyeol manages to still learn lessons from him and vice versa. The story depicts multiple characters figuring out whether they want to be themselves, or be their parents' picture perfect child. we explore anxiety and struggles teenagers face. this drama has pretty much a mix of all genres but it doesn't feel like too much. there's many plot twists and i'll be honest, i didn't expect ANY of them.

obviously there's some unanswered issues because this is a time-travel drama. the question is, if Eungyeol and On Eun Yu go into the past and impact and affect people's lives, how come no one remembers them in the future?

I ended up feeling bad for all the main characters. Ha Eun Gyeol, his family's angel. The voice that connects them to others. They want him to study medicine when his heart belongs to music. Despite saying some hurtful things to his father, he really loves him.

Ha Yi Chan gives off golden retriever energy! His heart is so bright and kind and even when he's mad at them, he cares for others. When his inevitable fate occurred, I cried along with him. My heart broke into a thousand pieces and I cannot at all imagine how heart-wrenching it would be to suddenly never be able to hear ever again. I really felt for Eun Gyeol then too, he tried so hard to prevent this and it happens when Ha Yi Chan saves him from being hit by a car. The guilt would drown me. :( And if you have seen any of my past reviews on dramas that have old people in them, you'll know they're my WEAKNESS. I cried SO MUCH when Yi Chan's grandma sobbed when she realised he lost his hearing.

At first, when Choi Se Kyeong came back from Korea, I really disliked her character. She was annoying, bitchy and made me so upset but then we found out Choi Se Kyeong actually wasn't Choi Se Kyeong.. Then the actual character, On Eun Yu, grew on me and I started to love her. She was just really misunderstood and so was her mother. I'm glad she now understands her mother more. I live for healing family relationships LOL.

Yoon Cheong Ah's abuse shattered my heart. Just imagine living in a world of complete silence. Being deprived of love and not being able to express yourself freely. I was so fucking mad at that principal but we got the well deserved slap and in the end she got kicked out! I feel so bad for the actor of the principal tho LOL, she's always playing annoying characters but her QOT character was eh. I love this trope though, she fell first and he fell harder. SO CUTE.

the romance was chef's kiss. but the last episode was definitely too rushed. i needed to see more moments between BOTH couples? we just got a small reunion between Eun Gyeol and Eun Yu and literally nothing between cheong ah and yi chan!!

im really impressed by the acting from EVERYONE. i was shook when i found out Choi Hyun Wook is only 22-23? He certainly looks it but his acting skills are so good?! all the young actors devoured. i wanna see Ryeoun in more main roles. everything he expressed felt realistic and came across well. and, we only expected the best from seol in ah! one of my fave korean actresses. i do still think her in business proposal was the better role though. i just love her character so much more there but really seol in ah did a fabulous job in twinkling watermelon. Shin Eun Soo did amazing! her emotions were so natural and she really took the role on. also her eyes omg, they're so pretty and wow she knows how to act.

OVERALL:

When we face new challenges, we shouldn't back out of them. We should go and face them and accept them. that's what ha yi chan can teach us. :) this drama has so many beautiful quotes imbedded into a beautiful well thought out masterpiece. I'm still giving this a 9.5 because i want to rewatch this, appreciate it more and then give it a 10. this is healing and gives you a new perspective to look at life. i recommend this and i believe this deserves the high spot it has on MDL.

if you decide to watch this, i hope you have a splendid time watching and one more thing!

you are loved. don't define yourself based on your achievements. you're more than that. strive to be the happiest and healthiest version of yourself. :)

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i love this so so so so much.

WIFTY is an actual masterpiece of a drama. This is so beautifully and perfectly crafted, I have literally ZERO complaints. There were moments where I thought, "oh this is going to be the part I hate or have complaints about," and each time I was proved wrong.

I cried and smiled a lot. Wow, this drama has the power to pull on your heartstrings. Yes, it's a happy ending. it really gives off, she fell first and he fell harder and now they've equally fallen for each other. Thank you WIFTY, for gifting us a green flag couple.

In the first episode, there's a misunderstanding and a mix-up of names. I thought that may be a big part of the plot and I was annoyed because it would be so cliche if every episode was just names being mixed up. But, they resolved it within the episode. There were a few other misunderstandings that other dramas would've dragged on for episodes and episodes, but WIFTY kept it real and short and solved the misunderstandings fairly quickly, which I absolutely love. There's no misunderstandings that are dragged on.

Everything seemed so realistic that it genuinely felt like I watched these characters grow up and become adults. Everyone has character development and becomes a better person in the end.

There are no love triangles or overbearing SMLS or SFLS. There are a few characters who have interest in the FL and ML, but they're quickly brushed off and have no relevance. LOL.

The story is absolutely so cute. We see the ML and FL fall in love in real time and nothing feels fake. Even the second couple in this drama pulls on your heart strings too.

The acting is this drama is absolutely fabulous. Su Zaizai portrayed by Zhang Miaoyi is more than a loud, quirky FL. She's smart, bold and sweet. Miaoyi devoured this role. Rangrang, Zhang Lurang, was acted out by Zhou Yiran and idk how this guy does it but he knows how to show emotions just by using his eyes and his smile is genuinely to die for. Lurang's parents pissed me off so bad though, hopefully they are less annoying now that he got into the university. Bian Tianyang, Gu Ran in the drama, was literally like a child but a respectful one. I relate to his character a lot as both of my parents are full-time dedicated doctors and though they never meant to make me feel that way, sometimes it did feel lonely with them working a lot. Jiang Jia (Acted by Jiang Zhinan), is such a good friend to everyone and the fact that she always liked Gu Ran back! Lastly, if I have any complaints, I want to talk about Guan Fang, the character portrayed by Guo Zhe. My complaint is, WE SHOULD'VE SEEN HIM END UP WITH A SPECIAL SOMEONE. But his grandma and him, omg, I cried so many times in that one episode. my weakness is literally old people.

But I did cry a lot, I cried at the end at their wedding with Jiang Jia lol. It literally feels like I grew with these characters and it all feels so real :(. I cried when he proposed to her. That was literally the best drama proposal I've ever seen. I cried when Gu Ran confessed to Jiang Jia too.

In regards of pacing and fast-forwarding, imo the pacing is really good. There's something completely new each episode and if you feel impatient about something happening, it will occur faster than you think it will rather than taking like 5 episodes and there being lots of tension. I didn't fast forward at all except for episode 21 because I wanted to see a stupid bitch get humbled and I literally couldn't wait even a minute.

OVERALL:

Honestly, WIFTY made me believe in love again. I know that sounds so weird, because it's all fake and all acting but idk it healed my inner child and wow, it will take a LOT to top this imo but then again, i'm yet to discover more dramas! still, I firmly believe WIFTY will stay as a 10/10 for me and continue to be one of my all-time favourites. if i'm proven to be wrong in the future, I'll go back and edit my review! everything about this was chef's kiss and it hurt to watch the finale and say bye to all these characters. Yk that feeling when you finish a good drama/show, yeah that's what I'm feeling right now. As for rewatching, i will DEFINITELY be rewatching this whenever I can. it has a very rewatchable storyline and romance. this drama is one of the highest rated on MDL for a reason!

if you didn't like WIFTY, we can agree to disagree.

if you do decide to watch this drama, i hope you love it as much as I do!

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i really wanted to like this..

Honestly, i really wanted to love this and understand the hype for it but i just couldn’t. it makes me sad because so many people love this drama but i just don’t understand the hype? Especially because I picked this up due to the high rating and all of the 10/10 reviews and i was really expecting something mind blowing that i’d get attached too but i guess it’s just not my cup of tea.

**This is my opinion and you are allowed to have your own! please be respectful**

Love Between Fairy and Demon is a highly overrated (in my opinion), xianxia drama where i got so bored and lost interest very quickly.

To start with the story, the first few episodes were SO BORING for me. But then, around episode 7 I got hooked into the story and I was hyped asf. But then, it was like I was on a rollercoaster. I kept getting disappointed, letdown and bored and then we’d reach another high where suddenly, I was hooked AGAIN. Some people might enjoy that but i prefer a show that doesn’t overdo it. the drama kept just repeating the same, letting me down and then exciting me again. the letdowns were so bad that i genuinely just wanted to finish the show asap so i started watching in 1.5x speed. i really didn’t want to drop it because i like to give all dramas a full chance until the end, but honestly i think i should’ve dropped this and saved some time.
I honestly think this should’ve been a drama with around 20 episodes, 25 max. even though the romance is cute and all, 36 episodes was a STRETCH, ?. it just dragged the main plot on for too long. also the world building wasn’t amazing. we never actually found out what caused the war between the fairies and the moon tribe. i’ve also noticed it’s always this same sort of ‘trope’ where he randomly snaps at her, but he ends up saving her from danger and all is well without talking about it. it was fun like twice, but then it became a real bore.

the one thing i did really LIKE was the acting portrayed by literally everyone in the cast, especially the ML. the cast is honestly brilliant and when the ML and FL ‘swapped bodies’, it was genuinely believable. like i forgot it’s all acting. dylan managed to portray FL REALLY WELL and esther also portrayed the coldness of ML which is the opposite of FL, really well. also esther is SO PRETTY. like there’s a scene in episode 2, where her natural hair (pretty sure) is shown and she looks so pretty.

ML’s backstory is pretty sad though and him and his brother were the only ones with actual character development. and is it bad i feel FL has more chemistry with changheng than ML..? also FL was sort of annoying, no hate to esther she’s amazing, but the character omg. she whines and whines and whines. i don’t have a problem with her voice, it’s just she’s plain immature. she kept wanting to go back home when back home, they were literally planning to kill her and they see her as a traitor and SHE KNOWS. like idk decisions like this just made me feel embarrassed for her. also it was for comedic purposes but how did she actually not realise it was DFQC? so many clues were thrown at her. and just cause his backstory is sad doesn’t actually excuse the fact he wreaked havoc on her and killed so many people. also he was an absolute bitch to her some scenes but she never actually stood up for herself.

the setting and cgi though are AMAZING. beautiful and amazing. the costumes and props were all really pretty and looked stunning on everyone. budget was definitely used mostly on that.

OVERALL:

i give this drama a 6.5. i really wanted to like it but i just couldn’t, it felt so boring at times and the plot wasn’t very engaging for me. but this is my personal tastes and opinion. you may think this drama is a 10 and that’s perfectly fine! i’m happy you enjoyed it. i guess it just wasn’t the right fit for me. but i will still try to watch more xianxia cdramas and see which ones i like.

if you decide to watch this, happy watching and i hope you like it!

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OVERHYPED.

*This is my opinion and you can have your own opinion too :)*

i honestly don't know how i feel about this drama. i'm going to agree with a lot of the top reviews when they say this drama should've been 10-12 episodes. 16 was a stretch which made it just soooo slow. i had to fast forward quite a bit BUT i still knew what was happening. this drama still has a great plot though. the story is great and isn't unrealistic. watching this, my heart broke and healed. i cried along with the main leads when they cried, and i smiled when they smiled.

the first half or so, episodes 1-8, were really good. i didn't fastforward at all and they met my expectations. i was like, "now i see what everyone's talking about. this is great!" but the following 9-16 episodes were a bit of a letdown. i felt less engaged and thats when i started to fastforward and wtach in 1.25x speed. That's why i think its slightly overhyped because it dragged on in the second half.

i really enjoyed the acting though from every actor/actress in this drama. kim soohyun (the ML) cried in pretty much every episode. he poured down tears and it looks so believeable. his acting is great when hes crying LOL. kim ji won (the FL), she depicted being cold and distant really well and then when it was time to be in love, she flawlessed that as well. every emotion portrayed by her, was very well done. park sung hoon, (antagonist/SML) played his character really well as well. yk an actor did a good job when you hate their character but also feel sympathy for them. kwak dong yeon played hong soo cheol, (FL's younger brother/ idk if hes SML or what). his acting was pretty good too. and finally, lee joo bin who played cheon da hye. Her acting was incredible. She depicts da hye as a woman who goes into a fake relationship with a rich guy to make it big for herself. she's an orphan as her parents abandoned her. after years of being in this fake relationship, she genuinely falls in love with her pretty dumb (LOL) husband and turns to the good side.

i thought it was really interesting how everyone just seemed to be connected as children. yoon eun seong (SML/antagonist) did save hong hae in from a dog when they were children which is when his love for her sparked. additionally, hyun woo saved hae in from drowning when they were kids. which is why its fate and they're meant to be. and da hye bullied soo cheol wehn they were kids.

i really liked seeing hae in's mother slowly warm up to hyun woo's mother and start to accept her and the country lifestyle.

i cried during the ending of episode 7, when hae in forgets about the divorce and reverts back to the version of herself that loves hyun-woo. i cried when hyun-woo cried. it was genuinely heartbreaking that he witnessed an episode of hers. also lol it was so scary when hae in hallucinated eun-seong as hyun-woo and he practically manipulated her.
and it was so sad when hae in lost her memory and eun-seong manipulated her into isolating herself from hyun-woo and her whole family. thankfully she broke out of that and i cried when she went to go see hyun-woo in tears only for him to get hit by a car. AND then take a bullet for her.

after the first few episodes, i was like "why is this called the queen of tears? hae in never cries, the only one crying is hyun-woo" i still dont really get the name tbh. but i did witness hae in crying a lot.

it was definitely hard for her when she had to make the decision to either die, or forget the love of her life and all her other memories. but im thankful she did it and ended up remembering some things and falling back in love with her.

i will add that before when i was talking about the acting and that how yoon eun-seong's actor managed to play his character where i felt hatred for him and sympathy. i only felt sympathetic that he truly was never loved and never experienced love but that does not excuse him for any of the things he did and attempted to do.

DISLIKES:

i do think the ending was unnecessary, seeing hyun-woo turn old and visit hae in's grave and all their favourite spots. yes, its a happy ending knowing they lived long lives together and had a daughter but still why make them turn old :(. the show could've just ended with the two of them young with their daughter. no need for adding death and making me finish it with an empty feeling. i wanted more sweet moments between the main leads where they didn't have to worry about anything.

i hated it when at the start, hyunwoo was such a jerk. it was his fault that the marriage was failing too. he never properly communicated with her. it's hae in's fault too but ALSO hyunwoo's. hyun-woo was literally wishing death for hae in which is HORRIFIC. even to the point of only thinking about her will? like wtf?

OVERALL:

this drama was pretty good but still overhyped. i don't think i'd rewatch this because the storyline is something i don't think ill forget just because the twists and turns is all so obvious and we didn't get too many happy moments between the main leads and im kind of a wimp for romance so. the acting is incredible and the music suited the scenes. i don't really ever have opinions on the music used in shows so i'll leave it at that. i do think the main leads have chemistry and i'd love to see them star together in a romcom k-drama.

anyway, to finish off i want to remind anyone that reads this that this is purely just MY opinion and you could watch this and give it a 10 or a 1. that's completely up to you! i hope you enjoy watching. :)

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CLICHE, UNSERIOUS but GOLD

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale is SOOO SOOO unserious. It is filled with cliches but it's gold. 10 episodes, 40 ish mins duration and still they managed to make so much happen. The story surprisingly has, depth?

I'd say some of the episodes are cringe so don't expect a very extraordinary drama. Watch this to fill your time, or just watch it for no reason! the story imo kicked off from episode 4-5 onwards.

The FL, Shin Jae Rim, is the Cinderella in this case. Obviously, she was born into a poor family and obviously her dad remarries and now she has a step-mother, and two step-sisters. The part that I really liked, is her step-family ACTUALLY cares for her which is new to the cinderella story. After her dad passes away, they treat her the same. Her step-mother is caring and sees Jae Rim as her own child. However, at first, I didn't think Hwa Jin, one of the step-sisters, liked FL. Soo Jin, the other sister, definitely likes FL but Hwa Jin was a bit rude. Later I learned it's just normal sibling dynamics. They care for each other and they fight each other. Back to the FL, Jae Rim wants to marry a rich man, and be Cinderella. She has some internal conflicts and there's times where she faces prejudice for being poor.

Pyo Ye Jin's acting was really good. :) I wish she got offered more main roles.

ML, Moon Cha Min, was chaotic and like a child at first. But suddenly, episode 5 onwards, he somewhat matured out of nowhere. Now he's like a childish adult. Usually, rich ceo male leads are cold but he wasn't really cold to anyone. Obviously, since he's the rich ceo ML, he has trauma that sparked from his rough childhood. Also, it took me more than halfway through the drama to realise his name is literally Charming. Prince Charming, Cha Min. Also good thing this guy has more romance roles cause WOAH, he serves with his kiss scenes. "I'm holding back and it isn't easy." - Moon Cha Min.

Lee Jun Young's visuals are so chefs kiss. His acting is also good from what I've seen here. I haven't really seen him in any other roles yet, but I've heard of his upcoming projects and he has many upcoming main roles!

We meet the SFL, Ban Dan A. Bandana?? Anyway, obviously she's the obnoxious SFL, who throws a tantrum if she doesn't get her way. The marriage is for convenience though, but she was hiding real feelings for him. Her family consists of weird kidnapper thugs.

Now, the SML. I hated him here, but loved him in My Sweet Mobster LOL. At first, I was swayed by him and his face card. he was so bold too, with his words. but he turned out to be jerk but then became good again after FL treated him with respect? idk, man he's interesting. We also got revealed some of his backstory for about like 3 seconds. I think he used to be poor before he became rich?

for the romance, it's pretty solid. but many, many misunderstandings and missed communication cues but oh well.

Something I definitely wasn't expecting to see is Salon Drip's Jang Do Yeon. Salon Drip is one of my favourite korean tv shows!!
Also there were some taxi driver references.

obviously, there's a hospital scene. is it even a kdrama if there isn't one.

anyway ML and FL, heal eachother's inner child which i wasn't expecting to see in this drama. i didn't expect it to go that far into depth with this premise.

OVERALL:
9/10 just cause it was better than I was expecting and i'd rewatch for funsies. this drama did remind me of how SOME rich people are complete and utter JERKS who think they're better than everyone else. anyway, don't expect much angst obviously if you do watch this. my only dislike really, was the narrator but she didn't talk much from epsiode 3 onwards.

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What happens when you forbid love?

Despite the drama being named 'Renai Battle Royale' on here, I'll be referring to it as 'Chastity High' (name on Netflix). Honestly, this was a pretty entertaining watch and worth the time (mostly).

This drama was on my PTW radar and I decided to pick it up (3??) days ago to fill my weekday wasteland, that was dry asf waiting for new episodes of Love Next Door. The premise is really interesting and the plot sounded unique. But, I was STRUGGLING to get through episode 1. I had to leave it and come back to it multiple times but when I finally pushed through, I was hooked.

The story isn't simple. It constantly changes course and there's a new plot twist every episode. A lot of unexpected things happened, but it's not TOO chaotic that you get lost.

The characters are pretty fleshed-out. There is a lot of depth behind every character and a lot of backstory. Arisawa is at first only Love Keeper because she needs money, but Maki brings out a different perspective and she begins to fall in love with him, and they even help a couple for free. Maki's brother Haruto is a mess. He's a cheater, basically a pedophile and overall a mess. He was not taking Ayami seriously. But we find out some of the troubles he has, doesn't make him any better though and I won't symphathise with him. There is a SML and I was confused at first because he seemed to be stalking her with all those photos. But I guess in the end, he's good? The principal, I was expecting her to experience first person trauma about romance, since she's so ANTI-romance but it was her best friend instead. The build up was making it sound like she got pregnant in skl and then the father left her or smth?

The acting is pretty good though and I now have an eye on Ai Mikami. Beautiful and also talented acting!

OVERALL:
This drama isn't a must watch, but it's there if you're bored and need something to fill in time. I got pretty bored around the last episodes NGL, I fast-forwarded through those. 7.5/10, but honestly a 7/10. It deserves 0.5 for good cinematography and an interesting premise.

If you do watch this, I hope you enjoy! :)

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a light, cute snack!

Serendipity’s Embrace is like cotton candy. It is light and sweet. Don’t expect angst or a thriller subplot because it’s all about the romance LOL. Yes! happy ending!

Don’t be put off with the fact that it’s only eight episodes. The pacing is really good.

the ML is WHIPPED for the FL from the very very start. this drama did NOT waste time and served in all 8 episodes. and can i just say, you should definitely watch for Chae Jong Hyeop or Kim So Hyun. CJH has PUPPY eyes and i swear i like melted when he smiled. ITS SO WARM.

the ML, he makes excuses to make time with her, is a green forest, smart, handsome, and BOLD. he does not even hesitate when it comes to confessing.

the FL likes her job and is competent. she has an actual personality and a life compared to many other FLs in other dramas. she’s pretty and funny LOL.

it’s sort of like a he fell first, she fell harder trope. first kiss comes about halfway.

the SML. thankfully, there is NOTHING good about him. (don’t bash the actor!!) our SML is like a red fucking flag compared to our green forest ML. he has a high ego, is a narcissist and genuinely manipulative. his backstory does get revealed but genuinely i never felt bad for him. his reasoning for doing what he did, did not make much sense when there were clearly better and more effective ways of dealing with the problems he was facing instead of ghosting FL for years without a reason. and the way he thought FL joined the animation industry for HIM but actually it was revealed she joined for ML instead. i can’t even tell if he actually ever even liked FL or not. it’s going to be hard for me to forget about this actor’s character in here when i’m about to see a green flag (hopefully since hes apart of second lead couple) version of him in love next door.

so this has the “best friend likes ML and FL helps her to get with ML” trope. at first i was wondering how Kim Hye Ji, the best friend, would take it knowing that her first love had always been in love with FL and not her. Thank the writers cause she took it so well and became such a supportive friend. genuinely i loved her so much when she started playing cupid for ML and FL.

for angst, like i said. don’t expect it. the farthest it gets is the “ML’s mother wants FL to leave ML” trope. but it’s not super serious and in the end becomes resolved.

obviously, there’s a hospital scene. would it even be a kdrama without one?

for my favourite character, it would be the uncle/landlord LOL. he’s so funny!

i like how everything is connected, and revealed in the end, and we find out he got injured cause of her. JAAUJAUJAUJ

my only complaint is that we didn’t get to see Kwon Sang Pil end up with anyone. it was clear he always liked Hye Ji but obviously can’t get with her now.

OVERALL:

this is light. cute. and has good kiss scenes. NO ANGST so don’t write reviews saying you expected it when it’s literally only 8 episodes :(. keep in mind this is all just my opinion and still, you are entitled to have your own opinion. overall 9.5/10 for me, i really enjoyed this and will probably end up rewatching it when i don’t have time to watch a 16 ep or 12 ep. the osts are also really good, my favourite was “Destiny”. Anyway, now i’ll be tuning in for jungjung couple on love next door!

if you decide to watch this, i hope you enjoy!

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A BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE.

I have no words for this drama. It was beautiful and told a fantastic story. It has the perfect mix of romance, comedy, action and mystery/thriller. There were times when watching this drama that I laughed, cried, smiled and was left at the edge of my seat.

I understand this may not suit everyone's tastebuds or reach everyone's expectations but it's worth watching. It gives off 'Destined with You' vibes but this is better. 'Destined with you', is great but I wish it delved into the fantasy genre more whereas, 'My demon' dives into fantasy just enough.

The main characters:
?? ?? ???:
Kim Yoo-Jung is the perfect actress for this role. She's incredibly talented and knows how to portray any emotion perfectly. Her visuals are amazing and she's gorgeous. She depicts Do Do Hee as a hardworking and diligent, self-made chaebol who often blames herself for things that are not her fault.

????? ?? ???:
Song Kang did well playing out this character. Maybe not his most impressive role. He depicts a demon whose existence is built off of looking down at insignificant humans. But everything changes, once he meets Do Do Hee. He starts to adore these insignificant humans.

??? ?? ?????:
Jo Hye Joo flawlessed this role. She managed to make me hate AND like her character. At first, Jin Ga Young is a jealous, second female lead. She's annoying and gets in the way a lot. But then, we start to see her miserable backstory, and why she adores the ML. In the end, she accepts the FL and ML's relationship and wishes them happiness and saves a child who was experiencing the same abuse she was.

?? ???? ????:
He wasn't very annoying and you could tell he deeply cares about Do Do Hee. It was great that he never betrayed her, and that he ended up as the chairman.

?????:
- Kim Yoo-Jung and Song Kang have amazing chemistry and they both have great visuals.
- Many twists and turns imo, that keep you hooked even until the last episodes.

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A REALLY WELL-DONE THRILLER

(I’ll try to keep this to minimal spoilers, if not any.)

Unlocked starts off with a really creative introduction. It shows us how we practically use our phones for everything and anything. Life would be hard without our phones.. The whole movie shows us that we have to be careful with our phones, laptops and other devices. Just one click on a file, link or whatever, can literally ruin your life. The fact this woman was being watched, and she didn’t even realise, it’s just scary,

The storyline is really good, and I’ll be honest, I was a bit put off by the ratings but each to their own! I enjoyed this movie a lot but I wasn’t really hooked until 20-30 minutes in and I guess that would’ve been long enough to drop it and forget about it but I’m glad I didn’t! It’s creepy. Really creepy, you see how manipulative he is but he planned it all out so well. It’s not just a man simply stalking a woman through her phone, it’s so much more.

I was really scared for the dad though. he’s really sweet to his daughter. AND he knew smth was off abt that man.. honestly parents know best

The acting was phenomenal. I’m really impressed by Chun woohee, she’s a rlly talented actress. Seeing her in atypical family, 8 show and here, she’s perfect for each of her roles and wow, she’s diverse in playing characters. Yim siwan did great as well, honestly he managed to be so creepy in such a believable way.

The ending though, I really would NOT have expected that. most unexpected plot twist ever I swear. This sounds sarcastic but I’m being serious.

DISLIKES:

I do think that it was a bit rushed and random when she found out it was through the phone and that it was him. Like all that build up all just for her to look at her phone and connect everything in her head? I would’ve thought there’d be a bit more to how she would realise.

OVERALL:
I think this is worth watching and giving a try. I’m giving it an 8.5 because it was great and I’d probably rewatch this with a friend. but a missing 1.5 because of certain flaws the movie had. If you like plot twists, watch this. and I mean chun woohee. Why would you not watch? But just as a reminder, this is all just my opinion. You may think this movie is trash and that’s fine! Because it’s totally up to you!

If you do watch this, I hope you enjoy it! :)

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