Outdated but the casting is still great

I'm gradually making my way through all the Hana Yori Dango adaptations to compare them, and had saved this one for two slightly contradictory reasons: One, I knew it was older and it might've been more problematic, and two, I knew how much of a craze this drama started and actually had pretty high expectations.

I'm not going to talk too much about the plot — we all know what the story is and it's true that most of this doesn't age well, and this being from 2001, it's a lot less sanitized than the newer versions like China's 2018 Meteor Garden and Thailand's F4: Thailand in 2021.

However, I do think the pacing was just...sort of off. I felt like it was really slow in between plots — 29 episodes is way too much for this type of story. At the same time, when one plot moved to the next it felt kind of abrupt. I also just felt like the level of drama didn't necessarily match up what was actually happening on screen, maybe because of screentime distribution, or because side characters often came in and out without enough exposition.

Ultimately, I think the strongest part of this drama was the casting. This is maybe the only version where you really feel F4's commanding presence. Dao Ming Si is actually a good balance of intimidating/imposing and brainless loser, and Lei manages to pull off aloof and gentle but also powerful. The other two are a little less memorable, though.

I also think the casting and acting for Shan Cai was great. Compared to the other versions, she's still spunky but feels much more down to earth. There's no overacting (which the Korean FL is the ultimate culprit of), and she all around seems much more grounded and logical, and less whiny than the others.

A final comment I have is — and this might be more of a fault of the source material than the drama itself (which I haven't read) — but I just think this version had too many boys fall for Shan Cai when they could've just kept it platonic.

I haven't watched season 2 of this one yet, but so far my favorite adaptation of HYD is still the Japanese one, which seemed to hit the perfect pace with many less episodes.

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About emotional turmoil

As someone who absolutely despises infidelity in shows, I went into this thinking that I was watching it simply for Puff/Jasper, who I had loved in Pleasantly Surprised. And yet, I turned out to be ~pleasantly surprised~ by this drama and the way it handled cheating and emotional turmoil.

For anyone who goes into this expecting a whirlwind romance and two people who can't help but be physically attracted to each other's touch, I give a few words of warning: this is not that sort of drama. Instead, this drama was really intelligent and emotionally thoughtful, which made me enjoy it much more.

This is a show about two people who are both trapped, in work, in life, and in their relationships. The physical attraction they feel towards each other is the first opening of that Pandora's box, sure, but what was always more important was the other things: what do you need out of a relationship? how do you deserve to be treated?

I know people found the female lead's restraint frustrating — and it truly does last throughout most of the show. But I actually really loved it because it was a lot more realistic. I think of people who have been in relationships for years and worry that it would all go to waste if they give up now, and worse, people who have been treated a certain way for so long that they start thinking that it's all they deserve. I found her internal conflict super relatable and was really impressed with how emotionally and morally intelligent this show was.

Overall, I loved how down-to-earth everything seemed. The show had its dramatic moments, but they made sense and it never felt like they were spitting out tropes to be dramatic. This is a show that really takes its time and lets its main character take as long as she needs to think, and dramas like that don't by very often anymore.

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Frustrating with a capital F

This was one of the most frustrating dramas that I've ever seen, for a multitude of reasons.

First of all, the pacing and plot distribution was just all wrong. The main male lead's own e-sports team was not fully established until episode 30 (yes, episode 30 out of 35), and that meant that we got barely any time to see how the members would actually grow together. The team felt like a hodgepodge of different characters, randomly pulled from here and there, and until the very end I still felt like only understood them in their previous contexts, not how they would grow in this new environment. We were only given about five episodes of gaming montage, and it was not nearly enough to convince me that this team would win, and that they deserved it.

Before the team was established, was show was just super frustrating and it never gave you a breather. Both the main characters basically just kept getting yanked left and right by evil antagonists — different characters, I might add — and that's the main source of plot development. It made both the characters feel really passive, and it was irritating how both of them seemed to recognize who was mean to them, but then became completely clueless when they were sabotaged and things went wrong.

There were simply just too many antagonists. Everyone aside from the two leads and about five side characters were either evil, easily manipulated by evil characters, or were just judgmental and obnoxious. While most e-sport dramas are inspiring and about people coming together, this one, for 30 episodes, felt like it was more about how people could be pulled apart. And the way many of these antagonists were handled were extremely weird — either they were given a redemption arc that felt out of the blue and unearned, or they were just unpunished and it felt like we just moved past big events.

I was not a fan of the romance either. The first ten episodes were a constant cycle of the FL making decisions to be nosy and annoying, followed by the ML being extremely rude, and then the FL randomly crying over her dead mother. I was not emotionally invested enough in her backstory to care about these sobfests, and when the leads suddenly started flirting and going on dates one episode later as if they had never argued, I had to backtrack and make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped an episode. It didn't help that the ML kept getting flashbacks to his first love throughout his initial interactions with the FL. Regardless, throughout the course of their flirtationship and relationship, the communication was just not there. The female lead constantly saw things and jumped to conclusions, and she never heard out the male lead, and all I kept thinking was that it never felt like their relationship could withstand outside forces.

The second couple was alright; they had some cute moments but were overall quite cliche with the typical more outgoing female character. Still, Lu Yiyi often came across as more abrasive.

I think the best part of this show was Pei Xi (and I am eternally grateful he wasn't dragged into a love triangle) who I think we desperately needed more backstory for as he had a really intriguing relationship with the ML, and Lin Yixuan (the sidekick, if you will), who wasn't that exciting of a character but provided the loyalty and friendship that was missing from a lot of the show.

Overall, I've watched a few gaming dramas and this is definitely not one of my favorites — the title for that still goes to Falling Into Your Smile, a drama where its strongest point was a female lead who was actually in the e-sports industry and who was capable and career-focused. At this point I'm a little over these gaming dramas where the FL has to be an outsider; there are moments where it's done decently but even when the FL in this drama was getting into e-sports commentary and joining the Phenix team, it felt like she was always asking questions and never knew what was going on.

The one thing I will give this drama is that the OST is quite good. But everything else...if you want to watch a gaming drama, I recommend you look instead to Falling Into Your Smile or Out With A Bang.

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Wish it was longer

Review is for the Special Edition. The way I feel about this one is similar to how I felt about the first one — everything about the leads is great (the chemistry, the tension, the banter) except for how much time we actually got to spend with them. I'm glad the misunderstanding wasn't dragged out, but it also made it feel like drama for the sake of drama between the two seasons. I also thought the side characters' story was decent, but once again, there were so few episodes that I would've preferred getting more of the main leads instead.

Ultimately, I still think I prefer season 1 over 2 for its innocence the campus setting, but this is still a satisfying ending to the story, and the OST is beautiful.

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Jumpy pacing, weird editing, Half-baked acting

Having heard so much about this one and how iconic of a BL it was, I really went into this with high expectations. And unfortunately, I was so disappointed.

The drama seemed off from the start. The dialogue is quippy — and almost constantly. There's barely any room for conversation that sounds natural or is more serious because they're always joking or making banter to upbeat music. I constantly felt like I was missing something, like the development between the characters was constantly skipping steps and we were rushing to get to the certain moments. I grew confused about what the relationships between characters were, like if there was a love triangle that suddenly appeared and disappeared.

I also think the editing for the show was off. It jumped from scene to scene, often giving me whiplash. I think the drama was in dire need of more "transition" scenes (think lingering on people just spending time together, cutting to empty sets, scenic views before going into the other plotlines). Instead the show sometimes would cut from one story directly to another during what seemed like in the middle of a scene. But other than that, even the editing for scenes sometimes seemed weirdly cut.

I also didn't really connect to the acting of any characters; part of this is because of the previous two comments — the pacing and dialogue didn't give the characters or actors time to marinate. The leads have their moments that really put a smile on my face, but other than that, I still didn't really feel that the emotional scenes were earned or convincing. The chemistry fluctuates. As for the side characters, I didn't care at all about their stories at all, and the chemistry also wasn't there.

I know most people were most disappointed by the ending and the lack of intimacy between the characters. I definitely do agree with this to some extent. Adding overblown drama in the form of a cliche misunderstanding in the penultimate episode really wasted time, especially when the plot point felt like something that should've come earlier. The truth is, though, that by the time I got there, I already didn't feel any stakes or emotional investment.

Overall, this is a drama that might've been big when it came out, but I've personally seen way better BLs — better plot, better chemistry — that have come out since then. Two that I've recently watched: Bad Buddy and Not Me.

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THE MOST ADORABLE COUPLE YOU WILL EVER SEE

PatPran have officially become one of my favorite couples ever. The way they actually communicated and were supportive and misunderstandings were not dragged out — even generally they were so adorable (one of the few couples that did not get boring after they got together) and it was so amazing how they were on the wavelength all the time because they talked to each other. The banter was super fun as well.

This is one of those dramas I wish was longer because there was actually so much here that I wanted to see, especially in regards to how the families and the main couple dealt with the familial conflict over time (instead of a time jump we got). Even it was more about the backstory, the flashbacks, or with the side characters, the content was so rich and I would've loved more of it.

Still, I think it's safe to say that in terms of the healthiness of the main couple — they did everything absolutely right. They perfectly embody my favorite part about the "one person fell first, the other fell harder" trope and have one of the most iconic rooftop scenes ever. MY LIFE IS FOREVER CHANGED BECAUSE OF THEM.

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Beautiful and intelligent

I was really worried about this drama being frustrating seeing as the premise itself is about one character keeping a secret and initiating a break-up, followed by years of no contact — but that wasn't the case at all. The plot was realistic, the characters so mature and complex, and the script was surprisingly intelligent and beautiful because of it; there were a lot of places where annoying tropes could've come into play but the drama subverted it every time and instead the characters worked things out with communication and emotional connection.

This was just a beautiful drama to watch and it's so comforting from beginning to end. There are no villains, every side character is multi-faceted, and it was a beautiful story about people reconnecting and not only bridging the language gap, but also learning to accept each other and the passage of time. 11 episodes was perfect for the pace of the plot but I also wish I got so much of them.

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Hilarious (with a few buts)

With the random influx of murder mysteries into rom-coms recently, it was really refreshing to watch a drama that was just a pure romantic comedy, especially one that really made me laugh out loud at times. The chemistry between the leads was top notch too — they matched each other's energies in a really unique way and it really made the entire show come alive.

The second couple was decent, but I think their story wasn't as interesting and might've not even have been necessary.

I do think there are some tropes and dialogues that didn't quite sit right with me — while the enemies-to-lovers aspect was mostly funny, I think this drama did suffer from "they're not like other girls/guys" syndrome. A lot of dramas have this but I think this one just made it a little too explicit in the dialogue, with lines like "all the women I've met were manipulative" or " I've never dated a man that was nice."

The second part that sort of didn't sit well with me was that "scandal" for the ML was a gay rumor. There was a throwaway line by the FL about how it wasn't wrong, and I'm aware that the sad reality IS that attractive male celebrities will lose support in SK if news like this comes out, but it felt kind of icky to me to use that plot device and not address more the issue of cultural homophobia.

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What is motherhood?

It's been a long time since I've rated something a full 10 out of 10 but wow. The amount of emotion I felt watching this and the amount of tears I shed...this drama has immediately skyrocketed atop my list of favorites.

The plot and pacing were perfect. There were absolutely no filler moments and even when we were following other characters like the biological parents or the detectives, I felt like more was being added to the story (and to my stress).

Every character is extremely three-dimensional and well-written, and through the way they were intertwined we were able to see the different ways in which "family" could be formed or broken.

The best part of this drama is its moral questions — questions about whether Soojin's actions morally vs. legally, about cycles of abuse, about parenthood and its responsibilities...there were so many scenes and moments of dialogue that were really thought-provoking.

But the best part of this, undeniably, is Soojin/Yoonbok and watching their relationship develop into mother/daughter. It was beautiful, it was heart-wrenching, it was PAINFUL. But the chemistry between the actresses was top notch and the acting performances were amazing.

Thematically I absolutely love that this is a female-centric drama, and I would recommend everyone — literally everyone — to watch it.

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Fantastic characters trapped in a drab plot

Those first few episodes started out, quite simply, very strong. And then they started to add a bunch of different elements and the final result was a huge cast that was trapped in a story that just tries to do far too much.

From the very beginning I knew that Do Haeyi would become one of my favorite female leads of all time. It wasn't just that she was so fun and bubbly, but also that she was full of paradoxes — She's fun and bubbly but also straightforward, hardworking, prideful, and VERY realistic. Her personality is so relatable and I loved her dynamic with all her family and friends.

I even quite enjoyed the love triangle because it was very clearly about Haeyi's values and choosing between money or love.

As the episodes went on, it just...lost the plot. Parental and class issues are great topics and it was really where the drama shined. I think it could've done completely without the thriller subplot because it always teetered on the line between being an actual legit thriller, and something that was not so different from any other youth drama with an annoying saboteur character.

The love triangle also got so insanely draggy; it was like Groundhog Day seeing the FL reject the SML, just to have him say he's okay with one-sided love, just to go back to chasing her and getting upset when another rejection comes.

Add to the mix THREE side ships (two of which I marginally care about and one which I thought was a waste of time considering how many scenes they got) and I just felt like we were getting bits and pieces of subplots but never the full story. Everything felt half-baked and we barely got to see any cheering.

In tidbits this drama has fantastic scenes and great lines of insightful dialogue that will make you think. In the last two episodes, I absolutely did cry my eyes out when the story returned to the issue of money and life's priorities, and it made me think that it was such a shame that the drama veered away from that and decided to focus on a love triangle and treat it like a random kdrama FL trapped between two MLs, both of which I did not care for.

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Right Person Wrong Time

The chemistry is hands down the best part of the drama and I think the show did a fantastic job of intertwining historical events with the personal story of two people who just happened to meet and fall in love with each other during that time. The first few episodes were more lighthearted and fun, and even as the story became heavier and life became more difficult, I felt like we still saw the soft moments between the two leads, the stolen moments of safety and comfort. It really felt like two people against the world.

Maybe my only gripe with this is the ending. I have no problem with the plot itself, but pace-wise it felt like a rushed and forced tragedy and the aftermath wasn't explained well either.

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The tragedy of being "too late"

Even though this movie seemed like a general rom-com, the more I think about it, the more it's the kind of movie that grows on you. It really reminded me about having to be responsible towards your own life, filled me with a lot of hope, and finally made me think: Remember that life is short.

What does it mean to be in a time loop? It means having unlimited time, getting unlimited chances to make the right decision, to right the path you are on, to prevent regrets. Say Yes Again on the surface is saying all these, which is not too different from other time loop movies.

The two leads acted decently and I really felt the excitement of their honeymoon period while also noticing the differences in their characters: One was more realistic and practical, and the other was more carefree and easy-going. From the ML's perspective, this was his coming-of-age story and it was a little silly but also very relatable.

But it was the last 10 minutes that really flipped everything upside down. Though it was a little rushed, I really enjoyed the premise and intent behind it, and it not only tugged at the heartstrings but made me think twice about my attitude toward life.

I often think to myself that one of the most tragic phrases in the world is "it's too late," and at its core that was the meaning behind this movie.

雖然這部電影看起來只像浪漫喜劇，但我越來越覺得它耐看。它提醒了我要對生活負責任，也讓我充滿了希望，又好像跟我說：記著，生命短暫。

時間循環有什麼意思？就是給你無限的時間，給你無限的機會做最好的決定，把軌道修正，避免後悔。【再說一次我願意】在表面上就在說這個，跟別的時間循環片一樣。

兩個主角演得還不錯，讓我感受到蜜月期的興奮可是也讓我看得出來兩個人的性格差距：一個人比較腳踏實地，另一個比較瀟灑。從男方的角度著就是他的成年故事，有點搞笑可是也很有相關性。

可是電影最後那十分鍾把世界完全顛倒轉。雖然是寫得有點太匆忙，但真意我還是很喜歡，不但能動人心弦也造成我對自己生活的態度再次思考。

我經常自己想，世界上最悲傷的一句話就是「來不及了」。【再說一次我願意】的內涵意義也就是這個。

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Comforting but a little disjointed

This was pretty cliche but that didn't prevent it from being a really fun and comforting watch; this was one of those school-setting films that I absolutely love for its nostalgic factor. The romance was very innocent and heart-warming, combined with the coming-of-age element it was just a really feel-good watch.

I do think there are some cuts that are confusing — it's as if important scenes where characters communicated were cut out and I had to fill in the blanks on my own (which is surprising considering that this movie has quite a hefty runtime for its genre).

The acting is a little stiff sometimes and in those moments this really feels like an idol movie (a movie where it feels like the primary reason for its making is to show off a singer's vocals instead of telling an actual story), but with that being said, the OST 100% holds up and the songs and vocals are impeccable.

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My comfort characters

This is one of those cdramas I really wish were longer because from start to finish it was just so solid and I really wanted the side characters to have bigger subplots.

Overall, there's not that much about the characters dreams or career ambitions — it didn't bother me, but it surprised me because that's often a topic that youth cdramas really double down on. Instead, I really loved the emphasis on family and friendship throughout the show — this is slice-of-life as its best; the topics it covers are really relatable and moving, it's heart-wrenching sometimes but stays very realistic.

I also just really loved the relationship between the two leads; they had a few ups and downs but Tan Song and Cheng Zi really embody why my favorite trope is friends-to-lovers. The support they had for each other throughout everything, the way they understood each other's little quirks, the way they talked through little conflicts, and the teasing and joking around...it was just a really healthy and fun relationship and this is one of those couples that didn't at all at more boring after they got together.

There's not really much of a plot but I didn't need one. This is one of those coming-of-age dramas where you just grow to love spending time with the characters, no matter what they're doing.

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