Reviews

Beautiful delinquents

After being disappointed by other recent series with insanely high ratings I was a little scared to start this one but, boy I'm glad I did.

I started yesterday and within the first 5 minutes I already knew I was going to like it. I'm 7 episodes in and I might sacrifice sleep tonight because I can't stop, I need to know more.

I assume that at some point Shin is going to forgive Saint and I'll be happy when he does but , If he doesn't Wouldn't be mad, it wasn't a misunderstanding or a mistake nor was he forced to do it, He did it because He want it to because He is that selfish and although He shows remorse and seems to really love Shin, Does he really deserve forgiveness?We'll see...

Also it says Bromance, but, Aren't all bromances just a little bit gay?

Did I end the first half of my review by saying that this was a bromance with a little gay in it??
Because no it is not it love 100% without any doubts these two boys are madly in love with each other and it's so satisfying to watch.

"I'm not mad at you because you broke my leg, I'm hurt because you chose to walk away"...just one of my favorite lines in this show.

Beautiful delinquents is what I chose to name tittle this review, because it's the first impression I got, it's a school full of troubled kids all of them ridiculously good looking it reminded me of when I was 13-14 and turned on the tv to watch Dawson's creek and Buffy (yes I am that old). And it's that nostalgia that first got to me but then I stayed for the story, The characters are all so good I fell in love with all of them.

I watched all 16 episodes without skipping anything, eyes glued to the screen with a big smile on my face.

The only reason I am not giving this show a 10/10 review is because it dragged a bit towards the middle, they kept having the same fight over and over between Shin and Saint, same discussion same outcome every time, insteadbof that I would've preferred to see more of the supporting characters as I said they were all so good, the actors did an amazing job so it's a shame that they didn't get enough screen time. Also we're told that Saint used to be this vicious bully but aside from that one flashback we really didn't get to see him be that horrible person, I would've liked to see a bit more of that in the past to contrast to this sweet puppy faced dummy that we're seeing in the present.

The twins shone here it's the best I've seen of them up until now and I would absolutely love in the future to see either one of them, but preferably both play a main antagonist like the big bad irredeemable people that we can't help Bute hate. I am a 100% sure they would nail a part like that.

In conclusion this show is absolutely amazing I loved it and I would recommend it to people and I will rewatch a bunch of times.

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Unique, edgy and brilliant

One of my top ten favourite kdramas from the past few years. Unforgettably sad, unforgettably funny. Also, an excellent introduction to the pressures of life in Korea, some of which are universal but some of which are unique to the history and sociological culture of the peninsula.

A fusion fantasy/scifi/healing drama about an understaffed, experimental and not very gentle team of Grim Reapers tasked with easing the pressure that Korea's high suicide rate is putting on an overcrowded Hell. A Korean Hell just for Koreans, by the way -- one of my favourite scenes has the head of the Grim Reaper Escort Team, Park Joong Gil (played by Lee Soo Hyuk), rescuing a group of Korean souls during WWII who were being stolen off to a Japanese Hell by a pair of Japanese Reapers!

Euphemistically named the Risk Management Team of the Jumadeung Corporation, the Team Manager is a parolee from Hell, Koo Ryeon (played by Kim Hee Sun), who has a tough love approach to her work. For example scaring silly a van full of would-be suicides using online instructions, by driving the wrong way through traffic until they beg to be allowed to live. When this fails she uses her supernatural powers.

Her only employee is Lim Ryung Gu (played by Yun Ji On) who refuses to work more than his 8 hr shift (so rebellious in SK context!). The Jade Emperor(ess), the CEO of the squeakily antiseptic white-walled corporate Jumadeung skyscraper, decides to add a recently comatose soul wandering freely as a temporary worker to the team. Choi Jun Woong (played by Kim Seok Woo a.k.a. Rowoon) had just begged the heavens to give him an employee ID card by any means, when he fell off a Han River bridge trying to stop a suicide jumper.

The Team is alerted to each case by a 'negative energy' alert monitor app and they use a variety of scifi methods to investigate each one: entering the subject's dreams or their memories (with very Matrix-like FX), observations of their work environments along with persuasion on a personal level.

Jun Woong slowly transforms Koo Ryeon's approach to suicide prevention as he matures from a bumbling and irrepressible newbie into a hugely compassionate and effective intervention agent. The absolute and pure warmth of Rowoon's performance elevates what would have been a grittily comic Reaper story into something only Korea could have produced, a full length (16 eps at 1hr ea.) clear-eyed depiction of the cascade of forces which drive a person to fear tomorrow more than death.

I stopped at over two dozen listing all of the misfortunes woven into the stories of the dozen or so individual cases the Team handles, Each crisis is developed in original ways, often with an interesting point of view.

One woman feels so guilty over not believing the stories of the suffering of the Korean 'comfort women' enslaved into prostitution by the Japanese Army of WWII because her best friend was taken by them, that she contemplates taking her life. The Team asks her to meet with another sufferer who wanted to see someone who had known their mutual friend before she passed away, and so their pain is sweetly dissolved through tears.

The IMF crisis which deprived so many families of their livelihoods is seen through the eyes of a little child who only remembers a miraculous birthday, and the fried chicken event staged by the team helps to save him as an adult struggling with exam failure. The threads connecting the past with the present have seldom been so delicately indicated,

The show balances the unchanged penalty for suicide in the afterworld as a crime with deeply moving episodes portraying individual suffering which elicit compassion from the viewer. The joy of Tomorrow is two-fold; to watch Koo Ryeon stomping the bejeezus out of all the cruel and thoughtless people who torment others to make themselves feel better is exhilarating, and Rowoon's unique ability to project sincere love, care and compassion is the one true message of this beautiful show.

A StudioN/MBC show, with the composers Jo Seung Woo and Won Ho Kyung. Writers -- Park Ran, Park Ja Kyung and Kim Yu Jin.

On my top ten best ever kdramas list as of 12/24: Goblin, Hwayugi, Because This Is My First Life, Just between Lovers; the K2, Run On, Doom at Your Service; Tomorrow, Alchemy of Souls (earliest to latest) and Mr. Plankton .

The creators of the show, the writers and the directors deserve enormous credit. Hoping to see more of their work.

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Not better than the original but swoony, fluffy and charming in its own way. Worth a watch.

Full disclosure, I have seen and loved the original Chinese series "Go Ahead" from which Family By Choice is an adaptation. Therefore my review and appreciation of this version of the story, is bound to be influenced by my feelings on the original drama. Overall, even if I prefer the original series, I truly enjoy this version of this found family tale. There are even things I think the South Korean version accomplished in a neater way. Not better, but like if you would put a pretty bow on things while the Chinese drama had a less fluffy vibe, much grittier, less rom-com, more slice-of-life. I appreciate they took another approach but I cannot say that I found it better. Just different.

The South Korean series hits properly most of the beats of the original story, with some changes on storylines as well as quicker pace (which is unavoidable given that the South Korean version is made of 16 episodes of 1 hour while the Chinese version is made of 40 episodes of 45 minutes). There are some iconic elements of the original story that are missing which I found a bit of a shame but I appreciated some of the cuts they took on some of the side stories / characters. The main flaw of the story resides in its pacing : some traumatic events lived through by the characters felt too quick with the story moving on expeditiously and handling a bit too easily redemptions...Despite those flaws (which I must admit are linked to me comparing both occurrences of the story), the overall plot is still very good and I truly enjoyed the romance as well as the family arc. The trio of main characters are really likeable and form a trio that I loved throughout the full show. I will miss them for sure.

The casting was very good. I adore Hwang In Youp and I found him excellent here. He gave me butterflies in my stomach. His character felt to me like the heart of the story, even more than the heroine. She is of course key to the story and Jung Chae Yeon is super luminous in portraying her. It was my first time seeing her in a series and I will need to see her in a different role to which I'm less attached to form a clearer opinion on her acting. I was also happy to (re-)discovered Bae Hyeon Seong thanks to this drama. He did not leave me with a lasting memory from his support role in Hospital Playlist but here, he made a strong impression on me. The filial bond between him and his adoptive father is one of the best part of the series. Both actors playing fathers (Choi Won Young and Choi Moo Sung), as well as the child actress Oh Eun Seo are worth a shout out as they were amazing in those support roles.

The production value is really good. There are so many scenes that are mesmerizing, decors with flowers, pastel and bright colors participating in creating dreamy and romantic pictures. The soundtrack is really beautiful as well. There are a couple of songs that I will for sure keep listening to.

I would recommend this to people that love romantic story and found-family trope. If you enjoy protective, caring and ambiguous "big brother" character, you are in for a treat. The story is not without flaws and it pales a bit the comparison to the original drama...Still, it is worth watching if you enjoy rom-com with swoony moments, supported by a charming cast and solid production value.

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A story of friendship, healing, self-discovery and love

I finally finished this drama... I really loved it from beginning to end. The cinematography is the best I have ever seen in a serie, even films rarely have this stunning aesthetic. The costumes are incredible ! The characters are great and they all have interesting stories and evolution, even the minor characters. The acting is impeccable, I can't believe some are not professional actors/actresses ! (special congratulation to the child). The OST is so good also. And I really like the subtext, the philosophy of the plot . That being said the show is not totally perfect, the plot is sometimes chaotic and some scene are too dragging (though unlike some, I didn't mind at all the slow pacing). But overall it's very good and I recommend it. I already miss the team, I wish their adventures would never end !

And this is my favourite new song : https://youtu.be/XzDJ-2M_1BQ?si=6uwHU-OmeYB5EbPr

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is it worth it?

so i have only watched two adaptation Playful Kiss and this one. i grow up watching Asian dramas ( Cdrama Thai drama filipin drama Taiwanese drama Indian drama Hong Kong drama Jdrama..) so i'm not new to how each country act and their different culture and norm.

First dont get me wrong i love the Korean version too and i have rewatched that many times already.

And yes i like this version way more than the Korean one for similar reason as the others is that you can feel the ML more and it is quite realistic and main leads interaction and emotion just flow so well and if you watch the second season it is even more natural.

And of course they have more skinship than the Korean one for a common reason of cultural differences between the two countries so the interaction went to different degree to be relatable to the audiences of each country.

and yes WATCH IT just watch it dont question this if you like this classic story Itazura na kiss. i would watch other adaptation too but this one i would come back anytime.

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Watching without expectation

I watched this without expectation whatsoever, just wanting to see Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin.

The premise was interesting, and they executed it quite well. This drama is not everyone's cup of tea, but I truly enjoyed it. It might be not that extraordinary, plot wise, but acting wise, it was superb.

Gong Yoo and Seo Hyunjin really showed up and acted!!!! I also loved the one who played Seo Yeon, she potrated her role as a crazy broken woman really well.

Overall it is a good watch if you're looking for melancholy dark slow drama with adult romance.

Note: Gong Yoo be looking really so damn good here.

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I didn’t want this to end

At first, the first 4 episodes were tiring for me to watch as I don’t really do well with extreme violence like that but I’m so glad I stuck with it.

This show further proves that you don’t need intimate scenes to establish a bond between lovers. Yes I call them lovers cos normal friendship cannot be like this. But if yours is like this, then kudos to you and your friend. hehe..

I love how they were able to break through. Not just the main leads, but the other characters too did well. They really defined what true friendship meant. The teachers were awesome as well. Really portrayed how amazing some teachers are irl.

The story is fantastic. They really did justice to the original version - School 2013. Love the OST and was really proud of SkyNani for singing the OST to the drama. Their vocals are truly wonderful.

Would highly recommend this drama. It’s really a masterpiece

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HELPP!!!!!!!!!!

Guys I an unable to find this anywhere to watch....

I don't have access to wetv or billibilli in my area.....

can anyone suggest where I can watch this.......

i have watched the furst season and the first two episodes of this season and subsequently i am unable to find the other episodes.
If possible please help me find a website where I cab watch this with English subtitles

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You probably haven't seen anything like this before

It's one of those dramas that really makes you want to start the next episode as soon one ends. For this it uses a nice motif at the end of every episode (except for the last one, and tbh, even if I am one of those looking for happy endings, I actually feel it would have worked better if the last episode would've ended on the same note as the previous ones).

It's romantic, it's mature, it's delicate. It makes you hurt a bit.

Yes, the ending (maybe because it deviates from the book?) feels underwhelming, but sometimes life is like that, even on a great day.

It's a beautiful melodrama. Watch it.

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If you’ve been there

I think one thing a lot of reviews are missing is life experiences. Does this title contain tropes? Yes, but not as many as most. Do those tropes overpower the story? Not at all; in fact, they usually feel like an afterthought.

Either way, as an older person who has experienced some of these things (directly or indirectly, I don’t find the writing to be all that lacking. But an entire 16-episode series with just the mains rebuilding a relationship is a hard task. Might work for a movie, but it would get old quick if it were that times sixteen!

Also, I appreciate the ending— as much as it made me cry— because that’s how life feels. Ten, twenty, fifty years go by in a flash. The entire premise of this series is to emphasize that memories make us who we are, even the smallest ones. It also reminds us to cherish it, because we don’t know what’s coming next. We learn forgiveness for others, and for ourselves, when someone feels wronged. And we learn that love looks different for everyone, and none are your average Hollywood ending

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A Promise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Story - The story is something which is common but it showcases a different emotion and I really Liked it .
Cast - I need not to say anything , The cast is amazing . They are linked to each other and They really did amazing Job by delivering and I literally cried a lot of times
Although the story in the mid was ok but it's worth watching , We have another Lovable squad here .
Each person have each motive but they come together to solve it but at the end they al become one protect each other .
I really Liked this drama and It should be in your watch list if you didn't see it .

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What's the point of all of this?

I think it was cute and all, but also so boring! I had to push myself to finish it because it was just so boringggg... and at some point there was just nothing happening.
The main characters relationship was so forced! They had no chemistry at all (which surprised me because in bts they seemed really close), and their kissing scenes where so cringy and weird.

The other two characters also didn't had any chemestry.
I was a little disappointed overall, Hwang In Yeop is one of my fav actors and i felt that in this one he forgot how to act, im sorry...
6/10 because i've seen worse, i just had high hopes for this one :/

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