I've watched many kdramas since I've taken an interest in them but when I stumbled over this drama I was absolutely dumbfounded.
I'm one of those people who like an interesting, funny romance - but hate it when it is nothing but drama and the plot drags out for no reason. So with the combination of Romance, Comedy, Mystery, Suspense, and a creative Fantasy - I knew I had found the drama that I had been waiting to go back to whenever I was bored with my "currently watchings".
To start off, the actors are AMAZING. Their acting was superb within the action, comedic, and emotional scenes. They did their job without going over the top or completely emotionless.
I personally loved the story, even though I thought that the romance between the characters was too fast paced at first, but when you finally get yourself to wrap your head around the story line and the time difference between them, it makes perfect sense. It was touching, sweet, emotional, hilarious, suspenseful, action-packed, and kept me at the edge of my seat.
Also the fact that I'm actually taking my time to write my first review is proof enough to show how much I enjoyed it. I originally planned to watch it months back, but due to my busy schedule, I had to stop around the beginning, so I highly anticipated me taking my time to watch it and actually not skip through it. I did this with two dramas. And when I watched both, the first was not at all how hoped it would turn out, but this...........this one did NOT disappoint.
:)
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W, is basically a badly written drama about a badly written Manhwa coming to life.
The moment I started watching W, suddenly a lot of my chores started getting done. I had finished my laundry, a novel worthy dissertation that was overdued suddenly got completed, my cupboards were clean and my room was sparkling. Soon I realized, that my mind's will to avoid the torture that this show subjected it to, was such; that it had me do all the things that I was procrastinating on since forever.
However, the masochist that I am, I kept coming back to it. All these great reviews and high ratings made me think that the next episode would be surely better than the shit I just watched. I kept finding excuses for it and soon, the ending credits rolled in and the show finished being just as horrible as it was from the get go.
To put it simply, W is like a rotten egg that somehow hatched into a headless chicken and proceeded to create chaos everywhere. It's like somebody took a coupla mindless plot-lines, threw it in a blender and went on to whisking it to hell and back.
The plot makes no sense. The characters make no sense. The story makes no sense. The drama is essentially a hotchpotch of confused writing trying to mask itself as 'complicated'. So much is happening but you're reaching nowhere. And the worst thing of it all, is that despite all their efforts to try and have unnecessary events take place left and right; the show still remains boring as hell. Which is a shame because its premise was so unique and had a lot of potential.
There are so many flashbacks and repetition, that half of the show is filled with the same old bs. Seriously, when you see Kang Chul get shot and Yeong Joo faint for the umpteenth of time, you're about ready to shoot and pass out yourself.
However, for me as long as the acting is good I can forgive almost everything.
No such luck here.
Han Hyo Joo sucks so bad that she shouldn't even be allowed to act anymore. All she knows is to open her eyes wide like an idiot, cover her face with her hands and bite her nails. Literally, this is all she does throughout the show. Her acting (or lack thereof) is so monotonous that you can put a cardboard in her place and it would still work.
I don't understand why Lee Jong Suk takes roles like these. I believe that this was probably his worst role as of yet, for there is no growth as an actor here. There is no denying his acting chops or his looks but playing a two-dimensional commonplace character like Kang Chul really dumbed down his potential.
The dialogues often felt scripted and the actors seemed detached from the characters they were playing.
The only memorable roles were the side characters. Yeong Joo's dad was brilliant, so was Park Bong So and the Mad Dog. All of them gave me some feels but the main characters were lacklustre at best.
The kisses were good but the romance like the rest of the show was less than mediocre.
I mean, the beginning was also bad but they really just lost their shit midway. It's like they didn't even care about following a logical story-line anymore.
However, I want to really give credit to the actual Webtoon artists who drew all the manhwa chapters in the show. That's some serious talent there, not gonna lie, but that's about it.
16 hours of total waste, watch it only if you want to have your intelligence insulted.
Enjoy!
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Marshmallow-Chocoholic
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“W”- A Waste Of Production Value And Time...
Looking through these older reviews, it would seem apparent for most drama watchers that there are two extremes from reviewers of this show; those who cited “ W” as the best thing since sliced bread, and those who believe that it is one of the worst/ mediocre K-dramas ever produced .“W” revolves around our female lead Oh Yeon-Joo ( Han Hyo- Joo) , a rational surgeon who is fairly embarrassed about her father , the celebrity artist Oh Seong-moo ( Kim Eui Song) ‘s popular webtoon series “ W”. Things become strange for Yeon- Joo, however, when her father suddenly disappears and she is able to meet the main protagonist Kang Chul ( Lee Jong Suk) by stepping into his fictional world. Yet things become even stranger when Yeon-Joo and Kang Chul learn of a mysterious man who wants to erase the bridge between fiction and reality by somehow moulding them together. Together with Kang Chul, Yeon- Joo begins a journey both in reality and fiction to find her missing father and put an end to the intentions of this mad man once and for all.
Of course there’s no denying that “ W” has all the right markers of being a brilliant production; the actual premise was intriguing and gave food for thought(thanks to renowned scriptwriter Song Jae Sung -Nine: Nine Times Travel, Queen In Hyun’s Man and Memories Of The Alhambra), the show had a top-notch cast in particular Lee Jong Suk , Han Hyo- Joo) and having a high -production should have easily sealed its fate as an an instant blockbuster phenomenon.However, the drama’s biggest flaw can probably be found within its lacking abilities to “ pace and progress” storyline, plot inconsistencies ( including a bathos ending) and ( in particular) character progression.
By default our Oh Yeon Joo had the potential should have been a well-rounded protagonist ; highly-intelligent, stuck in a strange relationship with her father and having an even more complicated childhood than a lot of heroines in K-dramas . Yet, Yeon-Joo didn’t really have enough time or purpose aside from her “ assets” to the plot, to actually be deepened or grow as a character- she rarely acted upon her intelligence ( even in the webtoon world), was exposed to have really any emotional depth or relationships ( including friends) outside of her father’s circle and her job, and it was hard for a major part of the series to see any striking reason for her attraction towards Kang Chul ( apart from the fact that she “ had a crush on him” when she was younger) as an individual .
Arguably Kang-Chul was slightly better tackled upon this front of characterisation that Yeon Joo. ( His existentialism as well as darker personality traits from trauma to revenge play a major part in the later storyline, adding a subtle twist from the typical “ Prince Charming” trope typically taken on by screenwriters in this scenario.) Nevertheless, Kang-Chul often felt a little “ bland” as a love interest for Yeon-Joo. It is often hard to entirely pinpoint where this “ blandness” can truly be found , however, the most apparent feature within Kang-Chul and Yeon-Joo’s lacklustre relationship is that Kang-Chul never really goes out of his way “ to get to know” Yeon-Joo.
Naturally whilst some of this is obvious to the plot line, it seemed odd even for a webtoon character not to intrinsically try to strike up conversations or at least ponder the similarities and differences in personality and behaviour between himself and Yeon-Joo. Although Kang-Chul undeniably has reasons behind some of his actions , he often felt like an intrinsically selfish individual who often pulled Yeon-Joo into uncomfortable situations and emotional gaslighting over the course of the series. For a show which focused upon these two individuals as a couple, their relationship often felt too mismatched, lacking in actual depth and anticlimactic.
Sadly, however, the show didn’t really try to pragmatically “ flesh-out” their relationship, instead ironically focusing upon “ the overarching antagonist” who was sadly more disappointing than our main characters . It is wrong to entirely deny that the villain of “ W” wasn’t intriguing, as there was a lot of potential ( especially in later revelations) towards the antagonist being well-rounded, however, before even the halfway mark, the show’s later decisions with our antagonist greatly began to downgrade storyline and general interest in what was happening to our main characters. A bad writing move in any drama hoping to engage viewers through plot .
It’s therefore fair to say that “W” isn’t necessarily a “ dire ” show and actually has some praiseworthy factors including a good cast, screenwriter, production value and an intriguing premise. On the other hand, it’s fair to say that “ W” did let down a lot of expectations for viewers in regards to the fact it had such a good cast and premise as well- poorly - written and “ stock” characters ( particularly our villain), a dragged-out storyline and an incredibly lacklustre “ deus ex machina” finale, instead of ending the show on a natural and appropriate high note. Overall, “ W” is a perfect show if you’re bored and looking for something to binge watch without a second thought , however, if you’re actually looking for a fleshed-out story with well-written characters and an engaging storyline , then look elsewhere because “ W” is truly a waste of time.
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We need more dramas like W in the Kdrama world. W – Two Worlds does things in a refreshing way while still including the traditional things we love about kdramas. The best part of this drama has to be the writing and this serves as the foundation.
STORY - Very unique concept along with great execution. Don't even bother trying to guess the ending because there are so many twist and turns. The story is actually believable even though the subject matter is supernatural. I loved how the story actually felt like I was reading a manga. Very captivating and I was on the edge of my seat a lot of the times.
CASTS - Great great cast. Everything Han Hyo Joo touches is gold. I find her acting to be believable and very natural, not too over the top. I am a fan of Lee Jong Suk and I thought he played his character well too but I kinda felt like his expressions were a little limited. He had three main expressions through the drama really but I'm still a fan.
MUSIC: - There was one or two songs that were really catchy but nothing too memorable or that will stick with you. Average music overall
REWATCH VALUE: Definitely would rewatch again!!!
HATE: The story did get a little complex at times and hard to keep up with the ever changing plot but that's totally subjective and I'm being picky.
LOVE: Heo Jeong Do or Yeon Joo's boss!! Haha- I totally didn't expect to like him but I thought he was hilarious and brought a much needed lighter/ comedic side to balance this heavy drama.
W- Two Worlds is definitely one of the best dramas I've watch. Believe the hype!
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Story: [8/10]
The GOOD
One of the good things about this show is that it was never predictable. This is the show for you if you want to be surprised every episode. I honestly had no idea what the heck was going to happen next after watching each episode each week. The more I watched the more unsure I was with where this show was going. Although being TOO unpredictable can also be a bad thing as well. More on that later.
I also really enjoyed the romance in this drama as well. I'm a big fan of romance dramas. I would give this shows romance a 9 or 10 on a scale of 1-10. It's reminds me of the romance that could be found in Descendants of the Sun. It was the same sort of cute romance that occurred during even the most strenous events for the main characters. The main actor and actress did a very good job portraying their love for each other. Of course some may like this type of romance and others may not.
The comedy in this show was pretty decent as well. The comedy gave this drama a lighter feel as it made it feel less darker and depressing.
The BAD
I was not really a big fan of the second half of this drama. One of the reason for that is because the show becomes very illogical. It seems that a lot of Deus Ex Machina was used in the latter part of this show. W is a show in which the real world and the comic book world intermix. This alone in theory makes the show somewhat illogical. However, I sort of accepted that as a truth. As it doesn't seem too difficult to believe that parallel universes exist. Even with accepting that, the show is still very illogical. This was probably due to the poor world building. A half fantasy/half realistic show should define the limits of the world. In W, a person can travel between the real world and the comic world. How is that possible? Who knows? The director/story writers just says it happens and it happens. There is no limit. In fact there was several parts in the story where I felt like the director/writers could have added Godzilla or the Power Rangers into the show and it wouldn't have made it seem that much more illogical. As it was already that illogical.
There were several times in the drama where the writers attempted to world build and explain some of the events in the story. This however was not really done well in my opinion. As many question that I had about this drama and world were never really answered. If they were, it would take a span of several episodes before they got answered. This left me clueless throughout most of the drama. This left me with more questions than answers by the end of the drama. A drama should be the opposite. A drama should answer most if not all of your question by its' ending. Also having a lot of twists also diluted the plot of the drama. It seemed that twists were added into the drama just to make it more surprising. Every new twist seemed to change the story in a completely new direction without adding to the plot from the previous episodes.
TLDR: Good initial romance, comedy, and action. Although very illogical. Lots of events where never explained or were explained very late into the story. I'd rate the first half of the show a 10/10. The second half gets a 5/10 or 6/10.
Acting/Cast: [9.0] One of the better parts of the show. The main actress and actor are very good at their jobs. They made sad parts of the drama feel all the more heart-breaking. They made the romantic scenes feel all the more lovable and romantic. All in all, a very good job!
Music: [8.5] The music fit very well with the drama.
Overall an 8.0 for this show. 32.5 total divided by 4 categories is around an 8. The show did very well in the romance, comedy, and action parts of the show. However the fact that this show was very illogical near the end dragged down the score. I probably would have given this show a 9.0 or 9.5 overall if it made more sense.
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Let's start with the plot. The drama is quite ingenious. The story centers the crazy life of a webtoon character, and how, in order to complete his story, he needs the help of real life people. You can guess what is happening between real life and webtoon characters... Crazy right? The show is a fantasy romance drama so get ready for a high ride cause the plot is so unpredictable that it touches the side of nonsensical many times. The CGI was beautifully made and it made my jaw drop many times.
Best thing about this: unpredictability and singularity.
The drama fluctuates in a constant climax, the suspense is kept at high rates throughout the show, it never stops being funny, it never stops being interesting, it is always fulfilling and the most important, not a tedious moment. The romance has a very relevant role (while it didn't have to), and you won't miss your fluffy rom-com scenes in midst of all the craziness of the main plot.
However, even if, i thoroughly enjoyed W and its wonderful idea and writing, there were 2 things that kept me from giving it a 10, and the more i watched, sadly, the more discontented i felt.
1. The failed and forced romance. Not that the main leads shared no chemistry, on the contrary, i enjoyed their moments quite a lot; it's just the romance, in such an erratic script felt like it didn't belong. It felt utterly forced to the point that i started asking myself, 'do they really need to be together?', 'Just move on with the plot.', 'They aren't working together, it's all in vain.' W proved that while a good romance and chemistry is essential for a drama to work, it definitelly isn't necessary if the plot is strong enough.
2. The convenient writing to the point or ridiculousness and irrationality. First half, everything's makes sense, there is a continuation, a reason, an end-game. I won't stay at how the plot had some convenient back and forth, at least every time it went back it tried to stay original and not repeat same patterns. The main problem came in the 2nd half. In order to close potential plot-holes, and to make everything work out in such a messy and abnormal plot, the writing started being incosistent and making no sense. Conducive situations, newly introduced plot twists that were totally illogical just to make the script work. Were they bad? No, not at all, they were all surprising and thrilling. Did they bug me? Yes, and that is why the overall rating goes down to 8.5. This is apparently a drama that you need to switch your logic off, sit back and get ready for the wonderful ride without asking too many questions. If i could sum the writing up in a phrase i would say 'Too ambitious for its own good'.
Moving on to the acting, the outcome was overall satisfying but not perfect.
I'm no fan of Lee Jong Suk, but he was pretty charming here, his acting was almost excellent, even if he overplayed his 'look at my cute smile' card a lot.
Han Hyo Joo gave a wonderful performance, she was in charge of comedy and drama, and her character was very essential to the plot. I can't deny that she overacted a little during her comedy scenes, not that it was cringy but it was obvious. Stiil, she aced all her dramatic scenes, which makes me want to see her in a melodrama soon.
However, the performance that was the most memorable and i would like to call impeccable is Kim Eui Seong's. His character was completely indispensable to the plot and his performance was spectacular.
My personal favourite was Lee Shi Eon, who was absolutely adorable and funny in every scene he appeared.
Even if this wasn't the perfect gem that i expected, i would really recommend this to every drama fan. It is innovative and unpredictable. Such combinations are rare in kdramaland, so do not turn a blind eye on this one, it's definitely not brilliant but it came really close, certainly worth a watch.
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Just Enjoy
To say I enjoyed this series would be an understatement. Inter-dimensional intrigue is right up my alley. There was drama, suspense, humor, and a beautiful romance. The concept was unique and spellbinding. Webtoons come alive in a parallel universe. The acting was perfect, and the music pulled it all together. I don’t think I would change a thing. The fact that I couldn’t stop watching it, is a testament to that. I got goosebumps numerous times and some of the scenes were heart-wrenching. Han Hyo Joo was outstanding, and Lee Jong Suk was her perfect partner. I could feel the chemistry between them in the air around me. I didn’t stop to pick apart the small things missing from character development because the story kept me captivated. I liked the romance even though it wasn’t blazing 24/7. Sometimes you just have to enjoy what you’re watching and smile when it’s over. This was one of those times for me. So, if you want a couple of days of entertainment, this a must-watch. Surprises at every turn.Cet avis était-il utile?
I will start with what I loved, which was the plot. The story is definitely one of the most original ones I've ever seen in a drama. It's creative. It's suspenseful. I never could anticipate what would happen next. In the beginning I was completely in awe! There was romance, mystery, action, and humor. I almost gave the story a perfect score, but there were too many minor holes, odd changes in direction, and confusing elements, that stopped me from doing that. There was also the fact that the drama started to lose it's charm as time went on, but I'm not convinced that was because of the plot.
This story revolves around Kang Chul, and I think Lee Jong Suk did a good job of bringing that character to life (see what I did there?), but there was something lacking for me. He had the charm down, he's easy on the eyes, and the action scenes were pretty good too, but the emotional scenes were lacking. That didn't make me dislike his performance, it just made me not feel as emotionally invested as I should have been. I know it's a webtoon, but he went through a lot, A WHOLE LOT, and he seemed to be way too cool throughout. That sorta worked because he is literally playing a 2 dimensional character, so I forgive him. Who I can't forgive as much is his costar.
Don't get me wrong, Han Hyo Joo is cute and likable as Yeon Joo. She looks great with the leading man, and the chemistry in their early scenes together are some of the highlights of the show. The problem is when the show goes from partial rom com to full on suspense thriller. Suddenly their romance goes from 1 to 1000, and the chemistry is replaced with overdramatic declarations of undying love. As cute as they were together, their romance doesn't make the most sense, and that's when her acting let me down. Every time she cried I felt nothing. Every time she was surprised I felt nothing. I felt a little bit of the longing when she missed him, but not that much. I liked the character, but I just couldn't connect to her emotions. I think this is why this drama failed to meet my expectations. I am a cry baby, and this story called for lots of tears, and I shed not a single one. It looked cool, and they looked cool together, but I wish I felt more emotionally tied to the characters.
My favorite character was actually the writer Oh Sung Moo. I think his story was the most interesting part of the whole drama. He was complicated, he was interesting, and he came the closest to making me feel any emotions. Kim Eui Seong was excellent, and the stand out! The rest of the supporting characters were great, and there were no real weak links. I loved the assistant artist so much - he was a hilarious sidekick. I also liked the reoccurring jokes with Yeon Joo's boss. I can't say that the acting was bad at all, but I just wished the emotional scenes were more believable. It takes more than tears to make emotions seem real.
The other thing about this show that impressed me were the visual effects. They were perfect when switching between the two worlds. Yes, it totally reminded me of the 80's music video "Take On Me", which is a classic, but I liked how seamless the cartoon world mixed with the real world - it was just the right amount of cheesy yet realistic.
How about that soundtrack? Umm... I can't remember a single song or melody, and I literally just finished watching it.
Would I watch it again? Sure. I wonder if a second viewing would make things clearer in certain parts. The suspense would be gone, but there are still enough entertaining parts to keep me engaged.
Overall, I think the creativity involved alone would make me recommend this drama to anyone, even though I feel like it didn't reach it's full potential. I blame that more on the leads than the plot, which was ambitious, but I've seen plots that made much less sense, and yet they still had a stronger emotional impact on me because of the actors. From beginning to end I was very intrigued, and I think the ending was great, but part of me is recasting in my head... Song Joong Ki or Jung Il Woo as Kang Chul? Kim Seul Gi as Yeon Joo? This is why I'm torn. Part of me liked it a lot, and part of me wants a do-over!
It's like I'm... torn between two worlds (See what I did there?) lol.
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the last few episodes were plain boring and it felt like they were just dragging the story.
It wasn't horrible , but very disappointing compared to its beginning. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in a 100% original & unique story but it's best not to watch it with high expectations.
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Music:
pretty good, nothing that will get you crazy in the feels but they chose good songs that add to the moment
Acting/Cast:
Lee Jong Suk does a phenomenal job yet again (a little bit biased here lol) and he is really the main thing that held this drama together. Han Hyo Joo did a pretty good job but there were some parts that were not the best on her part.
overall they had average chemistry together (unlike Pinocchio LJS+PSH lord i felt that love)
Story:
#1~ the story concept itself is super interesting and original
HOWEVER
#2~ this plot was so convoluted and slapped together, sometimes i didn't know why certain things were happening the way they were. certain events would spring up that were all too convenient or certain choices were made that were obviously the wrong ones
*sigh*….
this drama had so much promise…i honestly wish they would do it again and fix the story, not make it all over the place
i probably will never watch this drama again, not that it was horrible or anything, its just man this script kills me
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If the premise is not to your liking - you may drop but if you like the premise, its a must watch!
W took me by total surprise ! I did not expect to thoroughly enjoy it but I really did.These are the 5 things I enjoyed about watching W .
1. Great world building that I found mostly coherent . The writer generously let the viewer know the rules of the W universe which is very appreciated when watching such a drama with a possibly complex story line.
2.Direction and writing were very much in sync and the synergy was quite elegant. The trust currency was strong and as a viewer , I was able to suspend my belief and notions and come to trust the writer with every twist and turn with excitement and not fear .
3. It presented itself as a drama where visuals truly matter and everyone and everything had the appearance of being unreal so as to fit its comic book premise .I really liked how dedicated this drama was in achieving this ethos that even the casting represented facially symmetrical actors and presented them as if they were drawn themselves! The schism between writer of the webtoon and webtoon characters could not allow for every character to be unapologetically real and I appreciated the restraint of the writing to not make the male lead and his webtoon characters all human and prone to flaws because of abcd as humans naturally do. This is also in the villain too.
4. A drama is truly good if it can provide a wider commentary and this drama definitely did .I loved the wider commentary on the concept of reality and being self aware.Though it was not poignantly done - it was pretty cool watching the desire for self awareness in the characters. I also liked how there was a character for the viewer to find themselves in . The female protagonist represented the viewer and one figures out plot along with her which again makes for a cohesive watch. Moreover -its tackle of fate and destiny was original and not wearisome and typical.
5. The music was really good too! It brought major pathos and each song or instrumental gently lulled the viewer into romantic , dramatic or melo territory which was atmosphere control I truly appreciated.
I do think the acting left a lot to be desired but I forgive it for that because this drama presented itself as a visual oriented drama and every bit of the cast represented that . There were also some plot holes and whats up with female heroines being all cool and intellectual then ending up fluffy and weepy in the end?I am looking at you Oh Yeon Joo but I was able to let that be as it may.
The romance was also a bit meh but in the end I was smiling like a sap everytime they had their 'moments' .
OVERALL- The story is definitely one of the most original ones I've ever seen in a drama.It never was predictable and I think that counts for something THOUGH there were some plot holes hence my 8/10.
I definitely see why its highly rated . I have watched some overrated dramas that leave me scratching my head as to why are they so hyped but I really understand W's hype. Its ground breaking territory though not poignantly done but it was still done and kudos for that. I rolled with it’s flow and I didn’t find it confusing. The world building was pretty decent and one understood the actions because the characters understood too .
I appreciate how W seamlessly became apart of my life . I wasn’t binging per se but I was pleasantly putting it on like how one would with a familiar soap opera they have been watching most of their lives .
I find that highly commendable .
A hearty well done for W and recommended watch for you too!
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Second half is not worth your time
I really wanted to like this drama because of the hype but I was disappointed.I must say the first half of the drama I was really intrigued. After every episode, I was so surprised and was really curious to what would happen next. But in the second half, they had a lot problems that were rising so they dealt with it by getting the male lead to forget his memories. So dumb. Second half is like a whole other drama.
There were so many questions they didn't answer. The ending was the worst. He just magically survived death and appeared in the real world. They didn't even explain why. A waste of time.
They had no chemistry at all. She just had the same worried look through the whole drama. The male lead just was a boring "perfect" character. Both leads were very 2 dimensional. There was no building of relationship or why they liked each other. Suddenly, they just liked each other.
Worst romantic drama.
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