Lovestruck in the City (2020)

A good 1 time watch

I thought this was a pretty good drama. It was tough to acclimatize to the way of filming, with characters sort of breaking the 4th dimension and talking to viewers. However, I think it was cute. I never understood the idea behind what they were filming for, and why they didn't know who was involved etc.. but that's fine. I enjoyed the various messages people had surrounding their idea on dating, romance, and love. It was interesting to watch a seemingly unstable relationship become stable, and stable one quickly deteriorate. I enjoyed all the characters. I thought they were all fun to watch, and I loved the friendship between them. That was heartwarming.

I'll admit it was a very slow start. It took me about 5 episodes to really get into it. I struggled a bit with the last 3 episodes as well. There didn't seem to be a lot of closure surrounding the secondary characters which sucked. Based on the way things ended with Gyung Joon and Rin Yi I felt like there would be a season 2 of sorts? Otherwise that was a very odd ending. There was a lot of their relationship we didn't get to explore. The Minho + Celebrity arc was random as heck for me. I'm a Shawol and all so I'm not complaining, but it was weird.

I did enjoy the style in which they slowly depicted Eun Oh's story. I had a hard time understanding in the beginning what her deal was. It just didn't really make sense why she decided to leave. But as you get to understand the circumstances that lead her to that beach, you really begin to get a feel for what she was going through and thinking at the time. Everything kind of clicks together. I thought that was both heartbreaking and relatable. Who hasn't wanted to just run away after going through all that?

Ji Chang WooK did a fantastic job on his character. I didn't enjoy him in Backstreet Rookie or Melting me Softly, but this was a good role for him. He was charming, witty, and VERY funny. His breakdowns were really well done. I was impressed. There were scenes that definitely made me swoon!

I also thought the PPL was HILARIOUS. The 3 ppl wearing PPL shirts in the pizza shop in the background made me chuckle. Well done.

Finally, BIG ups on the music. Beautiful is all that comes to mind. It went really well with the sort of everyday life scenes, the sort of romantic tension scenes, and the weather ones. I am definitely listening to some of those in the coming days.

I'm not sure I have much else to say. I wouldn't say there's a lot of depth here per-se, but overall I still really enjoyed it.

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Rookie

I personally enjoyed the drama I just wished they gave more depth to Rin. I wish we go to know more about her past to understand her relationship.
Rin boyfriend also deserved more depth. They did not explain what was in the letter which was annoying.
The main leads relationship was very refreshing. We really got to see in my opinion at least a healthy way to deal with an ex. Though it took them forever the did communicate their feelings and were able to resolve and rekindle their relationship.
Sun young on the other hand didn’t have any character development which I wish she did because her relationship with Gun would’ve been so much better.

Overall show was very realistic, people are flawed and people don’t communicate in relationships properly and we get to see that.

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A refreshing and well-produced show that is set apart from standard drama

I really liked the mockumentary format, since it felt really unique and new in the drama space. I am someone that really enjoys character driven shows (compared to plot-heavy dramas with 1-dimensional characters), so this was my cup of tea. I especially liked how intertwined the relationship was. Especially in the beginning of the drama, every short episode felt like unraveling an intricate tale.

I think the casting is fantastic, and acting is really good. There was not a single character I did not like. Cinematography is also top tier.

However, wtf is up with that ending. Episode 17 is a mess, consider it a "special episode" setting up the show for a second season.

ALSO!!! Thank God this drama has none of that stone-statue non-responsive kissing that is seen in many drama (ruins the chemistry so much and I hate it). This drama has a much more modern, realistic portrayal of sex, relationship, love.

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ONE OF THE GREATEST DRAMAS OF ALL TIME ...

It took me a while to start this drama because of how underrated and not talked about enough it was...

But watching it was the best choice like i finished all 17 ep 32-36 min each in one day. i love how the events took places and the how they focused on Eun-oh 's self finding journey which was so relatable in addition to her relationship with jae-won, whenever they're together on screen i feel the love in the air, thier chemistry was SUPERBBB.

But i gotta give the cutest couple for Rin-yi and kyeong-jun. And i looved that they talked about her minimilist life style that seemed unstable for kj and people around her, which felt soo realistic.

And my favourite thing about this show is the trio friendship of rin-yi, eun-oh and geon. mainly the way they listen to each others problems and truly care and love each other.

Overall one of the greatest underrated dramas ive watched recently if not ever that focused on real life problems in relationships, love, friendship and self discovery journey and much more.

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A Must Watch Drama!

Let me start off and say that this drama was amazing. It gives you a different perspective of love. The drama focuses on 6 different people. Each of them has a different pov of love and different opinion. And each of them has their own story to tell. I recommended this drama if you're looking for a fast-paced, short and amazing chemistry story. This drama gives you 3 different stories of couples in the city and all of the stories actually blend in nicely. The friendship, the stories, the interviews and lastly the chemistry are some of the things that make this a nicely written kdrama. I cannot stress this enough, the chemistry between Ji Chang Wook and Kim Ji Won is incomparable. They blend in quite nicely together and they looked like a real couple. They make you feel single on another level. This drama truly is like no other, it is unique. It is totally different from your normal kdrama, the style and the vibes are so good and I really enjoy the individuals pov of each character, it goes in-depth and they explain their actions and they're feeling which is why I'm able to understand and feel on what they're feeling.

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One of THE MOST UNDERRATED series

The format, the colours, the direction , the story- They're all so refreshing.

This drama hits you in an emotional space that is rare unexplored by most dramas. I'm assuming it's the different format that has kept people from giving this a chance. Honestly I found it rather endearing. The interview-style narration to the camera makes you feel like the characters are personally talking to you.

The actors have done an amazing job showcasing the depth of the flawed but beautiful characters in the stories.

I highly recommend that everyone give this show the chance it deserves.

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A must see K-Drama

A hip and refreshing KDrama, very different from your typical rich boy meets poor girl and saves the day.

It set around a group of friends, each with their own story and love affairs. It took me a little while to get used to the concept of the characters talking directly to the camera, but by episode 3 or 4, it draws you in and you start to feel the connection with the characters.

It really show cast what an incredible and diverse actor Ji Chang Wook is; taking you on an emotional roller coaster throughout the series. I haven't always been a fan of Kim Ji Won after watching her in Fight for my Way, however after seeing her in both Descendants of the Sun and Lovestruck in the City, she did suit the role perfectly and her chemistry with Ji Chang Wook was undeniable.

It is not often you see the supporting roles shine on KDrama but Lovestruck in the City did give us a glimpse of a second couple dealing with their own relationship difficulties. I loved the chemistry between Kim Min Seok and So Ju Yeon.

It is a MUST see, however if I do have one criticism is the series should had ended at episode 16.

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friendship is a blessing just as wonderful besides romance.

LOVESTRUCK IN THE CITY is a story compilation of people whose lives interlinked one another. Our two leads meet in the beach and got lovestruck at first sight. After few weeks of sweet roses and butterfly moments together, they parted ways after made promise to reconnect in Seoul, where miscommunications, conflict and consequences starts to unfold…

The unique aspect of this drama is it’s presented in documentary-style interviews in present-day Seoul, done in a refreshing way so I think most will enjoy. Five characters with varied personalities are being interviewed on love, sex, and relationships. It is fun because whenever a question was asked, someone will give their opinion and the next person is like replying with a completely opposite opinion.

Through these present-day interviews, the story segues to our two leads‘ past through the very BEAUTIFUL beach scenes. These flashbacks showed how they met, became friends and lovers. More than the plot, I was enchanted by the overall shot of these dreamy and romantic scenes! The chemistry between the leads is electric, fun and free-spirited through and through. Also the OSTs are wonderful! Every time a song played I noticed how much I was vibing with it.

I think the relationship between the two leads was nice, both then and now as they go through various complexities, it is realistic. I like how they switched the perspectives from our male lead's to our female lead, as it really fleshed out her identity crisis. The drama also emphasize that friendship is a blessing just as wonderful besides romance.

My con is the ending cameo, so spoiler warning! Why would they spend the conclusion focusing on a supporting character love interest with a brand-new character? It would not be a problem if told not in the finale I feel satisfied with ep 16 ending, where it fits the actual ending of the show

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Wasted opportunity

What a poorly written script! I underwent the torture of watching the pain of break up, huge misunderstandings, secrets and lack of honest conversation through out the series. What I could not understand is the premise of the break up. The main FL was a really confused woman, the way she behaved was not admirable or lovable. This life is really hard and one should try to appreciate what ever ease comes along the way instead of shooting one self in the foot. She was super lucky that she got back with JCW when she really did not deserve him.
And why does JCW keeps on taking these kind of roles. What is wrong with his agency or his intellect. I will keep my fingers crossed and hope some one guides him to take a better project next time.
There was a wasted opportunity of great friendship amongst the three childhood friends. I believe when you don't share your grief or start keeping secrets, you loose the basics of strong friendship.
I also cant get behind the concept of a male and female friend living in same house for 2 years without developing feelings.
Some positive aspects were that the story had a modern feel to it with initial brave attempt to discuss sex and show some skinship. The long term couple was cute and tolerable. Episodes were shorter but felt very long.
Overall a wasted opportunity.

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The characters in this show are all flawed, but it's done in a way I find endearing.

The FL is selfish, but in a more complex way than that simply being it. She keeps everything she truly feels close to her chest, she doesn't want to burden others with her mistakes and her issues. This decision leads to her making more selfish decisions out of fear and avoidance of emotional vulnerability.

The ML is possessive, but in a way, the audience can find it endearing. This endearing feeling people have about his clingy and possessive acts leads them to demonize the FL in a way that I find unfair. He's flawed too and in a way I find uncomfortable. He can't simply live without her like for him life doesn't mean anything without her. To him, she is everything no matter how harsh or mean she is.

The side leads are equally interesting and definitely deserved more screen time. They try to explore ideas but just scratch the surface on a lot of them. Misunderstanding and Miscommunication are common themes as well as the desire to know if you are loved.

The plot itself is quite boring, all of its mundane or cliche but what makes the show interesting is the editing and the talking heads. To see how these characters lie to each other but then lie to themselves/camera, then to see how they communicate honestly about relationships to each other through the 'documentarian' is quite interesting and funny. The talking heads highlight the individual character's personalities with some answers being long intricate, others blunt, and some avoid answering entirely.

Some unignorable flaws are being unbelievable of some parts of the plot and the weird sidetracked ending. However, these flaws should make this title have THIS low of a rating. Lots of people's complaints are about the toxicity of the FL, which I don't find valid as we aren't rating how much we morally agree with a character (which I don't btw) it's about the show and story overall.

Finally, I should mention how this show could not have been pulled off by subpar actors. These actors carried this mishmash of a plot and eccentric directing style. The main leads had such range in what they needed to pull off and they did it superbly.

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Refreshing and realistic love stories

TL;DR
If you like a realistic love story between adults who have relatable baggage, you'll love this. Not to mention the eye candy and chemistry between the ML and FL.

I'll explain why:
It's been a few days since I've completed and I can't get the story out of my head! That's how emotionally invested I was. I wasn't sure what to expect from this drama at first, but I'm so glad I watched it. It's very relatable for people in their late twenties to mid-thirties, where you've had some experiences with love, but also understand that EVERYONE comes with baggage in a relationship. Lots of people seem to be hating on the FL—even though the ghosting is wrong, her fears are completely relatable (also given what she went through in her past). Some may say she is selfish, but her actions are based on her deep-seated fears and insecurities. I found myself crying a lot along with the FL as she worked through her insecurities and fears. Ji Chang Wook was perfect as usual in his role as the handsome and hopeless romantic (who also has his fair share of issues, even if they're less obvious). You can't help but root for him and feel his heartbreak as he pined away for the FL. I really felt his pain and confusion as he tried to figure out what the heck happened with their relationship when their connection was so magical and one-of-a-kind. Also, I thought his and Kim Ji Won's chemistry was amazing and only got better as the flashbacks progressed.

This drama is very realistic with no unnecessary love triangles, an evil person trying to break them up/harm one of the leads, overly controlling parents, an outlandishly rich CEO, etc. The interview format was interesting, although at some parts felt a little rocky as the interviewer started playing a role in the characters' stories and helping their relationships along (this wasn't a big deal for me and worked well in the end).

The side characters did a great job at adding some comic relief and I absolutely adore the friendship between the FL and her two besties. The only side plots that gave me question marks were the actress in the last episode and Minho's story. I wanted more of the FL and ML in the last episode even though their story wrapped up nicely by Ep 16.

I'll definitely be coming back to this drama at some point, especially when I need some encouragement and faith in relationships and self-love.

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