Our Beloved Summer (2021)

Who said that this was comedy? just who? who?? hehe

I won't accept this as comedy, I'll consider this a half romance hehe, this is really sad and emotional there are funny scenes but actually it is full of sad stories. This drama is not that sweet but I would say one of the warmest drama I've ever watched. Honestly, I started watching this because I thought it was comedy and sweet romance but after watching the first half, I am disappointed because the pace is so slow like the atmosphere between the characters stays the same. But now that I finished it, my view on it really changed, I realised that I watched it not for romantic scenes or sweet or kiss scenes but because of the story itself.

This drama depicts the story of three friends (Ji-ung, Choi Ung and Yeonso). The story revolves about relationships, family and career. The focus of this is they showed how rough is the relationship of Ung and Yeonso, they showed how did they became enemy because of the bittersweet past relationship but as the story goes, they gave in and face their hearts than living their past. They became lovers again who supports and understand each other til' the end.

Another view of it is the story of Yeonso. She grew up without friends because of the fear that she can't treat them like they do to her because she is living really poor. She is parent less and only have her grandma to be with. They faced so much hardship together, financially, and the poor health of her grandma. That was actually the reason she broke up with Ung because her grandma got sick they need to leave their house and they are really financially challenged and that made her the most to feel the pain in that break up. She suffered silently and put all the sadness in her hearts for all the years.

Next is the story of Ung. He isn't poor and he had his two parents that is why they thought that he has a good life. Behind that, ever since he was a kid, he knows that he was adopted, they picked him up on the streets, and because they treat him really good, Ung needs to keep that he knew it but tried to make them happy. He isn't ambitious but really scared disappointing his parents. He was also troubling in his future as an artist because he realised his dream a little bit late that is why he is questioned on his talent because he didn't finished school. And of course he was also so much in pain because of the sudden and no reason break up from Yeonsu.

And lastly, Ji-ung the sad boy because Yeonsu liked Ung not him but he is not evil, he stayed friends with them. ji-ung's life is really sad, he is living a broken family and being neglected by his mother. He never felt that love from a family even though Ung's parent took care of him but he still needs attention from his mother. I never experienced this and I'm really scared to feel what he felt.

These 3 characters have common thing, because of their past and painful memories, they isolated themselves and they never tried to go out of their world and the good thing is they all realised it at the end.

This drama is really so sad but it still cute and adorable because of Ung and Yeonsu (they are really cute that I would like to pinch their faces hehe). And also I will not forget the one who made it funny even with the sadness our supporting roles Mr manager and Sol-i the friend.

There are other side stories but those that I mentioned are the focus.
I really don't like it at first but I love it now.
So, just click the button and watch it now, if you are not satisfied with the first half continue it and you will find out how good it is at the 2nd half. Although I don't want to re-watch because it is really so sad.

WATCH IT NOW!!

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Magic unveil on 2nd watch - Power of Perceptive

I have to admit that I thought this drama was just so-so after I first watched it. Was expecting more of the typical light-hearted romantic-comedy dramas with occassional splashes of comedic scenes thrown in, but was slightly disappointed by it falling short of my expectation. (Please read till the end of the review!) My initial reaction was that it the first few episodes was quite funny, but mid episodes got draggy and ending was alright. I thought it will be better with more funny scenes thrown in. I was wondering "Why does it get so high rating?" Despite that, the chemistry between Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Sik is undeniably blazing. I ended up search for BTS clips and got hooked in even more. A comment on Youtube about how the editing brings out the power of the Rain Kiss in Ep 8 and that triggered the realization on the main theme of the show -the Power of Perceptive.

What sets this drama apart is the way the scenes were presented to the viewers. Clippets of flashbacks were shown slowly bit by bit as the episode/drama progressed which is very different from the usual drama. This creates a different perception of the characters in the plot. When I watched it for the first time, I didn't really understand why the characters in the drama were so emotional in certain scenes and couldn't really fully emphatize with the characters or understand their actions. I felt that Yeon Su was too distance and cold, while Choi Ung was so cute in the show. The most memorable episode that left the biggest impression was Ep12 with all the cute moments. I also liked the occassional comedic scenes that were thrown in once a while throughout the drama. That was how I felt on the first watch. (Looking back now, this seems quite superficial as there's much more the drama has to offer!).

I decided to rewatch the drama again and boy was I surprised at howmy whole perception of the drama changed.
THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC OF THE DRAMA BEGINS!
It's the first time where I rewatch a drama and had a different feeling towards the characters, plot and how good the drama is!
The magic of the drama unveil itself on the 2nd watch. With the background and context of the characters in mind after the first watch, the 2nd watch of the drama left me with a complete different feeling despite the fact that the scenes, characters and entire show is exactly the same! Thats the power of perception. After understanding the reasons and background of Yeon Su and Choi Ung, I could feel the strong emotional scenes come to live in my 2nd watch (which the audience will not fully understand on the first watch due to how the scenes were edited throughout the drama). I also came to appreciate the beautiful cinematic which I didn't notice in my first watch. It brings forth new perspectives.

The theme of Perception/Perceptive stood out the most to me in the drama.
Different characters have different perception towards Yeon Su and Choi Ung's relationship.

Firstly, our perception is shaped by how information is presented to us. The public thinks that Yeon Su and Choi Ung were enemies in school due to how the scenes where edited in the documentary. Similarly, Yeon Su's colleague thinks that they are enemies, and Mr Jang and Yeon Su has a thing going on. On the other hand, the PDs, Yeon Su and Choi Ung's friends think that something is going on between them.

Secondly, the difference in perception is not only affected by what is presented to us, but also subjective on the individual level. This is shown in the scene where Yeon Su went up the stage were presented in Yeon Su, Choi Ung and Ji Ung POV.

Lastly, on a even more micro level, our own perception may change depending on how we choose to look at the situation too.
Yeon Su's own view on her life changed when she changed her perspective that she's always alone and had no friend, to one where she noticed that her friends and colleagues were always supportive of her throughout her life.

The difference in perspective is not only applicable to the drama itself but also in real life as well. Just like how the audience and characters are affected by these difference in perceptive, viewers of "Our Beloved Summer" are affected by how the producers edited the drama and how the scenes are presented to us as well. This is apparent by how the flashbacks scenes and different POV of the various characters on the same scenes are presented. It's magical how the producer managed to replicate this change in perspective of the characters in the show to affect the audience watching "Our Beloved Summer" in real life as well! (At least that was the effect it had on me!).

I'm not sure whether this is intentional, but it also draws parallel to real life as well. Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Sik were enemies in the movie "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion" just like how Yeon Su and Choi Ung were portrayed as enemies in the documentary they were featured in their schooldays. But behind the scene, they were friends. Then they were reunited (Da Mi and Woo Sik in this drama and Yeon Su and Choi Ung in the documentary). Not sure whether this was done delibrately, but just like in the show where the behind the scene unedited clips of the documentary were the best bits, behind the scene of "Our Beloved Summer" were even better than what were shown in the drama. Just look at the BTS of the kiss scenes and extremely comfortable physical interaction between Da Mi and Woo Sik (in interviews too) !

This drama is like a sweet onion with so many layers waiting to be uncover. Just like in life; You got to slow down, take a step back, give it a chance and be open to changing your perspective to truely appreciate this drama completely - its plot, editing, cinematic, actors acting and chemistry. The show is much deeper than it seems. You'll be pleasantly surprised by what it will bring to the table!

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Top 5 dramas of 2022,regardless of how early in the year it is!

Going to keep this short everything in this drama is amazing,doesn’t feel dragged out,boring or lacking in anyway for me.
Gook yeon so is quickly becoming one my favorite female Korean actresses,some people didn’t like her in itaewon class but I loved it, she’s a amazing actor and so likeable,she’s adorable aswell.
Choi woong changed my opinion of him in this drama, I wasn’t really interested in his dramas but now I really like him because of his performance In this!
There was no random twists or breakups between the ML and FL lead which lead to a perfect ending.
Also have to mention the MUSIC in this drama is top tier v’s OST for this is amazing and every bit of music they played along with made me enjoy this drama more for me,
This will be in my top 5 for this year and I know this because it’s been a while since this show finished and I’m still thinking about it ,I loved everything about it!

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An Emotion Trigger!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I don't usually leave reviews, especially when a drama is still ongoing, but I just couldn't help it. This drama is like a piece gotten out from my personal life at a point. Just goes to show what a relationship really entails. The struggles, thoughts, weird moments, breakups and makeups. The drama brought out a side of realistic relationships that really should be seen. Love requires EFFORT.
The characters did a perfect job ,they all played their part, provoking emotions. Y'all just 12 episodes of this drama, I've cried, laughed, sighed, felt all kinds of emotions, cos I could personally relate to most situations in the drama, especially the relationship between the leads.
I loved every piece of this drama and if you're seeing this review, you should definitely try it out, it's totally worth your time.
You might not understand the message from the onset, but eventually you'll find this drama relatable.
Pros
The leads were perfect and fitted for their roles.
The OST is on another level of perfection, each ost suits each scene/episode

Cons
I can't think of any........

Once it's completed I'll surely watch it over and over again.

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nostalgic summer

If you're into slow-paced, healing dramas, this series will be the perfect fit for you. The character development/relationship development is fairly slow-paced but it's a good pace especially because they have interesting flashback scenes as well as shifts between the characters. I really appreciated getting to know the stories of the side characters as well as the main characters, the directing and cinematography is definitely top tier as well...

The peaceful and calmness of this dramas as a whole was incredibly healing,, I think the last time I watched something that gave me such vibes was When the Weather Is Fine. The acting, as expected, was so realistic and the feelings were portrayed so well. Kim Dami and Choi Wooshik definitely did the original characters & the webtoon justice. Unlike most rom-coms, the second leads (Jiwoong and NJ) gave such great vibes/characteristics, it was such a breath of fresh air that they were so easy to understand and empathize with.

The OST was also wonderful, everything fit so well with this nostalgic-summer esq vibe that I long to revisit, it's like experiencing sweet first love moments when things were carefree :) Big props to the whole crew and this series overall. <3

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I go back to December all the time

I saw many comments saying this is a boring drama and is really slow, so I was hesitant to start this. I'm SO glad I did (and this is coming from someone who almost never watches the slice of life genre). It was not boring at all. Although I understand why it is considered a slow burn, I found each episode zipping by, and was always eager to watch more to understand the characters. I think the characters being relatable, realistic people helped make it work.

Story
The story is pretty straightforward - two people who are polar opposites fall in love after filming a documentary in high school, they break up really badly, meet again after 5 years and drama ensues. They realize how they have changed, and how they have remained the same, this time determined to make things right and to approach their relationship with more maturity. The way the story is told makes things intriguing because it's not presented in a chronological order. Rather, you will be jumping between their present and fragments of their past. The writer did an amazing job putting things in an order that adds more context and depth to the situation at hand. By telling you how the present is relevant to the past, you know why the characters behave in a certain way, and why some things are better the second time around.

Message
The structure of the story is like peeling an onion, each new episode unravels a new layer about the characters, until you start to empathize with each of them. It is a character-driven drama without a very clear plot, almost like you're living with the characters. You learn new lessons about life, about people. You might start with hating a certain character, and end feeling sorry for them after knowing their backstory. It provides perspective to the human condition, and there is always something to resonate with when it comes to that.

Romance
The drama is centered on romance, so it won't be a good drama if there's no good romance. And I would say, the couple is one of my favorite OTPs I've seen in a drama. There's something about them that just screams that they are meant to be, and you don't see that same spark when they are hanging out with other people. This is the "opposites attract" trope done right. The ML and FL complete each other, they help build each other's weaknesses with their own strengths. There is every reason they fell for each other, every reason they broke apart, and also every reason they wanted to be together again. Nothing felt forced. It was a natural relationship featuring two people with flaws, who sometimes behave like children although they are full grown adults, and who eventually grow strong enough to face their traumas to become better people who are capable of giving and receiving love.

Conclusion
I don't think this drama is overrated, as long as you go in knowing what it is. If you're looking for something exciting, fast-paced, keeps you at the edge of your seat, or some sort of bubbly, happy, feel-good romcom, this is not it. But if you like reading a book on a breezy afternoon weekend while taking a sip of hot chocolate, this is what the drama feels like.

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So much potential, probably wasted??

So okay, I mostly liked this drama. I went into this looking for a comfort drama, nothing too challenging but emotional and warm, and mostly it fulfilled this role, but I could have been done so much better. I mean the actors we are really good, obviously Kim Da-Mi and Choi Woo- Shik were the most well known faces and I expected very good acting from them, but the rest of the cast was also pretty good. The premise was right up my alley, I love stories of lovers who lose eachother and then find their way back after they've grown and matured, LOVE IT. And the atmosphere was also very on point.
But often times I felt like there were gaps left without a reason, rushed storylines that never get proper closure, the last few episodes are sometimes boring even, and the finale felt so rushed! I hate that after decades of friendship Kim Ji-ung and Choi Ung never really air out all the stuff. Also Yeon-soo never really explaind the original break up to Choi Ung, I felt that was an important step. Idk, I just feel like something was missing, so much more could have been done with the characters, because I really liked most of them. I liked this, but the finale was really anti climactic and I don't really feel like rewatching this. Maybe ever.

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Great OST not a fan of the characters and story

I won't say I don't recommend it because it's honestly not bad it's just not my cup of tea.

So I watched until episode 13 and I wasn't sure if I would like it at first from the first couple of episodes but I gave it a chance anyway.

First, the stuff I enjoyed. I enjoy the OST and the cinematography. The characters are likeable, it has an enjoyable vibe and I like how it has a documentary style like lovestruck in the city. I like how we got to see them from their high school days and how they kind of did like a remake to see where they are now. Just because yeon soo did well in school didn't make her as successful as she thought and just because choi woon wanted to live a calm and quiet life it didn't make him unsuccessful.

The stuff I didn't enjoy. I like the male lead, choi woong, but it did get on my nerves that even how he was treated by yeon soo, the female lead he still went back to her. Yeon soo got on my nerves from the very beginning then after awhile she wasn't that bad and I did like her but I just don't like how she treated choi woong and acts like she didn't hurt him and feels hurt after she thought he moved on. I know they did explain her reasoning but I don't think it justifies the way she treated him and broke up with him (Unless I might have missed something though so my bad).

I did try to get into it and I only got to episode 13 because I thought I could keep giving it a chance and sort of forced myself (I just sped it up honestly) and I don't like to leave dramas on unfinished but I just don't feel motivated to finish this one. Like I said it isn't bad just isn't for me. I'm dropping it for now but I'll probably go back to finish it because there's only like 3 episodes left.

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Beloved Indeed <3

Where to start, this show was amazing!! I've been waiting for this show since the description was put on MDL and I was not disappointed. This show was beautiful from the characters to the music :)

Story: It's great! We see many different stages of the main couple (enemies to lovers in school, dating, post-break up, when they meet again, and rekindled/back together). The writers do a good job telling the story of the 2 main characters which I appreciate. You see that neither of them are bad people, just lonely.
- It's also more on the slow-paced side but it makes the show even more meaningful and beautiful.
- I will say this show gives of lowkey melo vibes rather than rom com. There are many comedic moments but the emotional and tension-filled might be more prevalent to you like it was for me... I still love the show and I laughed and smiled a lot but just a mini heads up hehe
- I wasn’t the biggest fan of the love square but not enough for me to knock it down from a 10/10

Acting/Cast: This is my 1st time watching Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Shik and they were amazing!! Their chemistry was great and they embodied their characters :) All the other characters were equally great and I loved seeing some actors again like our favorite best friend Park Jin Joo, and Jeon Hye Won. Also, Ung's Parents have to be some of the best Dramaland parents I've seen, they were wonderful.

Music: Absolutely one of my favorite drama osts, it's stellar!!! My favorite is "Maybe If" by BIBI <3

Rewatch Value: I don't rewatch shows because I have a long watchlist lol but if I did "Our Beloved Summer" would be on the list, especially the couple moments :)

Overall, this show was soothing and I loved watching Ung and Yeon Su find their way back to each other. I recommend this show if your a fan of any of the cast, enjoy aesthetically pleasing shows, or looking for a good story & soundtrack! If you're not a fan of slow-paced shows this one might not be for you but I think it's still worth checking out, Happy watching!! :)

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Very lacklustre

I'm a huge fan of sappy KDs, so it took me by surprise when this one didn't hit me quite in the spot. The acting from each cast member was flawless, but the storyline and lack of character development in the earlier episodes was such a wasted opportunity. I think I must've only been 4-6 episodes in when I sort of wanted to give up watching. It also didn't help that I found NJ's character to be extremely superficial and annoying. It brought back memories of IU's character in the 2015 drama "The Producer", who I can't say I also liked. Anyways, I think the point I wanted to make was that if you're willing to sit through hours watching two former flames bickering, making up, acting petty, finding themselves through the lens of each other, and living very mundane lifestyles, then this is your kind of KD. I totally get that the themes of this KD is young love, forgiveness, self-development and rekindling, but what use is it if everyone nearing the age of 30 in the KD is going through teenage angst, and the characters do nothing but feign ignorance most of the time?

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Everything is just perfect.

For the first time in my life, I actually found that one drama that I absolutely love. This drama has everything, great directing, great camerawork, great acting, great setting, great story, great characters. Just everything.

I begin watching this drama with no expectation at all, I just think it's gonna be another feel-good drama and nothing seems special about it. But I'm totally wrong, this drama started in a very special way, they begin with a flashback when the main characters are still in high school, shooting a documentary about their lives as top ranked student and worst student in school. It may not sound spectacular, but the way they made this summer-flashback-highschool scene is brilliant. They perfectly portrayed the personality and the whole nature of our main characters when they're still young and later show how much different they are to their present-day self (light spoiler: they're not different at all ㅋㅋ).

The way they use color in this drama is absolutely beautiful, you will feel the warmth of summer and the coldness of winter and the way they combined it with parallel editing give us this beautiful contrast between the past and the present. And let's not forget about the beautiful camerawork, everything just blends together perfectly.

The acting...what can I say? Choi Woo-Shik and Kim Da-Mi is just the top tier actor/actress in Kdrama right now, they totally owned their characters. Their subtle expression is just perfect, I never saw any actor/actress that can be nearly as good as them at this kind of subtle or micro expression, their characters felt really humane because of that.

The last but not least, the OSTs. The OSTs for this drama is PACKED with talent, V's "Christmas Tree" is absolutely beautiful and fits really well with a lot of scenes in this drama. BIBI’s "Maybe if" is just *chef kiss, and 10cm just being a romcom OST king as usual with his new song "Drawer", his voice is a must in a romance drama.

TL;DR. Just watch this, please. It's my first 10/10 drama and I'm really picky with my ratings. I guarantee it will be a great ride all the way to the end, enjoy.

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'Every Life is a Work of Art'

This is my first review here, I will try my best to articulate my thoughts!

I'm not usually a fan of this genre, but Our Beloved Summer pleasantly surprised me.
While I will admit that I started watching this drama because I am a huge army and the OST enticed me, I binge-watched it in two days and ended up loving every minute of it. I'll just list the pros (the good) and cons (the bad) because that's probably the best way to explain how I felt about this drama.

The Good:
The plot was gripping from the start; the documentary aspect really elevated the show because it would have otherwise been a typical rom-com.

-Relatable characters: each character contributed something to the story. They each had their own struggles, which they handled gracefully.

- No annoying characters: The characterization in this show was excellent. I feel like I'm too old haha, so I get annoyed when there are evil or annoying characters in shows (of course, this depends on genre, and such characters are necessary in some shows), so it was nice to see that everyone was just living their own lives and not actively seeking to harm someone ahah.

- Sweet romance and Beautiful friendships: Yeon-su and Ung were delightful to watch. Despite their disagreements and breakups, they clearly loved and cherished one another. I don't like second male or female leads because I dislike love triangles and the like, but this show can teach a lot of writers how to write secondary characters. Rather than ignoring them or making them one-dimensional, the writers gave them proper backstories that helped the audience understand their choices and behavior. I rarely have SLS, and this one was no exception, as the chemistry between the main leads was top notch. Even though each character did not interact with each other on a regular basis throughout the show, it was palpable that they all served a purpose in each other's lives; I use Ji-Ung and NJ as an example here because, while they were not particularly close, NJ accompanied Ji-Ung when she noticed he was eating alone and Ji-Ung's advice to NJ changed her outlook on life.

- OST: The OST is quite literally perfection. Truly fit the tone of the show all throughout.

-Stunning cinematography and very aesthetic character fashion!

The Bad:
- LACK OF SOL-I AND EUN-HO!!! I adored their dynamic, sometimes even more than the main characters', but we got very little screen time with them together (as a couple; though I understand why they couldn't just date right away). I'd love to see these two in another show someday. Similarly, I would have liked to know more about both of their pasts more, they seemed like quite interesting characters.

- I can't help but criticize some bits of the ending, as much as I think it was perfect. I am very critical of Kdrama endings because I have seen far too many that are abrupt and rushed, causing me to lower my overall rating of a show; I felt the same way about this drama. The show began slowly, and I believe it could have sped up some scenes/episodes and focused more on the final two episodes to tie it all together nicely. They did address every issue and every character's story, but it could have been spread out more (if that makes sense).

- I think that's it ahaha

Overall, Our Beloved Summer is a heartwarming drama about the reconciliation of former lovers as they try to make amends and grow together with the support of their friends and family. All of the characters are likeable and are shown to face unique hardships that they eventually overcome gradually (but surely). If you're looking for something soft and cozy to watch during these cold winter days, this is a simple watch with inspiring life messages.

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