Our Beloved Summer (2021)

God is in the Details

Our Beloved Summer a.k.a That Year We Are isn't a drama that is flamboyant or dramatic in nature. This drama is not all that new or revolutionary in terms of the plot line since in my opinion there's so many dramas out there about relationship and love.

Where OBS drama excels is in the details and nuances in each episode - it's like watching a painter work - initially you don't see what is special about the painting but as is it worked into completion it becomes a magnificent piece of artwork. The cinematography, the acting, the story, the music are all brushstrokes that created this masterful and wonderful series that is Our Beloved Summer.

I enjoyed this series because of the slow burn, it felt realistic and relatable. While watching it reminded me of another drama that tugs at my heartstrings – Because This Is My First Life, I feel if you enjoyed BTIMFL you would also thoroughly enjoy OBS and vice versa.

OBS shows the growth of the characters as time passes and it’s executed very well. Each episode serving as a chapter that's strung into one beautiful book. The feelings that I get as the writer portrays each episode leaves me anticipating the next.
OBS revolves majority around the main lead's romance but it's also so much more than that. It’s the relationship not only between lovers but also friends and families and each person life struggles that provides viewers an insight into each of the main characters. The transition through the seasons beautifully weaves into the story of the main characters and by the end of episode 16 I know I will come back to re-watch this drama and it is now shelved as one of my favourites to watch of all time.

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The feeling of true love is indeed timeless :)

Love and affection towards a person does not necessarily depend on some quality of your lover, but the person itself - that's what was beautifully demonstrated through this drama. From the time of teenage to adulthood, both Choi Ung and Kook Yeon-su went through several transitions of personality, perspective, environment and struggles but what never changed was how they felt for each other all these times even though they were not together for 5yrs in between. What I loved about this drama is the portrayal of a very important message that seem to be overlooked by most people these days - the feeling of love is about the thought and emotion that you feel towards a person and has nothing to do with materialistic achievements or fame.

I absolutely loved the scenes when both the leads were shooting their documentaries during teenage time and their late 20s, I loved how beautifully the story, thoughts and perspectives of all characters were shown in the drama and honestly speaking, the way each characters expressed their thoughts and emotions to each other in few different episodes really brought tears to my eyes. For some weird reason, few parts of these stories felt very relatable to me. How we feel love and see love during our teenage time is not exactly the way we do when we gradually grow up and life happens.

If you looking forward to a heartwarming romantic drama with a bit of fun, this drama is definitely for you. I bet you'll enjoy the transitions of the characters' personality, thoughts and the way they expressed love to each other in this drama ^_^

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Mature relationship does not take overnight

If you are a spectator that wants instant comeback to every break-ups, then this might not be for you but it's worth the wait.

This is definitely a slow-burn romance drama that deals with how Yeon-su and Ung finds each other again after an awful and sudden break-up from a long-term relationship that started after filming a hit summer documentary. What I got hooked into this drama is how you see each characters grow from their own wounds, shallow to deep ones.

At first, it might seem to be just a childish misunderstanding that resulted to parting ways but a long the way, trust me it is more than that. I know how cute and adorable they were after the documentary that with will made you wonder, "what went wrong?"

The drama did not also neglect to include the problems that could arise in a relationship—what it feels to be in an unrequited or forbidden love. Some may also experienced these when they fell in-love that made the drama more relatable.

The director and writer really displayed a deep narrative on what a pure love away from a sexual representation. I'll definitely recommend this since it's been a while since I've watch a soft romance drama but watch out you might be hopeless romantic after.

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Amazing story, amazing characters, overall amazing

This drama had me on the edge with every episode and told an amazing story. I couldn’t believe how much I could be attached to every single character in this drama. It follows what I think love should feel. It’s quiet, safe, full of life, and comforting. It’s a mix of romcom and coming to age genre as it follows how life can have its ups and down and how strong unconditional love could be. Hands down, this is one of the best stories I have ever followed.


Many have overlooked the significance of Ung's sketching of Yeon-Su in that last scene. He'd never sketch people nor incorporate people in his illustrations.
He'd even turned down his adopted parents' requests of sketches for them
As in Ung's troubled mind set; buildings and objects are the only things that can stand the test of time; almost eternal like. People will simply change or depart;
just like his birth parents and Yeon-Su.
Ung's first illustration of people is Yeon-Su; he'd finally healed from his troubled mind set and is certain Yeon-Su will forever be by his side.
Yeon-Su also recognized Ung's changes. The scene is brilliantly scripted. I take my hat off to the screenwriter.

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JUST GO FOR IT!

I would totally recommend this drama to anyone who loves a slow pacing drama. Eventhough it's not that slow as well. For me it's the perfect pacing. The characters portrayed are human I'd say. They have their own flaws. I love how they make mistakes and works through them. People make mistakes and the point is that what you do to correct them. A regular rom-com drama with a new setting. I love how they showed everyone and their past and perspectives. All of the actors did an amazing job. The musics were on point; in love with all the ost's. Some of the parts in the story need a little bit development. Some of the episodes felt rushed while others felt slow. Especially the last ones; somewhere it felt quite rushed. But still the closing was perfect. This is one of those drama you should go without expecting anything and love every bit of it. That's how it was for me.

OKAY EVERYTHING WAS TOTALLY MY OPINION.

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Not the best

This drama did not do much for me . It is enjoyable , well put together and beautifully filmed , but it failed to grab me .
The story line of the traumatic experiences that the past leaves you with is the kingpin of Korean Drama , and has been done before and better . The acting was not impressive either . Long silences and doleful looks , bland faces unable to express emotions . Sure they can cry and be tearful but their pretty faces do not always convey the intensity of their emotions .
I preferred the characters when they were teenagers , they had a bit more life in them then . As they grew more mature they seemed to have lost their stamina . The sub stories were far more interesting and entertaining and the comedy they provided very necessary . The story of friend Kim -Ji-woong grabbed me most . You could sense the tension , the agony , the struggle in him and I would have liked that story line to be better developed . The ending was rushed and cobbled together , loose ends Not satisfactory .

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L’amour est la poésie des sens ~ Love is the poetry of the senses <3

This drama took me by surprise.
I didn't watch it as soon as it started airing but after seeing an edit of instagram about the characters I had to take a look.
I was hooked from the start. I have eagerly awaited Mondays and Tuesdays ever since I started the drama. Watching this drama became the highlight of my week. I think it's fair to say it is now my all time favourite. Which to be honest is strange, as I usually lean more towards things with action/thrill as well as romance. I just ended up loving every part of this drama.

The story was phenomenal. Each character played an important role and each character was a joy to watch over the course of the show. Their story arcs were unique, interesting and filled with the rawness of true emotions. I liked the jumping between the past and the present, slowly piecing together the whole story and I loved the documentary aspect to the drama. I also loved the artistic part of the story linked to Choi Woong. I thought it added a depth to his character and his story.

The cast were incredible. I thought everyone did a superb job at playing the character they had been given. I could not and would not want to see anyone else play these fantastic characters. From Kim Da Mi to Park Jin Too and back to Choi Woo Shik everyone was amazing at bringing the characters to life.

The music was unique and beautiful. From the intro to the hit Christmas Tree by V, each song added to the beauty of this drama. I for one have been listening to the music non-stop.

Like some kdrama watchers I struggle to re-watch a show all the way through again no matter how much I loved it. But I can see myself rewatching this drama very soon and loving it every bit as much.

So… would I recommend this Korean drama? Yes, yes I would. That's not to say it would be for everyone because it definitely wouldn't suit some people's tastes. However, I would really recommend this if you are looking for a show with a gripping but beautiful storyline and deep and meaningful characters.

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Surprisingly warm and cozy

I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I went into this drama not expecting much but it surprised me in a good way.

I loved the format of the show. The documentary style point-of-view-switching between the characters. It gives us more insights about each characters that made them much more relatable to us. I am never this torn about who to root for between the leads. They are opposites but they sort of represent both of my extreme personalities. Most of the times, I feel like I'm Yeon Su struggling everything but sometimes I feel like I'm Ung who does not really want to care about my ambition.

The actors nailed their roles. I haven't seen much of any of them. Choi Woo Shik made a pretty good impression on me when I watched him in Parasite. Although I loved Itaewon Class, Kim Da Mi wasn't really someone I loved in that show. But here in this series, both of them sneaked to a little place in my heart.

I wished they could've shown us the documentary as some sort of special episodes though. I think it would be a nice bonus to the show.

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...the emotions they displayed just with their eyes were enough to make me curl up & cry

PLOT :
Choi Ung & Yeon-su were high school sweethearts who suddenly broke up 5 years ago and have not been in contact since then but when a documentary which they did about the daily lives of 1st ranked high school student Yeon- su & last ranked student Choi Ung whose personalities completely clash with each other at that time becomes suddenly viral again in the present, the two ex-lovers are re-united again reluctantly and due to some circumstances they are asked to do another documentary about their present lives. As old wounds re-surface again, we get to explore the journey of their past which shaped their present, how they are coping with their adulthood which turned out different what they hoped it to be, their insecurities, their bickering, petty jealousy and revenge and if they are ready to move on from the past, grow up, forgive and maybe give themselves a chance again.

My REVIEW:
The premise of Our Beloved Summer is simple but what it excels at is character development, the chemistry & the art of subtlety. Rather than bombarding us with grand displays of emotions, it slowly nudges our heart and let our heart do the rest of the work because they know we will be able to relate to it and can feel what they are going through rather than trying to make us understand it to feel for them. And this art of not doing too much is risky because it can be hit & miss as many actors can't pull it off, so usually dramas take the other route. But, my God, Choi Woo Shik (Parasite) & Kim Dami (Itaewon Class) were up for it. The emotions they displayed just with their eyes were enough to make me curl up, cry and keep me awake at night, I don't think any other actors could pull off this beautiful imperfect characters and their chemistry was off the charts. The anguish of their heartbreak & yearning for each other yet unable to move on from their past can be seen plainly by us, the viewers within their subtle ticks and features but yet we can see how they hid it from everyone else.

There is no one dimensional antagonist in this series. All the other characters are also normal humans who are also going through their pain and struggle and trying to cope with it, and live their life. We can probably relate to each characters because we can see that all of them are inherently good persons just dealing with their demons like the rest of us. I wish some of them had more character growth but still it was a better representation of the secondary characters than some other kdramas who are just there as a catalyst for the main characters.

The unique documentary styled editing with the combination of showing a same flashback of past from multiple perspective was ingenious, it showed multiple facets of different character’s point of view which has also enriched the viewing experience of this drama. I also loved the minimalistic indie approach by the director as in, they didn’t go in the direction of display of grandeur with a huge iconic scenic backdrop or soundtracks blaring every second when there is an iconic moment, instead they toned it down, let the actors do their part, used silence or slow song to drive the important turning point scenes so that it feels like we are in the moment with them and we are paying our full attention to them.

And if this drama is not already worthy to be a must watch, it hits off the park with the soundtrack. All the songs in the soundtrack are exquisite, they perfectly compliment the scenes they are used in.

I would like to end my very long review with the parting words that I absolutely loved the journey that I went with the characters of this drama, I cried and laughed with them and always rooted for them. This drama is definitely not for everyone but I will miss Yeon-su and Choi Ung a lot and my Mondays and Tuesdays will feel empty without them.

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A warm, fuzzy, feel good drama

When I first saw the plot for this, I had no idea how the story would revolve around the documentary angle. But the previews and stills really got me interested.

May I just say that I love both the leads so much? They make a wonderful pairing! Despite their actual age, they can pass off as high schoolers. Character development from teens to working yuppies is portrayed well. Ung is someone I would love to have as a BF. He is totally devoid of ill intentions and has an easy going personality. Yeon Soo is a strong character who, despite the difficulties in life maintains a strong sense of responsibility.

Except for NJ, I loved everything about this drama. The setting, the cinematography, the narratives, dialogue, and the soundtrack.

If you want to watch something light but full of wonderful characters and emotions, this is definitely a MUST watch.

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enemies to lovers to ex lovers to lovers again... made new

this is one of my new favorite dramas.

the story:
i absolutely loved both the plot itself and how it was presented. i think it portrays relationships (romantic, platonic, and self) in a more accurate way than some other dramas may. of course, it is still a drama, so some things aren't realistic, but that's part of the suspended disbelief: believing something is true even if it may seem impossible. we saw how being friends with your ex isn't some easy thing to do--it's difficult, especially when feelings are involved and you don't know what feelings they are. we saw how getting over a crush is difficult and how it's hard to control your feelings--but it's not your fault. we saw how mending broken relationships with parents is hard and sometimes you can't forgive. we saw how hard it can be to address your own feelings and experiences of guilt, abandonment, and loneliness/emptiness.
i really liked how the characters were able to narrate their thoughts in a natural way. it added a layer of depth to help understand their motivations. and even though sometimes i was screaming for them to just communicate!!!, i understood their reluctance.
the characters were amazing! i loved how three-dimensional they were and how different aspects of their lives were explored: romance, family, friends, career, and general self-improvement. like a normal person, they have various stories in their lives, and i liked how we got to see a bit into the side characters' lives as well.
there are really only 2 minor things that i didn't like: the use of fate/coincidences and the slightly rushed ending. the fact that ung happened to drop his phone the night yeonsu was talking about her difficulties and the fact that they lived in the same area but never saw each other for 5 years are among the plot points that bothered me a little bit. once again, bringing it back to suspended disbelief. also, there were a few stories that i wish they spent more time wrapping up: choi ung talking to his biological father (maybe just showing the scene?), chae ran and ji ung's relationship, sol-i and eun-ho's relationship, and the wedding scene why didn't we get that :(((( i know it's a lot to put in one episode, but i wish we could've seen it. at least we got a bit of married life <3

acting/cast:
i would like to hug the casting director and give them my warmest thanks for their work. literally everyone was casted so perfectly. i cannot imagine anyone else as yeonsu, ung, ji-ung, NJ, sol-i, eun-ho, chae ran, and everyone else.
wooshik's acting never fails to disappoint. the way his seemingly blank or sad expressions convey a much deeper level of feeling always gets to me. same with dami. you can see her thinking, and then it hits you. the actors all put on such emotional performances (with the exception of our comedic relief, eun-ho and sol-i, of course). i wish they had been given some "real" storylines, not just comedy and a supporting role. i know it's hard to develop so many characters, so i think the story was good with the time frame and those two actors did great with what they had. i hope to see them in future lead roles! i have to give a shout out to my personal favorite, jeon hye won (chae ran). obviously her character was more background here, but i think with a bigger role, i see her acting being amazing and i'd love to see more of her as well.

music:
the soundtrack is really lovely as well. the songs are so good and the way they're inserted into the tv show is just *chef's kiss*. also, it's so stacked! we got BIBI, V, and Sam Kim! plus OST icons 10cm and Janet Suhh!

final thoughts:
i am a sucker for tropes, i'll admit that. but i have standards hehe. and i think OBS took those tropes (enemies to lovers, ex lovers to lovers, etc.) and made them their own. they made it refreshing, lovely, wholesome, better, and all around amazing. these characters felt so real. i feel like i learned more about life, not just romance, watching this drama. and that's why i love it.

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