Spoilers ahead, careful..

This is a great slice of life school drama, heavily inspired by the Reply series. Though if Reply 1988 is Empire Strikes Back, then Lovely Us is Lego Star Wars, if that makes sense. This drama doesn't take itself nearly as seriously as the Reply-s and there is quite a bit of of overemphasized juvenile humor too. Overall the drama is quite easygoing and wholesome & it has much fewer annoyances than 1994, but the immersion is not quite up to that level.

I have taken off two points due to the following reasons. Firstly I feel that a 16 episode long mini series shouldn't be this episodic. Whenever the characters had any significant progress in their relationships, the next episode sort of washed it away immediately, as if nothing has happened. As a direct consequence the last episode of this drama feels a little like episode 8 of a typical kdrama, sort of excluding the last 10 minutes. I mean sure, I can get onboard with the main couple only getting together in the last episode, but I cannot help but be wanting more. As for my biggest gripe, it's the second couple's story. At the midway point their impromptu appearance on that TV show was perhaps the best moment in the series, that really gave me the feels etc & then boom come the next episode and as if that never happened and in the finale the writers decided not only to not bring them together, but it's even heavily hinted that she flew straight into that Oyang's arms. I'm extremely displeased about that, to say the least.

The cinematographer overused background obliteration, so the rather well made sets had very little opportunity to shine. Though admittedly this did not bother me too much.