I remember dropping this drama awhile back for some mysterious reason that I don't remember, but I am soooo glad I picked it up again (emphasis on "soooo"). I admit, I was curious about this drama initially because of Shirota Yu, but I grew to love every single character in this drama.

OVERALL: 10/10
It's a light drama perfect for times when you want something feel-good to watch!

STORY: 10/10
The skeleton of the story seems like a typical sports/club centered drama, but there was something really refreshing about a drama revolving around a choir club, mostly because I've never seen one about that. And I love the overall theme of the drama: Music brings people together, no matter who they are, no matter where they came from.

As the plot progressed, I felt so happy as Kagawa helped her choir peers and her teacher fall in love with choir again, and helped new people realize the magic (and maybe healing powers) of singing with others. In a choir, everyone is important and must work together in order for success, and togetherness is one of the umbrella themes of this drama.

As for romance and things, you're probably going to be disappointed if you want a full-course meal of high school romance. Romance is like a side-dish in this drama, and I kinda wanted to see more romance on Kagawa's end, but there was enough cutesy romance for me to be satisfied and not flown into a frustrated outrage.

(Also, even though it was very brief, I loved that they addressed the LGBT community. I was pleasantly surprised!)

ACTING/CAST: 8.5/10
Okay, one of the more fundamental parts of a good drama is a likable main character, and Yoshine Kyoko did just that.. by creating a Kagawa Makoto who is innocently so earnest, trusting, and determined to bring out the best in people. I loved that Yoshine Kyoko didn't overdo her character. (whew.) Honorable mention to Yoshimoto Miyu-- she actually scared me a little in the beginning, lmao.

As for the rest of the cast, ability-wise, they were okay-- not the best, but I didn't cringe or anything. Aside from that, they were all very charming (especially Shison Jun. It's probably just me but I'm seeing him almost everywhere for some reason). Considering their ages, I cut them some slack, lol.

MUSIC: 10/10
THE MUSIC WAS GREAT. The music made me want to join a high school choir even though I can't anymore lmao. I'm mesmerized by harmonies, and this drama was harmonies galore (it made me cry sometimes). On a side note, one of my favorite choral songs in this drama was the first one that the choir sang. For some reason that song stuck with me.

REWATCH VALUE: 8/10
This was a good drama, and there's a good chance I'll re-watch it in the future for the feel-good, fluffy feelings again.

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Story Fell Victim to Indecisive Focus

A drama that started off strong with a clear purpose and a fresh premise, but alarmingly spirals out of control, lost in its own plot. It's initially exciting, until it veers off on a tangent and falls victim to the usual clichés, half-baked subplots, too many flashbacks, and the most offending — a main character who doesn't quite belong in the plot. Besides that, great cast and pretty cinematography. All actors portrayed their roles well, but this is what I can't let go: the narrative progression was so horrendous, I'm actually dumbfounded at how bad it was.

The resolution presented at the end of the drama is unrecognizable from what I was lured to expect in Episode 1, which is rightfully bizarre. The writers fool us into thinking this is Dal-mi's story, when it really ends up being Do-san's. The latter 10 episodes of the drama focus too much on Do-san's internal conflicts. And for what? Winning Dal-mi's heart? Is this really what the incredibly in-depth, emotional first episode was setting up for? How odd.

Because of this drama's obsession with Do-san, the determined Dal-mi ended up being somewhat of a ragdoll, Ji-pyeong's potential complexity was completely watered down, and it feels like In-jae wasn't even given more than 10 minutes of total screen time.

I love Samsan Tech's story by itself, the boys are endearing and fun, but when I look at this drama as a whole, I fail to see any point to Do-san's character past the first few episodes. Making Do-san such an "important" character made the writers lose their initial focus. The choice to split "Nam Do-san" into two characters (Ji-pyeong, the original "Do-san," and Do-san of the present) was huge narrative mistake, done for the sake of pointless drama.

The story really should've anchored on Dal-mi and her circle (In-jae, Ji-pyeong, and Halmeoni), aka the characters we get to know in the first episode. But instead, past the midway point, it starts running like a super emotional soap opera, aimless and confusing. The last three episodes had such random, irrelevant plot elements. I was shell-shocked.

This is not a critique on the actors themselves; they did well with what they were given. But the story writing... underwhelming would be an understatement. Dal-mi's ambitions and her unusual, complicated relationships with Ji-pyeong and In-jae would've been a great story by itself. "Nam Do-san" could've remained just a name. That's my firm opinion.

I don't recommend this drama. But I will give kudos to Nam Joo-hyuk and Kim Seon-ho, as their emotional scenes were out of this world. Suzy, Kang Han-na and all supporting characters were also lovely to watch, all impressive actors. But the writers needed to rein it in and be more decisive about their focus. It had so much potential, but failed to deliver. Truly disappointed.

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Fun, not a complete bust, but just OK

I am a mixed salad about this drama. It's definitely not the most cohesive work I've ever watched, as much of this drama feels scattered and indecisive. It sorta flip flops in all sorts of directions. It's kinda about the fashion magazine, it's kinda about Reiko/Nami, it's kinda about Nami's development, it's kinda about love, it's kinda about this and that... if people are OK with that, then this drama would be fine. But what was missing for me was a clear motive that drives this story.

It's like going to a buffet, getting a little bit of everything, then you sit down and realize you have appetizers, main courses, AND desserts all on one plate. Some of the foods taste great, some of them taste weird, and you could be happy anyway, but it's just not a very cohesive meal, is it?

By packing too much into just 10 episodes, nothing was really fleshed out satisfyingly enough. Like I said earlier, it just kept flip flopping back and forth to different things. That was a huge shortcoming for me personally. And certain plot elements... gosh, I just _really_ didn't agree with how they were handled, hence why my rating for Story took a bit of a nosedive.

The drama wasn't a complete bust, though. The cast saved it for me; it was the last thread I was really holding on to. Some specific things that stood out –

• Reiko (played by Nanao) made me want to cry. Not from her biting words, but from her confidence and grace in times of adversity, and her courage to pursue what she loves. She shone the brightest for me; a strong-willed character like her is very much needed. Also, Nanao is stunning. QUEEN.
• The depiction of fashion magazine editorial work might not be the most accurate, but the magazine covers... wowee!
• Nakazawa. GOD, who let Mamiya Shotaro in the room?! I just love his character. That's all I'm choosing to say.
• Shoutout to Mone too, she was great (ilovemone*cough*). She's always a pleasure to watch.
• The earrings. The outfits. I'm taking NOTES.

Overall it was a pretty average drama. Cast was good, acting was OK (some better than others), the depiction of the lead couple wasn't toooo realistic... and the music was okay. I had fun shrieking like a hyena at the cliché tropes, but sadly the rewatch value is pretty low. 6/10

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