A whole lot of stupid decisions and a fantastic ML

There are elements of this show that are spellbinding - such as the male lead role and acting execution. Other elements are simply exasperating. Just when you think the main female character will stop making ridiculous decisions - she goes on to make yet another one. This never-ending cycle of irrational and frequently stupid decisions over apparently several attempted lifetime stories (...I'll stop taking his calls - that will stop him from trying to find me..) is what makes the show hard to get through. The chemistry is there and the top-line storyline is interesting but many elements just make this frequently aggravating and unpleasant to watch. The fact that this show has such hype on social media has left me somewhat bewildered.

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Aggravating in a nutshell

After the traumatising second half of the Something In The Rain series, the notion that the same director/writer combo (and same male lead) created something even better was so appealing. However, after the first 8 episodes, I really struggled to continue watching. The glowing reviews that this show has gathered have left me very confused.
The introduction between the male and female lead left much to be desired. Especially needed as the female lead is frequently abrasive and rude to him - in the first half of the episodes in particular. Yet what the storyline uncovers is that she is a woman who has allowed herself to be in a boring and mainly emotionless relationship for 4 years. She clearly has no love for her boyfriend yet when it comes to breaking up she behaves like a victim - we spend episode upon episode with her skirting back and forth with "shall I, shall I not" and "poor me, this is all so hard". She has no ability to be honest with those around her and her abrasiveness and rudeness to the male lead just make this the most frustrating watch/start of the series.
I guess what is most difficult is just to understand why the male lead likes her and wants to be with her. Actually, scratch that - the most difficult thing is to watch that there is still a society on this planet that shames single parents and puts them at the bottom of the food chain. Add to that the constant plotting of the ex-boyfriend, fathers, and other male characters and their male chauvinism - and the apparent inability of women to decide whether they want to break up or not (turns out that unless the man agrees you cannot break up?!?) - and you have just an aggravating 16 episodes to get through.

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It was promising until it wasn't

The series started quite promising - the actors managed to bring us in and believe their past, their friendship and also their complicated feelings for one another. With the mystery surrounding the female leads happenings in the US, and the explosive nature of the relationship of the leads, there was enough to keep us wishing the next episodes would be released sooner. Until there wasn't.
A lot of what happened throughout the 16 episodes was either too obvious, lame, or unsurprising. The biggest downer was the drama of the cancer diagnosis of several years back - yes it is horrible to go through, but making such a dramatisation over 2 episodes then dropping it for the rest of the series? Unbecoming.
The chemistry between the leads was severely lacking. The ML accomplished filling the obvious gaps that the FL left. However, her "wake up" in the last 2 episodes where she supposedly recovers her outlook on life (and is finally thankful for the ML) somewhat compensates for the dreadful 14 previous episodes of her expressionless gloomy existence. Watching their final kiss scene it was (again) painfully obvious that the FL can't kiss to save her life - what a disappointment. Unfortunately, the series did not live up to the hype.
The secondary couple's story, development, romance and chemistry were much better than the leads'. And the highlight of everything was the vegetable fight between the women.

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Original and daring

Original, thought-provoking, and daring. A masterpiece as far as the Korean series go. The actors all did a fantastic job and the variety of characters, their quirks, and sheer reality of their depictions leave one glued to the screen.
It is sad that this series gets such a bad rep on various social media outlets. People who like a typical sugar-coated, far-fetched, conservative Korean drama might not actually like this series. For the rest of us, it is a breath of fresh air.
The bulk of negative comments online surround the male lead character and his "poisonous" personality. Also, the relationship between the male and female leads is frequently described as toxic. If you watch this and your negatives only pertain to the male lead - you have missed a lot.
The male lead does not want a relationship - the female lead does not want love. She is raised by a mother so frequently in and out of love that she is determined not to go down the same route. He does not think one needs to settle. Their physical attraction and their inexperienced selves think they can handle a detached and aloof relationship - that was their common starting point. Yet they fall for each other without even knowing it- and they spend a good amount of time denying it.
This is a story about love if there ever was one. A story that is much more rooted in modern reality than 90% of shows out there. It is original, heartfelt, and exudes love and emotions. A coming of age and growing-up story, too.

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In a nutshell - lame

After having completed watching all the episodes I've been wondering what on earth I would say is my opinion about this series. The only thing that comes to mind is "oh, goodness". Unfortunately, that is neither particularly eloquent nor descriptive. However, it is what it is. "Oh, goodness" in all the exasperating and disappointing forms of meaning.
That I finished watching all the episodes is an accomplishment of sorts. The initial episodes at the prison are intriguing and the storyline is different enough to capture attention. However, as the plot progresses to the hospital setting it is where things become lame, and frequently exasperating.
Let's start with the characters: my "favourite" was the mother and chief of the anaesthesiology department. You couldn't pick a worse character, casting and combination of the two. Cast a young person to play a stiff 50-year-old with fake grey hair, expressionless and stern in a dumb way - and all you get is a big fat fail. The nurse and the prosecutor fail in their own ways as well. The female lead - well, I still can't make up my mind if the issue was the actress, the storyline or the direction because crying at everything and nothing was just lame and frequently cringe-inducing.
The male lead was good, surprisingly so for such a mediocre cast and plot. He carried the show and made going through the episodes bearable. However, the ending was quite a disappointment and in many ways far removed from the reality of how actual humans would react in the same circumstances.

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Gripping and heartfelt

If you are like me and very late to watch this series - let me say that I had read the endless reviews about the sad ending before I decided to watch it. So I watched 19 episodes preparing myself for the worst - trying to keep a level head about what will come. I ended up watching all the episodes with a diehard addiction. This series sucks you in, grabs you and then keeps you hanging on until the end. The actors have done a fantastic job, the plot, chemistry, action and romance - all are there. Including the sad ending, which somehow ends up being worse than what was probably anyone's worst scenario.
It is not perfect, and some parts feel a bit long - others are just painful - but it is definitely worth a watch.

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Enjoyable and moving

There are series that we watch that we somehow don't expect much from - we don't hear about them on various social media outlets, and not many talk about them (say unlike CLOY and others). I came across this series by accident and thought I might like it. Going in with very low expectations, I did not foresee liking it much. Let alone love it. Yet, love it I did.
The series starts in an unexpected way - characters cannot be deciphered. The plot and storyline are unlike anything we typically see in Korean series. The male lead seems to have a dark and suspicious cloud over him. Yet as episodes go on, the characters reveal themselves in the most unexpected ways - and we get so hooked on their trajectories, growth, and wish for true love to win. When you realise that the crazy business the female lead was running had a very particular and tragic reason - you reach the conclusion that this series is like an onion with many layers to peel.
The chemistry between the leads is wonderful, as is their acting. Some scenes you think you can cut with a knife - and they make you feel like you are drawn into the air they breathe.
This series stands out among the many suffocatingly conservative Korean series out there. We finally meet characters who take their own path, forge their own thoughts, and decide to swim against the current. Very enjoyable and heartfelt.

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Just average

Reviews I read said this series is up there with CLOY and others as the best Korean dramas of all time. Sigh.
There is nothing best about this. At the end of the day, it is an average show with some average acting and a really not-that-believable storyline. There is sweetness to it and the somewhat believable chemistry between the leads lifts it up.
I guess for a European like myself the pretend country of XY didn't help - we all are familiar with the Greek island with the shipwreck. Overall it can be enjoyable to watch if expectations are kept on the middle of the scale. Although I should mention that this is the only series where I ended up wanting to hear the soundtrack after finishing it.

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Different, heartfelt yet unrealistic

There are elements of this series that are touching and that pull at all the right strings. However, I cannot say that I was left with the impression that this is an extraordinary show. Sure, the depiction of mental illnesses and conditions and their acceptance are much welcomed and needed. Yet, where the show fails is that this is more about the autistic brother and his needs, wishes, and priorities than it is about the male lead. Some may find that fascinating and what brings the show to another level. Others, like myself, may find that lacking.
The acting is mainly wonderful - especially the male actors. The female lead however is not as strong. Perhaps her character was written like that on purpose, but her representation of the self-entitled and rude attitude definitely did not add strength to the overall impression of her character or her acting. The fine line between villain and victim needed more finesse.
I guess where the show ultimately fails is the tragic twist and turn that instead of bringing another level of drama dimension ends up bringing a totally unrealistic finale. There is too much glossing over at the end, too much drama and tragedy to end watching the series with any kind of semblance of realism.

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Part endearing part aggravating

The male character is endearing - his zest, drive, and heartfelt portrayal of his character are what lifts the show. Unfortunately, the protracted and frequently boring storyline regarding the actual running of the academy, together with the unprofessional conduct, and competitive behaviours - all take away from the overall charm.
I guess at the end of the day what really was a turn-off was yet another portrayal of an archaic, face-saving, and frequently harmful society. Destroying someone's career on the basis of them dating another adult - well, that doesn't make for compelling storytelling, it just makes one aggravated.
It is a sweet, slow-burn romance that touches the heart. It is also a slow and frequently frustrating watch.

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A teenager story - that does end up standing out

As much as I don't consider myself part of the high-school series demographic as much as I have to say that I mainly enjoyed this sugar-coated, young love story.
The storyline is quite simple but the actors, their interactions, personalities and quirks draw us in and keep the momentum going. Most of the series breezed by, although some episodes were on the slower side (and felt a bit like a drag).
After finishing all 16 episodes I do wonder what it is that makes this stand out - and it does end up standing out. I guess that it somehow feels genuine and doesn't try to be what it is not. It is a story of young love, a story of teenage hardships, a story of friendship. There is enough sweetness here to melt anyone while there is at least 1 episode where we inevitably end up crying our eyes out as well. Nothing more and nothing less.
The chemistry is there, and the supporting cast (especially the siblings of FL) definitely adds to the colourfulness of the story. The gender-reversed roles and quirkiness of the sister and her boyfriend were one of the special highlights.

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Curious and different

There is originality to this series that is mesmerizing. The storyline is gripping, emotional, exciting and mysterious - all at once. The male actors have also done an outstanding job and their emotions are worn on their sleeves masterfully. That said, it is not perfect. The female lead with her childish and immature behaviour is frequently annoying. However, what is most difficult to digest is why there was a need to bride-match a high schooler who behaves like a 12-year-old with a man who is in his mid-30s and has lived for over 900 years. It is this dichotomy that somehow really becomes and stays a thorn in the viewing side. Comments could be made regarding the skillfulness of the main actress, but perhaps this is fully a matter of personal opinion. And then there is the matter of the ending - what a letdown. To get our hopes up only to be so brutally disappointed in a manner that made little to no sense - it was a true storyline letdown. It is still a pleasurable must-watch for lovers of Korean series.

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