This is a feminist movie. What kind of image does it conjure up for you?
I can tell you that this isn't a story about a confident, "girl crush" woman. Rather, it follows the story of an ordinary woman and the gender based microaggressions she faces.

This movie isn't an easy watch precisely because it's so real (similar to Misaeng). You could only hope that all of those events don't happen to the same person in real life though.

I knew about the general plot before watching the movie but it still really hit me hard. At the start, I thought it was really fast-paced because it just threw you into the movie. But as the movie progressed, I got used to it and was able to connect with it more.

However, I think reading the book would help you understand the movie better. There was a few scenes that didn't feel resolved in the movie, but I think were explored in the book.
I was also confused if Kim Ji Young's behavior was supposed to be more metaphorical or literal. After reading some reviews of the book, I think I understand what it's trying to say. There was one review in particular that said she didn't have a voice in this society so she had to adopt other personas / mimic other people in her life to say something.

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I've finally found my comfort show; much more than a youth dating program

I'm not typically a fan of dating shows and only watch youth dramas every so often now but this show completely surpassed my expectations.
I fell in love with this show because it turned out to be so much more than just a dating program for recent university grads. There were so many great life lessons packaged into this show and spanned all sorts of love: from romantic, to friendship, to self-love. I really felt like I was watching a drama rather than reality show as the stories were so captivating and relatable.

I was incredibly impressed by the cast. Despite their "young" age, they were all incredibly communicative and influenced each other positively. Overall, they also had a very high baseline in terms of EQ. Their trip only spanned 15 days but it's evident that this was a life changing experience for them - some more than others as we witnessed their growth through the show.
The panel was fantastic too - loved that they were so into it and I shared many of the same reactions with them. Also have to give a shout out to the production team/editors - it definitely enhanced the viewing experience.
I rated the music a little lower only because the version I watched on YT generally had no background music (probably due to copyright?), but I'm sure it was great lol.

If you're a conventional dating show fan, I'd still recommend giving this a try, especially if you want to see a balance of romance and friendship. For everyone else; highly recommend this show if you're feeling lost and need some inspiration to move forward again.
PS. There's even a bromance ship in this show with their own CP name!

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Beautiful expansion of the original novel

This drama might not be for everyone (as a slow burn, "read between the lines" romance with a BE), but I absolutely loved it.
I loved the novel but the drama didn't disappoint my expectations either.

First of all, the cinematography is beautiful. It's very movie-esque, rather than a typical cdrama which seems too real? I think the colour grading and lenses/shots they used played a big part here. The quality of the set, props, and costumes are also evident through watching.
The acting is great and I fell in love with Allen + Bai Lu despite not having seen any of their previous dramas. I also liked seeing some familiar faces in the side characters.
The soundtrack is perfectly fitting and speaking of a movie feel, I loved that they were able to use instrumental / orchestral music too to set the mood.
Finally, as someone who doesn't particularly enjoy drawn out court politics / war (even if they're done well), I liked that this drama focused more on the romance. Although we only got hugs at most, the refined/poised nature of the romance was in line with the character's motivations and overall nature of the drama. However, I did think one aspect that could've been improved for the storytelling was the setup of some side characters. For example, I don't think this drama introduced the emperor's concubines well. They were only introduced as needed and it felt jarring to see them suddenly introduced.

Super minor note: I also would've liked to see more guqin playing from Shiyi although we did get a few scenes of it.

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Lived up to its hype although it wasn't perfect.

The good:
Acting was great across the field - surprised and happy to see that so many of the cast members belong to Yang Mi's agency. I loved all the side characters too (ie. 16th, Yan Zhi, Si Ming, Bai Zhen, Zhe Yan, and more!!)
OST was amazing but I only wish there were more songs than just the 5!

The meh:
Hated Xuan Nu and Su Jin's characters and can't believe a large majority of the drama was spent on their plots. I'm guessing they didn't stray too far from the book for them though.
The CG was ok for background scenery but the animal CG was a bit laughable + didn't mesh well with the acting.

Feng Jiu and Dong Hua was honestly my least favourite couple (compared to Bai Qian/Ye Hua and 16th/Yan Zhi) but I may still watch the next drama due to the side characters.

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It really was a life drama. There wasn't really any romance and that's what I liked about it (unlike Goblin for comparison).
The story was really well developed. It had one major plot line but it never felt rushed or too slow.
OST was good. There were definitely standout songs.
I haven't watched other dramas where IU was the lead but she did amazing in this role.
The ending surprised me a bit because it was so positive compared to the rest of the drama. But I guess we needed that.

Lots of relateable quotes in this drama. I thought it was a very realistic drama overall except for the "son". It didn't really make sense to me that the son was studying abroad by himself and both the parents didn't seem that engaged. I know it wasn't the focus, but still.

I don't think I would rewatch this drama just because it's quite heavy up until the very end.

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Watched this right after Ten miles of Peach Blossoms since I wanted more Xianxia and was not disappointed!

Since the main cast is younger (most in their 20s), this drama has a youthful feel to it. CGI was good in my opinion - the deer and phoenix were good.
The story was good although I found it amusing that almost everyone had a loveline (even if it was small). The chemistry between the main leads was great. I liked their earlier/middle scenes the best - Jin Mi was so naive and innocent and their human arc was fantastic.

Tu Yao was the primary antagonist and although she was annoying, I didn't find her as bad as the combination in Ten Miles. Sui He and Ren Yu were antagonists too but they grew into their roles so I never hated them. I also appreciated that Ren Yu wasn't just written off as a bad character in the end, but got to redeem himself. Loved the combination of Moon Immortal and Pu Chi.

The music was great but they could've used a few more songs.

The story is highly romance-centric (not just for the main leads but side stories too) so don't expect a super heavy plot. But there's lots of angst in the romances!

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