More of a special episode with no stakes

So, calling this a sequel is a bit of a stretch. I mean, yes, it technically does take place after the main episodes, but content-wise it's more of a special episode, meant to give the audience some cute fan service and nothing else.

If the original drama had been more satisfying with answering questions and providing closure, I might've been more receptive to something like this, but since I went into this hoping it would add more depth to the story, I was ultimately disappointed.

It sort of has the same issues that the main story did, which is how passive the leads were. The time travel happens and they just accept it, barely asking any questions. We get scene after scene of them going through everyday, domestic tropes, before the time travel problem arises again and forces them apart.

Ultimately, I think people who loved the original series and just want more of the main couple would enjoy this, but don't expect any new substance.

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Peak friends-to-lovers

Guys. This drama is the pinnacle of friends-to-lovers and of the flipped trope — two of my absolute favorite things. The pining is immaculate.

The best thing about friends-to-lovers is the push and pull between two people who know each other so well and thus are so good at communicating, and two people who are so scared that feelings will change their relationship that they pull away from each other instead. This drama, once again, hit that spot absolutely perfectly, and the actors really sold every scene.

I also really appreciate how the side characters were incorporated. The closeness of the two families is really convincing, and I'm even more impressed that the two main leads had their own little friend groups. It adds a lot to the depth of their characters and their friendships by showing what their personalities are like outside of each other.

The only two little hiccups I would consider this drama to have would be:
1) The plot around Eiw's father. I understand why it's included — so that the story isn't just romance — and thematically it does kind of make sense with his character, but I just didn't find myself caring about it. I'm also not completely sure I agree with the final messaging of forgiveness in the end but this is partly my own worldview, and partly the fact that the drama just doesn't have enough time to really make it hit emotionally.

2) The second ship. It's not handled horribly but the age gap is still very very weird to me.

Overall though, this drama was 100% worth the watch for the main romance, and I hold every hug scene very close to my heart.

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Vibes but no plot

This review is coming at you from a non-novel reader, just FYI. But it's another one of these beloved dramas that I ended up just not quite clicking with.

The concept is fantastic. I love a good time travel / isekai type story à la Scarlet Heart Ryeo or Romance of Tiger and Rose. The acting is sometimes good and sometimes a little awkward.

I feel like my main issue with this drama is that so much of it feels unearned and aimless.

There's a sort of "mystery" subplot surrounding a conspiracy reveal that appears for maybe three episodes, and it's all played out so fast from the moment it's first mentioned to the final reveal. We never really follow the story; we just know it's happening in the background, and then the big reveal happens and the story just ends.

The romance, which is the biggest part of the story, gives me much of the same feeling. I am absolutely a hater of insta-love and "destined love," and here it really does show my biggest problem with it. I'm just not understanding why or when they fell in love with each other, and we're given these romantic moments when I feel like they should still be getting to know each other better. It's weird because the potential is definitely there — the massage scene, for example, is A+ — but it would've been even better if it felt earned.

It also feels aimless in the sense of Jom's time travelling not being explained. It's explored at the start when he's so frazzled and trying to figure out what's happening, but he gradually just starts living a normal life. His situation is only addressed when he's forcibly confronted with it, and it leaves a lot of questions by the end. I constantly wished the drama went deeper into this aspect and upped the stakes. I think this is where the conspiracy subplot could've been used, because it could've given Jom a goal, and a "oh, THIS is why I came back" moment.

Ultimately, the ending also feels quite rushed. I know there's a sequel though, so maybe it'll help. Nevertheless, I think the vibes are still there, and I know the novel probably explains more, but from a drama-only perspective, that's what I felt.

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Hitting the ground running

I was highly anticipating this considering how glowing the reviews are, and yep, one episode in, I was intrigued.

The drama really jumps right in and never lets up. I'm really grateful this show has just fifteen episodes because it's just the right amount. For a time loop drama, it never got boring or repetitive, which is impressive. In ever loop we learned something new and we also got to see our main characters grow closer.

The acting is great across the board. The main leads' chemistry goes without saying, but I really want to give extra props to the main antagonist. The actress absolutely kills it and sends chills down my spine.

Maybe the only thing I would want is a little more time spent on the epilogue/aftermath. I liked seeing the side character arcs getting wrapped up, but wanted a little more of our main leads, whether it was seeing them return to their everyday lives and seeing how the time loop changed them, or reconnecting with the people on the bus, or even having a little fun with introducing a sudden relationship to their friends.

It also feels a little iffy to me that the final message of the show seems to go for a "and the police did their job and everyone got what they deserved" direction. While it somewhat makes sense, I wish there was just a little bit more nuance about social pressure, incompetent officers, and laws that need to be amended.

Overall, though, still a great watch. I understand why it's rated as high as it is.

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A little slower

The comforting vibes from Part 1 definitely carry over into this season, and I enjoy how consistent it all is: the support between our main leads is still very strong, and we get to see the conclusion to all the romance arcs — particularly Iksong, which is the main one I'd been looking forward to from the beginning.

Story-wise, however, I did feel like this season was a little slower and more difficult to get through, for the simple fact that the side stories just aren't as strong or interesting. I'm not sure if there were too many subplots for one-off characters, but somehow the 2 hour runtime for each episode really felt long, whereas I felt like the pacing in Part 1 was perfect.

It's still a nice, comforting watch — it's refreshing that all our leads are competent and communicative — and I wouldn't miss out on this if you've watched Part 1 already, but it did just drag a teeny bit.

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The tried and true kdrama formula

This drama is proof that you can take all the formulaic kdrama tropes — first love meet again, disapproving parent, ex returns — and still make an incredible show.

The first thing this drama got right was the vibes; it felt extremely cozy throughout and hit the right spot between being a melodrama and a rom-com.

I think the leads had amazing chemistry and I felt like both of them were given subtle but ample character development and backstory. It's interesting because this drama only had eight episodes, which I'd normally consider too little, but I felt like everything was paced perfectly and the short length actually worked to the shows favor. There wasn't time for misunderstandings to be drawn out or for traumatic backstories to drag everything down. Everything was just the right amount.

I'm also impressed with the friendships in the show. A lot of short dramas stumble into the pitfall of only having enough time for the main romance and not for any other characters or any friendship scenes, but this show didn't have that issue at all. We had the amazing main couple but we also got scenes of our main characters having heart-to-hearts with their friends and supporting each other. It really helped in making everyone feel well-rounded.

The only part I'm iffy on is the two side ships. They had some good moments but overall I just didn't care much for them. It's not too bothersome because they also don't take up a lot of screentime, so I would still fully recommend this drama for the main couple.

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Healthy but underwhelming

There's a delicate balance between "healthy relationship" and "interesting" that very few dramas get right, and I think this show fell into that trap as well. While I enjoyed how the misunderstandings didn't last long and that the leads talked to each other a lot, ultimately I felt like it made the story underwhelming. Big decisions like getting married or moving in didn't really have the needed weight to it, making me feel like I had missed something, and when the leads got together it didn't quite feel earned. The same applies to the second leads, who were pretty cookie cutter.

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Comforting slice-of-life

I thought I would find this boring (I have 0 interest in medical dramas AND the episodes are so goddamn long) but wow, it ended up being a really comforting and well-paced watch. The number one thing that works here is, of course, the vibes. It's really down-to-earth — nothing is overblown or overly melodramatic, and the conflicts make sense and flow well. It really feels like you start knowing this group of friends; we watch how they deal with conflicts — both together and apart — and it really just feels like life. The 1.5 hour runtime never feels too long, and it's actually very needed. I started out feeling unable to keep up with all the side characters but by the end they all feel like old friends.

I'm honestly super impressed with the characters too. I very rarely find myself liking every single character and every couple, but that was definitely the case here. I found myself rooting for every single ship and seeing the different forms that love comes in, whether it creeps up on you slowly or hits you like a truck.

Onto season 2!

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A nice little drama

It took me quite a few episodes to get into this, but by the end I thoroughly enjoyed it, though it was the second couple that won me over.

The second couple does the "flipped" trope perfectly, and the chemistry is great; Taiwanese dramas are also not afraid of skinship and intimate scenes, which makes everything feel much more real. If there's anything I would rewatch it would probably be their scenes.

The main couple is fine and they have their moments, but I admit I don't care as much for them; the chemistry is fine, but the tropes seem more cliche, and I think they're hampered by the "gangster" plot, which tries to be serious but doesn't really manage to establish its high stakes due to low budget and short runtime.

Overall though, still a nice little watch.

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So underrated

This was so cute! No love triangle, no second leads, no toxicity, no misunderstandings — it was just the main characters and their friends growing up together.

The most interesting thing about this drama is first and foremost the main female lead’s personality; she’s headstrong and stoic but still cares about her classmates, and even when she has a crush she doesn’t stop it from getting in the way of her dreams and goals. It was just super refreshing and different from the typical cdrama cutesy female lead.

The main couple don’t have a lot of skinship but when they do it really gives you butterflies, and they absolutely sell the “innocent first love” feeling. I really liked how they went from butting heads to being partners-in-crime, and that even when they fought, they never stopped caring for each other and ended up talking things out and apologizing. I’m going to sound like a broken record at this point but I just loved how down-to-earth everyone was.

My only criticism might be that the ending seems a bit rushed; while I enjoyed the twist, I felt like the drama chose to go for the shock factor and time jump, while I’d rather have they spend more time showing the “in-between” for both our main leads and also for the side characters, whose arcs just sort of fell off. Some of my favorite moments ended up being in the special episode, which I’m so grateful for.

Ultimately, this was a really great watch — comforting, for sure. The side characters aren't that memorable to be honest, but the main leads are, and for that alone this drama is very underrated.

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Peak action

Oh that was PEAK CINEMA. It's actually not a new story — this kind of revenge drama and twist has definitely been done before, but the way it was executed, from the action/fight sequences to the soundtrack, to the emotional beats and tension...everything was just top notch.

Han So Hee is absolutely amazing in the role; the stunts (which I learned she did herself) are amazing and really make your heart pound, and she hits the perfect balance between being stoic but also being overcome with emotion. Ji-woo has to be one of my favorite female leads I've ever seen in a kdrama, EVER.

I absolutely loved Ahn Bo Hyun in the ML role as well; his role is not as heavy for sure, but he plays the part well and matches the emotional aspects perfectly.

With that being said, I cannot say enough about Park Hee Soon as Choi Mu Jin, who just absolutely blew me away. This is a drama that manages to keep its lines blurry and its antagonist characters morally gray, and I find that so impressive. The acting is amazing in both action scenes, and the quieter, tug-at-your-heartstrings ones.

While the ending was understandable and actually very fluid, I did think it was a tiny tiny bit rushed at the very end. I think I just wanted some of the other side characters to get the arc wrapped up, instead of just focusing on our female lead and nobody else. I get why the choice was made though, and in the grand scheme of how much I enjoyed this show it really is just small potatoes.

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A great short drama

For a show that's only 4 episodes, the cinematography and script are really impressive. The visual transitions are awesome, the main female lead is smart and able to hold her own, and the world-building is actually very strong and able to incorporate social commentary without being too heavy-handed with it. The additional layers of family expectations and peer pressure make the drama more grounded and relatable even with its fantasy elements, and the ending is satisfying while also setting up an intriguing season 2. I'm also really happy that we got elements of female friendship and I'm excited to see more of that in the next season.

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The best short drama there is

For a short drama, this was amazing. I was impressed with the story, the production value, the OST…everything.

One issue that has plagued a lot of cdramas is draggy pacing — it’s hard to manage when a show has 40 or even 50 episodes. Being so short absolutely worked in Provoke’s favor. Not a single minute was wasted, and it felt like the show trusted its audience enough to pick up on the story fast. It was simply really convincing.

The actors should also get their flowers for this. This chemistry between the main leads is very good throughout every single step of their relationship. The tension, relief, playful banter — it was all there. I really enjoyed seeing their dynamic develop, and the show really hit the sweet spot between making them stubborn and strong individuals and still having them communicate and respect each other.

The humor is really clever and well-timed, and the side characters all played their roles too. Ultimately this was great. It’s probably my new favorite short drama out there.

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A nice watch

This had been on my list for a while, as someone who loved The Gifted. For the most part, this was enjoyable and well-written, and all the side characters were fleshed out.

Its biggest drawback, I’d say, is the pacing. While it may be consistent and steady, it’s SLOW. Especially in the first few episodes, it feels like it takes the characters a very long time to figure things out, and it also gets a little repetitive with all the characters acting similarly in how they question the Masters. Even Maki wasn’t doing much with her backstory.

As the drama went on, and Run played a bigger role, I think that was, for the most part, fixed. I enjoyed gradually getting the backstories of all the side characters and learning about the school’s origins. The pacing was still a little slow, but I didn’t mind it as much.

I, however, do wish the drama was a little braver with its themes. The “don’t sink to their level” and “be a good person” theme has been seen in a lot of Thai dramas, like The Gifted. While it’s definitely a valid worldview in the real world (and one I hope many people follow), it unfortunately makes for boring television. Our main characters are tossed around by the antagonists who are actually willing to do things that move the plot forward. And the stakes also feel lower because we know that nothing is going to end up happening to them — after all, they have to be rewarded for their goodness in the end.

Ultimately, I still enjoyed this one a lot. Though I think it could’ve been a bit more compressed and more extreme, the themes are good, the ships are subtle but cute, and the story is well-written.

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