À Distância, a Primavera é Verde (2021)

Friendship is enough, is there a need for romance?

"My smile is not fake anymore, what took my mask away?"

Disclaimer: I haven't read the webtoon yet so this review is solely based on drama.

In the first few episodes... you'll encounter a lot of tension between 2 male leads that definitely gives you the feeling and vibe, 'is this BL?' so let me clear this question: No it isn't. It's not typical youth drama, it tries to be different in many aspects adding some twists that are usually not seen in this type of drama, making you wonder about many things.

As of the first impression of Joon, I didn't like him at all (really at all lol). Loved his character development throughout the drama.. it wasn't out of nowhere or abrupt it was slow and natural. He got friends and love from them that he deserves. And not to forget he found his 'real smile.' Soo Hyun.. haha he acts oblivious and clueless many times, but he is adorable at the same time. I liked the change in his personality too, how he becomes comfortable around friends, having conversations even okay with getting help when it's needed. It's pleasant to see.

What I enjoyed most in the drama was the interactions, tension in the initial stage between Joon and Soo Hyun, the development in their friendship how they start to rely on each other, trust each other... the most pleasant time! Seeing Na In Woo was a surprise for me (I don't really check many things before starting drama lol)... ah I wanted his more interaction and relationship development with Jun maybe I would prefer it more than his time with So Bin :')

Romance ah the most uninteresting part of the drama, it has already many other things to handle lol (no offense it's my opinion) it is out of nowhere, it's like someone slams the door on the face as says yeah now leads like each other apparently for no good reason, you have to find why they like each other? Okay, so I get it about Joon as he is someone who is in need who hasn't been loved by anyone... so it's kinda acceptable for him to bit hungry for love. But what about So Bin, why the heck she likes him? Plus she is like one of the most important characters (Apparently one of the leads having poorly written) who gets really big screentime is the most uninteresting (or boring) character, yeah she has her backstory and all but still, she doesn't have her own identity or even personality, at the end of the day her role in the show becomes only as of the love interest for Jun. Maybe they had shown big character development in her or she even made some less stupid mistakes.

And this isn't only about Joon or So Bin why everyone should have their own love line, coz it's drama. Ah, I would have liked it more if it has shown friendship more other than bombarding too many love stories (Not to forget that love triangle lol).. other than triangle the trio of leads (only as friends) would have been the best scenario.

I don't have a problem with casting, not a very superficial level but we are getting decent acting. Everyone did an okay job portraying the characters. Especially I'm impressed by Park Ji Hoon's acting (It's my first time seeing him) especially with crying scenes he did a great job.

The soundtrack is really good.. our main lead is the singer, of course, we are getting ost sing by him 'Talk to me' (말만 해). 'Bom Bom Bom' (봄봄봄) by Punch is really refreshing. Bom/Boom '봄' means 'Spring.' And not to forget the duet of Rothy and Han Seung Yun 'Hug' (품) it's a soothing match with the drama's main concept. I liked the color palate specifically as it fit the theme of the drama.. spring! with really good cinematography.

I liked the fact it tries to show some social problems, sensitive topics without being over the top.. how they solve their problems overcome the traumas, but it tries to show many things in a short amount of time, it doesn't get draggy but a bit overcrowded I'll say. Drama isn't really like what the poster says it has different shades with being a bit dark also mysterious not losing its refreshing touch.

I don't rewatch so it's just a random number lol

In the conclusion, character development in some characters (not all), how they overcome their problems is my most favorite aspect of the show... it does have many problems if we ignore some poorly written parts and characters, it can count as an enjoyable show for sure!

Leia Mais

At a Distance, Spring Is Green is not bad show. It’s not exactly groundbreaking, but it could serve as a rather entertaining watch if you don’t try to pay too much attention to plotlines, or are willing to imagine half of the story that is never told to fill the gaps. Some characters’ journeys were well written, some barely existed… which leads me to one conclusion: there wasn’t a balance in the quality of writing.

Yeo Joon is for sure the star of the show, the most interesting and well portrayed character. They did a good job with his introduction and character development. It was gradual and realistic. We witnessed him try to fight his demons alone, still learning how to open to others, even as the drama got closer to the end. Park Ji Hoon did an amazing job acting - some scenes giving me real goosebumps.

That said, it was disappointing to see just a little of the screen time used to explore his relationship with the family, seeing how it defined who he was and how he acted for the majority of his life... so for it to not have more importance in the healing aspect was a bit... weird?

Soo Hyun might be the main character, but he did not get enough screen time as one. With that, his character development is nowhere near as well written as Yeo Joon's. It was not as organic and natural. He was one of my favorite characters, so I was a bit sad with the fact there wasn’t more focus placed on him.

And then there is the issue of Soo Hyun being straight in the show, when he is gay in the webtoon - truly hate it. It’s infuriating. They could have not given him any love line and use that time to develop his character more. Some people can ignore that, but some people would not pick up a show that is straightwashing characters, so do with this information what you want.

Last but not least from the three heroes of the show: Kim So Bin, who technically could have worked as a main character, if she would be well written and incorporated into the story. She got a good character introduction, they set up some nice conflicts - both internal and external… but then did nothing with them. Her existence revolves around Yeo Joon - she is there for him to like, to make him want to change, to save her…

She had enough screen time for an amazing development, it was just not given to her. Even almost at the end of the show... she is there to be saved by Yeo Joon after making stupid decisions and not being able to say no... by now she should have been more than that.

Young Ran and Mi Joo showed a realistic portrayal of "love rivalry" between friends. As much as I dislike the love triangle and how unnecessary it was, I still appreciate it gave us a good representation of female friendship.
That said, as individual characters... I find it sad most of their arc is focused on unrequited love as if they don't have anything else going on in their lives. Especially with Mi Joo… girl needs a hobby or something.

For a show that is suppose to focus on healing, realistic portrayal of college life and growth… The lack of consequences characters faced is staggering. How they resolved some of the conflicts involving the seniors was simply unrealistic. Sorry, but you cannot make a character that unlikeable and then for no reason say “well… maybe they are not that bad after all” - yes, yes they are unless you give me character development which would make me believe they are not trash.

Honestly speaking, I went into the drama without reading the webtoon, ans started reading it only half way through the show. Was hoping for friendship, and romance as side plot. Sadly, the romance was the center of the directing, getting the most screen time out of all plot lines. By the end, they started to pair everyone up, was it really necesary?

If you want to watch it only for bromance after reading the synopsis, don’t bother - just check fanmade videos on youtube. Otherwise, there will a lot of skipping scenes ahead of you.

Overall: I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy even a second of At a Distance, Spring Is Green. Some aspects were great, but some were annoyingly bad. It’s a good drama for a younger audience, far less tragic and serious than the first two episodes present. As long as you don't expect a masterpiece, and are willing to forgive some underdeveloped and forgotten plot lines, you will enjoy it. The production value is obviously high, and they use the university setting well. Not to mention great summer vibes OST.

Leia Mais

Unfulfilling youth story

I wrote this as a comment before but I decided to put it as a review too and see how my opinion changes after the drama ends.

It's painful to watch because Jun and Soohyun's story develops in such a much deeper way, they're literally always there for each other when they need someone the most - like they have said, they keep showing each other their worst and what they want to hide the most, both Jun and Soohyun have had outstanding character development thanks to each other, the time spent together and experiences lived. Sobin is sadly an accessory of the ML that literally doesn't contribute anything to his growth. She's surely done things for him and has helped him be more open, but most of his growth is thanks to what he's learned after spending time with Soohyun and growing together.

Soohyun's entire development is thanks to Jun and how Soohyun himself has become more open in front of him. I just really don't see how there's room for a het romance between Sobin and Jun when their relationship is absolutely shallow and simple.

It's also painful to see how dull and poorly written every female character is. Sobin had a backstory and something going on for her but ever since Jun helped her overcome her childhood trauma there is nothing else to make her an interesting character on her own. Like I said, every action of hers at this point simply leads to something related to Jun, showing she's nothing more than a plot accessory of the ML even though she is "the female lead."

Miju is completely shallow, not because of her personality but because everything they made about her is simply having a crush on Soohyun. She lacks any type of depth and character trait, all her screentime is just her having a ridiculous crush on a clearly uninterested guy that has way too much to deal with his life to be even thinking about a relationship.

Youngran is probably the most interesting female character only because she has a personality other than liking a guy, but her screentime is little and she doesn't do much either in the show. Still, her biggest trait is having a crush on her childhood friend too, so it's not like she's properly written or built either.

Chanki being on the drama poster is ridiculous since they don't even give him enough screentime or, again, other personality than being the FL's childhood friend who realizes a bit too late that he also liked his best friend back, which makes no sense anyway because even if you like someone you wouldn't be dating *that* much and doing your friend so dirty even after knowing she had a crush on you (this doesn't make any sense to me).

I can't say I'm not disappointed with the way this drama is developing because I really liked it at the beginning and sadly (and naively) hoped for a romance between the two male leads, but they keep simply bating us and making us believe they will develop something between them, even though their relationship is a lot more interesting than any other character or relationship in the whole drama.

I'm not even talking from a webtoon fan because I didn't read the webtoon (I did see some caps just to confirm it's actually BL), but from a viewer who has eyes and clearly knows that the story between Jun and Soohyun is much better than anything else. I'm not even getting into the fact that they completely stripped a the sexuality off a main character and how the erasure of LGBTQ+ in adapted dramas do a lot more damage than kdrama stans seem to think, I'm literally just complaining about the development of the drama itself as a story on its own.

I was excited at the beginning and liked it a lot, but this week's eps really showed a drop in quality.

-- UPDATE --

So I just finished it and confirmed that many things I wrote above were spot-on and pretty much predicted how this drama would make me feel: unfulfilled.

The way the conflict between the brothers resolved was the most boring and predictive thing in the drama. Jun is supposed to hate his brother because his memories tricked him into thinking that it was his brother who used to beat him up, but it was actually his father. Okay, I understand our memories can trick us and distort our past, affecting our present. That part totally makes sense and I wouldn't complain if they hadn't done Junwan's implication so lazy and mediocre. You're telling me a 10? 12? year old boy told his younger brother that he didn't have a family, traumatizing him forever, just to "protect" him? Wouldn't it have been easier if he just... protected his brother? He could've told him the same thing, that he didn't have a mother or father but he had a brother to rely on, the two of them would've been able to get through the abuse of their father and pressure of their mother in a much better way. This part alone didn't make any sense. On the other side. they left Junwan's story in the vast. Jun told him to live his life from then on so the writers took him off the show.

Jun's reactions were so weird too. The fact that he just kept screaming all the time and had a very scary and aggressive reaction all the time was a little bit off-putting. I can't say it's completely random because I understand that's completely part of someone's trauma, but it kind of put me off sometimes. Also, the fact that his mom never apologized to him or anything at all... Trash.

I don't really want to get into much detail but among the many things that bored me about this drama and made me feel like it was a waste of time was how poorly written the female characters were in this show. None of them had any depth whatsoever other than liking a boy. Sobin had some background story but once her boyfriend helped her overcome her childhood trauma, suddenly her little story disappeared and she became nothing more than The Male Lead's Girlfriend. Every one of her scenes was either with Jun or about Jun (after ep 7. sort of). The last 3 eps could've gone without her with no issue because the writers simply didn't care about her at all.

Also, the way they completely took Miju off the show as soon as she decided to get over her crush is so incredibly mediocre. She started liking Soohyun because she saw him ONCE working, he picked up something she dropped (as it was his job), saw him 4 times more, confessed, got rejected and suddenly her whole world came to pieces. The way she literally told Youngran he was "her everything" even though she new virtually nothing about him other than being a smart sunbae in the business department? That was soooo shallow and unnecessary. Her character was the worst and not because she was a bad person, but because the writers literally gave no fvcks about her after a while either. They based her whole personality in having a crush, so when she decided to get over the crush they plainly and simply took her off the screen. Outrageous.

As I said before, Youngran was the most interesting female character, but even so the only personality they gave her was Having a Crush on her long-time friend. At least they didn't completely remove her from the picture and actually gave her another friend (glad they didn't actually start dating but just stayed as friends) to get over her crush with and show some growth.

I will never stop complaining about how this drama did Jun and Soohyun so dirty. I get it, it's KBS, it's a major TV channel, it aired in prime time, Korea isn't so open to LGBTQ+ stories, the original webtoon doesn't develop a romantic relationship between the two, etc, etc. Yes, all those points are true, but it doesn't make it any less annoying that the whole show could've had more depth and been more interesting if they developed a romantic relationship between these two characters. I can settle with the fact that they were good friends and cared for each other fondly, helped each other grow and all that. I was a cute sight and I won't say I didn't enjoy their friendship. But it would've been so much better, interesting and definitely riskier if they went with a gay romance that wouldn't hurt anyone.

The only way I won't feel robbed and like I wasted 12 hours of my life in this is by thinking that Soohyun was implied to be gay. Wait, I have arguments! Well, first of all, he had two female love interests and chose none. Okay, it may mean he was just not interested, but it's kind of rare to find things like this in a kdrama. Second, Soohyun did admit he liked a person in that field trip. Although the question explicitly said "lower your finger if you like any *girl* here, he rejected the two girls he could be interested in (because he obviously was not into Sobin), so my conclusion is that he actually had a crush on Jun but would not act on it because 1) they're friends, 2) Jun has a girlfriend, 3) he's way too busy with his life to date - of course, this could also be applied to explain why he didn't accept either Miju or Youngran, but this is my coping mechanism and one must do what makes them happy. In my heart, Nam Soohyun is gay in the drama too.

Overall, this drama had great potential and it hooked me well with the first 5 eps, ep 6 was ok but from ep 7 onwards it just got more and more boring. I won't lie, I watched the last 3 eps in 1.5x because it was very lame and boring, especially since they resolved Jun's trauma in such a lazy way that made me simply not any more interested in the show. I fininshed because I love Bae Inhyuk, Park Jihoon's acting was pretty good, and I came this far and good or not, I got invested in the story. However, I will mark it completed here and hopefully forget about it because it was incredibly disappointing.

Leia Mais

I am in loveee. The storyline was amazing,the actors played their roles amazingly!! the chefs kiss. They showed how people can pretend to be happy outside but on inside they are just depressed.The story showed us what people are going through at their ages and eventually everything bad ends. The characters show how mature they are and how they can handle things even it’s so hard for them,they still do their best.Also it’s just 12 episodes so it won’t take long, I totally recommend it!! Oh and the actors aree sooo beautiful? literally each of themm <33
also the ost of this drama was incredible

Leia Mais

A healing experience

Let me just start by saying that I rarely write reviews (I think my last review was for Mystic Pop-up Bar last year lol) but this show, especially the three main characters, have won a very special place in my heart so I couldn't not write my thoughts on AADSIG.

I honestly started watching this show without properly reading the summary; I had only knew this was based on a webtoon and after I watched the teasers I decided to give it a shot and boy am I grateful I did.

This has got to be my personal favorite kdrama of 2021 so far (and I'm not sure another show could top it). Don't get me wrong, AADSIG is by no means perfect, but I can't help but love this show with all my heart even though there were some things I wish were changed or added.
What I loved the most about this drama was how realistic it was in showing the struggles common people go through every day. We see different characters, each with their personal story and each one carrying a burden that makes them feel suffocated and like they can't go on. The most beautiful thing for me was to see how all these broken characters came together and with time, patience, understanding, and love they were able to help each other realize they were not alone, that it was okay to rely on others and that even though life is hard, the sun always rises after a storm and people can overcome their difficulties.

I felt I could perfectly relate to these characters and to the struggles they went through. Watching this show was a healing experience for me because through the characters I was able to see parts of myself I don't want to think about many times. Especially with So Bin, I felt deeply connected to her because I'm also an extremely shy person who can't stand being in the spotlight. Particularly I could understand her when she struggled so much to get closer to Yeo Joon and she felt scared that maybe he didn't want her to get closer to him. I'm also an insecure person who many times thinks I'm bothering others (even though I "know" they love me), I find it difficult to get closer because I'm afraid I'm being a nuisance or I'm intruding or overstepping. And the fact that I could see myself in her was one of the reasons why I felt disappointed that the show didn't give So Bin more room to grow, they didn't develop her character in more depth. I wish they'd showed more about her past, more about how she dealt with her insecurities and overcame her anxiety and fears, and more of her and Joon simply being honest and open to each other (particularly him) and helping each other grow and overcome their wounds. Sadly, that's the main reason why I can't give 10 stars to the show.

Nevertheless, the depiction of friendship in this show has got to be the most beautiful I've ever seen in kdrama, especially between the two male leads. And I know there are many people who were hoping this would be a bl but I just need to say I'm glad it wasn't because I think not everything needs to be about romantic relationships (be it same or different sex). In the society I live in, men are raised learning that talking about feelings, being vulnerable in front of someone else and showing you emotions are things they shouldn't do because "these are things that women do", so many men just suppress their feeling and bottle everything up and they have a hard time confiding in their friends about emotional matters, in fact, it is not "well seen" if they do that. So seeing Joon and Soo Hyun listening to each other's problems and supporting each other emotionally just gives me so much happiness because I think that's what friends should do, that's what friendships should be like (and we know that between women this is common, but between men, it isn't). So I was pleased to see such a healthy and positive representation of male friendship, they really went and said f*ck toxic masculinity and I'm LIVING FOR IT.

Finally, the acting of this show was simply BRILLIANT. Props to every single one of the cast members and especially the main trio. This was the second time I watched Bae In Hyuk acting and I completely fell in love with him. This was my first time watching Kang Min Ah and she did amazing, I think she's such an outstanding actress. As for Park Ji Hoon, I had seen only one other project of him but I hadn't realized the depth of his acting talent. This boy CAN act, he's incredible, definitely my favorite this time, I particularly enjoyed the emotion he conveyed during those scenes where we saw his trauma, especially that one scene in which the two bullies get into a fight with Soo Hyun because of the group project and Joon tries to stop them. His performance simply blew my mind. I'll definitely be waiting for these actors' next projects and I'll be rooting for them, there's already a spot reserved for their characters and them in my heart. 

Thank you to all the cast, production team, and staff who worked so hard in making this beautiful drama. I'm so grateful I found this show when I really needed it, now when I'm going through a hard time for not being sure of what future holds for me. Thank you to these precious characters for giving me so much comfort and making me feel safe and at peace with myself. Thank you for reminding me that not having all the answers to everything is okay, that I don't need to be in control of everything that happens in life, that it is okay to reach out for help, that I should treasure those who are close to me, and that no matter what, I can overcome whatever challenges and difficulties life throws at me, with the help of those who love and care for me.

I'm uploading this without really proofreading, so I apologize for any possible mistakes I may have made. Thank you for reading this far, and I hope that wherever you are, you never forget how precious and important you are in this world.

Leia Mais

It is worth watching

When I started watching it, I didn't know that story will turn out to be this good. It was an intense and light drama at one time. I don't feel like waiting before watching next episode. I am binge watching this. It highlights an issue that, at an age, all of us might have felt, i.e, biased parents or unjust siblings, however in this drama family is way too toxic and annoying. I initially felt that male lead (Yeo Jun) was psychopath but i was wrong :). He is such a sweet guy who is being tormented. Both leads are so cute and they suit each other a lot. Their acting made it more realistic and interesting. The drama is about college students, hence we can relate and understand the story well. Although I have not finished watching it yet I couldn't help writing a review. The romantic scenes, true/fake friendship and family drama, it was a perfect blend of everything that I can expect from a drama. Moreover, I loved its OSTs.

Leia Mais

Must watch drama!!

I don't know why people are being negative for this drama..But leave everything either it's 'bout webtoon or whatever....The only thing which is important that you'll definitely enjoy watching this drama...This is 'bout the difficulties, traumas, anxiety we face during our 20s. And if you say the storyline is from somewhere else...So what if it is, it's giving good message afterall. And I don't think sharing right and good things with lots of people is wrong thing to do. And also, apart from that the acting casts are very good..You'll not get bored. I am personally saying..I started liking Park ji hoon after watching this drama...And I can't wait to see, coming episodes...It's really hard to wait...I love this drama.

Leia Mais

It's been done before

i've never read the webtoon so didn't know what to expect, but this was just a bit of a let down. When I read the description I expected a fresh take on college life yet relatable. I got none of those. It was cliche, boring and the main leads acting as times, made me cringe.
I also felt that the fl had literally no character. I get she's meant to be 'average' but she made it quite uninteresting for me to watch.
The only storyline I was kinda invested in was Soo hyun's and Young ran but even that left me disappointed.
Also i felt that Minjoo in this drama was so unnecessary, like the character added nothing to the plot.

Leia Mais

Average to below average drama Nothing special

It's a typical coming of age . Nothing really stood out me. It's the same old story. If you are a huge fan of any of the cast members than watch or its not a must watch or anything. I have nothing bad to say about this drama if you have nothing to watch n you really have to watch something then you can or else you can skip there is nothing you will be missing out on in my opinion. It's an ok drama. It's no age of youth. Bae In-hyuk stood out to me just a little. I hope he gets better roles in future.

Update after watching till ep 10.
So basically as I said if have nothing to watch you can watch this so funny thing I had nothing to watch So I continued to watch it. N I stand by the fact that its nothing new. Episode 7,8, 9 are solid, well made and grabbed my attention & curiosity. The first 6 episodes of this series are hard to get by but 7, 8 and 9 are worth it. LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE OF Bae In-hyuk . He is an actor in the making.

And lastly, some people took my review as I was bashing the drama so i would just clarify I never once said its a bad drama its NOTHING NEW and among so many unique and wonderful out of the box dramas it doesn't stand out in 2021 . N yes I have high standards for this genre as alot can be explored in the "coming of age" category and we have seen many masterpieces in this genre. Making everyone a traumatized character doesn't always make the tale relatable or " coming of age" material.

Leia Mais

First of all I should say I wasn't in a drama mood at all when I decided to watch this one
So I didn't expect much
But surprise ... It was more than brilliant

Every thing about this drama was amazing
Starting from a strong plot , nice characters written well , smooth story , psychological problems , amazing cute bromance till the romance between both leads


Inspite of having dark side for each character in the drama but it was very funny and joyful
it captures you till the end

I loved every minute watching it

The only thing that bothered me much
That soo hyun was so stubborn like a mule
And I didn't know if he love young ran or mi Joon

I wanted clear end for soo hyun romance life
I wished a lot he ended up with young ran

But he was too rational to get into relationship while he had all these problems
But when you love someone really you can't control yourself
That's why I think he didn't love her more than a friend
Frustrating and so disappointing ???
Highly recommended ❤️❤️❤️

Leia Mais