Apaixonados na Cidade (2020)

Everything in this series works!

"Lovestruck in the City" is a rarity of a romantic comedy -- one that's actually funny. I was still laughing about the drunken palm blast even while writing this review.

PROS
1. Kim Ji Won is the reason I picked up this series and she really showcased her chops playing two very different aspects of a single character. I wanted to spend a week at the beach with one of them and hug the other. The candle lighting scene was so raw I felt all the feels. Her realistic portrayal of a woman who feels so much, yet shows a flat, cold front when overwhelmed rang true.
2. So Ju Yeon was pitch perfect and may have impressed me so much simply because I adored how she presented her character - a woman who is who she wants to be and makes no apologies, nor tolerates disrespect.
3. Ryu Kyung Soo did a marvelous job making a low key, taciturn character multi-dimensional. I was really rooting for his character and...
4. Han Ji Eun's shallow-at-first-glance, yet terrifying teacher character had the most interesting and surprising character journey of the series. Han Ji Eun took a tough, intimidating persona and made her 90% of why the comedy worked, and still delivered one of the most touching scenes of the show.
5. Kim Min Sook brought gravity to a character that could easily have been relegated to comic relief otherwise.
6. Park Jae Won wasn't my favorite character, his tenacity bordered on obsession, but Ji Chang Wook put all his emotions on the line to make it work.
7. Breaking the fourth wall - well, almost: by using a reality show interview style we got a view inside the heads of the characters and their perceptions of the story. It was fascinating to contrast what they claimed was their persona versus what they showed us through the action.
8. The scriptwriter crafted an original, nuanced, touching, and witty show that held enough turns to keep it interesting for 17 episodes. It's really, really hard to tell so many stories and be fair to all the characters; this is the most successful effort I've seen.
9. The director gave the cast room to develop their characters. The result of that is why my rating is so high. Also, that long shot of Oh Sun Young after her final meeting with Kang Gun was a heart punch.

CONS
1. Unlike some other reviewers I wasn't bothered by a pop-up romance in the 17th episode. It had been teased in the 16th, so it wasn't a total surprise, plus it showcased a previously underutilized character. What did bother me was the zero backgrounding of who these two characters were to each other and what was behind their familiarity.
2. Obviously the two leads are going to get together in the end, but it felt abrupt when it happened, a 180 from where the FL's character was previously. Maybe I just needed a little more transition on how the FL's character leapt to that point from her adamant push back until then. Perhaps even one brief shot showing her reluctance crumble.

So many things worked so well in this series that it deserves an 8+ rating overall and I'm baffled by the lower scores. I enjoyed every episode and would definitely rewatch the series.

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Uniquely entertaining and a MUST watch!

I have NEVER done a review. I usually rate a drama. So I am really sorry if my review is not helpful, lol! I took the chance to leave a review for this one because HONESTLY, do not let the rating keep you from watching this drama (currently a 7.9). It is such an interesting story, and I agree with other reviews that you have to be open-minded to enjoy the format fully. The reason I watched it was because the first review I read, stated " First and FOREMOST, the plot summary does no justice to what a beautiful, refreshing drama this is.
Lemme explain why 1. Don’t judge the rating...2. This is one of the most REFRESHING Korean dramas I’ve seen in a while."

That comment made me want to watch it, and I AM SO GLAD I DID. Refreshing is the word to describe this gem! It really is. The plot, the format, the characters, and just everything are refreshing. I honestly have not gotten butterflies from any drama recently, but the first steamy interaction between the FL and ML absolutely gave me butterflies! I loved it all!! Everyone's stories were, in a sense, realistic as in, not that it can actually happen in real life but that they, themselves, were very realistic. I think the way they acted (i.e.being frustrated with the situation regarding their partner or getting mad for their best friend) really felt like "down to earth," and I loved it. I also personally loved all the actors in the main cast (so I might be biased), Lol! BUT PLEASE PLEASE give this a chance. At least try the first three episodes to get used to the format and then enjoy it for its beauty!

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To be honest

To be honest, These stories individually are not much. We have heard these kind of stories countless times or even better stories altogether.
But what makes this Drama worth your time is it's storytelling. The way the characters are presented and their tales are told is very unique to say the least, nobody has done it like this ever.
Cinematography should be praised as well. All the shots edited together feels more like a book that a drama. It's like I am imagining the story while reading the book and surprisingly the shots exactly matches our imagination.
Screenplay is commendabe. Every shot is Shot to perfection. I would recommend watching the drama in higher pixel value to experience the full adventure.
To say the least, this drama is worth your time and It has the ability to stay in your mind for a long time.

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It started well but ended up as a mess!

Things I liked-
1. JCW was enough for me to watch the drama.

2. The sparkled fling between the leads. Though I love slow-burn romance this quick one also seemed interesting and enjoyable. I guess the quick romance is quite unlike in Kdrama and some reviewers I found complained about this. However, I enjoyed the quick start here. They set the plot from the very beginning where both the leads met, so I didn’t find it hasty. Some complained that they slept together too soon. So let me tell you, yes, that's called one one-night stand and if things are mutual then why not enjoy this as a viewer? To me, it was not weird, but rather quite realistic. Being single young adults things like that might happen when you are with a person you have a fling and the whole atmosphere is in the perfect mood. So yeah I didn’t mind it. Also love after sex is not uncommon.

3. Beautiful cinematography! Loved it. How they managed the past with vintage color grading was also cool. Though at the beginning it made me think whether it was in the 90s or something, I gradually liked that. OST! Perfect

4. Couples cute moments!! Absolutely loved their surfing moments in episode 3 and enjoying the rain and yes of course the pretended short marriage time in episode 4. Their chemistry seems real, although things were a little bit complicated then.

5. I liked the character Kyung Joon. Though he didn't get much space but among all the insane personalities he seemed rational and practical. I think I was able to connect to this character most. he deserved more.


Things I did not like much-

1. FL is the red flag! Like they said multiple times in this drama, She Is A Terrible Woman! Yes she is. If I ever ranked the worst FL in dramas, definitely she will make it in the top 3. Her character is super annoying and disturbing! I understand that She was devastated, heartbroken, cheated by BF, and suddenly unemployed. She was escaping from reality but after she met the ML she had her opportunity to start fresh. But NO, she acted like a clueless teenager, became melodramatic, and again decided to run away. Her behavior irritated me. Her reasons are absurd and definitely, she is not my favorite type. She was an OVER Thinking type which I don’t prefer personally. They show us her reasons- but her insecurity is unbearable. She decided to break up just on the first day they got together, still kept things going, and never discussed it with the ML even when they got to know each other and grew feelings for him, she stuck to her insecurity and came up with the absurd way to break up which is disappearing without any single clue! She knew she was wrong but never ever admitted her fault! That's disgusting man.

2. Though it was a fun watch, it lacked the depth and intensity of the characters and their backstory. Even though the episode runtime is relatively short It was a pretty long drama of 17 episodes. So why not put some effort into story building? But there was nothing at all! Like why the ML was so deeply in love with her? We watched many sweet moments but it would be good if we got to see more interaction, like real interactions not just kisses and skinship

3. Things were good up to episode 5 after that they kept dragging. Episodes 6 and 7 were Super boring, you can skip them if you wish, nothing significant actually happens. After that some events take place but it could be shorter. I had to watch at 1.5x speed.

4. After ML finds out the real identity of the FL he tries to make things up but FL continuously refuses him and at this time the show turns into a comedy show! They tried to make things funny, and added humour too. But why? This was a serious issue man! What the FL did made the ML emotionally devastated. He suffered a lot, became alcoholic while finding the right answer. Just put yourself in his shoes. It’s a torture. Then how come they make all these things light after they met each other! That is when the drama lost its charm to me.

5. Till episode 4 there were no significant updates on the other couple's relationship (oh right except that they also shared beds, lol). But they had their own story which we didn’t get to enjoy.

6. Rin Yi and Kyung Joon had their own story where despite having 7 long years of relationship they had untold stories. Their apparently perfect relationship had other sides I would like to see more but it remained just as a side one till the very end. That's disappointing.

7. In the last episode which I believe is the most critical one, rather than warping up the mess they created they just started a new story of Dong Sik and Hae na! What was that!!!

over all, the format was unique though can't say I liked it much. Did I enjoy it? yes, not a bad drama as a one time watch. Will I rewatch it? No, cause there was nothing to enjoy again and again. Not even JCW's kisses!

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Sometimes stop for a sec and look at what is positive

The leitmotif is the unraveling of what happened to the FL. Why did she try to adopt a different personality and name to outsiders,? Why did she try to retain her earlier self in front of her friends?
The crux of the matter was the fact that after she reached rock bottom, she met a man by pure chance, and they mutually fell for each other. Thereafter, her friends didn't give up on her, he didn't give up on her, and she realized that she had not given up on herself either.
Around this display of human all too human activities, we find the people with whom she interacts, and their own issues: money issues, love issues, personality issues, drinking issues, image issues, ...
Notice that all this is done without killing, gore, explosions, hostage takeover, politically correct preaching, and other nonsense that plagues so many other productions (HINT: if Hollywood-style stuff is what you are looking for, this show is NOT for you).
Personally I didn't like the product placement (can't stand the stuff they label as pizza in the show), but otherwise it is extremely sweet, with real sweetness and not fake carbohydrates.
Of particular charm were the scenes throughout the series where one could see that people cared for each other.
The police cared for the drunk ML and other hosts at the station. The actress wanted her first kiss from someone she liked and not some famous "pig". Both FL and ML cared about his wedding ring, which he threw in a fit in a canal (him trying to retrieve it after she had gone there and found it, was particularly ironic/good). The restaurant owners at the beach give food and a chance to the FL. When looking for the usually drunk girlfriend, one guy mistakes another drunk for his gf in the street.
Sometimes it is important to stop for one second in life and look at what is positive. This series does that.
Please enjoy it.

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Watch only if you are mature enough to accept flaws in others

I'm going to write this in two parts mainly focusing on why 'I understand character of female lead' and why 'major drawback mentioned by most viewers didn't change my opnion'

WHY I UNDERSTAND CHARACTER OF FEMALE LEAD
Let's start with the way she went to a place where nobody know her, changed her appearance and spent days the way she wants.( I mean don't we all want to escape somewhere no one recognizes us. Spend our days carefree, do things you didn't do your whole life and probably won't, if you are near your parents and friends .) She found park jae won and they fell in love with each other. He said it while she did not. ( I don't understand why people say she is selfish at this point. She fell in love with jae won but did jae won fell in love with her. Nah, he was in love with someone she is pretending to be, how do you think she can be confident enough to tell him his feelings when he don't even know the real her) She didn't tell anyone about what happened in yangyang especially to her friends ( Do people nowadays have no secrets. There is at least one thing we try to hide away from others becoz you fear if they will accept you as much as they did before knowing your secrets. You get the fear of being judged. ) She didn't tell right away why she wants to break up or why she doesn't want to see him. ( She went through a bad break up becoz the man fell out of love. She was not qualified for her job because she was boring. Anyone who went through that will probably fell what if this man feel the real me is boring too. So she decided to remain in his memories as who she wants to be)

POPULAR OPINIONS AND WHY I CONTRADICT
1. Drama is too westernized
My reply: This is 2021 and you can't expect every drama to have people wearing hanbok or drinking soju. The beach, surfing, interview concepts are definitely fresh and needs time to be accepted but I hope people stop staying this doesn't feel like kdrama anymore.

2. Female lead is annoying
My reply: No one is perfect and she is also not. Are you gonna dump someone who says they need some time for themselves just because you find that 'love myself ' conept annoying. She didn't explain herself because she needed time. I don't think someone who need time to figure out themself are annoying.

3. Male lead is clingy
My reply: That's his way of loving her. Not letting her go unless he knows why she did that. When you feel someone is perfect for you, you're gonna wait for them long time before moving on and would also try to get together if you see any hope. This is human nature and meeting her again is enough hope for him to get her back.

Beach scenes, Country rock music, Wonderful chemistry between leads, Female lead's fashion sense at beach scenes, Friendship between main, 2nd female lead and 3rd male lead, Park jae won's whole character are something you can look forward fo .

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Better Than I Thought!

This drama was much better than I expected. I watched the first episode, weeks ago, and wrote it off because it was such a different format from other dramas. But, I started watching it again this past holiday weekend and was pleasantly surprised at how funny, emotional, and realistic it actually is. I would recommend this drama to anyone who is in a "rut" when it comes to finding something new to watch or to anyone who has ever been in love before. Also, this is a great gateway drama. It's only 30 minutes long and binge-able in really a workday (8 hours), as opposed to 16 hours!

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BREATH OF FRESH AIR | ONE OF THE MOST REFRESHING DRAMAS in 2021

I have been an avid k-drama watcher for years and I have never watched anything like Lovestruck in the City. It definitely takes a while to get used to the format of the show; interview-style (similar to The Office). But as the episodes go on, you definitely get to see more moments / interactions of the charcters.

The writers portrayed modern dating & relationships in a very realistic way. I think it was smart to have three different couples to be able to highlight the different types of romances that exist.

Lee Eun-o's character was very realistic as well, I love how the writers weren't afraid to highlight her flaws. She's a very self-aware character who is actually very brave. I really like how they showed her development as a character from losing herself after a failed relationship to trying to rebuild herself through Yoon Seona and then working on herself after returning as Lee Eun-o. She definitely did mess with Jae-won's heart a bit but it's because she had her own insecurities so as a viewer who could see her recognizing those flaws - made it ok to watch.

Park Jae-won's character is very cute, he's a really loving character who gives his all in a relationship. I like how they show many moments of him breaking down and getting angry at Eun-o and even lashing out at her - because it's so realistic. He had many reasons to be mad at Eun-o when she didn't tell him the truth about Yoon Seona and everything else. I personally think Ji Chang Wook's acting in this drama was so fun to watch - he made Jae-won's character very real and human-like.

Kyungjoon and Rini's relationship is so sweet! They've known each other for so long and even dated for a long period of time. The fights that they had as a long-term couple were necessary. A bit bummed that they separated at the end of the show, but once again it's because their characters have very different values.

Kang Geon and Sunyoung's "on and off" relationship as lover/friends/exes was refreshing to watch too. I love how blunt Sunyoung is. Them trying to stay in contact / see each other even after breaking up is realistic too. It's obvious to viewers that they still love each other but know that staying together won't be the best idea.

One of my favorite parts of this drama was the friendships that the characters had. You wouldn't think that they all know each other when you watch the first episode but it later shows how they are all intertwined in the same social circle. Rini, Euno, and Kang Geon's friendship is so cute - you can tell they are true best friends.

Overall, this drama is a breath of fresh air - it's not a typical Korean drama. If anyone has had dating experience, watching this will incite many emotions! I cried and laughed while watching this drama so many times. The conversations that the characters have with each other just felt so raw and real. It reminded me a lot of my own relationships when watching it. The cinematography is also top-notch especially when they filmed the beach scenes at Yangyang. And can we talk about the environment of the characters too. Jaewon's houses is architecture goals - fitting for his character's career. Euno and Kang Geon's house is the cozy hangout spot for all of them. Everything was filmed beautifully, even all the individual interview moments. The OST is so good too, I just wish it was on Spotify lol.

Ultimately, keep an open mind while watching this drama. Do not expect typical k-drama tropes / character types because they don't exist. The characters portrayed in this show are actually REALISTIC and if you can look past any expectations you have for korean dramas, you will enjoy this show!

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Disappointed

This could have easily been one of my favorite dramas, but the ending really ruined it for me.

Now don't get me wrong, I love SHINee like I'm a shawol, but Minho's role felt forced and his part really took up too much of the ending that could have been used to wrap up all the other character's stories. So instead we got a throwaway episode for Minho's frankly boring character and no closure for the rest of the main cast. I was really disappointed. I was really hoping to see Eun-oh and Jae-won at least talk about their relationship, and for Kyeong-jun and Rin-i to resolve their problems.

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