Love All Play (2022)

Tienes que verlo

Me gustó mucho la historia, siento que es como un confort drama, siento que los colores, escenarios, la forma en la que hablan los 2 principales y lo que dicen son como "cozy". 100% recomendado aunque en un par de episodios se pone un poco lenta. Hay gente diciendo que tiene mucho contenido de badnington, pero es que si quitas ese contenido no sucederian muchas cosas de la historia. El drama no es de romance muy meloso, me hubiera gustado que young-shim tuviera su historia romántica al final, también me hubiera gustado que tae-joon y tae-yang tuvieran más citas y contenido más típico de kdrama de romance.

Leia Mais

A Melodrama - not a romantic comedy or a true sports drama

When one first read the synopsis of this drama and saw the poster for “Love All Play”, I think most viewers thought this is a sports drama + romantic comedy. Though there are some comedic moments, this is actually a melodrama. I saw that MDL tag and read a couple comments/reviews. So I am prepared for some angst and heartaches.

Badminton
I haven’t watched a drama about badminton yet and am interested in this, especially when the cast are adults and the setting is in the professional badminton world, and not in high school or college. However, this is not a true sports drama about our leads working hard and trying to be champions. Yes, they still work hard and try to accomplish their dreams, but the sport actually acts as a backdrop to the character development of Tae Yang (FL) and Tae Joon (ML) and how they battle demons in their personal lives. There are more badminton scenes in the first half of the drama and I do find all the action quite realistic. The camerawork really does make it seem like the actors are the ones playing badminton. The second half of the drama turns a lot more melodramatic and the badminton scenes decrease. You see most of the athletes just hanging out, chatting and supposedly training.

Acting/Main Characters
The acting is pretty good in this drama. I noticed I’ve seen all the main leads in other dramas, but the only ones I remember are Park Ju Hyun (Tae Yang) and Park Ji Hyung (Jun Young) . I’ve previously seen Park Ju Hyun in “Extracurricular” and it is quite nice to see her in a totally different character. Playing the female lead, I believe in her portrayal of Tae Yang and her struggles. I do think she cries too much in the second half of the drama, when she has been so tough and strong in the earlier episodes. I am not familiar with Cae Jong Hyeop and don’t remember him at all in “Hot Stove League”. But I think I will remember him now, especially his beautiful and adorable smile. The role of Tae Joon will gain him many new fans. Tae Joon is a walking green flag and we all want a boyfriend just like him - kind, caring, supportive, understanding, and give you space to process and work out your issues. For the first episode or two, I couldn’t distinguish Chae Jong Hyeop from Kim Moo Joon. They have a similar build and look. I am not very familiar with Kim Moon Joon and wasn't expecting a strong performance from him. And maybe my expectations are low, I ended up liking his character and how his character changes from an annoying badminton star to a silly and shy lovesick boy (in a way). On the contrary, I do find Seo Ji Hye’s portrayal of Yoo Min a little annoying. Not that I don’t like a girl who takes the initiative to go for her crush, but her character is a little ditzy, a little fiery, a little stalkerish? Last but not the least, Park Ji Hyun is the most recognizable actor for me in this drama. I’ve seen her as the second female lead in so many dramas. Her character as Jun Young here is not going to make you love her, but you have to applaud her acting because you definitely might not like her here and that’s because she’s doing a good job.

Melodrama
As I mentioned, this is not a romantic comedy. The melodrama vibes are strong in the second half of the drama. To me, there’s too much crying and it took a little too long for the cat to be out of the bag. The drama’s pacing would be better if this drama is only 12-episode long instead of 16. I don’t think there’s really a bad character in this drama, it’s just the accident affects each character in a different way and they have their own ways to get over that hump. Jung Young could easily be the most hated character, but her suffering is so different from Tae Yangs’. It’s true that she could have handled her disappearance a little better, especially her attitude towards Jung Hwan. But when you are in a bad mental state and try to forget what happened, she might not have the mental capacity to care about others. Is Tae Yang the only person at fault? Not necessarily as after all, it’s an accident. But her immaturity and rash judgment caused the accident. Athletes should take special care of their bodies to avoid any unnecessary injuries. I assume all athletes know this and should be in their professional contract. But after suffering for 3 years, it should be enough. She had such a hard life and I am glad she met Tae Joon. They are each other’s light for different reasons and it’s great to see how honest they are with each other. Jung Hwan is probably the most pitiful character in this situation. He’s the one who tried to stand by her girlfriend but ended up being abandoned and with no closure. I guess it takes a nutty/silly character like Yoo Min to break that hardened shell of his.

Main Romance
I really enjoy the main romance between the Park twins. As I said, Tae Joon is a walking green flag. He’s the only one who loves Tae Yang unconditionally, giving her what she wants the most. In return, he gets what he wants from Tae Yang - someone who believes in him and loves him for who he is, not because he is someone’s sister. Their initial interaction is fun and I love the banter. They actually got together as a couple quite early on (K-drama standards). I am glad to see they continue to have that friendly banter while being in love with each other. I hate it when lovers lose their original personalities when they are in a relationship.

Overall, I had a good time watching this drama. I like all the badminton scenes and especially the romance of the Park twins. Just don’t expect this to be a sweet and fluffy romantic comedy. I also like the Korean title “Going to You at a Speed of 493 km” so much more than the cheesy English title, “Love at Play”.

Leia Mais

THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A LIGHT SPORT ROM COM, FUN FACT IT WAS NOT JUST THAT.

The amount of times my heart broke watching this, were way to many. I really thought it was a light rom com about two people who played badmition together and fall in love, but its actually about two really broken people who just hold on to each other while playing badmiton and fall in love.

The storyline is very interesting in general, but i think they drag it a bit, they could resolve the whole accident thing in less episodes, i get that it was not just an accident because she lost something she loved but i think they gave Tae Yang way to much hate, she didnt do it on purpose and Jun Young isnt a child that was force to do anything. They really made me believe that the whole accident thing was 10 times worst at first, the way Tae Yang hated herself and the way Jung Hwan treated her seemed like she killed someone. The love story between the Park Twins was so cute, like they way Tae Joon loved her and tried so hard to be with her, even if everyone was against him, made my heart flutter. Their entire relationship was so well played. The first couple of episodes were really light, full of comedy and romance but after a while the drama turn into a melodrama, the Park Twins became the depressing twins that always cried, especially Tae Yang, it was quite tiring to watch for 5 episodes maybe even more a person cry and beg for something that wasnt even her entire fault. Also with all this dramatic moments there was like zero time to watch them play badmition, i hope they had include more of their matches in the drama.

The characters were well written and very interesting. Park Tae Joon stole my heart, the way he was so cute and caring all the time was so beautiful, he only gave love when love had barely been given to him, his parents pissed me of so much, the way they treated him like he was less, i really believe that Tae Yang gave him the love he never got from this family and that is way he always wanted to choose her even when she pushed him away. Park Tae Yang had so much trauma in her life, she blamed herself and let everyone treat her horribly, thinking that this way she could redeem her self, all the times she cried and begged for forgiveness made me mad, she really deserved better, thank God she got a guy like Tae Joon who always had her back. All characters were great, the teamplayers and the coaches, they all gave so much in this drama.

I loved the main couple like i said before, i was not a big fan of the second lead couple, i guess i just couldnt like the girl, Jung Hwan was so annoying at first but after a while he was one of the best characters, i loved his relationship with Tae Joon, their interactions gave me life, also the way he rebulit his relationship with Tae Yang was great as well. I really liked the other couples between the Yunis too.

Overall, its a good drama to watch, with great romance and some good comedy scenes, but i should warn you is deeper then it looks and the characters have a lot of trauma.

Leia Mais

Cute in the Beginning, Hard to Finish Near the Middle

This drama honestly set my expectations pretty high at the beginning. The chemistry between the characters, the light and fun plot, and the focus on badminton made it all extremely enjoyable.

Until episode 9. During the show, it's revealed that the main character (Taeyang) has some kind of traumatic past, which is fine. But honestly, I feel like they dragged it on for way too long throughout ep 9 - 12. Like it was all cute and whatever at first but it just felt like it (1) took way too long to resolve, (2) didn't really fit in with the light and fluffy theme of the show that they set up, and (3) didn't really contribute much the characters' development. I expected that once the issue surfaced, the characters involved would grow from it and become stronger. It just felt like the opposite. It was dragged on for no reason, harmed relationships, and made so many people upset. The whole show became less fun and gloomy, and it just became a melodrama that wasn't requested. It was so boring to watch, and it didn't even help the story.

Butttt once you get through the doom and gloom it returns to its original fluffy and happy storyline, which is a HUGE relief honestly.

In short:
Pros:
- chemistry between leads (OFF THE WALLS!)
- ost !!!
- super cute (except eps 9 -12)
- beautiful cast (all of the men and women in this show are so good looking)
- really funny and lighthearted
- cinematography (quite literally beautiful to watch)
- side couples, side characters (most of them are all so loveable)

Cons:
- episodes 9 -12. (ruined the whole vibe 😐 )
- problems dragged on for way too long. was hoping for a real friendship to form between taejun and junghwan but there wasn't really enough time to let that happen bc of how long it took to resolve taeyang's issue.
- lack of badminton scenes near the middle. I loved when the focus was more on the sport and taeyang's improvement as a player. really sucked when the show started to lose that charm and became mostly about her past issues.

Overall, I think it's a fun watch if you need something that's cute, or if you're bored/waiting for a better drama.

Leia Mais

I enjoyed it a lot and looked forward to it!

I really loved and enjoyed watching this and am so glad I did! I loved the characters so much and I laughed a lot. Some people say they found it draggy but I didn’t at all and was engaged in all episodes. I guess it’s one of those dramas where it depends on the person and what you’re looking for. It wasn’t perfect there were some frustrating characters and parts of the storyline that could have been handled better but in my opinion that didn’t drag the drama down that much and I definitely would still recommend it!
It’s strengths are:
The main characters
The romantic relationships
A few of the side characters (I would watch a full drama about Young-shim and Seung-woo)
The badminton matches
The acting
Weaknesses:
Most of the parents in the series
Parts were bit over dramatised/exaggerated
A few out of character decisions

Leia Mais

Liked story line showing importance of dreams also sorry spoiler

I really liked this drama i am little sad that nobody reviews becouse there is so much to talk first of all ihate ml s mother overall in this drama neither parents are good .it is like they ruined them so they are searching for love elsewhere
Fl father treated her like if she couldnt play he would abondon hee and ML mom treated him like obviously she like her daughter more always putting her above him not caring what he feels ,not caring for his feelings. Spoiler she makes him break up with FL even though his sister doesnt make them break up . Zhe says my thoughtfull son ,you will find a bstter one thanks for doing this. WTF? also she made him hate his sister his mom is not a mature person. Also looks like lose ohhhhh
Drama is sogood but parents being like is spoiling all the fun hehehe
Overall al children in this drama not childrenbut youngsters heheh are so good ,mature,knowing how to confort each other,true friendship,caring about each other, loving,and never giving up on each kther and their dreams ,dreams that are tike oxygen for them

Leia Mais

Probably one of the underrated ones this year

the chemistry is probably the one thing viewers will take notice on early into the drama and it also has a good balance between the romance and sport and they tried their best with it

leads are probably one of the best things about this drama atp the chemistry top class , acting top class ml really shines
and both characters are really well they kinda balance each other out and side characters also did a really good job in setting the mood and immersion i guess lol anyway for me this drama is a reason i look forward to weds and thrusdays so hope you start it whoever is reading this review and give it a try the drama really deserves it

Leia Mais

Still smiling thinking about this show 10 months later

I watched this underrated drama 10 months ago in 3 days and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it. Taeyang and Taejun have to be one of my top 3 kdrama couples.

Lets start off with the story. So the show mainly focuses on Taejun, Taeyang, badminton and their relationship with each other as well as the sport. Personally I am not a fan of sports dramas, however I loved this one. I think the show has a very good ratio of badminton to drama. One thing that did take me by surprise is the fact that this show is honestly a light hearted melodrama. Taejun and Taeyang both have a lot of childhood trauma, family issues and psychological issues that they both need to overcome in order to make their relationship work and to fulfil their dreams as badminton players. Although, in the later quarter of the drama the show can be more emotional and serious (the story does need to progress so no complaints from me) there is also plenty of comedy relief. From the team, to the many coaches, love all play had me smiling and giggling. The show also does have multiple couples which was enjoyable but didn't shy away from the main couple. The Yunis team also does live in dorms so there is a sense of that University life within the show.

NOW ONTO THE GOOD BIT. Never in my life have I watched a kdrama and loved a couple this much. Their chemistry was absolutely perfect and found myself having butterflies and smiling anytime Chae Jong Hyeop smiled. Seriously my jaw hurt from smiling so much, kicking my feet in joy, putting my phone down whenever the scene was too sweet. No character has boyfriend the way Taejun has boyfriend in a show. From the minute he saw her it was like love at first sight and pursued her so persistently and cutely, I too was falling for him. He was so obsessed with her ( as he should be) and smitten and I have genuinely never enjoyed watching a man pursue a woman in a romance drama so much in my life. I have genuinely rewatched this show so many times because I have yet to find a couple that I like more than them two.

Park Juhyun is one of my favourite Korean actresses and have literally watched every single one of her kdramas. She embodies versatility and it was a delight seeing her play yet another different character so well. I will always look forward to any kdrama she has coming up. In addition, this was the first kdrama that I've watched from Chae Jonghyeop and his acting was great. I have never seen an actor fit the 'golden retriever/ sunshine' trope so well. Of course the supporting cast were amazing as well!

The music was also great very catchy and uplifting.

Now, if I had any complaints it would be about Taeyang and the situation that caused her to leave badminton in the past. Although I understand why characters were angry, Taeyang did NOT deserve to be treated the way she was. I don't want to say too much because I do not want to include any spoilers but that situation was frustrating in the sense that it really wasn't solely her fault and people should take responsibility for themselves instead of pinning the blame.



I would definitely recommend this drama to any one who is a big fan of romance and doesn't mind sports dramas. Like I said it is not a full on melodrama however you can fill the essence of a melodrama. I have genuinely rewatched this drama every month and watch edits everyday of the Park twin couple!!

Leia Mais

First half intriguing, second half mehhhh

Love all play started very well, giving us a glance in the past of the main characters and focusing more on the sports aspect. The situation that young athletes go through in their life, was visibly portrayed in the first half of the drama.

The downfall started in the next half, wherein it became more of a love story and very little a sport drama. Undoubtedly, the main characters 'Park Twins' had a good chemistry on screen, however too much of an emphasis on their love life and not on their professional life as a badminton player, let me down in the second half.

The soundtrack was decent, however while watching the show, it felt like an Instagram filter thanks to it's weird production. Overall, Love all Play had good intentions but didn't stood upto the expectations as a sports drama.

My Rating : 5/10

Leia Mais

The Park Twins

I LOVED THIS DRAMA. This was the first CJH drama i watched where he was a ML. LIKE FINALLY?

He is such a green flag here and a good actor. His emotions and all seem so genuine here and he was really feeling thr character. There was no awkwardness in their characters and they truly look like they were in love. The FL? Damn she is good. I got emotional during het story and when she ran away, i got all sad.

This drama is not just about them playing badminton but its more to that. Its about their story on how they become good at it and what helped them to become what they are now. Its more than just a simple drama. This is similar to racket boys i gotta say and overall i could say i definitely 100% enjoyed this drama.

Would i rewatch this? OFC!

Leia Mais