Love All Play (2022)

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

WATCH IT or NOT?

NOTE: This review is purely subjective.

WATCH IT!!! Here's why:

I drool all over when it comes to a good ROM-COM. That's my genre and I simp for it. Add a little bit of SPORT and voila! I love LOVE ALL PLAY! My pals, I am hooked. I loved watching every inch of the episode. The story escalates at a steady pace and is just perf. In terms of characterisation, storyline, plot, theme, mood and tone, and setting the growth is obvious and neat. There are no major hiccups. It is a happy-happy one. The ending is most definitely not rushed or cramped which often is the cast for most romcom dramas. Another reason to watch!

CHARACTERISATION: Where do I even start? Every role has character development and no role was overlooked or was without a purpose. Every role was given priority and was represented well. Every episode reveals the different sides to each character(characterisation) which was interesting to watch because it was never repetitive or boring. Everyone had a growth story.

STORYLINE & PLOT: The storyline and plot itself would not have been unique if it weren't for the different perspectives shown in the drama. I love the faces of the characters and their interactions which elevate the storyline and truly bring life to the plot.

THEME: This drama includes several themes and sport is the main. Other strong themes are sibling relation, love, team spirit, friendship, forgiveness, and chasing one's dream. Some surface-touched or shallow themes include step-sibling bonding, misunderstanding, and social ethics (especially in the sports industry).

MODE & TONE: The acting skills of the cast is everything. I can't imagine a better crew to pull this off so well. Every actor in the drama is doing an excellent job of delivering the emotions and expressing the dialogue in the best way possible. Usually, there's always room for improvement, but bruh! Their acting and this particular drama cast DONT. I mean it because regardless of what scene it is, be it as simple as a sigh or a fall on the ground while playing during a match, everything has been in perfect sync and not awkward at any point at all. I could relate to all the roles at all times and felt super involved with them as well.

SETTING: Revolves around badminton(obviously). I like that they were attentive to the setting and places at which they shot their scenes. It really reflected the sports spirit well. The setting DEF helped in the delivery and the evoking of emotions.

Other comments:
This definitely reminds me of another Kdrama and my all-time favourite RUN ON. However, LOVE ALL PLAY is badminton centered. Every interaction between Park Taejun (1st ML) and Yuk Junghwan (2nd ML) was so precious. I absolutely love their clashes and their competitive spirit until the very end. Especially in episode 8. (Minor detail: In episode 8 between the 17:00-18:00 time stamp, you can clearly see that Taejun's hair has got brown highlights and Junghwan's hair has blue highlights. This slight yet interesting contrast is much like their personality and roles in the drama. One is warm and hot like fire and the other is cool and cold like water/ice. They are like fire and water. Two opposite elements :) The chemistry between the leads is undeniable and will make you go cray cray. The second lead couple will make you swoon buddy. I honestly didn't expect them to hit me this hard but they grew on me without even realising. I love the pairing and how twisted their connections are in general. Their simple relationships from the past seem to have complicated their present but that is the most interesting part. To see how they deal with the situations and move forward to achieve their dreams. This is also highly motivating for me as a viewer or audience.

*****************************************************************

All in all, if you were able to read all of the above and if you liked what you read, you will not be disappointed watching this drama.
HAPPY WATCHING!

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

Love All Play Does NOT Play Around (Except With Your Heart)

I was first going to point you in the direction of the synopsis and go on about my feelings instead but the synopsis on here is pretty terrible and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up had it not been for the ML. Which, hey, what a great place to start. The ML in this show is the greenest green flag to ever flag. Or green. Or exist, whatever. You get the idea. He sits at the table with some of my favorite green flag MLs and I don’t give that title lightly. He is literal sunshine and made me smile like an idiot on several occasions. I can’t stress this enough. I just need you to know this before I go on about the synopsis and then my feelings. Okay, cool. Moving on (for now).

Love All Play is about a badminton team. It’s about the different plays on the team and their individual struggles individually and as members of a team, together. Obviously, our focus is on our FL and ML but we get insight into other members of the team occasionally and they are just as special in my heart honestly. Our FL is returning to badminton after leaving the Olympic team in disgrace. There’s a lot of question marks about what happened and why, but the main story is bribery and then she literally disappears off everyone’s radar. Our ML is kind of apathetic about badminton, despite being a great athlete and this being his livelihood. It seems more like a job than a passion, and his heart isn’t really into it. There’s a lot more to it than that, but I can’t really say without spoiling. Both the FL and ML get picked up by a commercial team and the rest is just … kind of magic to watch. She’s scared, holding back (both herself and just so so much else), very much hated by her ex-teammates and others in the profession, and is having a really hard time but she also loves the sport so much she can’t bear to be away anymore. The ML is really great and talented but there’s no spark in what he does and he almost doesn’t seem to care… about anything. Now pair them up together and they really bring out the best in each other. Both leads are really warm and loving in different ways and it was truly a joy to watch their romance unfold.

I will say, the romance isn’t as prominent as other romance kdramas because there is so much focus on other aspects of the show, character growth, and just plot. However, what we do get is so so beautiful. I also need you to know that there are a lot of heavy topics and issues that are addressed and dealt with in the show. It’s not all fun and games, despite it being centered around one. Sometimes it was a lot, especially with how much the FL had to deal with.

Despite all of that (or maybe because of it), I highly recommend this show. It’s criminally underrated. It is about growth, about facing your fears, about loving something (or finding something to love) so much that you can’t not do it, about not just sitting down and doing nothing or letting fear win, but also about knowing when and where to stop. It made me cry and smile like an idiot. It was so well written and had so many different lovable characters that I adored. The cast was phenomenal and I loved them all. One person in particular (outside of our two leads) really really grew to be a favorite despite me hating him initially, and that’s what I love about this show. It’s about pain and dealing with it and growing and doing better. It’s about A LOT OF THINGS aND I LOVED IT OKAY.

Also the ML really really made my heart hurt in the best way. He was so loving and adorable and warm and just … I need you all to watch and experience this love too.

That is all, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Leia Mais

CHAE JONGHYEOP AND PARK TWINS' CHEMISTRY

HELLOOO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH HUHU. want me some taejun so badd like he is the standard fr. this show fits my need the moment i watched this bc i needed romance then it has an additional genre, my ult fav genre-sports, which is badminton and i like badminton!!! I am really happy that I did not watch this when it was still airing. The chemistry of all the characters is *chef's kiss*, the conflict, the relationship of the main leads, and the number of couples in the drama are all so impressive. Waaah, omg the personalities of both main leads are really great, and how they handle their relationship in and out of public is really my ideal relationship. They still show a bit of sweetness in public, and when they are alone, hugs and a few cries is already enough and they can call it a day. What I realized the most in this series is how I totally suck at comforting other people. Although I already know that, every time a confrontation comes and a character needs a comfort, I would always get nervous thinking how am I going to be able to comfort them if i was in their shoes?? Also, both of them is really good at playing their sports. What I can only critic is its ending because I really wanted to see their long-awaited match against junghwan and yumin but that's not enough for me to rate it below 10. If I could, I would really rate this 100/10 huhu yes it is legit nice. This is the first kdrama where I have encountered chae jonghyeop so you can say that this is definitely a blessing. He is so cute and handsome especially during the first eps and he looks and sounds so hot when gets mad and screams. And there's Taeyang (Park Juhyun) whose personality seems so bright but deep inside is struggling with her emotions. Haaaa they are so whipped for each other and they are totally meant to be. Anyways, this kdrama is really realistic and fun. I watched this not in a binge-watch manner, but when I get back to watching it again, it seems like I am still binge-watching it lol that is the best way to express how I enjoyed this one. So highly recommended. Where's my Taejun T^T

Leia Mais

OMGGG

Amazing! A great serial. Honestly, i didn't pretty liked this at first and the episodes just felt liked it would take 3 hours to finish. I would say the last 3 or 4 episodes just felt like it finished fast. I am the type who likes the episode to end fast and not, like to not feel like the episode is 3 hour long, but not to finish in 3 min, too. I liked the other couple( junghwan and yumin) more than taejoon and taeyang, but ?‍♀️. My opinion. I'm really happy that all ended good and they are happy together. BUT THE FINALLL! OMGG HOW CAN U LET ME LIKE THAT!? I WANTED TO KNOW( i know, you know, we know, lee know, haha) WHO WINS. but i guess we'll never know

Leia Mais