Isso Se Chama Amor (2023)

BEWARE B4 U SPEND 16HRS ON THIS !!!

I am a BIG Lsk fan and so decided to try this out after so many 10/10 reviews. I have very painfully completed the series but there is very little enjoyment I have got out of it. Seeing all these reviews makes me wonder if its just not my cup of tea. But seriously I failed to understand the subtelty of showing everything in slow-mo with the characters wearing a blank face most of the time. They dont talk...they just sigh and look at each other. Are they DUMB? . I understand that things are sad but I feel they dragged this thing too much. The ML and FL might have good chemistry but its not explored at all ......they hardly talk with each other. They just stare at each other and silently walk. I can understand the initial shyness but this just goes on. On top of that they have very little screen time.
" SO THERES NO ROMANCE YOU SAY? The other things are good right? RIGHT? " NO ITS NOT!! ITS WORSE. The story premise about the house is good and innovative but IT GETS DRAGGED ON LIKE HELL . Everything was dragged on tbh. The GF arc , the president shin arc and these were not even that good of a story.
TLDR:-
>> The premise and first couple of episodes are good.
>> Without the slowmo and filler scenes this is hardly a 4 hr drama.
>> I had to skip those silences towards the end cause it was getting tedious
>> The main lead romance is not good at all. (IMO)
>> Theres a lot of camping business BS that i didnt get. Good luck to you.
>> Good for you if you like seeing people walking from A to B and having noodles 100s of times.
>> Good if you can read facial expressions and need no talking. ( I cant ,sorry )
>> Sit with loads of coffee if you wanna stay awake.
>> I am ranting at this point. Have a nice day and I hope you enjoy this drama. I SURE AS HELL DIDNT.

Leia Mais

A weapon that could even turn the deepest revenge, you ‘Call it love’!

When someone is yearning for love, it means that they are lonely. Because love means care, affection, something with which your every pain, sorrow, happiness and joy is shared. When there is no love, you are lonely, even when a million things exist around you, you are lonely. That’s why the story opens up, “to understand the loneliness of others, for me, it’s the beginning of love.”

Han Dongjin and Shim Woo Joo, I don’t know if they were yearning for love at the time they met but they were definitely two lonely beings bearing with the timeless and indefinite unwelcoming fate that’s inter tangled up between them without their littlest acceptance. She spent her days wanting to ruin that woman and he passed those same days wanting to repair those ruins of that same woman.

Hell must be angry on itself for what it has done to the two of them, so it tried to reconstruct the web, this time with love. The woman who made them enemies, is the women who’s the reason who made them mates, is the woman who made them strangers, is the woman who’s the reason who made them soul mates.

Soul mates indeed! His back looks sad and her eyes look gloomy. He never goes down and she gets up every time she falls. They say opposites attract, but Dongjin and Woo Joo aren’t exactly like that or at least, it’s not the reason they get attracted to each other. They are not each other’s missing puzzle piece rather two puzzled up puzzles themselves, who for a long time of their lives, tried putting their own pieces together until they meet each other, now trying to put pieces of each other with their own perspectives, still summing up to be complete. However, both are surviving the present, picking shattered bits of the past with a hope to mosaic a fine picture in the future. She is a 10 but she thinks creating havoc can settle things. He is a 10 but he thinks bearing everything will settle things. Both wrong but a right together.

This is probably still a lot less which explains the emotion that ran through my soul throughout the drama. For it is rather felt than said.

I would only say one thing if you are here and searching the reviews to watch it or not. Do you like a Slow-burn? No? Skip. Yes? You will be here writing your heart out after you complete watching this!

Both Dongjin and Woo Joo’s characters are very unconventional. Not your typical bubbly female lead and the hot CEO male lead. These guys are built different! More human, less k-drama. The story might be, to some extent, unrealistic but these characters aren’t. Fresh air of reality.

Dongjin and Woo Joo breathe air through Kim Young Kwang and Lee Sung Kyung. They hold all of Dongjin and Woo Joo’s emotions in the heart. Eyes speak. Speech conveys. Actions felt. Not one time did I feel what’s reeling isn’t real. I was always a fan of their works, now I’ll be even more.

Joon, Hyesoeng, Jigu, Sunwoo, Minyoung, Heeja, Hyunjoo……. Characters not left but travel together with the story. Simple yet complex, chaotic but pleasant, not the whitest whites but the less greyer greys and the more greyer greys. Not just there but heard, felt. All the actors who played their respective parts, didn’t just play but pleased.

The direction, story, screenplay and cinematography…. One word- Nonpareil. Like no other was, is, will be. They just deepened my love for slow burn shows.

The OST’s wrapped all the beautiful parts of this drama carefully like flowers in a bouquet. Isn’t a necessity but beauty. Beauty that makes you wanna make it a necessity.

Although I might have been too poetic praising it, it still has its flaws. The slow, at sometimes, feels slower. Every so often, I wished I could get in and push a few. Some towards each other and some from the hill! So I bet people who are not interested in the slow pace will be skipping this away from the first episode. This drama is a love story but not your typical one. It is a revenge story but not your typical one. It has the family element but not your typical one. So if you’re looking for some typical stuff, you are on the wrong side of the track.

Anyways, now that you’ve read this much, it means you wanna watch it. So, WATCH IT AND CALL IT OFF AS LOVE!

Leia Mais

Sometimes, slow is slow

The first half of this Drama was 'artfully slow'. I enjoyed its unhurried contemplative approach, a difference from the usual style of revenge Dramas. But somewhere around the halfway mark, the writer obviously decided that if "revenge is a dish best served cold", this Drama should climax just after the heat death of the Universe.

From being unhurried, it dropped to a crawl, painful and tedious and pointless. In my personal watchlist, the vast majority of slower Dramas that I've scored highly are JDramas, but there are some slower K Drama gems too, like One Day Off. This one was just EXCRUCIATING. So much of nothing happening and happening at a pace that makes tectonic shift seem dizzylingly fast.

For a truly outstanding summary of what went wrong with this Drama I recommend MinJi's review


https://mydramalist.com/profile/MinJi23/review/269917

Leia Mais

Angst done well

Excellent on all fronts. Didn't expect to like this drama as much as I did but I did. This one's a bit of a slow burn -- lots of stretches of silence and meandering shots -- but it hits hard emotionally. Best of all, the angst completely makes sense.

Especially enjoyed the writing. Every character is a little bit annoying (some more than others) but also a little bit of a joy to have around on-screen. Everyone just feels very human. Really appreciate how the writer wrote every character's misery with care.

Also, really really love the fact Woojoo and Joon were completely platonic.

Leia Mais

What a drag

I am baffled by the way this story was told. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to buy this main couple when their interactions were mostly just them staring sadly at each other and sighing with the occasional wrist grabbing. There was so much potential here, but this story dragged so much. Endless scenes of no dialogue or dialogue that the characters took ages to utter. I have liked both main actors in other dramas and think they could have done much better with a better script. There was some chemistry there, but it was completely wasted and I actually bought the secondary couple a lot more than the main one. They actually enjoyed each other's presence and had fun together instead of just moping and being sad together. This should have been a lot shorter than it was or 16 episodes, but with a much better script and interactions between the main characters. Very disappointed in this.

Leia Mais

I wanted more Chemistry between the Leads

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

“Call It Love” is a melodrama through and through. The pacing is slow, the conversations are meaningful, and the romance is slow burn and quiet. South Korea really likes its revenge drama in all genres. However, what differentiates “Call It Love” from other revenge dramas is that love, healing and forgiveness are more central to the plot, than revenge itself.

I had high expectations before I watched this drama. Kim Young Kwang was the main attraction and he did not disappoint. What a versatile and amazing actor he is! From an adorable and sexy CEO in “The Secret Life of My Secretary”, to a psycho serial killer in “Somebody”, and now a lonely and sad CEO, he was just perfect for the lead role. Han Dong Jin (ML) is a man of few words and walks with a sad and slightly crouched posture. He exudes loneliness, yet his caring side shows when he’s with FL. Kim Young Kwang is able to portray subtle facial expressions and looks/eyes that can convey all he wants to say without actually speaking the words.

On the other hand, I have mixed feelings about Lee Sung Kyung’s portrayal of Shim Woo Joo (FL). I am happy to see her venture out of the rom-com genre and challenge herself to play this role. Shim Woo Joo is another sad and depressed character. However, I find Lee Sung Kyung’s acting one-note throughout most of the drama. She often maintains that one facial expression - a sad and bland look/gaze. I actually like her character in the first ⅓ of the drama. Woo Joo speaks her thoughts with no filter and no reservation. I like her no nonsense approach and doesn’t care what other people say. But then, she seems to lose that straightforwardness and barely utters a few words.

Another reason I want to watch “Call It Love” is because I was craving some angst and melo-romance. I thought this drama would satisfy this urge of mine but I am disappointed. The first few episodes reminded me of “My Mister”. When the romance starts to slowly build up, I was hoping for the angsty, sizzling chemistry similar to Mr. Gu + Yeom Mi Jung in “My Liberation Notes” or Lee Boo Jung + Lee Kang Jae in “Lost”. Unfortunately, I did not feel that tension and longing in Han Dong Jin and Shim Woo Joo. I do like how honest and open they are with each other (in their own introverted way). I enjoy the depth of their conversations. Without really having long conversations, they are able to speak their minds succinctly. But they don’t move me. I wasn’t sad. I didn’t cry for them. I didn’t pray that they could live happily ever after. The chemistry was not bad, but did not live up to my expectations. I am sure many feel very differently and am in love with the leads.

“Call It Love” does explore the message of healing and forgiveness. I do think the drama does a good job by showing the effects of the father’s betrayal and the mistress’ calculated scheme. Oh yeah, I hated ML’s mother but I’ve seen worse parents in K-dramas. However, the secret was so long drawn out. At times, I wanted ML to know the truth already, so we can deal with the aftermath and damage control. On another note, I like the somewhat dysfunctional Shim family and the love/hate sibling relationships. I love what Shim Hye Seong (eldest sister) said to ML that, their family doesn’t know how to comfort each other, and feels awkward consoling someone, thus, they went out to karaoke and party hard instead.

Love triangles technically don't exist in this drama and I’m glad a couple friendships did not turn into unrequited love. Men and women CAN have platonic relationships. I’d rather see more of the bromance between ML and his fellow CEO buddy, than the lukewarm secondary romance. I find Shim Hye Seong (sister) a little annoying in the beginning but I understand why she acts that way once we get to know her. Once the forced smiles are gone, she becomes so much more tolerable. Yoon Joon (pharmacist 2ML) is a great and loyal friend to FL, and I’m glad to see Sung Joon plays this role after being introduced to his handsome guy in “I Need Romance 3”.
Many commented on the pink tone and the use of different colored filters. It doesn’t bother me, nor does it add to how I feel about the drama. It just doesn’t matter to me, but it might to you. I also quite enjoy the OST.

Overall, this is a good melodrama if you are in the mood for a very slow burn and slow-paced romance. I just wanted more in the chemistry department to give this a solid 8.5+ rating.



Completed: 4/18/2023

Leia Mais

For Lovers That Bloom In Spring

Lee Sung Kyung & Kim Young Kwang have completed their circle of genres as professionals (in my opinion) and Call it Love is one of the most interesting additions. It starts off as a revenge tale that slowly turns into one of the best slow-burn romances that I think we will have the privilege of watching this year. It was a soft piece to help transition from the winter blues into blooming spring, showing healing in the most aesthetic and healthy ways possible.

One thing I loved was the writer's ability to portray relationships WELL, in every aspect I think the dynamics were fully met. It showed the dynamic of siblings in a home of infidelity and divorce, how it affected their relationship with each other, how it's impacting their current lives, and their ability to love others. The toxic yet endearing relationship of Dongjin and his mother (whom i hate with passion) and the amount of things he had to give up because of it. The love and understanding of a family allowed time to heal their wounds and move on with their lives without holding on to the past and the grace that comes with honesty to oneself and to the ones they love. More importantly, the character growth was the chef's kiss! you could see how they changed over the course of the drama and how they re-discovered themselves in a place of peace and stability, for Woo Joo it was finally letting go of the pain and desires of revenge and for Dongjin, it was living the best way he could, for himself. That growth allowed them to heal fully from the evident pain that they had at the start of the drama.

At first, when I began it bared a too similar resemblance to My Liberation Note, with the 3 odd but fascinating siblings, an older sister who longs to find romance at every corner, and a brooding but intriuging male lead. I am happy to say it is nothing like My Liberation notes. But its nothing of the sort, in its own right it is beautiful and engaging, more than I would've thought

The color grading in this drama is one of the best I've seen so far, and how it changes as the characters warm up and fall in love was storytelling to the next level. And the quality as well!! Damn, everything a close-up was shown I had to search what camera it was filmed on. Apart from the quality of the performances and cinematography, the music was also top-tier, not any to my taste but it was the best use of a soundtrack so far this year. Watch it, it will not dissapoint.

Leia Mais

My

After a long time, a series attracted me and I finished it in two days
It's a light melodrama that I think you have to be in the mood to see
For months now, no series attracts me, not even one episode
But this series was interesting to me from the very beginning...
The acting of the actors was very good, even the secondary roles
The good thing about this series was that it cared about my subs and treated them well.
The main roles were great for me, who was not a fan of Lee Sung Kyung at all and I always saw her in the role of squealing girls, this series was great.
Symbols, color of clothes, lighting, everything comes to the series
It reminded me of Liberation Notes, but I personally did not like the story of that series at all (some things were similar).
Overall, I would like to give a score of 9/10

Leia Mais

This drama is a welcome antidote to all of the revenge dramas out there. Watching revenge dramas such as "The Glory" or "Vincenzo" is vastly entertaining and satisfying. "Call It Love," on the other hand, shows the emotional costs to one’s humanity and to innocent bystanders when one seeks revenge. Refraining from seeking revenge after one has been deeply wronged can be a sign of strength, not cowardice or weakness, and choosing to forego revenge can paradoxically leave one satisfied and more at peace with oneself. I’m glad that this drama shows the other side of revenge.

Shim Woojoo’s and Han Dongjin’s stories and their developing attraction to each other are beautifully told. I was impressed with Kim Young Kwan’s acting, which nails the still waters run deep-personality of Han Dongjin. Too often such attempts result in wooden acting (like Bo Hyun Ahn in "See You In My 19th Life"), but Kim Young Kwan is excellent. Even his back does a great acting job (you’ll understand if you watch this drama).

I watched this on Hulu but the subtitles were pretty bad and too often unintentionally funny. For example, when a tall, broad-shouldered, deep-voiced guy would laugh the subtitle would show, “Giggles.” Someone would cry and the subtitle would say, “Sniffles.” Big sigh. Or, as the subtitle would say, instead of sigh, “Snort.”

Leia Mais

Beautiful Leads drowning in Melodrama tropes

Melodrama is not my thing but I've been waiting for this pairing so.... I powered through.

Positives:
1. ML & FL pairing. He's tall & a model. She's tall & a model. It's basically hotness overload.
2. Sibling dynamic
3. That Rich Friend

Negatives: ALL the Melodrama tropes:
1. The walking dead. Sad people living but dead inside
2. Slow .... everything, talking, walking, reacting.....
3. Standing & staring .....
4. Wrist pull & save you from some kind of running vehicle
5. The comeback desperate ex
6. FF flashback moments overload

Yes I get it, it's supposed to connect 2 lonely sad people making their slow burn love more beautiful. I think the pair worked for melodrama lovers.

Leia Mais

Call it Satisfying

When I finished Call it Love I I honestly felt like I was satisfied in a well that was a grand days work kinda way as opposed to oh my god im totally blown away kind of way. But yet i look back at this as time well spent it kind of grows on you and you go through a certain kind of coming to terns with whats happening along with the characters.

At times this drama really had me moved and totally absorbed and at times I was feeling this is getting dull only for it to pull away from the edge and remain engaging and it makes you interested to hear what others thought.

Pros:
Some great chatacters and exploration of same and a sense of understanding them gradually in a satisfying way.

A really good fairly realistic story not OTT and well brought together. I genuinely felt any number of endings would satisfy me no anxiety re a happy vs sad vs open ending a few episodes out as the story was making sense to me (eventually) regardless.

The Secondary characters were all really engaging and not filler material and no really extreme characters (though some might say close to)

For a drama with virtually no comedy it was still not gratituosly depressing.

Some genuinely powerful moments.

The normalised and gentle treatnent of sister struggle with mental health issue, note not a central part of plot but nicely introduced and explored with subtlety and normality.

Cons

The leads at times were too monotonous and almost unable to express any emotions outside of a narrow range of stoic silence and underlying sadness.

The FL in particular some of her scenes were like oh come on say something, its actually getting weird now. Tropes were not rampant in this script apart from the miscommunication/no communication between leads trope which weared just a little at times.

The chemistry between leads lacked i felt I dont know if it was directing acting or both but it was a bit too low key to match where they get too in their relationship. However this may be because this was not just a story about romance it was that and a bit more so even the romance had to be in balance.

To put it simply the acting was anazing to capture a certain tyoe of mood or moment which was then repeated a lot so while many fekt the acting was great i felt it was within a narrow range and not mind blowing sorry.

The use of the split scene then flash back was done really well except maybe a bit too often esoecially where verbal communication was sparse it was at times a long wait to find out what was actually said when.

Overall I feel like this is really really a great watch but maybe not all in one go. I have a fulfulling sense of satisfaction even though at times i was not sure what to make of it. Somehow this drama didnt neccessarily always go they way I wanted and yet i never felt cheated or had an oh i hate this type of story moment. I still havent settled on a no for my rating im curious what people feel.

Leia Mais