Doona! (2023)

The Best Romance in 2023- Beautiful & Entertaining

“What will you do, if I actually end up falling for you”

When I first saw the official poster for Doona, I was enchanted. It might be the ambience or the warm color tone or the way Yang Se Jong was looking at Bae Suzy. The trailer just added to my anticipation, and I was eagerly looking forward to the premiere of this web series. I do admit that I’m not a huge fan of Netflix shows where they drop all episodes at the same time on the release date. Rather, I prefer the biweekly format more. Despite that, foregoing on my beliefs; “Doona” was the exception to the rule. And, I’m so glad that I persisted with my choice. A nine episodic narrative of lost love, angst and painful separation, “Doona” spells a riveting romance between a fallen star and a young college student. Despite being similar in age, there is a wide difference in their social standing and lifestyles. “Doona” aims to bridge that distance while delivering a captivating love story that is bewildering and yet addictive. The focus obviously remains on Doona; she is the titular lead and the show depicts her unbelievable fate in a realistic manner. Let’s dig deeper because I’m dying to talk about this show!

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2023/10/26/doona-series-review/

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Oh my Doona!

Doona! What a name, it’s unforgettable! Drama was engaging, heartfelt and have moments to reflect on. The ending, omg - crap. It felt so truncated. Being emotionally entrenched and then left high and dry felt like a sense of betrayal.

Props to Suzy. To me, this was her best acting to-date, putting her amongst the upper echelons. Strangely for me, watching her again after ‘Startup’ and feeling all conflicted was such a deja vu. And Yang Se-jong you are no exception with ‘My Country’ and now this. Lol! I guess I’m just a sucker for good endings, but this takes the cream for how sudden it ended or should I say, disappeared.

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While Suzy's acting was great as always, unfortunately, this did not help her career. I don't want to say that the story was bad because I haven't read the original material this live-action adaptation was based from. I think the problem was the execution of the live-action adaptation. It was everywhere and nowhere.

They could have had focused more in building the main character instead of showing the other relationship of the other characters, then what Doo Na's going through would be more impactful instead of lacking. You know, it's there, the audience understands what she is going through, but there is no emotional attachment to it.

The show, “Castaway Diva”, with a similar celebrity whose career ended, actually have a better introduction and background build up. Both characters want to die. Both characters were pushed to their limits. Both characters made mistakes. But there is no emotional attachment with Doo Na and there is with the other character with a parallel story. It's one thing to “know” and it is totally another to “feel”.

Watching Doo Na was like having a discussion, from a logical and objective perspective, of a celebrity's life in a classroom. They should have chosen a real-life story and created a documentary, which would be perfect for this kind of execution or production.

I actually stopped watching at episode 06. It took a few weeks before I was able to force myself to watch the last three episodes, and that's coming from a big fan of Suzy.

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Looks Beautiful, Feels Hollow

I don't like the categories for rating on here. My 4 categories are Acting/Cast, Writing, Direction/SFX/Music, Entertainment Value.

After I had binge-watched this drama in 1 day, I was left with mixed feelings. I spent some time reflecting on it to better understand what I liked and didn't like about it. By the way, I have not read the webtoon that it is adapted from.

Acting/Cast: I literally only wanted to watch this because it had been a while since I've seen Suzy in a drama. Don't let that fool you though - I actually don't think she's a good actress. Everything I've seen her in, her acting is subpar. However, she's one of the few actors that I still enjoy watching despite their acting ability. Instead, I like to watch her for the sake of nostalgia (Uncontrollably Fond -- my 1st K-Drama, Dream High). This drama was no different for Suzy; her acting was still lacking. But even so, I was glad to see her. On the other hand, Yang Se Jong (양세종) is a good actor. I've only seen him in one other drama (Thirty but Seventeen -- one of my top 10 K-Dramas) and I loved him in that one, so I was relieved to see that he would be playing the male lead in Doona! I knew Suzy would need the help and I was right - he was great. They worked well together and I felt their chemistry. The side characters were interesting too. I thought I wouldn't like them and I didn't at first, but they ended up being a fun addition. I actually wanted to see more of them. 5/10

Writing: This is the difficult part...this is the part that left me with this hollow feeling. It's as though I walked into a building that was still under construction. The foundation is set, the support beams have been erected, the walls are starting to be built up, and I can see signs of some great craftsmanship and beautiful architecture. But, the construction was left abandoned...I guess because the architect thought it looked more meaningful this way. I can't say that more episodes would have fixed this problem, because it seems to be an artistic choice. I felt as if the writing was skirting around the issues, afraid to really delve deep. I saw the potential for the drama to get into more of the psychology of Doona -- to really understand not only her, but others in the entertainment industry that may be facing similar problems, but it just didn't happen. This hollowness was even felt with the side characters. It seemed like they were just thrown in without much character development, which is a shame because I actually ended up liking them. The chemistry between the 2 leads helped to sell the romance in K-Drama world, but it didn't feel like a real-life romance to me. Observing it realistically, Doona would be the type of girl you'd expect to be (to put it nicely) a serial dater. She would have eaten that sweet guy alive in reality -- completely crush his heart with no remorse. So, while I was watching, I was very scared for him...I mean, she's just one giant red flag. But anyway, I'll stop here so I don't give any spoilers. 1.5/10

Direction/SFX/Music: Easily the best thing about this drama. It is very pretty, very aesthetically pleasing. Great ASMR mic quality. Great cinematography all around. I even like some of the music. My favorite songs on the OST are The Universe by Kwon Jin Ah and Still by DVWN. I think this is why it was so easy for me to binge this drama - it was just so nice to look and and listen to. 9.5/10

Entertainment Value: I found myself hanging on the every word while watching this drama. Even rewinding if I missed a sentence. I only do that when I'm genuinely enjoying a drama. However, by the end, I was left dissatisfied and wanting so much more. Maybe a bit confused, too. Towards the end it became somewhat frustrating to watch. I myself wasn't even sure of Doona's feelings... 4.5/10

Overall, I gave this drama a 5/10. It was difficult to put a number on it since my feelings about it are all over the place. Would I recommend this drama? Probably not... unless you're a fan of one of the leads.

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Bitterly perfect~✨

✨9.5/10

So after much thought I think this drama is actually pretty great.It started of normal with pretty light hearted shades but midway through changed into a melodrama. I think I was too focused on the leads but the other love interests had their own stories too. I was afraid the world building would be unsatisfactory cause these short netflix dramas tend to focus solely on the main characters and doesn't bother expanding with different characters and relationships.but it was not the case here.Visualy it is stunning.the actors portrayed the characters well and got me rooting for them.

FL is a fallen star that collided with a university student. For once a character like her was believable.She found peace with him.

ML? He's a warm and caring guy. Though oblivious to what romance is about he was perfect.He actively tried to be there for her made her have a sense of belonging.

From cinematography,acting,story and the OSt everything wrepped up well in a bow. They really did well in showcasing the concept of bitterd romance.
This kept me worried and wanting to see how the plot progresses so it means it's a good drama.

My thoughts on the ending:

Well there seem to be a pretty heated argument about the open ending.
(I respect your opinion. here I'll state mine.)

So I thought it was going to be a pretty bad open ending but IMO it wasn't that bad.
Sure the leads are not dating but at least they still like each other? They like each other but decided to wait for the right time for love instead to focus on their dreams and careers.
That's what I interpreted from the ending.

(I think it's not that bad if they do decide to do a s2 that is. But the problem is that it is highly unlikely.)

In full honesty this drama was a drama that is completely out of my zone. A melodrama?I would never watch it. I was so frustrated during the last half of the drama but that frustration turned in to admiration in the end for how good the writers and actors did to sell us the concept of a bittersweet romance. Though I was emotionally exhausted at the end.

Anyways I'll post enough GIFS about this on feeds so it means I love it.lol

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Phenomenal cast but…

I was extremely surprised when I started watching; I did know Bae Suzy and Yang Se Jong were starring in this drama (as a Temperature of Love fan, ecstatic), but when I saw Kim Do Wan? I was awestruck and then later on Park Se Wan.

This drama is filled with amazing actors and I saw many people comparing it to Nevertheless and granted, I know why. This drama is very different, but doesn’t stray far from the toxic couple trope, that ashamedly I have started to appreciate because some angst is needed in between all the romantic dramas.

I gave it a lower rating especially because of the length of it, I think it missed a lot of depth in the story, especially of secondary characters that were introduced with haste and basically never touched on again, other than existing for the main couple.

To be honest I think I might have given this drama a lower rating if I had not looked into the actual manhwa, after comparing the teo stories, I commend the choices made by the crew to change things like the original ending and the character Ira. I loved her character and her romance with Jeong hoon, it was very short but by far one of the two most interesting characters.

The decision to end it as it did also was kind of, lazy. I don’t really know, I like to believe that directors and writers have a plan to tell a story, and they tell it, and they end it. I believe too many seasons can hurt a good premise but this ending felt, rushed (maybe by the quantity of episodes) but it did feel like the story was told and that there really won’t be a second season (I don’t really think they even could milk anything worth a whole new season from the story).

To add to the rushed aspect, scenes felt short, like they were cut and things would be mentioned and never adressed again.

Overall, a good watch but I definetely don’t see myself tuning in for a rewatch any time in the future.

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Sobre 'Doo Na!'

1. O que se destaca no Drama?

• A história contada e suas vertentes.

Não é só a LeeDoo Na que tem sua história dissecada, lógico que a vida e tudo que a envolve são prioridades, mas conhecer cada uma das histórias apresentadas no Drama, sem dúvidas, foi de grande valia.

2. O que mais me irritou no Drama?

• As idas e vindas da Doo Na quanto os próprios sentimentos e os de Won Joon.

Entendo que Doo Na se sentia perdida, sem esperança e desanimada quanto a vida. Ela viu em Won Joon motivos para continuar, mas tudo aquilo somado ao final do Drama resulta em muita enrolação.

• A enrolação da Jin Joo também é irritante.

3. Por que a história teve o desfecho que eu não gostei, mas esperava?

• Nunca passou pela minha cabeça que a Doo Na terminaria em um relacionamento 'tranquilo' com o Won Joon, mas também não imaginei que seria tão sem graça como foi.

4. Quais são os pontos positivos?

• O retorno da Doo Na aos palcos com menos opressão.
• Won Joon trabalhando.
• O relacionamento do Jung Hoon com a Yi Ra.

5. Quais são os pontos negativos?

• Existência do personagem Seo Yeon Taek.
• Plot entre Jin Joon e Won Joon.
• O final.

Enfim,
Não me arrependo de tê-lo assistido, mas eu não quero mais ver nada sobre esse Drama na minha vida.

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Doona Left me Disappointed???

Yeah a bit. Could have been much better. But after 6 episode everything seems like a mess. Although ending could have been better. Why leave it as open ending without satisfying anyone. The only positive things about this drama is The OST and Cinematography. I was looking forward to enjoying a great show. But Doona left me disappointed!!

From episode 1 to 6. I loved everything. The plot and leads ongoing chemistry was giving me good vibes. But when Choi i ra came, everything strated to be messy. Although it was like the real life struggling of a Idol singer. I know it was goona be a tough decision. But The ending could have been much better. I like almost everything about this drama but except the Ending.

The only thing continuously pop up my mind is why why why? Why leave it as a Open Ending. It could have been a great drama if the ending was Good. Doona's ending disappointed me a lot.

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When all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.

First . I might as well tell if you the drama is worth watching or not. Yes! the cast is incredible with amazing acting skills and the music is pretty good as well , the story is simple and realistic rather than trying to skyrocket the romance just to gain more likes from people who only care about "happy happy romance". Hence yes definitely worth a watch.

Honestly speaking, the first episode was really good , but I already expected that the ending would be sad. Now when I say sad . I was expecting the female lead to die due to some cause , maybe suicide. As we get to the last episode , I realize how the ending is much more realistic.

I'm focusing on discussing the ending because many people are leaving a bad review because they can't handle a realistic and bittersweet ending. The female lead had really different things going on, she didn't have time for the boy (not saying it's her fault , i know it was her team not letting her date and talk to her bf) but sometimes when someone doesn't get even a little amount of love and support , they fall , fall to a place where there's a 50:50 chance of being happy with the relationship. In the end, the male lead didn't feel happy and I can't blame him as he needed her at the time and must have felt abandoned. Although , I don't understand what he was expecting , he was the one who told her to get back to singing and said he would support her no matter what, she warned him about the consequences and he should have expected that he would feel lonely for quite a long period of time. This was the right thing for him to do though, he loved her and wanted her to be happy and knew this would make her happy , so I can't blame him too much. At the end of the day , I honestly think he should have just continued dating her after she was properly established but I understand.

In the end, "Doona!" is a remarkable K-drama. It doesn't provide the expected happily-ever-after, but it leaves you with a sense of introspection about love, relationships, and the choices we make.

This was my first time writing a review , so if its bad , sorry and yeah , have fun watching!

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