Doona! (2023)

Conflicting watch

When you start this you kind of try to understand the background of the characters and as the story progresses you start making sense of behaviours and decisions. Won Jun was extremely tolerant and understanding of Doona's situation even when she left him alone in the middle of nowhere. The end was bittersweet, they both matured and overcame their obstacles (specially Doona) and just when the final confrontation happens and you get a glimpse of what the future might hold we are left with an interpretative ending.
I understand this was maybe done to keep fans engaged and asking for a second season but for a 9 episode show they could have carried on with the story.
I'm just a sucker for happy endings and this ome was not what I expected. Still I enjoyed the watch and did it in one sit so it kept me pretty engaged.
Overall good, with good performances.

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Where is this hot and toxic?

There were so much reviews Like " oh wow, toxic hot powerful, Drama" - so i gave it a try.

And it was...
Quite average.
The main leads chemistry
was just not there, felt flat.
Doona was like "a baddie", but not really, if you watch the show you know what i mean.
The love story... I don't know- was just not something that blew my mind away, with acting, connection or originality.

The kpop thing was cool, but the potential was quite wasted, as the relationships between the characters, this topic was not shown in depth.

The ending was okay. I think it suited the flat relationship of the main characters and it is the most realistic ending, under this circumstances i guess.

The visuals and doona were pretty, music was okay.
Side couples were mediocre.

All in all - pretty average, would not watch again.

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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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Only for people who choose realistic ending

The drama is about a retired idol and a ordinary living boy who shifts upstairs in a home sharing. As the male lead helps the female lead when she is sick, there's the story starts giving butterflies. The female lead is unstable in both life and career but the male lead this hard and maintains his ethics so it was no way that he would've called for such person but, he did in spite of having a long one-sided love.
In the course of time, the drama portraits sadness and the story ends with disappointments in viewers eyes by choosing realistic ending.
P. S : There are wonderful kiss scenes and lots butterflies.
Hope you add in your list.

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mid and disappointing

as a bae suzy fan who has been waiting for this drama for a loooong time, i expected way more. ML character lacked development. total waste consdering yang se jeong and suzy have a top tier chemistry. it was a boring kdrama, even though it had potential. i thought it'd be just as good as crash landing on you (as it's from the same director) but definitely not even close. some characters were bland and added nothing to the show. as a brazilian the brazil references were too much and definitely unnecessary and useless. kim jin ju is not likeable and her character could be wayyy better - i liked her friendship with doo na though. premise was good but executed poorly it's a shame.

not a bad kdrama but not the best either. wouldn't have watched it if suzy wasnt the fl

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A flame that burns twice as bright makes everything else seems dull

Doona is my definition of a Traffic Show. Bae Suzy has the titular role and all the marketing is focused on her. It is to be expected if you need to generate as much traffic as possible. This it succeeded, but it also sabotage itself.

Doona is a difficult person to deal with because she has little life experience. She has questionable interpersonal skills and has no filters. Knowing the idol industry, the bulk of her young life would be consumed by training and “being” an idol. This exerts a heavy toll on her health, both mental and physical. It is no surprise that she feels like she is drowning just before her breakdown.

Instead of giving her help and guidance, her manager dumped her in a share house full of college students. This is particularly heartless because he knew she has a crush on him. Is this tough love or punishment, you be the judge.

The start of the show sees our ML moving into the same share house. The ML is stoic and studious. Dull to be honest but he is just the rock Doona needs to anchor herself at this point in time. The start of their relationship is certainly tremulous. Doona holds all the cards. Teased and played him mercilessly. However, over time, she accepts his presence and let her guards down bit by bit. It took a while, but they sort out their confused feelings eventually.

All is well until the manager re-enters the scene. This is not a total surprise because the show hinted strongly that Doona needs to perform to feel alive. She has been channelling her energy into her love life but it is obvious that she can't be a housewife nor hold down a desk job.

I must admit I was worried about the manager’s role as she still has a crush on him and his influence on her is overwhelming. This was confirmed by the scene at the grandmother’s house. I understand why the writer-nim wrote it that way but I do wonder if it can be done better. I'm glad that Doona soon realised that the manager was only using her and ended her crush. However, more storm clouds are gathering.

For a nine episodes run, you would think that there is no shortage of plot materials but the A-plot is so focused on Doona that everything else seems to pale by comparison.

For instance, the ML has 3 separate romantic entanglements in three different stages of his life. The show managed to get all 3 girls to live in the same share house at the same time. You would think that there will be fireworks, but it is quite the contrary.

Both SFL’s have their backstories but they have very little impact on the A-plot. His high school crush should play a key role but by the time we find out about her troubled upbringing and her eventual confession to the ML, it was all too late. She just can’t compete with Doona. Ditto, the other housemates did little more than move the plot along when needed.

That is a shame because Doona is not as captivating as the show would've liked. Yes, Bae Suzy owns the role but her performance can be a bit stilted at times. She has her moments and some scenes are artsy and beautiful, but I won't call it a breakout role.

The same goes for the ML. He is laser focused on his studies and entering the coveted public service. He loves on cue and cries on cue. He plays the noble idiot card and made both of them suffer for years. He even acknowledged that. It is not a strong role. His delivery can feel flat at times. More than once I was willing him to do more, anything.

Now we arrive at the tricky part, the ending. There has been some chatter about whether the OTP reconciled or are they estranged? The show did not give us a definitive answer. However, the following is my take and I’ll die on that hill. ;)

Before I watch the last few minutes of the finale, I would've said that they are done. Both are in pain, but they are getting on with their lives. HOWEVER, after watching the emotionally charged scene in his room my view changed. He apologized without hesitation. He said everything she wanted to hear and more. They both knew that their love each other hasn’t changed. They hugged it out like desperate people clinging to a life preserver. You can't tell me that they walked away as strangers after that.

Yes, of course, anything is possible, but I would prefer to believe that they have learnt their lesson and reconciled. I'm not sure if it is all hush-hush but they can pursue their own goals and live parallel lives like some celebrities and their SO's. They love each other dearly and they will make it work.

BTW, the last scene is ambiguous but it is literally a chance meeting. She looked back because she knew he will be in Japan (as couples do). It wasn't a wistful look. The nonchalance could signal a deliberate separation of their public and private life. It is a "I see you" moment and that’s enough.

I have no doubt it will be the trending show for a while, the hype around Bae Suzy will guarantee that. It is watchable but not amazing. The swoon worthy moments are worth the price of admission. Peace out.

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Doona!

Oh wow, it was out in 2023, I thought it is one of 2024's dramas, my bad. This one has a lot of mixing reviews, some people hate it, some love, some find it boring when some think it has perfect plot. I watched it because of Bae Suzy (It was after I finally watched Vagabond). In my opinion it actually is not a easy drama, it may seem like that because it about an idol, but it shows more straggles than her happy moments. Bae Suzy's character is toxic, let's be real but it looks like she really wanted to be Yang Se Jong's character. It shows how young people struggle with "normal" life after being in entrertaiment industry, how they want to be in it and at the same time are not happy.
It is something worth giving a shot, maybe you will like it or not, everybody has different taste, so if you like cast or this genre then just check it out.

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Um pouco desapontada...

Antes que queiram me jogar pedras por me sentir desapontada, ou falarem que minha opinião "não tem profundidade", coisa que já li por aqui em outros comentários, queria dizer porquê e o quê me desapontou em Doona.
1. Muita coisa do Webtoon simplesmente foi ignorada na adaptação em mini-drama. Talvez, se tivessem mais episódios, o lado "comédia" da categoria poderia ter sido melhor desenvolvido.
2. Dizem que 'final aberto não é um final triste' e eu discordo... uma porque não achei nada 'aberto' o final. Da mesma forma como várias analogias de saúde mental foram relacionadas ao sentimento de Lee Doona, andarem em lados opostos num corredor, é uma analogia bastante clara de que ambos seguiram cada um o seu caminho. O final é agridoce somente para quem acredita que ser feliz profissionalmente equilibra o fato de não se ser feliz emocionalmente. No entanto, como ambos são jovens, não seria esse o fim do mundo para eles e eu entendo este argumento. Porém, para um mini-drama, cujo foco era o romance, um final realista neste nível, não é caloroso o suficiente para quem sofre de doenças de saúde mental. A verdade é que esse final e o final de "O Guarda Costas", com Whitney Houston e Kevin Costner são os mesmos, com a diferença de que no filme, a história foi melhor trabalhada. Só lamento!
3. Apesar de eu ser brasileira e, de certa forma, ter gostado de saber que pensaram no Brasil, como ponto turístico, não gostei dos aspectos estereotipados com que trataram os homens, como aproveitadores e exploradores de mulheres. Tampouco de se meterem a ele pelo sobrenome "Dos Santos". Aqui não chamamos as pessoas pelo sobrenome, mas pelo primeiro nome. Achei pouco caso não terem sequer pesquisado isso antes. E que me desculpem os brasileiros com síndrome de vira-lata, mas verdades precisam ser ditas. Se não gostamos quando fazem isso com a Coreia do Sul, não devemos passar pano para o que fazem conosco.
4. Alguns personagens, pelo menos no mini-krama, não tiveram profundidade alguma! Estavam ali, apenas por existirem, com exceção da Jin-Joo.
5. Mas, sim, visivelmente falando a fotografia de Doona é maravilhosa, a escrita é impecável e as lições tiradas de lá são satisfatórias. De maneira geral, eu só esperava mais...

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Love vs. Lust

I'm somewhat of a newbie to the K-drama scene and this drama made join this platform to write a review.
First things first, the acting was superb. Despite how I feel about the characters and the plots, each actor committed to their roles and executed them quite well in my opinion. Now, as for the storyline itself...holes on holes on holes. Yes, we all know that relationships aren't perfect and people aren't perfect and relationships take work. Sure. But, WJ and Doona's relationship was giving toxicity - poor communication, neglect, feelings of unworthiness, co-dependency, jealousy, selfishness, and just levels of dysfunction. It's one thing to be young and in love, but these two had some personal issues that when combined just would did produce a healthy relationship. When they did spend time apart and supposedly grew, I didn't think they had anything left to stand on besides chemistry (basically lust) because they still barely knew each other. For what it's worth the chemistry between them made for some good TV, but when you really analyze the relationship for what it is, it just doesn't work. The other cast members were awesome and their side stories diversified the plot and kept the series interesting. There were some good comedic elements that made me lol. Overall, I did not regret watching it, but I also thought leaving the ending open was a bit of a cop out after taking the audience along on such a polarized ride.

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