Nevertheless, (2021)

Horrible leads, not so great plot

Plot-This plot is about the main girl and how she is skeptical of love because her ex-boyfriend cheated on her. She went to the bar I think and she accidentally met the male lead. The male lead's character revolves around him being a player, who doesn't "believe" in a real relationship and he just wants to fool around and play with the main girl. Eventually, they ended up being friends with benefits. The main girl catches feelings, but she still wants to hit it. Even though she obviously knew the rumor about the male lead being a playboy, but she wants it---So across the episodes; the male lead and main girl basically go back and forth trying to see who will cave into each other. The male lead is awful, predictable, and is not honest about his feelings. Sure, you can be a playboy; but be upfront about it. The main girl is a mess too, she is drawn to the male lead and his fake likes and kisses; and eventually, throughout the messiness, they ended up together (roll eyes).

Acting-good, everyone acted their characters well. I really do not like male lead; his character is trash!!!!

GL plot- It was cute to see two best friends confront their feelings and ended up together :). Their plot was the only good thing that save this show.

Rant over!! :)

Leia Mais

Out Of The Chrysalis ➰️ Into Self Awareness ➰️ An Art School Fable About Taking Wing VG 7.6

Right from the start I'm thinking:
"Yo! Oh NO! Women and girls don't need to be watching this!"

This story follows the lives of art students, particularly Nabi's group of friends. Though the focus is on their love lives, the stresses of classes, projects, competitions, and future plans factor heavily in the story. The protagonist is Yu Nabi, a beautiful and talented but resigned, student.

The show starts with her painful break-up. She is then quickly seduced by the powerfully sexual Park Jae-eon (Song Kang from Sweet Home-8.5 & Navillera), who is a notorious womanizer. They couldn't be more different, except for the "road closure" signs on the way to their hearts. She starts a physical relationship with him but continually doubts him. He never asked for more anyway. This type of dude is not good in real life. Users like this tend to be on the sociopathic scale. Naive girls will think the can change him, that they'll succeed where other women have failed. It won't work, girls. You will get your heart shredded.

"It's making me so uncomfortable," was my thought, from EP 2 through midway when there was a plot shift. At the same time, I was also thinking that the director & actors handled the seduction scenes well. They are as steamy as the kitchen in a noodle restaurant. Nabi moves on to other guys. She has no shortage of admirers herself. These relationships may make her more at ease, but there are clearly no sparks, such as the ones Jae-eon ejects when he's performing his craft.

My method is: No reviews without watching the entire show, intolerable pain being the exception. If I had broken it off with Nevertheless in the early episodes, which I was not enjoying, I would've had a much different opinion than I now do after watching every frame. A solid 25% (it seems) of the early episodes consists of Nabi staring with an emptiness that showcases how a hammer shattered her fragile shell. Her emotional core is pulverized. She's struggling with school. Nothing is going right. She's shut down.

Nabi brightens up in the very last scene, when she settles on the next step in the direction of her future. She smiles radiantly, her voice lifts an octave or so, her words suddenly flow with ease: She's confident. There was so much transformation in that last smiling sentence that it was breathtaking.

The director, Kim Ga Ram (Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency -7.4), created her own piece of art in this series. This is Kim Ga-ram's third effort. All three are rated solidly with an increase in the IMDB rating for each one. We should be looking forward to more excellent offerings from Ms Kim. Screenwriter, Jung Won, is just getting started.

Not only was Nabi's transformation handled aptly, but there are many scenes that are excellent, with imagery and metaphors noticeable in the first watch. (Another go-through would only reveal more.) In Ep9, for example, Do-hyeuk gives Nabi an umbrella. He told her it will rain. He has an extra umbrella. Cut to Jae-eon who looks out at the deluge, umbrellaless. Do-hyeuk was prepared for heartache. He had braced himself. He was ready for rain. Heartache snuck up on Jae-eon. He never saw it coming. Several others in the extended group, who had been longstanding friends, also pair up. Their romances were all done well.

Adorned with a butterfly tattoo on the back of his neck, Jae-eon claims it means: The ugliness & pain of happiness & a lack of freedom. While Jae-eon has looks, money, talent, and popularity, which are all things that people believe will make them happy, he's not happy. He's lived free with many women, which left him not free to pursue a meaningful relationship. It's obvious that Jae-eon's dingy apartment -it's almost grayscale- is emblematic of his closed off heart. "Nabi" means butterfly. Nabi emerges from her chrysalis at the end of the show. That emergence had nothing to do with a man. The criticism of Nevertheless promoting toxic relationships is not fair. Nabi's confidence, in the end, was from, by, and through HER, not anyone else. This show is a cocoon that yields it's beauty right on time.

The sculpture on which Nabi labours for the entire semester appears lackluster, just as Nabi does. She takes a step toward joining society by finally taking on assistants. The reveal for finished works will be the end of semester art show. What's on display is Nabi herself. Nabi's piece has taken up wings to fly. The process and the show are the stages of a butterfly. The matured Nabi powers through her entrapments in full stained glass splendor. She might as well fuse with her sun-catcher and bracelet.

This is a well-crafted show. I would give it a rating of around 7.6, but it doesn't rise to the level of a solid 8. The director will likely be there with her next effort. Nevertheless, this series is well worth watching. It's not like the 3' deep cutesy romances. The director has crafted something more complex. In fact, I would classify this as a drama about self-awareness and self-liberation first, and a romance second.


QUOTE📢

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne~


〰🖍 IMHO

🎬8 🤔6 🎭8 💓6 🦋8 ⚡1

Age 15+

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may also like:

Modern Day:
A Witch's Love 7.8;
Love to Hate You 8.9;
Oh My Ghost 10;
Our Blues 8.7 - ensemble piece;
It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9;
Love Struck in the City 7.3;
Hospital Playlist 9;
My Mister 9.5;
I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;


Action/Sci-fi/fantasy:
Signal 8.6;
The Cursed 8.3;
Flower of Evil 8.9;
The Man from Nowhere 8.9;
Black 9;
Squid Game 8.4;


Romance junkies only:
My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks);
Boys Over Flowers 8 ~ melodrama to the max;
The Bride of Habaek 7;
Heirs 7.3;
That Winter, The Wind Blows7
Something in the Rain 9

Leia Mais

A flawed relationship between two flawed people.

Nevertheless is a 2021 Korean drama that tells the story of Yoo Na-bi (Han So-hee), a college student who falls in love with Park Jae-eon (Song Kang), a charming but emotionally unavailable man. Na-bi knows that Jae-eon is not good for her, but she can't help but be drawn to him.

The drama has been praised for its realistic portrayal of relationships, especially the complex dynamics between men and women. Na-bi and Jae-eon's relationship is toxic and unhealthy, but it is also believable and relatable. The drama also does a good job of exploring the themes of love, desire, and heartbreak.

One of the strongest aspects of Nevertheless is its acting. Han So-hee and Song Kang give compelling performances as Na-bi and Jae-eon, respectively. Han So-hee is particularly good at capturing Na-bi's vulnerability, strength, and growth. Song Kang is also effective at portraying Jae-eon's charm, darkness, and complexities.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Chae Jong-hyeop is charming and likable as Yoo Han-sol, Na-bi's best friend. Yang Hye-ji is heartbreaking as Yang Ji-wan, a woman who is in love with Jae-eon.

While the drama is praised for its realism, it has also been criticized for its slow pacing and melodramatic tone. Some viewers have also found the characters to be unlikable and the plot to be unrealistic.

However, I believe that the slow pacing and melodramatic tone are essential to the story. The drama is not about a perfect relationship or perfect people. It is about a flawed relationship between two flawed people. The characters make mistakes, and they hurt each other. But they also love each other deeply.

The drama does not provide easy answers. It does not shy away from the dark and difficult aspects of relationships. But it also shows that love is powerful and healing.

Overall, Nevertheless is a well-made drama with strong performances from its cast. It is a dark and cynical look at love, but it is also surprisingly honest and insightful. It is a drama that will stay with you long after you've finished watching it.

**Conclusion:**

I felt a lot of different emotions while watching Nevertheless. I felt happy, sad, angry, and frustrated. But most of all, I felt heartbroken. The drama is a love story, but it is not a traditional love story. It is a story about the dark and difficult aspects of love. But it is also a story about the power of love to heal.

If you are looking for a light and fluffy rom-com, then Nevertheless is not the show for you. But if you are looking for a show that will challenge you and make you think, then I highly recommend it. Nevertheless is a drama that will stay with you long after you've finished watching it.

Leia Mais

Toxic behaviour and not enough main character development.

Spicy scenes between ML and FL were sizzling hot. That being said...

I wasn't a fan of the main couple storyline.The side characters storylines were much better. Bit-Na and Nam Gyu Hyun's relationship was so cute, and had a lot of development. I'm happy they ended up together. Sol and Ji-Wan's relationship was refreshingly different for foreign dramas. My favorite relationship was the two teachers. I loved seeing their sweet relationship develop.

Lack of Character development was severely frustrating in ML/FL storyline. They should've provided some information about Jae-On's past, the storyline of Seola, and more on Na-Bi's past.

It felt like, the show-makers were trying hard to justify toxic relationship behaviour.

Na-Bi gets out of one relationship with a serial cheater, and goes right back into another. Her dismissing all kinds of red flags, even after leaving her garbage ex, is frustrating and painful to watch. She had no self respect! The fact she has to ask if he has any diseases🤢... because she suspects he has at least one other girlfriend, and knows he's a player, but still has sex with, and wants to be with him🤦🏼‍♀️. Kissing Jae-On with another girls lipstick still on his mouth, right after he said he considered kissing the other girl "just a game" 🤮!

Leia Mais

A realistic and not uncommon type of relationship.

I've watched this two times already: first time with 17 and now with 20.
By this, i can say that this drama is really more 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, since only now i could look at it with the right eyes.

First of all, Nabi is a typical person with 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 and some childish manners along with it. It's even concerning to see how she gets quickly obsessed and jealousy. But, at least she can recognize her own pathetic ways.
And Jaeon, the first impression we can get of him is a 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿. The way he talks, how he moves, his gestures, it's all with the intent of seduction (and it can even get a bit cringe sometimes).

The first view that Nabi gets of him isn't much different from the stereotype, but it gets worse 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀. I mean, he may be not sincere with his flings, but i don't think he would never do something like, make fun of her for getting her period. He even asks if that's what she thinks of him. And she also turn some things he says, worse, because in my view when he says that they're not together or having something, he was getting along with what she was about to say, so the creepy guy would stop annoying them. It really doesn't makes much sense being upset about it because they haven't even kissed yet, he was only giving signals that he wanted to hook-up with her. What is true is that he have the "Do people need to date each other?" mindset, which has nothing wrong too.
Other thing about Jaeon is that he really is a more reserved person, he doesn't talk much about himself. This way of being leaves people talking about what they don't know and imagining stuff. And i think it's intentional, for the watcher to see him (most of the time) by her eyes and the eyes of others. Also, Nabi gets anxious with this type of behavior due to her own type. We can't hear his thoughts on the beginning so we end up just like her, wondering what passes on his mind.

I see them both, as 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗶𝗻. Is shown that Nabi's mother is seemed by her as "neglecting" and she already had poor relationships, where the guy was a bad person but she loved him anyway. Unfortunately, we learn with our parents and end up 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀. Nabi has already had an terrible ex, where she needed a bigger issue to happen so she could leave him. And, after that, she founds Jaeon, that is emotionally unavailable. And Jaeon's mother is shown too, she's distant since he was a kid, but she compensates with money. Which might have led him to be distant in his relationships too. So, what i'm saying is that even if they have personal responsibility for their choices and actions, i can see where they come from.

None of them are saints and Jaeon have his moments of being a jerk, like when he acts stupid around Nabi and the freshman that is flirting with her. But, i don't think he's a bad person. He's a guy that is 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻, due to past experiences that isn't known much about. He even says that when you have certainty about a relationship, it becomes weak. That's why he draws some lines, as Nabi said. And, even after he asks her to date him, he cringes when he remember it. Also, I think Jaeon doesn't take much time to fall for her, but he doesn't even know how to deal with it. In my vision, it starts after their first kiss. Even his ex, Seol-Ah, can tell that something's going on with him. It's difficult to say some stuff due to the lack of information but i believe that he may has stopped seeing other girls after he realized what he was feeling. Cause, even that incident where he gets a punch, turns out to be a mistake and his ex confess that she lied to Nabi. So, i am defending Jaeon of the extreme critics he gets but i'm not denying that he has issues and can be labeled as some kind of red flag.

There's two things that i find very interest in this drama: the double meaning when he talks about butterflies and also talk about her, and the parallel between their relationship and Nabi's art. This drama is different from the others due to this type of subtle meanings. And that may be one of the reasons why people dislike this drama. But, it's so beautiful to see how Nabi gets "free" after she reconstructed her art piece. Even her professor says it to her and tells her to do whatever she wants. And that's what she does.

I think that in the end, she just 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 how that relationship started, in a bad way and with them both being stupid. She accepted that she liked him anyway, that she was happier in his presence. It's beautiful when he asks "you're not gonna regret it?" and she says "yes, i will regret, of course. but i'll do it anyway". They both are 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 and giving a chance to love again. The prologue gives me hope that this worked well for at least sometime and that's enough. Of course, we're being more critical, i'd want them both in therapy and trying to get better. If Nabi was a friend of mine i'd tell her to be cautious with him, to pay attention to his actions. But, in general, i don't think their relationship is "toxic but romanticized" or something like that. I think it's realistic and obviously not perfect.

To end, i think one of the reasons why people don't like Nevertheless is because the drama is a 'slow burn'. It really doesn't have much scenes to leave you apprehensive, it's focused on the characters relationship. And even if i didn't mention it, the other characters are also very good to watch and analyse.

Leia Mais

Must see

AT first I thought yeah this one is gonna bore me to death, but once I started I could not stop, this was funny and romantic , and yes there were some moments when you had to fan yourself because it got hot and heavy. What Got me most about this is it wasn't an easy story , like boy meets girl they fall in love everything is rosey, hardly. Boy meets girl then meets girl again, and again boy is a dog , he does whorish types of things, boy wants girl, girl wants boy but afraid because boy is a dog. would I watch this again... HECK YEAH I WOULD. The actors were great I was completely blown away with the story line it was very unexpected, but it worked... Love it love it love it.....

Leia Mais

Honestly the only thing that kept me watching this story ware the secondary plot lines.

Honestly the only thing that kept me watching this story ware the secondary plot lines, the main CP was extremely annoying to watch.

The plot was just kind of shit and there was a lot of unnecessary drama that wasn't even interesting or adding anything to the plot. There were quite a few plot points that were touched on during the story but never given a resolution at the end, such as Jae-eon's obsession with butterflies.

By the half of the show I was so sick and tired of the main ML and FL that I honestly just skipped through most of their scenes together. The continuous longing/yeaning looks were just annoying honestly because their actions never lined up with their words, or even just another action afterwards. Most of the scenes the main CP were in were always so somber and just depressing to look at. Oh also, the love triangle was totally Y/N style and I mentally clocked out through most of it haha.

Now! Let's talk about the other people in the show! Spoilers of course, but I'm so glad that Yoonsol and Jiwan actually got together at the end romantically. This is a great step forward more lgbtq+ representation and it was very cute to watch. Of course the rest of the writing did catch up with them as there were a few useless dramatic moments that got just skipped over later on but in general they were very adorable to watch.

My second favourite pair was probably Minyoung and Joohyuk- I didn't think they'd actually go through with the pairing from the beginning but they did and it was really fun to watch! There's not much development but as they're not any of the main pairs it made sense. It was just cute to watch. <3

I found Bitna and Kyuhyun's story to be a bit eye raising but in the end it wasn't all that annoying. Dude should've found a better person but I digress haha.

Other supporting cast members like 'the single guy', and the two in the 'they're so married' CP were also a fun watch! They felt like their own characters and were very entertaining to watch!

Overall, I found most of the show enjoyable, but the biggest chuck (main CP) was just a drag. I would only recommend this to people if you can bear skipping through a large chuck of the show because that's the only way it's bearable! :)

Leia Mais

blend of confusion and uncertainity

There's some unspoken stereotype in dramas and this one is in complete contrast to it. you get the Hollywood mindset vibes which are nice but the episodes felt really long. I really ff it or watched it while completing my assignments,
Many parts of it seemed incomplete and given the number of episodes neither did I expect to get a complete story of the male lead however it would have been good if there's some background story.

The beginning really escalates well but then there's a sudden drop from there. I appreciate the effort they put in to show how "open-minded" relationships look like, along with that I feel there should also be some story other than just the chemistry.

I wonder if Song Kang is the epitome of sadness. I'm not saying it's a tragic drama but that's what I realized after watching it. I believe many would consider watching it only for the cast and I myself wanted to watch it coz of them, so I won't blame anyone for that matter.
There are things that we might regret nevertheless we still do them just like how I'm gonna regret staying up late until 4 A.M to complete the drama and review it nevertheless I'm still doing it with bloodshot eyes.

Leia Mais

One of the worst kdramas I have watched

The show started out great. It was refreshing to see an adult relationship treated realistically rather than like two teenagers trying to figure out their first kiss like so many kdramas. After the initial "Wow, they are really doing it", it went downhill though. The female lead late in the series called herself pathetic in a voiceover and she was. I get the heart is going to do what the heart wants and she was obviously in lust with the male lead but she just showed no common sense. Obviously I don't know all of the psychology events the female lead has gone through in her life to get to this point in the story but to me, it seemed she was looking to be loved, to be part of a warm, loving relationship but her actions were always the opposite. She had just gotten out of one bad relationship and immediately jumped into another worse relationship taking no time to process her feelings. She spent most of the episodes looking miserable. You could tell she did not want to be in a friends with benefits relationship but her character was weak and continually let herself be drawn back in by the male lead even though it made her unhappy. Her actions were just not something that I could relate too.

I know some people just fall under the spell of another and cannot help themselves but the scene in the rain should have been a big red flag to the female lead when the male lead showed his true colors. He physically assaulted her by twisting her arm, forcing her to drop the umbrella and he showed how cruel and manipulative he was but yet she ignored all of that in the end. That is when I truly felt she was just pathic and I lost interest in her character.

The whole second male lead part of the story could have been dropped because I knew she would not choose him in the end. She never showed one bit of affection towards the second male lead. She never held his hand, took his arm, hugged him or even thought of kissing him while she continually slept with the first male lead. The writer could have at least made it seemed as if she thought of the second male lead as more than just a friend and there was a possibility of them getting together in the end but I never got that feeling. She never gave the second male lead a chance so there was never a doubt that the second male lead was going to lose out even though he was offering her the type of loving relationship she wanted. It was just a waste of time, just filler.

The female lead seemed to despise the life her mother was leading, going from relationship to relationship but that is exactly the path the female lead was following. There is no way I could see her relationship with the male lead lasting. Even when the male lead was supposedly missing the female lead and wanting to change for her, he still picked up that woman in the bar, asking if she wanted to see his butterflies. The way that women flocked to the male lead, it was just a matter of time before some new, interesting woman came into his life and he would go back to his old ways.

Overall, who wants to spend hours watching a pitiful character be miserable and never learning, never changing and knowing that her life will be a train wreck.

P.S. Don't get me started on how ugly the art was. I know I am not sophisticated when it comes to art but what was the thing with the rail road ties? It look like it was just a fence. And the female leads sculpture was not much better.

Leia Mais

A really special one

For me, when watching a drama it is always important what kind of feelings it gives me. I can tell I'll love a drama when I get so involved in the drama that I literally can feel it. And I felt this one. It gave me feelings on another level, the atmosphere, music and everything was perfect! A totally different vibe from usual dramas – but not a drama for everyone.

I first resisted in starting this when it was announced but I got so curious when the first episode aired, so I gave it a try and then waited every week till it was finally saturday to watch the new episode. I am sad that it is over now but I will definitely re-watch it.

As for the characters. I think most of them did a great job in portraing their characters. I think a lot of people can relate to Na Bi – as some might have similar experiences in life. For me, I saw a character development and I think she realized a few things during the drama that are very important for her life. The same for Jae Eon – I liked his development and I could see him struggle with his feelings just as I could see Nabi and the others struggle. Do Hyuk on the other hand did not have a big character development for me. I feel like he stayed quite the same over the drama, which is not a bad thing of course but I feel like he should have realized some things for his life as well.

The music – as already mentioned – was perfect. It matched the drama so well and made the whole atmosphere into something special. Whenever I listen to the OST I immediately get reminded of the drama, and that´s a good thing for me.

For me, as I do art myself, the art aspect was a plus point, which made the whole setting more attractive. And I have to mention that Na Bi´s sculpture at the end was stunning. I also liked the cooking scenes, as I enjoy cooking too.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves if they like the ending, if they want her to end up with Jae Eon, Do Hyuk or alone. And I believe eryone has the right to do so, and everyone should respect the opinion of the others. As for me, I am really happy with the ending and I would have been sad to see an other one! So this drama is definitely a 10/10 for me and I hope many other people will discover it and be as happy watching it as I was! (And it was the best to watch it when its dark with a few candles, to just forget the world and dive into the drama)

Leia Mais

A Good Show that Many Will Dislike but I enjoy

Note: This is a show where the ending is predictable and less important than the process. So spoilers won’t affect too much of your experience, or so I think.

Let it be clear that many people will not like this show, even though it is a good show imo. One major reason for dislikes is probably that the main story of this show is about an ostensibly unhealthy relationship. There is no deny of it, and the show is conscious of the fact that the central romantic story is deeply unhealthy. In fact, the multiple relationships depicted in the show all have clear problems that are so unlikeable that most causal K-drama reviewers (esp. in the West) cannot tolerate. But this is not a show that tries to justify unhealthy relationships or glorify problems in romantic relationships. Rather, it is a show that depicts how an unhealthy relationship can gradually become a healthy one, and it has done a good job of telling such a story. If you can bear through the discomfort that the show brings and carries it till the end, you may find catharsis in the end and in how mature the show surprisingly is.

I will not focus on specific plots, since all shows carry some plot holes that affect the story. All I will say is that the plot holes of this show do not affect too much of my enjoyment of it. Instead, it is the topic of this show that I want to highlight in this review. As I said earlier, it is a show about gradually turning an apparently unhealthy relationship into a healthy one. Let us pause for a moment and appreciate the courage for staging an unhealthy relationship in a TV show. The show does not shy away from the fact that main characters are college students who are carried away by their hormones and have no clue of how to be earnest, caring, and accommodating in a relationship. The relationships that are hence developed bear the poisonous fruits such as unnecessary mind-game, dramatic and moronic dialogues, ridiculous breakups, silly stubbornness, and avoidable damage that are characteristic of dating experience of college age. These easily identifiable problems also make this show difficult for audiences who cannot bear with these problems. If you have passed the college age or rather, the age where these problems finally becomes manageable, you may find the show reminiscent of past experience and appreciate the fact that these real problems are being depicted in their raw discomfort. This is one reason why I like the show.

Another reason for my enjoyment and appreciation of the show is how mature the characters are in dealing with all the problems they have. They show the rare awareness of problems, precious willingness and may I say, unconscious wisdom to give in, confess to each other, and repair their relations. One particular moment captures my attention. In the end, when the male protagonist asks the female protagonist whether she will regret dating again after all the drama they went through, she says affirmatively that yes, she will regret. But she is still willing to try. This complex attitude can easily drive the hygienic minds crazy, but truly is touching to me, for it signals the rare passion that still burns brightly after deep disappointment. Another touching point is the choice of the female protagonist. In the end, she chooses not the person who would be best for her, but the person who she loves the most. It is a choice that no one can comfortably affirm that it is absolutely right or wrong, but an undoubtedly human choice that often does not follow “reason” and “logic.” Such an ending, therefore, can again be highly uncomfortable to many audience. But I appreciate and enjoy the openness of such depiction in a TV show. If I may add a third point, let’s look at the ending again. It is not only a reunification of the main characters, but an attempt to try again. This is yet another reason why I think Western audience may have a hard time with this show: When, in the pop culture of U.S. for instance, do you ever hear the recommendation to “try again” when a relationship falls apart? The most you hear is to “move on,” “break up,” esp. when one of the partners shows clear problems. Yet in here we see something different, an willingness and attempt to forgive and restart. Much can be said about it, and I will only point out that neither choice is clearly right, but a conscious attempt of “let’s try again” is harder than the default choice of “giving up.” These points are why I think that beneath the surface of a college romance, the show is surprisingly mature, esp. in the growth of characters and its expression of human experience.

I hope I have conveyed why I genuinely enjoyed t he show and why perhaps you may as well. Thanks for reading.

Leia Mais