tender, soft, and precious. it's been a joy.
I'm going to miss this drama so much. The last time I felt this taken by a drama was It's Okay to Not Be Okay. I felt so fully invested in the characters and the development was laid out for us beautifully. It's truly been an honor to watch this drama. The casting was pure perfection. Dami and Wooshik and their soft facial features and their magnetic chemistry, it felt so natural to watch them show us this love story. It hits you in all the right places. Challenges you to become more patient and understanding. Urges you to trust in yourself and live boldly. I want to thank the entire production team for such a treat. Our Beloved Summer holds such a tender place in my heart. I'm so happy that I watched it.Was this review helpful to you?
Mellow and quiet
This is a character-driven drama for sure — if that's your thing, then this drama pretty much does it perfectly. It's just a drama about relationships (family, friends, lovers) and there's never really any outside pressure. The characters and relationships are all pretty unconfrontational; things just happen as they do and this drama is more of a ferris wheel, as opposed to a roller coaster. What that means is that if you prefer a more plot-driven plot, it might feel like the drama is dragging and that there's nothing happening.With that being said, I definitely skew towards the latter; there were scenes and progressions that I was craving and never really got. At the same time, I really loved how all the characters were portrayed — nobody was over-the-top, there were no true villains, and I liked how even minor side characters had their distinct personalities come through in very little screentime.
Overall, this is just a warm, soft drama — for me, it wasn't a tear-jerker or a heart-wrencher, but it'll make you feel fuzzy and cozy.
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This review may contain spoilers
Sweet, heartwarming, and fun to watch
This drama was very heartwarming, sweet and fun to watch. The ML and FL did an excellent job portraying their characters. I fell line love with both of them. I also liked the supporting characters his friend who also had a crush on the FL lead but he never really did anything but have his heart broken because he would not ruin his friendship with the ML. The two ML I loved watching how they became friends and how they were there for each other. I also liked his manger he was fun, goofy and had me laughing. The FL leads friend was also bright and fun to watch. When the manager and the friend where in scenes together they always had me laughing. Also enjoyed the colleagues of who they worked with. Even the star that was in this that liked the ML I even ended up having a soft spot for her. This was a nice drama that showed the value of friendships, relationships and the people around you.The story was fun to watch it was about the ML and FL in high school they do a documentary she is the smartest in the class and he is last in the class. They are the exact opposites. Years later the document goes viral and they ask them to do another documentary this is how we get flashbacks from high school and find out they actually had dated for a few years and broke up.
Since they are now doing the documentary again we have the ML and FL starting to care for each other again. It is a very nice development of their relationship. I loved the ending I think it wrapped up nicely!
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What a masterpiece!
I'm compelled to write this review because I believe everyone should watch this series. However, if you're new to Korean drama, don't start with Our Beloved Summer, there are a lot of high quality KD, but OBS is on a league of its own and it sets the bar high.STORY:
How can a simple story be told in such an exquisite work of art? The writer, Lee Na Eun, had a vision and trusted a rookie director, Kim Yoon Jin, to execute. No details were spared, from the cell phones used in the life stages of the characters, the books borrowed from the library when they were in HS, then as adults, and during the proposal. The place where they broke up and where Ungi said the magic words to Younsoo. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the beautiful cinematography of “Our Beloved Summer”. The series showcased the beauty of each of the four seasons.
ACTING/CAST:
Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi are exceptional actors and their chemistry in OBS is un-matched. We can see why their co-star, Kim Sung Chul, referred to it as a national treasure. Choi Ung and Yeon Soo’s characters are typical of any Korean dramas and so is their story. What set them apart were the actors who played them, give all the awards to Wooshk and Dami now. They weren’t even on my radar prior to OBS, I watched IC but didn’t care for Dami then; and decided to watch Parasite in between OBS episodes.
OST:
The music of “Our Beloved Summer” pulled everything together. The story, the characters, each setting, each scene, were all made more beautiful because of the soundtrack. This is the first OST that I purchased, and I had to pay more for shipping than the actual products – I can’t wait!
REWATCH VALUE:
I rewatched most episodes while waiting for new ones to be released. I’m planning on rewatching the entire series, with less anxiety of how it will end, and more appreciation of its artful storytelling.
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One for the new age
First few things that caught my eye:It was a nice production, drama was shot very tastefully. Choice of music and art direction were very new age, encapsulating the current trends.
Script at the beginning episodes were interesting as it does not have the typical ‘dragging’ and repetitive dialogues, they were bit more realistic and straightforward. That kept me watching…
Then it became obvious that the main characters were a reflection of the ideal life the young adults dreamt of these days.
Not a fan and absolutely didn’t like the idea that the writer/director was affirming the concept of it’s okay to put in minimal effort in life as one could still be successful and be ‘special’ somehow and to top it, one could still live a very comfortable life (luxury lifestyle) yet without needing to worry about any finances struggle at all. The mentality and attitude of the lead actors were really misleading and disturbing.
This is the concept I grasped from this show:
“It’s okay to live in the world of your ‘perfect’ bubble cause the world and everyone else will give in and see you as the special one.“
This is such a misleading concept to promote and encourage. Second lead however had a more realistic side and depth. But I can see why it gained a lot of supports and views but this is nothing but a nice facade. Just like the main character
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Beloved Indeed <3
Where to start, this show was amazing!! I've been waiting for this show since the description was put on MDL and I was not disappointed. This show was beautiful from the characters to the music :)Story: It's great! We see many different stages of the main couple (enemies to lovers in school, dating, post-break up, when they meet again, and rekindled/back together). The writers do a good job telling the story of the 2 main characters which I appreciate. You see that neither of them are bad people, just lonely.
- It's also more on the slow-paced side but it makes the show even more meaningful and beautiful.
- I will say this show gives of lowkey melo vibes rather than rom com. There are many comedic moments but the emotional and tension-filled might be more prevalent to you like it was for me... I still love the show and I laughed and smiled a lot but just a mini heads up hehe
- I wasn’t the biggest fan of the love square but not enough for me to knock it down from a 10/10
Acting/Cast: This is my 1st time watching Kim Da Mi and Choi Woo Shik and they were amazing!! Their chemistry was great and they embodied their characters :) All the other characters were equally great and I loved seeing some actors again like our favorite best friend Park Jin Joo, and Jeon Hye Won. Also, Ung's Parents have to be some of the best Dramaland parents I've seen, they were wonderful.
Music: Absolutely one of my favorite drama osts, it's stellar!!! My favorite is "Maybe If" by BIBI <3
Rewatch Value: I don't rewatch shows because I have a long watchlist lol but if I did "Our Beloved Summer" would be on the list, especially the couple moments :)
Overall, this show was soothing and I loved watching Ung and Yeon Su find their way back to each other. I recommend this show if your a fan of any of the cast, enjoy aesthetically pleasing shows, or looking for a good story & soundtrack! If you're not a fan of slow-paced shows this one might not be for you but I think it's still worth checking out, Happy watching!! :)
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Everything is just perfect.
For the first time in my life, I actually found that one drama that I absolutely love. This drama has everything, great directing, great camerawork, great acting, great setting, great story, great characters. Just everything.I begin watching this drama with no expectation at all, I just think it's gonna be another feel-good drama and nothing seems special about it. But I'm totally wrong, this drama started in a very special way, they begin with a flashback when the main characters are still in high school, shooting a documentary about their lives as top ranked student and worst student in school. It may not sound spectacular, but the way they made this summer-flashback-highschool scene is brilliant. They perfectly portrayed the personality and the whole nature of our main characters when they're still young and later show how much different they are to their present-day self (light spoiler: they're not different at all ㅋㅋ).
The way they use color in this drama is absolutely beautiful, you will feel the warmth of summer and the coldness of winter and the way they combined it with parallel editing give us this beautiful contrast between the past and the present. And let's not forget about the beautiful camerawork, everything just blends together perfectly.
The acting...what can I say? Choi Woo-Shik and Kim Da-Mi is just the top tier actor/actress in Kdrama right now, they totally owned their characters. Their subtle expression is just perfect, I never saw any actor/actress that can be nearly as good as them at this kind of subtle or micro expression, their characters felt really humane because of that.
The last but not least, the OSTs. The OSTs for this drama is PACKED with talent, V's "Christmas Tree" is absolutely beautiful and fits really well with a lot of scenes in this drama. BIBI’s "Maybe if" is just *chef kiss, and 10cm just being a romcom OST king as usual with his new song "Drawer", his voice is a must in a romance drama.
TL;DR. Just watch this, please. It's my first 10/10 drama and I'm really picky with my ratings. I guarantee it will be a great ride all the way to the end, enjoy.
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A SERIES WITH A GREAT START & PROMISE BUT SEEMS TO RUN OUT ON STEAM
I can't tell you how delightful the start of the series is. It's like a 'Vantage Point' treatment which onion skins the story. Everything which you saw in the last episode seems to take on a completely new context and hue in the next episode on the basis of what is revealed. Given that it shows no great thrill or disaster or violence or any of the trope high drama, the almost soft grip the story gets on you as the viewer is hard to describe. Well that is at least till the 8th-9th episode. Each week I'd be immersed in the characters hoping, wanting to know more about what happens to them. All this goes on until the 11th episode. When suddenly, the story, which seemed like some smooth champagne till now, loses ALL fizz and then almost becomes long forgotten soda water. I am left wondering, did they change script writers midstream? Or did the script writer suddenly feel lost? But there seems to be a qualitative gulf between how the story started and how it ends. It could have been brilliant, but it isn't. The actors though put up a commendable performance. One leaves the series with. lament of all the potential lost.Was this review helpful to you?
What A Cute Drama!
I have been waiting long for this drama since last year. Since I started to like Choi Woo Sik. And yess....applaused! I love their chemistry, I love all the soundtrack, I love the drawing, I love the friendship between them especially Choi Ung and Ji Ung.And this story succeed to bring me back to my school life and my crush during that time. How miss crazily to that time. And there's a few scene that makes me nearly to cry.
Choi Woo Sik, I am your fans since I watched you in Rooftop prince and I think I will continue to be your fans. To the director of Our Beloved Summer, please make this drama happy ending. Pleasee. Since this drama still on going. So please make happy ending. And, please send someone for Ji Ung. Don't be too cruel to Ji Ung. I started to like Kim Sung Cheol also. Hehehehe....
Anyway, I love the whole story. This masterpiece really touched my heart. 😘 10 stars!!
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This review may contain spoilers
'Every Life is a Work of Art'
This is my first review here, I will try my best to articulate my thoughts!I'm not usually a fan of this genre, but Our Beloved Summer pleasantly surprised me.
While I will admit that I started watching this drama because I am a huge army and the OST enticed me, I binge-watched it in two days and ended up loving every minute of it. I'll just list the pros (the good) and cons (the bad) because that's probably the best way to explain how I felt about this drama.
The Good:
The plot was gripping from the start; the documentary aspect really elevated the show because it would have otherwise been a typical rom-com.
-Relatable characters: each character contributed something to the story. They each had their own struggles, which they handled gracefully.
- No annoying characters: The characterization in this show was excellent. I feel like I'm too old haha, so I get annoyed when there are evil or annoying characters in shows (of course, this depends on genre, and such characters are necessary in some shows), so it was nice to see that everyone was just living their own lives and not actively seeking to harm someone ahah.
- Sweet romance and Beautiful friendships: Yeon-su and Ung were delightful to watch. Despite their disagreements and breakups, they clearly loved and cherished one another. I don't like second male or female leads because I dislike love triangles and the like, but this show can teach a lot of writers how to write secondary characters. Rather than ignoring them or making them one-dimensional, the writers gave them proper backstories that helped the audience understand their choices and behavior. I rarely have SLS, and this one was no exception, as the chemistry between the main leads was top notch. Even though each character did not interact with each other on a regular basis throughout the show, it was palpable that they all served a purpose in each other's lives; I use Ji-Ung and NJ as an example here because, while they were not particularly close, NJ accompanied Ji-Ung when she noticed he was eating alone and Ji-Ung's advice to NJ changed her outlook on life.
- OST: The OST is quite literally perfection. Truly fit the tone of the show all throughout.
-Stunning cinematography and very aesthetic character fashion!
The Bad:
- LACK OF SOL-I AND EUN-HO!!! I adored their dynamic, sometimes even more than the main characters', but we got very little screen time with them together (as a couple; though I understand why they couldn't just date right away). I'd love to see these two in another show someday. Similarly, I would have liked to know more about both of their pasts more, they seemed like quite interesting characters.
- I can't help but criticize some bits of the ending, as much as I think it was perfect. I am very critical of Kdrama endings because I have seen far too many that are abrupt and rushed, causing me to lower my overall rating of a show; I felt the same way about this drama. The show began slowly, and I believe it could have sped up some scenes/episodes and focused more on the final two episodes to tie it all together nicely. They did address every issue and every character's story, but it could have been spread out more (if that makes sense).
- I think that's it ahaha
Overall, Our Beloved Summer is a heartwarming drama about the reconciliation of former lovers as they try to make amends and grow together with the support of their friends and family. All of the characters are likeable and are shown to face unique hardships that they eventually overcome gradually (but surely). If you're looking for something soft and cozy to watch during these cold winter days, this is a simple watch with inspiring life messages.
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It's not a spoiler but it's my feelings that I wanted to share here about OBS
I saw people saying that the story was kinda boring or frustrating or the immature behaviour of FL for breaking up again and again....well I won't say they are completely false or wrong the FL indeed broke for silly reasons and the last break-up or you can say that "I WILL HANDLE MY PROBLEMS" but you know what people are a actually ignoring this "CAUSE I DONT WANT MY BELOVED ONE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT TO GET WORRIED ABOUT ME."This is the major thing people are missing or are not able to see. Just tell one thing when you love someone would you like them to suffer with you when you have The TYPICAL attitude of I'LL HANDLE IT COZ I CAN ???
When teen are in relationship they TEND to hide their PATHETIC part from their partners and that's the thing The FL did.....
I am not criticizing anyone I am just making the ignored thing have some limelight
.
The story and everything is good.... you'll actually smile while watching them being clingy and all.....and believe my it's not a waste of time....All the actors are super cute especially Choi and Kim da mi they both are just so cute.... So yeah whenever you feel like having kinda getting good and kinda postive vibes you can watch it...
Thank you.
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None of the other romcoms can compare to this drama !
It's been a while since I've written a review and this drama is literally so much worth my time writing it.Love, family, life struggles, self-love, this drama contains it all. From laughter to tears, it made me go through so much emotions by its realistic depiction of the struggles one faces in life and by the hilarious situations faced by the characters. Its plot keeps you going from beginning to end, the depth of each character is captivating. The actors and actresses did such a good job ! Especially the one who played Choi Ung, his performance amazed me. I literally fell in love with Ji-Ung and every character, they all had an interesting personality, and were far from your typical drama-like characters with predictable reactions.
I think I can say that this drama made me fall in love with love, envying the deep relationship between two people whose lives were always intertwined together. If you didn't believe in soulmates or in the saying that opposites attract then this drama will make you change your beliefs 'cause oh god, Choi Ung and Yeon-su are literally made for each other. I'm still in daze from watching it and I can't believe it's over, I'm on my way to watch it a second time because it remains one of the best 2021 dramas and one of the best dramas in my heart (as cringey as it sounds).
If you're looking for an unique type of dramas or an unique plot with romance and sweet bickering then this is for you ! But also take a box of tissues, you might be moved sometimes !
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