Love All Play (2022)

This is definitely a good drama.

Those who watched this drama while it was airing would have been frustrated. But I binge watched it so I feel the drama is really good.

I don't know why but I can relate to the emotions of characters in the drama.

Especially FL, she is such a good actress!!! Her acting is soooo good. She played her character so well, we can feel all her emotions. I mean it's hard for me to explain but whenever she used to accept all the hate and bullying I could see the pain in her eyes. I can relate to her pain. FL character is really determined to do what she wants. She's such a kind soul but problems can't be avoided. :(

And ML!!! What can I say about him. He is ONE OF THE BEST MALE LEADS IN THE KDRAMA HISTORY. He's such a good boyfriend, we can see his emotions in his eyes. He handled the situation really well I'm really proud of him. I mean I can really feel this drama is fictional. My love Tae Jun has really set the bar really high. Where to find such a good man!!!! Such men doesn't exist. I LOVEEEE HIM :"-(

Main lead relationship was so cool i would say. They were really straightforward. The problems between them were unavoidable but they handled it pretty well.

Except some irritating characters liked this drama. Irritating characters also got a character development, so no problem.

We got a really good closure and this is what I'm satisfied with. With all the open endings recently this drama has such a good ending.
Everyone gets to heal themselves ❤️

Also the intro was so good. I like the graphics!! ヽ(^o^)ノ

So overall I liked the drama. Acting is REALLY GOOD!!

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Mood: Niceeeee, mehh, okay...

The number of letters in each word that my title bears, is how I felt throughout the show. I know that's a funny way to interpret but I don't think the drama was that biggie to become very serious about. Skillfull FL living a pathetic life, talented ML living in shadows, him coming to rescue the FL, a tragic past surfacing, temporary breakup, etc. and then a happy ending.

Produced by 'Blitzway Studios', "Love All Play" is a melo-romance cum sports drama which, natively titled as 너에게 가는 속도 493km (literally, 'The Speed to You is 493km). Written by Heo Sung Hye and directed by Jo Woong, the show was broadcasted on KBS2 while internationally distributed on Disney+.

The story follows the journey of a badminton company YUNIS, primarily focusing on bonding and relationship between the members, particularly the leads who go through thick & thins of life off the court, as a reflection of choices and decisions. The major plotlines of the story include the development of love lives between several couples as well as a huge accident of the past involving the leads. Notably, the drama doesn't really have the sport of badminton as it's major device, so don't expect to see a lot of it.

Park Tae Yang (Park Ju Hyun) was a former badminton prodigy who had run away for years following bribery rumours. Park Tae Joon (Chae Jong Hyeop) was naturally attracted to the sports who despite his skills have never been serious about himself. Yook Jung Hwan (Kim Moon Joo) is a star badminton player in the national athletic team with a huge fan-following. (Lee Yu Min) Seo Ji Hye is a member at Somang Bank badminton company. Park Jun Young (Park Ji Hyun) is Tae Joon's sister and a former badminton star.

In order to avoid any further spoiler, I am only mentioning the familiar faces in the show, which include: Jo Han Chul, In Gyo Jin, Lee Seo Hwan, Choi Seung Young, Jo Soo Hyang, Jeon Bae Soo, Lee Ji Hyun and Lee Doo Shik. The acting was okay-okay in overall though many of the characters are very unlikable.

Plot development...The plotline never had a goal to begin with, nor I was expecting, but the first half tended to focus on chemistry development between different couples, esp the leads. It was fluffy, cute and radiated smiles, as a basic romance story should. Similarly, the court scenes involving stupendous matches were surely revering, and I understand why most of the people including me, ended up expecting more of it, throughout. Unfortunately, the makers had different plans, which they'd been subtly indicating from the beginning though that was quite arduous to notice.

It becomes both slow and shoddy as soon as the 9th episode, where a major twist takes place. The thing that I hated the most was the dragging and exaggeration of a particular matter, involving a past accident, for 4 long episodes. No, it wasn't a slowburn segment and not like they were sticking to only that but for the whole story, it was needless to showcase the overstated emphasis, as if it were the main plot device; this lengthy portrayal was annoying. However, I was glad, the last 4 episodes escalated back to the original form and the recovery to damage was carefully done, to an extent, if not entirely. The way things changed in 13th episode was mesmerizing and 14th episode was a mixed bag of everything.

Toxic parenting and it's consequences: these 2 are the most takeaway home notes from this drama I believe, though the portrayal was frustrating and angering, bcs it should be. Let's not forget that reality is even worse. Burdening your child to aim and achieve to the highest point and attempting to extract out your happiness from that, and then latter turning that into obsession, these are very toxic. Blackmailing, gaslighting, forcing, emotionally abusing, sabotaging them from inside, etc. that we saw in this drama were in fact, shown for longer period unnecessarily, but let's learn from that too.

Having watched only 2 previous works, I am not really familiar with Heo Sung Hye jakkanim's writing patterns, but in easier words, I didn't like one and the other one which was lovable, became sloppy by the end. Coming to this drama, while I believe, they were able to draw a plotline which would be appreciated, with elements put forward with clear intentions, at the same time, they failed to establish any memorable profundity in the characters and bring the best out of them. The pilot episode that started with nothing noteworthy to offer, slowly turned into lots of court scenes, followed by the basic romance, which was cute. The very interval of the drama (ending lf 8th & beginning of 9th) enmarks the start point of a shoddy job. I can't say it was turned into a trash, but I didn't like it. The remarkable job is, in fact, done in case of dialogues; comforting, healing, motivating, inspiring and striking, each at their times.

Seemingly rookie director Jo Woong PDnim is, in fact, the maker of 2 heavily-plotted dramas, proving his worth in the job. However, "Love All Play" as a mild and basic drama with nothing remarkable, didn't suit his usual expertise, at least that's how I personally feel. I can't really specify any particular flaw with the direction of the show, but it bothered me at times, how certain things were jotted down and affixed and even annexed to represent the foregone stories of the characters. Otherwise, things like screenplay, screen-editing, scenario setup, etc. has been moderately handled. There is no extraordinary camerawork and no essence to cinematographic tools. The modern urban and suburb setups were greatly fitting though.

Composed by Park Se Joon, the OSTs, however, have aced the list. Truly, they are fantastic, mesmerizing and very much likable to a great extent. There are 10 OSTs in total.

# "There, There" by Baek a Yeon is melancholic softbeat track depicting regrets of letting someone go.

# "Secret" by Yun DDanDDan is a jolly track of first encounters and arcane feelings of love.

# "Flyin" by KEVIN that starts with an intriguing prelude, is a jovial song showing fluffy and cute moments in a relationship.

# In Jinho's touching soft voice, "Keep This Momemt" is a song of expressing your fondness.

# "When the door opens" by JT&MARCUS is used as the opening theme song which is an overwhelming track about one's passion and love for what they do. It's awfully energising and encouraging.

# "The distant future" by Jeon Sang Keun is a melancholic track depicting lingering affections and the pain of parting ways. The lyrics is so heartbreaking.

# "By your side" by 451 is a reminiscent track and got a very shooting melo.

Other tracks are...
# "Don't walk away" by LISA
# "Something" by SongSun
# "Time" by Park Janghyun
# "My own season" by Park Ju Hyun
# "Diamond" by Yong Hoon
# "Here you are" by Lylian

What i liked...

# The relationship between Tae Yang and Tae Joon as couples, from childhood friends to lovers, was something you can't help but fall in love with. The way the chemistry and bonding between them grew close and the way they supported each other, pushing their partners up the ladder, was both fun, emotional and gladdening at the same time.

# On that note, Junghwan and Yumin couple was also cute and fun.

# I can't say there is any definite sign of bromance here, but the bittersweet interaction between main leads, as well as thw guys in the show was fun. The same goes with the bonding between the girls.

# Seungwoo, the character had me intrigued from his very first appearance and though he didn't have an extraordinary journey or granding ending, it was gratifying and relieving to just see him.

# The slice of life elements incorporated came unexpected. Yeah! Most of the Kdramas has soft and meaningful sides to them but the show definitely goes beyond the typical amount. It was mainly reflected through the character thoughts of Park Tae Yang.

# Oh! The dialogues... I never thought this show of basic essence will have such provoking and thought-inducing dialogues that could be relatable to many of us. Kudos to the writer for this.

# The visuals have definitely been served and 80% was carried out by Chae Jong Hyeop, without any doubt. It was flitting to see so many young and handsome guys with athletic physique and their sports tracks, haha.

# Many points about sportsmanship that's been thrown shades upon, were absolutely applauding. From victories to celebration, loses to failures, from injuries to retirement and from an athletic spirit to mental health issues, everything has been portrayed in a positive light.

What I didn't like...

# The worst thing about the show was 9-12 episodes. These 4 long episodes were the most frustrating and angering as the writer attempts to drag a case throughout. I admit and understand that the particular incident and it's consequences were an important part of the story, but it felt unnecessary to give it the screentime it didn't deserve. It could have been 14 episodes if the matter persisted for only 2 eps.

# The character arcs for even the main roles weren't very prominent and impressive. PTY and PTJ exhibit some shades of naturalness and modernity but I feel that wasn't enough. The sloppy sketches and insufficient exposure led to the downfall of some while some others weren't even enjoyable.

# I understand this wasn't entirely about the game, badminton, but I would have loved if it were. Having watched another badminton drama recently, which wasn't really entirely about the sports but had lots of it anyways, I couldn't help but compare it with that. Also, the matches in the first half fueled my expectations, just to be crushed in the latter half.

Final remarks... I honestly won't say it is an underrated drama or a must watch thing, even so it did feel decent and is smoothly executed. The first half (8eps) was surely amazing, followed by 4 episodes that went downhill while trying to exaggerate one event unnecessarily, and then the last 4 episodes did give some relief by doing some post-damage recovery. It's q fair one time watch and should be given a try when you're craving something light.

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The chemistry between Chae jong hyeop and park ju hyun

It's worth watching, I kept watching it over and over again and I'll still watch it again. You've got to watch it guys. It's just so interesting ?. They both got through their problem together and when it comes to their match, they have a team work and they understand each other. Chae jong hyeop shows us that no matter what happens, we should let love lead, we shouldn't be selfish, we should put ourselves in others shoe. And the chemistry between those two, I mean the park twins, it's just so muah........... Like I said before, I'll still watch it again, I'm keeping it till I see a movie that's far more interesting than this but I don't think there'll be any because I'm just so obsessed with the park twins. They are my new celebrity idol ?. I'm a fan and I'm rooting for you guys. Fighting ? and keep up the good work. More projects with good ratings is coming your way very soon.

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The best sports drama I've ever seen and also the couples throughout the story are spectacular. The scenes of Tae-joon and Taeyang are relatable to many and hence we feel so close to the characters.Tae-joon and Taeyang are forever going to stay in my heart and be one of my favorite kdrama couple. The other couples were phenomenal too. I smiled and cried with the characters. It was an emotional rollercoaster so much so that after the drama ended, I feel empty.

Also fell in love with Junghwan and Yumin's chemistry. Hats- off to Chae Jong Hyeop, Park Ju-hyun, Kim Mu-jun, Park Ji-hyun and the rest of the cast for their amazing and phenomenal performance. There isnt a single moment of boredom throughout the drama which is rare, the episodes are perfectly paced, and the couples' chemistry is just a cherry on the top. I kept on smiling throughout and yet there were scenes where I cried with the characters. It depicts the life of an athlete perfectly.

Watch this drama if you want to know the real-life struggles of an athlete and if you want something calming and healing for your heart and most importantly, watch the drama for the Park-Twins!

Overall, this drama is a perfect blend of emotions and I recommend everyone to watch it and give it a go even if sports isn't your genre. ITS A MUST WATCH!! It is worth it!!

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Cinematography - The saving grace

The headline makes it sound worse than it is. The cinematography is great and decent acting from two promising young actors in Park Ju-Hyun and Chae Jong-Hyeop. Other than that, the rest is questionable. The series starts well with the introduction of the characters with Taeyong's and Taejuns' backstories. After that, it spends most of the time on pure negativity that it's become frustrating. Frustrating is neither entertaining nor educational. Fine, there should be frustrating characters and scenes but shouldn't take up the bulk of the show. Firstly, the more senior athlete agrees to drink and go snowboarding while drunk. Bad move for a senior and she has the nerve to bear hatred. Secondly, a parent puts her daughter on a towering pedestal that she can't see anything else below that. Is that really a way for a parent to behave? Writers and producers have great power to influence viewers and with great power comes... you know the rest. The issue between Taeyang and Junyoung could've been wrapped up in one or two episodes. At least then, the story could've been explored more from what goes on in episode 16. Furthermore, that love story formula of going out, breaking up and getting back together again is starting to err on the side of yawning. This could've been a great show had it followed the story of the manga novels or at least something very close to it. This probably sounds more like a rant than a review but I loathe to see a good show go to waste.
As a side note, professional athletes will usually have nutritionists looking after what they eat and drink and the amount of alcohol consumed shown is a hard No. The story is grounded in reality so it should at least be as close to reality as possible.

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Something between good and bad!!!

The drama love all play depicting the story of badminton players so basically the genre was sports drama but let me clear it for you that this drama is not a sport drama its a romance melo drama with unnecessary plot holes
It started so well first episodes focused on romance and chemistry between the leads and other members and after 9 episodes it became so stretchy and boring and i hate the way they resolve the misunderstandings like it took them 14 episodes to resolve the controversy
At last the romance can't even saved it for me
Now about sports part a sports drama is basically where you show that sport properly but here badminton was a side trope not the main so it was not Sport for me
The leads and second leads chemistry was fine for me i love taejun
At last watch it if you love melo and don't basically care about storyline

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Park Twins Supremacy !!!

It was an overall enjoyable ride!! The first half was great, I enjoyed the writing and the characters despite the flaws many of them had. The 2nd half was angsty and less exciting than the 1st half for me but there were still good moments. The last episode was very enjoyable!

Story- The sports genre is there but it takes a backseat when the personal situations come more to light. LAP also has more of a melo feel in the 2nd half rather than the romcom feel it did in the beginning. I wish some of the plots ended more satisfyingly like Taejun's mom (I felt like she got off easy lol). I also wish the 2nd couple was developed better or slower, they felt a bit rushed. Overall, I think it's an enjoyable & simple story. It has comedy as well so it's a lighter melo. I did get a little tired during episodes 11&12 but the rest of the episodes were great!

Acting/Cast- Everyone was good! Taejun has made it to my best dramaland boyfriend's list as well <3 He is the standard!!! I wish Taeyang and him felt more equally yolked in their relationship but I did love them together. They made me smile so much :) I loved all the team members by the 2nd half!! Some of them needed character development but everyone was lovable by the end and they brought a lot of humor to the show haha

Music- It was good!! The theme song made me smile every week :)

Rewatch- I don't rewatch usually but I would love to watch the Park Twins moments as well as the funny moments again <3

Overall it was a good watch for me. I have a couple complaints but overall I did like it, mainly because of the characters (excluding TJ's parents, they were awful). First half was great, 2nd half just didn't live up to the 1st. You should definitely watch if you love Chae Jong Hyeop as he was AMAZINGGG in here! If you're the least bit interested I don't think it will hurt to try either, the characters are pretty lovable :)

Happy watching!!

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Not Good Enough

Korean Drama "Love All Play" had potential with the sports theme and the tragic figure that was the main lead, but they were all wasted.

The story was boring and the pattern of breaking up and making up, again and again, was tiring. The main couple, moreover, was cute at first, but they didn't have enough chemistry to support the whole thing. The second couple were better, but they didn't have enough screentime. Also, the main lead's tragic story got unbearable and almost idiotic, as she let everyone treat her badly without even acting up. Her relationship with her mother should have been further reviewed as well.

At least the performances were enjoyable.

So, overall, four out of ten.

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Could've been great.

Let's start off with what I liked about the show:

- It looked really good cinematography-wise, I liked the overall atmosphere and aesthetic of it.
- The characters had their charms and sometimes were very comedic.
- They had a bunch of funny moments which I genuinely enjoyed (one being the spoon scene, that was really funny for some reason).
- Yumin and Junghwan were endearing.
- Taejun vs. Junghwan
- Also that golden retriever Yunis junior.

Now, onto what I didn't like about the show: (warning: rant)

- The story was very all over the place. For something that was supposed to be a sports romcom, it was so angsty and Taeyang's and Taejun's growth as athletes weren't even touched on as much. (Honestly, their growth as characters in general wasn't really shown that much).
- The characters' arcs and stories weren't properly showcased. We just suddenly see these developments and I'm always left thinking "when did that happen?" or "where did that come from?" It's like I completely missed the show and I'm just learning about all of these developments secondhand. And because of this, I find myself not caring about their struggles that much and when they get through them, it's like "alright, good for them I guess".
- The conflict was so repetitive and kept going only for it to end just like that? The potential for conflict and resolution could've been really good but it wasn't.
- The show felt like it was focusing on too many stories and conflicts (or too many angles of one conflict? idek) and problems of Taeyang that it couldn't really understand what it wanted to say properly, leading to a very scattered show with no proper growth therefore leaving the characters with so much wasted potential for their arcs (especially Seungwoo's—I would've loved to see him at least want to play before ending his career). Honestly, I wanted to love this because I love sports stuff (2521 and Haikyuu! being some of them) and it started off pretty well! I find it really interesting when the characters have different goals for their athletic careers while also having to balance their personal struggles and how that's interwoven into their stories as athletes. But this was just, too much angst and very all over the place. In the 15th episode, they show flashbacks of Taeyang and Taejun playing badminton together and it's literally only from the first three episodes. That's how little we've seen any of the characters play badminton. Where is their growth as athletes? How is Taejun becoming more passionate about badminton? How is Taeyang coming back from her 3-year break? And why is the Yunis team suddenly accepting her? SHOW MEEEEEEE.
- I genuinely didn't like that Taeyang just kept taking all the bullshit too? It was fine for the first few episodes, but it just kept going to the point that it was annoying. Idk.
- Also why do Taejun and Taeyang hug like that? It feels so stiff, the only exception being the last hug they had during episode 16. Like just HUG! Put your heads together! Nuzzle!!!! Jeez.
- Lastly, I wanted to see more of Taejun's emotional struggles. With his parents practically being very absent when it comes to his badminton career, how he feels being overshadowed by his sister, his relationship with the sport, etc. But nope. I didn't even care when he gave his medal to his mom and said that he was never good enough because they didn't show his struggles. (Also, his mom is the worst).

Anyway, this was disappointing. I really wanted to like this, especially because a lot of people are saying it was good.

Am I missing something? Someone tell me because I would love to love this. Maybe I'll give it another watch during my free time, but for now these are my thoughts.

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It’s everything and more

Gosh! Did I love this show…
Watching the park twins and their teammates as they navigate the world of badminton, friendship, camaraderie and love is like bathing in sunshine. Dark clouds may cover their sky from time to time, but they have no chance against the endearing warmth of Park Tae Joon’s smile (Chae Jong Hyeop). His acting was so superb in this show, it truly elevated the character.
This show has so much heart, that no matter where the plot line took us, you got your happy dose alongside the angst.
The soundtrack is wonderful too, hearing it immediately made me smile, and the sweet moments the show dished out in generous doses were sweeter than honey without ever being boring or overly clichéd.

Honestly? My only complaint is that we didn’t get more episodes.

Prepare to fall in love!

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