an energetic and relaxing sitcom

Overall, I don't think this is a bad sitcom. Yes, it has its flaws, but I think this is a great show to watch if you want to cheer up and want something easy to watch. (at least lately, Doom At Your Service and Hospital Playlist have been stressing me out so this sitcom was a breath of fresh air). Also, can we talk about the diversity in this cast? I loved the concept of international students in a Korean dorm and it brings a very nice spin to your typical school setting TV show.

While the story has some clichés and jokes that fall flat, it also has great and hilarious moments. The story touches on friendship, relationships, and family and (most of) the characters are not their initial one-dimensional stereotypes. I thought the plotlines were interesting for the most part and they definitely made me want to keep watching. A few of the plotlines were pretty predictable. However, I couldn't stop smiling pretty much throughout the entire show.

I thought the acting wasn't bad at all. I personally liked Park Sewan's acting. I was pleasantly surprised by Minnie and Youngjae's acting, and the actor who played Jamie did a pretty great job for a newcomer. Han Hyunmin was hilarious. I thought the other 3 (actors of Carson, Terris, Hans) had okay acting for the okay plotlines they were given. Overall, nothing bad enough to ruin the whole thing.

This show has its good moments and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy watch and lots of cheerful, positive, youthful energy. :)

And of course, I have to talk about some extremely memorable scenes in this drama that will probably live in my mind for the next year.
- the kimchi slap
- Hyunmin's rap
- Minnie and "Captain" (actually Private) Yoo
- Jamie declaring his love for Sewan to the reporters

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never thought doom could be so hot, maybe i should wish for it myself?

TLDR; generally a good drama, but does have a somewhat repetitive plot. not your typical fantasy drama in that it's a little more insightful. don't expect anything earth-shatteringly good, but it is still a worthy watch (in my opinion; this may depend on your tastes -- watch the first 2-3 episodes to get a taste)

story: it's not horrible, but it does feel extremely repetitive. for the main leads' story, it is a repeat of angst and pain at not being able to be together, and then happy times, and then it goes back to the idea of "suffering is inevitable". when I was watching some of the scenes, I was like, "Haven't I already seen this before"? the second couple/love triangle story line is messy as well and honestly problematic at times. however, I did like the contrast of these two stories--1 more angsty, heavy line for the main leads and 1 more "typical" first love love triangle.

cast: this was hands down THE BEST PART of the show. thank you to whoever casted these people.
all of the actors and actresses were great at their roles!! and the chemistry between the couples (especially PBY and SIG) was sooooo chef's kiss. the visuals also. damn.

music: c'mon. we've gotten Ailee, Baekhyun, and TXT. what more can you ask for?

rewatch value: this one's low because it'd be a drama I'd rewatch if I had absolutely nothing to watch. I don't think it deserves a rewatch by itself, but if I was bored out of my mind, the plot is interesting enough that I would watch it again.

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a typical pure and heartwarming school years drama

TLDR;
- Would recommend the movie!
- Great if you just want something sweet and wholesome
- Don't expect something super deep and life changing
- Storyline jumps between flashbacks and present day well
- Typical puppy love drama done pretty well

I haven't watched the drama before, so I didn't really have any expectations before watching this movie. I thought the movie was good--yes, it had some of your stereotypical plot lines, but it was still a very wholesome picture of what puppy love can be like. It's not absolutely phenomenal, but I would definitely recommend it!

First off, the leads themselves. I thought that even with the movie (which obviously gives less time for character development than a drama), you could still feel the characters' personalities. They have their flaws and do make questionable decisions (lol), but that makes them human. And real. Behind Yu Huai's nonchalant facade is a kindhearted boy who really has a soft spot for Geng Geng. Geng Geng is naive at times but has dreams, and that's relatable. During the school years scenes, the leads' interactions were very pure and I couldn't stop smiling when I saw them together. I thought the actors also had really great chemistry and the acting was on point. They were able to portray a different person during the time jumps; you could really feel that 2008 Yu Huai and Geng Geng were not 2018 Yu Huai and Geng Geng.

The story, while stereotypical, is still thoughtful and entertaining. It really makes you think about some of the things you experience--or don't end up experiencing--in that time of life. There were a few parts with writing that made me go, "What the heck?", but generally, it wasn't bad.

As for the creative choices of the movie itself, I thought they were very well executed. I personally am a sucker for romance movies that alternate between flashbacks and present day; I just feel like they give a new depth to the story. This movie does that very well: it's not confusing and I felt like just the right details were included. The cinematography is also good; it really helps create that nostalgic school years vibe. I thought the music really fit the scenes well too.

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enemies to lovers to ex lovers to lovers again... made new

this is one of my new favorite dramas.

the story:
i absolutely loved both the plot itself and how it was presented. i think it portrays relationships (romantic, platonic, and self) in a more accurate way than some other dramas may. of course, it is still a drama, so some things aren't realistic, but that's part of the suspended disbelief: believing something is true even if it may seem impossible. we saw how being friends with your ex isn't some easy thing to do--it's difficult, especially when feelings are involved and you don't know what feelings they are. we saw how getting over a crush is difficult and how it's hard to control your feelings--but it's not your fault. we saw how mending broken relationships with parents is hard and sometimes you can't forgive. we saw how hard it can be to address your own feelings and experiences of guilt, abandonment, and loneliness/emptiness.
i really liked how the characters were able to narrate their thoughts in a natural way. it added a layer of depth to help understand their motivations. and even though sometimes i was screaming for them to just communicate!!!, i understood their reluctance.
the characters were amazing! i loved how three-dimensional they were and how different aspects of their lives were explored: romance, family, friends, career, and general self-improvement. like a normal person, they have various stories in their lives, and i liked how we got to see a bit into the side characters' lives as well.
there are really only 2 minor things that i didn't like: the use of fate/coincidences and the slightly rushed ending. the fact that ung happened to drop his phone the night yeonsu was talking about her difficulties and the fact that they lived in the same area but never saw each other for 5 years are among the plot points that bothered me a little bit. once again, bringing it back to suspended disbelief. also, there were a few stories that i wish they spent more time wrapping up: choi ung talking to his biological father (maybe just showing the scene?), chae ran and ji ung's relationship, sol-i and eun-ho's relationship, and the wedding scene why didn't we get that :(((( i know it's a lot to put in one episode, but i wish we could've seen it. at least we got a bit of married life <3

acting/cast:
i would like to hug the casting director and give them my warmest thanks for their work. literally everyone was casted so perfectly. i cannot imagine anyone else as yeonsu, ung, ji-ung, NJ, sol-i, eun-ho, chae ran, and everyone else.
wooshik's acting never fails to disappoint. the way his seemingly blank or sad expressions convey a much deeper level of feeling always gets to me. same with dami. you can see her thinking, and then it hits you. the actors all put on such emotional performances (with the exception of our comedic relief, eun-ho and sol-i, of course). i wish they had been given some "real" storylines, not just comedy and a supporting role. i know it's hard to develop so many characters, so i think the story was good with the time frame and those two actors did great with what they had. i hope to see them in future lead roles! i have to give a shout out to my personal favorite, jeon hye won (chae ran). obviously her character was more background here, but i think with a bigger role, i see her acting being amazing and i'd love to see more of her as well.

music:
the soundtrack is really lovely as well. the songs are so good and the way they're inserted into the tv show is just *chef's kiss*. also, it's so stacked! we got BIBI, V, and Sam Kim! plus OST icons 10cm and Janet Suhh!

final thoughts:
i am a sucker for tropes, i'll admit that. but i have standards hehe. and i think OBS took those tropes (enemies to lovers, ex lovers to lovers, etc.) and made them their own. they made it refreshing, lovely, wholesome, better, and all around amazing. these characters felt so real. i feel like i learned more about life, not just romance, watching this drama. and that's why i love it.

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love makes you do stupid things

i was thinking "he screwed up" like every 20 min, but also love, you know?

the bad:
some of the details make this movie so cringey (her name, for one). i know it's supposed to be a romance movie, but the male lead makes several questionable decisions: giving up the swim championship match was just... maybe it's just because i can't think about this movie from a truly romance perspective and am too realistic, but isn't this movie supposed to be realistic? also, who invites their ex who they have a very deep history with to their wedding? i know it sets up for the end, but it feels weird. zhang ruonan's acting also feels a bit lacking; i don't think she's horrible, just average, but when acting across from greg han, the difference is more evident.

the good:
as a romance movie, cute scenes are a must, and there are plenty. my personal favorites include the fireworks scene, the fireworks scene, and the fireworks scene. but this movie is surprisingly deep. it's about how fate sometimes seems to just not be in your favor and how you can't control everything; it's about letting go of things, love and otherwise; it's about learning how there are two sides to everything and how feelings aren't games you can win or lose. i liked how the characters really did mature over time. the wedding scene at the end was beautiful. not having watched the Korean version, i was still able to predict that the ending would not result in them getting together; however, i could not predict how touching his speech was at the end. sometimes you just need to let go.

i think it'd be really interesting to see the movie from you young ci's POV - i can only dream about that.

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your not-so-typical easy, hilarious romance drama

this drama has all the elements of your typical romance drama -- cutest main leads, hilarious side characters, life lessons along the way, etc. it's an easy watch and is bursting with energy. however, the addition of e-sports adds a fresh and competitive element that keeps you rooting for the main characters even more. i would recommend this drama, but keep in mind that this is a drama 1) filled with "drama logic" (aka has some questionable plot points) 2) exaggeratedly acted/written, almost like a comic, and 3) filled with cliches. that being said, it is still a very cute drama :))))))

the good:
- the story is a good mix of romance, friendship, competition, and other life lessons, and interesting enough to keep you watching
- the chemistry between xu kai and cheng xiao is veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy good
- the side characters' acting (pretty much all of ZGDX, jian yang, YQCB, etc.)
- the ost: chen zhuoxuan, wayv, seventeen!!!!

the bad:
- i didn't love the main leads' acting. i think that xu kai's acting is mediocre and that cheng xiao doesn't seem to express the feelings tong yao seems to have at the moment, even if tong yao can be cool at times
- some of the plot points make no sense at all/are extremely cringey. for example, the drama attempts to make it so that we should sympathize with jian yang (tong yao's ex), but if you think about the situation, his actions are questionable
- the plot is somewhat predictable and there are a lot of cliches, but also the leads are so cute that it's fine

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