I don't even know where to start with this review. God this drama was just a master piece. It hard to find words to explain how much I loved this drama. Compared to all the other drama's I watched this one is by far the best of the best. From the acting to the storyline it was just WOW. I really really loved this drama. The main couple's relationship had me dying I just really love how they came together and how they overcame whatever came their way. Everything about this drama had me inlove with it. I was actually dreading the ending because I never wanted it to finish. I wanted more but as life would have it all great things must come to an end. I highly highly highly recommend this drama it is so worth it and is a must watch for sure. It does not disappoint. There was never a dull moment for me when I was watching this drama.
One of my favourite K-Dramas to date
"If anyone deserves a miracle, it's him."
This show was fantastic melo with strong romance and a gut wrenching storyline, highly recommended.
A lot more realistic than a lot of other dramas. It really pulls on your heartstrings, that's for sure.
I think I would even recommend it to people who normally don't like kdramas.
Review by chillikunBlockedParent2020-08-21T15:11:49Z
I think this drama had one of the best K-Drama romances ever. It was a beautiful slow burn, where two people grow individually and together. They go through obstacles, they have their highs and lows and they become stronger through them- both in harmony and independently. And, it was all absolutely beautiful to watch.
PLOT
The story of this drama feels very realistic and unique. The cinematography was beautiful and I enjoyed the aesthetically pleasing scenes more than it's even possible. You could see that every character was actually very deeply developed and the creators really made an excellent work concentrating on small details. It was amazing how you could feel all the emotions coming from the characters and you could easily empathise with them. There weren't really any "good or bad" characters. They were only people struggling with life and their fears and it made an incredible impression on me. The connection was also definitely very strong between the main leads and not to mention the chemistry between them! Oh boy, my heart is thanks to this drama really heart-broken and overwhelmed at the same time.
Tragedies don't happen because few bad men plan it ; it happens because few good men make mistakes ; the same good men who after a hard day's work want to drink a glass of soju with co-workers and go to their kids & wife.
CAST
As far as the acting goes, I won’t say it was exceptionally outstanding or that I was floored by it. Their inexperience and freshness shined through however, this worked out in their favor. Because the way the two portrayed their characters was so sincere and natural that it didn’t fail to capture the audience and touch hearts.
Gang Doo was simply an angel. I don’t think people like him exist in this world anymore but it would be a huge relief if they did. I didn't like Lee Jin-ho in Chief Kim but this lead character suited him really well
Moon Soo, even though some of her actions at the end were questionable was undeniably a sweetheart. Won Jin-a is cute and petite ; she has expressive eyes and portrayed emotions very well ; a sad girl with happy face ; a happy girl in love ; a girl stuck by tragedy.
There were some side characters I was lowkey annoyed with (Think: Second Male Lead, Second Female lead (though she had her moments) and the female lead’s parents) because of how much they victimized themselves even when other people had it far worse.Its not easy to loose a child and be okay even after a decade ; but you have treasure whats left and learn from the past mistake ; they still neglect their only surviving child with alcoholism (mother) and separation (father).
Usually the second male lead are sensitive and caring yet hide their feelings but Joo-won is the opposite and it made it easy to be hated and never be in competition. His father is rightly wronged but you cannot expect everybody's life to revolve around his P.O.V .
The direcor Ahjussi and the site manager were annoying with their over-top-shouting-defense-mechanism; but his moments with the Noona showed him in very different perspective.
But at the same time, I also adored a lot of other characters. Like basically everyone related to Gang Doo; his grandmother, his Noona, his brother figure (Sang-man) and his team leader. You know what they say, good people are surrounded by good people.
When everyone was with Grandma in her last moments and how Moon Soo let Gang Doo mourn the loss from a distance ;
When Subae in hospital asks the sister what does his brother do that so many people want to donate the liver despite the limitation to family only .
MUSIC
One of the best things about the show is the OST. I really recommend watching this show in a print that has the songs subbed while they play in the background. The lyrics are so meaningful to the plot and the play timing is perfect. So when you know what the songs are saying at a particular moment, it gives all the more depth and insight to the story. And it’s simply gorgeous.
RE-WATCH
This show is slow and its is more fun watching with Live comments on Viki.com rather than Netflix . Its more enjoyable when u can re-watch with those comments and also to re-watch the emotional scenes.
VERDICT
I had a lot of mix feelings while watching this show. Going in, I was totally unaware of what I was getting into. I hadn’t read its synopsis, reviews, related comments and mostly flicked past the screencaps in the feeds. So in the first half as I realized what the drama was about, it hit me personally because of multiple reasons. I wanted it to be more raw and painful at times and at others, it got so real that I had to press pause and take a break from my own thoughts.
Then, somewhere in between Just Between Lovers took a turn down the typical K-Drama alley. It became overly melodramatic and sappy. In order to create a tragic hero, they piled every problem possible in the world on his beautiful shoulders and there was only so much I could buy before I started giving it the side-eye. Physical health problems gave precedence to mental. I won’t say that it romanticized mental illness but it did gloss over it all. PTSD does not randomly vanish like this.
However, despite all this, one thing that was very clear to me at the end of it all was how much I enjoyed this show throughout. I was even more relieved than disappointed because of all the tropes it chose to follow because they provided the much needed escapism we look for in dramas. Even though, it dealt with heavy issues it didn’t drown in it. There was always a comedic gesture, a heartwarming moment and a swoon-worthy interaction between the leads to balance things out.
So ultimately, Just Between Lovers is a show about healing, friendship, love, serenity and brilliant dialogues. Even though it develops slowly and maximizes emotion, it’s never boring. There are some tears here and there but with that comes so much more hope and so much more warmth.