06070 is KOZ (their label) former building’s postal code, also the title of an opening track in HOME, symbolizing the roots from and out of which the members have grown. The lyrics start with the leader Jaehyun’s thorny path to becoming an idol, then lead up to the group’s present with some of its challenges and glories. Sonically, the song is reminiscent of some good old BTS and Stray Kids b-sides, which is to say it’s rich and ambient.

The title track VIRAL is a treat to the ears - a full fledged, high quality k-pop song equipped not only with the bridge but the outro, including both various vocal and dynamic rap parts. The lyrics can be interpreted in two main ways - a message to the fans who left the fandom and an ambitious and desperate call for attention and recognition. There are also a few subtle references to their previous releases that resonate with the message. BND is a rare k-pop group most of whose title tracks are easy and casual to listen to, and VIRAL is now my favorite among them.

ddok ddok ddok is a hip hop track, which in itself is not unusual for BND except that it leans darker, heavier, and more auto-enhanced than ever for them. It took some time but it grew on me - while it is objectively repetitive, it features a cheeky kind of rap much anticipated by fans, lyrics meaningful for the group who, metaphorically, go from knocking on to breaking the doors, and a cool, smart outro chanted together by the members.

ADIOS! is quintessentially BND in its message and energy. It’s a rock infused track that is fun to listen to and vibe to. The lyrics are comforting, showing character growth through the attitude change between the intro and the bridge and reminding the listener that everything passes. Storytelling wise it’s one of the most straightforward and well-structured songs in HOME.

The song Upside Down is the most unique and experimental in the album. It’s a rollercoaster, featuring jazzy tunes, fast rap transitioning into a slower rest of the second verse, and fun auto-enhanced chorus, which is dizzying and overwhelming or exciting and fun depending on a listener’s perspective. It talks about being misunderstood and resisting being dulled by society and its rigid rules.

DIVE is a beautiful song about falling for someone that conveys some interesting, vivid imagery. While mainly built on stable, rich vocals, it also includes a solid, well-rhymed rap verse infused with medical metaphors by Woonhak. Some lines are purposefully muffled, creating an under-water effect, enhancing the theme of diving into and exploring the depth of one’s object of affection.

The most devastating and universal - Forever You is BND’s touching tribute to their family members, asking to remember who they are even in the next life. The song was inspired by Sungho’s dream in which his parents passed away. Its pretty and simple piano instrumental serves as a backdrop to the confessional lyrics addressing some regrets and feelings as well as a new found resolve and understanding the members experienced towards their families.

I Wonder is one of the most honest fan songs I’ve heard from a k-pop group making timely references to a couple of previous releases and talking of complicated, mixed feelings that come up within a fan-idol relationship. It sounds both emotional and lively, taking some inspiration from early SEVENTEEN songs. Both vocal and sonic parts let the song breathe creating an expansive ambience. The song expands even more in the 6 minute version/continuation called I Wonder, Always that is available only on CD.

HOME is an album for those who love music and appreciate lyrics. The idea of what makes a home is threaded throughout, the music is treated with love, respect, and professionalism (adapting some of the best sounds and styles k-pop has offered as a genre), and BND deliver in their execution at its new high - all making HOME the most cohesive and high quality k-pop release so far this year.

P.S. This time, I didn’t include my top favorite tracks because I hold most of the album dear as a warm place to come back to as intended by BOYNEXTDOOR who deserve much acclaim and recognition for their music in general, and a new career high for HOME.

To be honest, it took me longer (3 days) to listen to the full album than ever before for any BTS connected release. It took me even longer to process, accept, and then to appreciate it because I could tell from the start that Namjoon went through a rough patch creating it. Confusion, pain, anger, temptation, bitterness, cynicism, hope, sadness, acceptance - it’s all in, and out there.

Listening to RPWP makes me feel conflicted - I appreciate honesty and context but I miss comfort and relatability. Namjoon stripped off a facade layer to some of his infamous experiences and called them what they truly were. Groin, the intro and the beat of which I liked but the brutal lyrics and aggressive vibes of which upset me, is the best example of this. He did the same with people in a way more personal and specific to him than ever before. Nuts and Out of love, which constitute what could be the smoothest sound transition in a music album, basically tell the whole story of a betrayal/breakup/falling out that is all too easy and painful to picture. Both songs are pretty heavy and dark, but I believe Nuts is slightly more refined in its directness and mirroring.

Heaven and Around the world in a day follow a similar tune theme-wise, albeit in a different, lighter key. Still, the lyrics of them both truly hurt. Heaven is more vocally smooth and sonically uniform, which is why I like it better. Domodachi is arguably the most unique track in the album with some jazzy tunes and a triplet of languages - English, Korean and Japanese - featured. This track’s lyrics discuss (diss and cuss ahah) fake friends, critics and fans alike, as well as celebrate real friends. Unfortunately, it’s not my cup of tea as a whole. On the note of discussing friendships, LOST! - a title track of RPWP - offers an extension to the theme. In my view, it’s an epitome of the alternative, and I love it for that. LOST! is from an honest, yet-to-be-healed, and somewhat self-absorbed perspective but in a fun and self-aware way.

Come back to me is sonically and lyrically the most mature, toned down, and sophisticated track in RPWP. It uses repetition to deliver a sentiment of living in circles, draws from the myth of Sisyphus, and puts a universal experience into a song. The mv does more than just provide visual accompaniment - it serves as a storytelling medium through which the meaning behind the song is revealed in colors, spaces, and perspective.

Reviewing RPWP, it’s worthy to notice the influences behind it. The album is structured like a film, having a proper introduction - Right People, Wrong Place, interlude - ?, credit roll - ㅠㅠ, and even a post credit scene - Come back to me (based on the mv, the stark difference in sentiment compared to the rest of the songs, and its placement in the tracklist, we can assume it is), which is a result of Namjoon exploring and getting inspired by cinematography. Musicians who worked on an album with him such as featured Little Simz and Moses Sumney as well as behind the scenes OHHYUK, Kuo from Sunset Rollercoaster and Rad Museum (and many other artists and producers) - all affected the outcome with their own sound too, devised by the main director.

RPWP isn’t the album to offer dreamy, lightweight comfort but to give somber, grounded solace. In this way, it’s an extreme and far leap from embracing Mono. It’s also not here necessarily to relate to masses in a universal, general sense. In this way, it’s drastically and fundamentally different from polished Indigo. Instead, RPWP is a very personal and brutally honest take on what it’s like to be an influential young man who, like many of us, was given what he wants but maybe not what he needs and navigates relationships in the confusion of rights and wrongs.

The songs that spoke to me the most are Nuts, LOST!, Heaven and Come back to me.

Love next door had two main strengths. First of all, I appreciated an honest portrayal of the mid-life crisis in Seokryu. We see behind the scenes of her “having achieved it all”, how being an overachiever comes with psychological and more likely than not, physical health consequences. Also, she didn’t just jump out of the slump but rather got out of it through the change of scene and strong support system.

Secondly, I loved the way the drama showed Seokryu’s previous relationship, her ex fiance. He wasn’t unnecessarily villainized but portrayed as a guy who burnt out from taking care of a loved one alone, who did what he could to repair the relationship until he realized there’s no turning back for them two. Their final scene may have just been the best one romance wise in this drama, which says lots.

Image credits: AsianWiki

As for weaknesses, like mentioned before the pacing was inconsistent, which was mainly because of the weird dynamic between Seokryu and Seunghyo.

First of all, I didn’t like the latter’s interaction with his ex who reappeared in his life on no reasonable, realistic, concrete occasion. What older, smart, successful woman would want to chase her ex (whom she dumped for another man before) and rekindle love she knows well they never even had?

Next, Seunghyo’s tendency for intense life changing moves at the end of Love next door felt quite hard on Seokryu. I wonder how knowing all she’d been through, he still rushed to throw serious decisions about them as a couple at her. Still, he’d waited for a long while, so at least I could understand him. On the other end, we have Seokryu whose behavior wasn’t better in that she would dodge these advances just to get persuaded otherwise in an instant by his words or actions. Her change of mind from wanting to casually date longer to suddenly agreeing to all propositions felt unnatural, rushed and even wrong.

And so, as the two got into a romantic relationship, their quirky, ambiguous and promising dynamics as friends turned into something excessively sugary and cheesy. To the point it got boring to watch by the end, which is where the pacing, once again and till the very end, dropped. Unfortunately, it applies to the 2ndary couple too, where they both caught feelings but only one actually pursued another and acted like a sorted out adult, while the other pushed away (I did want to see more effort from that other character). And yet, the conflict between them got resolved way too easy in a set-up way.

All in all, Love next door’s inconsistencies outweigh what was done well. I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re a huge fan of ‘friends to lovers trope’, able to overlook unconvincing dynamic shifts.

Starting off with Heaven, it’s a song of a very sweet and lovely sentiment I like. The association I get is the picture of waking up from bright soft light one lazy late morning next to the loved one. Unfortunately the heavy use of falsettos and auto-tuning feels too high and also too common to my ears, which is why I wouldn’t listen to it often and why it reminds me of some Enhypen’s songs, as an example.

Over the moon is stunning. It’s the best example of falsettos in a song among Sanctuary’s tracks as the guys use them strategically in adlibs, harmonies, and chorus to highlight an ethereal feeling of falling head over heels (literally: “Over the moon~, over the stars~”). The line distribution for such a short title track is one of the best so far. Beomgyu got well-deserved lines that he executed gracefully, Soobin showcased his pretty airy falsettos and adlibs, Yeonjun excelled as he always does, Taehyun (the king of adlibs) and Hueningkai sang confidently like the main vocalists they are. I do wish the song and music video were longer because both pass by in a flash and give little chance to fully register.

While Danger seems to enjoy popularity, I found it average and repetitive. I don’t understand how it took more than ten people to write and compose a song of two minutes with the word “danger” put on repeat and auto-tuned as a chorus. The only things carrying it are Taehyun’s adlibs here and there and shifts to a lower growly tone from some members but even that is disappointingly exclusive to the “girl”.

Resist (Not gonna run away) is that kind of a song you listen to vibing to the rhythm not suspecting the lyrics to pack an emotional punch. It’s all fun, party, dance until you read the lyrics and cry because the song quite literally has the best, most interconnected and romantic lyrics in the entire EP. Falsettos are strong but placed quite on point, they took me time to get used to but once I did, it turned into a song I can’t resist appreciating and listening to from time to time.

Forty one winks feels severely mid and somewhat incomplete. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard a similar retro r&b sound across all generations of kpop groups before, which is not to say it’s bad but it’s slightly boring and recycled at this point. For its genre, I think the falsettos are out of place, especially a specific one right before the chorus; the song ends abruptly and could benefit from a better build-up and chorus.

Last but best, Higher than heaven puts me in a place of joy anytime I listen to it. It has a strong One Direction-esque, pop-rock group sound that I love a lot. On this note, the build-up in chorus and the bridge are worth a special mention as they quite naturally fit in and help lift spirits and transmit joy. Additionally, the lyrics are a powerful promise of togetherness - they reference their earlier song’s (Magic Island) lyrics and in general, point to the origin and purpose of TomorrowXTogether.

To wrap up, the problems I had with Sanctuary apply to many other latest releases as they become shorter and shallower by the day. It feels sad that albums are not carefully crafted story collections in audio form, records of moments in time and place but soundtracks to seconds long TikTok challenges, packs of gum to chew and spit out. I don’t mean to discredit the work, preparation and planning by everyone involved but you still want to stand by something you can be proud of, assess who you work with and realize what message you may be sending. Overall, Sanctuary left a fractured impression on me. I liked Over the moon and Higher than heaven and recognized Resist but am far from this with the rest.

TXT went for a different, in their words “more experimental, Temptation-like” sound this time with varying success. The route they take with title tracks, making them for casual listening, works here too as Stick With You is an electro pop title that is also relatively simple and easy to listen to. Having the bridge and more words or adlibs in the chorus instead of a Dance With You-style, auto-enhanced line repeated time after time would definitely enrich the song though.

Bed of Thorns isn’t quite my taste, but its place as an opener in the EP is for a reason. It’s got some meaningful lyrics in connection with the overarching theme of learning to live with and dance past anxiety, mental struggles, and painful experiences. Take Me to Nirvana (feat. Vinida Weng) is experimental in terms of sound, but not in a way I’d appreciate. Lyrics and vocals wise, I found it repetitive and boring, despite some sonic playfulness. The collaboration wasn’t made full use of, making it seem as if anyone could sing instead of the featuring artist, who is apparently a Chinese rapper. It’s sad to mention 21st Century Romance because it had so much potential to be great. The beautiful spacious melody that Hueningkai contributed to was wasted on a simple repetitive chorus and void of adlibs or words transition in between.

So What is the track Yeonjun and Taehyun were involved in, and is also (in my opinion) the best. Through lyrics, the members reflect on the path walked as idols and show the attitude towards their future. It’s also sonically quite rich, fun, and easy to listen to. I liked Dream of Mine (with Soobin’s contribution) despite how short it is because this is a case where the length serves to intentionally and meaningfully enhance the effect of the song. Without compromising the message, it delivers on it with the emotional payoff, signaling a kind of hurry to keep dreaming forward. The way the members switch their voice tones from low and scratchy to high falsetto sounds cool and fuels the track.

The main problems I have with the EP are that first, TXT didn’t get to contribute as much as was their maximum - over a half of songs crediting the name or more - and it shows. From a perspective of someone who appreciates TXT’s music, the members’ voices telling their own story or relaying their own ideas are the most interesting and meaningful to hear, which sadly didn’t happen much at the start of their new music era. The second is that the songs are too short in length, not allowing for more of the mentioned and affecting both the lyrics and sound rather negatively. There are lots of names in credits somehow resulting in lots of repetitive, empty sounds and lines, which doesn’t do TXT’s potential justice.

7TH YEAR: A Moment of Stillness in the Thorns works as a step outside of the comfort zone and a small but definite reset within the TXT context but doesn’t quite deliver as a solid restarting point outside of it.

The drama reminded me a lot of the Korean drama Reply 1988 but with certain aspects done and emphasized differently. First of all, the story originates and evolves in the tiny friendly neighborhood shared by the main trio. High school and university as well as one other special place, though, serve as important backdrops in the drama too. Secondly, the main character - Xiaoju - is the type who is kind, earnest, and hardworking but also impulsive, inattentive, and dense. She reminded me of Deoksun, who I remember as a similar type, and I liked and understood her most of the time except closer to the end of university.

Also, a love triangle of sorts forms among friends but is done more realistically and intricately as we see the characters grow and their feelings change. Along with this, there are a few other interesting romantic relationships developed, broken, and formed throughout - I liked how unpredictable, smooth, and life-like certain dynamics were unlike in most kdramas. Lastly, not as central of a theme as in Reply 1988, but parent-child relationship is emphasized and portrayed in the drama especially in the case of Xiaoju’s family. I do wish there was more work done to portray and explain the changes in Shiyi and Chenglang’s families though. A river runs through it overall centers on friendship and romantic relationships more than family.

All in all, A river runs through it is a solid, interesting, and quite inspiring story of growing up. More often, it’s rather funny and cryptic than dramatic or emotional (though there’s a fair share of that, it wouldn’t be a drama otherwise), which I prefer. I’d recommend it if you like a slice of life, romance genres and take interest in Chinese cinematography, culture, and language.

To start off, Body to Body is a grand opening and a perfect intro to Arirang and to BTS’ 2nd chapter. It encapsulates most of what the group is so good at - confident vocals, charismatic rap, flexible lyrics, stadium worthy sound and energy. The lyrics are about closeness - in love making and in crowd synergy, between two people and within the whole nation, while the sound seamlessly transitions from modern to traditional and back. Aliens is another track which I’d like to highlight as lyrically the most interesting and important to the album’s theme. While, to my taste, it doesn’t offer much sonically with scarce background music and excessive reliance on auto enhanced vocals, its lyrics tell the story most unique to BTS’ experience as a Korean band making it big in the western music market that all too readily fetishized them.

In rap-heavy Hooligan and 2.0, BTS talk about returning and resetting themselves in the music scene. Hooligan is BTS-que in its build up of rich and fun, if slightly sharp in transition, sound - there is old cinematic music, sounds of sharpening knives, and good old beat to which the rapline delivers verses and the vocal line excels in choruses. 2.0 is more repetitive and monophonic in comparison, with rapline surprising me by not saying much of anything in a smart or intricate way that they are more than capable of in their verses. FYA is fun for the lack of anything else that is notable about it. It features heavy breathing, auto tuned playful vocals, energetic verses and addictive repetitions in choruses.

No. 29 is an intermission lasting 1 minute and 37 seconds - the time it takes for the tolling of the Bell of King Seongdeok (known as the 29th national treasure of Korea) to dissipate. SWIM is the English title track with what could be the most universal lyrics about swimming against the currents of life and/or being neck deep in love (specifically with a girl). A lot of fans and some members noted how subdued and potentially boring it may be as the title of the performance famous BTS, but the impact of similarly unexplosive Spring Day, Life Goes On and Yet To Come proves otherwise. To me, SWIM is BTS’ best English song up to date because it’s mature, comforting, emotionally compelling and yet, easy to listen to.

Merry Go Round is a mellow track that is both somewhat personal and frustratingly general, where I only liked Namjoon’s part at the end. BTS do allude to the fact that fame and further pursuits got them on a kind of chokehold but don’t venture far enough for lyrics to be truly honest and simply draw parallels to regular experience of living in circles and not knowing the right answer. On the same theme, a generic band-pop infused NORMAL is about the group’s difficult relationship with fame, which is something their colleagues in the music industry can probably relate to. The track didn’t leave any particular impression on me. they don’t know ‘bout us is the coolest of this trio with its retro style musical inserts, delicious adlibs and voice play. It’s quite repetitive and too short but best reflects BTS’ acceptance of and confusion with their predicament in its sassy, simple lyrics.

Like Animals is generous in instrumentals, vocals and sound effects, which make for a pleasant listening experience. What I don’t pretend to understand is the point of the song lyrics-wise and its role within the album; it’s as if it was included for the vibes. It could be interpreted as in love making in its intensity or as in law of the jungle, where there’s an innate darkness in everyone, I guess. Both One More Night and Please are songs about romantic love, nice and easy to listen to. Please - the one BTS claimed to be about ARMY when it’s clearly not, and we cheered because there’s more than enough fan songs in their catalogue already - sonically reminded me of HOME, and apparently, it was the same for Namjoon. It reads more romantic compared to One More Night, which in turn sounds more dreamy.

Into the Sun is my favorite song in Arirang, reaching my heart whenever I listen to it, which I’d thought was no longer possible with BTS. It’s beautiful - the voice effects serve a purpose and enhance emotional impact, the vocals and adlibs are heavenly, the lyrics are meaningful, the transitions are somewhat Imogen Heap/Frank Ocean/The 1975/alike inspired. The song in its entirety sounds like something bordering on a modern classic, and Taehyung is a genius for this one.

Arirang is a solid album filled with group-only songs, no collaborations and members’ great contributions from the standpoint of a fan who waited for years (and maybe kept their expectations in check like me). It’s underwhelming from a critical lens as half of it is made up of short, average songs that, saddest of all, have little to say - so unlike what’s made BTS, the BTS we’ve known and loved. Now, to the most difficult part that may explain how we got here.

After watching and reading some interviews and discussions BTS have had about Arirang, it becomes clear that the members are still confused and full of contradictions as a group - what it means to be the biggest boyband in the world, what to say to the world and where they stand with the times. They consider trends by cutting songs shorter, when they could (should) have kept them longer for music’s sake - all the melodies and outros lost - precisely because they can afford to do so as the giants in the industry. They don’t follow trends by not actively participating in tiktok challenges and collaborative dances, which however harmless, would seem try-hard and unbecoming for their seniority. They don’t keep up with a k-pop formula by choosing not to reinvent themselves with fresh visual concepts and flashy hairdos and outfits, which turns focus to the music but makes for an arguably boring comeback in visuals that are a big part of the original appeal. They are essentially doing what k-pop is so notorious for by working with any big western name regardless of their moral standing and manufacturing a disgusting number of album versions. They talk about where they came from, which is significant and, according to them, one of few things they share but beyond that, no socially aware and poignant observation or message comes out from their music, the greatness of which is in big part owing to that. They reinvent themselves by being more honest about celebrity problems and explicit about love in their lyrics, which is not honest and in touch enough to be meaningful or relatable. Instead of bringing them closer to regular people and giving them inspiration, the military and time overall only dulled their sensibilities, which is all too common but such a shame.

All of which is to say, I empathize with the members because the position they find themselves in is far from regular or stable. At the same time, it’s a position of immense privilege, influence and power, where there should be no space for idleness (not necessarily physical which they ironically sacrifice easily but mental and intellectual) but more than enough resources. There was never a time when I wanted to shake and slap someone and embrace them hard at the same time because it’s also crystal clear that BTS still love music, the band and being together but are unsure of how and why to proceed. For now and at this point in their career, Arirang is a good enough introduction to what is, hopefully decisive and meaningful, yet to come.

P.S. When I first watched the SWIM music video, I was skeptical about having a white actress Lili Reinhart being centered in it despite not seeing BTS acting together for ages. This choice was deliberate though, and I got 2 interpretations of the mv to explain it.

In the 1st, working within a fan-idol dynamic, the actress signifies a fan who is struggling in life, while sailors are the BTS members who are by her side in a metaphorical sense. They watch over her, silently steering the ship and being a kind of invisible force in her life. She can feel them but unable to see their physical presence, she is actually lonely. At the end, she breaks a parasocial bond by breaking the chain on her neck, which also used to be her compass. She revisits the ship, which was their relationship and BTS’ entire story, as one of the precious fond memories in the museum of her life, smiling.

In the 2nd interpretation, with which I may be giving directors and BTS much grace if it wasn’t intended, has more to do with Arirang’s origin story. Looking at the mv from a historically and racially informed pov, a white woman acts as an outsider looking in at what for her is just an old story about 7 Korean men that had to cross an ocean to get to America and record Arirang. Even though she feels emotional, she can’t actually see nor live the struggle of these people, hence the story book on the bed side table. When it gets too much, she breaks the chain and returns to reality of seeing it as just a historical relic, the ship in the museum.

Starting off, I do think this story is best when you know very little going into it, so I’ll try to be cryptic. We follow two, separately likable and together irresistible, characters - Im Sol (a fan) and Ryu Sunjae (an idol) as they face each other, drift apart, and meet in unusual ways through time. The biggest strength of Lovely runner is exactly about these two - their chemistry was undeniable, electric and their acting immaculate, convincing. They made me giggle like a toddler, smile like an idiot, and feel a pang of sadness too for being so very adorable and picture perfect.

Next, Lovely runner has one of the strongest pacing I’ve ever seen in kdramas. Thanks to the time travel being limited in attempts and resuming at different points forward in time, most events didn’t repeat themselves in cycles or feel predictable. The story developed uniformly but rewinded or skipped when necessary in an uncomplicated way.

Image credits: tvN, IMDb

Humor is the drama’s cherry on top - so simple and universally funny. Some situations the characters got into were so effortlessly hilarious, they made me laugh out loud, hard. That’s to say, Lovely runner is full of these, it’s the kind of drama that rather than burdening you, will cheer you up and distract you from your worries. I knew I was up for a good laugh every time I sat down to watch a new episode.

Lastly (and I purposefully wanted to highlight this), Taesung is THAT 2ndary lead. He was interesting both in the context of Sol and outside of it because, unlike many kdrama 2ndary leads, he had a personality and demonstrated character development so smoothly and naturally that it’s quite astonishing. Taesung broke the stereotype of a popular bad boy from school so well. As for his relationship with Sol… let me just say this before I start uncontrollably gushing - he was so real, present and trusting with her that a few times I thought he would honestly be a better fit for her than Sunjae. Taesung saw Sol for who she was and by the end… he remains the best and deserves all the best.

Moving on to weaknesses, there are two main ones in my view. The first is some leading figures lacking proper character. One serious example is Sunjae - more specifically, him being quite simplified outside of relationship with Sol and swimming. Not to give away too much, I’ll just say I found it a disservice to his character (and a deep, fateful inclination he seemed to have) how easily they swapped “idol”, “singer” and “actor” as professional callings. Him falling out of touch with Inhyuk and bandmates in the beginning also wasn’t given proper context, so we are supposed to take it as it was without grounds. Apart from Sunjae, we had Sol’s older brother being a chronic loser and her friend being pretty shallow, which didn’t help get invested in any of them.

The second is the workings of time machine and memory by the end of the drama. Again, it’s hard to explain without spoiling, so I’ll limit myself by saying that they turned in a way that the drama took a “too good to be true” turn, which didn’t make perfect sense, at least to me. On the other hand though, without overthinking this twist could be seen as a strength. Because it sent a hopeful message and did make me feel strangely comforted.

All being said, I recommend Lovely runner if you are in the mood for a light, funny, beautiful, fateful romance. It was a nice surprise of a romcom kdrama I’ve watched in a long while!

Starting off with a title track of Echo - Don’t Say You Love Me, also fully in English, Seokjin attempts to appeal to a wider audience of listeners. As far as I’m concerned, as a member of BTS, there is no need to go there to do that nor prove anything though. If so was his wish, then so be it of course. That is to say, I liked Happy’s Running Wild more both thematically (the lyrics extended to different types of relationships while DSYLM clearly portrayed a romantic one) and musically (the vocals were a stark refreshing contrast between low voiced verses and a super high chorus, unlike slightly alternating DSYLM). Echo’s title track is nice and easy to listen to for the same reasons, it’s less energetic but more casual.

Next is Nothing Without Your Love which echoes Happy’s I’ll Be There in terms of a sentiment Seokjin sends to fans. Yet they are nothing alike musically - a “feel good” I’ll Be There featuring clear instrumentals, gang vocals and playful countdown, and Nothing Without Your Love being spacious in sound and motif, reminiscent of the beautiful The Astronaut. While I like both, I’d definitely choose the latter over I’ll Be There for how it makes use of imagery and creates a dreamy dramatic cosmos of sound.

Loser (feat. YENA) is a collaboration with a female musician just like Happy’s Heart on the Window (with WENDY). Both tell love stories that aren’t meant to be but for different reasons and in a starkly different style, and both of which I like equally. Loser is lyrically and musically such a fun, snarky, sassy song in the best way. It reversed my expectations when it comes to songs of this title, from which I expected to hear an emotional take of a 1st person loser in love and got a confident, playful account of a 1st person who knows their worth instead. Heart on the Window is more melodic and emotional in comparison. It doesn’t overdo with the drama but channels it into well flowing lyrics and an impressive vocal crescendo.

Rope It I mentally equal to Another level, maybe because of their playfully dramatic nature and a western/game setting or maybe because both don’t speak to me. I see their place in Seokjin’s discography, reflecting his easy going personality and love for fun and games, but the verses don’t sound rhythmically connected to me and the choruses I can’t take seriously with repetition and sound effects.

With the Clouds and Falling are at their core - lyrics, music and even vocals wise - Japanese tracks. Japanese pop rock has a special place in my heart, and with that, Falling (especially its Japanese version featuring Taka) is my favorite song from Happy. The lyrics are relatable and pretty, the whistling is on point, the vocals are exquisite and masterful - a treat. The guitar from With the Clouds takes much from Radwimps’ We’ll Be Alright (understandable both being produced by Yojiro Noda) but then switches to a different plane of ethereal melody. This switch I find interesting and conflicting - it differentiates the song and yet interrupts the flow. After a few plays, I think it works for this song, taking it to a higher level of emotion in accord with wonderful lyrics. If I’m right in my predictions, we will get a Japanese version that I know will sound more organic with the song’s progression [🤡].

Background doesn’t have a counterpart in Happy and instead echoes the vibe of the entire album, inevitability of a breakup (DSYLM, Loser) and precariousness of falling in love (NWYL, With the Clouds). I love hearing Seokjin’s masterful adlibs and lower register vocals, which is in part why it’s my favorite track from Echo. The song is well rhythmed, strikes a nice balance between Korean and English, and has some of the saddest and most relatable lyrics (in a parasocial context, they somewhat reflect my relationship with Bangtan).

To Me, Today - Echo’s closing song - resembles I’ll Be There both in a reassuring sentiment and in an uplifting chorus. The lyrics are different in address (the former being kind of a letter to Seokjin from himself, the latter being a letter for fans, listeners) but the entreaty is the same - be present in a moment and stay positive. Thinking about it, Seokjin sure does enjoy his gang vocals and countdowns as both songs make use of them again. They’re good songs but not the type I would listen to often.

Lastly, Happy’s closing I will come to you that I love for its sincerity and simplicity. From one perspective, the song is plain, featuring only piano, conversational verses and a falsetto chorus. Except that’s exactly the point. I will come to you is a song of longing, simple, vulnerable and fragile as it is. Its role in Seokjin’s first EP is integral in understanding where he’s been before its release.

Seokjin’s Echo was for the most part reminiscent of Happy. He may have offered us little contrast or surprise but he did offer us a solid continuation of what he does best. This stability is commendable in itself.

Book lovers I read a while ago, so my memory of it is quite hazy compared to the other two. I liked the main character who for once wasn’t following a “sunshine” or “pixie manic dream” girl trope but went for a different extreme. I also remember liking the main male lead because of how well he treated her and how fleshed out he was as a person. They communicated, shared interests, had a good time, but didn’t sacrifice their entire lives to be united, they compromised. If I remember correctly, there was some family trauma and drama going on like in most Henry’s books but in a way that felt more to the point and heartfelt (Funny story) than brooding and poorly executed (Beach read). What I remember not liking is the rushed intimacy (classic me) and the main character’s sister because her character felt overly exaggerated to me though the relationship between sisters added to the story.

Beach read sits on the same shelf as Happy place because frankly, I’m tired of Henry’s main characters having a forced dramatic background and an exaggerated trauma response. This was the heaviest book of the author’s I’ve read, which I wouldn’t mind if problems such as alcoholism, infidelity, writer’s block, trust issues, etc weren’t brushed off or treated so leniently. While we spent enough time brooding and stating them, we spent not nearly enough of it resolving and healing them. The main character’s family issues were never examined from the most important and interesting pov - her mother’s. The main character herself felt immature - she pressured herself to perform an ideal version of her life because of how her family issues had already made it hard for her parents. Similarly we had the male lead with issues originating in a poor family dynamic. These two didn’t feel much like rivals to me (which is to say enemies to lovers doesn’t work 90% of the time) but like two immature and hurt people, which made the ending bewildering to me. The points I liked include them helping each other out especially in writer’s block and the portrayal of infidelity from the pov of the other woman.

Great big beautiful life felt both like romance (the story of two main characters) and literary fiction (the story of Margaret - a celebrity they interview and compete to write a book for) both of which had good potential. The premise of both arcs was interesting but the final development didn’t quite deliver. First, I liked how both characters stood well enough separately (with, you guessed it, some family issues impacting their behavior as adults) as well as together (with, as per classic, enemies to lovers that were more like strangers to lovers) and didn’t fit a “big man - tiny woman” trope Henry follows religiously through most of the works, but the ending felt rushed - the climax one and the one months after. I did strangely like their dynamic as a whole though - her being more of a sunshine felt refreshing and natural, not too forced or fake, and him being on a reserved side also made sense. Second, Margaret’s story, entertaining as it was, didn’t have much of a special romance twist that was suggested throughout. In her version of the story, events mostly resemble ones already known by the public with a few additions and nuances. There was a big reveal I didn’t see coming in the end but there were also a few characters never given enough voice such as Jodi and Cecil. I feel like the author should have taken more time and care with the romance line’s ending and with Margaret’s story as in what made her a center of attention apart from her relations.

My final overall ranking is the following:

Book lovers 3.5/5

Beach read 3/5

Great big beautiful life 3.5/5

https://bookshop.org/lists/reviewed-books-anniereviews

The anime is an action comedy adapted from the manga of the same name. So far the anime has 3 seasons and a movie; manga has advanced farther in plot. I’ve only watched anime, which is the focus of this review. For the most part, it’s funny, sweet, over-the-top, and light hearted. Suspense and action of missions and political intrigue go hand in hand with quieter scenes of daily and family life, which makes for a fun watching experience.

Illustration by Crunchyroll.

It’s tricky to discuss Spy x Family in more detail without spoiling it. To decide whether it’s worth giving it a try, understand that it’s not a kind of anime that’s emotionally or intellectually heavily charged - it’s thought-out in world building but slow in delivering major plot twists. Even when characters get into dangerous situations, there’s a sense that somehow everything’s going to be alright. That’s why the anime is good to take your mind off of worries, to relax and laugh watching it, to swoon over found family dynamics.

Personally, I was drawn in by the concept and scope set by the 1st season but grew lukewarm towards Spy x Family as it continued. The target audience feels a little young for my serious age of mid-twenties (joking?) and the stakes (the occurring ones, not the ones of an entire mission) a little low. The new 3rd season, though, finally showed more of a development in relationships between characters, some background of a central character - the key to understanding their personality and motivation, and moved the plot further than before. I’ll be tuning in for the future releases as well.

P. S. I do wish Bond was real, because this Anya would love him too.

Having got into the drama much later than the majority and skeptical of the hype, I now vouch that it was well deserved this time. Things to praise about it are plentiful - detailed historical context and immersive setting, beautiful imagery, interesting conversations, realistic life portrayals, shifts of perspectives, excellent actor play, and emotional depth.

Not to spoil anything, it suffices to say that you will see a lot of the sea (whether it is a signifier of fate, god, fortune, or life itself is up to interpretation), probably cry just as much, reflect on your attitude towards your ancestors, grandparents and parents, feeling whether immense gratitude, remorse or empathy, or all at once. When life gives you tangerines shows how to be better at love as a partner, parent, child. If you listen and watch carefully, there is quite a lot to relate to, learn from, and think about in this drama.

Only two things did sometimes pull me out of the story. The first is seeing some rare exaggerated scenes with comic outcomes or easy resolutions that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from the events prior. That is why there were moments in the first half, where the drama would make you feel touched almost to the point of tearing up but not quite enough for an emotional release (at least to my emotional capacity). Those exaggerations in a comic or dramatic way are to be expected in any k-drama though.

The second is that when the story shifted to Aesun’s daughter, most of her life (being a poor student in university, balancing studies with work, romantic relationships) was shown in milestones rather than events in progress. That wouldn’t allow you to feel much invested in her individual story. By the end though, you once again understand that the drama is ultimately about Aesun and everything (even the less detailed stories of her loved ones) was right. I find myself making concessions because the drama as a whole outweighs any imperfections it might have.

When life gives you tangerines is full of heart, love, and life. It reaches and expands the heart in some way, making children better understand their parents, parents see their children, and everyone acknowledge women in their life. If there were a number of k-dramas required for all to watch, it would be the first one on the list.

Michael is the architect of The good place who welcomes the newly dead who got enough goodness points on Earth to paradise. Chidi, Jason, Tahani and Eleanor all ended up in The good place for one reason. However, life in paradise starts coming undone as the latter of the quartet arrives, realizing she doesn’t belong. I could say more but not only I would be spoiling it but also, it is the kind of series most enjoyable when you get into it knowing very little.

The good place is binge-watchable, lighthearted and funny. Each season contains 12-13 episodes of just about 20 minutes, which made it less intimidating to watch. It felt nice to spend just enough time to learn and care about the characters but not enough to get tired of them.

The actors all did a splendid job in their respective roles. Watching them was effortless and convincing as they were all very much in character. The characters’ main traits were exaggerated and highlighted multiple times but in a fun and lighthearted way. Additionally, as circumstances changed and events progressed, so did all our characters. It felt emotional to watch them bonding and parting and growing into the best versions of their flawed selves. With that, the shift was slow and felt natural with Michael and the quartet but not with a couple of other important ones. This, in turn, resulted in a rather easy conflict resolution, which I think was a series’ weakness.

Apart from that, some moments did feel quite cringy to my taste (farting robot, a guy collecting everything frog-related, etc) - reminders that this is an American sitcom, where there’s no avoiding it. These moments would either feel unnecessary and repetitive or like I was watching a theater play. The latter though was exactly the point of the series from the way it was presented to its cyclic plot structure, so in that way, it set the stage perfectly. Another questionable aspect to me was the overuse of sexual jokes as well as westernized pop culture references. Subjective but I think the series could have cut these down exactly by half except for where they showcased the characters and their interactions or dissolved tension. Half of the time, I didn’t even need to know the context to laugh or see them as character interaction but another half got confusing.

Talking about jokes, The good place was great in that department, making me laugh out loud a lot. Without exaggeration, I laughed well every time I sat down to watch a few episodes. It mostly has the kind of humor that is easy, light, and objectively funny. What The good place did well was combining humor with philosophy (yes, you’re seeing it right). One of the characters was a moral philosophy professor and throughout the story balanced out the quirkiness of others in a way that didn’t feel forced. In fact, with some philosophy factored in, the series asked substantial questions, inviting the viewers to think while being a comedy at its core.

All in all, The good place is not a must-watch series but rather, a good one to watch sometime. If you want a break from heart wrenchingly sad but not an entire brain rot media, I recommend giving this lightly meaningful fun series a try.

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

First of all, the story is dynamic and fast-paced with high stakes (especially for unseasoned kdrama viewers). The cases are few and well-connected, which is this drama’s strength.

Secondly, things are revealed out of linear order, which allows for some suspense. The suspense works well especially in the first half of the story. Here, I have to come back to the high stakes and say that I do wish more solid sacrifices were made in the drama to make it more realistic. As someone who watched multiple dramas though, after one serious instance in the middle ended in a miracle, I couldn’t take the rest of high stake situations as potentially surprising in how they end.

Touching upon the plot itself, there were a couple of points that made me feel confused and doubtful closer to the end, I felt like they could have been more carefully thought of but it may be just my perception.

The third strength I want to point out is excellent acting on the actors’ part. It was easy to believe each and every one of them.

Lastly, the drama does a good job to dispel the faulty and unfair preconceptions we form of people different from us (in this drama, a person with anti-social disorder tendencies). It subtly and openly depicts how a person’s background and a rush judgment of others can affect the rest of one’s life, which I think is much needed to remember in our society of cancel culture.

In general, Flower of evil is a solid and interesting kdrama I’d confidently recommend to anyone who’s already into the crime genre or would like to try it out.

Talk to You is the first on the EP and also a title track. It features a mix of alternative, rock, and hip-hop sound, which is chaotic in a way that is somehow comprehensive, cool, and addictive. The instrumentals - guitar and drums - add a delicious complexity to the sound. His powerful vocals and smooth rap are on full display - unapologetic and unique. Talk to you is a song about the pull of attraction that is inevitable, explosive and full of tension.

Forever is an English language track that is polarizing in the way it sounds versus the words it says. It’s chill, soulful, and playful, reminding me somewhat of the music by Anderson.Paak and the like, which is refreshing to hear instead of a rigid sound often associated with idol music. The message of a song is a conflict between knowing better than to live anywhere else but the present and yet feeling time running out and not being ready to let go.

Let Me Tell You featuring Daniela from KATSEYE is perhaps the closest to what could be considered mainstream in No Labels, which is to say, the song is easy to listen and vibe to. It features an RnB sound enriched and complimented by Yeonjun’s sensual vocal tone as well as Daniela’s adlibs and Spanish lines. The song hits the last nail with the intricate and sexy dual choreography that encapsulates a synergy of the collaboration.

Do It mixes confidently delivered hip-hop style enunciation with jazzy instrumentals and slower tempo. The track sounds old school and modern at the same time (a peculiar and wonderful balance that, to my mind, so far peaked in Ghost Girl). Do It’s lyrics urging to follow the moves are perfectly suited to Yeonjun’s role as a main dancer and rapper in TXT as well as a 4th gen IT-boy of the k-pop scene.

Nothin’ ’Bout Me is what I’d been waiting to hear from the rapper part of Yeonjun as a musician. It’s bold and pointed, cheeky without incessant bragging or hostility. It, unlike the usual diss track, rings true and down to earth with lines referring to hard work, noisy unfounded scrutiny, and understanding parents (as in, even people who actually matter having the most right to but not judging).

Coma reminds me of GGUM the most - from the louder, bolder, idol-like kind of hip-hop sound to the reference for mixed reactions to Yeonjun’s first solo single GGUM. Lyrics-wise, Coma is authentic and true to life, especially knowing the reaction and attention garnered in the k-pop sphere whenever Yeonjun makes a move.

No Labels: Part 01 is a solid and respectable fit for the first solo venture undertaken by Yeonjun who was involved in every step of creation. Not a single song can be called unnecessary though the EP doesn’t benefit from some repetitive choruses and short track lengths. Hopefully, in Part 02 Yeonjun extends the taking off of the labels to these as well. My favorites from Part 01 are Talk to You and Let Me Tell You.

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Right away, three main features of the movie come to mind.

First, an extensive social commentary through “show not tell”, which may come out as theatrical and exaggerated but perhaps is the most effective storytelling in movie format and funny in a deadpan way. The humor is dark bordering on irony, which makes situations feel as sad as they’re funny.

Second, characters morally grey through and through, placed in a straightforward plot. I found myself invested in and empathetic to but not fully enamored by any character - a character writing that is not easy to manage. Everyone, even caricature characters, is flawed, weak, contradictory, and deeply human. Human nature at its finest and lowest is explored simply and honestly through them.

Third, a surprising but reassuring and very much needed light at the end of the tunnel (that is, the movie). For one, you don’t always have to assume the worst - not about yourself, not about others of your own and of a different kind. As the credits rolled, someone in the cinema hall grunted that they didn’t expect the movie to go in such a sentimental direction. That was ironic and alone reminded me how desensitized to… hope and goodness we people became. For a movie lasting over 2 hours, I did feel the ending was not fully fleshed out with some questions left hanging there though.

Mickey 17 reminded me a lot of Snow piercer (set on a spaceship and another planet) in its environmental conditions, social hierarchy, and dark humor, Parasite in its noir moodiness, deadpanned portrayals, as well as any movie showcasing moral implications behind human cloning. All to say, I enjoyed watching Mickey 17 and found its messaging relevant and important for our current state of society and the world.

The album opens up with Upside Down Kiss - a short hip-pop, pop track that, along with Sunday Driver and Dance With You, is my least favorite. Reminding me of Danger, it features a repetitive chorus that uses the exact three words in succession to the addictive beat and whispers.

Beautiful Strangers is a solid title track, and its only weakness is being so short. The lyrics are encouraging and romantic, encapsulating the entire series by referencing what is especially TXT’s lore. Soobin’s high, delicate and well controlled notes deserve special praise and attention.

Ghost Girl is one of my favorites being unique as it is. Yeonjun uses a kind of voice we barely heard from him before - low, groovy and raspy in a soft way - as well as his characteristic natural rap. These combined with the melody and the beat (I see you Yungblud) create a special sound that is both contemporary and catchy while also hauntingly retro and reminiscent of oldies. The lyrics can be interpreted in more ways than one too, which adds a layer of complexity and fun.

Sunday Driver is a feel good soft pop song with nice simple lyrics. I expected Soobin to go for this kind of sound with usual falsettos but wanted something more personal and interesting, so I wasn’t surprised nor impressed with the result. It reminds me of Heaven in my dislikes of it.

Dance With You is like the title suggests a song for dancing and vibing to its pop sound and repetitive auto-tuned chorus (Danger remade yet again). It’s not something I expected from Hueningkai, so it must have been a challenge and refreshment for him. We all know well from his produced works though, that he can create better layered melodies and write more intricate lyrics, that is when he is actually involved in the song, which is ultimately the catch with solo tracks - they authentically showcase members’ colors and stories individually if worked on personally.

Take My Half is so quintessentially Beomgyu - an emotional sincere soft-rock track with thoughtful lyrics of few words and raw vocals ranging from low and delicate to high and heart-wrenching. Someone well pointed out that it’s short and few as to symbolize a half and leave the other up to us and that the lyrics speak to one another from verse to verse. Take My Half simultaneously is and is not Panic, Day6 and other songs he worked on and artists we both like, which is what makes it one of my favorites.

Bird of Night contains what may be my favorite lyrics as well as the richest, smoothest vocals in the entire album. It’s structured as an internal monologue of someone who cannot fall asleep wandering in what could be streets full of night lights or mazes of their own mind. Taehyun didn’t only include his thoughts in a comprehensive way and serve main vocal worthy adlibs but created a night scene with universal sentiment and a natural transition to the last track.

Song of the Stars I love the most besides Ghost Girl (Beautiful Strangers, Take My Half and Bird of Night coming close second). It’s a beautiful, ethereal, soft-rock ballad, which is my favorite kind of music, enriched with a simple, sad-hopeful, signature story of youth, of TXT, and of us. A gorgeous ending to the fairytale of chapter series.

Be passionately in love could be a good introduction for someone just getting into Chinese dramas. It has most of the classic elements - Chinese New Year celebrations, romanticized late night studies and hard work, familial relationships and conflicts, life lessons and philosophizing, as well as other features common for most romantic dramas in general. With that, it also contains all the features that I am critical of in most c-dramas I’ve seen so far but that’s a conversation for another day.

As a separate drama of its own, Be passionately in love falls short in more aspects than one. Before I get into a more detailed explanation, I want to highlight that the main leads and older actors did a great job portraying their characters faithfully and convincingly. The main leads Liu Haocun and Wang Anyu even sang a duet (Rainbow - recommend checking it out if you’re into romantic ballads) and a solo each (Let’s go to the future and Billions of sky falling stars - the latter also a beautiful ballad) for the drama OSTs.

Now, the first major weakness is characters philosophizing about studies, work and life with one another that, at least to me, felt dramatic, obvious and bordering on cringy. Maybe it’s a result of me having heard similar lines from multiple dramas I’ve watched before that weakened my patience and affected my perception but I couldn’t take most of the serious dialogue as such. The banter was well done though with occasional touch of irony and current reality, which made me chuckle quite a bit.

Another aspect is somewhat adjacent to the previous - it’s how some plot twists and events were shown more exaggerated and dramatic than they truly were or how they turned out much simpler from what had been implied before. For example, not to spoil but the summary and the marketing for the drama made me expect a major time and distance break between the couple, which, as it turned out, you’re better off not expecting in vain. So, there was often a juxtaposition between what the characters felt or said and what turned out to actually happen.

Lastly, many plot lines including Lu Zhou’s family relations and the secondary leads’ romance started off strong but didn’t get proper development or resolution. We got some screentime with them for the first half of the drama but only bits and pieces of their interactions by the end that were supposed to be enough to understand how they got to a certain place in their dynamics. A major work of having conversations and spending time was only really granted to the main leads, while the rest served as fillers.

At this point, you could probably tell that I wasn’t a fan of Be passionately in love. I’ve seen multifaceted c-dramas done better than that and I was and yet not surprised Hao liked it. After all, there was a beautiful representation of the violin (his professional instrument), college admissions and studies talk and a whole lot of hustle, humor and concern around money, so it makes sense how he and some target viewers would find it familiar and relevant.

To follow the order in which I read, People we meet on vacation was my bet for becoming a favorite of the author's because I often find the "friends to lovers" trope easily convincing and touching (Love, Rosie - one of my top favorite romance books). With that and the online hype around the author's work, I went in with high expectations, which were met to a certain degree but not without the height difference highlighted multiple times, sometimes overly dramatic annoying humor and rushed ending. Both main characters and their bond were nicely developed and believable, secondary characters were good enough. Lastly, there wasn't too much smut, which was good by me.

Funny story was ironically the story I was least willing to give a try. I had no expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how indeed funny and painful the fake dating situations got and how easily relatable the main character (Daphne) was. I think what made this book a favorite I've read from the author so far for me is that Daphne was the kind of character I could relate to, feel for, and understand well. I wasn't a fan of how the secondary couple turned out to be and of the smut build up but I was invested in Daphne's personal journey. She was a rare type of romance main character who made so much sense to me as an individual, which was why I easily flew through the audiobook.

Happy place had potential but failed to execute such ambitious scope well. It may have been the author's first book venturing past human psychology to the concept of home. The problems I had with this book though are more substantial and solid compared to the other two stories. The smut build up felt so unrealistic and uncalled for, considering it's a second chance romance. The miscommunication in this case didn't create a chasm huge enough for a relationship of 8 years to end in my opinion and if it did, the stakes started feeling low soon enough. The ending wasn't just rushed, it was drastic and idealistic. Both the ending and the main character would have been so much more complex and interesting if parental pressure and free will had coexisted and we didn't have to simplify and label everything as fully right or fully wrong for us in a snap of a finger.

Lots of readers seem to have a problem with the friend group being shallow, which I can't relate to because I think the author gives secondary characters just enough space to be present and sketched out but not enough to take the reader away from the main point - the main characters' romance - in every book quite similarly. I also personally absolutely don't get people hating Sabrina, you clearly haven't been attentive reading because her character and behavior can totally be empathized with (or, maybe it's just the 2nd Celia from The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo whom people called names but I sympathized with ahah).

My final overall ranking is the following:

People we meet on vacation 3.5/5

Funny story 4/5

Happy place 3/5

https://bookshop.org/lists/reviewed-books-anniereviews

Gamin is a curious character because he doesn’t quite fit any mold of a high school character - be it a shy genius, a dominant bully, or a handsome mvp. He isn’t naturally brainy and comes in last on every exam but has got a strong moral compass and actually wants and likes to study. He is super strong but looks like a nerd, trains for better studying results and fights only when forced to. Hwang Minhyun showed a strong performance through the character, and “good boy” roles fit him perfectly.

Charms of the series come not only from Gamin being a character you can’t help but root for but also from its spot on humor and the study group’s dynamic. There’s plenty of well balanced comedic timing and hilarious situations that made me laugh out loud and made viewing so much fun. The study group formed by Gamin, unintendedly so, has students from different backgrounds that fit together like a puzzle.

There is definitely exaggeration used in fight scenes (which there are lots of), and while not to many viewers’ taste, it’s used with purpose (the series is unapologetically unhinged in this department which I appreciated) and makes it all the more satisfying when the bad guys get exactly what they deserve. At some point, you do well realize that reality’s a far cry in comparison but you still love seeing not only realistic consequences but justice reining over chaos for a bit.

The ending was closer to the open one with a seemingly satisfying overall conclusion but a few plot lines suggesting continuation. There’s more to the story in the webtoon, and I’d like it if we got it in the form of the next season sometime.