Best thing about this K-Drama is that it is Jaehyun's (Jeong Jae-hyun) debut as an actor. He is member of South Korean boyband NCT. He plays the main lead Cha Min-ho as a college student as a Computer Science. Major and an app developer who falls for the girl who has been his 12 year friend. It is just one of the love relationships showcased in this short 12 episode series with a mystery of who confessed love anonymously. There are clues along the story that could fit to different situations and actors, so it keeps you guessing. The script itself it slowing and boring at times, no fault of the actor, and Jeong Jae-hyun did a great job on the role and look forward to seeing him more!!!
9 Reviews
Quite bland and predictable
hanalisss23 July 2022
Just not enough.
This is okay, but too unidimensional characters, nothing special or deep about any of their personalities. The FL is just silly, innocent and sweet, the ML is smart, loyal and secretly in love.... And so on. Filled with stereotypical clichés and doesn't really have enough push.
Good for teenagers I guess.
This is okay, but too unidimensional characters, nothing special or deep about any of their personalities. The FL is just silly, innocent and sweet, the ML is smart, loyal and secretly in love.... And so on. Filled with stereotypical clichés and doesn't really have enough push.
Good for teenagers I guess.
One of the best college kdramas I've seen in a while
loverytropes10 July 2022
I'm a huge sucker for cute little romantic kdramas, so I made sure to check this one out on Viki. There are many characters, but everyone provides an important part in the story. No fillers at all.
What made me think this is the perfect college romance is its theme and atmosphere. It's cute and very lighthearted, and the theme really makes me feel like I go to college with them. I can compare it to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (AKA my favorite of all time) for how natural it is. Not corny and cheesy, but it still touches quite a few common k-drama scene tropes I adore.
Now let's get to the talk of the town... JAEHYUN. Non NCT fan here, and I did not watch this for him, but I knew most viewers came for him so might as well I talk about his performance. Very good acting from him... not perfect, but also not bad. I see his skills and I believe giving him a more complex role next time would let us see his real potential, because roles like this in lighthearted rom-coms aren't exactly what we should judge an actor for. I also found out it's his first ever acting role so I'm even more impressed with him.
For the rest of the cast, everyone did great. Hyesoo is very talented, and a good singer too which I did not expect. I really like her as an actress, but not so much as a person (because you know...).
So, to end this pretty long thing I typed, I wanna say this has become one of my favorite college kdramas. I love the longing from Minho, the plot twist, the characters, their personalities, and so on and so forth. 10/10 from me!
What made me think this is the perfect college romance is its theme and atmosphere. It's cute and very lighthearted, and the theme really makes me feel like I go to college with them. I can compare it to Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (AKA my favorite of all time) for how natural it is. Not corny and cheesy, but it still touches quite a few common k-drama scene tropes I adore.
Now let's get to the talk of the town... JAEHYUN. Non NCT fan here, and I did not watch this for him, but I knew most viewers came for him so might as well I talk about his performance. Very good acting from him... not perfect, but also not bad. I see his skills and I believe giving him a more complex role next time would let us see his real potential, because roles like this in lighthearted rom-coms aren't exactly what we should judge an actor for. I also found out it's his first ever acting role so I'm even more impressed with him.
For the rest of the cast, everyone did great. Hyesoo is very talented, and a good singer too which I did not expect. I really like her as an actress, but not so much as a person (because you know...).
So, to end this pretty long thing I typed, I wanna say this has become one of my favorite college kdramas. I love the longing from Minho, the plot twist, the characters, their personalities, and so on and so forth. 10/10 from me!
A typical campus k-drama kept short and sweet
hyukiemoonjie10 July 2022
I heard about this drama a lot on twitter and as a k-drama fan, I was initially not interested because the trailer seems to show a typical k-drama plot about a campus love triangle. But I still checked the first episode out and I was impressed with how non-cringeworthy it is compared to the ones I watched before. It's very straight to the point about the plot, no sways and deep backstories about the characters and just keeps the focus on the 6 main characters. I think this is because it only has 12 episodes, unlike other k-dramas with similar plots where the show would go through a relationship arc that would eventually turn boring, predictable, unnecessary, and cringeworthy. The series ended with the plot resolved and it's very satisfying. The acting is also very natural and not over-the-top, which is just what's necessary. The plot twist was very unexpected too.
Cliché but still refreshing
atticlucker5 July 2022
While the whole love triangle trope set in high school or university has been consistently done in many K-dramas, Dear. M still somewhat feels like a breath of fresh air. In an array of dark, suspenseful, political, and thrilling K-dramas, this series is exactly what we need.
Of course, there are still tons of K-dramas out there that have a similar plot, but one thing that stands out in Dear. M is the fact that it is told in a different point-of-view. Other series with the love triangle-in-a-campus plot often features a wealthy, heir, and smart male lead who has all the chance to win the heart of the female lead. Meanwhile, the second lead is characterized as the one closer to the female lead, but fails to become her "happily ever after". This series portrays the male lead, Cha Min-ho, as the seemingly hopeless romantic best friend of Ma Joo-ah. Here, he competes with Moon Joon, the son of a wealthy CEO. In other words, it seems like their roles have been switched.
Performance wise, I want to praise the main cast for giving such natural performances. What makes it all so different is how it doesn't feel forced and cringey; the actors are portraying their characters in such a natural way that perfectly fits the lighthearted theme of the series. Also, kudos to Jaehyun, Jinhyuk, and Eunbin for their acting despite being known more as K-pop singers.
Dear. M features a coming-of-age romantic story that we have seen before; just in a different perspective. This drama is an ode to the classic K-drama love story archetype, giving us a new story while still sticking to what we are already familiar with.
Of course, there are still tons of K-dramas out there that have a similar plot, but one thing that stands out in Dear. M is the fact that it is told in a different point-of-view. Other series with the love triangle-in-a-campus plot often features a wealthy, heir, and smart male lead who has all the chance to win the heart of the female lead. Meanwhile, the second lead is characterized as the one closer to the female lead, but fails to become her "happily ever after". This series portrays the male lead, Cha Min-ho, as the seemingly hopeless romantic best friend of Ma Joo-ah. Here, he competes with Moon Joon, the son of a wealthy CEO. In other words, it seems like their roles have been switched.
Performance wise, I want to praise the main cast for giving such natural performances. What makes it all so different is how it doesn't feel forced and cringey; the actors are portraying their characters in such a natural way that perfectly fits the lighthearted theme of the series. Also, kudos to Jaehyun, Jinhyuk, and Eunbin for their acting despite being known more as K-pop singers.
Dear. M features a coming-of-age romantic story that we have seen before; just in a different perspective. This drama is an ode to the classic K-drama love story archetype, giving us a new story while still sticking to what we are already familiar with.
Friends turn more - one of my new favorites
leahcubed1 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
10/10 is my rating! This is a 2022 South Korean college romance drama series. There are 12, 60 minute episodes. It is also known as love playlist.
I will first provide a synopsis then a review.
Synopsis: The gossip chain is set abuzz when an anonymous confession is posted on the University's forum. Everyone wonders who the "secret admirer" is and who they are enamored with. Ma Joo-ah (Park Hye-su) is majoring in business and interacts with the computer majors a lot because of her long term friend Cha Min-ho (Jeong Jae-hyun) who is a computer major. They have been besties for 12 years but you definitely sense that, Min-ho at least, might want something more. She has never had a relationship but develops her first crush on one of the guys in Min-ho's major and gets him to reluctantly play wing-man. Seo Ji-min (Roh Jenong-eui) is one of Joo-ah's roommates and is one half of the "it" couple on campus. She is beautiful, with many admirers, is completely happy in her relationship and dreams of leading the cheer squad. She is a "justic warrior" and has a talent for standing up to bullies. The third roommate, Hwangbo Young (Woo Da-vi) is a bit older than the others, and has a very cool, no-nonsense approach to dating. Her potential partners either meet her dating expectations or she quickly moves on. With a lot of dating experience, and deep insight, she gives advice to others on dating. Park Ha-Neul (Bae Hyun-sung) is Ji-min's devoted boyfriend and the second half of the campus "it" couple. He is well liked, personable and goal oriented. Gil Mok-jin (Lee Jin-hyuk) is a psychology major who actually struggles to understand the psychology of others. He is a neat freak who has driven other roommates away but finds tolerance and understanding in his current roomies Ha-Neul and Min-ho. These computer, economic, psychology and business majors all come together as roommates, friends, and sometimes more as they navigate toward their future and college life. And they now have a common goal - just who wrote this confession? It's a mystery that intrigues them and binds them together.
Review: This has become one of my new favorites. I am rarely impressed by these shorter series as I often feel they could have used at least the four more episodes that is the "average" length of 16 to fully develop the story. This one was perfect at 12 it had great character development, major plot points were explored and "tied up", and did not feel rushed. When there are multiple romances I often find at least one of them tedious but I liked all of the romances. I am a huge fan of the friend turned more trope and this one went to the very top of that list. I loved the two together. The "villians" in this were also interesting because there was some redeeming for one of them and the other never grew or learned significantly. It is a heart warming story and I found myself rooting for them both in pursuit of their educational and career goals, in their friendships, and in the romantic encounters. The "mystery" around who was writing the letters was also very well executed. Hints were dropped that would lead you to one or the other and I felt like it was surprising when there was the "big reveal." Highly recommend this to anyone that likes coming of age, heart warming romance, compelling friendships, the bully/"mean girl" angel, and the slice of college life you get in this friend group.
I will first provide a synopsis then a review.
Synopsis: The gossip chain is set abuzz when an anonymous confession is posted on the University's forum. Everyone wonders who the "secret admirer" is and who they are enamored with. Ma Joo-ah (Park Hye-su) is majoring in business and interacts with the computer majors a lot because of her long term friend Cha Min-ho (Jeong Jae-hyun) who is a computer major. They have been besties for 12 years but you definitely sense that, Min-ho at least, might want something more. She has never had a relationship but develops her first crush on one of the guys in Min-ho's major and gets him to reluctantly play wing-man. Seo Ji-min (Roh Jenong-eui) is one of Joo-ah's roommates and is one half of the "it" couple on campus. She is beautiful, with many admirers, is completely happy in her relationship and dreams of leading the cheer squad. She is a "justic warrior" and has a talent for standing up to bullies. The third roommate, Hwangbo Young (Woo Da-vi) is a bit older than the others, and has a very cool, no-nonsense approach to dating. Her potential partners either meet her dating expectations or she quickly moves on. With a lot of dating experience, and deep insight, she gives advice to others on dating. Park Ha-Neul (Bae Hyun-sung) is Ji-min's devoted boyfriend and the second half of the campus "it" couple. He is well liked, personable and goal oriented. Gil Mok-jin (Lee Jin-hyuk) is a psychology major who actually struggles to understand the psychology of others. He is a neat freak who has driven other roommates away but finds tolerance and understanding in his current roomies Ha-Neul and Min-ho. These computer, economic, psychology and business majors all come together as roommates, friends, and sometimes more as they navigate toward their future and college life. And they now have a common goal - just who wrote this confession? It's a mystery that intrigues them and binds them together.
Review: This has become one of my new favorites. I am rarely impressed by these shorter series as I often feel they could have used at least the four more episodes that is the "average" length of 16 to fully develop the story. This one was perfect at 12 it had great character development, major plot points were explored and "tied up", and did not feel rushed. When there are multiple romances I often find at least one of them tedious but I liked all of the romances. I am a huge fan of the friend turned more trope and this one went to the very top of that list. I loved the two together. The "villians" in this were also interesting because there was some redeeming for one of them and the other never grew or learned significantly. It is a heart warming story and I found myself rooting for them both in pursuit of their educational and career goals, in their friendships, and in the romantic encounters. The "mystery" around who was writing the letters was also very well executed. Hints were dropped that would lead you to one or the other and I felt like it was surprising when there was the "big reveal." Highly recommend this to anyone that likes coming of age, heart warming romance, compelling friendships, the bully/"mean girl" angel, and the slice of college life you get in this friend group.
So, so... poor...
skyescape-564-6833029 July 2022
A very poorly done series. The acting is very bad, amateurish, the script seems to have been written by a 10-year-old child, probably the actors behaved accordingly. Male characters unnatural, like plastic dolls to speak the text and not a living being, especially the two main male characters. The dialogues are so shallow that it's simply unbelievable that someone couldn't write a normal script. Another in a series of series where the selection of actors was based on how they look and not how they act...
Unbiased opinion on Jaehyun's acting
FixItFelixLee10 July 2022
Before we head into Jaehyun's acting, I will briefly say why I gave this kdrama a 10/10 rating. I loved it. Simply as that. Quite cliche but it doesn't affect my opinion. Now about Jaehyun, he is GOOD, contrary to what I saw on twitter from people who never even watched the series. He still has room for improvements and that's just right since this is his first acting experience. But take note: THAT DOES NOT MAKE ONE A BAD ACTOR. Honestly, he is way too good for a first-time idol actor. As a common viewer and a non-Jaehyun stan, I say I'm impressed even though it's his first time. His acting isn't cringey like other kdrama male leads, it's very in-character. His eyes show so much that he doesn't need to open his mouth or scream "I'M SAD! I'M GONNA CRY!" for me to feel the pain his character feels. I empathized with his character because of Jaehyun's acting, I applaud him for that one. Not every actor can do that without providing a white actor's Oscar-winning scene. Congratulations actor Jaehyun!
Not Good Enough
PennyReviews3 November 2022
Korean Drama " Dear. M " is a Global Playlist drama, in the series of the Love Playlist.
However, it is nothing like the previous ones. The main problem with it is that it's boring and predictable. Pretty much nothing happens, with the characters simply going through their college life, with some ups and downs in their romantic lives. The big mystery with the mapple posts, often being forgotten when it didn't serve anything to the plot, was not interesting to keep things entertaining and its final conclusion was nothing to get excited about.
Probably the only thing that was interesting was the rivalry between the two ex classmates, but that's about it. No surprises when it came to the romance, some half baked plots, and a few unlikable characters. Especially the main lead was too much of a plain jane acting like a child all the time.
The performances, moreover, were decent.
So, overall, three out of ten.
However, it is nothing like the previous ones. The main problem with it is that it's boring and predictable. Pretty much nothing happens, with the characters simply going through their college life, with some ups and downs in their romantic lives. The big mystery with the mapple posts, often being forgotten when it didn't serve anything to the plot, was not interesting to keep things entertaining and its final conclusion was nothing to get excited about.
Probably the only thing that was interesting was the rivalry between the two ex classmates, but that's about it. No surprises when it came to the romance, some half baked plots, and a few unlikable characters. Especially the main lead was too much of a plain jane acting like a child all the time.
The performances, moreover, were decent.
So, overall, three out of ten.
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