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[Movie Review] Sweet and Sour explores modern romance but leaves a sour aftertaste

Among the many films that didn’t quite make it into theatres last year is the romance Sweet and Sour. Thanks to Netflix, the movie is now available to all — but don’t go in expecting a cutesy tale with a cast you’re predisposed to enjoy.

The film is as much about the sweetness of a new romance as it is the sourness of romance ending, and which of these two flavors the film ends on is what determines the taste the story leaves in our mouth. Hint: it’s not sweet.

Note: This review contains spoilers.

Sweet and Sour opens with an overworked nurse DA-EUN (Chae Soo-bin) tending to a patient with Hepatitis B. JANG-HYUK (Lee Woo-je) is your token chubby, uncool, and completely smitten guy — so cute and innocent that you can’t help but love him. Nor can you blame him for crushing on Da-eun, since she’s warm, sweet, and just the right amount of weird to be interesting.

She gobbles his hospital food, takes a quick nap behind the curtain around his bed, and blames him when she’s caught smoking in the stairwell. When Jang-hyuk is discharged, the two stay connected and soon, are dating.

Their romance is a little bit cute, but mostly it borders on not-cute, because there’s the lingering feeling that there’s something not right about their story. It feels almost tangential, but it’s hard to figure out why.

It’s not until Da-eun invites Jang-hyuk on a trip to Jeju that we get what seems to be part two of the story. Jang-hyuk is running towards her at the airport in their new couple sneakers, promising to lose weight and be awesome… and then we transition actors to Jang Ki-yong, presumably playing Jang-hyuk with a lot of weight off and the hotness factor up a few notches. It’s a physical transformation that’s only a tier or so below the infamous one in An Empress’s Dignity, and it makes me equally confused.

We continue to follow these two and their relationship, lingering on them some time in the future, when Jang-hyuk gets transferred from his Incheon office to a fancy position in Seoul. Here, he meets BO-YOUNG (Krystal), and it’s the beginning of the end.

The two start off at each other’s throats, but of course that’s just a veil thrown over their attraction. Jang-hyuk fights it as long as he’s able, but soon they become this hard-working pair of interns at work, together all day and half the night, putting in countless hours — and getting way too close.

It’s hard to say if Bo-young is the catalyst for change in the relationship between Jang-hyuk and Da-eun, or if that was bound to happen anyway, and she was just the excuse. But for every argument and lifeless moment between Jang-hyuk and Da-eun, there is a new, sparkly one between Jang-hyuk and Bo-young.

In Sweet and Sour, though, these sparkly moments of romance are not really the sort we are used to. They’re not the earnest, fateful moments we are so familiar with in dramas. Instead, they feel devoid of life, and maybe even a little matter-of-fact. Thus, the story already feel depressing in tone and message — and that’s even before the infidelity, abortion, and breakup.

Who is the person we are supposed to look to and feel with in this story? It might have been Jang-hyuk when the story began, but he’s so easily lured away from Da-eun, and so two-timey while his emotions are displacing from one woman to another, that it’s hard to enjoy this character.

Similarly, Bo-young is likeable in her weirdness (and I rather like Krystal here) — whether it’s being a total slob, lush, or just being shameless around him — but it’s hard to get behind her, too. After all, she knows he’s in a relationship, and knows he’s ditching plans with his girlfriend for drinks with her.

Is our heroine Da-eun, then? It seems like she might be, although it’s also hard to get behind her character too, but mostly because she’s a bit opaque. The story doesn’t let us see inside her much, until her messy breakup with Jang-hyuk reaches a sudden and heart-wrenching pitch. I mean, “I wish you didn’t give up on our baby,” has to be one of the saddest lines ever.

Despite connecting with the character of Da-eun here, it’s a bit hard to figure out what the heck Sweet and Sour is trying to say in terms of a statement on modern romance, and the story retains this strangely off-putting tone throughout.

It’s not until the ending that it makes sense why. And even then, it’s not completely clear, as the punchline is caught somewhere in between clumsy twist and clever reveal. (If you want to watch the movie and experience it for yourself, don’t read on — I’m about to unpack said ending twist in detail.)

The film’s punchline (and entire purpose, if you will) sits solely in its final nine minutes or so. Our hero seems to realize the error of his ways, and rushes back to the woman he abandoned with a ring in hand. Will this film end like so many others before it? Final airport reunion, confession, kiss? Well, yes and no. Our hero does rush off to the airport to reunite with Da-eun, who he learns is on her way to Jeju, but what he finds there is actually a more subversive twist than happy ending.

As he spots Da-eun on the sidewalk and runs towards her… someone else is doing the same. It’s his former (chubby) self in the same couple sneakers Da-eun gifted him. My thought process here: Oh, okay, the film is trying to draw a parallel and show that their relationship is coming full circle, with the past and present versions of Jang-hyuk present in this scene. But my initial thought was wrong.

We’re not actually seeing two timelines play out side-by-side in this ending sequence — instead, what we have is a subversive (and confusing!) twist. We thought Lee Woo-je and Jang Ki-yong were playing the same role. Or, we were led to believe they were, through the film’s editing, as the story leaned into our assumption that Jang Ki-yong was the spiffed up version of the guy from the hospital.

What the film tries to reveal here, though, is that they are two very different guys (who coincidentally have very similar names). As this ending sequence plays out, we see that Da-eun actually met the Jang Ki-yong (Jang Hyuk) character over a year ago, also when he was at the hospital, and they began to date afterwards. Then, mere months ago she met the Lee Woo-je (Lee Jang-hyuk) character, and the same thing happened.

The editing tries to convince us that what we thought was Da-eun being all cute and quirky with Lee Jang-hyuk early on, was actually Da-eun in the midst of her failing relationship with Jang Hyuk, and dealing with her surprise pregnancy. In other words, she was cheating on him, while he was cheating on her with Bo-young.

I can appreciate what the film is trying to do here, tricking us with a story that seemed linear but was actually concurrent — but the problem is that this twist doesn’t work as well as it should. What was supposed to be clever actually felt clumsy, and I felt more jerked around and confused than I did caught in the goosebumps of a really well-executed twist.

The ending that Sweet and Sour chose left much to be desired. It also leaves quite the sour aftertaste — sour not only because it wasn’t able to land its own punchline, but sour because the final message is basically this: two people’s relationship eroded over time and they both got involved with others while they were still together. If that combination of poor execution and nihilistic messaging doesn’t bum you out, you’re a better person than I.

The sour aftertaste doesn’t subside quickly either, and I found myself searching for a better note to end on. Was it that cheater Jang Hyuk got what he deserved when the woman he loved/abandoned chose a devoted puppy instead of him? Was it that Da-eun was afraid to be alone even after her long-term relationship had just ended so she pounced on someone who was smitten with her? Or was it that she was seeking comfort from him after her abortion and breakup? Maybe it was just a statement on post-modern relationships.

While any or some of these reasons might make sense from an analytical standpoint, none of them give me a better sense of why I watched this movie, or what I’m supposed to take from it. And so, Sweet and Sour seems a film that was actually not interested in sweet at all. Instead, it focuses on the sour, after luring us in with the sweet.

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ugh! sounds yucky and sad. Thanks for the warning!

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I thought the trailer was a mess but watched 28 minutes anyway before giving up. FF until I saw Jang Ki Yong looking hot and fun and engaged (as opposed to his removed look in Gumiho). Now I know he can do that so I was satisfied and stopped watching. I recommend skipping this film.

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When I watched, I didn't realize until the end that it was a remake of the Japanese movie Initiation Love. I prefer the Japanese version even if I wasn't fond of the story either. But the twist made more sense.
I didn't like the fact the FL was a nurse and acted like that with her patients. I think in the Japanese version, she's a student or searchs a job.

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The nurse-patient thing was definitely the worst part of the movie for me. Not once but twice?

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Right!
Her colleagues reactions on both occasions are understandable but wonder why none of them called her out on it.
The fact that she’s always busy to go out and meet new people doesn’t excuse what happened and twice at that!

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I agree with the ethical and moral dilemma that our heroine has, not once, but twice! 🙄 But other than that set up, I enjoyed the movie, not so much about the characters themselves, but because it made me analyze how I saw them, thinking I knew their stories. I recommend this to my kdrama physician group and we all enjoyed it—especially the plot twist. I do think I we’ve al loved a bit longer, seen couples like this in our lives, may have identified too much with Krystal’s character, and maybe also with CSB’s as well, working late nights, barely able to make our relationships work during training or residencies.

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I don't have issue with cheating stories. Except when the character is a skirt-chaser, I think it's interesting to see the characters make the wrong choice, to see the slow sliding down the wrong slope.

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..."I think it's interesting to see the characters make the wrong choice"...

Such and underrated comment.

Not only because we all give birth to our own monsters. Also because it is ambiguous as to who has made the 'wrong' choice. Love is blind and sometimes love is deliberately blind.

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Contrary to popular opinion on this movie being a mess and leaving a sour taste (which I agree on) I quite enjoyed the movie. Despite it ending on a sour note I found it surprisingly engaging and the characters interesting. Jang ki yong needs to play more lively roles. I haven’t liked him since come here and hug me and this film seemed to show he can do better than just brood. Chae soo bin also gave a great performance as a weary adult in a broken relationship and I could relate to her emotions and couldn’t despise her despite her choices and lastly Krystal, although felt like a plot device for the main leads relationship was adorable in all her clumsiness.

The message of the drama can be head scratching and abrupt as I don’t know at what point their relationship started to fail as Jang hyuk points out but it was short, sweet and bitter when it lasted.

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Just wanted to comment that it's funny that they are playing Jang Hyuk, I thought most shows tend to avoid using celeb names.

Anyway, on a very superficial level, the poster of this movie looked like that of a 2000s K-drama, so I wasn't really interested in the first place. The three leads also seem like a very weak cast for me. Glad I skipped this!

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Actually, I think the movie wouldn't be at least watchable if it weren't for the cast. Chae Soobin is so perfect for the kind of role you THOUGHT she would be which makes the twisty ending works. Krystal interchangeably playing messy and charismatic really good. And with Jang Kiyong playing puppy-like dynamic with Chae Soobin's character but enemy to lovers with Krystal's really rounds up the cast. I think the6 execute this movie very well it's just that they weren't sure what they wanted to be, i think

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On paper, the cast is not good enough for a watch, that's what I meant. If they had any previous work that impressed, I might be more inclined to check it out.

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Funnily enough, I am currently watching Kill it with Jang Kiyong and his character's name is Kim Soohyun

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Thanks for your review. I think I enjoyed reading your review more than the movie (half of it anyway).
I tried watching it recently but didn't get very far. It didn't pull me in and I couldn't connect to the characters so I dropped it. Even after reading the ending from your review I have no idea what I'm supposed to take away from this movie.

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I was totally lured in by Jang Kiyong and Chae Soobin EVEN when I know it's gonna be messy later on. I was surprised that people actually felt that something wasn't right with the start (the Lee JangHyuk and Daeun beginning) even though we easily assumed he's gonna be Jang kiyong's character in the future.

I also think all the twist at the end (even the scenes at the very end, Boyoung winning the jeju trip, Hyuk's sudden proposal to stop her from going abroad, Daeun seemingly uninterested and was not actually given the sweetest gentle manner by Lee Janghyuk like we believed) was clever. But, what I think the bottom line is that Movie is a piece of entertainment. No matter how clever, how twisty, how unexpected, how realistic everything is, I think if you can't find the entertainment in it then it does not fully serve its purpose. Which is why, at the end, i find myself thinking if I could've used the 1.5 hours i spend to watch something else that ACTUALLY entertain me.

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Thank you for taking one for the community. Taking this off my Netflix list right away

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I watched this on Sunday. I still dont know how I feel about it, specially the end. I feel like a fool for believing in the set up. But at the same time I like it, because it is not something I see everyday (the set up). Overall the story has nothing really to add.

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I watched this movie in about 3 or 4 sittings and I agree, the set up was really confusing. The blurb said something like a couple trying to endure a long-distance relationship. Mostly I expected an LDR to be one person living in another place and they get to see each other only once or twice a year. Did I like it? I'm on the fence. I like the stars specially Krystal but still ...(shrugs)

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In the original movie, it was a long distance relationship.

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I was going to hate this movie. I had told everyone I know that I was going to hate this movie. I was going to watch this movie only because I love Chae Soobin, and I would suffer the entire time. There was no way I wouldn't hate this movie. Except that I didn't.

I'm more surprised than anyone that I actually enjoyed watching this movie, despite its absolutely awful synopsis.

What this movie ISN'T: romantic, cute (maybe except for Chae Soobin's existence), heartwarming, uplifting, hopeful or positive.

I understand why people hated this movie: it was marketed as a rom-com but ended up being anything but. It's not a rom-com with a twist, it is a straight-up mockery of the genre. It's a really bleak movie, that might only be funny to me because it was relatable on a personal level, and if I wasn't laughing I might have been crying.

The movie isn't about finding your one true love, but rather about the energy and commitment that is required if you want a relationship to succeed. If you don't have that kind of energy or are unwilling to bring it up, relationships are really, really hard. Jang Hyeok and Da Eun start out as a reasonable loving couple, but throughout the movie you can see how their relationship turns sour because capitalist professional life is so draining and everything is a mess. The story is very bleak and ultimately shows you how pointless some of the struggles were. The characters were at times relatable, but not necessarily characters that were easy to root for. Both Jang Hyeoks are kindof creepy, Da Eun makes some terrible decisions (Also: the worst part of the movie, how did a nurse end up hitting on TWO patients?), and Bo-yeong is an absolute mess.

I enjoyed it in a very bitter detached way, because I have lived it (minus the cheating, believe it or not, which I didn't even see as the main point of the movie). I enjoyed it because I could watch it in a detached way, as a memory of a life I left behind as I have both quit a toxic job and put a dying relationship out of its misery, and a confirmation that I have indeed made the right choice to never live like that again.

Because I'm terrible at writing reviews, here's a summary/list of the things that resonated with me in no particular order:
- The comedic shots of Jang Hyeok hating the world during his long commute from Da-eun's place in Incheon to his workplace in Seoul. Zoom out and you can see that literally every single person in those cars has become a lifeless shell of a human being. Absolutely relatable.
- Bo-yeong being laser-focused on her project. She's a girl working in a hyper competitive capitalistic environment. It's easy to get so sucked into work that nothing else seems to matter anymore. That scene where she pathetically eats her ramyeon in the middle of a SEA of takeout food just to stay away instantly took me back to when I used to do that. It's bad. It's terrible. It's infinitely relatable and I might not be...

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- Bo-yeong being laser-focused on her project. She's a girl working in a hyper competitive capitalistic environment. It's easy to get so sucked into work that nothing else seems to matter anymore. That scene where she pathetically eats her ramyeon in the middle of a SEA of takeout food just to stay away instantly took me back to when I used to do that. It's bad. It's terrible. It's infinitely relatable and I might not be laughing if I were still living it.
- Bo-yeong's character in general was so fun. She was a hot mess - I think her life style may have made her a little delirious. The hot mess express I know all too well. But she always bounces back!
- The fight between Da-eun and Jang-hyeok in the car, after she tries to set up a shopping date between them but all he wants to do is go home and sleep. "Did you really think I wanted to come here because I wanted to do shopping??" While he outwardly Jang-hyeok made the effort to come see her, he doesn't actually want to spend time with her. He's too tired for her. He's too tired to be in a relationship and to care about anyone except himself. I've been on Da-eun's side of this exact conversation, trying to reconnect in a relationship that both parties had in fact already given up on. It wasn't pretty, and this scene felt very real and painful.
- Jang-hyeok's boss's terrible English and his entire work environment in general. All of it was a parody that highlights the worst parts about certain office jobs: people who think they are more important than they really are, the sheer commitment required of you, the lack of reward for a job you shed blood sweat and tears for, and just. The entire vibe of that place. The mean coworkers. The pointlessness of it all.
- The rom-com cupid man rooting for the wrong couple. This guy exists to make you feel uncomfortable. He's supposed to feel wrong, because rom com shenanigans were the last thing anyone needed in that setting.
- Da-eun finding a new man to take care of her. She's definitely made some bad decisions, but ultimately it was nice to see that she wasn't resigned to her terrible fate and decided to chase after what did make her feel better and happy. She's a nurse, so to me it makes sense that in her relationships she'd prefer someone who takes care of HER instead, even if she may seem a little high maintenance because of it. Still, she definitely could've handled everything better, but judging by how unhappy she seemed in the end, it looks like she got what she deserved. Also, new Jang-Hyeok is a bit of a creep.
- The fact that Jang Hyeok, who had been honestly a useless boyfriend with no energy to devote to his relationship, ended up changing his mind DITCHING Bo-yeong, only to have the Plot Twist thrown at us at the airport and then RUSHED BACK TO SEOUL only to also be semi-rejected by Bo-yeong. The ultimate irony comes in the fact that she then also won the trip to Jeju - his life truly has come full circle.
- To...

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- To add to the irony and the full-circle-ness - he now needs to commute from Seoul to Incheon again. I'm d y i n g of laughter at this point in the movie. The POINTLESSNESS OF EVERYTHING. ALL OF IT.

Oh, also about the plot twist: I went back and I realized the show hinted at the true timeline of the story all along.
- The introduction for Lee Jang Hyeok (who we meet first) was "new sneakers". We also get to know his name as Lee Jang Hyeok.
- The intro for Jang Hyeok (Jang Kiyong) was "old sneakers". We also get a tidbit at work where he introduces himself als Jang Hyeok without the Lee specifically (because his boss gets it wrong).

I didn't mind the plot twist. Everyone got what they deserved, which is to say: not very much, but a chance to move on from this mess at least.

Oh my god this ESSAY ended up so long. I guess people will believe me now when I say watching this movie was an almost cathartic experience for me - seeing my tragicomedic twenties being turned into a movie.

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“ The POINTLESSNESS OF EVERYTHING. ALL OF IT. “

Yes. Exactly.

Enjoyed your essay!

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Exactly my thoughts about why I enjoyed it as well!!!!

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Well said. I agree with everything you said. I think it's essential that we watch this movie without expecting a romcom. That's how I was able to enjoy it thoroughly (though I did curse a bit at the plot twist haha). It's a rather fun cautionary tale that I appreciate as a young professional.

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Agree about the worst part of the movie: Da-eun, maybe look for a boyfriend that is not one of your patients, next time! xD

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When the show started showing about cheating...I had to ff those scenes. At first, I didn't think that Da-eun was cheating but instead was dealing the break-up & abortion when she met Jang Hyuk. I can't be bothered to check the timeline again...but if she did indeed also cheated, what a sour movie.

I'll give it to the movie for trying something different.

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While it seems like many are focusing on who cheated first and who is the worst/best character, my take away message after watching this movie is that today's society/lifestyle makes it quite hard and challenging for people to be successful at work and relationship at the same time..yet the same society still expects you to succeed, I find that pretty ironic and also depressing ><

I knew the movie had some kind of plot twist because of the comments I'd seen around, so I was anticipating it..even before the reveal, that "time jump" was a little puzzling, because it seemed like the ML lost not only some of his weight, but also a chunk of his previous personality?! If I hadn't known about an upcoming twist in advance I would have probably disliked the movie more! xD

Overall it was not that enjoyable, but it was still somewhat interesting..I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone, though!

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The ended surprised me and then I laughed. It was unexpected and weird. This drama was depressing though, despite my laughter at the end. It wasn't just the failing of a relationship, it was also the abortion, and the cheating. Just sad and lonely.

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Lots of bad relationship decisions in the name of the rat race. Krystal, though, found a character she plays well! Also, didn’t like the role of the security devil’s advocate. I get a lot of non-Kdrama-viewing friends asking about Korean movies on Netflix. This is not a recommend.

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I dont get the guard or like him too! Also if someone keeps turning off the lights when I’m working, we will have words ok Mr.

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he wasn't in the original japanese story. i assumed he represented one's alter ego. his presence and behavior was weird, yes...

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Interesting.

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I'm a pretty big fan of subversive films that go against type. What the reviewer cites as troubling flaws I see as a reason to watch. I have no opinion on the execution of the concept, having not watched it yet.

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I think you missed an important point here. Or is it a coincidence?
(In my opinion;) Da Eun was not creating but actually seeking comfort in Lee Jang-hyuk. The two male characters are very similar: they were in the same hospital room, both patients, both were older, the same name "Jang Hyuk", both had the same kind of job. However, Lee Jae-Hyuk still had the same permanent position that Jae Hyuk gave up for the big company position; still borrowed the car from his dad, took out the trash, changed the bulb, and cooked for her the next morning. It reminded her of the sweet period she shared with Jae-Hyuk before transferring to the big company.
Now, the thing is; what is the movie trying to tell us? What is love that turned into obsession? Or was it trying to tell us that if you miss a person and they leave, it's the end?

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there was no moral to this story, in my opinion. it was just a story about how life may not always be what it seems. relationships are not always what they seem. people are fallable, human - imperfect...

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I had to watch the ending few times to understand the 'twist' ngl
The only good thing about this movie is the actors are selling their characters

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The movie title is perfect! It really is sweet and sour from start to end. Sure it’s not the fluffy rom-com i expected nor did i leave with a warm buzz that comes with a happy ending but i wouldn’t say i hate this. The thing that bothered me most at the end was Da Eun’s expression as she left for her holiday with the new, sweet & unsuspecting Hyeok-i oppa. And maybe it was lost in translation but i was under the impression Krystal didn’t know about Da Eun.

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“ The thing that bothered me most at the end was Da Eun’s expression as she left for her holiday with the new, sweet & unsuspecting Hyeok-i oppa. ”

Same here!

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What was that right? Regret, uncertainty? Dont mess with new Hyeok-i oppa please, he’s innocent!

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She probably felt regret or guilt since she realized she couldve had old Hyeok back maybe.

As for new Hyeok... He seems sweet but hes a bit of a creep sometimes. The way he got her number was also not cool.

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My instincts stopped me twenty or so minutes in. Yay for my instincts. Thanks for confirming what i dreaded.

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as a chubby guy who found his CSB, i'm disappointed that no one liked this movie hahaha. the point of the movie was SWEET. sweet, dedicated, non-neglectful chubby guy wins! and sour, neglectful but super hot kiyong loses. THIS MOVIE IS AN INSTANT CLASSIC haha. CSB kissing the chubby guy was my favorite scene in all of movies this year hehe.

on a serious note, what i really liked about the movie was how it just didn't sit right how the super sweet chubby guy (funny how i don't even know my doppelganer's name) became sour kiyong. that bothered me the whole entire movie. will i go from sweet than sour, due to the trials of life? i found it interesting cause in kdrama, we don't usually see this REALISTIC decomposing of a man's love (which happens a lot, see, e.g., your 60 year-old dad). instead, we get these supreme ML's that are always flat and awesome and romantic but just misunderstood temporarily.

BUT, in the end, i was ELATED that my main man chubs remained sweet!!! that's why i loved the plot twist. YESSSS, i did not become evil man kiyong.

overall, i feel like the movie is fun and interesting. we can't expect kdrama exposition and unpacking of all issues, people. at 1.5 hours, it's shorter than an episode of vincenzo haha. it was still a fun time at the movies, the korean sixth sense romcom!

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CSB is happier with the chubby guy than kiyong, than any guy. :)

Yeah I know we might be looking at the movie through a different lens than everyone else but I really enjoyed it. The plotline isn't new but I loved how the writer and director delivered the twist. It's just not your ordinary romantic movie.

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Oh man i definitely rooted for Hyeoki oppa version chubs. Sure i was excited for the ‘makeover’, but there was questionable personality discrepancy after it (which we now know why) and the moment JKY kisses Krystal i was like NOoooo. But when Hyeok ran back into the frame at the end it was YEssss!

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Your review was better than the movie, which did indeed leave a very sour taste. I thought the actors all did a fine job, it was just a grim and pointless story.

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Yeah, it definitely left a sour taste at the end. At the end, Da-eun's bitter (sad?) face expression after Lee Jang-hyuk helped her with her bags was just the final nail in the coffin for me. My assumption was that the lesson was to "Get you a partner at the same level as yourself", which just left me with more questions and an unsettling feeling in my stomach.
Maybe it's just me because I just wanted a light-hearted romcom in the midst of this pandemic, but instead I just got a really cynical view of humanity and how humans just use others to salvage their own dignity. T-T

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i watched this, then i watched the original japanese movie. this movie is based upon a japanese novel.

one thing you will realize if you watch j doramas or j movies is that the stories can be really twisted. they like mixing things up, making you think one thing, then yanking the rug out from under you...

the j doramas and movies do not adhere to the "happy endings" concepts. sometimes you get that, sometimes you don't and sometimes you end up screaming WTF at the end...

the original j dorama "A Million Stars..." is my case in point.

no one liked the kdrama remake version - the ending made no sense, right. well, watch the j dorama version and it flows with the storyline, even tho you won't like the ending.

to me, both movies were similar. the k movie did not change much from the original story, just some details. i can't say i liked the story much, but it was a good TWIST -- i think none of us saw it coming, and that makes for a good ending, right?

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I tried to watch this because I really like Chae Soo-bin and Jang Ki-yong. But as soon as Krystal showed up, the sour taste started. I could not stand her scheming, manipulative character (or maybe her?)! I checked out, to return a few days later to try again! A few seconds in and I finally gave up in frustration. Thank you for this article, warning me not to even waste my time. There will be other dramas and films - better luck next time.

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Watched this last night and was WHAAT?, WHY?
Watching it, I hated the screeching tone shift from fluffy romcom to cynical comedy, and hated the main characters. But then, after giving it some thought, the twist was actually well-engineered, they gave enough hints (the name, job, old sneakers, new sneakers, the perm) but still managed to make it surprising because of our expectations about romcoms, and I found that it was clever

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What I didn't like was that everybody behaved appalingly, except New Hyuk, who felt like a slightly creepy sweet guy who was being used as a comfort blanket. Also, building lights guy was creepy - like, dude, no- but then maybe it was just that the company wasn't going to waste electricity money on contract workers 🤣

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Finally watched this. I actually enjoyed it. Surprisingly enough, knowing the twist made me pay better attention to the little things and appreciating the movie a whole lot more. I don't think there are any villains in this - just people making very human choices.

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This movie was anti-car culture and pro-transit. I'm a fan. 👍

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I really enjoyed the movie and appreciate the twist at the end. I did not see that coming at all. Great writing on that. It's ok to enjoy something. I honestly thought that the security guard wasn't a security guard at all. He didn't dress like one. I thought he was the owner of the company. I also that that it was him trying to set up his daughter. Some people think it's his subconscious. I don't know.

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Exactly! I HATE it when the writer plays a trick on the viewer...why? That is not creative, it is vindictive.

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