Seen from a Distance, Green Spring (2021)

Left a surprisingly lasting impression

It's definitely not a 10, but for some reason, it stuck with me wayyyyyy longer than I thought it would.
I just absolutely love Park Ji Hoon! Whatever he plays just makes sense. Their chemistry was also endearing, but he has an absolutely special way of portraying trauma. As someone who also watched Weak Hero Class 1, I can just say he is fantastic at playing broken characters that somehow still keep it together - a somewhat stable broken person. Truly fascinating!
I wish a lot of people watch it and appreciate the beautiful acting talent of this actor who somehow made his way into my heart. I respect and admire him a lot!

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Touched me emotionally very much

I already saw this show at like social media but I wasn‘t that interested at first, but after seeing another youtube video, it started to catch me and I decided to give it a try and watched it. The story touched me very deeply and emotionally, I felt so bad for yeo jun and nam soo-hyeon. I didn‘t read the webtoon but I saw that some people pointed out the kind of undercover BL hints, but I already knew that it wasn‘t a BL story, also I like BL very much and this story could have fit perfectly, I don‘t mind it that much that this was a f/m lovestory. Yeo jun and So-bin were kinda cute together but the relationship or friendship between yeo jun and nam soo hyun catched me the most. It was just so beautiful and heart warming to see them together, opening up to each other despite their first struggles and opposite characters. I really liked the fact that they lived together at some point. Their past also hit me deeply emotionally, escpecially yeo jun‘s story and I couldn‘t understand his parents at all, like why were they so cruel to him, at least his brother turned out to be nice and I was glad that they could bury their hatred or that yeo jun could reconcile with his brother. I also liked Wang young-ran and thought that it would‘ve been good if she ended up with nam soo hyun but still it was alright like that. Overall, I really liked the trio of yeo jun, nam soo hyun and so bin, but also the girls trio with so bin, wang young ran and mi joo was heartwarming to see how they all supported each other.
But like I already said, yeo jun and nam soo hyun were the highlight for me and I really liked the show.

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magnificent

Magnificent from start to finish. Be forewarned there are a lot of domestic violence triggers, so that was difficult. On some level I empathized with each of the 3 main characters, having some minor shared experiences with each of them. That's never happened for me before so that was weird.

Considering this s the first Korean drama I've ever watched, I'm amazed at how much I loved it. But I loved it because of the themes, and because of Joon's story particularly. These types of themes that deal in mental health, when done well, are just brilliant regardless of the country creating the content. So I'm glad this was my first Korean drama. It probably won't be my last, but even if it is the only Kdrama I ever watch, I will always remember and love it.

Hard to believe I've rated 2 dramas 10 stars already this year. That's a miracle.

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Tropes that fit perfectly to my taste, but not without flaws

This drama was perfectly my cup of tea that I feel I can sip on for years to come. The dialogue between the three central characters So Bin, Soo Hyun, and Jun was healing, heartfelt, and thoughtful. As the viewers navigate each character's story we are meant to understand the hardships of youth and the necessity of having love and support from others. Our three leads learn how to conquer their complexes and express their vulnerabilities to each other as they heal one another's wounds.

After reading other reviews, I understand the romance between So Bin and Jun was controversial; however, from the perspective of someone that went in with no previous knowledge of the webtoon, I found the romance to be enjoyable. Both characters learned how to grew together, its just a shame their growth (and chemistry) was nowhere near as grand as Jun and Soohyun's. I enjoyed that Jun found something of a family he always craved for with So Bin as a maternal presence and Soo Hyun as an older brother. Every scene with these three were irreplaceable and the quality of conversation between them is something rarely seen in dramas.



Now for the bad...

Personally, the most frustrating part about this drama were the side characters and their criminally underdeveloped plots. I understand the series was shorter than most (12 episodes rather than 16) and many plots fell to the wayside in order to highlight the OT3 (scenes which I wouldn't give up for anything); however, the writer should have understood this limitation from the beginning and should have removed some of these characters to allow others more time to flourish.

So Bin's roommate Mi Joo: Literally a paper thin character with virtually no past, no personality, and no character development. The majority of her scenes were cringe-y and hard to watch, and she just sort of vanishes by the end of the show.

Young Ran: who had an incredibly intriguing character but kind of appeared out of no where with no real flashbacks to help us understand her current and past relationship with Soo Hyun.

So Bin's childhood crush Chan Ki: For what this character was, he honestly had too much screentime. If they were going to keep him within the tormented "too late to see what they have till its gone" trope then what was the point of giving him a scene in every episode with zero character growth?

So Bin's mother: could have offered an intimate look into So Bin's past and current living state; however, her plot was entirely dropped after one meeting.

Research Team: Hye Jin, Jung Ho, and Chun Gook. Each character felt like they were used as plot devices to create tension within each episode with nearly no growth. I'm totally okay with this except the writers obviously wanted us to develop some sort of positive feelings toward them by the end with the sentimentality of the video project.

Professor Park: was such an integral part of the character development and story theme that it felt like such a waste to pair him with Professor Song who provided almost nothing to the plot. His character would have been much stronger if he had had more scenes with his students like the meal he shared with Soo Hyun.

Jun's brother Jun Wan: who's entire complex past of trauma, sacrifice, and hardships were summed up in one flashback.

Goo Hyeon: who could have provided further insight into Soo Hyun's family dynamic, but his appearances were also cut short after a couple meetings with Soo Hyun to provide tension between Soo Hyun and Jun.

If more attention had been paid to these side characters, it would have taken this show to the next level.

Overall, this is one for the books. I understand from an unbiased perspective this drama had many flaws, but I truly and thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

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incomparável!

Um drama incrível, e como disse, incomparável!
de verdade, que experiência incrível que eu tive assistindo esse drama, eu não esperava muito de começo, mas já pode ir pra lista dos melhores que eu já assisti sem dúvida alguma. me fez chorar, me fez rir... a maneira como eu senti essas emoções assistindo esse drama parece que foram mágicas, eu nem sei explicar! nos trás vários sentimentos, nos mostra várias realidades, como: família, amizades, dificuldades da vida.. etc. e a atuação de cada um dos personagens é ótima! me choquei muito como eles conseguiram focar na história deles sem parecer muito confuso para nós telespectadores.

At a distance spring is green é a definição de drama 10/10

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Romance was 7.5, Bromance was a 10

The romance was pretty good. The ML and FL had solid chemistry, but the ML's tragic story and his portrayal of it carried most of the show and took over / overwhelmed the romance.
However, the real star of this drama was the bromance between the two male leads. Their friendship and their scenes (and their friendship chemistry) stole the show. I ended up fast forwarding all scenes just to get to the friendship side story.
Of note, the overall plot is a little convoluted, but-- like I said-- the friendship plot completely charmed and made up for (mostly) the other deficiencies. Not that you asked, but I didn't care about or have a favorite of the two potential love interests for the friend male lead and, other than enriching his character, that part fell flat (for me).

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Nem sempre o que parece ser, é de fato a realidade

Eu literalmente julguei este drama pela capa, mas minha surpresa foi uma série de cenas muito bem construídas por personagens muito bem encaixados na rotina universitária e na relação entre opostos que vão se completando e o mais legal é que estas diferenças entre os protas vai ser trabalhado de uma maneira muito doce , apesar das cenas fortíssimas de abuso e violência . A auto estima aqui também é mostrada em todas as suas facetas . Vale muito ver a construção da amizade e d
o amor . Mas o que mais me encantou foi poder ver um personagem lindo que ainda não estava pronto prá se entregar a um relacionamento se sair tão bem no final. Recomendo.

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I really didn't expect skinship, joon and sobin had a very cute chemistry.

Loved this drama. 100/10
Not many dramas make me feel
attached to the characters. But
characters in this drama had the
story of their and their own sad
past. I really liked how main leads
were for each other in their own
hard times. They healed each
others wounds. There is so much
to learn from this drama. I really
cried every single time there was
a sad scene. I really didn't expect
skinship, joon and sobin had a
very cute chemistry. Even tho she
was noona to him they were so
natural with each other. Other
noona romance dramas are really
dramatic. But this drama includes
problems that often happen in
reality.

I really recommend this drama

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Good Enough

Korean Drama "At A Distance, Spring is Green" is a college drama that separates itself from the rest by focusing on the friendship aspect, rather than the romance. That is not to say that there wasn't a love story. There was one indeed, but it wasn't the main prompt of the story and it was of less intensity and enjoyment, though it had its cute moments.

The friendship though was the star of the drama. It allowed the characters to grow, open up about their struggles and overcome them eventually. The characters had great chemistry to boot.

As for the family drama, it was well paced and had enough intensity to keep things interesting. The college life part was enjoyable too, and it didn't overshadow the main story or get tiring.

Finally, the performances were great from everyone in the cast and the cinematography had the right youthful vibes.

So, overall, 8 out of 10.

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More than a lost opportunity

I see so many people saying that they dropped this drama but I can't for the life of me see why? Sure, it's simple, but it's also unbelievably emotional and an easy watch.

I love that the romance isn't the main focus of the drama, but rather the friendship and dynamic between the ml's. A lot of people are disappointed that this isn't a bl, which I get because the two male leads had amazing chemistry, but that doesn't take away from the great dynamic that the ml's have platonically, and I don't think that people should just regard the drama only as a lost opportunity and a let down, thinking of what could have been and what was 'taken away from us', but rather as a story of growth, found family, and finding comfort in those you would least expect.

PARK JIHOON the actor that you are today, he really knows how to portray his characters perfectly. This was my first drama of his that I watched, and it's unbelievable that I can say that he's only gotten better since this (see whc1). He's become an actor that will make me keep up with whatever project he does next.

The main couple, although not very popular as I've long since found out, is cute, and I like their dynamic. AGAIN, I really don't agree with people taking their obsession with the ml's (romantic) relationship and using it to disregard this couple, even though I can see why people may not be thrilled with them, as I think that a lot more could have been done to make the viewers more attached to them and show us more of (particularly the fl's side) what they're thinking and feeling about each other.

Even without the ml's getting together, this drama is still really really great in my opinion and focuses on a LOT more than just that, so all those only talking about this subject and calling the drama a let down simply because of this, we CLEARLY didn't watch the same drama. This drama isn't necessarily revolutionary, but it is special.

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Let's all hug Joon

Some say less romance, some say it's fine. I like romance, so if a story has a bit much of it, I don't mind, if it's a good romance. In this one I think everything developed well, it could have done without the romance, but I also don't think the romance really hurt anything. The trio fit so nicely together, and Joon grew and opened up through both characters in his own ways. I think that was very important, and he deserved a romance and a great new friend. Why do viewers want to take that away?

I think this had a lot of dark with a lot of light. I was frustrated at times that Joon didn't open up sooner with Soo Hyun, not doing so lead Soo Hyun to have so many wrong ideas.

I really just feel this story was completed really well. I think the one thing I could get rid of is the professors. I skipped over there parts because they seemed pointless to this story. I'm excluding Joon's brother in this, because he is clearly very important.

This gave me all the feels, and that is all I ask for in a drama. That and keeping me wanting to binge it, and it did just that.

The heartache I felt for Joon and a bit for his brother. I can relate to how Joon feels, and it is a terrifying, heartbreaking, confusing thing. The fact he could even portray himself as cheery and also be cheery was a huge feat. We need to give him all the hugs and all the credit he is due!

I also loved his hair in this.

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