Do You Like Brahms? (2020)

Everything's cyclical

Ah, where to start?
Story: Great idea. A woman decides to follow her dream of violin at 29 and meets a famous pianist, forming a friendship over their common love woes that mirror Brahms' own love triangle. They form a relationship before they're truly out of their own love triangles, forming a polygon of romantic hardship for everyone involved. On paper, it sounds like enough for a 16-episode run, but the execution was less than ideal. Maybe it wasn't paced right, but the plot was spread too thin by episode 10, resulting in a recycled last 6 episodes and a last-minute plagiarism plight that seemed out of nowhere. The romance would be sweet if not for the constant barrage of issues they faced, and the FLs own insecurities about almost every decision she makes.
Acting/Cast/Music: Everyone was fantastic in terms of acting, and the music was absolutely beautiful.
Rewatch: Probably not.
I watched this at a time when I needed a break from other ridiculous dramas I've been watching lately. It's slow-paced and repetitive, but it's a good taste breaker drama. While the plot got boring pretty quickly, I still enjoyed watching it. I finished it in two days so that has to say something.

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A simple plot, without huge tension, and slow paced romance.

After few times of hesitation, I finally watched Do You Like Brahms , and here I am perfectly satisfied. I loved the way it keenly deals with emotions. The peaks and breakdowns of the drama weren't incidents, but change of emotions. And yes. Nothing can be more realistic. When someone struggles with lack of talent, the other one face challenges of having a talent, which even led to see it as a curse. And the drama always dealt with 'friends to lovers' issue. Friendship growing into love is beautiful indeed. Yet at slightest mistake, it might crumble you forever. Things get awkward. Not to mention that unrequited love for your best friend is miserable. And this made me curious about the story of Clara, Schumann and Brahms.

If you are a viewer who loves a simple melodrama with a slow burn romance, I highly recommend Do You Like Brahms.

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Incredibly warm + refreshing

My first ever review, because I truly loved this drama. It was so incredibly warm and sweet, and had some really hilarious moments too. Some of the relationships were so lovely and natural (incl. non-romantic relationships), and the actors were all perfectly casted for their roles. The music (incl. OST) was excellent, too, and the fact that the instruments were all played by the actors themselves was so weirdly satisfying.

Even at times where I was frustrated, I could completely understand why the characters were behaving like that (though some might take you through a roundabout way of explaining, but you eventually get there) - it was all understandable and justified, because you could follow the characters in such a realistic and smart way. I was never angry with the show itself, which keeps happening to me with other dramas where things just happen out nowhere, for shock value but nothing more. Do you like Brahms had none of that, without it being boring or cliché.

Really, really lovely and refreshing drama. Will absolutely be recommending it to everyone, and re-watching again for sure.

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2020 Favorite drama

I concluded this my favorite KDRAMA for 2020. Where do I begin. This story was just perfect for my taste as someone who love melodramas and classical music. I remember Nodame Cantabile ignited my love for classical music that I somehow been familiar with some classical songs then as years passed I forgot about it until I watched DYLB. Well re-searched, the details and symbolism was so magical too. I really admired the writer ( I wanted to write something like this) that if I would write a screenplay it would be something like this. The flow was smooth, the character build up was too. This drama was simple. silent, sensible, soft, subtle, sentimental. It had a tug in me from the very start. Thank you DYLB, one of the few happy memories for 2020. (September 2020)

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A Love Story That Could Have Shined Brighter

A nice romance story between two musicians who felt lost. I am usually not a super big fan of melodramas but gave this a try after seeing positive reviews. I was pulled into the story from episode 1 and I felt attracted to the characters. I felt for Song Ah's confusion about following her passion and Joon Young's burnt-out feelings about playing the piano. I also really feel the chemistry between the main leads and I wish there were more sweet moments between them. I did love the moments they did have, like the umbrella and handkerchief, and how they slowly moved from interested to dating. And I liked how they were not super lovey-dovey and had awkward moments- felt very real. I also liked how they talked about their problems directly (for the most part) and their love felt very warm. The friendships in the drama are also very warm, and I wish I got to see more of Hyeon Ho and his story. However, there were many moments in the drama where I got confused as to why certain characters behaved the way they did and it was frustrating during those parts. Those parts felt like the writer made it more complicated than it had to be just to push the plot. The plot also felt less engaging from the middle of the drama to the end. I also wish that they had concluded it better by wrapping it up more tightly and giving more of an explanation as to how certain characters ended and resolved their conflicts. Despite this, there were parts that made me teary-eyed and feel bad for the characters. The acting is also superb! I love Park Eun Bin and Min Jae's acting; they did great at portraying a musician and their love for music. I wish I can see them reunite in another romance drama and I want to see Min Jae portray more heavy and emotional characters like this again. Overall, this was a typical melodrama with a great love line and soundtrack.

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Beautiful and touching

This drama is very emocional to me because I can relate a lot with Song Ah. Unfortunately I have the same type of personality as her. I don't talk to others what is on my mind and that makes people see me as a dumb person and a pushover. As a result, I cried a lot in this drama because I felt like it was happening to me, all the feelings and frustrations she kept bottling up it felt like it was my own. Some people might see Song Ah as a weak person, but she is so strong! Even though she didn't have support from her family, she kept persuing her dream, I don't think I would be able to do that. I just started watching this drama because I love classical music, I didn't expect it to be so magnifique.

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Drama like a fine wine

Till today's day I still wasn't sure if I really liked "Do You Like Brahms?" or not 😅 For a long time I was torn as drama wasn't complicated but was a bit slow, had some deepness but also didn't have anything that would blow your mind. But! What it had was THE LEADS and they are the reason why you should watch it. Song Ah & Joon Young are the most unique leads I have everrrrrr seen😍

The hard road to reach one's dream is nothing new in terms of plot but what I like in "Do You Like Brahms?" is that they didn't make it into sweet romance drama. It realistic. It shows real hardship with only occasionally poppning subtle and delicate love moments💕 Drama shows that thing that for some is a dream for others is torment or just simple means of earning.

"Do You Like Brahms?" rating is for the actors because they are excelent ❕ As for the leads, Song Ah and Joon Young are the purest, lovliest and the most awkward couple I have ever seen 😍 For the first 3-4 episodes, my brain was fighting with my heart about whether they should be together or not. In my head two introverts together were a recipe for suicide but heart kept saying "these two here absolutely belong together". Heart won, leads were made for each other💘 and were gettinh the best out of each other.

I know Kim Min Jae only from one role - Lee Se Joo from "Tempted". He caught my eye with his acting and I was sooo cheering for him to have a happy ending. No matter the character, crazy or calm, introvert of extravert, he gives his all and sinks into the role. I am stunned by his versatile acting skills and curious about his next roles because he seems to be a really good actor 😇

Story of Joon Young is interesting but Song Ah takes my whole admiration. Her approach to playing the violin is literally insane because she knows it will be hards, she knows that she is not the best, she knows that she has a lot to learn and she also knows that her dream might be destroyed any second .... nonetheless she goes for it.

This is one of a few love stories with depth and where characters are developing their emotions in realistic tempo. surprosed me on many levels and leveled up its score from 4,5 to 6,5/10 😲

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Melodramatic romance with music, occasional clichés.

"Do You Like Brahms?" might not suit everyone's taste due to its gentle and unhurried pace. While I found it enjoyable, there were moments where the plot felt a bit slow, especially with some clichéd love triangles. However, if you're a fan of melodramas, the show has a comforting and immersive narrative.

As a musical melodrama, it goes beyond just music, delving into the complexities of relationships. The OSTs play a crucial role, creating a beautifully charged atmosphere that enhances the overall viewing experience.

While the middle part of the drama may seem a bit slow with common love triangle tropes, the story picks up as the main couples' relationships evolve.

Despite a familiar storyline seen in many K-dramas, the show is skillfully executed, offering a healing narrative with challenges and resolutions. The romance between the lead couples is a highlight, featuring beautiful and sincere moments that leave a lasting impression.

In a nutshell, "Do You Like Brahms?" delivers a heartfelt story with some charming characters, even if there are occasional annoyances.

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Like a warm cup of tea on a rainy afternoon

I recommend watching Do you like Brahms if you are looking for a soothing and musical love story. It’s the first drama I’ve watched in months from start to finish without putting it on hold (and not on my phone). That’s not to say that the drama doesn’t have any flaws or doesn’t drag towards the end, but overall it was an easy watch for me. It’s not a very fast paced show but it’s good enough that I didn’t realize until maybe episode 11 that I’d come so far. Like most k-dramas, the episodes drag a bit after the 10th episode, but not so much that I just had to stop! Having said that, I wouldn’t recommend this drama to those who are in for lots of surprises, big twists and maybe a dark side to the plot (like in What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim). It also doesn’t have much comedy to it (True Beauty). Do you like Brahms is a mellow and subtle love story. Sure conflicts are aplenty but nothing that doesn’t get resolved or completely breaks your heart. Yet, the execution is unique and the characters are really well written. It also avoids a lot of K-drama tropes and the relationship between the leads is handled very well. It might also help you to decide if you want to watch the show if you understand the focus of the story. It’s mainly a story about two people overcoming their pasts and other internal conflicts to eventually fall in love and commit to each other. There are several love triangles tied in together and the focus is on 6 characters who face various conflicts mainly with unrequited love. As the plot focuses on them, some of the other side characters such as their families don’t get a lot of attention (more on this later) – I personally found this refreshing, that all conflicts were between the leads and not because maybe a parent wasn’t happy with their relationship and so on… But those who love the quirks and emotions that the supporting cast can bring to a drama, you will not find much here however the advantage is that the focus is on the relationship between the leads and on MUSIC which obviously is key to the plot.

Now some of the pros and cons of the drama in more detail that you may find helpful –
Pros
Female Lead - I think any introvert who has watched the show would agree that Song Ah’s character is one of the most relatable introverted female characters I’ve seen in (recent) K dramas. Park Eun-Bin is subtle and believable in her portrayal of Song-Ah, she’s brilliant in this role. Something about her feels very personal and real. Song-Ah is gentle and quiet yet strong, honest, and straightforward. She knows her mind and is not afraid of expressing her feelings. For some, towards the end of the show (episode 12 onward) her character probably seemed annoying and not in line with how it was portrayed early on in the show. I personally didn’t see it as a stretch. Since she is an introvert, I did not see it as unrealistic for her to tolerate as much as she could and then one day just blow up in an attempt to reclaim her sanity. It was impressive how she stood up to her manipulative professor and was not a push over. Because the writer waits until episode 13 to have Song Ah release all this pent up anger or frustration (lol) to some she can come across as overbearing and unfair to Joon-young. I actually really liked that she was true to herself and did not hesitate from making changes in her life to reclaim her happy self and reduce her anxiety. I respected her decisions and felt that her character was very well written and nuanced. The writer remained true to her character and her honesty and courage not only helped her but also others around her in the end. There was one minor complaint I had (see ending) about how her professional dilemma was resolved but I didn’t mind it too much. I look forward to other female characters the show writer will develop in the future. Thanks for bringing Song Ah to screen!!

Musical passion v talent – Joon Young has a natural talent for playing piano. In fact, that’s what he’s done for the majority of his life. While Song Ah came late to music… she left her potential career in business and started playing the violin for her sheer love of it, unfortunately she doesn’t have a natural talent for playing it. This conflict between Joon Young and Song Ah is central to the plot. Although this conflict is specifically regarding music, it lends itself to other relatable scenarios of life. The dialogues portraying this conflict are beautifully penned, and you’ll find yourself relating to Song Ah’s dilemma and find courage from her to pursue your passion in life and be true to yourself.
Music – As you already know, music is key to the plot, and there are classical music pieces throughout the show. I found all of it very soothing. I will say though that the Traumerei piece does get old by the end of the show because it is referred to several times during the show. It is still a beautiful piece and the production team has done a great job pulling all this music together.

Chemistry between the leads – The chemistry between the leads is great! It looks very real and they are very cute together. There are some great scenes between them especially in the first 10 episodes. It’s too bad that later the writer-director team chose not to focus much on their chemistry. Later their relationship becomes more talk-y and heavy on emotions. This is not necessarily bad as most relationships run into communication related issues early on and as both partners grow and mature these issues get ironed out. It was wonderful to watch their relationship mature over the course of the show, in fact in the last episode they look so comfortable together. However, I personally would have liked to see some sexual chemistry or tension in later episodes as well just because it would have made their relationship seem more realistic, but I also get what the writer and director were going for.

Cons
Did Joon Young really love Jung Kyung? – I frankly found this angle to be the most unconvincing part of the plot. Too bad, that this is such a major part of the plot. It’s shown that Joon Young used to be in love with Jung Kyung and is slowly emerging out of it, as he attempts to start a new relationship. At first, watching the flashback to his show in NYC, I thought maybe they slept together, or at least they shared a passionate kiss. But what happened seemed very minor for such a big conflict and it was mostly from Jung Kyung’s side. And even if you buy into that, I just felt that not even once Joon Young showed any type of affection or emotion towards her that would lead me to believe that he loved her a lot. He seemed mostly cold and cordial and frankly it seemed more like a one sided ordeal for Jung Kyung. If the show wanted to tell the story of people who are in love with more than one person at once, they should have committed to it more fully. I felt the show backtrack several times and there was not much in it to convince me that the leads had eye for anyone except each other right from the start.

Underutilized subplots and side characters – There are some characters in the show I would have like to known more about, but it probably was hard for the writer to juggle these subplots and give everyone ample time on screen. An example is Dong Yoon, Song Ah’s first love. It was fascinating for me, how his love for Song Ah unfolded gradually. But he kind of disappears after he confesses to her and becomes more sort of a messenger between Hyun Ho and Jung Kyung. So are the oddities of the drama land, that even when he sees Song Ah crying in his studio in one of the later episodes, he calls her friend Min Sung to comfort her instead. Of course it’s a wise and respectful decision, but if he loved her wouldn’t he lean toward comforting her himself.

The other interesting angle is Song Ah’s family especially her sister and mother. Song Hee, her sister is a fascinating character but we don’t learn much about her. I understand that it’s probably hard to give screen time to everyone in a show but it would have been nice to have known more about her. Interestingly though Song Ah’s family seems to not support her decisions at first , they come around later, and the writer chooses not to spend so much time on their disagreements. There are disagreements but unlike some other dramas the mother doesn’t seem authoritarian. I actually thought that later in the show the class differences between Song Ah and Joon Young would become an issue but it never does and refreshingly they don’t seem to care much about her dating life.

Ending – How often do we even get a perfect ending in drama land? *sigh* there’s always more to desire. One of my complaints is how Song Ah ended up professionally. She ended up pretty much what Soo Kyung (her professor) had predicted. She gave up music and got more of a management role! Isn’t that what the dilemma was to begin with. I mean, I get it, it wouldn’t have been realistic for her to have become this gifted artist all of a sudden but it did seem like a bit of a let down when ultimately what she was fighting in all 15 episodes is what comes to be.

Overall – This is a great show to watch if you are looking for a relatively light love story. It has few to none comic parts but I didn’t think it was emotionally very heavy. The leads have great chemistry and the FL is very relatable. Just know it drags from Episodes 11 to 15, but ultimately there are no big setbacks and you’ll have a smooth ride until the destination.

:) Having said all this I would love to know what were your thoughts on the show? Also what did you end up watching after you finished Do you Like Brahms?

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They guarantee the drama / Eles garantem o drama

Them, the actors. Kim Min Jae par excellence. A contained, expressive representation, how he likes to present us.
Park Eun Bin manages to be the dreamy girl, insecure, without grace, a saltless bun, which the writernim wanted with all his soul.
The others are also faithful to what - of course - was asked of them.
You soon realize the reason for the ratings.
The story starts well, but around episode 10 it threatens to sink... and it almost succeeds. From there until the middle of episode 15 it's a fight, KMJ will ensure that we don't use the drop feature.
And the music. I don't understand why in a drama about classical music this aspect has not been better explored in the OST. I just remember a dull ballad.
Know. I can see that this is more of an outburst than a review. But, that's what we have for today.
(this is in Google´s English, sorry

Eles, os atores. Kim Min Jae por excelência. Uma representação contida, expressiva, como só ele.
Park Eun Bin consegue ser a mocinha sonhadora, insegura, sem graça, um pãozinho sem sal, que o writernim desejava com toda a alma.
Os demais também são fieis ao que - certamente - lhes foi pedido.
Logo percebem a razão das avaliações.
A história começa bem, mas, lá por volta do episódio 10 ameaça naufragar... e quase consegue. Daí até o meio do episódio 15 é uma luta, KMJ vai garantindo que não utilizemos o recurso do drop.
E a música. Não entendi porque num drama sobre música clássica que essa vertente não tenha sido melhor explorada na OST. Só me lembro de uma balada sem graça.
Sei. Tô vendo que isso é mais um desabafo do que uma review. Mas, é o que temos para hoje.

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