Motel California

This drama opens with something interesting and a little surprising that makes us curious.

I enjoyed the novel that inspired this drama (Home Bitter Home), the drama creative team, & the actors (Lee SeYoung & Na InWoo) succeeded in making the characters Ji KangHee & Cheon YeonSoo come to life on the screen.

A story about an imperfect human who has past wounds and struggles to rise to become a better version of themself.

Ji Kanghee becomes a strong woman because of her bitter life & Cheon YeonSoo a man as pure as water who protects his first love may seem cliche, but after we know their past story we will love them.

The diverse behavior of Hana-eup's residents will make us Feel sweet, bitter, laugh, tear & love. Cinematography that brings a warm & nostalgic experience combined with beautiful music completes the sweetness of this drama.

Can't wait to see the next episode.

Tedious and repetitive. Twelve episodes and it goes nowhere. The female lead is annoying and unlikeable. The supporting cast have nothing to pull together. The writers have failed miserably and it's one of the few dramas that falls well below standard. Lee Se-young is better than this but sadly these characterizations are long remembered, here she is mean and selfish without reason, her constant pushing away then demanding attention is tiresome and in every episode it's the same scenario. Personally, Lee So-e as Han A-reum is the only shining light.

I expected much more. Twelve episodes was too long yet I didn't bail but sadly I didn't enjoy it and now regret the time spent enduring this rambling mess.

Reading reviews and commentary for this show online, it seems like I'm the only person who enjoyed Motel California. But I really loved this show. This drama is messy, angsty, moody, romantic, frustrating, and lovable. The characters are all flawed, but believable. It's believable that people from a small town with various forms of trauma and baggage would end up with complex and not-straightforward emotions, which leads to battles between head and heart, all weighed down by said baggage. Every relationship (between/among the leads and the background characters) is flawed in its own way, but those flaws add nuance to the characters, without detracting from the real and obvious affection. The plot moves "slowly," but it doesn't feel slow due to the emotional richness of the characters. The show is a beautiful exploration of romantic love, familial ties, friendship, and duty vs desire.

Lee Se Young and Na In Woo are amazingly adept at conveying joy and pain, sometimes (oftentimes) simultaneously; you can really feel them struggling against the various barriers put in front of them by themselves and by their society. Kim Tae Hyeong is also a fully fleshed out second male lead; he is not just a romantic foil to our main characters, but we also learn his backstory and motivations. Choi Min Soo is very touching as Kang Hee's dad, expressing his love through barriers of pain and restraint.

I love the female and male leads, but this drama is written so badly that even after 2 episodes, I am fed up.

1. All the motel thing with motel-children is not clear. They have their mothers and fathers so obviously it is not a orphanage, still it is not clear.

2. The girl is going to seoul and she loves the fat boy- FINE but why would she not keep contact, why not share the address- she is not going to another planet 3- okay fine, she has her reasons for not disclosing- why would she turn down an offer to work with good amount with a reputable company- as a sign of "pride" - what pride?? What is so dishonourable in getting a lucrative job with good pay??

4- She is mean for no reason- when she showed up in funeral- why she went to sit on another table and start fight- she knew these people so obviously 'instigated' it.

5- if you are pining so much for the boy, why not share the number and at least ask how he is doing, what he has become etc. No NONE - She acts like a spoiled entitled sulking child for NO REASON.

6- Goes back to seoul to do what- nothing 7- Her father asks her to come to his hotel room for newyear dinner etc, why would she take a stranger to act as boyfriend? - How old are you? The father is already a chilled person so there is no issue of being coerced into something. The action is senseless 8- And then when you see the boy you love, standing there- still saying NOTIHING - why?

9- She is totally abusive and uses the boy's feeling and is narcissistic.

... very annoying- and if she is an adult, she better act like it- if not- then she is an abusive character - bakwas.

One thing that kept me engaged in this story was the way the female lead was written. She has pulled off shows like "What comes after love", "The red sleeve", "law cafe" and "The story of parks marriage contract" . She plays "damsel in distress" typa rolls wayyy too well. Her tears leave me in awe every single time. She wasn't like any ordinary goody-two-shoes or saintly character. There were moments when I actually disliked her, which speaks to the quality of her acting. It was raw and captivating-she was hot-tempered, young, ambitious, reckless, fierce, and proud. No one understood her except for the male lead.

The casting was fantastic; all the actors did an amazing job. The performances felt genuine, and nothing seemed forced or awkward. The character development was natural, even if it was frustrating to watch at times. I found myself rooting for them to end up together.

Although the second leads weren't given much depth, I was glad they were able to find their own loves. I would have loved to see more of the love story between Sang-on and the short-haired librarian girl, though.

The chemistry between the main leads was remarkable; they deserve a best couple award for this. Their love was intense, filled with jealousy, confusion, longing, sadness, and, above all, love. I really appreciated how passionately in love they were.

Kudos to the cast for making this mid-story an 8/10 for me. It's worth watching at least once. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have a great day!