While some viewers on IMDb find the pacing "excruciatingly slow," others argue it perfectly fits the themes of loneliness and grief.
Dong-jin fires Young-min privately after work, demonstrating a "slow but steady" way of standing up for himself. Call It Love 2023 Episode 5
A common point of contention is the show's pink/purple color grading. While the director intended it to represent a sunset before darkness, some reviewers find it distracting or poorly executed. Critical Consensus Reviewer Sentiment Pacing Heavy and slow, requiring patience. Tone Melancholic but filled with hidden hope. Chemistry While some viewers on IMDb find the pacing
Woo-joo finally makes a move against the antagonist Min-young, the ex-girlfriend who cheated on Dong-jin. This "boss move" is seen by viewers as a satisfying defense of Dong-jin's emotional well-being. While the director intended it to represent a
Reviewers highlight the "shadow animation" used to illustrate Dong-jin’s dreams, which poignantly shows how his once-happy life "broke" and threw him into his current harsh reality.