Chaque fois qu'on s'est aimés

I have just got through this Netflix series over the space of two days and I have to say I enjoyed it despite the fact that a lot of it didn't make a whole lot of sense but it is apparently 'based on a true story' so who am I to doubt the veracity of this tale?

It is about the on-off relationship of Julio and Irene over the course of twenty years, it starts off in 2004 with Irene who is new to Madrid as she leaves small town Castellon and her first love behind to get stuck into her film studies degree at university.

Fate takes a hand as she meets Argentinian Julio - as short as he is and a mix of a young Jeremy Kyle and a third rate boyband member - he seems to have a unique power of people wanting to have sex with him and all he has to do is take an item of clothing off and he is having sex with someone or someone wanting to have sex with him. Irene falls under the spell alongside everyone else who crosses his path and as they go home on the train about to have their first kiss, they get caught up in the 2004 Madrid Train Bombing - which they both survive but Irene loses sight in one eye.

The show then is about their complicated relationship, Julio's angst as an actor and as an irresistible heartthrob of a man which seems to about to upend his life as he begins his road to stardom, Irene who is dumped and ignored at will, she shares the story with the annoying gay friend and the fat best friend who seems to be the glue that holds the gang together.

The show goes to and forth between 2004 and 2022. Like I said, it doesn't make that much sense and that Julio can just turn up in a bar, take his shirt off and has sex with strangers ten minutes later starts becoming hard to believe after an episode or two. The co-protoganist - Irene is cute and bright but as daft and as selfish as Julio as she spends her time getting her heart broken, breaking hearts in return and getting messed about.

It's well acted and like I said, kept me watching until the end so I think 7/10 is a fair score but as long as you can put aside some of the unrealistic scenes then you will be able to enjoy it for what it is.

(Rating. 5.5/10) This series has some great ideas, I especially liked how they jumped between the past and the present. I also liked how they told the story through different memories and jumps in time. But I was missing rawness, authenticity and boldness. The storytelling felt superficial and almost mechanical. I was left wanting to see more vulnerability and raw emotions from the characters.

This is also one of those series that would work excellently with a clear beginning and an end. Like a diary of someone's life for someone else to read. But it felt like the series ended halfway through the diary. I'm guessing this is Netflix's way of leaving the possibility of a second season open. Unfortunately, that doesn't do this series justice.

From the first episode to the second, approximately 18 years go by in the calendar. Not in the characters' faces or bodies. This is totally ridiculous and amateurish. This is taking the audience for fools and simply not caring about the story or the product. And, let's be honest, if the creators themselves have so little respect and care for their own creation, why should then we have it? The story itself is rather mediocre although I must admit that Georgina Amorós steals the spotlight. Some of the other characters are too much of a cliché and bring nothing new or worthy. It is just passable if you have low expectations.

... when this production works at all it's because of the actors... they're an odd-lot but combine to make an interesting 1st series... of course the two leads do most of all the heavy lifting, and for the most part they both do commendable work... it's not 'Normal-People' quality, yet an overall IMDb reviewer rating of six-something is about right

... the on-off-relationship comparison is an obvious one... it is in the writing where the main differences lay... Normal People is a much quieter-more-subtle work... here there's a lot more flash, but less substance... it's enjoyable viewing for a time, but can get tiresome as reviewers have pointed out... does there have to be a season two.. not as many would be rooting for one as if were NP.

This isn't completely awful and somewhat engaging in the beginning, but it quickly fizzles and becomes repetitive and boring after a couple episodes. The entire series ends up being barely "average."

The show relies too much on a handful of "eye candy" to carry the entire series. The supporting cast is a complete polar opposite and quite uninteresting The plot is very simple and doesn't evolve, neither do any of the characters. Little effort was spent on the writing and on finding a suitable supporting cast.

The gratuitous nudity is welcome and makes the show bearable and easier to watch. But even the hookup scenes make little sense; the sex comes out of nowhere, is rushed and very superficial. While it may be fun to watch, you really don't feel anything! You can find more emotional depth in most porn.

The main characters are charismatic enough and do a decent job, but even they become tiresome over time due to bad writing and poor character development. Georgina's (female lead) character becomes downright annoying and her actions make little sense! It' feels like watching "Groundhog Day" ...she keeps making the same mistakes over and over again. The supporting cast is all over the place and it's difficult to take anything seriously. In the end, I didn't care about what happens to anyone.

Finally, the time jumps are poorly executed and completely ridiculous. The story begins in 2004 and jumps 18 years into the future; but characters look EXACTLY the same, with a slight hairstyle change and they use smartphones instead of flip phones. This huge time jump is completely unnecessary to the plot; the same could have been accomplished with a more realistic (believable) 5-6 year time jump. Plus, we are expected to believe that (after nearly two decades) the characters have ZERO growth and have exactly the same feelings, problems, emotions and issues (not to mention looks).

In summary; I regret spending (ie, wasting) my time on this.