i absolutely loved the fact that this drama was sort of... risqué. It doesn't try to conceal the truth about relationships and talks about couples sleeping together as it is; a normal thing. This is something i have NEVER even come close to seeing in a Korean drama. The acting was really good. Also, the character's were all pretty realistic too. There wasn't any "crazy" psycho girl that you want to punch in the face, like a lot of dramas these days. I really, really loved this drama and i can't wait to watch it again. This is definitely one of my favourites.
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At first, I wasn’t too eager to watch this drama: an older woman-younger guy kind of stories weren’t exactly my favourite, the main actors were complete strangers for me and the number of people on MDL who saw this drama wasn’t too encouraging also. But then, after few days of fruitlessly searching for a good drama to watch I became a bit desperate and thought “ whatever, if it sucks as much as I think it does, I’ll drop it”. And I watched episode one.
...
Then, after two days, I woke up from a trance and realised I’ve watched it all. And absolutely loved it! Main actors, the chemistry between them, the script, the humour, the older ahjussi with mysterious something on his butt, her meddling mother and his aggressive sister, being shockingly open (as for Korean standards of course) about sexuality... I loved everything. The only thing that stopped me from giving this drama a full 10 was the ending, which seemed a bit rushed and kind of out of place.
So what I try to tell you in this review is this: seriously, go watch it, it’s too hilarious and sweet and touching and awesome and... I could go on like this for ages! The point is, you won’t be disappointed. That’s all.
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There is nothing I love more than when an older woman/younger man trope is paired with older sister/younger brother childhood bond dynamic because THAT IS TOO DAMN ADORABLE! This drama had just about everything you could ask for; a beautiful script, chemistry between the leads, interesting secondary characters, excellent pacing, and a good lack of overdone angst or weak cliches. Honestly the only reason this puppy isn't getting a 10 star ranking is because it didn't really resolve its secondary love plot it taunted, which is kind of frustrating. Still, I won't complain too much because it gave me an unexpected non-time-fast-forwarded ending that made me smile so hard.
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Now as for why I disliked it, I don't like double standards in everyday life, so why should I like double standards in a drama? The only reason this drama isn't getting a 10, is because it focused way to highly on age. I get that that is one of the premises of the story, but to much, is to much. I have never in my life understood why its okay for women to date/marry older men, but not vice versa. And, another reason I disliked it, is granted, family does mean a lot, but family isn't everything, at the end of the day you need to be happy with yourself, and with the person you are with.
Give this drama a try if you want something that is going to pull out all your emotions.
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There were several things about What’s Up Fox that I really loved and a few that fell short for me. First, some more mature themes were mainstays throughout the drama. The main character, Go Byung Hee, is a reporter for an adult man’s magazine and writes erotic stories along side actual reports relevant to the male readers. The daydream scenes of her stories were hilarious. Because sensuality was such a main theme in the story it dealt with sex in a much more straightforward way than is typical in a Korean drama. It was refreshing.
The humorous moments were well placed throughout the show. It was funny without being over the top, and added in just when it was getting too serious. Being a Rom-Com, that’s part of the formula anyway, but I found myself enjoying the series more because of it. Additionally, there were very few instances that I felt the story progressed too slowly. The whole show moved along at a steady pace, never really very fast, but moving things along at a rate that I wasn’t bored with it.
The main couple was great together. Park Chul Soo took a little bit of time to admit his feelings, even after the big whoops of the first episode, but once he committed he was dedicated to wooing her. Just the way he looked at her was adorable, puppy love all the way. Chul Soo did his best to prove to Byung Hee that he was really in love with her, but she fought against the idea valiantly. It was great to watch her evolution, starting out seeing him as nothing more than a little brother to denial that she was attracted to him, and finally to accepting what her heart had been trying to tell her all along. Their chemistry was just right, the perfect amount of tension and playful banter.
Doctor Bae Hee Myung just never really felt all the strong to me. I understand that the character was written to be pretty low key and accepting, but as a part of a love triangle he just fell short. Doctor Bae never fought for Byung Hee, he never made an attempt to really tell her that he loved her. And on that note, he admitted that he didn’t feel love or want to feel love. He just wanted someone to live with, something comfortable and warm. Not the kind of talk that sweeps a girl off her feet. As far as a second male lead goes he just didn’t really make me pull for him. Perhaps I’m comparing Doctor Bae to other second male leads and that’s why he just seems lacking. But to me the other guy in the love triangle should be like Ji Hoo (Boys Over Flowers) or Kang Shin Woo (You’re Beautiful).
The side story of Go Jun Hee and Park Byung Gak was so much fun. They were just as strong as the main couple, for me anyway. Their love-hate relationship was hilarious. They were just as horrible to one another and then would turn around and be wonderfully sweet. As they grew closer and closer to one another I just couldn’t help but root for them even though they were seventeen years apart in age. It was just such a sweet love that formed between them.
As we all know I’m a sucker for a happy ending and What’s Up Fox had a satisfyingly happy ending. The stories were wrapped up well and the things I’d been hoping for through the whole show came to pass. I got the warm-fuzzies, and really that’s what I love at the end of the day. The ending didn’t have as much punch or fireworks as I wanted, and was just a little rushed I think. But even though they didn’t show as much sensuality and love as I wanted they left it open enough I could imagine. All in all this was a good time.
Noona's Rating
Overall: 7.6 (I rated this 4 stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 8
Cast/Actors: 8
OST: 6
Sets/Costumes: 8
Feels: 8
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Starting with what was positive about the series, the real bones of What's Up Fox and what makes it so deliciously addictive for the most part is the strength of the characters. Their connections and interactions with one another really are a joy to watch and they really feel like people who have known each other for most of their lives. This is particularly true for our lead pair, Byung Hee and Cheol Su. The fun interactions between these two manage to be adorable in some places, and then sizzle with chemistry in others. However, this chemistry was somewhat dampened by the drama's insistence on reminding the audience regularly of the awful age gap between the couple. This was probably the biggest irritant for me in the series.
One of the major themes of the drama, unsurpisingly, is age-gaps, and the way it was portrayed between Byeong Hee and Cheol Su prevented me from investing fully in the pairing. I have no issue with age-gap relationships at all. In fact, I tend to find them pretty cute; unlikely couples who have overcome the odds. But What's Up Fox fixates on the age difference between the lead couple to an unnecessary degree. We see Cheol Su acting like a petulant child when he can't have Byung Hee the moment he decides he wants her. We see Byung Hee reminiscing to instances of herself taking care of Cheol Su when he was just a kid. We see the somewhat exaggerated outcry from the families of the couple. I get that the drama wants the 'shock factor' by putting the emphasis so firmly on the nine whole years between the main couple. But for me, this just detracted from how much I actually wanted the couple of get together. I found myself thinking that the families were actually right and the whole set-up was just a bit creepy. I wish instead the the drama had taken the more sensible (if less drama-worthy) angle that they are both adults, so why should a few years between them stop them being a couple?
We see age difference as a recurring theme again in the two subplots concerning Byung Hee's mother and her sister. I was worried when it first became apparent that these subplots, almost entirely removed from the main plot, were going to get a fair amount of screentime. I've seen dramas where the sub-plots have almost taken over from the main, but I felt the right balance was struck in What's Up Fox. The sub-plots served to explore various types of age gaps, which added a richness to the drama, as well as providing a break from the main action. I will say, however, that whilst I really enjoyed Byung Hee's sister's side-story, I didn't really engage with that of Byung Hee's mother at all. It felt haphazard and it came too suddenly to a stop. I was left unsure what the writers' had been trying to say with it in the first place and if it had just been there to fill air-time.
Dipping back into the numerous positives of this drama, one of my favourite things about it was its candid approach to relationships. It's a Korean drama that openly discusses sex. It's almost worth watching for that novelty alone. This isn't a drama where the love is a simple, pure one consummated with a chaste peck. It admits that couples have sex and that's normal and basically a good thing. Along this line, I particularly enjoyed Byung Hee's insurmountable ability to imagine and write erotic material whilst herself still being a virgin. It added layers to her characters, whilst also creating a lot of laugh out loud moments.
Overall, I enjoyed What's Up Fox. There were a handful episodes in the middle that I watched back-to-back because I was so addicted. I was so disappointed therefore with the ending. It felt to me that really kicked down everything that had been built up to that point. The relationship between the leads just deteriorated for the sake of an extra spurt of drama on the homestretch, and it made me doubt whether they were really suitable for each other after all and if the age difference actually was too much to conquer. It was a self-defeating move by the writers', and it left me feeling less positive about the drama as a whole. That being said, it's not enough for me to actively discourage people from watching What's Up Fox. For the majority, it's fun, refreshing and enjoyable. There were just a few areas where, for me at least, it let itself down.
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The story was ok. One of the good things about this drama is there were no mean ex-girlfriends around to torture Byung Hee, but the other family members where way over the top in their objection to Byung Hee and the younger Cheol Soo getting together. So much so that Cheol Soo's sister signed him up for his army service...a little rediculous.
The acting was good also. I think the chemestry between the secondary couple of Joon Hee and Byung Gak was better than the main actors and I think the story was better too. I wish I had watched a drama based on that story. The other actors did a great job though.
I probably won't rewatch it. If you enjoy something different than typical dramas then this would be a good one to watch.
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The drama starts out ok, and that's a compliment at this point, cause I was waiting for it to pick up after a really slow start and it kind of does for a few episodes in the middle but never in a significant way. I'm so surprised by how much of a nothing this drama was. Like seriously - nothing happened during it. The main couple fell in love with each other kind of out of nowhere and, you know, I get that a reason is not always needed but they just lacked chemistry for me, cause their relationship lacked reason and meaning. It felt like their falling in love was out of nowhere (same with the supporting couple). To develop a relationship one must present to us moments of bonding, they don't have to be anything extravagant - a few laughs while taking a walk and having ice-cream is a good place to start. And not - we don't get along with each other but then we had sex and now I love you (???).
Now the main couple's chemistry wasn't the worst part of this drama. What made this so bad for me was that literally nothing happens in this drama and if conflict arises there's zero enjoyment in experiencing it - pure rage. Like it's even hard for me to explain what I mean by "nothing happens" cause most of this isn't a complaint, most of the time things happen but they're just annoying and here...I could probably summarize this whole drama in 5 sentences without missing any crucial moments. There are like 3 interesting things that happen during this drama and one is in the synopsis (can probably guess what it is). It's just so "mature" but in a really boring way that nothing dramatic happens that would make me feel "ahh that's cool...this is interesting....this is cute...fun". It's just so flat that I lack the words to describe it. And the characters don't help at all most of them are god awful. All this drama concerning the main couples age-gap was soooooooooooo frustrating, they beat each other up, some people were locked up, arrested, deceived in worst ways just to keep them apart and I'm supposed to think "ahhh, yes, I get what the mother and sister are going through..." FUCK NO! I don't care if it's a valid reaction, I don't care if it's a part of Korean culture. It's freaking annoying and it's not how I would like humans to act, there's no inherent value in portraying realism, if yuo can even call it that in this case, cause it was outrageous. And noble idiocy is, of course, present too even thought it's one of the most annoying things in dramas. Both of the main characters are really bland bland bland and at times even annoying, sometimes they don't act like adults...
The best thing about this was Chun Jung Myung's puppy eyes, he's a master at it. And there are other kind of neat concepts in this like how the female lead is writing for an adult magazine but none of them are explored enough to be of any significance.
Man, idk I did not like this, I was painting my nails during the last episode just to get through it cause I had already come this far. I'd suggest you try it out just in case cause there are lots of positive reviews, but if you're just like me and this "mature" crap seems like it would bore you then skip it.
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The first scene of this drama really took me aback, but it set the mood for the whole drama. No matter what hang on until the end of the second episode.
The female lead works as a writer for an adult magazine (including writing those sexy stories) it's very unexpected for a kdrama, but it plays very well and makes room for some fun workplace moments.
The two main characters chemistry is great, their love makes sense and the evolution of their relation is very well paced. They are both lovable and are so cute together.
The opposition of the family to their relationship may come off as too strong, but for me, given the whole situation, it did make sense.
The secondary stories (workplace, sister, mother...) take quite some time in the drama. I think it's not such a bad thing as the MC's story would have probably run dry sooner if it wasn't the case. It took me a while, but I ended up really liking the sister's story arc.
Despite being over 10 years old, the drama isn't too dated, if you overlook the cell phones and the movie rental place!
But why, oh why does the older woman who will end up with a younger man has to be so inexperienced? (yes, I'm also looking at you Dal Ja's spring & Baby-faced beauty)
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