Now, obviously nothing is perfect. There are always flaws and the biggest ones here are some of the plot lines. While I enjoyed every minute of this show, there were certain plot lines I could have done without or that simply just fell short in my opinion. But what I loved the most about this drama were the characters. I am a sucker for characters and boy did this drama not disappoint.
These characters just felt so real and honest, it was really hard not to fall in love with them all. Especially Yoo Si Jin. There are so many qualities about him that I could highlight, but what sets him apart from mostly all other characters is his sarcasm. His sarcasm plus his charm makes for this lovable character who you are just constantly rooting for. While I know no man like him can possibly exist in real life, it still felt like someone like him could. Which major props to Song Joong Ki for absolutely nailing this character and portraying him so well and making me believe that a man like him could really exist even if it was just for 16 hours. That being said, I also have to give it up to Song Hye kyo for really bringing Dr. Kang Mo Yeon to life.The tears (sometimes just watery eyes) she brought to the character during certain moments felt so real.
I just really loved the moments between Si Jin and Mo Yeon. They were funny, sweet, heartfelt, realistic (in some aspects), and just all around great moments. I can honestly rewatch their scenes over and over again all day and not get sick of them.
The relationships/characters on this drama are what really make it. Sure there was some action moments, some a little too far fetched IMO, but still fun to watch. It wouldn't be a kdrama otherwise.
Might I also mention the bromance was on point. Which again goes back to the characters themselves and how you end up just loving them. That being said, I wish (and this is just my preference) they could've given us just a little more background on the past of these characters just because I want to know more about them and what they've gone through. Yoo Si Jin is a soldier and he's taken lives yet he doesn't allow that to damage his outlook on life and I'm certain that was something he had to get through and not something that came easily to him. The same with Dae Young.
Also, the secondary love story with Dae Young and Myung Joo was painful yet enjoyable to watch. I love characters who know what they want and aren't afraid to fight for what they want and that is who Myung Joo is. So it was great to see their story develop and I also really loved their interactions with Si Jin and Mo Yeon. It made for some really great comedy.
So yeah, the soundtrack is also amazing. I love when music can just transport you to a place that you want to be and every time I listen to one of the tracks, I am instantly transported to Urk and just relive those moments in this drama.
So again, this drama isn't perfect. I'll be the first to admit that, but when it comes to the characters and the relationships that this drama brings to life, I love every second of it. I don't know how many times I will rewatch this in my life, but it will definitely be more than a few.
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First of all,the plot had it's up and downs. I went from being interested to being bored in half a sec. The development of the story leaves much to be desired. And a lot of people cried but i had a poker face until the ending,i think i teared up a little but nothing more.
And second of all,my biggest problem was with some actors in particular. The english speaking scenes were horrible. They were so cringy that i almost wanted to die. I understand it was necessary but damn,everytime they switched languages it was like turning a good actor into a bad one. And the american cast was trash.
I loved everyone else tho. The supportive cast was excellent and the chemistry between the main leads was cute even if their relationship was 100% bipolar. The female main lead changing her mind and dragging everything was kinda annoying.
I mean,it's not a bad drama at all.I enjoyed most of it. The cinematography was breathtaking,one of the best ones out there. And the OST gave me chills. But y'know,those flaws were pretty strong.
Overall,do i think it's overrated/overhyped? Maybe? But everyone has their own preferences. And focusing on the good things,like i said,i enjoyed most of it. And you're probably gonna enjoy it too,just don't start this with high expectations. I think that was my mistake. A popular,hyped drama,doesn't always mean a perfect drama.
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The only different and unique thing was that their love blossomed in a deserted country ( I forgot the name ) where earthquake took place .
And that's why everyone thinks the story is very different but in reality it's typically the same . I mean only difference was the earthquake right ?
Well I don't think they showed it too much I mean okay I know they showed it and it was the main plot holder but I think they focused more on their love than the earthquake and that's totally okay with me ! Alright ! But the thing is that their love story was not even that powerful for me .
I mean , what was there ? Huh ?
There is this girl who just couldn't decide if she loves this soldier guy or not . I mean like seriously more than half of the drama she was confused . I mean In one episode she' ll say that " I love you " then in next episode she'll say " I don't " I mean just decide girl ! I liked the second couple's story much more then theirs but that wasn't very special either. I mean their chemistry was very good and I think the reason dots was a major hit was becuase of their chemistry .
This drama was a total disaster. Why ? BECUASE it tried to mix so many things in a drama and failed to do so .
Then there were so many characters that I got confused so much as this was my first drama so I was really bad at remembering korean faces but now it's like natural to me but I really can't able to recognise anyone as they all were wearing the same uniforms -- doctor's and soldier's .
The villian was senseless too . I mean there was no need to show him too . It was just pointless his whole story-arc.
I remember there was this couple who were half korean and half Canadian or something and their story seemed interesting to me too but then they didn't had the time to show us about them so ....
I thought as there are many characters they would show stories of some of them but no ! They wouldn't bothered to do that too !
They were so lazy that they didn't properly showed the second couple's story which by the way I was more interested in . So yes they just mixed too many characters and story arcs and didn't finished them up properly and I was just not interested in the main characters at all. Like I couldn't care. I do agree that the drama had good OSTs and the comedy element was good too but that's the only things I liked about this one.
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Jong Ki and Hye Kyo were my faves since I have watched them and this is their first project together so I got curious as to how their chemistry would work. Honestly, it works fine. Not great just fine. Maybe because the story itself is not love story. For me, the story did not focus too much on them as a loveteam which is good coz it gives the audience more attention on the story. Every episode, I am more excited of how the incidents would turn out. Also, there's another love team that has good chemistry as well, and not to mention the bromance of the lead and support. So, this drama basically will excite you because of the story itself. The actors portrayed their character well based on the story. Undeniably, all of them are on top of their game. Both Jong Ki & Hye Kyo's last drama were heavy and its good to see them light up a bit on this. Songs were perfect. Acting were great. Story beautiful and fresh. A bit short on the chemistry of the leads. But nonetheless, its worth watching.
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For those of you who have not yet seen DOTS, but plan to watch, the most helpful comment I can provide is go into it with an open mind, tempered expectations, and judge for yourself. You may love DOTS as so many do, but don't assume that or you might be disappointed. I doubt most of us went into episode 1 of our all-time favorite dramas EXPECTING them to become our all-time favorites.
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Story: [8.0/10.0]
There are two things that DOTS should be applauded for doing well. First off, the romance found in this show was very refreshing. If anything, the romance in this show overshadows a lot of the action in the show. I enjoyed watching as the relationships started forming between the main characters as well as the relationships that were forming between some of the support characters. I found myself gushing at some of the romantic scenes as if I were in those scenes myself. Those scenes where just that good!
Another aspect of the show that was done well was the creation of the characters. The show made sure that each and every one of the main support characters stay relevant. You'll see which ones are the main support characters once you watch a few episodes. Each support character's interaction with the other characters only helped to make the story better. I especially liked the part where the doctors were watching the soldiers running. I thought that part was hilarious. You'll just have to watch the show to see what I mean.
Although there were some good parts in the drama, there was also some bad parts as well. Personally I was really annoyed with the villain that the producer/director chose for this show. Not so much because of the actor that it was chose. I was more annoyed at the villain's role in the show. Argus was the main villain of the show. The problem with Argus was the fact that he seemed like some sort of quasi-villain. Argus was more like some sort of jay-walker or speeder in terms of the types of villains that are out there. I was expecting more when they showed him as a drugs/weapons/human trafficker. Unfortunately that was not the case. Honestly I liked the parts where the cast was confessing to each other more than a lot of the confrontations that occurred between the villain. That's not to say that they all of the confrontations were bad though.
Overall, the romance and the characters in this show was great. However, the same cannot be said about the plot. The plot was lacking more than just the main villain as well. Sadly it also lacked events that I could actually care about as well. The main part of the show (besides the romance) where the characters where in Urk was mostly very boring. They could have taken about 50% of the material out of the material of that part of theshow and the overall plot would not be any better or worse. It felt like a lot of the story was there for the sake of filling the 16 episodes.
Acting: [10.0/10.0]
As mentioned earlier, the cast did a very great job in this drama. They both did very well in terms of acting and employing the cast to make the show that much more interesting. I did not pay much attention to the acting. That's a good thing in this case because it meant that there acting was very natural. Usually I only notice the action when it's bad. I.e. when someone shows no emotional sadness when there suppose to be sad about someone's death or something. I also enjoyed the fact that the most of the actors and actresses in this show had a great control of the English language. Some parts of the show required the cast to speak English. It was refreshing to actually understand the English when it was spoken and not having to work out the accents.
Music: [9.0/10.0]
As per usual, you really can't go wrong with the music. The music did what it was suppose to. It made sad moments sadder. It made happy moments happier and so forth.
Thanks for reading my second ever drama review on MDL! I hope that you have enjoyed the review. I only gave this show an 8.5 overall, but that does not mean I did not enjoy it. I merely tried to grade as objectively as I can. I rarely give shows that I review all 10s because most often they are often not as perfect as they can be to receive the 10s.
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The acting carried this drama!
Now, I am whipped for dramas with a sassy yet beautiful female lead and a handsome soldier who find his way to her in the most weirdest way, or vise versa (*cough* Crash Landing On You *cough*). So don't get me wrong, but this review is definitely biased in that direction!When the main couple first met in episode 1, I practically fell for Yoo Shi Jin because of his flirtatious attitude towards Kang Mo Yeon. Besides the point, I'm still fallen! Getting to the second couple, Kim Ji Won acted her part to the point I was gravitated towards the character Yoon Myung Ju just cause I related to the pain and confusion she felt throughout the whole plot. I'm not just talking about her relationship with Seo Dae Yeong either. I haven't even began about the rest of the cast!! Without them, the show wouldn't be as lighthearted as it needed. During serious times, they made me laugh either with their sarcastic remarks or just normal indirective jokes.
All the actors played their parts way too well that it felt like I was in the story the whole time. The emotional rebound this show brought me is undeniable, along with the tears I shed throughout it!
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Action/Medical/Romance???
Not the best Drama I've seen, but I've not seen too many. I thought it was going to be an action Drama the way it started out. Great knife fight scene at the beginning. Felt like a bait and switch for guy audiences. I enjoyed the humor. And didn't even mind the romance stuff. I rooted the second couple and third couple more than the first.Still, I liked how it broke the wall at the end, and acknowledged its own brand of storytelling. The actors pulled it off, but was looking for more than I got.
I liked it enough for one time, but will probably not do a re-watch on this one.
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This review may contain spoilers
Why you may want to watch this drama?+ the OST is AMAZING!
+ the second leads' love story is the highlight of my life. I love them.
+ the first leads' also have a very cute love story. Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo are OTP.
+ amazing plot line. I was literally very impressed.
+ love. love everywhere!
+ Onew of SHINee is the most adorable little kitten to walk on this planet.
+ not a single episode that's boring.
+ no jealous second female leads
+ big boss' love rival was hilarious.
+ great English skills by the cast!
What should you be cautious of?
+ I loved the second leads' love much more tbh~ I lived for their love throughout the 16 episodes.
+ be ready to see a very sexy, yet evil villain.
+ subtle/ intentional/ unintentional racism on some parts.
MAYBE SPOILER:
+ A happy ending.
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