It was a story bogged down by a messy predictable script and two lead actors with about as much chemistry as a goldfish and a tree. Throughout the first eleven episodes, we see little no character development in either of the lead actors, and then are left with so much sudden character development in the next five that it's completely ridiculous.
Though, had the story a fast enough pace and a more well rounded script the show wouldn't have been such a bore. Had they cut out all the needless parts and really gotten to it sooner, the later character development and the development of emotions would've made a whole life more sense, as we'd have had more time to see these changes. Instead, the ending was rushed and messy, and also somehow boring and skippable. This series was eleven episodes of utter waste, and five episodes of trying to make it all make sense.
The one and only redeeming quality of this series, was the second lead couple. Ji Yi was smart, down to earth, and willing to work hard, and Chang Soo was fun and cute. Together they were honestly the best part of the show, I often skipped to their parts. Their chemistry was off the walls and their romance oddly believable. I would've much rather watched an entire series about them doing cute couple things and arguing than having to watch the cringe worthy romance between the main leads.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cast: Uee & Sung Joon were a very very boring and uninteresting couple with zero chemistry. Everything felt so stale and "fake" between them. Their "love" wasn't believable - even to the last episode. I don't know if it had something to do with the writer, the directing, the actors themselves or the characters they were trying to portray - but it didn't work... On the other hand, Park Hyung Shik & Im Ji Yeon had amazing chemistry and their scenes together were always adorably cute^^ - I stuck with this drama just for them <3 Chang Soo (PHS) was funny, realistic, Hot and very very charismatic ;D I loved his style (hair, clothes & personality) <He had a great role. Ji Yi (IJY) was also funny, down to earth, adorably cute - she's like no other female drama lead I've ever encountered before - It's no wonder our Chang Soo falls for her ;) She makes you wonder how her brain works - she amazed me with her responses to people time and time again. I was speechless at her unconventional ways of relating to people. *Best couple award should go to them*
Music: I personally loved the OST - Train "Just a Memory" (Played once during a bicycle race between Sung Joon & Hyung Shik), Jung Yup "Dazzling Day", Kim Joo Na "I Can't Live Without You", Acoustic Collabo "Don't Do That", Park Hyung Shik "You're My Only Love", Maximilian Hecker "Summer Days In Bloom" - I absolutely loved each and every song ^-^
I won't re-watch this drama entirely - But I would definitely re-watch any and all scenes with Chang Soo & Ji Yi^^ & I will listen to the OST for a long time to come ;)
I think it's good to watch at least once - and if anything - skip-watching may be best :) I'm glad I watched it for Chang Soo & Ji Yi and the OST - so I'm satisfied & I liked the ending ;)
Was this review helpful to you?
****THIS DRAMA IS AWESOME****
WAS EXPECTING:
I rally thought this drama would neeever suit my taste! I was expecting a childish and stupidly already done concept, which is not. Even the role of the "evil mother" is different and kind of touching. There are not so much "clichés" as we could have feared.
LIKED :
Thruthfully speaking, I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. First of all, thanks to the acting. I've never been a big fan of Uee and usually only crossing her face in a drama made me annoyed BUT I have to admit how her acting and Sung Joon's are DRAMATICALLY aweome. Their couple is soft and hard, it's yelling and whispering. I really liked everything that happened between them and it turned out they were really HUMANS and had feelings that I could have felt myself if it happened to me in real life.
As for the other couple, Park Hyung Shik and Im Ji Yeon are just so sweet and lovely. OMG they made me cry so much. I usually get annoyed really easily by this kind of lovey dovey couple, but they're nooot ^^ Can't do anything but love them yay!
TO DO:
Go watch this drama if your needy in terms of feeling and cliffhengers. It's an amazing one.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story: 7.5
As I said there are no surprises, but the story folds out well from beginning to end with a good pacing, it ends when it needs to end and things are not dragged out. The characters are also quite nicely fleshed out and you get a lot deeper into their psyche than in average dramas.
Acting/Cast: 8.5
The acting was the best part of this drama. I personally love the female lead (Uee) and although her character is written as quite one dimensional, she brings that character to life and makes you care about her. The male lead (Sung Joon) feels very bland, but I guess that is what his character is like. I wish he had been allowed to give the character more... balls. The second couple of the drama (Park Hyung Shik & Im Ji Yeon) almost stole the show. I personally disliked the female character at times (too SWEET), but in the end I actually cared more about them than the main couple.
Music: 6.0
I actually can't remember any of the songs in the OST. That is a bad and a good thing. Obviously the music did not bother me, but if I can't remember a single song it means nothing was memorable.
Rewatch Value: 5.0
I enjoyed watching this drama, but I feel I will never watch it again. There were some really cheesy, romantic moments I might want to relive, but I won't be watching the entire show again.
Overall: 7.0
I would have scored this drama a lot higher if it had something SPECIAL. For me "7" means that it's an enjoyable drama that you do not regret watching, but you will soon forget it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I dont know why I enjoy watching this drama despite the various negative reviews I read from many different sources. People told me that the story is boring and the progress is too slow. However, I gave it a shot and watch this drama. At first, it is because I like UEE and Sung Joon is undoubtedly an eye candy >.<
As I progress through the drama, I found myself liking it even more. I love the story and how the problems developed and finally solved. Although tbh, I skipped all of the elderly parts when I rewatch this drama, it does not mean I like this drama any less; I really love this drama.
Maybe I am weird, but I think the problem brought up in this drama is unique. Never did they come across a drama where a guy deceived the girl to this extreme. Nevertheless, I did not hate Sung Joon. In fact, I love how he gradually realizes his feelings.
My love for this drama also emerges because of the casts. They are all so good. All of them really demonstrate what is it like to be someone who is in love, heartbroken, desperate and hopeless. I smiled and cried with all of them. While most of the people who watch this drama like the second couple more than the main couple, I personally prefer the lead couple - maybe because of a personal reason. I am a logical person who is skeptical about love, looking at the main couple, it makes me think that maybe love does exist. I also love how both of them grow with love. UEE grows into someone stronger while Sung Joon grows into someone more humane. Maybe I am weird, but I enjoy the heartbreaks - especially when UEE found out about everything. I have one question tho, how can Sung Joon's stare be so deep and gloomy? I really admire his gaze; so heart-flattering <3
For the second couple, I love how they overcome their problems too. I love Ji Yeon's positive and cheerful attitude; really wish I could be that cheerful. I also love how Hyung Sik changes as he fell in love. Unlike the typical chaebol who USUALLY give up on his love, Hyung Sik fight for his love. Proud of him!
Moreover, the songs are also very suitable for different scenes. I usually do not give much attention to the songs played during various scenes. However, since the songs in this drama are very impactful, I can't help but notice how suitable they are for the scenes. Great job!
I recommend this drama for those who are looking for something meaningful. However, you guys should be prepared for some draggy business and elderly related matters tho :D My suggestion, when you watch it for the first time, watch everything. When you rewatch it, just skip those parts as you aready has a grasp of what is going on - this is what I usually do hehe.. I only rewatch this drama to re-feel the heartbreaks I felt when watching this drama; kinda weird but this is my reason :D
Was this review helpful to you?
The story wasn't that great, nothing new. Every episode was almost the same- same scandals, same problems. The only surprise was with Yoon Ha's brother but nothing more. I think that Uee wasn't right for this role, she didn't fit at all but maybe this is how I saw it.
Park Hyung Shik and Im Ji Yeon were the reason to continue this drama but even their story was made too sad than it's supposed to be. They had chemistry unlike Uee and Sung Joon.
The final was rushed and everything happened so fast.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ugh. First, I think that the women should have concentrated on setting up their businesses and dumping their respective boyfriends who regressed to middle school with each other. All sorts of sniping and glaring and hurt feelings. I kept expecting the boys to start pulling each other’s hair and slapping each other.As for, Yoon Ha, she comes across as inept (everything she accomplished at Tae Jin was a result of work Joon Gi, Chang Soo or Yi Ji did for her) and somewhat hypocritical (e.g., criticizing the privileged for abusing their power then using her brother’s power to take revenge on those who offended her). And when the first male lead declared that he fell in love with Yoon Ha the first time they met, I wondered what the prior 15 episodes had been all about.
Finally, after all of the fuss about the brother’s disappearance, the “resolution” seemed to be almost an afterthought.
Was this review helpful to you?
When I first read the summary of the story, it sounded very interesting and felt like a nice change from most chaebol dramas. However, the drama did not stick to the summary for very long. Yoon Ha quit hiding her background and her part-time job before we had even reached the half way point of the drama. Anyway, the story was alright at some points, especially when Yoon Ha joined the Taejin company. If the writers didn't focus so much on the parents and siblings of Yoon Ha and Chang Soo and their issues, High Society could have been a really good drama for anyone to watch.
Oh God, this cast was awful in lots of areas. Park Hyung Sik was the only actor that did a good job throughout the drama, and I can't be biased on his part because this drama was the first time I'd heard of him. Not only is he extremely good looking, his acting skills are superb. During the scene where he was crying for Ji Yi and saying that he didn't like her, he loved her, that felt extremely genuine and I couldn't help tearing up myself. Plus, his hair is extremely fluffy and I love it. Anyway, Uee and Im Ji Yeon did do well in some parts of the drama, but they also failed a lot as well. Uee's acting felt fake during the first half of the drama, but when she broke up with Joon Gi and turned extremely badass, I started to really like her acting skills then. For Ji Yeon, it was the exact opposite. She was good during the first half, but turned fake during the latter half. And lastly, Sung Joon. I wasn't expecting much from him because he didn't do very well in his role of Yoon Tae Joo in Hyde, Jekyll, Me, but his acting hasn't improved whatsoever. He is very handsome, but that's the only thing going for him.
The music was pretty much the only decent thing in this drama. I especially love Hyung Sik's recent release of You're My Love for the High Society soundtrack. It was only played during the last two episodes, but it fitted in really well with the scenes that were being acted out, and since I had listened to it so many times before actually watching Episodes 15 and 16, I was mouthing along with the words. It's not Hyung Sik's usual sort of music, but it was still very beautiful and touching.
There is not much chance in hell that I would watch High Society again. I would only go back for Park Hyung Sik and the music, but that's not enough to convince me to go through a whole 16 hours of pointless chaebol stupidity and annoyance.
Overall, there is a lot of stuff that could do with improving in this drama. Firstly, the writers would pretty much need to rewrite the whole story to include less family problems and more of the actual character development. The director and staff would need to pick an almost entirely new set of actors to play the parts as most of them did not play their parts well enough. And lastly, they just need to make the entire drama more enjoyable. High Society was so hyped because of the amazing cast, but pretty much everyone was let down by the lack of drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Unfortunate Misuse of a Mostly Good Cast (with the obvious exception of Uee)
This drama was problematic due to a really weak script and a mind-blowingly bad peformance by Uee as the female lead.The reasons I rated it as highly as I did are the performances of Bang Sung Joon, Lim Ji Yeon, and Park Hyun Sik and the fact that the drama contained a storyline about parents that wasn't necessarily about their children (sometimes it seems like parents are onlyincluded in dramas in order to impact the romantic relationships of their children). Having said that, I will admit that I didn’t particularly like the storyline of the parents, I was just relieved by the fact that it wasn't solely focused on their impact on the romantic leads' romance.
I've seen other reviews that criticized the lack of chemistry between the leads, but I somewhat disagree with them. To me, the problem was one-sided; Uee should never have been cast. I was impressed by the amount of chemistry and connection Sung Joon was able to muster with a scene partner who offered nothing. I've been in that situation as an actor, and it is like working with a brick wall. It is also very exhausting. I applaud Sung Joon for making me believe in his character's interest despite Uee's ineptitude as an actress.
In fact, I enjoyed Sung Joon's subtle performance throughout this drama. From what I've seen, he has a talent for knowing how far to take his performance without pushing. I believe he is one of the best drama actors because of this.
Park Hyung Sik chaeboled as Park Hyung Sik does, though I would have appreciated a little more sweetness behind his hijinks in the final scene - he came across a little too much as if he was genuinely regretful. I also felt that Lim Ji Yeon's performance in the final scene lacked growth. Throughout the rest of he drama, however, they had a delightful chemisty.
Visually, there were some lovely moments - the scenes at the beach and at the beach house come to mind. I also think that Sung Joon was particularly attractive in this film (he appeared physically stronger, his skin was clear, and he had a great haircut).
Overall, the only way I would recommend watching this would be if you are a fan of any of the three leads that I mentioned above.
Was this review helpful to you?
I’m a fan of UEE (even though truthfully, I really haven’t seen most of her dramas) and also a big fan of Sung Joon but I think I finished this because of Park Hyungsik and Lim Jiyeon’s characters. I will complain about a lot of stuff but I did finish the drama and actually liked the ending. The process to the end was a bit annoying to deal with but all is good and it was a nice drama.
Note: From here on, I will be using their character names instead of the actor’s names.
Story: 6/10
I don’t think I’m too fond of watching shows about chaebol families. There’s just too much drama and bloodshed going on. (LOL) Although I don’t often watch them, I can say that this is one of your typical rich family dramas. One character is insanely rich and another is poor and they fight for their love despite their status blah blah blah. I really didn’t like the story of this either. There were just too many plot twists and all. The main story with Yoon Ha and Joon Ki was confusing. It’s like it needed saving and more problems just came up. However, I did love the side of the story with Changsoo and Ji Yi. The start of the relationship was a bit cliché (but who’s kidding, almost the entire drama is cliché) but I felt the happiness, the sadness, the hurt, and all the emotions with it. It was confusing and whole jumble of problems but as the story ended and everything is becoming resolved, I felt like it was a really good closure for the people watching.
To read more, please go to this link: http://vee-vibe.tumblr.com/post/126646544987/drama-review-high-society
Follow blog for more drama reviews.
Was this review helpful to you?
The plot. I don't know where to begin. It was just so mundane, boring, average, all the other synonyms. The love stories were just... terrible. I mean, honestly. I feel like they picked cliches out of a hat and squeezed it into one show: rich person x poor person, arrogance x naivety, etc. I liked where they were going with the 'love isn't all pure and clean' thing, but it was just so poorly executed. Some of the main problems presented in this show were so absolutely petty, and overall the show was just a dragging mess. This show could have been 10 episodes, and you wouldn't have missed anything. I wish they had gone more in depth with the side characters, because the ending only presented solutions and happy endings for the leads and the side characters' stories' were left unfinished. Not to mention the 'happy ending' was super cringe worthy. Basically, this show could've been so good, but everything that could've gone wrong went wrong.
With actors like Uee and Sung Joon, I expected fireworks and excitement. All I got was cringe worth glances and little to no chemistry. Seriously. Considering that the show was irritatingly romance focused, the romance was barely there! The second leads had more chemistry, but their story was too basic and boring. I feel like they combined two boring couples and expected something great, but boring + boring = more boring. I'm surprised that I finished this show, to be honest, because nothing. NOTHING. Appealed to me.
The music was the one good point for me, because it was light and upbeat and I really liked it. But that's not enough to make up for all the other flaws.
Considering that I was yawning through the first time watching it, I definitely will not be rewatching this drama.
Overall, it was just boring and average. I mean, it wasn't total crap - I sat it out and finished it - but it was pretty darn close. I still don't understand how the romance wasn't present with such an attractive cast.
Was this review helpful to you?
The two female leads, Yoon Ha and Ji Yi were sweet as friends, very loving to each other and supportive. They might be some of my favourite female friends in a kdrama (though there were a few points that annoyed me) On the other hand I found the two male leads friendship to be unlikable the further through the drama I got, and that could be in part because of my dislike of Joon Ki.
This dislike (which I imagine was not what the script writers were aiming for) was mirrored in that of Yoon Ha's female family members. They were meant to be easily disliked, but their attitudes were hard to watch, and Yoon Ha's submission to them was a low point of the series.
That brings me to the best bit of the drama. Chang Soo. His friendship with Yoon Ha was a blessing, I found them to be highly compatible and wished for more scenes together. On the other side of that is his relationship with Ji Ya which was a lot of fun as they followed the familier troopes of rich man/poor woman in an entirely charming way. Park Hyung Shik was amazing in this.
Apart from these few hurdles it was an enjoyable drama, and I would recommend it for anyone who loves to watch dramas that are bigger than the main romance which is good because I found that this shared its focus more with other things like family and business. It wasn't as romance heavy as I would have first thought and though the last episode seemed to approach quickly it had a satisfying ending.
Was this review helpful to you?
