It is the perfect portrayal of so many things: How far one is willing to go when he/she has nothing left to lose, how low humans are capable of falling for their greed, and the way humans are capable of becoming monsters for it.
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Plot: 10/10
Hats off to the writer of this masterpiece. This drama was so well written that for someone who gets bored/distracted easily, I binged it. 102 episodes in 10 days, is a new record for me. Right from the first episode, the plot pulls you in if it doesn't by the summary. There's something happening in each and every episode. I've read many comments about it getting draggy in the middle but I didn't feel it, maybe because I was watching episodes after episodes without a break? Anyway, the plot and characters are enough to keep you hooked up till the very end. Sometimes it gets predictable and sometimes, it's hard to predict what the characters would do. All in all, its a good Makjang.
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Characters: 9/10
I LOVED THE CHARACTERS!
1) And hands-down, there's no one better than our main lead Lee Nayeon. She's the sole character who shines brightest. This character went through SO MUCH, SO MUCH in this drama. What I loved the most about her character is; even though she seems timid and polite girl, she has this fire inside of her that intrigues viewers right from the start. Whether she's 12 or 32, she's something to be reckoned with. She's the kind of character who won't hurt a bug but is capable of bringing down a mountain if someone is to hurt her loved ones. And THAT is exactly what she does. She's the gold of a character! Lee Nayeon's character is followed by Baek Dohui's who's such a precious character but.... I cried a bucket!
2) Then there's Kang Taejun! DUDEEEE!!! He is the perfect example of someone who's leading a blessed simple life but keeps eyeing the stars and forgets what he has while he does. His character deserved everything he got. What's interesting about him is, HE KNOWS!! He is not oblivious to what he's doing and what might happen to him for it but he still pursues what he believes in. He's actually a wise character who just made unreasonable/stupid decisions to get what he THOUGHT he wanted. Enough said.
3) Don't get me started on Jang Sejin!!! DAMN!! I HATED THIS GIRL WITH PASSION! You greedy witch!! And here I'd say, she didn't love Taejun, SHE WAS OBSESSED with him. Kdrama writers tend to confuse obsession and love and this is exactly what they did in the case of Sejin! This issue should've been dealt with properly. She was obsessive, immature, and threw around words without care of what words might do. And her words did TONS! Those who've seen this drama would know what I'm talking about.
4) Park Yugyeong: *insert shudders* THIS WOMAN IS SO DARN EVIL. She is the example of those people who commit errors and instead of owning up to them, they bury it and they try to bury it deep. This woman is the root of all, ALL evil in this drama, and I loved how Nayeon pulled the world from under her feet. She took her time doing so. Park Yugyeong is one of those women who are obsessed with their children. I pity the people who have moms like this woman because while the world sees it as love, it is something much dangerous and unhealthy.
5) Park Hwiyeong: Ok, he's the most innocent character in this drama. He's just a tall teddy bear who wants to console everyone and help everyone. He trusts easily and has a big, big heart with so much love for his family. Even his witchy sister. But I loved how he could set his priorities right and knew what he wanted. I loved how he grew a backbone and started fighting for what he believed in and wanted. Now that I think about it, he's the only one who didn't hurt even a fly in the drama =3
6) Others: Taejun's mom was TERRIBLE! Nayeon mothers were the BEST. Her sisters were PERFECT and their boyfriends meh. Ahjussie Jang Gyeongwan......I have no words for this guy. WHAT? HE TRIED BECOMING THE VILLAIN FOR THE PEOPLE HE LOVED? Dude, grow a backbone first. But he got what he deserved. Hwiyeong's mom is THE BEST and Dohui's parents are the sanest people in the drama!
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Character Development: 7/10
Not much of character development except for Nayeon. Other than changing a bit due to their circumstances throughout the story, everyone remained pretty much the same.
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Acting/Cast: 8.5/10
Lee Yoo Ri rocks this show. She outshone everyone and everything. She played three different types of characters and nailed each of them. She just became the actress I'd definitely check out the work of. Others were okay. I'd say Park Ha Na who played Sejin is awesome too considering how much I despised her character.
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Re-watch Value: 5/10
I don't do re-watches, nope and there's no way I'm going to put myself through the anxiousness I felt while watching this. This drama drained me emotionally and it was well required too which is why it's going to have a special place in my heart.
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Music: 7/10
Except for its main OST, the rest of the music tracks were just okay. None out of ordinary kdrama makjang tracks ;)
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Conclusion:
This is my second Makjang and the first show I've binged since ages ago. I loved the characters, the intensity of the drama, and the way it kept me absorbed into it for ten long summer days.
If you're looking for something intense, something to test your emotions with a little bit of romance then this drama is for you. And I'd say, this is not for the weak-hearted or you'd cry an ocean.
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P.S: I hope people would read this long essay than a review xD
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Again, it annoys me when the "bad guys" don't even understand what they did wrong. Also, the ending left a lot to be desired. There is plenty of crazy for every character though.
I'm totally in to Lee Yoo Ri. Even that I'm not going to feel anything stare she had to have for part of the drama made me feel something. She played both Lee Na Yeon and Baek Do Hee really well. I could definitely tell them apart regardless of hair because they had different personalities. The transformation Na Yeon goes through after the tragedy is palpable.
All of the other actors are good too, but Kim Hye Ri stole the show as Park Yoo Kyung. I love to hate her.
The music is good.
I probably won't rewatch this. Once is enough.
If you like revenge dramas, then this is one of the best. I recommend this to everyone. Just ignore the absurdity of the plot. LOL :-)
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Revenge With Tenacity
Tragic lady goes on a revenge binge. Mother died young and she was betrayed by her boyfriend. Pain and more pain. Heavy revenge. But, she has the love of a Hwiyeong who loves her through it all. Story pretty standard and could have been completed in 20 episodes. 102 episodes is still stretching it, but is appealing for those who like long family dramas with revenge theme. I liked the acting, though. Dramatic till the end. Lee Yoo Ri gave a strong performance in her dual role as Na Yeon/Doo Hee and showed much versatility.Was this review helpful to you?
The Usual
I still haven't found a real answer to why most daily dramas convert their setting into a cyclical run inside a corporation despite their initial premise. Possible theory, it's easier to write while rehashing from its predecessors and to re-use the same materials and assets while building a set. Out of all the possible ridiculous tropes to ensue insanity, the psychiatric hospital trope is the only one I will never tolerate. It's the cheapest and lowliest insult to the medium and to any viewer. Therefore, this drama gets the stamp of shame for incorporating that once and attempting to do it another time later. The final resolution for these characters ended up being disappointing, they forced it to remain relatively soft and tame. Which took away from all of the angst and revenge. Park Ha Na picked up this project after her previous one Apgujeong Midnight Sun (2014) which was pretty good even for her first main role, in comparison, this drama was a significant downgrade.Was this review helpful to you?
