This review may contain spoilers
“What the actual fuck?!” I apologise for my language but this is the best and most brief way to describe this completely cray cray drama. Ms. Perfect was definitely bizarre, a bit weird and thoroughly eccentric but left a memorable aftertaste exactly because of all these traits.
Story
Ms. Perfect is one of those hidden gem dramas that should be protected exactly because they can be perceived differently depending on the viewer. On a surface level, Ms Perfect can be described as “the story of a sasaeng fan”. Is that a lie? No it is not, it is actually unexpectedly accurate. However taking a critical look at this and analyzing it from different perspectives, it is arguable that Ms. Perfect is not only deep but actually surprisingly original and profound.
So, what exactly did this drama do so well to make me this passionate about it?
Firstly, It put together several weird, borderline nonsensical characters, gave them obvious roles (the villain, the hero, the victim ect) and forced them to act accordingly but not quite. I think I speak on behalf of every viewer when I say that we were all frustrated by every character’s frustrating decision and way of acting. Having said that, if you take a closer look at the character, it is dead obvious how non-archetype they actually are. There are several layers to all of them, and what I actually loved? It depends on the viewers’ perspective to choose who you want to root for, who is your hero and who is your villain.
Secondly, this is officially the only drama where the 2nd female lead not only was freaking amazing, but WAS the actual drama itself. 2nd female leads… we hate them, don’t we? At this point after so many dramas, we feel intrinsically inclined to dislike them on sight. Yet, here not only do we have a memorable 2nd female lead but one that is so compelling you can’t help but love. The whole drama was built around her and I have never been happier about it! 2nd female leads rule and this drama proved it! My salute to the actress for making this drama work. This drama was a huge celebration to 2nd leads (male and female) and i loved it for it!
Finally, it is arguable to say that the drama is more adjacent to makjang rather than other genres. Don’t expect any heavy crazy shit happening but the drama did manage for at least 15 episodes to make me say “what the hell” at least twice every episode. Continuous plot twists and questions that hover around. The type that hook you on and you cannot stop no matter how ridiculous this shit is. Ms. Perfect was certifiably addicting either you enjoyed it or not.
If I could put the drama under a genre, I would say it is a mystery/comedy (bizarre combination I know). Comedy is reduced to side story character after a while while mystery is strong almost till the end. Despite the quite heavy concept of the situations presented I can’t say the drama ever became melodramatic or depressing or overly serious. Romance is present in the drama but doesn’t happen until the 2nd half and it does not occupy a huge part of the drama. Having said that and since I am not a romance lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the romance here. It was not forced, it was not cheesy, it came naturally and was fulfilling.
All in all the drama for me was unpredictable, with great character writing and well thought-out. It never dragged or had a boring moment.
Acting
I read some negative comments about the acting. Well… I can understand that, but we’ve seen worse haven’t we?
Go So Young was just right and I can tell she really enjoyed her questionable character and drama overall. I wouldn’t say her performance was memorable but I did not face any problems with her
.
I am not Sung Joon’s biggest fan but he’s a good actor. He made a complete 180 here on me.
Yoon Sang Hyun was also satisfying but not memorable.
And after all these peasants let’s talk about the queen of the drama. Jo Yeo Jung. KWEEN! I have deep respect for her. She is not the best actress, definitely, but she knows how to pick a project. I appreciate her because she always goes for questionable dramas and bizarre challenging characters! I don’t think the drama would have worked without her portraying this character! I know if she is in a drama, it’s gonna be a good one! Cheers, you are amazing gurl!
Recommend
All that being said, this drama is not one for everyone. The oddity, the makjang, the frustrating and quite unlikeable characters all have their downside. I would recommend this drama to viewers who enjoy peculiar dramas, want to watch something different and are open-minded. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I can very well see why one wouldn’t.
Characters
The official review is over and spoilers may be included from now on. The drama, even though wasn’t really character-driven (or like one character directed the whole thing) it showed some really layered and multi-faced characters and I want to take some time to reflect on them.
Shin Jae Bok. The seeming victim. I disliked her but I didn’t. I rooted for her to have a happy ending but I can’t argue she really deserved it. Yes some crazy shit happened to her out of the blue and honestly she did nothing to elicit any of it but still… She was the type of woman to bring others down (namely her husband) just for the shake of it. A character that kept looking at herself as a victim (main reason why she’s not one) and was extremely relentless in getting into other people’s business. She could have taken a shortcut and spare herself from all the drama but she just couldn’t do it. A borderline control freak. Having said all that, I can’t deny how strong Jae Bok was, straightforward and direct. Traits I appreciated made her human and relatable but did not make her likeable at least to me.
Koo Sung Hee. The hero (?). Arguably the best written character, why? Because he was rotten to the core, but if you ask him what do you think about yourself? You’ll get such a self-assured answer like he is a war-hero. I was amazed at how selfish he was without realizing it, saying that he “does things” for others either his kids or his wife or his “love”. He said he loved 3 different people in 20 episodes and weirdly, I believe he did all 3 of them, but why is that? Because deep inside it was himself he loved the most. A very incompetent person who tries to always find the easy way out but always with a convenient excuse to look as a hero to himself! Incredible writing for one of the most despicable characters I’ve seen on screen.
Lee Eun Hee. The villain. I am biased, I admit. Bonkers crazy, and she knew it. Batshit crazy, and quite proud. I couldn’t dislike her, not one inch, not at all. Yes she was crazy and her situation could not get any better. If you stand still for a moment and reflect on what she actually did… it is overwhelming, sounds like something no one would do, but simultaneously, quite plausible if you are REALLY determined. To me she was nothing more than a little girl who was never loved. Abused and ignored trying to survive sustain herself and her mental health the best she could, she found settler in one person who gave her the slightest bit of comfort and then she tried to hold on to him. Why? Because he was the first person ever who made her happy. Like clutching at straws, a fleeting moment, her savior. Hence, her constant, relentless efforts to recreate that moment all her life. The one person who made her happy all those years ago, he can do it again. Rather depressing when you actual think of it.
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The plot is pretty unique but feels too stretched, 16 episodes would have been way better. There are a few interesting plot twists, but it's just not enough to make this show outstanding on any level. If you are looking for something new and refreshing this drama is a good pick, but it's not that entertaining. The acting is only okay and the characters stay distant, most of the characters are not introduced that well. Overall it's a mediocre show. At first, it's even hooking because you want to find out what the heck is going on, but later that element gets dull because it's stretched for too long. The ending seems a bit rushed, they are building the atmosphere almost for the whole episode and everything happens during the last 10 mins.
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This review may contain spoilers
Ms. Perfect went under the radar for many people, but if you are a fan of a certain genre of show this might be one to pick up. If so, get ready for a roller coaster ride and a lack of sleep as you unexpectedly end up binge watching this suspenseful drama. The first 8 or so episodes set up one scenario after another with the second part more focused on the characters figuring out why what just happened, happened. It's a crazy puzzle they try to put together without all the pieces. Hollywood sometimes makes shows about the normal average guy or gal thrown into a lot of crazy and it's fun to see how they get out of it...think The Fugitive or North by Northwest...and no, I'm not really comparing this to the level of Hitchcock but you can get the vibe. It's the person wondering, "why is this happening to me" and then doing their utmost to figure it out. But first what didn't work for me:Cons:
Length: I was actually pretty happy with the length of the drama, but I think they could have successfully completed the drama at 18 episodes. Specifically I wasn't that taken with the romance involving Shin Jae Bok's friends. The problem with side stories is they often seem like filler, well, because they often are filler. This was a very minor issue for me however. I will say the first few episodes were a bit uneven as well.
Writer Cheats: I have a pet peeve in any drama wherein one conversation could clear up some misunderstanding/questions. There are a few in this drama and one in particular that a certain question would definitely, absolutely 100% positively have been asked and answered. However, the writer was not ready for the character to find out the reason something happened so that question was not asked or answered and it made no sense. This is cheating. I get it but it bugs me though it might not others.
Writer Cheat II: The writer does a good job giving all these characters layers, but I think he or she kind of tosses Jung Hee around a bit too much. The actor is fantastic, but I actually think we needed a bit more of his decision making process in the 2nd half for viewers to really see his point of view a bit more. Also, there is a decision late in the drama that JH makes about his children that no man in that situation would make knowing what JH knows. It kicked the level of angst up a notch but things done out of character bug me though most viewers wouldn't probably give him this benefit.
Dangling Threads: There are a few characters that needed at least a bit more of a resolution. I'm talking one who needed maybe 30 seconds to let us know what happened. Most things were tied up, but I'm gonna give the drama grief because they had time to tie up these loose ends.
Pros:
Actors: I saw someone saying people were complaining about the acting, but where I was watching this was not the case. Everyone was solid and both the lead actresses were absolutely fantastic. There seems to be a lot of interest in Sung Joon, and he is absolutely solid in this though his fans should know he is really not the main focus.
Characters: Even the intrepid Shin Jae Bok isn't perfect. I like that. I loved her but sometimes she drove me crazy. "Listen to your mom gut" was said by me more than once in this drama. All the characters in this drama have depth and layers.
Story: It's hard to get into it too much because everything is a spoiler, but if you like heavy romance walk away. This isn't your drama. Having said that the relationships that flourish are dealt with in a lovely way. I'll just leave it there. This drama successfully kept me guessing through the first 8 or so episodes with "oh my gosh, I didn't see that coming" multiple times through the first 10 episodes.
Makjang: Yep, I'm putting it on the pro side. There is some of this because it's kind of an over the top situation to begin with. However, there is fun OTT makjang and then there is the birth secrets makjang. None of the latter is here.
Ending: As mentioned previously, I feel a few threads didn't get tied up but all the big ones did. We know the ending. We understand what happened to all major characters. No "What the ...." "I don't understand what happened".... I actually really liked how they portrayed the relationships between the members of this family unit at the end of the drama. We get where everyone is at. Could there have been more between a few here and there, sure but I actually think this drama was true to what it set out to do.
Overall to me this is a gem of a drama given the strength of its leading ladies, a look at a marriage in crisis and how it evolves and an overall fun roller coaster ride. However, I do understand this is not for everyone. For some they will get frustrated by the imperfect characters. Others will find it on the makjang side. I think this writer does something really well and that is take flawed characters and make us care even about ones we don't think we will care about (the character of Na Mi comes to mind). It's hard to write about this drama and flesh it out more because of spoilers. Basically I think these type shows are fun because while I watch and sometimes get mad and frustrated, I'm also thinking: What would I do? I think that is the fun of this show... but again not for everyone. I'd give it 4 episodes and if you are not hooked by then, this one might not be for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
okay so... how do I even start ?Holy mother of God, this drama has everything I ever wanted but didn't know until now ?? As many dramas it might start a little slow but as the episodes progress and you get to know more the characters the story starts to develop.
If any synopsis has helped you figure out what Ms Perfect is about (because before I started watching nothing really helped me understand what it was about) just let me tell you it deals with obsessive love, and it applies so many different tropes to make the story even more interesting every time!!!
The characters are great! both the leads and the secondary ones, the antagonist is amazingly written and all the actors portray them amazingly.
I'm usually someone who dislikes endings (i've probably enjoyed 20% of all the different endings I've seen) and before watching the final episode I read some negative comments about this one; ngl I would had made some things different (things I obviously won't write because spoilers) but in my most humble opinion, I think this was a great drama from start to finish.
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It is still a good series if you like twists and turns. It isn't a very romantic series - it focuses more on psychological issues and the family unit rather than highlighting particular relationships, though some do exist. Still it isn't a series for folks who love a good ship, even though the tension is there between Shim Jae Bok and Kang Bong Goo.
The acting is fantastic though - especially the child actors. Che-Ri in particular stole every scene she was in!
I wasn't sure I was going to like this when I first started and I'm quite new to k-drama, but I was hooked and found myself really looking forward to this each week just to see what crazy things happened!
It does leave too many questions though, so perhaps it could do a 2nd season?
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Magnificent Obsession
"Ms. Perfect" is a scintillating melodrama with a classic flavour, able to offer an intricately multifaceted story that, starting from a fairly conventional family drama structure, with the end of a married couple's love affair at its centre and the relative painful disintegration of the domestic unit, gradually evolves into a fascinating and enthralling mystery thriller with an incredible story of mad love at its centre, absolutely indebted to the Hollywood classics of the golden age...Thanks to the chance offered by a singular and apparently perfect woman, a strange rental contract (extremely favourable! ) and a forced and curious cohabitation, accompanied by a heterogeneous group of family members, friends, and real or presumed servants, the focus of the story will develop in the new home of our heroine who, faced with ambiguously hostile characters and situations, gripped by doubts, feelings of guilt (not only her husband's betrayal, but also the uncomfortable presence/figure of her ex-first love) and even erroneous evaluations, will end up feeling threatened in the actual space of her new living location...
Trying to play with cinematic genres, in order to tempt the curious, “Ms. Perfect” seems to be the evolution of the so-called 'gothic movie', in its female variant, starring a woman, in spite of herself, grappling with a marriage affair with disturbing contours. Only in this case, the danger does not come directly from the male counterpart, but from the ambiguous and perturbing co-star, a true modern adaptation of the figure of the 'dark lady', a typical characterisation of the noir genre.
Everything is prodigiously served by a writing script that is never ordinary, capable of re-launching the plot each time with courageous choices, absolutely unsettling in many cases, at the service of a cast of an extraordinary level, able to alternate between comedy and tragedy, charade and drama, in a constant involvement that accompanies us throughout the wonderful twenty episodes, which show no sign of weakness or tiredness...
Intrigues and mysteries, real or presumed ghosts that re-emerge from a past with many interrogative aspects. As in the best tradition of Korean dramas, an underlying ambiguity appears that is able to characterise all the actors of "Ms. Perfect"... No one seems to be immune from guilt, albeit on different levels, and this ambiguity allows us to escape from easy "good/bad" classifications, thanks to a great performance by the whole cast...
The main attraction of this drama rotates around the astonishing performance of the charismatic Cho Yeo Jung, an actress of incredible beauty, capable, thanks to her immense and ambiguous charm, of portraying the role of a foolish woman in love, disposed to do anything to obtain the object of her desire... Absolutely ambiguous and sinister right from the moment she appears on the scene, Eun Hee becomes the true focal point of the narrative, catalysing the attention on her character who will progressively reveal her hidden object, concretely managing to raise the attention also on the omnipresent and obsessive relationship that connects stars and their fans (stalker! ?)
Sacrificial victims of his love madness are the "rival" Jae Bok, played by the also very beautiful Ko So Young (almost a twin sister of Kim Ha Neul!) and her husband, Jung Hee, brilliantly rendered by the excellent Yoon Sang Hyun, in one of the best roles of his remarkable career... In my opinion, it is precisely through the character of Jung Hee, in his progressive personality transformation, in the clash/confrontation with his wife Jae Bok, that some of the most interesting narrative cues emerge, capable of instilling doubts above all of a moral nature, on ambition, guilt and careerism at any cost...
It was said of the overall excellent cast where also the very good Sung Joon/Bong Goo makes his character evolve in a decidedly mature manner, thanks also to the exemplary part played by Im Se Mi/Na Mi who, mainly in the first half of the drama, shows a prominent role in the unravelling of the intrigued plot... I also really appreciated Jae Bok's two funny female friends, Na Hye Ran (played by Kim Jung Nan) and, above all, Kim Won Jae (Jung Soo Young) who could even have been used in more depth, given the psychoanalytic aspect emerging in the development of the storyline.... But, again, bravo to all, adults and children alike
There are many truly fascinating passages, often concentrated inside the vast mansion; the mysterious doors forbidden to all, also a typical noir cliché, almost an update of Hitchcock's "Rebecca" or so many of its epigones; Jae Bok's continuous wandering in the house, often intimidated by the presence of "hostile" figures; the effective use of flash-backs, which, thanks also to the classic repetitions of past traumas, reveal the many dark points of the principal characters... The confrontation between Na Mi and Eun Hee, Eun Hee finding herself alone in the huge house...And then one of my favourite movie tropes: The forced closure in the asylum, as well as the literally " flaming" finale that seems taken from a Roger Corman movie of the Edgar Allan Poe series....
Managing to satisfy so many of my cinematic obsessions, with an intriguing, engaging, well-written, perfectly acted tale, without moments of boredom or the usual lapses into more or less acceptable nonsense, 'Ms. Perfect' is a 'perfectly' successful example of excellent narrative script that meets absolutely exemplary mise-en-scene, creating a very entertaining story
9/10
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Don't look at the rating. Watch it as a comedy and please, don't take it seriously.
Whoa what an awesome comedy. I am completely mind blown. Once again finding that hidden gem that hits the spot. I don't think there are any spoilers in my review but just in case, the tag is there because of 2nd FL and husbando so if you want to go completely blind, don't continue.It feels like a parody and I am not sure if it's supposed to be but that's how I decided to watch it so I could forgive almost anything by the end. It was amazing watching a mentally ill person and her descend into madness (or ascend?). FL (the mother) is very strong and the way she deals with problems was refreshing. Sadly by the end her character (and strong mind) kinda deteriorated but who wouldn't... Second FL (or was she main? well...) stole the show which was basically all about her and she did so well. As everybody said, by the end the husband couldn't go any lower. I mean he was at -150 level of hell with all those nasty demons. Also a special highlight for the daughter of a friend/professor. You wouldn't expect the kid to be the only reasonable person in the room right? But you would probably also expect to move the **** out of that house.
If you go for it, watch it as a comedy. It's ridiculous, it's funny when it's not supposed to be and it's absurd. I really hope it was meant to be because it takes all the melodramas, makjangs and other whatever jangs and goes over the top while kinda keeping itself in checks.
Also with people saying there is no romance, I have to disagree. Yes, it is not a fluffy rom-com, it's not even rom. There is almost no "skinship" but romance is not the point. Though, it has slow natural progress and feels very... normal and comfy. No kisses in the show and I mean... do you really need it? Well, I guess you do but, hey!
OST was amazing and helped to set the scenes. I mean you get a ridiculously dramatic evil melodrama scene and then the classical evil orchestra starts playing and you think it's the soundtrack but NO THEY ARE ACTUALLY PLAYING IT IN THE ROOM and the character starts dancing to it and it's just so freaking over the top.
TL;DR: Don't look at the rating. Try it but watch it as a comedy (that tag is there for a reason, I hope) otherwise you might dislike it. Great psycho acting. Handles some serious topics but you still can't take it seriously. Definitely Hidden gem.
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I think Jo Yeo Jung was perfect (pun intended lol) in the role. She was the perfect balance of sweet and sinister to make her an interesting character, so I kept watching to see what her story would be. The more her story was revealed the more cliché and uninterested I became. Then her crazy manic stare would pull me back in. I wish she was who the story focused on, but the real center of the drama was Go So Young as Shim Jae Bok. I did not like her character, and It was hard to sympathize with her the more the show went on. I think the point was to create a strong character who was no nonsense, but instead she came across as super critical, extra paranoid, and in a constant bad mood for 20 episodes. Reading the synopsis I see what the plot was going for, but I think it failed because the main character never changes. Because she was such a negative neurotic nancy, her one note paranoia throughout the show got old quick, and was frustrating to watch. It also made it hard to see her in any romantic situation, including the one they tried to force with Sung Joon. It the beginning they had a banter that was ok to watch, but it lead to zero romantic chemistry. You know it's bad when the romantic climax is hugging it out.
Jae Bok also has a crew of female friends who are THE most obnoxious and nosey bordeline frienemies. I guess they were there for comic relief, but I was just annoyed by their bitterness and catty behavior. Even the kid Che-ri came off as a brat. I wanted to skip all scenes involving them.
Most of the supporting cast is pretty terrible honestly... but I will at least give the two main kids a pass.
The most disappointing character was Jung Hee played by Yoon Sang Hyun. I've loved him in so many dramas, and this is the first time I can remember being annoyed by his role and his performance. He played an over the top version of a passive character and then suddenly switched completely in a way I found to be completely unrealistic. Bad writing meets bad acting was a continuous theme for me throughout the show.
The story tries to be a suspense comedy with a makjang plot, and it just didn't work for me. The characters were mostly one dimensional and unrealistic. Characters who should have been gone reappeared, and main characters appeared out of nowhere. The plot was so ridiculously random that it was if they were making up things as they went along. They did manage to create enough suspense to keep me wondering wtf was going on, but the reveals were always disappointing. The cheesy ending tried it's best to tie all loose ends, but I was just relieved that it was finally over. I guess it's obvious that a rewatch is out of the question, unless I just want to confirm how bad it was for a second time.
Overall I kinda wish Jo Yeo Jung had her own Ms. Perfect spinoff, with a better cast, writer, and director involved (this was directed by the director of Mary Stayed Out All Night - which I liked only half a point more). Instead this drama is far from perfect. It's also way too repetitive to be 20 episodes long. If makjang is your genre of choice, you may be more forgiving of this show's flaws than I was, but I couldn't recommend this drama to anyone otherwise.
You know things are bad when the only character you sympathize with and are rooting for is the villain.
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