Story. Well... er... how should I put this? At first, I thought it was pretty good, since this was the first drama that I have ever watched. But then after you've watched many other amazing dramas with the same type of storyline, you'll find that it is quite cliché. So basically, what I'm saying is, this drama is just another one of those stories where two guys are fighting over a girl. Believe me, there are many better dramas with this specific plotline. To name one specifically, one of Lee Min Ho's other dramas, City Hunter. I'm sorry, but I thought City Hunter was much better~ ^^" And I'm quite positive that most other people who have watched both these dramas would agree with me.
Acting/Cast. I don't know what happened, but the acting was either exaggerated, or- No wait, it was mostly exaggerated. Especially the female lead for Geum Jan Di... I don't know why, but her acting just never clicked for me. And Ji Hoo... it wasn't his fault, but I just didn't like his personality. So why did I give it an 8? Because I feel as though it was not the actors, but the storyline's fault. This definitely DID NOT do justice to any of the actors. I've seen at least one other drama/movie of every single lead, and supporting actor, and they all have amazing talent. In fact, Kim Hyun Joong and Kim Bum are one of the most well known actors. And not to mention Lee Min Ho... wow.
Music? It was really good. I have many of the OST's in my iTunes and listen to them in my free time because they actually sound quite good. I was impressed.
Rewatch value. Here goes my rant. I hardly ever rewatch any dramas or movies, no matter how good they are. I have made a few exceptions to some exceptional dramas, but not this one. It took all of my self control just to be able to finish it. They definitely lengthened it way too much. In fact, I was extremely disappointed. The female lead wavered so much, and each episode, it was either one of them or the other cheating on someone. It frustrated me. I mean, if they loved each other so much, they could've at least trusted each other a bit more. Ok, end of rant.
Overall, I still give it a 7, because of some Lee Min Ho moments in there~ X3 Also, I was quite impressed with Kim Bum, as this was the first drama I've seen him in, and he does have a cute baby face~ ^^
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Had potential, couldn't live up to it
This was ... not a good show. The first 5 episodes were straight fire, and then it dropped significantly in quality, and by episode 17 I had to give up. It was becoming painful to watch.I think the show could have benefitted from having lesser episodes, but ultimately the biggest flaw in my eyes was the acting. And by that I'm really just referring to one person, haha. The FL was hands down one of the worst actresses in a major role that I've ever seen. Someone on Reddit described her as "looking thicker than a bowl of porridge" and after I scream-laughed, I had to agree. She has no charisma or chemistry with any of her co-stars, romantic or platonic.
The male stars carry this show on their shoulders and are the only reason I even made it to episode 17, even though the actor playing Ji-hoo is definitely the second weakest link in the show. And Ga Eul shines as well.
But considering that more than half the scenes are around the FL, it was just too aggravating for me to continue. She seems to lack complete awareness of her face and body, so 8/10 times the emotions that she's trying to project often just make her look ... well, thicker than a bowl of porridge. I can't fully blame her for this; it seems that this was in part due to the direction she was receiving.
I was really looking forward to this after Meteor Garden which I enjoyed but found just way too long. So I thought 25 episodes would be a really significant step-up to the storytelling. Unfortunately this just goes to show how one bad actor can ruin an otherwise good thing.
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The story is a very good one. It is pretty captivating right from the beginning. No problems there.
The whole cast is fairly good looking and they all gave good performances. The drama had all your typical moments of love, sadness, anxiety, anger and what-not. It was fast paced up till the fourteenth episode or so and after that it kind of deteriorated. It dragged on for way longer than was necessary. I would have probably lost interest if it wasn't for Gu Jun Pyo aka Lee Min Ho. I was not very fond of the actress who plays Guem Jan Di but she grew on me as the series progressed. They could have hired someone who Lee Min Ho had better chemistry with, but that actress gave a good performance throughout so I am not going to criticize her unfairly just because she wasn't pretty enough. I actually found her friend much prettier and better dressed than she was, but in the end it was Guem Jan Di who stole the show. The character of Ji Hoo was also lovable although his whole grandfather's plot wasn't that interesting. I feel like he should have had been given a better plot because his character had tremendous potential.
Gu Jun Pyo is of course the one who steals the spotlight in the end because of his impeccable performance and a very strong characterization. A typical rich, hot, "bad" boy who loves unconditionally can win over any girl.
The show had pretty solid dramatization and the complications never fell weak. It reminded me of Bollywood movies almost all through it.
However, it is a show I can enjoy any other time and would strongly recommend it to everyone who enjoys strong characters, good romance, glamour, drama and cute boys. It has everything in it.
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Someone Explain Why This is So Popular
As a major Lee Min Ho stan, I have been putting this off. I get this was his major role that shot him to stardom, and I kind of get it, however that doesn’t make this a good watch. Within the first episode there’s so much bullying of the main female character, it made me borderline uncomfortable that I stopped it at least three separate times. I finally caved and started it for the 4th time, DETERMINED to finish. Think of every cliché and trope of every show ever, roll it all into one, add some bad hairstyles, a mediocre soundtrack, and you have this drama. We have the enemies to lovers cliché, a boring and REDUNDANT love triangle, Overbearing parents, kidnapping, life-threatening snow situations, arranged company marriage, and a main couple that just can’t get it together and has misunderstanding after misunderstanding. Now if I actually believed the chemistry between Lee Min Ho and Gu Hye Seon, maybe I could overlook allllllll that. But Frankly, I don’t know what the leader of F4 sees in Jan Di either. She doesn't deserve him or his devotion. So at this point I’m hate watching it in order to say I saw it and get the badge on my Lee Min Ho jacket. But seriously, do yourself a favor, skip it, and watch “The Heirs” instead. A better, more believable love triangle, better acting, BETTER HAIR, and so much chemistry with between Lee Min Ho and Park Shin, you could start a fire with it.Was this review helpful to you?
This drama is definitely a guilty "pleasure" in that I love to rewatch it and then hate on any part that I can find. It's a nasty hobby, I know. I gave this 10/10 on rewatch because I laugh so hard every single time I see an episode, ANY episode.
On a serious note, don't watch this drama for complexity, originality, or realistic character growth. It is definitely not original since it is a remake of a Japanese comic, and the characters are easy to dismiss. Watch this show if you want to see a cute and fashionable remake of a modern Cinderella story. This show is pretty easy to swallow down despite the messiness later on, and who doesn't love a handsome gang of four rich bastards?
BUT THE TWO MAIN GUYS HAVE THE WORST HAIR, hands down. They need an award for that disaster, I swear to Buddha.
Anyways, this show is pretty cliche but it is a must watch nonetheless simply because of the Korean friends you have who are obsessed with LMH. :-)
Enjoy it.
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Regardless, you do become very intrigued about what happens.
Another problem I had is that the characters were inconsistent. Someone who can karate kick like a badass can't fight for herself? Really? Really.
Very disappointing.
F4 is the reason I watched it. Whatever I think of the show, I STILL LOVE F4 WITH ALL MY HEART.
Jan Di can kill herself. Even if she does get better at the end of the show.
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This drama tells the story of a girl who doesn't know what she wants. Some scenes have that sugary element that occurs in Japanese anime and manga. That's a bit repellent to me.
The cast however is full of talented actors and actresses (Kim So-eun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, etc. ?) but they deserved something better to act in. New characters were introduced in this drama constantly though, which was an enjoyable aspect and added new elements of intrigue from time to time. Also, the drama was a good length (actually, most of the Korean dramas are this length): long enough to tell the story, but becoming banal at the end.
Finally, I won't argue that this drama is part of the Hallyu Wave and everybody should know about it and watch some episodes. I hope nobody else is as disappointed as me and I hope you check it out no matter this review!
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