So I Married an Anti-Fan (2021)

A Mixed Bag: Classic Romcom Vibes with Outdated Tropes

For those seeking an old-school romcom-style K-drama, this one has certain enjoyable elements with plenty of sweet moments. However, it's important to note that this drama was filmed in 2018/19 and only released in 2021, so some of its tropes feel a bit dated, more like 2008.

Typically, I'd start by highlighting the positive aspects, but in this drama, the flaws are hard to ignore. The main female character, Lee Geun Young, played by Choi Soo Young, is full of contradictions. Losing her job due to the incident was tough, but her behavior afterward is childish, unprofessional, and hard to root for. She often makes poor decisions and lets people walk all over her.

On the other side, the male lead, Hoo Joon, played by Choi Tae Joon, fits the classic K-drama mold. He starts off as an arrogant jerk, but as we learn more about him, we start to empathize with him. Over time, he slowly warms up to the female lead. Nothing groundbreaking here.

As for the second couple, their relationship is undeniably abusive, filled with constant arguments, disrespect, and manipulation. This toxic dynamic affects not only the characters' mental and emotional well-being but also the viewers'. Honestly, I find myself fast-forwarding through all their scenes.

The second female lead, Oh In Hyung, played by Han Ji An, comes off as incredibly selfish. She desires the male lead but refuses to break it off with the second lead due to her own ambitions, trapping herself in a harmful cycle. And Chansung, you did a great job portraying such a one-dimensional jerk, but you deserve roles with more depth and complexity.

It's unusual for a romcom to feature such unlikable and unrelatable characters at the beginning. However, the middle part of the drama proves quite enjoyable for those who appreciate classic romcom tropes. Overall, if this is the type of drama you are interested in, it is not a bad watch. Although the characters may take some time to grow on you, the engaging storyline and romantic elements make it a ok watch for those seeking a light-hearted drama.

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Pros and cons

Fun watch, I enjoyed this series .
As someone who watched both the series and the movie, I have to say I enjoyed the series slightly better overall because the main characters seem to have a lot more chemistry. Even in the cute moments in the movie there didn't seem to be any real sparks or that moment of "pow".
Still the series had issues that I felt the movie did not have, with the ending being rushed and ambiguous. In the movie, I liked that they also gave the female lead more skills and that he wanted to create a show about her parents love story.

So yes, I recommend to watch this series since it is really good but it lacks in some degrees.

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is it really horrible?

First, I want to say I dont understand the criticism for this show since some of it makes no sense.

Second, the show is overall really good. I think it had a unique plot, unlike a lot of shows. When I started watching I thought the main leads would fake a marriage for whatever reason. So I was surprised when I saw it was revolved around a variety show.

Third, the main leads had chemistry... Were the kiss scenes amazing... no. But they were 100% better than the fish lips, im in pain kiss scenes that were a trend in dramas between 2010 and 2018 I would say. But yeah they also arent the kiss scenes we have now, where the actors are going full in. However, the build and editing reqlly made them 10x better.

Fourth, the characters had really well development, except for Inhyung. I really hated her. She was just SO unlikable it made me mad. I know Jaejoon was horrible to her, relationship and career wise because he was controlling and jealous, but god damn does she need mental help for wanting to commit not once but TWICE. And the second one for pure vengeful reasons.

Jaejoon I already spoke on how toxic he is. I want to say it makes sense why he acted like that. He was hurt that he not only got put on the back burner by his agency, but by the girl he likes. That and also add in the fact that his family sucked too. It makes sense. He was mad at everything and wanted to make someone pay. So of course that would be Joon, the rookie that came and debuted before him and the guy his crush started to like.

Joon, he developed well. But I also think it wasnt much development, but rather showing his true self. Obviously Geunyoung doesnt know him, so as viewers we are seeing him sort of through her POV. I get why he started off as a shit character since he was mad at Jaejoon, hurt by Inhyung and hated his company bc they treated him like a puppet. He put up his Joon, the singer persona for so long that he forgot who he actually was. I think this was also confirmed for me by the fact that he used his bday as his password, and his manager and CEO saw him change, to the point where they wanted to keep him on a tight leash. I also think he became a shit person not onky bc of his persona, but bc he felt alone. His CEO dropped his rookie friends, he didnt know who his dad was, and his mom never answered the phone. Becoming successful and to the point where he was, he hid his actual self and just kept up with his Joon, the artist persona.

Geunyoung, she is like Joon. Not so much as development, but showing who she actually is. She was pissed at the fact that Joon was an asshole behind cameras and away from fans. I think she just expected him to have basic human deceny (like apologizing for his actions, since she does that).

Both Joon and Geunyoung reveal their true selves throughout the show, while changing their perspectives on each other. They both thought the other was rude and shady, but ended up finding out it was actually the opposite.

Geunyoung throwing her shoe at Joon, is problematic, bc that is literally assault. But if it were to have a reason, it wouldnt be only that shes drunk, but the fact that shes tired of everyone treating her like a doormat. Her boss, coworkers and now some celebrity. And they just expected her to smile and move along past the treatment she received.

Of course, like most other shows, the side characters are more entertaining. Probably because they arent a main focus and are just there for comedic relief.

So, its really not bad at all. The plot is solid and the characters too. It was refreshing to see something new. And it made me wonder why I waited so long to watch it.

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Clean but Questionable

The story was clean but typical. It's the typical enemies to lovers trope, except it's not really as exciting as it usually is. Both leads are rather mild, and the character's personalities just don't much spice to the relationship. I love how the writer tried to include different lines of story regarding the male lead's background as well, however, there were many problems that came with it. All the characters were slightly annoying, very obsessive, and had little to no character development and then a sudden character change near the end. I felt like all the relationships were based on attraction and the male wanting to "protect" the female.

As for the cast, the acting was (well...) not so enjoyable. I don't know if the characters were written that way, but the chemistry among all the characters was just off! The hugs and kisses were awkward, and the fights were awkward and mild. For all the main characters: Whojoon, Geunyoung, Jaejoon, and Inhyung-- I feel like they were all hired because of their visuals. The best in this cast was probably the MiJung (Geunyoung's best friend), Chaeyun (Whojoon's fan) or PD Han and Writer Noh.

Overall, I would NOT RECCOMEND because this was a huge letdown compared to the Chinese movie with Chanyeol; it just felt dragged out and unnecessary.

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A Cute Light-Hearted 2018 Rom-Com

Great chemistry between the actors and a simple, light-hearted rom-com. Definitely makes your heart flutter! Since this was produced in 2018 there are still elements of the simple storylines and light-hearted scenes that older Kdramas used to have compared to the romantic dramas these days which seem a bit darker and deeper but nonetheless fun to watch. The storyline is slow-paced. The cliffhangers at the end of each episode actually wrap the episode nicely rather than leaving it off on a crucial moment. There are also funny scenes and it will definitely make your heart flutter!

Would definitely recommend it for those who want to watch a light-hearted and simple love story!

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Good one

I started watching this drama cuz this is the remake of Chinese flim of same name in which chanyeol of EXO had stared i didn't like movie that but I found the plot is interesting so I started watching and I swear to go I just couldn't stop the story ,the cast ,plot and acting everything is just amazing 😍
I just fell in love with this drama the genre is common rom com but the plot and the Story make this drama worth while.
The plot is drama is unrealistic far from reality as it's not going to happen in real life but u go ahead just escape from the reality for few hours😉.
This drama is quite underrated cuz it didn't even telecasted in Korean television nd it also got almost cancel. But it got that's best part. The songs of this drama are pretty good. But I loved the song 'i wonder what is love'.
Ofcourse the drama is worth watching I'm going to watch it again
Apart from that this drama is stared by one of fav idols from girls generation Choi soo young 😳
If u haven't watched go ahead watch u won't regert it..
At last I want give this drama 8 out of 10

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Kdrama that gives off 2016-2017 drama vibes (?)

This drama is boring to me,i watched it only bc the main leads. Storyline itself is ehhh,just a women falling in love after being in a drama together w a hot guy. Typical 2016-2017 enemies to lovers. If i watched it earlier i would probably like it more but since i don't relally watch this type of dramas anymore i find them boring. First few ep were okay but then a huge mess happened. I hate the 2nd couple,they don't have any chemistry,really dry and the guy was really possesive ( i really didn't like that ). I can't persuade myself to finish last 3 ep,probably cuz i heard the 2nd couple will be together again and i really hate it. The romance between male leads was ehh and a lil dry but it was okay ig. I wish this was realesed in 2016-2017 then ppl would like it more,and me too. Thank you for reading and sorry if i wrote smth wrong. :)

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The ML and FL were a MOOD

The relationship between the leads can be seen through this conversation:
ML: "You can either struggle and drown to death, or wait until you can kick yourself back up"
FL: "Are you telling me to drown deeper to the bottom?"
ML: "That's not what I meant. Was that not comforting either? You and I really don't mix well."

A hate to love romance between two really decent people. Both of whom, individually are really loveable but together (at least at the start) clash. They have very ironically and drastically different personalities: the idol is antisocial who seems to hate people in general (excluding fans), a mood in itself, whilst the no name reporter is a social butterfly that is hated by everyone for reporting the truth (at least from her view).

The SL couple: They were in a toxic relationship, not necessarily because it was abusive. The SML loves the SFL and she lives off of him despite the fact that she clearly doesn't love him. I felt bad for the SML for being in love with her and I hated the SFL for using him, his emotions, money and company to make it as an idol. I understood why he was always angry at the SFL when it came to the ML and I hated how the SFL always played innocent with him despite knowing that he knows her better than anyone else.

I LOVED the SML in this drama, despite him first being portrayed as a villain, he was always a really decent person that is always misunderstood by other people. I loved his relationship with the ML and FL, they all made such good friends. The friendship between the ML and SML was beautiful despite them not being friends for the majority of the drama. I hated how the SFL got in the way of the friendship between the two ML's and they both deserved better than the SFL.

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Brilliant Rom-Com

For K-drama followers, it is not a mystery as to why the airing of “Anti-Fan” was delayed. Not picked up by any of the TV/cable stations, this drama which was due to air in 2018, took more than two years to reach us through leading streaming sites. Regardless of rhyme nor reason, I am so EXTREMELY GLAD that this drama fell onto our lap this year in 2021. Right after the 1st episode, I already knew there was no need for my magnifying glass and my di-section tools. From 2nd episode onwards, I was so enamored by the characters and mood of the drama, I could actually just sit back, relax and enjoy the drama effortlessly, week after week. Simply my most favorite Rom-Com in 2021.

Though categorized as a Rom-Com, this drama carries poignant elements on life and does give us an insight about sacrifices on being a celebrity, the politics of the entertainment industry, the level of fans love and obsession, that has its ups and downs, friendship, jealousy, trust, trauma and how does this one person Hoo Joon (played by Choi Tae Joon) maneuvers his path with everything that went so wrong, to make things right. CTJ is really well suited to this character and carries out his role to perfection. The antagonist in this drama is Jae Joon (played by Hwang Chan Sung), whose friendship turned bad with Hoo Joon. Again, another well placed actor, as HCS also did a most believable job for us to really hate his character JJ to the point of feeling sorry for him. What is a drama without challenging turns and the second leads story definitely took us to the edge, which takes those who have lived a little to understand.

And now, the back story. In Hyung (IH), Hoo Joon (HJ) and Jae Joon (JJ) all met whilst they were training at the Talent Agency Academy and became close friends. Then IH and HJ fell in love with each other and became a couple. JJ had secretly loved IH first, so his heart was broken when he lost her to HJ. Then suddenly, HJ career started to take off, leaving IH and JJ behind. A lot was left un-said which spiraled into a load of mis-understanding, hurt and sense of betrayal.

Fast forward to 6 years later, which is how the drama starts, HJ returns to Korea and finds that IH is now in a relationship with JJ. As HJ has a better understanding of the entertainment industry, he could see that JJ is not helping IH. With IH being his first love, HJ still cares for her well-being and gets upset when he sees IH being taken advantage of by JJ.

And in all this mess, in-walks Guen Yong (played by Choi Soo Young), the character which is forefront to the title “So I Married An Anti-Fan”. Ambitious and naïve, she is a rookie writer for a magazine. Emotional in her thoughts and writing, she chanced upon a scene between HJ and IH. Without checking the facts, she tattled on HJ causing a rippling negative effect on HJ’s impression of her as well as his supportive fans, hence gaining herself the title of "Anti-Fan".

Reaping the rewards of it’s aftermath, a reality show was suggested starring HJ and GY. GY by then lost her job, had no money. HJ reluctantly accepted to do the show with GY (to avoid letting the show cast his first love IH). Two really reluctant people, both who detest each other at every turn. The energy between these two ML is insanely clichéd, cute and delightful to watch. Something I have not seen in a long while when it comes to all the facial expressions and body language. Really refreshing and many memorable moments. Even the songs which would normally give you goosebumps, became comfortable to listen, with catchy tunes and feel good energy befitting the tone of the drama.

This drama had so much material to work on, with many other stories connected and yet, really well executed. I truly suggest you do not let this drama slip you by especially if you are wanting to take a break from all the heavy dramas. This is one drama that will not disappoint from start to finish.

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It’s not that serious lmao just enjoy it

This is a pretty simple generic enemies-to-lovers storyline bordering on “but they were roommates.” The drama wasn’t promoted as some revolutionary love story so I’m confused on the low ratings for it being cliché???

Anyways, In my opinion it gave exactly what it said it would give. It may have been a little cliche and cheesy but that’s it’s charm. Maybe I’m biased because I like the actors and I’m a whore for a cheesy romance but I think it was a pretty cute drama.

I really liked the leads relationship and how patient they were with each other and that they gave each other space when needed. Most of the downs in their relationship weren’t necessarily because of what was happening between them. The lead couple barely fought and were actually pretty supportive of each other and got along well.
I appreciate that Whojoon wasn’t the typical cold male lead who doesn’t know how to show love and blah blah. He was rude asf in the first episode but after that you could tell it was really just a front and he’s a pretty nice dude.
JJ got on my damn nerves but I guess that’s what it’s like being a good actor?? I was ready to not watch anything with Chansung again😭 but by the end I did kinda feel bad for him. I understand where he’s coming from but I think the way he went about things made him very unlikable.
Fvck Inhyung. All my homies hate Inhyung. I’ll admit I felt bad for her at the start but after a while I was like 🤨 homegirl kind of manipulative. And her attempting suicide to guilt trip JJ like ?????
I don’t know if I agree with JJ and Inhyung ending up together. Tbh I think they’re better off separated but oh well.

This is getting too long lmao uh everyone acted their part well. & OMG CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIRECTORS AND HOW CUTE THEY WERE!! Their proposal was too adorable🥺!! Anyways the actors did what they had to do. All in all very cute and light drama. A few frustrating characters but it’s cool

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Sweet and funny

This is a sweet, not much new but perfect to binge drama if you like the whole idol + enemies in to lovers theme that I LOVE!

I have been struggling s bit with my bingable self choosing short series or movies lately but this one was very easy to binge,

Most of the characters here are just so sweet, complex and loveable with some really fun friendships and snarky remarks (just my kind of humor). There was not one single character that was made in a way that annoyed me. Though they did bring out some of my inner anger and I do believe that one of the males toxicity was not properly addressed over all this drama let both leas and second leads where complex human being capable of feeling a range of emotions as well as making some bad decisions. The dynamics between the couples and their friends are great, so are the female leads parents. Oh how I love the female leads mom she is just cool, funny and lovable in every single way.

There where however a few invigorating choices towards the end that just felt unnecessary and brought down the total score for this otherwise really fun drama.

So all in all if you like watching dramas about enemies to lovers that deal with the harsh life of being a star this is definitely worth a watch.

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