Who Is She (2024)

How a bad lead character can ruin a show

This story is about a 70 year old woman that finds herself not being needed and feeling unwanted by her own daughter after spending her life raising her while running a restaurant. One day after an argument she leaves home and ends up at a shop where her appearance is changed, taking her back 50 years to her 20 year old self. Now in a much younger body she must decide what she will do and if maybe this is her chance to follow the dreams she abandoned long ago.

First this show has great side characters. The two male leads are great and fun to watch, the granddaughter is multifaceted, and the overall concept makes the story interesting. The music is also great which adds to the appeal. But, while I enjoy aspects of this show the things I do not enjoy outweigh the things I do. The cinematography is mostly done very well but the repetitive use of the close ups on the faces at a downward angle are really unflattering. It is such an odd camera angle and used so frequently that it is hard to overlook at times. The styling of the show also feels unbalanced making the show that is set in 2024 feel more like its decades behind.

The show's biggest blunder, however, is that it suffers from two major flaws. First is in the execution of the the main character's transmigration. Time travel and transmigration can be a bit tricky to get just right but there are so many examples of stories where leads went back in time or were able to start their lives over that were complete successes and that is due to the way the performances were delivered. As a viewer I have no problem with a 70 year old becoming a 20 year old again and having a second chance at achieving their dreams but for it to work the character has to feel like they are young again. This show gives us Mal Soon/ Do Ri who is taken back 50 years to appear as her younger self but she never once acts young. She continues to behave, dress, and speak exactly like her 70 year old self. This approach feels like a miss to me because I find that I can not connect with the character when she behaves in this way as it never feels like she is trying to achieve her dreams or change her life. She is just trapped in this younger body and instead of actively pursuing her dream of becoming a singer she is being dragged into it. This is also where the romance feels wrong to me. I can accept her falling in love with a man the same age as her appearance if she behaved that way but since she never sheds her 70 year old persona then the romance with a much younger man gives me a bit of the ick.

That leads me to the second major flaw and that is in the way the main character behaves. Mal Soon/ Do Ri is not a likeable character. She is arrogant and stubborn but without just cause to be that way and the way she treats the people around her is selfish. Her not being likeable at first would have been fine and would have shown character development and allowed the viewer to grow to like her. But 10 episodes in and this character is still not likeable. Not liking the titular character of a drama for the entirety does not make it an enjoyable watch. Especially for a show like this that is supposed to be a romance and a second chance at life.

The flaws are made more glaring when you see Park Jun become his younger self and actively accept the change and dress and behave as a 20 year old would. He still gives advice or makes comments with the wisdom of years as he would as an older man but he is believable as a young man and easy to root for. Mal Soon's daughter is another horrible character that you never find yourself feeling pity for because she is just as awful as Mal Soon. Even with the reveals that give some reasoning behind their actions I find that they are given too late in the show so there is no impact. The change in the characters occurs far too late in the series and is rather sudden instead of the gradual build up throughout that would have given the viewer more attachment to the story.

Could have been a good story but ultimately fails to capture any of the magic and 'what if' energy I usually get from watching transmigration stories. The last two episodes are touching but also confusing and ultimately underwhelming ending the series with many unanswered questions.

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Bad writing

The og was so beautiful, a story of reliving a dream, getting a second chance, rediscovering passion and love

But this was so cheesy… honestly I love jiso, her serious roles are amazing but they do her dirty with the comedies..

And as an idol fan, she was really mismatched with her team
She’s beautiful, everyone is, but idol companies are shallow, they go after an image and everyone looks the same for the balance and symmetry
And I’m only talking about her height ;> since she’s the lead, they should’ve casted more diverse team members to fit her


And for such an amazing singer that deserves to fight the world for, she didn’t have that big an impact in the group
She literally goes missing and her group is fine xD

This goes back to Janet/real Emily, they made it seem like such a big surprise xD but that poor girl never had the chance to debut and she was just a setup to make Daniel chase after dori
But he was already crushing after her and doing everything to make her debut… so that’s another creep factor..
Another ridiculous plot move was making him the son of fls enemy…..


All of that honestly and she still ends up with him? Ridiculous… cheesy…

This drama wasn’t about love, they had horrible chemistry…
her dream wasn’t to fall in love, her dream was to sing… so if she stays young, she should’ve stayed with element… and why leave her family behind… Daniel wasn’t worth all of that…

Mr park deserved so much better so I’m glad she didn’t end up with him xD she never deserved him, she acted like her life was miserable, but she had a better life that her sister whose kids sent her to a retirement home… she was better than the “enemy” that had to lie about her son and never got to experience the motherly love
And she always had mr park, so a cheating husband wasn’t the end of the world when you have so many loyal friends and family

She only lacked her chance to sing, and she was robbed of that again
She didn’t get a happy ending, and Daniel, not knowing anything deserves the truth, his lover is +40 years older than him xD
Immortal stories are believable cuz that person lives as a 20s something for XX years
Dori was an old lady that experienced all the hardships of growing old
And having the cheap amnesia plot move is soooo annoying

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A Heartfelt Tale of Second Chances

"Who Is She!" is a Korean drama about a 70-year-old woman who magically becomes her 20-year-old self and pursues her dream of being a singer. Starring Kim Hae-sook and Jung Ji-so, the show has been praised for its heartfelt story, strong performances, and themes of second chances. It's a touching blend of romance, music, and personal growth, and has maintained steady ratings since its premiere. A must-watch for fans of heartwarming dramas . overall who is she
offers a delightful viewing experience with its engaging plot and strong performance . making it a noteworthy addiction to the current line up of korean drama

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Talented Cast let down by direction

Let me start with the fact that the original and its international remakes are excellent. I learned about this story when I first saw the Telugu Language remake. Then I saw the original "Miss Granny" on Netflix. I was expecting the story to do something different and not be a copy-paste with slower pacing, and to be honest, they delivered. But then came how Granny was being portrayed. While I do believe Jung Ji-So is an amazing actor she also can't do much if her character is written as a one-dimensional character. Writers focussed more on side characters than the actual leads. It almost seemed that they were unsure whether they wanted Grandma and the CEO to be together or not. And that indecisiveness carried on even at the end. This show had a lot of potential, but it was ruined by the writer and director's indecisiveness.

Positive Points:
1. Cast gave it their all
2. The character Ha-Na was interesting. Wished she had more impact like the original story's grandson.
3. Cinematography was good
4. Jung Ji-So, Kim Hae-Sook, Seo Young-Hee

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Feel Good Chill Comedy With a Good Message

I never watched the original movies, and so this review is just based on the drama I watched.
I'm a big fan of fish out of water type movies, or body swaps, so this was pretty much my wheel house.
I really appreciated that once O Mal Soon became young again, she didn't magically also have young mannerism. Too many shows that do body swap, have the character's change, and it's not fun, the whole point is to see what it would be like, if someone swapped bodies and their mind.
The strong parts of this drama is about self discovery and forgiving one self, and allowing yourself to be happy and do what you want to do. The romance was cute and fluffy. Think a nice hot cup of coffee on a windless snowy winter night, comforting and delicious.
The ending is probably the best, because it gives a sense of hope, and I think this is what the writer and director wanted people to come away with, that it's never too late, and to start doing something you always wanted to do no matter what your age is. And stop living life with regrets.
I recommend this drama for those who want to laugh, and reflect and have feel good positive vibes.

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Overall, A Disappointing Watch Indeed!

The show was a decent watch but something felt amiss and I can’t put my finger on it!

The concept of a 70 year old grandmother reverting to her younger self and getting a second chance at life wasn’t anything unique; Korean fantasy dramas mostly munch on these tropes. Albeit the actors were supposed to carry the narrative forward, and they did try; but there is only so much that they could do. The uncanny transformation from O Mal Sun to O Du Ri was commendable. But there were glaring loopholes that made the overall storytelling quite confusing. Despite being a pop idol herself, Jung Ji So had to act and behave like a 70 years old grandmother who doesn’t understand the inner workings of the music industry; she had to tone down her idol image and that would have been difficult (especially in those scenes where she acts like she can’t dance). But as the show moves forward, Jung Ji So doesn’t shed the grandma image and after sometime, it gets boring. O Du Ri does achieve her dream and even reconciles with her daughter, but at what cost?

Read the complete article here-

https://kcdramamusings.wordpress.com/2025/01/25/who-is-she-series-review/

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Second Chances and Chasing Your Dreams - conditions apply

After the slow start, the drama picked up quite well and had quite a few twists which may or may not be to everyone's liking. For that reason alone, it made it easy to binge as curiosity got the best of me. I kind of saw the ending coming for the most part but it is certainly not entirely predictable.

Pros:
I enjoyed the message about chasing your dreams and women not being persecuted for a chance to live on their own terms. There are in fact 3 generations of women who are shown and how they make their decisions and eventually follow through with what their hearts truly desire.
Another pro is that the men are green flags. Life for women is hard already so it helps to have a supportive partner or friend by your side.
Acting wise, everyone does a really great job even those with their limited parts.

Cons:
It has mainly to do with the ending. Introducing a certain love angle and then not exactly following through with it and making the ending a bit vague is a choice. I mean if you're going to introduce an idea, at least give it a proper conclusion. Why do things have to be left to the viewers' imagination?

Overall I enjoyed it as well despite the negatives as the two songs that were repeated - Man in the Yellow Shirt and The Way I Love. But it certainly could have been better.

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