This review may contain spoilers
A drama of many surprises
I don’t really know how to begin this review after just a few days of finishing the series. All the feelings it had caused me are still fresh (and alive). All I know is that when I decided to watch this (only got interested by the poster of two leads sitting on an old bench), I had low expectations. But then, after watching the whole series, I concluded – it had met all the requirements and elements I am looking for a drama.Well then… If you are looking for an intriguing plot that will make you think, make theories and look forward to each episode, this drama is for you. If you are looking for unexpected but sensible surprises, witty script, quotable lines, magnificent cast, strong and smart leads, interesting and mysterious characters, professional villain/s, a team that you will root for ‘til the end, well congratulations… you just found the right one.
PLOT/STORY/CONCEPT:
Graceful Family is a drama of MANY THINGS. For me, it is a story of various concepts packed in one masterpiece – family, mystery, investigation, crime and legal, comedy, melodrama, and yes, a bit of romance.
This drama had attempted to grasp different issues, and unlike some dramas, it had successfully put these elements together. Every scene was well-placed, detailed, and balanced and the pace is right on time.
This drama simply screams CRAZY MAKJANG. If it is not “crazy” then it won’t be unique in any way. Fortunately, it has the right amount of craziness which helped the storyline of a “not-so-elegant super-rich family with unbeatable owner-risk team to save their image” become more interesting.
It is hilariously entertaining, at the same time, a roller coaster ride that will play on your emotions – you’ll be frustrated, get mad, feel the love and support, be comforted, and CRY. There are always surprises and interesting plot twists that did nothing but add up to the story’s flavor, and so… this drama was never bland nor boring.
CAST/CHARACTERS:
Great cast. To be honest, at first, the only actor that I was so familiar with in this drama was the stepmother. I haven’t yet watched any drama of the leads despite knowing some. Fortunately, although the cast is unfamiliar, I was never disappointed. I was surprised and amazed instead. The actors brought and performed their vibrant characters so well. If the character is evil, you’ll really hate him/her to the bones. If he’s someone to support, then you’ll really root for him ‘til the end. That’s how effective their acting is.
The characters, I must say, are very colorful and alive. Regardless of the number, they are unique from one another and essential to the story. The story is not only focused on the leads but also on the supporting and opposing ones. They will grow on you. You’ll love and hate them and… come to understand them as well, as to why they did such act and how they became the person they are now. They are very dynamic and have many sides, as what a mystery drama should have for their characters.
Let’s now go to the leads. What I like about the leads is that they stay focused on their goals and both are smart and strong – not that genius but smart enough. They are partners, a duo. Together, they are powerful. Their strategies and moves are not only from one source. They exchange ideas. They are very independent characters (she’s hot-tempered and impatient while he’s collected and very patient), but when it comes to defeating the enemy, Ms. Han (collected and impatient), they depend on each other. Without the other, they won’t come that far. About the romance, the chemistry…
Graceful Family is not a love story. This drama does not focus on romance. To be honest, this can go on without any love line, considering the situation they are in. BUT! You’ll encounter subtle moments that will make you ship and root for them. The chemistry is real. There’s that PULL between the leads, but not that much to sway you out from the main story.
And then, there’s the main villain – Ms. Han Je Kook. Very professional and a genius. The interesting part is that she’s the one behind the curtain. She’s the one who builds the wall and protects and not the one who owns the empire (though she has her own empire – the TOP team). She moves with elegance. You’ll hate her but you’ll also admire her.
The battle between good and evil is clever and intense. The exchange of strategies is entertaining to follow. One thing is for certain, Ms. Han is not an easy opponent. You’ll crave for her downfall.
About the TEAM. This drama has this overwhelming and talented evil team – TOP. This team has this general vibe of “Yes, we’re doing illegal stuff for MC group, but it is just work. Don’t take it personally.” Professionalism at its finest. As for the “counter-TOP” team (the good side), you’ll wait for them to form and when they do, you’ll cheer for them.
Oh yes, just to add, this drama has an iconic team ritual ~ “Let’s do this!”. It’s forever stuck in my head, plus Wan Soo’s version of “AMAZING!”
OST:
The OST and the background music are well-made. The OSTs (LIAR and Black Diamond) hype up and make every scene more intense whenever they are being played. And, the background music – Super makjang! Classy and sometimes, creepy as hell ~ as if something distorted and shady happened and is currently happening. Good job!
=== SPOILERS AHEAD!!! ====
ENDING:
Graceful Family has been concluded cleanly and wisely. I CRIED SO HARD. This drama is PURE MASTERPIECE. For me, the ending was HEARTBREAKING, but it is BEAUTIFUL.
It is heartbreaking because I get attached to a character and then saw his downfall – which is a good thing for a drama and to its actor. It just means that the character was well performed, and the related scenes were properly delivered.
= My take on Mo Wan Soo =
I don’t agree on him committing suicide, and of course, on him committing murder. BUT!!! Mo Wan Soo’s tragedy brought me to tears. I cried so hard.
I remember, years ago, I wrote something like ~ “It wasn’t entirely your fault. But yes, you have contributed. Fault after fault. This is the result of both works and consequences.”
Wan Soo’s tragedy was the result of the miseries and trauma he had experienced from the people around him, especially from his mother. I agree on Yoon Do’s opinion of him, that Wan Soo was a good person. Indeed, he was. From the layers of evilness and dark auras of their twisted family, Wan Soo’s light and jolly personality shone. But then, no matter how lively and happy he was from the outside, he was crippled and damaged inside, and that’s because of his unappreciative and demeaning family. He doesn’t deserve such cruel home. I sympathize with him and understand his miseries. Still, I don’t conform to his murder. I still believe he should have payed for what he did in prison.
It is so sad to see a vibrant character die without having to see his first major achievement (again, another tragedy). His brother and mother’s remorse as they realize what kind of son and sibling they had wasted is not enough. Their tears will never be enough. The man was already gone.
A round of applause to Lee Gyu Han for his incredible portrayal of such character!
= My take on Han Je Kook =
I don’t conform/agree to what she believes in and to her principles. I just understand where she’s coming from. She believes there’s always injustice and inequality. It’s a fact that will go on and will never change, might as well use and benefit from it.
What she has is an obsession to bring and execute her own version of justice by her hands. I remember one quote from another K-drama, Stranger – “He was a monster created by our time.” Both villains in these dramas were the same in some ways. They both tried and came from the good side, but then saw how cruel the society they were serving and how it was unchangeable using right methods. For me, Ms. Han is the one who is “naïve” and “idealist”, and not Yoon Do.
At the end, you’ll see that Ms. Han and her team didn’t show any remorse. They even looked like they have accomplished something. They were so proud and confident. The last scene just showed us how solid and loyal TOP members are and how strong they believe that what they are doing is the RIGHT THING – which is very TOP-like.
If you have understood TOP and Ms. Han, you’ll know that this character won’t regret anything. She’s the proud one and won’t take any word from anyone. Yoon Do was nearly an exception. She saw potential in him (that he’s someone who can replace her in the future) and so, she took his arguments and adjusted herself to his reasons, but look at where that lead her? BETRAYAL. It is clear she won’t do that again.
The ending is not an ordinary ending that goes with stereotype ones – and that makes it special. It goes with reality. Would you really expect someone who’s so definitive to her belief for many years and just change and regret everything by just one failure? Ms. Han is completely unattached to anyone in the family. She’s attached to MC group itself and that’s why until the end, she defended, protected, and saved it. She won’t regret a thing, because in her eyes, she doesn’t have to.
REWATCH VALUE:
Since it is very entertaining, it is rewatchable – although I can’t watch some parts of the last and final episode once again because I do not want to experience the same heartbreak. But as a series, this drama is something to miss, you’ll crave to watch it again. It’s just sad it ended, but yes, you can always press the replay button.
OVERALL:
Graceful Family is a drama I have come to love (deeply). I will surely remember this story in the future. Highly recommended. A must-watch.
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With a tightly woven plot and an excellent cast that drives the story home, GF is the definition of entertainment. It will make you laugh, cry, jump with excitement and leave you dying to know what will happen next. With a suspenseful murder mystery, shocking family secrets and brilliant character development, GF had no room for any boring moment.
What I loved about the show was that no character seemed irrelevant. Every single person on screen had a part to play. Im So Hyang gracefully delivered as the badass, chaebol heiress on a mission. Mi Seok Hi was the perfect mix of vulnerability, strength and style. A true baddie after my own heart.
They could have done better with the male lead as he was by far the most unimpressive aspect of the show but he did the job as the upright, honest lawyer looking for justice.
The entire team of good guys: the reporter duo, the police officer, the ML's dad- all brought substance to the show. I loved the fact that our heroes weren't out of the world geniuses, they were just simple albeit smart individuals desperate to find out the truth.
The primary antagonist, Miss Han, was a formidable adversary. She commanded respect in the way she did her job, no matter how dirty and ruthless it was. Bae Jong Ok gave her all to bring forward one of the most charismatic villains in kdrama history. She and her TOP team members were horrible people but they were horrible people with exceptional smarts that came with their own set of charms.
And ofcourse, the MC family. All of the family members were psychotic in their own way and each left a mark. Whether they made you feel fury, sympathy, pity or hatred, they never did anything halfass.
Lastly, I think it would be criminal not to mention Wan Soo, the eldest son of the MC family. Lee Kyu Han killed it by bringing forward a character so complex and yet, the one with the simplest motivations. He was a true spotlight stealer.
The back and forth between the villains and the good guys kept you on the edge of the seat. The schemes and mind games made every episode intense. The best part was that all the cunning, witty ways the characters outsmarted each other were wholly believable. It wasn't a ball of hocus pocus plotholes, a confused writer pulled out of their ass, instead effort was made for things to feel mostly realistic.
A lot of people didn't like the ending but it was pretty satisfying for me. Sure, a few minor things could have been more developed but they were easy to ignore.
The OST was perfect and it fit our leading lady and her badass take downs so well. While there wasn't a need for romance, there was enough to satisfy all of you who are looking for it. With veteren actors in the ensemble, it's no surprise that the acting was phenomenal across the board.
Honestly, I don't know what else to say. It was one of the few shows that took on a lot of things at once and managed to do justice to all of them. I loved it and I strongly reccomend.
It's Jeana approved for sure. ;)
Go watch it.
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This review may contain spoilers
A Must Watch Drama
Well, part of me is sad because it’s already ended. But I can say that I’m so satisfied and happy with the ending. I will definitely miss the cast as I enjoyed all their characters they give me all the feels and they did a great job for portraying it.The story is great, the cast is amazing and settings is simple but good and the OST will make you LSS.
As the story progress you will feel that you are with them through out the story like how to deal with the situations and definitely will make you think! I would like to give my applause to the writer for giving us the unpredictable plot twist we could think of! Seriously! And kudos to the director and producers of this drama for not disappointing me..
The last episode made me cried so much and it was because of Wan soo as he is one of my fave till the end, I was really hoping he is not but yeah it was concluded that he truly was. I still feel sad for him he just wanted to feel loved and accepted by his mother T_T
But I’ve realised why the writer made him to, inasmuch as it will leave a painful mark to the viewers thus they made him the likeable and funniest character in the drama..
To make the story short I will miss all the scenes with Mo Suk Hee (Im Soo Hyang) how badass she was, the way how she dressed ( I really loved her everyday wardrobe in the drama), how she shrug, wink and her whatever & duh-face face ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It will be one of my fave drama for the year 2019 <3
———————————————————————
My says to someone who claims the ending was HORRIBLE;
Dear,
It was not that bad and poorly executed. It just didn't go the way you wanted. Im sure you had this whole happy ending story written in your head as your version about how things should end. And once they didnt (because I think the ending just shows how the reality works & not all evil doers get severe punishment in this current society) you claim its poorly executed and bad ending.
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The family drama was solid and there were enough twists and intrigues to keep things interesting. The performances were pretty decent too. Probably the best part of the drama was the characters. Sure, some of them were cliche evil characters (see the stepmother) but overall the main ones were strong. The clash of the two main ladies was well orchestrated too. However, the male lead was overshadowed and his story had only some screen time towards the end of the drama. Also, the romance, although subtle, it was not necessary as it didn't really have time to progress. Finally, the ending was pretty good.
So, overall, seven out of ten.
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Im Soo Hyang is well cast as Mo Seok-hee; the badass chaebol heiress who returns to Korea after an exile in the United States to solve her mother's murder. She teams up with the genuine, sweet and down-to-earth lawyer, Heo Yoon-do (Lee Jang Woo) whose mother was framed for the same murder.
While Seok-hee returns home to wreak havoc within her entitled, dysfunctional family, Yeon-do becomes her personal lawyer and gets employed by TOP: the corporation's all-seeing, all-knowing, law firm run by the controlling and Machiavellian Han Je-kook (Bae Jong Ok).
It's almost impossible to pin down the appeal of a show like this. It's pure crack, full of deliciously over-the-top plot twists and revelations: scheming mothers-in-law, corporate shenanigans, birth secrets, and murders among many others. The OST does the work of 50 actors; leaving us in no doubt about just how melodramatically we are supposed to watch this insane show. The soundtrack is like distilled makjang rendered into musical form.
And yet the show does have themes - real ones. While most shows lose track of theirs somewhere along the way, Graceful Family somehow finds some, almost by accident. Still, the appeal is rarely in the plotting, which resembles too often the standard Corporation-as-Joseon-Kingdom shenanigans that kdrama is a tad too fond of. The appeal is in the characters, especially the clever, entitled, bitchy, manipulative, but warm hearted Seok-hee herself - no Candy here - and the delightfully beta Yoon-do.
Dubbed Kermit and Miss Piggy for her bold confidence and his supportive and nurturing response, these two are one of the most shippable couples in dramaland. And it's only a shame the show didn't spend more time on the romance, even if these two never lose sight of their buddy-cop partnership.
I'm not going to lie - the show made one big narrative misstep, one that nearly ruined it for a lot of viewers and that I won't spoil. But apart from that, this is a very watchable, very enjoyable and very cracky piece of television. So dive on in!
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50+ episode makjang distilled into 16 episode chaos
Makjang is ridiculous and over-the-top drama (which generally rates poorly on MDL), and Graceful Family ticks all the makjang qualifications: plot twist(s) in every episode, cocktail of comedy and drama, absurd cast of characters, and more. It makes for an entertaining watch, but I am grateful that this drama wraps up in 16 episodes. The ridiculousness makes it difficult to connect with its characters and to elevate it to endearing versus entertaining.Story:
Graceful Family covers an incredible amount of plotlines over the course of 16 episodes (even covering a flashback at the beginning of each episode). The drawback is that most of these plotlines just happen for the purposes of moving the story forward. Then, the characters have to react accordingly, but even their reactions seem inconsistent at times. Roller coaster is a perfect analogy as the viewers are strapped in to follow whatever rail the writers have created for the story.
Acting:
I am a big Im Soo-Hyang fan because of her main role in My ID is Gangnam Beauty. Her character in Graceful Family is a stark contrast from Gangnam Beauty. The one similarity is the character’s belief in herself. That confidence/conviction is masked in Gangnam Beauty whereas it is in the forefront of her character in Graceful Family. The execution of the character in Graceful Family is simple, but that does not take away from Im Soo-Hyang’s great performance.
Same can be said for the other main leads and supporting cast. For a cable network drama, the entire cast of Graceful Family is experienced and talented. Bae Jong-Ok stands out as the villain character (plus I recommend Live to see more of her!). The major loss of points in this area is that the writing really limits the actors’ performances. Every character is put into impossible situations and directed to overreact, fully embracing the makjang moniker. Still, the overall acting is what kept me tuning in week by week.
Music:
Even the music is melodramatic in Graceful Family. Any hint of plot tension is accompanied by dramatic music, and the OST heavily leans in that direction. It follows the kdrama music formula that has proven successful over the years. MBN carefully crafted Grace Family to leverage all the key points that we expect of Korean Dramas.
Rewatch Value:
As entertaining as Graceful Family can be, it is best enjoyed in the moment because dwelling any longer highlights its various flaws. The cast is the highlight of the drama, and I attribute its rating success to them. Still, I would rather rewatch two dramas that I mentioned earlier instead of Graceful Family (My ID is Gangnam Beauty + Live). Given the solid amount of drama offerings in 2019, missing Graceful Family is not a loss for most drama watchers.
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This series is absolute perfection. There are no lose ends, no unnecessary scene ,sequence or character . They way story progresses is very natural and it keeps you hooked until the end with the twists.
A big Kudos to the writers and the actors .
My presumptive assumption regarding lead actress were not very positive due My ID gangnam beauty , but they way she potrayed her character , proves her acting provess. It was very refreshing and interesting to watch her character progress. Unlike other overbearing rich chaebol female characters in other Kdrama's, her character had very sensible specific reason for every action she took and acted.
The lead actor is portrayed as a cool headed good Samaritan lawyer, but he's not overbearing or unrealistically positive or good which makes him very natural and relatable character. The best part about this series is, even after having a strong female leads, the lead actor character stood on his own.
Finally, this show would have been nothing without a suitable villain. She's not a villain in trues sense, because she's not really evil. Everything she did was not for her personal gain, but for people she wanted to protect. She was calm and yet terrifying at the same time.
The supporting actors were amazing , each with their own personality (some were more interesting than others)
PS: give it a try, you won't regret it :)
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I’ll tell u why
Writing :The premise is not unique ,power struggle in rich family . What makes this Spl is the way writers have written it , the screenplay is fantastic . Expect the unexpected.
Characters: there are a handful of excellent characters. The best three for me are Wan soo
Suk hee and Han jae gook . Others are great too but these 3 deserve spl mention . U will love hate and cry for them .
Actors : they did a great job . Everyone suited their role perfectly . Lee kyu Han hats off to u . He dialogues are best of all
Perfect drama . A must must watch
Highly recommend this
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A big BUT, though, I can't get over the awful and quite repetitive soundtrack, which makes almost every scene more dramatic than it should be. There's no need for a dramatic church-like chorus singing to a scene where they eat barbecue, really - the same song can be heard at least ten times in each episode.
Otherwise, nothing else to reproach.
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The story in interesting, although marred by Korean insensitivity to LGBQT issues, but at least they try to include this verboten subject. The subtitles are reasonably offensive but understandable. The acting is excellent and the writing is well paced, But IU am exhausted by the music and if I finish it at all it will be in small doses. Sad to see a decent drama ruined by what should have enhanced it.
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Acting/Cast: The entire cast was well chosen and perform off the charts. Dir HAN was sublime, cunning and ruthless- perfect as a antihero. Not one disappointment.
Music: Well done and fitting.
RW: Yes!
Overall: This story was had flavors of Christie and Tey, golden age mystery writers who were able to write timeless tales of dysfunctional, greed, deceit wrapped around cultural norms. If you are looking for a drama with less sweet and more substance, this might engage you. Must admit the beginning eps almost got me to drop due to the std trope of rich & entitled asshats getting away with murder & crushing the working man. Well, that's how they got rich right? Go deeper into the eps and you will find yourself hooked on the fulcrum character, she's amazing!
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