This drama had a great premise, good cast, diverse characters, and great OSTs. So what exactly is the problem?
How did it manage to fail despite all of the positive factors I just mentioned?
Bad scriptwriting for the two main characters.
This show started off just fine (for some it might've been childish or cringy because of the main lead played by Ahn Jae Hyun) but despite that, the show was actually pretty decent. It gave spotlight on many diverse characters which brings me to a certain topic I'd like to discuss: How great the LGBT representation in this drama is. They portrayed the issues of gay people very smoothly without making it over the top or forced. The character played by Cha In Ha was written in a very natural manner, it felt very realistic and down to earth. Those are some of the positive things about this drama.
The other point I would like to mention is how each character is suffering from some sort of trauma. The four siblings sharing painful events that made them into who they are today. Also very nicely done.
Now I would like to focus on the negative aspects.
This drama focuses way too much on the cliché ''Main lead v.s Second lead'' trope which I thought would be left behind in 2019 for good. Sadly that was not the case and it ended up as a mediocre show at best.
Too many unnecessary scenes due to bad writing, not knowing how to make the main couple interesting enough and making them do stupid stuff every two minutes or so resulting in those two going back and forth between each other. Also, too many underdeveloped characters, what was the point of the rich runaway girl? the psychiatrist? how about the three brothers and their individual love stories? everything was shoved aside for the main couple and second lead which had absolutely zero chemistry at the end of the day, all that because of irresponsible (on the toilet) writing.
I think the screenwriter gave up midway through just to eat his sandwich on time for film break. Not sure what they were thinking when they made the main couple argue 24/7 without any reason at all, Like, he could've breathed in a wrong way and she would break up with him for the tenth time this week????
The humor in this drama swifts from occasionally funny to cringeworthy real fast, so watch out for that.
Also, I've seen a lot of people comment on the acting in this drama and I agree somewhat that the two main leads tend to overexaggerate a lot or simply fail at delivering a certain scene correctly. But please keep in that that those characters are purposely written that way and the actors have no choice but to act stupidly in a very animated manner because of the nature of their characters. You should blame the writers for that instead. I think the actors did a decent job, it is supposed to be a comedy after all. A character shitting his pants in the very first episode cant be taken seriously anyway.
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Overall this drama is okay if you are looking for something short and easy to watch. Funny with a decent portrayal of different characters. Sometimes braindead but the side characters are worth your time.
Don't try to watch this if you are a fan of mature or well-written romance. If you don't like childish characters and very questionable decision making, this might not be the right drama for you.
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The best word to describe this drama is: BORING. The main characters are written to be super quirky and especially at the beginning there are a lot of weird situations for the sake of creating comedy and showing their quirkiness. This kinda works at first (there was a time, like 2 months ago, when I was actually excited for the upcoming episodes) but as episodes went by everything became so dull, plain...boring. I can't exactly pinpoint what doesn't work for the main characters: poorly executed clichés? lack of character development? romantic chemistry where?, but something went reaaaaally wrong and I ended up skipping their parts in favor of the secondary characters, who surprisingly had much interesting storylines and relationships.
I'm not saying this is the worst thing I've ever seen, but it's frustrating looking back after investing 16 hours of my time and seeing that I could have watched something else instead. Oh, they also used Despacito as background music in several occasions and that was the last straw for me.
(lol no I'm kidding the characters were worse than despacito but really?? in 2019??)
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One of the funniest dramas I’ve ever watched!
So many people give this drama low ratings because it focuses too much on comedy and romance and not enough on story depth or action. Well let me tell you something guys, that’s what a true romantic comedy is supposed to do. Romcoms are supposed to be focused on romance and comedy. The backstory, underlying meaning of things, character growth, and plot always takes second place to the romance and comedy in a romcom. That’s not to say the drama doesn’t have any depth or good plot lines, it does. It’s just that it’s not the main focus of the drama.I like that this romcom stays a romcom throughout and never gets too melodramatic or angsty as most dramas do. Yes there are sad parts where I cried, and there was some angst towards the end. But you need a little of that to pull you in and get you invested in the drama. But it never gets too angsty and the comedy is sprinkled throughout the drama to lighten the mood.
One thing about the comedy is that it’s very physical with lots of bathroom humor. It’s not a subtle type of comedy but rather a very silly slapstick style comedy which is not everyone’s cup of tea. You either love it or hate it. I personally found it to be one of the funniest dramas I’ve ever seen. And I’ve watched hundreds of dramas.
I also loved the female leads relationship with her brothers. Her protective big brothers touched my heart and how they all looked out for each other and put each other first was heart warming. But be warned the female lead stands up for herself and is very physical with the people that mess with her. I personally loved her sassiness which she pulled off brilliantly. But some people may not like her strong physical personality.
The male lead is aggressive and tough one minute then a silly little puppy the next minute. Not many actors can play such a diverse character but this guy does it flawlessly.
There is a gay storyline and it’s done very tastefully. I like that neither of the men were portrayed as the typical silly effeminate gay character you see in most dramas. They were very normal everyday guys that were trying to cope with their circumstances. None of the scenes made me feel uncomfortable or awkward. Other dramas could learn a lesson from them. I loved the gay storyline. It was original, sweet, very normal and believable.
If you’re looking for a good romantic comedy then look no further. This is one of the best out there. If you’re usually very focused on depth of plot, action, and want lots of twists and turns then this is not the drama for you.
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1This review may contain spoilers
This review and rating are only for the BL side story of Won Seok and Ho Dol
'Love With Flaws' is a rarity: a full-length Korean drama featuring a bonafide BL side story. The m/m relationship between 20-something Won Seok and uni student Ho Dol develops as a slow burn over the course of the 32 episodes, and it is only during the final episode that we learn that the two are actually a couple, but it's during that final episode that we also hear Won Seok's older brother use the word 'love' to describe how Won Seok feels about Ho Dol. They even get their own little happy ending during the montage that ends the series.Generally speaking, 'Love With Flaws' is a romantic comedy, with the comedic element pitched at a level that might remind you of the American TV series 'Shameless'. Like in 'Shameless' the characters in 'Love With Flaws' are larger than life. Their behavior is often outrageous, but also like in 'Shameless' there are moments of drama and tenderness that stand out in bold relief against the humorous backdrop.
This is part of what makes the character of Won Seok particularly interesting. Won Seok is the gay middle brother of the female lead, and as 'Love With Flaws' progresses it turns out that he's the one exception to the outrageousness of the other characters. Throughout the series he's never held up for ridicule or embarrassment. In fact I can't recall any instance where Won Seok is placed in the kind of madcap situation that requires him to make a fool of himself -- something that every other major character does at some point (including Ho Dol). Won Seok is always taken seriously.
In the first episode we see that Won Seok's job is tending bar at an upscale gay lounge in the city. He and Ho Dol first meet when university student Ho Dol ventures into the establishment for the first time -- a rite of passage that many gay men will recognize from their own coming-out. Ho Dol is almost overwhelmingly nervous, and after Won Seok realizes what he's there for he serves him a beer at no charge and tells him to drink up and get lost. (Ho Dol ends up leaving money to pay for the beer anyway, but leaves the beer untouched.)
A few weeks later, when Won Seok's youngest brother needs a tutor for school, the tutor that the family hires turns out to be none other than Ho Dol. The surprise meeting between Won Seok and Ho Dol in Won Seok's home is played for laughs, with Ho Dol assuming that Won Seok's siblings don't know that he's gay and that Won Seok will want to get him fired as a tutor in order to keep his secret safe. By this point we've seen that the family actually does, in fact, know that Won Seok is gay, and that they have absolutely no problem with it. Ho Dol's misreading of the entire situation is handled with broad humor, but there's no denying that Won Seok doesn't help matters when his reaction to seeing Ho Dol on home territory is to remain cold and unapproachable. This only manages to feed Ho Dol's fear that Won Seok will be out to get him.
Things between them begin to change when another closeted gay uni student (who we've earlier seen pursuing Won Seok only to be rebuffed) spots Won Seok and Ho Dol together on campus. He mistakenly thinks that Won Seok is romantically interested in Ho Dol, and for revenge on the two of them he subjects Ho Dol to a cruel prank that results in some humiliating video footage of Ho Dol. The video gets posted online, outing Ho Dol to his fellow students and anyone else who happens to see it -- a list that eventually includes Ho Dol's family back home.
When the humiliated Ho Dol suddenly stops showing up to tutor Won Seok's younger brother, Won Seok goes back to the campus to confront him over leaving the job needlessly. He then follows Ho Dol to his lecture hall, where he sits with him and puts on a public display of behaving like his boyfriend. The ensuing scenes are particularly gratifying as Won Seok takes Ho Dol's side (literally) and afterward harshly confronts the closeted student who'd pranked him.
I won't give any details about the turn of events that ends up bringing Won Seok and Ho Dol closer, but suffice to say that the scenes that follow the campus confrontation provide Jang Yoo Sang (who plays Ho Dol) with the opportunity to show us that his acting chops aren't by any means limited to comedy.
Eventually we also learn of the dark moments that occurred during Won Soek's own coming out, and once this revelation occurs it puts much of his earlier behavior in perspective, including the stand-offish treatment he gives to Ho Dol at the outset. Perhaps Ho Dol reminds him too much of himself at a younger age, when he struggled with his own sexuality and made some very bad choices. After enduring so much and seeking to put all of the unpleasantness behind him, the sudden appearance of the confused and timid Ho Dol must have shaken him -- especially since the kid was turning up at both his place of employment and his home.
While Won Seok and Ho Dol do eventually end up in a relationship, I have to admit that when I first watched the series I didn't expect that to happen. I thought instead that Won Seok would end up mentoring Ho Dol as he finally meets someone at the university. Initially, of course, there was no relationship between Won Seok and Ho Dol at all, not even a friendship, and while this can be a starting point for the 'opposites attract' trope, what did manage to develop between them at first felt a lot like it had a 'big brother' vibe to it. Fortunately, the series does end up showing us the ways in which Ho Dol also makes a (very) profound difference in Won Seok's life. The underlying theme of redemption through love flows in both directions.
I've come this far without mentioning the untimely death of Cha In Ha, who plays Won Seok. In some ways it has ended up casting a tragic shadow over 'Love With Flaws', and I've wondered if this could be one of the reasons the series is not often mentioned when BL-friendly dramas are discussed. Cha In Ha's death occurred while 'Love With Flaws' was first airing, and at the time there was some speculation that the broadcast might be halted out of respect. I'm glad it wasn't. He is truly wonderful in the role of Won Seok, and this along with the fact that the role was part of a groundbreaking BL side story in a Kdrama makes 'Love With Flaws' a fitting memorial to his art and his humanity.
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The actors ALL did a really great job. I think their chemistry was a part of what made the storyline enjoyable. Speaking of the storyline, I wasn’t too keen on it at first, but it grew on me. Who doesn’t like a good story about love. There are multiple couples for you to choose from to follow. The main couple did a really great job with their interactions.
Without giving too much away, the storyline is great , along with the acting. You will have happy moments and maybe some heartfelt, but mostly happy!!
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Oh Yeon Seo as Joo Seo Yeon is ok. Yes, just ok. There are some likable things about her character, but most of the time she looks shocked, mad, or embarrassed with her eyes bulging through most scenes. My favorite moments of hers were with Kim Seul Gi as her bff Kim Mi Kyung. Kim Seul Gi is definitely a scene-stealer, and her commentary and instigating is probably the best part of the whole show. I kinda wish she was the romantic lead with Heo Jung Min, but instead Yeon Seo is matched with Ahn Jae Hyun as Lee Kang Woo who is this drama's biggest flaw. I admit that I have disliked him in every single drama I've seen him in, and this is the best of the worst. At least in this drama, he almost has a personality... a goofy one, an awkward one, but it's better than his usual lackluster roles. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but I am just not a fan of his at all. It doesn't help that he always plays arrogant characters who are supposed to be so "good looking" but to me, he looks average at best. I honestly don't get his appeal.
Then add to that the forced romance between Seo Yeon and Kang Woo, which is underwhelming. I just don't think they had any believable chemistry. This is definitely a case where I liked the 2nd lead much more. I loved his sweets obsession. I also liked the cousin rivalry at times, but as a love triangle, it was played more for laughs than anything else. It's hard to like a romcom if you don't like the main couple, but it's impossible if the story is crap too.
I initially liked the idea of a girl who likes "less attractive" guys but it didn't take long for that plot point to not be relevant anymore. This drama is full of random plot points... Kang Woo's IBS, a weird homeless girl, a fraudulent therapist... that feel like filler with no substance or meaning. They did try to tackle a gay plot, which was decent, but again lacking any chemistry to make me really care. Something about it just seemed lacking. They also added a little bit of family melodrama but it honestly just felt out of place.
Would I watch this again? I'm surprised I didn't drop it this time, so no. This drama is so silly and over the top, and I think the short episodes were the only reason I could keep watching. I also kept waiting for a payoff that never came. They actually try to wrap everything up in the last 30-minute episode with everything resolving way too easily, but at that point, I didn't really care I just wanted it to finally be over.
Overall, this drama is one you can skip. It's mostly a comedy but I don't remember laughing even once. It's a romance but peripheral characters' relationships were way more interesting than the main couple. They had good intentions with the gay acceptance subplot but it wasn't done well. I should have known from the moment that doves flew from the toilet seat that this drama was a mess. Fans of this type of humor may feel differently, or fans of Ahn Jae Hyun, but to me, this was a forgettable drama that I watched just to pass the time. If you love awkward moments, silly misunderstandings, and poop jokes, then this drama delivers! Sadly, that's about all it delivers. I think Drama with Flaws would've been a much more accurate title.
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As for the characters.
I really liked all the brothers in their own way. I thought Seo Yeon was a really interesting lead at first but after a while I found her quite indecisive and boring. Kang Woo was probably my least favorite character. I found him way too immature and even selfish in some ways.
My favorite characters were Ho Dol and Kang Woo's sister.
Overall I found myself watching it every week mostly because of the amazing side-stories.
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This review may contain spoilers
The main couple were a mess, but the gay couple on this show made it a great show. Wonseok was just a regular character and a regular person, who became a support system for someone who was just understanding their sexuality. His patience and understanding was above all else in this drama. Cha In ha, thank you so much for making your last character so meaningful and an important representation. His partner, ho dol, was also great representation and a strong individual. Also, I just adore the siblings moment for the Joo family! So precious! The older brother, Wonjae, really loved his siblings and would do anything for them. If you watch it more for the family, its much better. Was this review helpful to you?
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This drama had a great premise. And the fact it has a BL secondary storyline was amazing. But sweet baby Jesus! Okay, let's begin with what I loved about it.
The music was amazing. They used a few of my favorite English songs which was cool. The other songs used were catchy and very pleasing.
The BL storyline was sweet - I wish there was more thought put into it and it had a little bit more substance but it was cute and I really enjoyed it for what it was.
The siblings to the main female were the best things about this entire series. They were loving and funny and kind and you don't see that much in these dramas anymore.
The secondary characters were amazing except for the main female's best friend.
Now what I didn't like.
Why was this drama 32 episodes? They could have done this mess in 16 eps --hell, they could have done it in 10. So there's that.
There was NOTHING to like about the main female. She tried making her tough but she was juvenile, and petty and irritating as all hell. She took zero blame for the mess she caused and it didn't feel like she had a brain in her head.
The male lead - meh.
The love triangle - why? Why was that even a thing in this drama? I don't get why every one of these dramas need a love triangle. it's foolish and when done badly, ruins a good premise.
If you want a sweet BL secondary storyline with some awesome secondary characters, then watch this. Don't expect much from the lead female but irritation and a snore for the main male.
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This review may contain spoilers
I personally love the casting. I love how each character has their own unique take on the roll. It started out great, it had me binge watching the first 15 episode until 3 am, however Seo Yeon and Kang Woo’s relationship did not really soar/reached it’s peak. It lacks the drama that I was looking for, especially when Seo Yeon found out what really happened with their parents on the night of the incident.Won Jae and Kang Hee deserved a better ending, Ho Dol and Won Seok deserved more moment together. I found myself skipping on Seo Yeon and Kang Woo’s scene, and focus on Won Jae and Won Seok’s story.
Will I watch again? Definitely yes, it’s a good laugh nonetheless. But if you’re looking for a good drama that really gives you the emotional feeling that you need, then this is not it.
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...
Initially started watching because of In-ha...May his soul rest in peace♥️🕊I thought when people said this is a gay drama,they’re the lead and their relationship is defined..their relationship/plot doesn’t develop past what I was hoping. The main lead’s too. Its a cul de sac until the end. I’ve wasted 16 hours . It was okay but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
I honestly don’t understand what I just watched,I cannot give a form of review because it was flimsy and all over the place. It’s like they were trying too hard. I love the cast,they have great potential as actors but I just don’t understand this storyline. Somewhere along the way they lost it and I don’t know where
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But some of the side stories really shine here. The main female lead has three brothers that all deal with their own issues, and though they don't get a lot of screentime each episode, at the end of the day all three of them have satisfying arcs. The familial love shown between all four of them and a couple of strays they picked up along the way is really great. The friendship between the female lead and her best friend is awesome.
And one more thing: this is one of those very rare dramas that have a storyline dealing with gay characters that is done well. There are multiple gay characters, and though some of them deal with heavy stuff, they get a happy ending. This alone makes this drama much better than a lot of others.
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