This review may contain spoilers
If You Wish Upon Me took a couple of tries and about 3 episodes for me to fully get interested in it. While it is a slow burn and full of heavy emotions, I found myself really enjoying seeing all of the people within the hospice and the two leads figuring out their feelings. As always with melodramas, you have a mystery plot playing alongside the regular one and I honestly didn't care for it at all. I found myself skipping most of those scenes to get back to the hospital storylines.I wish that we would've gotten more stories of the people within the hospice as well because I felt those were the most grabbing stories. I loved getting to know them and their wishes and watching them be happy for a final time. I needed more of those even if they were heavy and emotional to get through. I felt that they spent more time on the mystery plot than they did with the genie program itself and that's what I was really here for.
The romance is super slow burn, enemies to lovers, unexpected love.. It can be a little cheesy and tropey, but it was worth it for the relationship scenes you do get. They do add in a few things that annoy me like "ex comes back to ruin everything" trope which isn't my thing, especially when it's done towards the end of the series.
Overall, a good watch if you're looking for something similar to Move to Heaven, Chocolate or May I Help You.
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IF ALL HOSPICES IN THE WORLD WERE THESE GOOD..
Ji Chang Wook would play a snaill and he would do it well,Its hard to pick holes in a drama with two of the most seasons actors.My man Sung Dong IL been aroung for some moons.I went into this drama ecpecting rivers to flow and box of tissues to be overly used but shockngly It wasnt so...I dont know why but every death seemed like ok,at leat this person will not suffer anymore,It might be maybe because they chose characters that are advanced in age,the only character that made me shade a tear was a younger lady who had a dream to become a musical actress..this explains the phenomen that it never a good feeling when young people die.
Personally I loved the calmness and the quietness of the show,in scenes where someone was not being beaten by a baseball bat(this was really excessively used by the way)I dont know why the bad guys just found bats and golf sticks more appealing as weapons
The show was going well until midway when some story lines started taking centre stage more than necessary.Yes they have to connect to the ML past but a sidestory should not take more than 3 episodes especially in a 16 episodes drama..The gangstar stuff took more airtime than necessary,this time should have been used to grant more people their last wishes..Am not fun of funerals but the drama would have done its sad purpose if they did show us the Captain Kang Tae Sik's funeral,it would have been really sad,imagine all the characters coming together to bid fairwell to the legend,and how broken would Yun Gyeo-Rye(Ji Chang Wook)would have been watching his adoptive father/savior leave this world.
I would have wanted to see Jang Seok Jun and Ha Joon Kyung meet in the outside world,their character development was one of the highlight of the show for sure.
Overall I call this a light drama with a heavy subject that makes you question alot about end of life
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If I watched it in the cinema, I would fall asleep. Hehehe supposition that can't possibly happen huh? The duration of the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" is approximately 16 hours (16 episodes). Therefore, if I may, I suggest shortening it to 12 episodes. Eits.??
Incidentally, I finished this drama while watching the ongoing drama "Call it Love" played by Kim Young Kwang and Lee Sung Kyung. So that auto compares the two.
Both dramas have a slower tempo and both tell stories about lonely broken home youths. However, the Korean drama "Call it Love" doesn't make it boring, instead it makes you want to know the next episode.
One of the keys lies in the camera game. Some reviewers also praised the angle of the Korean drama "Call it Love" which spoils the eye and wants to hug Han Dong Jin, played by Kim Young Kwang, and cheer him up.
I played the Korean drama song album "If You Wish Upon Me" while writing a review, there was Sooyoung who sang the song "To My Star" and Taeyeon with her song "You And Me", which unfortunately scored only C to support this drama.
So, why did the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" not match predictions? Maybe it's because the writer-nim is too overthinking.
Inspired by the Ambulance Wish Foundation, which launched a charity program in the Netherlands, namely the activity of granting the last wish of terminally ill patients. Then combined with the fictional story of Yoon Gyeo-Rye (Ji Chang-Wook) who was entangled in cases of gangsters and possessive women, the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" became.
A mix of stories that feel heavy huh? Luckily the Korean drama "If You Wish Upon Me" was played by Ji Chang-Wook and Sooyoung, actors and actresses whose acting skills need not be doubted.
Although the final segment is not clear. If you want to put it in an entertainment drama, how come it doesn't feel comfortable seeing a child being ironed by his biological father.
The next review can be read here: https://www.maria-g-soemitro.com/2023/03/if-you-wish-upon-me-review-drama-korea.html
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it's about family value and our lives
I love this drama and Ji Chang wook is always best in all his dramas I hope it come up with season 2 or something similar to it.all the characters are perfect and the scenes of genie team is fabulous. i wish to work there too. the cooking skills of ji Chang wook are always best.the brother sister duo is also awesome. in between the scene are too much lengthy and some lil emotional scenes touch out hearts. the female lead is perfect for him in this drama. I m happy to watch this drama. sarangheo.Was this review helpful to you?
Best slice of life kdrama
If You Wish Upon Me is one of my Slice of Life favorite dramas. This was my first drama to watch when it was airing. Since I’m a fan of Ji Chang-Wook, I have good expectations for this drama, and this is my first drama with Choi Soo Young and Won Jin An. There are no big stars in the cast (drama) yet, but If You Wish Upon Me got huge success with its story and the acting of the cast. The story is so fresh at that time and forever. As we already know, this drama story is based on true events and is inspired by the Ambulance Wish Foundation, which originally started in the Netherlands. The charity program grants wishes to terminally ill patients. With Slice of Life, this drama also offers a mature rom-com and a decent, deep message about life, and it shows how a human being's life is small in this world. Let us live happily until our time on earth is complete. The drama starts with the interesting way an ex-convict got sentenced to do voluntary work in a hospital. Will he settle in that place, or how will he manage to work and live there? To talk about Ji Chang Wook's acting, it's just perfection. He is well known for the action genre, but the way he chooses his character roles from drama to drama shows what a quality actor he is. His character role is full of emotions; he made me cry by acting in emotional scenes and laughing in comedy scenes. The way he was trying to adjust himself in that place and falling in love with his opposite personality the female lead those types of scenes are a natural treat to watch. The story moves in a classical way, like Team Jeni helping the patients grant their last wishes, but it also insists on a mysterious element of the secret room patient, which felt like a lacking element in this type of story, but the writer gave a good reason why he put that in this drama and convinced us with its backdrop story. Choi Soo Young is one of the best idols turned actors, and although this was my first drama of her's, I became her fan after watching her acting. Won Jin An, I’m moved by her acting and her story point; her rudeness toward Ji Chang Wook’s love is pretty emotional. The scene where he says “please leave me free” to her is heartwarming, and the drama shows the efforts of the writer and director and how much they invested their skills to create characters for a particular scene. This drama standout as one of the best emotional character development dramas i watched. Song Dong gives another great performance in his Team Jeni leader role. OST is nostalgic, and the hospital setting is quite beautiful. Excellent acting from all the supporting cast. This is the best example of how a good story can get success without a star cast, with proper utilization of the full potential of available actors. It's a funny and emotional roller-coaster that also offers some good tears. I will recommend this drama to everyone who loves good character development and emotional character depth in new typical dramas.Was this review helpful to you?
Not a show for the faint-hearted
I'm a nurse and have worked in palliative care so this hits differently. I had to take a break after 10 episodes because i was copping too many feels. Im pretty sure i ugly cried in every single episode (especially the episode with Son's last moments) . I had watched Ji Chang Wook in other shows before but he really came through this time. My heart raced and I tensed up during the conflict scenes. Won Ji An also did a great job, I had never watched her in anything but i couldn't help hating her character. Ill have to watch til the end to give a review on the plot but for now i just wanted to say watch this if you want to watch something deep and meaningful. Skip this if you are looking for something light.PS: Also wanted to add that its not very realistic that Nurse Seo always looks so free/relaxed/energetic during work and had loads of time to workout/volunteer lol.
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As for the cast, of course, I chose to watch this drama for my darling Wooky! He's such a lovely thing to watch on screen. I just don't get WHY he does not choose more meaty roles, and ALWAYS plays it safe. Going by the blurb of the series and his image in the poster, I really thought that he would be an anti-hero sort of character, like Seon Seok-goo in My Liberation Notes. But the blurb was all that was faulty with him. All throughout the series, he was the NICEST boy there could ever be, who was so unfairly wronged by the system, that one would think that he was a puppy without any agency of his own. It's alright if the director wanted to show him as a nice guy, but don't make the blurb SO misleading, please? It wasn't fair for the character tbh. His romance angle with Choi Soo Young was also meh, it was so extremely predictable, there was nothing worth rooting for. I actually ended up liking the doctor, he was this understated character, but quite sensible. Even if his character didn't have much screen time, he did a pretty decent job playing an introverted doctor. This might come up as offensive, but I did not like Song Dong Il as Kang Tae Shik - both the actor and the character were too much for me to take.
One thing that I really liked was the drama's investment in the hospice staff, which was quite good. Although all the stories eventually ended up being preachy, kudos to the script-writer for showing other stories other than the main characters' stories. I don't know what happened with Ha Joon Kyung and Jang Seok Joon, as I didn't finish the whole thing. I was interested to know, but the overtly preachy tone overshadowed everything else, and I lost interest.
The OST was nothing to write home about. The mini-play in the middle of the drama was SO STUPID AND UNNECESSARY. The only reward received from watching the entire mini-play nonsense was seeing Ji Chang Wook looking absolutely stunning in a suit. But then he looks good in anything, without anything, in whichever way he comes on screen really. So yeah, too little returns for too much investment.
Finally, using animals to persuade the viewer to tears was NOT CALLED FOR. Overall, not a binge-able drama. If you have time to spare, and you are REALLY in love with Ji Chang wook, then watch it. Otherwise can miss it.
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Watch it with a hand to your heart and the other to a tissues box..
OK..this is not an easy drama to watch.. i have started watching it because of Ji Chang Wook , as an European viewer myself I find him to be one of the sexiest man on screen, beside being a complete actor, very versatile, capable of bringing a soul into his acting..He can make every character believable.
JCW is portraying an ex-convict, abused in childhood, lonely as an adult.. his eyes... just penetrate you.. the sparkles when he cries.. his cheeky curiosity.. his genuine feelings...
And, regardless of his hard life , he is still capable of trusting others.. he wants you to get close to him.. with nothing to lose...
This drama is so intense that it is making it difficult for me to watch one episode in one go.. but it represents the reality of many working in hospice, supporting the last breath of life of many left on their own...
Thank you to the production team, because you have been able to discuss an heartbreaking topic.
And thank you to the actors for telling us this story with your natural and great acting! ?
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A nice return
I haven't watched a drama with Ji Chang Wook since Suspicious Partner back in 2017, so this was a nice way to see his progression over the years. His performance didn't disappoint. Starting off, it was easy to empathize with Gyeo Rae's struggles as he lost his way in life, not to mention his traumatic childhood that continued to haunt him. This drama showed how all it takes is one good person to change someone's life. Seeing how Tae Shik not only saved him, but guided Gyeo Rae on a better path, even becoming a true father-figure to him, was heartwarming. It was even better to see how Gyeo Rae's interactions with the hospice patients not only helped them achieve peace in their final days, but their interactions with him also helped heal himself. His romance with Yeon Joo was also very cute, they made a great couple. This is my second time seeing a drama with Sooyoung and she played her character well. Very caring and passionate about helping others, but also a great support for Gyeo Rae. I loved how straightforward she was in pursuing him. She always got him flustered lol.The drama itself started off strong in the beginning episodes, sometimes a bit cliche, but still heartwarming. But then it seemed to lose momentum and veered off into another direction. They could've done without the gangster side plot they crammed at the end, it really wasn't needed. The final episodes were very predictable given the way they steered the plot, so it was a decent closing, but nothing noteworthy. Also, seeing the "ghost" roaming around the hospital throughout the show felt more comical than anything since it took away from the main story's serious atmosphere. I just couldn't take it seriously. And in the end, it was all for naught. Nevertheless, the main cast did great and had wonderful chemistry, they really felt like a family. Taeyeon's ost was perfection. One thing I did appreciate about this drama was that it didn't cram ost songs everywhere, there were more bgm than anything which helped maintain the more serious tone of the story.
Overall, this was a good watch that got me in my feelings at times, but I wouldn't watch it again. I think this would be a hard drama to sit through for viewers who just want to see romance since that's not the main premise. If you aren't invested in the main characters at the start, you're not going to enjoy this drama; it will just feel long and boring. Not to mention, its theme revolving around life and death can be depressing and might not be for everyone.
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"Fui salvo pouco antes de cair em um pântano"
Drama muito lindo e sensível. Gyeoree só queria ser feliz e ter uma família, e ele conseguiu isso e muito mais. O maior ensinamento que esse dorama nos deixa, é o quanto ser amado e valorizado pode mudar a sua vida. Estar cercado de pessoas que se importam e cuidam de você é transformador. Faz de você também uma pessoa melhor e mais generosa.Achei a finalização do drama muito bom, terminou em uma cena onde tudo começou. Obrigado pela linda mensagem de esperança e cura, um dos dramas mais humanos que já vi. Bela história, personagens cativantes e performances incríveis.
Obrigado Team Genie, vou sentir muita falta deles!
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The choisesnof life
it îs a show which put you to live a lot of fealings. it îs out of confort zone. but it îs very excitant.you have to see through the images, to see what a soțul can endure and what a human been can do only for a devilish desire.
if you see this serial, you can live a lot of contractori feelings but îs worth it.
the sezone 2 will be launch it în march. but I recomand to see the first one now, to swallow the story.
try to see it even you are a fan for comedian or love stories. I usuqlly watch historical show, bt this is one which worth it.
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Muito bom
'If you wish upon me' traz como trama principal o trabalho feito na clínica de cuidados paliativos onde o 'Team Genie' um grupo que atende ao último desejo de seus pacientes terminais fazem seu trabalho, trabalho este que acaba ajudando até seus próprios membros.Traz também algumas sub tramas onde todos os personagens tinham uma certa profundidade, não achei que ninguém foi jogado ali qualquer jeito.
O Yoon Gyeo Rye era um homem quebrado, esgotado que não conhecia nada além de sofrimento, ele já estava no seu limite. A gente pode definitivamente ver como seu passado o afeta, mas ele não é um cara mau, no decorrer vemos uma pessoa incrivelmente doce.
O que dizer da Seo Yeon Joo? INCRÍVEL, eu amei essa mulher, ela é simplismente aquele tipo de gente que não desiste facilmente, principalmente das pessoas que ela ama.
Pra mim foi um drama que terminou bem fechado e ainda me deixou com quentinho no coração. Além de ter feito eu ficar viciada na ost "I can't forget you" do Kim Feel.
Não é aquele tipo de drama todo animado, super rápido e tals, é mais lento, vida real e até que profundo.
Com certeza podemos facilmente conhecer alguém como qualquer um dos personagem retratados ali.
Outra coisa pra se destacar é a versatilidade de Ji Chang Wook, ela foi bem mostrada com esse personagem.
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